admin, Author at Grid and Bloom

Posted on February 25, 2014 by admin

The second challenge

I have been thinking of a second challenge. This one has to do with crocheting Â and granny squares. I have seen so many beautiful squares and I want to make them all. Did you know that the average granny square blanket uses at least 100 squares? So if I make 100 different squares I should have enough for a blanket. If I make a couple of each design I would easily have a nice sized crochet blanket. I am not going to give myself a time limit on this challenge but I am going to make 100 different granny squares and then make them into a blanket. Here is my first square. It looks a little wonky and needs to be steam blocked. Â This pattern is found in the book The crochet Motif by written by Edie Eckman.

So this is number 1 out of 100 Granny Squares!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 22, 2014 by admin

Cleaning

I’m starting to make headway on the cleaning job. I can really see some differences and I have been able to finally let some things go. Some of the things I am letting go are some rubber stamps, stamp pads, and a bunch of scrap book paper. The scrapbook paper is going to a teacher friend of mine for her classroom.

I have these really neat scrapbook storage drawers that are perfect for projects in process. Can you see the one labeled buttons.Â Â

I am in the process of putting the buttons into other containers. I am using these drawers as project holders. So I have one labelled cup cozies, coffee press cozies, and bibs. I can pull the drawer out take it to the sewing machine and work on the project, when I am done I can simply close the box and put it away! It should work like a charm for most of the smaller projects I do.

I did a size and shape sort of the embroidery hoops . I have gone through four of the fabric tubs and managed to empty two. The fabric under Â peg board is a variety of linens that I pulled from all over the sewing room. I just need to put them away and it will look much better. Â I sorted out the larger fabric scraps from the smaller ones and have started some color sorting of the medium scraps. The ones too small to fold and too large for scrap piecing.

So it is starting to look better. It just takes time to make order out of chaos, and it was definitely chaos! This studio has had two moves and umpteen moves within the house. The moves really took their toll on any organization I ever had, which wasn’t much.So I am getting excited. I have so many ideas of new things to sew that it is all I can do to force myself to finish it up!

I am showing the parts that look the best, but I am still working on it.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 21, 2014 by admin

Friday!

I have several ideas rolling around in my head to sew today. A couple of receiving blankets, pot holders, another coffee press cozy and then some things to finish up. I have a quilt to layout and baste. I have some other wrist warmers I can crochet, grey, yellow and brown and maybe navy. I want to make some place mats for the shop and more potholders. Â There is decidedly too much to do and not enough time to get things done. I am feeling overwhelmed. It seems no matter how much I use up what I have there are still tons of supplies to use. Here are a few photos to prove the point. Yes, it is really a mess but I have been cleaning and these photos were taken a couple of weeks ago.

This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of supplies in my studio.There are several laundry baskets of yarn, 6-7 large plastic tubs of fabric. I have received 5-6 large plastic tubs and drawer units of fabric from my MIL’s long term stash of items. It is overwhelming me. The little things that I keep making only seems to be making more scraps that take up more and more room! I need to clean the studio this weekend and make order out of creative chaos! So, that is my plan for the weekend and hopefully I will also get some items cut out and ready to go! The good news is that I do have enough of what is needed to make another weekender bag, maybe two!

talk to you later,

Karen

NOTE: So that you know I am human and weird things happen to us. We now have a water leak that requires repairs. So, I will be cleaning up the mess today and probably tomorrow after the repairs are done.

NOTE: I am cleaning the studio and why oh why must it look worse before it looks better….? But it is improving…slowly but surely. The house is repaired and running properly.

The cleaning is coming along slowly but it is getting done. I am trying to integrate my MIL’s fabric with my fabric so I am not buying things I don’t need. I would rather just sew it all up and get it out of my hair. Cleaning craft supplies drives me crazy.

Posted on February 20, 2014 by admin

The Overnight bag #48 out of 100

I love these overnight bags or weekender bags as they are called. I really needed one as I travel Â more frequently for overnight stays rather than week long trips. The wheeled suitcase that we used when adopting our youngest is OLD and huge. In fact hubs and I can both use it for a weekend or longer! I had this fabric in my stash.

Here is another photo of the main fabric I chose.

I had the zipper, piping, lining and inner liner all there sitting in my stash. I drew up my own pattern and the sewing and then ripping out commenced! I found that it is easiest to baste by hand the parts you are sewing together.

Here is the finished bag and I am happy with it.

There are a few things I would change next time. I would buy a pattern that comes complete with instructions. I would baste everything from the beginning by hand. I do like the way it turned out and I even put some pockets on the inside. I would also buy the metal feet that fit on the bottom and keep it off the ground.

You can just see them inside here. There are three and they are nice and deep. My laptop will fit with my clothes. The cords will slide into those deep pockets. The handles of the bag are long enough to fit over my shoulder but not so long that the bag drags the floor when I carry it by hand (which can be a problem when you are short!) I found a pattern for another weekender bag that is for free and I think I am going to try to make another one in different fabric!

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 19, 2014 by admin

Pot holder Tutorial/pattern

I had some questions about these pot holders that I made for my daughter.

I am not big on piecing tons of tiny squares so I found this tutorial on Sew Mamma Sew that sent me here:Â http://www.sewmamasew.com/2009/10/elizabeths-fabric-focus-quick-piece-tiny-squares/

Basically you line the squares up on iron on interfacing (sticky side up) and iron them down. Then follow her tutorial for stitching them together.

At the time I thought that I would make some place mats (yes, we do have that many squares). I put them aside (for months) until I was making pot holders this weekend. When I decided to see if they would work better for pot holders. Then I simply cut them into 9″ squares placed them on top of one piece of batting and quilted the front of each pot holder. I cut the backings to fit and placed them over another piece of batting and quilted each back of the pot holder. I added small pieces of ribbon for the hanger loops to each corner and basted them in place. I like basting better than pining. It isn’t as hard on my sewing machine to sew over.

If you need to see the tutorial I used it is here:Â http://www.mygirlthursday.com/2011/05/diy-scrap-busting-pot-holders.html

They worked out quite well! I’m sorry I don’t have any photos but I was on a sewing kick and I needed to get a bunch done! So this isn’t really my tutorial but a combination of several techniques!

talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 18, 2014 by admin

# 47 of 100 items in 100 days!

I made these pretty pot holders for my daughter. I will store them for her until she needs them. She cut them out for her quilt and they were left over. They are Â bright and colorful.

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on February 17, 2014 by admin

#39- 46 of 100 items in 100 days Challenge!

Here is a huge addition to my 100 items in 100 days Challenge! I was super productive today and many things were started and finished! A huge Thanks to my Mom! She gave me some elastic so I could stay out of the fabric stores!

So here is # 39