T-shirt quilt: I might have to make one
Facebook is a marvelous thing. I've been able to catch up with old friends--friends from grade school and college, 4-H camp, and from all five of the states I've lived in since college. Lately, two different friends asked me if I knew anything about making t-shirt quilts. Honestly, I've never made one myself, but when I managed the quilt shop in Florida (which I ought to blog about sometime--it was a GREAT job), I picked up a lot of knowledge about it. Sunnie Malesky taught the class for us and I was always able to pick up tips to pass along to customers when they needed advice between classes. But as for those friends that asked, since they can't head to Florida for one of Sunnie's classes, I've passed along those tips to them.
This week, Cathie Filian blogged about making a t-shirt quilt. As I was trying to get rid of extra stuff in my house, I ran across sorority letter shirts and tee's and sweatshirts from date parties and such. I can't donate them; I thought about making tote bags out of them a while back but didn't know if the young women at my college sorority house would use them. But now it seems like the concept of a t-shirt quilt is coming at me from all angles. Though I have to go through the drawers to see how many I have and what parts of them are salvageable, I might have a good start. Now I'll just have to use Facebook to round up more from those years from Gamma Phi Beta sisters who are savers like me. Oh yeah, and then actually put it together. But no deadline, so I've got time.
A whole new wardrobe
As previously mentioned in my Gifts of Time and Talents blog and my Beaded Utensils blog, I had decided that a little girl I knew needed some doll clothes for her new 18" friend. So Saturday, I took some time to whip up some new creations.
I did this a few years ago for my friend Janet's two girls (a few? okay, 8 years ago, time sure flies). I made entire wardrobes for an 18" American Girl doll and a 23" My Twinn doll, including wardrobe cabinets from Foamcore to house the trousseau, hangers, and even shoes. I had each doll for "an adventure," similar to what you might do with a Flat Stanley doll. I took the dolls places, took their pictures at various events, and wrote a little letter about their "visit to Aunt Linda's house". I also took pictures of the dolls in their clothes that I gave the girls once they opened their presents. The borrowing became a necessity when I made the first outfit for one of the dolls and discovered that there are differences in the patterns and that the Magic Attic doll is slimmer than the American Girl doll of the same height. But I digress.
Since I was very organized when I did this 8 years ago, I had filed all of the Butterick pattern pieces for each garment in its own garment-specific Ziplock bag and marked them "pants A" or "cardigan B". This made whipping up a collection of items much quicker! So in about 8 hours on Saturday, I was able to use up leftover fabrics from previous projects and sew up a creative wardrobe for Lexie, the new doll, in the process. Since they're almost like making very small baby clothes, construction is a snap. The little one seemed pretty happy to have new clothes for Lexie and the pj's match her bedding!
Craft room organization
It's amazing what you can get done when you 1) turn off the television and 2) pledge to accomplish something. I got on a bit of a binge Thursday night and it carried through to the weekend. Okay, this might be a rambly story, so get cozy. It started Thursday night, the night the snow started at 4:50 p.m. My evening plans to hang out with a cutie patootie 2-year-old changed because her Dad's appointment got cancelled. So I was planning to work late until I noticed that the snow had started. Why that seemed to trigger a "let's hit the highway" thought, I have no idea, as it's never the best idea to leave the office the minute the snow starts because the highway home is always slow-going because everybody else had the same idea! But I had a book-on-tape to accompany me, so I departed. Though the commute was, in fact, slow, I got home at 6, which was much early than I've gotten home in a while.
On the drive home, I was thinking I should embellish a few things in my closet for an upcoming trade show (a deadline is always a good motivator for me). I knew I had some clothes in the sewing room that were waiting to be taken in. Among them, I was sure was that really cute skirt—the print is this adorable skirts-tops-shoes-hosery print. It would be SO FUN with a little clothesline of clothes appliqued above the hem. I also knew that somewhere in that room was the yummy blue fabric I hoped to whip up in a Kwik Sew pattern. But I've told you time and again about the state of the sewing/craft room (a mess), so I knew finding these two things would be no small feat.
So bravely into the mess I ventured. The search for those two items made me frustrated at myself for the mess that I'd let that room become. Thus started the cleaning binge. I straightened and organized and discovered lost things (yes, MORE lost things). And then, on Friday night, at the start of my "no plans—sheer bliss" weekend, I straightened and organized a little more. Saturday, I sewed at the dining room table, as I watched The West Wing Season 4 on DVD. And by Sunday, I rearranged some furniture in that sewing room and I was actually able to move the sewing machine from the dining room table into my once-again functional sewing room! WOO HOO! I even vacuumed!
It never seems to stay as neat as it is right now, but I'm hoping that I can do a better job of it this year.
I didn't hang any pictures in my sewing room, though I might do so soon. Since I rent, I have no plans to paint, but I can surely do a little more to make this space my own. Though you can't really see it in the pictures, there's a box spring and mattress up against the wall on the right taking up valuable wall space. I think they might have to go—they're for the spare bed and there's no way that there will ever be space in this room for the spare bed to be set up.
I did take a little time this weekend to peruse a site I'd heard about. Though my room isn't inspiring yet, I found some online that were. Check out Rate My Space on the HGTV site. You can narrow the field using keywords: sewing, scrapbook, or craft (craft gets you Craftsman houses and style as well, so it's not as productive as a search tool). Talk about great storage and workspace ideas! Whether you choose to browse, rate, or get inspired to post your own, it's a site that's full of inspiration and ideas. But if you post your own, let me know by posting a comment here, because I'm always looking for new ideas.
Gifts of time and talents
As I spend some quiet time at home this holiday weekend (greatly needed quiet time), I'm actually doing a little reflecting, taking stock of my life, if you will. (There's a great line about "taking stock" from Grosse Point Blank, one of my favorite movies that I hope to indulge in this weekend, but I digress.) More specifically, I'm taking time to reflect on the flurry of activities this past month, the time spent with friends and family, and the treasures beneath my tree.
I'm a lucky girl when it comes to gifts. I hope I give gifts that are as perfect for the recipient as I seem to receive. Now don't get me wrong, I love everything I receive, but I especially love the gifts of time and the gifts of talent.
This year, my cousin Kathy gave me an extra special gift of talent that really tugged at my heartstrings. There's a man in her church who does beautiful crochet work. I know this because he made a lovely outfit for Kathy and Bob's baby girl last year. So this Christmas, she presented me with a beautiful hanky with crocheted lace edging that he crocheted. And Kathy embroidered my initials on it as well. Now Kathy admitted to me afterward that she doesn't think she's very good at embroidery, but I think she did a lovely job and it's going to be my cherished possession forever. And probably the part that means even more to me than the physical gift is that she carved time out of her busy mom's schedule to embroider it! It's a true heirloom and a loving expression of her amazingly gracious heart. 