WIP

Now that I'm up and running again, blog and business wise, I'm in the process of showing off all of those projects that I've been keeping busy with.

(scrap quilt out of 4.5" squares)
(close up detail)

After finishing any sewing project I take on, I make a habit of cutting down the scraps into as many 4.5" & 3.5" squares that I can. One day I thought, "hey! I know I'll get rid of a bunch of them by strip piecing them together with some white muslin!"
My plan was to make a nice lightweight summer quilt. The kind of thing you can take to the park and read a good book on. Well the summer is almost over and the quilt is still a WIP, but it is pretty isn't it? There's no rhyme or reason to the pattern. I just tried not to duplicate any of the same pieces to close to each other. For a completely organic project I like how it's turning out.

(granny square afghan)

I've had this dilemma for a long time as to what to make for my little guy that I've been babysitting since he was about a year old. I've always made he and his sisters something homemade. This year the girls are getting crochet hats and matching scarves, but what to do about Jack? Well wouldn't you know as I'm cleaning out my fabric stash I came across a small piece of flannel with all the colors of the Afghan above it in. Well let's just say a light bulb went off. All the colors were from yarn that I've found a skein at a time at local thrift stores. It was a close call this week with the light blue because there was just enough to go around a second time once more. I got really lucky at craft bits by finding a donated skein in the exact same color and weight for .50 cents. It's like it's the blanket that's meant to be. Only 10 more rows to go and it will be ready for wrapping.

(beading & needlework detail)

(the first finished page)

And last but not least (at least for the moment)is the first page of my "catholic" themed fabric book. My friend Donna got me hooked on the concept of making a fabric book so off I went. Well actually off I went looking for all of the materials to start creating it. My idea was to put my experiences as a catholic school girl into a book. I even managed to find fabric that matched my old uniform, but it wasn't until one of my mother's students brought over some of the fabric above that I really got rolling with this (almost six months later). I set right off to the quilting, beading and needlework. I even managed to incorporate one of the many cross pins I've collected into the piece. Now it's on to page two, whatever that page will be. I'll keep you posted.