Envelope Project

Friday, December 31, 2010

Drum Roll Please . . .

Okay, FINALLY, I've taken some pictures and now I'm going to announce my first EVER giveaway!!!  Yay!!  I just realized that my first post was on December 26, 2007.  Wow!  That was a long time ago.  Tomorrow will be 2011.  Yikes!!  Here's wishing everyone a WONDERFUL new year and may all your quilting/creating journeys be filled with excitement and JOY!!!

The giveaway includes: 
  1. Five one yard cuts of assorted fabrics
  2. Six one-half yard cuts of assorted fabrics
  3. Package of 40 basting pins
  4. Set of Bohin Patchwork and Quilting Needles (for handwork)
  5. Set of Bohin Machine Needles (size 75 and 90 or 11 and 14)
  6. Two glitter pens for paper or fabric
If you are interested in this giveaway, please leave me a comment and then rush out and tell all your friends about the giveaway and have them hop on over and leave a comment.  If you blog about it, leave me another comment, etc., etc. . . . Lots of chances to win.  Lots of fabric to give away!!  I'll keep the giveaway open until next Saturday, January 8 (US time) and I'll pick the lucky winner on Sunday January 9.  This giveaway is open to EVERYONE and I'll ship internationally so not a problem, just comment away!! 

Here are a few more pictures of the sketchbook project.  This morning I woke up and I said "hey, don't I have some watercolors around here somewhere?".  And, yes, I did.  So, today I've been experimenting with the watercolors and markers.  I still have a ways to go, but I'm enjoying the ride.




 
This one was painted awhile ago so it is acryllic paint.

Give Away

Okay, this is not my giveaway (which I will post about later today), but I did find a couple of giveaways if you're interested in a coffee maker or some more beautiful fabrics!!  Good luck!

Sew Fabulous Quilt Shop (look for the entry on Dec 1; the giveaway is Jan 1 and it is only early morning Dec 31 in the States so you still have time to enter!!)

Mental P Mama  (this giveaway is also going to be on Jan 1 so there's still time!!)

Good luck everyone!!

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

It's All Rather Sketchy!

So, I'm midway through my 10 days off and my assignment (should I choose to accept it) was to finish (well, actually start) the sketchbook project.  Oh, sure, sounds easy, huh?!  Not so much.  Do you know how scary it is to put the pen to paper and actually fill a moleskin book?  Hmm . . . I did my first two page drawing and then put the book aside for a month.  Did I have creative block?  Oh, no!  Well, it is now do or die time as the book must be postmarked by Jan 15.  I've given myself a drop dead date of Jan 9 as after that I will be working long hours and I'm pretty sure that I won't feel much like creating once I get home in the evening.  I'll try to get my envelopes out the door, but I may miss a day or two depending on how the year end close goes.  I know, sounds oh, so very exciting!  Can't wait!!

I'm pleased to announce that I am half-way through my 60+ page sketchbook and it has been very exciting and FUN and did I say SCARY???!!  This morning I woke up and realized that I have to give this book up in a couple weeks.  It seems a little unsettling, but I did pay for the digitizing so it'll be out there online for all to see.  (At least I think that's what I paid for!!)  I took a couple of pictures tonight so that I'd have something to blog about since my sewing machine is sitting there looking rather lonely.  I do plan to use it for some of the pages in this sketchbook so maybe tomorrow I'll take it out for a spin and see what lovelies I can turn out. 

So, without further ado, here are just a few of the pages I have managed to fill. Hope you like them.








Be sure to check back in the next few days as I'm going to have my first ever GIVEAWAY!!!  I know . . . very EXCITING!!!  Did you see the picture with all the fabric?  Well, some of it is going to be given away.  Okay, maybe a LOT of it!!!  Tomorrow I'll be taking stock of other assorted items that can be added and then I'll post pictures and see what happens.  So, be sure to come back and if you come back, be sure and tell all your friends to drop on over and participate.  Thanks!!

She's back!  After 7 weeks at the shop, I was told there was nothing wrong with it.  So, perhaps this will be a GIVEAWAY grand prize!!!  Okay, perhaps, not, but I'm tempted.

