Hopeful Homemaker

Courage!

January 21, 2010 jennifer Quilting and Sewing

I pieced the back to my Rouenneries quilt yesterday, and I like it. It’s two large panels of one of my favorite prints in the collection. Between them is a strip of prints in the beige color. I like the way it turned out, and the way it echoes the quilt top a little bit.

I decided to use the little border near the selvage as a miniature border lining the strip of patched browns. I really liked how this turned out.

To save money, I decided I’m going to try and quilt this myself. I laid out the backing, the batting and the quilt top and got it all pinned.

200 pins sounded like a lot when I bought them, but I used every one and could have used more. So it’s all set and ready to go.

I just need courage to try it. I really love this fabric, and I really want it to turn out, but I also know that I’m inexperienced at this and that my machine isn’t really built to quilt something this size. I’m a little afraid to start because I really want to like it and not be disappointed. (And I’m not savoring the idea of a bunch of time with my seam ripper, either!)

I’m also having a hard time choosing thread. Should I use red or brown? Which would you choose?

Deep breath. Courage. I can do this….. right?!?

3 comments quilting, sewing

My Creative Space

January 21, 2010 jennifer Decorating, Quilting and Sewing

Last weekend I had so many creative ideas that I was just dying to spend a few hours creating. However, it was one of those weekends when someone was tugging on my leg every 90 seconds, especially since there was no school on Monday. I hate it when my day and my heart just don’t align well. I had so much pent up creative energy that I felt like I was going to burst!

On Saturday I stumbled upon these pictures of Heather Bailey’s studio . Instantly I wanted a room like that! I especially wanted to go shopping for a bookshelf that I could neatly stack all my fabric on, in plain sight, to look at for fun and to see everything and therefore use it all more. Well, that wasn’t happening. I’ve promised myself no more shopping like that until I have a basement empty of DIYs. For a few minutes I very seriously considered stealing my cabinet in the dining room to use for my fabric, but it’s perfect where it is so I left it alone.

Instead, I started taking everything out of drawers and made a fabulous mess. Then, over the next couple of days I got it all put back away, but this time I did it so that I can see all my fabric at a glance instead of having it laying in stacks (which means I forget what’s underneath).

So, while I’m no Heather Bailey, I can at least be inspired by the beauty that’s available to me. Here goes:

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Each drawer is now filled (I should probably say stuffed full) with my quilting fabrics, turned to stand up so that I can see all of them. They’re sorted by colors.

Hopefully I’ll use them all more wisely now that I can see them so easily.

There is another drawer for black and whites, another for browns, and a cupboard for decorator weight fabrics.
I also made a separate spot for Christmas prints, and for fall/Halloween projects.

A box full of flannels for baby blankets:

I simplified the cabinet that holds my rarely used collection of rubber stamps. Above it is a bit of vintage hand stitched red and white lace that I just love. It is incredible to me to look at each little stitch. I wonder about who made it and if it was art to her.

I cleared the fabric dresser top so it’s now free of clutter.

I also went through all the supplies that I keep in blue bins under my desk and was able to trim down on the clutter there as well. I use a vintage doll cradle to hold the projects that are currently in progress or next up. I reduced the number of projects in that category.

When I went to store something under the bed, I pulled out a box full of flannel fabric that I’d completely forgotten about! I remedied this problem by storing things I use a lot next to things I don’t use so much. I feel like now I won’t forget about any supplies, and will be able to use them all wisely. This step included using my wire baskets on the bookshelf better.

Now the basket which was formerly full of vintage supplies I intended to use but forgot about houses those vintage bits along with the jelly rolls, charm packs and fat quarters that I use a lot.

Another basket full of good stuff!

I keep being tempted to start collecting cute pincushions, because they’re everywhere and they’re really fun. I have a couple of cute ones, but for now I’m happy using my favorite, this awesome bird sitting in a nest atop a vintage candy dish.

There is a lot that I still want to do to this room, but I’m so happy with it even as it is. Because it doubles as a guest room, I want to try to keep it simple enough that it can also be a restful bedroom. I realize that I’m tremendously blessed to have it. I’m thankful for a husband who works so hard so that we can have a home that allows me a space such as this.

To anyone else who walked in the room, there would probably be no noticeable change.

But for me, it feels like a fresh start for a new year of creativity. I’m pleased.

It doesn’t hurt that I dealt with all that pent up energy in a positive way, either.

One comment Decorating, fabric, Organization, sewing

One Step Report #2

January 17, 2010 jennifer One Step

This week was a different sort of week. I need to remember that the weeks when I’m the one driving the kindergarten mid-day carpool are very different (and not nearly as productive) as the weeks when I get to stay home, waiting for my daughter to step through the door.

This week I recorded 35 steps. Most of them were in the area of nurturing, discipline, and home management. While I do not feel that I gained any ground this week, I am grateful that I was able to at least maintain a few things. My little girls still have a clean room, my kitchen has been consistently clean, and there has been no clean laundry piled in my bedroom.

For some reason this week was a little bit harder emotionally, a little harder to feel happy with myself. One night as I was cleaning the kitchen, I overheard something that my husband said to our son. They were watching a surfing video online (Mr. Wonderful is a surfer) and he said to our son, “It’s about using what the wave has to offer.” Light bulbs went off in my head and I thought, “It’s about using what the day has to offer.” My days offered different opportunities this week than last week, many of which I could have done without. But I did my best to be cheerful and work toward my goals. This was a week of learning more lessons instead of accomplishing tasks.

I do have two things worth mentioning specifically:

I uploaded 150 photos of our family from 2009 and had a photo book made with them. It was so awesome to receive the book at the end of the week and read through it! If I get no other memory projects done for last year, we have this, and it is a great snapshot of our family at this stage.

It was in beautiful condition for about 90 minutes. I then left to pick up a daughter from gymnastics, during which time someone chose to eat a homemade granola bar while they read it, and left tons of crumbs in the pages of the book. When I discovered it the next morning, there were oil spots and sticky spots in many places. Bummer! So, do I let myself feel frustrated with my children for misusing something that should last, or should I be grateful that they wanted to read it? I considered both options, then shrugged my shoulders and moved on.

Second thing:

I stayed up late on Friday night to put together my first Rouenneries quilt top. I’ve had this fabric for 2.5 months now, and decided that I deserved to break into it. I love this fabric line! Saturday night I was suddenly possessed with the urge to list my favorites of 2009 in the quilting world. It was a lot of fun, and I’m excited to see what 2010 will bring in this fun hobby.

Looking back over the past 17 days, I realize that I need to give myself permission to sit down and pick up a good book. I spend all my time working on things, but I’m not going to meet any of my goals unless I just do it. I can’t keep saving books for when all my work is done.

So there’s my report. I wonder what little steps will define the coming week….