Goal of the Day: Wall sign

I really do love doing projects. My husband informs me I don't know how to relax (and I'm pretty sure he's right...sort of, I don't know how to do nothing, but luckily I find all my craft projects incredibly relaxing) you'd think I would have an enormous amount of crafty items around my house, but surprisingly I don't keep many of them. Most head out to others as gifts (which is great because I don't have the room, or the money to provide store-bought gifts at most occasions- so it's a win-win for me).

So in a secretive plot we shall call...operation incredibly thoughtful gift I wish I had thought of...my older and wiser sister (who coincidentally reads this blog every now and then... hi!) decided she wanted to surprise my parents (who are currently without internet access- so I'm not spoiling it) with a beautiful photo wall with the words from their song in a sign. She had looked at several sources for window-cling like signs and other items, but I had offered to make it as we wanted it to be exactly the words to the song- Anne Murray's Could I have this Dance. We had also discussed colors and what my sister was hoping for. Here's the process I went through and the finished project (did this in about 2 hours total).

First, I bought a sign appropriate stretched canvas (24 x 8) and broke out the rubber cement. I drew with the rubber cement a few dandelion-like poofs to make it kind of fun. Once that dried I painted the entire canvas with a coat of plain water and used water color paints to wash the background in blues, greens and burgundy (though mostly the blues and greens as I thought they looked the best).  When that dried, I rubbed off the rubber cement which left the white poofs on the colorful background.

Next, using the magic of photoshop I selected a font (Edwardian Script always looks nice if you want a fancy sign) and scaled the words to the size I wanted them to be on the sign (yay using that Graphic Design degree away from work too). Then I printed it out, taped together the sheets to cover the area that would be the sign. This is the fun part and the secret part to get a really nice clean looking sign- using a piece of carbon paper (ironically I had been given a piece with a cashier's check the day before) I traced the majority of the type onto the canvas and then free-hand the rest that didn't show up so I would have nice straight lines. It's a bit tricky to see on there...so hopefully you get the idea.
Next I got out my deep brown acrylic paint (I want this to be permanent after all) and filled in the lines (I'm a lefty so I started at the right of the sign and worked my way to the left to be sure I didn't smudge any of the text as I went along- also a little trick I've learned from experience).
Once that was dry I took a picture and Voila! A lovely sign that could pass as store bought, but is much nicer because it can EXACTLY match your decor.

Goal for the Day: Post pictures of Caftan

I caved. I decided to go ahead with a caftan (after I drew out the outlines for the painting and mended all the clothes that were in my pile of sewing). I only had a limited amount of this fabric (1 yard, well actually less because I need to have a chat with my fabric store about cutting full yards instead of uneven partial ones). so it is a short one. I'm not sure how I feel about the fit, but I think a long summery one might be better on the top if it doesn't have sleeves. Perhaps? It is done and was a huge challenge (note to self- no more chiffon fabric for sewing- it's tricky!)

I do like the pattern on the fabric- it has little coral and while flowers in stripes (vertically to make me look taller) amd I really like how the neck turned out. I will have to wear a tank top under it, because, well, I'm sure you can see :)

I think I will stray from the caftan concept for the long garment as I really do have a nice narrow part of me above the remains of my tummy, so I will come up with a lovely pattern for that...I hope.

As I mentioned I have drawn the outline for the painting, so that will probably be the next project...but who really knows when it comes to crafts. I may have to hit up a DIY project on the front stairs...They are cracked so yipee (this is a slightly sarcastic yipee- I wish the stairs were fine and I could let them be)! Time to fix something!

Goal for the day: Update on finished weekend projects

I didn't do either of the projects I was anticipating. No, I went a different direction and hit up my DIY bug. I went to the hardware store to get paint (white spray paint) to refinish our patio furniture. This was after my hubby and I finished putting up the molding in our room around our door- only took me 11 months to get around to putting up the items we bought. Ugh. Time really does escape occasionally.

So, at the hardware store they have paint swatch cards so you can see all the cool colors. It looks like a rainbow and it got me thinking of all of these I have laying around and how I should probably do something with them like recycle them. So I had seen somewhere (apologizes I have no idea where I had seen it) cool easter egg decorations made with paint swatches. So I decided after I painted the black table white (to match my retro looking chairs) that I would make an Easter decoration.

 I spent a good deal of time cutting out easter eggs and stringing them together, but as is always the case, I spent the most time untangling them after I had strung them! I think they turned out kind of fun! I just have to figure out a way to store them for next year that won't involve a good  hour of time untangling (these are probably the same concept as a string of christmas lights. We all know no matter how careful you are when you put them away come time to put them up again they are one huge ball...). 