Friday, December 24, 2010

'Twas the Night Before Christmas . . .

and Santa is getting extremely soggy here in H town.  Be careful out there, Santa!  It's low key here.  I've been in the "studio" working on my Sketchbook Project that is due January 15.  I'm on a roll so I'm pretty sure I'll make it.  I have the next 9 days off so I'm hoping for lots of creativity.

Just a preview.
Yes, I have me some fabric!!  There's still a whole lot more that you're not seeing!!  This is the guest bedroom so I hope my guests aren't having too many nightmares!!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

As Promised

Here are some pictures of the process I use for making the scrap happy coasters.

I start with a scrap piece of fabric for the backing, 2 pieces of Warm Cotton batting (double thickness) and lots of scraps.  If you are making potholders, be sure and use the proper batting for that; otherwise . . . OUCH!!

The backing is laid wrong side up and the 2 pieces of batting are laid on top.  Next just pull strips from your pile of scraps and lay across the backing and batting.  The strips are not of equal size or width as I like the "scrappiness" of the look.  Feel free to trim everything to an even size if you're so inclined.

 Once the first layer is down I trim the excess to make the weaving go smoother.

 This is what it looks like before I start the weaving process. 

 Here are the first two rows of the weave (over/under).  I pin down the first row to make sure that the strips stay in place.

 Here I am weaving a row.

 Smoothing out the rows.

 Halfway there . . .

 Another view of what it looks like while weaving.

 Lots of scraps to choose from.  I know, what a beautiful mess, huh?!!

 More of the same (is this too much??!!)

 Getting the piece ready for zigzag.

 I don't try to match thread at all.  I pick two different colors (one for the top; one for the bobbin) and I try to use up thread that doesn't have enough for another project.  (I should take a picture of all of the empty spools I've managed to use up!!)

 I use a fairly large zigzag stitch and I go up and down each row.  At the bottom, I turn and zigzag the end only to the start of the next row and then turn, sew and repeat.  I do all zigzagging in one direction and then turn and go the opposite direction (i.e, all vertical and then all horizontal rows, or vice versa).  I do this all in one step and never stop unless I run out of thread.  It goes really quickly this way.

 And we're off . . . hey, I earned everyone of those wrinkles!!

 If you look closely, you can see that I have only stitched in one direction.  The horizontal rows are complete and now I'm sewing the vertical rows. 

 Perhaps this is a better view.  You can see on the right side of this piece that both horizontal and vertical rows have been stitched.

 Here's a view of the backside after all the rows have been stitched.  As I've said before, I'm not into the "perfect" look so the rows will not be even.

 Piece is completely sewn.

 And is trimmed to size.

 Since I'm making coasters, I cut into 3 pieces that were 5" x 11" and these pieces were cut in two to make six coasters that will finish to 5" x 5 1/2".

At this point I usually do a free motion quilt design, but it is not necessary.  The scraps are pretty secure with just the zigzagging.  Now all you need to do is pick out some contrasting binding and voila, you now have some scrap happy coasters!!!  ENJOY!!

 #80
 #81
 #82
 #83

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Batch Creation

My dilemma is whether or not I decorate all of my Christmas envelopes and then count them as future posts, decorate the envelopes, but don't count them as future posts, or don't decorate the envelopes and just send out the cards.   At the rate I am going, I will not get all of the envelopes decorated in time to send out before the big day arrives in a week.  I guess I will keep plugging along until Monday and see where I'm at.   So, without further ado, here's the latest batch of creativity.

 #73
 #74
 #75
 #76
 #77
 #78
#79

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

I Should Be Sleeping, But . . .

I just found this wonderful giveaway and I wanted to tell all my friends about it.  Go check out Maxabella Loves.  You won't be disappointed.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Christmas Spirit

Yesterday I had the good fortune to find an organization for my pillowcases.  I called The DePelchin Center and they were very excited.  One of their outreach programs is for children who have to be removed from their homes and taken to foster care.  They give each child a "comfort" gift and they said they would love to include the pillowcases in their gift.  The center is open 24/7 (as they sometimes have to remove children in the middle of the night) so I will drop the pillowcases off this week.  It's sad to know that these children are suffering so I hope that the small gesture of a pillowcase will bring some hope or happiness into their lives.

B. and I also "adopted" four kids from Texas Children's hospital and played Santa.  We will be delivering their gifts to the hospital volunteer staff on Thursday morning.


 #71
#72 (although the pic says 71 . . . oops)