June 4, 2013

Another post without a title, you ask… It’s been a while since I posted, that I’m not sure where to start.  I started a new (to me) hobby.  Well a ‘sort of’ hobby.  I say “sort of” because for me, I’m not sure how involved I’ll get.  My dear friend and neighbor is a paper crafter.  She make the most gorgeous cards and little ornaments.  She will take something so plain and make it spectacular.  She also does You Tube videos.  I guess I never thought much about it, but there is a whole other world out there in You Tube land!  I’m amazed how many different ways there are to connect with other people who share the same interest as yourself.  Here we call it a “blog”, on You Tube it’s called a “vlog”.  So, anyway… in the process of looking at my friend’s vlog, I linked over to other vlogs and got intrigued by what is called “junk journals” and “Smash books”.  I am planning on making Kari a journal for her to take  to college.  I could hand her a simple ‘regular’ lined journal and she’d say ‘thanks’ and maybe write something in it occasionally.  But I know that if I give her something that is decorated and unique, she’ll love just looking at it and I also know she’ll actually spend some time writing in it.  Something unique simply suits her.  I will post some pictures as I work on it.

Okay, so in my sewing world I’ve been doing a bit here and there.  Sew Fest is the first week in July and I’ve been getting some embroidered squares done and working on some ‘filler’ blocks for the quilts we’ll be constructing.  And here are the blocks I made for my contribution for the quilts being given to the teachers from the Oklahoma tornadoes:

The block was labeled as a Friendship Star (something).  Once I got the 4  I made up on the design wall, I immediately thought of the “Monkey Wrench” block. 

I’ve also been playing around with those little sew-in snap purse frames:

This little purse is a good size in that it is long enough to hold a credit/debit card as well as the change.  Yes, I see that my ribbon/lace stripe is sort of crooked.  At my age, it seems everything is ‘shifting’

And now to Harbor Freight finds.  I think most of us know about the rotary blades at Harbor Freight, the 2 pack for less that $2… As I was browsing through there a week or so ago, I came across this:

On the right is  a seam ripper I just knew would make life easier.  I spent $8 (I think) for it in a fabric store.  I saw the “hobby knife” on the left at HF with additional blades for $3 and knew I needed it.  Look at the difference in the blade size between the two.  My ‘seam ripper’ is okay but not great.  The hobby knife is sharper and with that longer blade, well let’s just say I haven’t had the need to use it (yet) but I’m almost looking forward to it.  Another thing I’ve used as a seam ripper and loved until I literally wore it dull, was a scalpel that I bought at a hobby store that is used for carving/shaping clay.  I had gone in with my daughter when she was buying clay for her potter’s wheel and for less than $2, I couldn’t pass it up.  She no longer works with clay and because the store was a bit out of the way for me, I simply haven’t gone back.  Anyway, I’m hoping I love this hobby knife as much – I’ll let you know.

I’ve signed up over at Sew we Quilt for the “Stamp on It” blog hop.  It will be my first and I hope I can do it justice.  Not sure when ‘my day’ will be, so stay tuned…

I hope all are enjoying some fun, creative times. 

Katie