Category Archives: Make Stuff

100 Days project … the warm up

Posted in Digital Scrapbooking, Documenting Life, Family History, Layouts, Make Stuff, Scrapbooking, Writing by

OK, it’s really not the warm up…I thought it started today, not tomorrow.  AT ANY rate, I have been doing something creative every day so far in 2018 (I’ve missed one day).  I have however, not been documenting it.  So to add another layer of complexity to my life I am going to be participating in the #The100DayProject for the first time… I will be sharing my daily posts on Instagram, but I have to say probably not posting every day here, because that would be rather redundant BUT maybe several process posts ?  I’m not sure yet.  But for NOW 18-04-02-Halloween-1973-WEBI give you Halloween ca. 1973.  Charlie is in the middle flanked by his sisters.  I’ve been working on a Halloween through the years album.  The plan is to have as many generations as possible and so far I’ve got some layouts done of our girls, Charlie as a kid, and Charlie and I as adults.  I have photos of Charlie’s parents as young marrieds having a halloween party and somewhere there has to be photos of me (because there are so many the odds are in my favor).   So that’s been a fun little project on which to work.  A bit of warm up for the next 100 days.

I’m anticipating that my something creative will continue to be a mix of knitting, sewing, photo editing and scrapbooking.  I’m not sure if gardening will count if it ever finally warms up!  We’ll see how it goes.

 

In the Studio:: On tossing out and starting fresh

Posted in Around Here, Craft, Fiber fun, Handmade, In the Studio, Make Stuff, Sew this by

This past week I did an extensive studio clean-up and scrapbooking supply organization (don’t get too excited, still not quite done with that part but it’s coming along nicely).  I have a pile of sewing projects to start/finish and a list of layouts and albums both digi and paper to work on, oh and hello…December Daily will be upon us before we know it – ahem!

I have been vexed by a dress that I sewed in April, and it has been in the pile and on the list since then.

Enter McCalls M5890

mccall-s-patterns-m5890-misses-jackets-top-dresses-and-pants-in-2-lengths-size-ff-16-18-20-22_7353165

I had a lot of trouble with my sewing machine which resulted in not a great sewing outcome for this garment… the fit was OK and I wasn’t as wild about the fabric as a long dress, and the topstitching was horrible due to said machine problem (since having machine thoroughly cleaned this fall, the problems have all resolved themselves…magic!)  and I just wasn’t feeling it.  at.  all.   For months I’ve been going back and forth… can I fix the topstitching?  Should I just make a skirt out of it (I have about a yard extra to make waistbands etc…) and try and salvage something?  Do I even like the pattern anymore?  Do I like the fabric anymore?

Answers to above ?’s ??  No fixing the topstitching… No to the skirt, it’s just too contrived…No to salvage….No to the pattern, at least the top of the dress, don’t like how the neck/arm/capsleeve came together weirdly…No to the fabric, maybe for a t-shirt or shorts but not a dress, plus, it’s winter now ugh.

So here is my answer to the above conundrum:

freedomfromtiedye

Yep…86’d the whole thing… including the extra fabric…and I crossed it off my list.  I have to say, it was really hard to just toss it in the trash.  The save-every-scrap part of me was screaming but for the good of my sewing karma, it had to go.

I feel so much better now.

On to the next project!

Have you ever totally trashed a project?  Was it freeing or guilt inducing?

 

Memory Keeping:: Layout Share I promised!

Posted in Digital Scrapbooking, Documenting Life, Family History, In the Studio, Layouts, Make Stuff, Memory Keeping, Photography, Scrapbooking by

Happy Weekend world!!

I promised you a layout Thursday to go along with the adorable photo I had of my mom as a little girl…so without further ado…

 

09-29-16-mom-1937-lfdd-oh-snap-fb-freebie-web1

The Facebook Freebie kit from Little Feet Digital Designs is available now on the Facebook page so if you’re a digi-scrapper…go now and pick it up!  This freebie is also an add-on kit for a gorgeous collab collection that Janet contributed to called “Oh Snap” that is on special for  iDSD  at Gingersnaps.  For the above layout, I used only items that were in the freebie mini-kit.  Proving that you don’t need a 75 piece scrapbook kit to make a gorgeous page.  BUT it is fun to have ;-).  I’ll be busy this morning spearheading a big clean-out day at church and then (of course) there is a soccer game happening but I will definitely be making time to check out the iDSD sales at my favorite online shops !

