My Spare Time

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Big Day

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 17:08:00 +0000

Someone in this house is turning 30 today. I borrowed a wonderful idea from Maggie Mason and came up with 30 little gifts to give him for his birthday.

I wrapped them all in craft paper with bright ribbons and they do make quite a display. Peter was very surprised to see them all this morning. Finding/buying/making and wrapping all those presents has been taking up a lot of my time lately. I also put together a happy birthday banner - it's the same fabric as the stroller blankie because when Pete saw that he said it was the perfect color of blue.

Happy birthday, sweetie, I hope it's a great one!

Red Barn on Hold

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:11:00 +0000

I'm having to wait to finish the binding since the puppy is already putting the quilt to good use...

A Bit Belated

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:07:00 +0000

On our ski trip last week we were lucky enough to get to celebrate our niece and nephew's 11th birthday with them! To save on luggage room I didn't bring their gifts along, so they are going to be a bit belated. I got an adorable cross-stitch kit for my niece (this one) because she loves crafting, and made these little covered button hair accessories. The purple pair are hairbands and the little flowers are bobby pins. These were so fun and quick to make up! Definitely more of these in my future.

Also a bit belated, my goals for April:
1. Stroller blankie for a new little girl.
2. Finish binding Red Barn quilt and clean up guest room. (March fail!)
3. Wedding embroidery for some friends that got married in March.
4. Artwork for above Ben's changing table.

Considering how crummy I did on my March goals these might be extra ambitious!!

March Goals:
1. Buttons for swap - finished and mailed on time!
2. Finish circle quilt top.
3. Bind Red Barn quilt. About half done with hand-sewing.
4. Pick up guest room enough to make the bed! Not done!!

Willing Model

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:12:00 +0000

We are headed to Colorado tomorrow for a family ski trip and I wanted one more hat for our little man. About five minutes and a few seams led me to this little fleece number.

And what a willing model Benjamin is these days! He certainly hams it up for the camera. I can't believe how much he's changed in three short months.

Stroller Blankie

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:54:00 +0000

One of the gifts Ben received was a small quilt, about 24"x36", with a fuzzy back. It is the perfect size to tuck around him in the carseat or stroller, and I have gotten so much use out of it! I can also see him easily dragging it around as a security blankie when he gets older. So when I needed a gift for a baby shower, that's the first thing I thought of!

The size makes it a great way to try out a little bit more time-consuming piecing, so I used the directions that Quilt Dad posted on Moda Bake Shop for the sliced up 9-patch block. My dimensions are different to give me a 11.5" block (3.5" squares for the 9-patch, 2"x5" and 2"x6" for the strips).

The fabric is Riley Blake and was really fun to work with, I love the colors! I splurged and backed it in pale blue minky. There's no batting so it's very soft and cuddly. And can I just say that my seams matched up on this quilt better than any I've made before. I got quite a thrill from that.

I had planned to try stippling on this because I thought the size would make it very manageable but I was short on time and didn't want to risk messing up. I also used the monogram feature on my Janome for the first time for the label. I probably won't do this too often but it's nice to know it will work in a pinch!

At a small 24"x36", is it still okay to call this my first finished quilt of 2010?

Doodle Buttons

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:53:00 +0000

I finished my buttons for the Feeling Stitchy swap and they are going in the mail on time! I am just a little bit amazed that I didn't drop the ball on this.

I am very happy with how they came out. I love the doodle stitching I see on flickr (like this or this) and thought I'd try that for these buttons.

A little bit of fabric (didn't make the photo), some floss, sweets, and the buttons, on their way to Sophie in England!

Flats Weather

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:46:00 +0000

New $10 flats and weather warm enough to wear them with a dress. I love spring!

Up soon - I finished my swap buttons! My package will actually be going out on time. I have to admit I'm slightly amazed!

Edited to add after several requests: I got the flats last week at Target, I'm sure they're still there!

Off to a Good Start

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:44:00 +0000

I guess posting my goals online really helped with my motivation!

I've already finished the circle quilt top, trimmed the Red Barn quilt and cut the binding, and I have the Feeling Stitchy swap buttons planned and on the hoop.

It's a good thing I have this strong start - we are going on a ski trip at the end of the month and it is amazing to me how quickly that will be here. Planning and packing seems to be a lot more complicated when you throw a 3-month-old into the mix!

March Already

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:57:00 +0000

I feel like I have a new appreciation for the expression "time flies" now that I am watching my baby grow. It is hard to believe my little boy is already two months old! The days go by so quickly, and I never do everything I think I can accomplish looking ahead each morning.

For example, I only have a few seams left on the circle quilt but these strips have been sitting here for over a week waiting to get sewn together.

I also got the Red Barn quilt back from the quilters and it is waiting to be trimmed and bound. Of course, everything that was stored in the nursery is now stored in the guest room where this quilt will live, so I have a little work to do to make the bed ready for its new covering!

To give me a little more crafting motivation - to get back on the horse, so to speak - I joined the button swap at Feeling Stitchy. I can't wait to get to work!

In the spirit of looking ahead, I think I will post some March goals. I am keeping them quite simple, because my to do list often gets filled with baby snuggles - and laundry! - instead of sewing time.

March Goals:
1. Buttons for swap - finished and mailed on time!
2. Finish circle quilt top.
3. Bind Red Barn quilt.
4. Pick up guest room enough to make the bed!