So what to do next... That long awaited painting? Those shirts for me? Time will tell I suppose what shall be created. I guess I am hesitant about both projects. The painting because it has been, a while to say the least, since I painted or drew. I used to do it daily and I know if you don't keep a practice up it becomes more difficult to get the paint/pencil to do what you envision. So I am concerned that what I start with won't end up how I see it in my head. And the shirts, why do I hesitate on those- well because I don't want to measure myself. I am really excited because I reached my pre-pregnancy weight yesterday (WooHoo!) and that was a great achievement and I am thrilled, but I know I didn't reach my pre-pregnancy shape. I wasn't expecting to have a baby and fit back into size 6 the minute afterwards and I wouldn't trade all my zebra stripes I obtained for my old abs if it meant I didn't get to spend time with my gorgeous daughter, but I am still self conscious about the way my weight sits on me. So, a little while ago one of my friends decided they were going to start training for a 5K so I asked if I could tag along. Just knowing I'm accountable to someone else has done wonders for my motivation- I have actually done the training for two days (actually 5 if you count the crosstrain/rest days) so I hope to measure myself soon and make those shirts. I really should just make the caftan...I mean the whole point of them is to hide imperfections...I wonder if I could wear it running- I would love a little extra forgiveness when I get my move on!

Goal for the Day: Post pictures of finished projects

So the elephant got a bow. It looks all the cuter and finished now. It shall be mailed very soon. I am hoping the little boy will enjoy him, but I'm sure his mom will get a kick out of it.

I had also mentioned that I was going to make a sun hat for Jules. I finished that last night and it turned out really cute. I was hoping it would fit my daughter until she was 1 (in August), but it appears it will be a spring to early summer hat (so I will just have to make one slightly bigger for the next time around). I do love the eyelet fabrics and how springy they can be. I hope Jules likes it as much as I do!

Again, you can get the pattern for this hat here if you like it. It is pretty easy to follow the directions for this one, so if you make it, I hope it turns out great for you too (I think the reason mine is slightly smaller than I expected is because I scaled the pattern to fit in the printable area of my printer (which shrinks it a little bit), but it would be really simple to scale it up or down as needed.

 My next project may be a caftan for me, but I broke my sewing needle yesterday, so I must go and get a replacement (I finished the hat with a heavy weight needle and that just won't work on a breezy thin fabric).

Or, I will finally get around to painting the wedding gift for my brother and his wife (of two years now...). I took the pictures at their wedding so I was given a reprieve from a gift, but I had done paintings for every one of my siblings as wedding gifts (I have 9 siblings, 6 are married), so I just want to do that. I shall be painting orchids for them (his wife loves them and has photos of them framed everywhere). I am thinking I will do watercolor for these and they will be realistic. I have done other types of paintings for my other siblings, some oil, some acrylic, so realism, some not. Here is an example of one I did last year for one of my other brothers and his wife (they wanted something abstract). We'll see what I start to do. Right now it's too beautiful outside to not take advantage of the lovely weather, so off I go!

Goal for the Day: Finish stuffed elephant and sun hat

I am slightly crazy for sewing right now apparently. I went to the fabric store and had to spend $20 to use a coupon I had...so I hit the clearance rack and low and behold I now have 6 or so sewing projects...

But, I want to put up and update on the stuffy for my friend's new son. Here he is. Isn't he adorable. He may end up with a bow, but I'm not sure.

We shall see what I decide as the day goes on.

Now for this other project I mentioned. I found an adorable fabric (an eyelet one) that I just had to make into a sun hat for Juliette. I found a pattern here and I am in the process of creating that one. It's a pretty straight forward pattern, so I hope it turns out the way it looks on that site! I'm almost done with it so I imagine it will be posted either tonight or tomorrow!

Go me! I am being so productive!

Goal for the Day: The Demolition and detour

Well. Remember that stuffed animal I was so ready to redo- slight detour on that one. Turns out my 8 month old LOVES it. I can't take it away and tell her it will come back better, because let's face it. It's hard to turn towards this adorable little one and say, I'm sorry I am going to cut up this perfectly good toy and make it better... yeah. likely story mom.

Our lovely magnolia tree is dropping its petals.
Did I know they would end up in her mouth, oh yes.

