PHASE 1: Craft Room Update!

Truth be told, I find that I am not keeping up with my blog because I haven't had anything to write about, also trying to post pictures from my I-Pad to my blog has been a real "joy".  NOT!!!!  I think I may have finally found a way to do it:-)  So far, it is working.

This seems like a yearly event ... clean, re-organize craft room.  So hopefully my plan will enable me to start fresh and maybe for the last time?  lol Or at least not have it a yearly project. 

This is my messy closet ... really want to be able to find "stuff".  I waste so much time looking for "stuff" that I have organized only to loose it again.  Ever have that problem?  Please, make me feel better by saying you do too?  lol I have even called my friend, Charlene, to maybe suggest where I may have filed my "stuff"!

I can't work in too messy of an environment, so solution is just to close the doors.  Clean my work areas.  Kind of put my things away where they kind of go .....  Below is my projected closet re-organization.  It is definitely not to scale, that is my husband's job.  Just showed him the drawing I made  ... he seems to like it.  So, with any luck ... these next rainy/hot/humid days will keep him in doors and play in my closet.  He really is a good builder of things ...  I am getting excited.

Oh, the really bad part of all of this .... to clean out this closet and find a place in my craft room that I can store all of this "stuff".  In the meantime, I still want to be able to sew.  Yes, I want it all ... new storage closet and the building not to disturb my sewing!!

Next project out of this book!

My son feels that I now have enough expertise to make a quilt for his wall.  Or, I do a good enough job to adorn his wall. lol  Gotta love your "children"!!!   So, he actually found a pattern he likes, surprise, he found a few patterns he likes, out of my books.  There is one, down the road, maybe long road, I will make hopefully as an heirloom quilt for him.   NOT IN NEAR FUTURE.....  

I am hoping my new found projects will give me something to write about.  Please stop by and leave a comment on my progress.

Sharon

P.S.:  I am telling myself to give at least 1 hour a day to cleaning out the above mess.  We will see how I do on that one!  Going to have lunch, shall return with hopefully 1 hour under my belt.  Maybe more!  lol

Just Hanging Out In My Back Yard:-)

I enjoy a nice stroll thru my back yard.  All the spring flowers have come and gone and the summer flowers are just about ready to bloom.

But look what is lurking around out there!  I have a husband who is obsessed with planting tomatoes. Now mind you, we are a household of 3 who would do well to have just a couple of plants to feed us all summer into fall.  He tells me every year as we are watering the tomatoes (and flowers, another story) that he will plant just a couple next year.  I am not sure what year he is talking about, but I have yet to see that year!!

He starts out so well, We have raised garden beds ... it use to be a back yard of raised garden beds. lol

Now a nice bed next to our shed.  He planted maybe 12 plants, so innocent looking.  I am thinking .. wow, great.

You see, from previous years we were supplying tomatoes to "friends, family, neighbors, and strangers" unloading our crop.  About August, people were hiding from us when they saw us coming. lol  But, he made a friend of a locally owned fast food chain that loved receiving these, free of charge.  We felt good about this because you just don't want to have these go to waste.

So onto the story of my back yard walk this morning .... Little by little, I would see containers of tomatoes springing up.  He would say, oh got a good deal on them, not buying any more.  Ah, heard that one before.  These things kept cropping up here and there on my patio.  Then because the cement keeps the dirt hot in the containers, plus very dry, he had to find a place to move them.  So, around the house he went placing tomatoes.

Here are a few of his beloved plants.  lol

Starting place

I spy a tomato plant in my flowers:-)

4 of them here .. raised on wood, prettied up for patio. lol

Oh, 2 more innocent looking tomatoes!

1 more on side of house:-)

There are 4 hiding in here among flowers, sorry there are 5!

And one greeting you on the way to the garage door.

I am not really complaining ... his obsession could be worse.  Oh, wait ... it is.  He is well know at our local Lowe's Store, in the plant area.  I finally told the lady that is in charge over there to not sell him anymore flowers .... I was with him at the time.  She laughed and told him that she had some flowers that maybe he missed.  I get no respect.  When I stopped there with my oldest daughter, who is an avid planter also (wonder where she gets that from) the "lady" said she was glad to show her some flowers she may have missed.  lol  Smiling at me the whole time.  She really is a nice lady and it is fun to shop somewhere where you can joke with the staff.  Oh, got a son that has the bug also ...

Anyway, this post is all in good fun today.  My husband's hobby keeps him busy and leaves me more time for my quilting.  Like I don't have an obsession???????

So, if your ever in my neck of the woods come August ... I may have a tomato or two for you.  lol

Sharon

Time to catch up!

I have been away from my sewing for a couple of weeks.  I did manage to make a couple of table runners.  Well, I completed the top for one, and still have to do a border for the other one.

It seems when the good weather comes, I want to spend more time outside on my porch/deck/patio than set in front of my sewing machine.  Usually I have something quite substantial to work on in the evening while watching TV.  But not this year.  I was working on cross-stitch in the evenings, but finished what I was working on, and not in the mood to start another cross-stitch project. I also enjoy reading at this time of year.

So, you ever get your quilt tops done, but really, really don't want to finish the part where you have to sandwich it, pin / baste it / then mark it for quilting?  I truly love the hand quilting part, and put off the part that needs to get done before I can quilt.  Ah, I found a short cut for this table runner project.

Below is the top of my table runner.  It is looking a little pink as I am outside under my red umbrella. lol  Got it basted, wanted to start quilting and skip the marking for hand quilting part.

This is what I found!!  I found a perfect piece of backing for the table runner ... it is Christmas themed, super clever, but the best part of it is that the print is an easy pattern to follow w/o marking it. Instead of quilting from the top, I am quilting from the bottom.   Yes, it looks pink also, but it is red and white with green in the hearts.  I am quilting with green thread.

In less than an hour for sandwiching it and basting ... I could start hand quilting.  The front is looking pretty good to.  Sorry, I'll show that in another blog when I get this completed.

This is working out great .... maybe a few more days of quilting .... and I will have a reversible table-runner to use now and one for "later".  I have patted myself on the back .... and, I may have to use this quick method sometime again .. a fabric with a print that would make a good quilting pattern to follow.  Something with a nice large check maybe.  lol

I am now going to work on my table-runner.  Next pictures will not be under my red umbrella!!  

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