Administrative Note: I've upgraded to threaded comments! From now on I will be replying in the comments, and it will show up tied to the original comment on that post. If you include your email when you comment I believe you should be notified that I've replied. Hopefully it works smoothly!

Personalized

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:49:00 +0000

This is a project from December... I made this big kid hooded towel for my nephew for Christmas using these instructions.

There are lots of tutorials out there but this resulted in my favorite hood. The towel is just from Target, and I added a monogram on the back.

My sister was kind enough to send along these action shots. I think he likes it!

Back at It

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:29:00 +0000

Ben is taking naps pretty well in his crib now, so I find myself with my hands free and able to spend some time in my craft room!

After some much needed straightening up, I got back to work on the circle quilt for Ben's room. I can't wait to get this quilt done! Of course, this is never far from my side:

(We love our monitor, by the way, if you happen to be in the market...)

Start Small

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 23:37:00 +0000

I made sugar cookies yesterday, and felt such a sense of accomplishment. It just felt so frivolous! It wasn't laundry, or baby-related, or necessary for nourishing me and my husband (i.e. dinner). I'm also working on repairing a bag for a friend - the magnetic snap on the exterior pocket started to rip out! I have to say this is definitely the most well-used bag I've made, a true test to my construction integrity! And I just got word my Red Barn quilt is ready at the quilter's, so I can't wait to pick that up and get the binding on. Big plans, with a small start...

Due Today

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:28:00 +0000

Today is Benjamin's due date, and his 3 week birthday. I feel so lucky to have had these three weeks with him. Today was a really good day. For the first time I was able to see that I will be able to get things done in the days to come, that there will be a time that I can care for Ben and still take care of things around the house - maybe even have time to do a little sewing.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments on our baby boy. We are over the moon. The blog will still be quiet for a little longer but I do plan to return. I have many projects in the works and am looking forward to getting back in front of my sewing machine!

Welcoming the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:03:00 +0000

Benjamin Arthur
Born December 30th, 2009 at 9:59pm
7lb 6.1oz 21.5"

Three weeks early but doing wonderfully. We are so happy to be home with our little boy. As you can imagine, posting will be light as we settle in. I hope everyone had as wonderful an end to 2009 as we did.

Two Thirds

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 19:05:00 +0000

I estimate I am about 2/3 done with this stocking now... As long as I don't put it away again, I can pretty much guarantee it will be ready for Christmas 2010!

Dragonflies

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:02:00 +0000

Well, that week flew by. In addition to working on a few Christmas presents, I made some progress on the circle quilt and the stocking... I hope you and yours had as nice a holiday as we did! This is one of the gifts I made for my mom. Can I just say how much I admire the nice jewelry stores on Etsy and their awesome photography? I had the hardest time getting a decent picture of this necklace.

My mom has always liked dragonflies. So when I heard from my sister that Mom wanted a dragonfly necklace, I knew I had to try to make her one myself! I found several dragonfly pendants I loved at Dimestore Emporium and used my bead stash to make her this necklace. She loves it!

Behind the Scenes

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:29:00 +0000

Working on a couple Christmas presents behind the scenes. Looking forward to sharing after they're gifted!

Pointy Towels

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:34:00 +0000

When I saw this pile of points before I started assembling the towels, I wondered just what I was getting myself into, making 22 of these towels!

But they went together fairly quickly.

Just in the nick of time - I'm packing everything up and shipping it out tomorrow. I definitely seem to work better with a deadline!

Thanks Jodi for the awesome tutorial!

Stitching Away

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:24:00 +0000

In addition to making decent progress on my December goals, I am making a dent in the stocking cross stitch, also. It is so satisfying to see the scene emerge on the blank cloth...

Quickie Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:33:00 +0000

One of our work holiday parties has an ornament exchange and of course I wanted to make something. Last year I made a felt star and wanted to step it up a little. I love this little trio of birdies! From Last Minute Patchwork Gifts, with an added beaded dangle. My tiny-pieces sewing definitely needs some work. Next time I might do this out of felt and hand sew instead!

One Christmas Project Done!

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:25:00 +0000

I made vanilla extract tonight! It was crazy easy. I got the vanilla beans on Amazon (these), the bottles from Specialty Bottle (these), and just some normal vodka. Two beans per bottle, sliced lengthwise and then in half to fit in the bottle, top off with vodka, and voila! Labels and cute tags will be added this weekend.

Keeping Me Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 02:27:00 +0000

My pile of addressed Christmas cards, waiting to be stuffed with our letter and stamped. Holiday stamps and new return address still on their way in the mail.

Monthly Goals
I say this every month, but I can't believe it's already December. The month of Christmas. The month before I meet my baby. Crazy!
1. Finish crib circle quilt.
2. Christmas presents - not making a ton this year but have a few plans.
3. Finish nursery - I'm full term Christmas week!

November Goals:
1. Rainbow Sherbet Quilt
2. Finish circle crib quilt. Um, nope.
3. Bind Red Barn quilt when it comes back from the quilters. Not back yet...
4. ~~Do prep work for my Christmas gift project.~~

Grateful

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am off to spend the day with family and friends but wanted to share really quickly - I did manage to finish this little table runner for my centerpiece.

Inspired by this quilt by John at Quilt Dad. It's reversible, so I can use it for Christmas, too (but that picture came out blurry, I'll try after dinner). I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

Preparing

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:27:00 +0000

Working on the table runner. Making cranberry relish. Prepping sweet potatoes. Thawing beans. I can't wait for dinner tomorrow!