One Creative Family

Yesterday I had great intentions, BUT a greater force decided to test me and I gave up.  Decided to read a Ann Hazelwood book instead.  I was making a messenger bag and I ended up sewing it together was the first of mistakes.  I sewed it together UPSIDE DOWN!  So I ripped it apart and started again. After ripping it apart 4 times I put it aside.  So cutting out the Dragonflies for the wall hanging and today I will re draw, and cut and iron heat bond on leaves for 2 dragonflies.  I  ironed them on the wrong side of the fabric.  Throwing in the trash.  The book sounded safer.  What can happen tear out a page?  I can tape it back.  What I didn’t think about was getting caught up in it and looked at the clock and seeing it 2am.  I did manage to get up by 7am and ready for a new day and hopefully be able to get back on track.

Count on me letting you know how that turns out.  I will also have a few photos to show you on the new process.  I hope.

You have a wonderful day and not have too many “rip outs” today.

I am happy to say I now have my routine back.  The life of One Creative Family has been turned upside down since April.  And I had nothing that looked like a routine and I hate this.  I am a very organized, routine, oriented person.  Now that this is looking to be the norm for a while I can get back to enjoying all I do and not dread it.  With that said I have started making a new wall hanging for sale.  I have had so many complements on Dance of Dragonfly that I am making a new one.  I am also making a bag for vacation.  Not sure what vacation will look like, but I am anxious to find out.  Here is the first Dance of Dragonfly that I made and will post a photo of the new one once I have all 5 Dragonflies made.

Do you work better with a routine or not?

Do you like a date due for your projects?  I do, and I can get more made and not drag it out.

I was looking thru Facebook last night and one post caught my eye.  “Elephant stolen”.  I thought this was so funny on many levels.  How do you steal an elephant?  If you got close enough to an elephant how would you get out of the area with an elephant? What would you take it in?  Then as you read it more someone had taken a cement elephant out of someone’s yard.  Yes, this is mean and stupid, but the post made me laugh.  Then I thought of all the many posts I have made and wondered do they sound so funny? Or was it the fact that I had taken a medication for migraines?  Probably a combination of both.

Many of you probably think the same of this post.  If so…..enjoy.  Have a great day.

 

Our town has a big festival every Labor Day Weekend celebrating the beginning of the Santa Fe, California, and Oregon Wagon Trains going West.  Independence, MO is where all groups going from the East to the West would meet and travel by wagon train west.  You could get your supplies here before leaving. We call it Santacaligon Days.  There are crafts, food, music, carnival, and of course the shopping on the Square.  This encompasses about 6 square blocks.  We walked around it yesterday and found some amazing wood tables and benches, jewelry, tea towels, t-shirts, and salsas and regular items like this.  There was one gentleman who was a welder by trade and made things out of forks and spoons.  I was amazed at what he had.  Let me know what you think.Isn’t this amazing?  As you can tell they are not small items.  Such talent.

What are you doing these days?

I am in between projects and thinking ok, what do I want to make now?  I don’t have a clue.  Seems like when I don’t know what to make I do quite a bit of cleaning and then dig out the fabrics and try to decide.  This seems to take the cobwebs off the brain and I can accomplish so much more. I do have 4 pounds of pecan and jalapeno pecan brittle to make for the 21st of this month.

How do you decide on the next project?  Do you wait until you get finished with what you are working on before you work on your next one?

I don’t like to have too many projects in the process at one time because I get overwhelmed and do nothing.  I do have 2 bag patterns I want to make for vacation in Oct.  Think I need to stop procrastinating?  Today may be the day to start those.   With that in mind I think I will get those started.

I hope your day is wonderful.

I am thinking today will be could be a day at the zoo.  Until we go it I will be making some zucchini bread and banana bread.  I am also going to freeze some strawberries.  I bought fruit at the grocery store last week and was on meds for a headache and tense muscle in the neck. Needless to say I have spent the week sick to my stomach and sleepy so need to do something with the fruit before it goes bad.  I think the headache is easier to stand compare to the side effects of the meds.  I didn’t take them yesterday as Ms. Destiny will be here and I need to keep up with a 3 yr old.