So she gets to keep it and I decided to go on to the next stuffy as phase 2. I caved and bought a pattern for some stuffed animals (because they were so cute I couldn't pass them up), and even if I didn't design the pattern or freehand it, it is still handmade, so the sentiment is the same right?

In other news, when we bought our house (in 2005) we bought it in the fall, so we didn't discover we had inherited a leaking basement (under the finished basement disguise) until the following spring. We had patched it up and done the quick fixes to hold off on what I was sure was going to be an expensive fix, but this year I have more motivation to fix it for good (see her over here to the left). You see, since the last post we have had several contractors come out to give us bids after 1/4 of our basement carpet was soaked after a particularly heavy rain. We have selected one and will be commencing on construction soon (Oh Joy!).

If you know me personally, you are probably sitting there thinking, you HIRED someone to do something for you? Why, yes I did. You see, no matter how much I love DIY projects (and I do) I am not willing to do projects that are beyond cosmetic if my doing them could potentially severely damage the property. Do I dare insulate the attic (yup I did), will I build retaining walls (yup, we've built 4 now (and they are lovely)), will I tear out a closet- redo the framing, drywall, flooring, spackling, molding, painting and build a new closet system (I bet you know my answer) Yes! but not if it's a load-bearing wall that I am redoing. (Don't believe me? I will post pictures of all my updates soon- that would be a fun post to show what has been done). I've even drug Elliot along on the escapades of DIY and he is quite good, however I find it a bit on the tricky side to get him to see the 'vision' before I force him into it :)

Sweetness is snuggling on the lawn. I adore this picture,
even if it is overexposed...

But this project involves cutting a rather large trench in the concrete inside my house, burying downspouts and installing a sump pump. If I did it myself and screwed it up, everything in the basement would be ruined, because we no longer have a carpet buffer (we tore up the sopping wet carpet). Also, since I'm not doing the work that means I get to spend more time doing this.
So I have submitted to hiring someone. Let the fun begin!

Goal for the Day: Take Pictures of Housewarming Quilt and new project!

So I did the binding yesterday of the housewarming quilt so it is done! This may be one of my favorites I have made. I absolutely love the colors and wish I had got enough of the materials to make 2 more ((one for me...though it doesn't go with anything in my house) and one for my best friend. These were her wedding colors and she would totally adore it. Perhaps I will wait for another fabric sale and then I will whip it up for a really nice gift later, just because).

Once again, my model demonstrates how great quilts are.

This quilt is going to a dear friend of mine who I was cube neighbors with at a former job and she recently got a new apartment and decorated her living room in pinks and blacks. It looks stellar and I wanted to add to it. I had made her some cloth napkins and napkin rings (though I didn't take pictures...my bad) for her housewarming party, but when we were there I was overcome by the desire to provide Rocky (her incredibly sweet cat) a warm place to snuggle with his owner while he wowed her with his impressive movie knowledge.

So, now that that is all wrapped up and ready to go to the new owner...on to the next project.

I have a former co-worker and friend from college who just had a little boy. I think I will try my hand at a stuffed animal for him. I don't know what I will be making yet, I have done crocheted animals that are pretty cute, but I'm not sure if I will do one of those or something sewn...we'll see what I turn out :)

I did it!

So, I am super proud of myself. I managed to finish the quilting on the housewarming quilt I was doing (though I haven't done the binding yet (that wasn't part of the goal after all). I would have liked to do that tonight, but I'm feeling a bit run down tonight (have had a migraine all day, so it has been LONG...and with nursing I can't take anything that would really help much, and what I took didn't help) so I am going to have the goal of going to bed early. I guarantee it will happen!

Goal for the Day: Cook Dinner before Elliot got home

Well. It was a partial win for the goal.

I managed to feed my daughter, and start dinner. Oh, what a dinner. I had grandiose plans. Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken, broccoli, tomato, garlic and mushrooms. I had everything simmering and the noodles ready to go in the water, when I got the call.... It was Elliot and he was calling to remind me that he had a writer's meeting that night and would be swinging by to pick up the story he was reviewing and leaving.

So. Dinner was made and ready for me to have a fancy (rather romantic, if I do say so) dinner all to myself. Does that count as a win? I mean it would have been done and on the table for both of us if he hadn't had someplace to go. Do I dare try it again tomorrow...two days in a row after over 7 months of not having dinner ready when he arrived... he may think I did something wrong (like I accused him of that time he brought me home flowers).

PS- If you want to get flowers, DON'T be accusative and ask, "What'd you do wrong?" When presented with them. It eliminated all chances of said event happening again.