Have a lovely weekend!

and happy scrapping!!

 

 

 

 

 

If it’s March, it must be Calvinball…

Posted in Documenting Life, Make Stuff, Memory Keeping, Project life, Scrapbooking by

Oh hello March…I have no idea where February went, even with that extra day it all zooms by super crazy fast!   So busy making stuff and chauffeuring teenagers, no time to post!

Last month, I participated in the Layout A Day Challenge, which overlapped a little with my own personal Layout A Day for Lent challenge… well, I did do 29 layouts in February and there are 29 days…so for the purposes of February, I’m calling it good.

This month is Calvinball at Get It Scrapped (HERE is the link to the forum to learn all about it and join the fun)… true to the game from Calvin and Hobbes, it’s a game with moving targets for rules and the objective is to have fun and see how many scrapbook pages you can make, and how many extra points for other things (1-point for scrapping with the color purple) you can manage.  The rules are suggested by everyone and the list grows longer every day.  It is a ton of fun and completely hilarious.

My first two days in March were busy with sewing and website work so today was the first day I was able to sit down and work on layouts (after helping my bestie clean out her craft room all day!)…. I managed three layouts for our 2014 Project Life scrapbook (for 2014 I did one two page layout per week).  It’s kind of funny that I’ve finished our 2015 book and still have 2014 laying around but I am determined to finish it up this week !   A few quick snaps, shot at night with terrible lighting on my iPhone with no attempt at fancy photography, just documenting the documenting!

SueTR-Calvinball-1

Week #42:  October….sports, sports, sports…Dad visiting, Lunch with my bestie Janet, quick trip to Maine to see progress on my sisters house and drop Dad off.  Labyrinth at church (super cool)

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Week #43:  October…oh yes more sports, bad storm, Dad back at our house, Spooky Sprint, Spooky World, Dinner with Tina & John

SueTR-Calvinball-3a SueTR-Calvinball-3b

Week #44:  October/November…So sad Mayor Menino passed away, the best Mayor Boston has had, what a great man.  Dad here beginning of the week, fun medical stuff, Halloween, projects done and it’s November!

I will be so happy when this is done because I’ve already started 2016 HA!

 

Making-Modern Half Square Triangle Quilt Along

Posted in Craft, Fiber fun, In the Studio, Make Stuff, Quilts, Sew this by

I’ve been broadening my podcast horizons lately and have started listening to the “Modern Sewciety” podcast and I love it, Stephanie has such a lovely way of chatting with her guests about quilting and the quilt world (which I admittedly do not know much about).  I have made a number of quilts over the years but would not consider myself a “quilter” because, well, I didn’t use an established pattern, I made everything up and made my own patterns. And, I don’t quilt as in put the three layers together and hand stitch them on a quilting frame the size of my dining room table…no thank you.  I have quilted smaller quilts on my home sewing machine, tied a number of larger quilts and sent one out to Nebraska to be machine quilted, hmmm funny still didn’t consider myself a quilter. Well, I guess that is all about to change with this quilt-a-long I heard about on Stephanie’s podcast a few weeks ago.   I’m embarking on the Modern Half Square Triangle (HST) Quilt Along this year courtesy of  Alyce  at  Blossom Heart Quilts .

2 blocks per month x 12 months will equal enough squares for a nice sized quilt.  I’ve pulled fabrics from my stash and purchased just a few pieces to round out the color palette, I’ve also purchased a light grey fabric with white printing that will be the background fabric in each block, I am waiting until the top is done to decide on the sashing and binding fabrics.

QAL Fabric Pull

Aren’t they pretty?!  I went with very highly saturated colors for the most part which I think will give some nice contrast against the background.

QAL-block 1

Aaanndd….here is my first block!  Yay!  I have had that dark blue fabric for YEARS!  I’ve been hoarding it as it’s one of my all-time favorites but now it has found it’s perfect home as part of the new quilt!  The block is a little rough around the edges as I need to “true” the block up, I’m waiting to do that until I purchase a 12.5″ square ruler specifically to that task.  But it’s done!  It didn’t take forever!  It didn’t make a huge mess!  Everything went back onto the shelf until it’s time for the next block!  Win Win Win!

What have you been making this weekend?!