Until Destiny comes I will be making some bibs.  When I try and sew she wants to help and sometimes it doesn’t always turn out.  But it is fun and we are making wonderful memories.  This is something I did with all my granddaughters.

I hope you have a chance to make some wonderful memories.

I am sad to say yesterday brought NO creativity.  Actually it was a day of Must Dos.  Things like mow the yard, going shopping and so on.  Today will bring sewing in the morning, exercise and peanutbrittle in the afternoon.  Alicia is busy making her dolls, Ashley is making wood signs, Jim(our son) is making wooden flags, and Mary is making soaps and lotions.  Sept 21-22 is the last craft fair at this time.  We may go to one more in November.

Hopefully tomorrow will bring a trip to the zoo.  I was informed Saturday that little girls like going to the zoo and see ALL the animals.  We will pick her up and spend the morning there as it is in the 90’s by afternoon with a heat index of 100-105.  We will stay in doors and make our tent in the afternoon. This is our last visit and we have created a little monster.  She wants to go every day.

 

A few weeks ago our son, Jim, tested for his 6th Degree Black Belt in Okinawa Kempo.  Proud of him.

This last week we have had pre fall weather and it has been wonderful.  Today Summer returns and will be in the upper 90’s.  The rain we’ve had last week has caused the grass to shoot up.  It has gone from a dry crunchy brown to a beautiful soft green, so I won’t complain mowing.

I have been doing some sewing and making peanut brittle, but mostly just enjoying the weather.  I got 2 set of aprons made and a table runner that still needs the binding finished.  The pink was in the process of being finished.  The table runner is one I was starting to quilt the other day.I am using a rust colored border.  I have 4 place mats ready to put together and quilt.  I have started cutting dragonflies out of organza.  I made the Dance of the Dragonfly wall hanging about a year ago, and decided I want to try one out of organza.  Dragonflies have  translucent wings and I want to try and capture this.  I hope it turns out the way my mind is seeing it.  Hope you are having a wonderful Friday.

Today I didn’t get a whole lot of sewing done.  Ms. Destiny (3 yr old) spent the night last night.  I was woken up at 4am with a little sweet face inches from mine saying, “It’s time to play with Playdough”. I told her is was still night time and she grins, gets out of bed and tells me,”My eyes say it is.” I told her to wait a while and so she got Hi Ho Cherry-O and we played games.  It was a very fun day, but I am very tired.  I did do some quilting on a table runner.  This is turning out pretty good.  I will be making placemats to go with it and napkins.  I wanted something new for the fall. I also have lots of fabric pumpkins to spread around the house.  No Halloween decorations.  They still scare Destiny and since she is here a few times a week, we will decorate for Fall.  Now for an early night, sweet dreams and be safe.

Hello everyone.  This weekend I have started on a Fall Table Runner.  It is a raw edge applique.  I am finding projects that I can finish within a week.  When I finish this table runner, I will have everything ready for the craft fair.  I will then start on some new projects for the winter.  I enjoy sitting at the window and watching the snow falling, then getting out and play in it.

I did something I said I wouldn’t do and that is that I would not volunteer at Quilt Guild for a committee.  Welllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I did.  I found out I was the Chair Person for the Activity Committee.  Any suggestions for extra activities for beginner to advanced quilters?  Last year we had a challenge, and a block exchange.  This is only my 3rd year of being a member of the guild and all is fairly new to me and I need suggestions.  How are Block of the Month ran? Do you think Block exchanges are a good idea?

On to a new topic……..I was asked the other day what color fabric I have the most of and the fabric I use the least.  My answer was browns the most of and pink is the least.  This simple question made me look at my stash and I have so many dark colors, and earth tones.  I have a few bright batiks.  I am drawn to bright fabrics when I go to the stores, but when making quilts the colors are muted.  I think it is time to start making brighter quilts.  Tonight I will look thru my fabrics and decide what bright colors will be in the next quilt.

Have a wonderful evening and get creative.