What I'm Working On

So sooner or later Marco and I are planning on starting a family.  That means a lot of things- figuring out what I want to be when I grow up, getting into the best shape we can be, buying a ton of cloth diapers and of course tackling a whole laundry list of to do things from our Home To Do List.

The list is long and fairly boring.  We are mostly just waiting on cooler weather to motivate us into gear, but while it is still hot as blazes outside, I thought I would started working on cleaning out my fabric stash- especially my bags and bags of odds and ends.

It turns out that I had an entire dresser drawer full of scraps of fabric that were too big to throw away but too small to really use.  So I pulled out all the gallon sized freezer bags I had stashed away and started sorting the pieces.  First by shape (long strips, big weird pieces and small weird pieces) and then by color.  It only took me a few minutes to start seeing the piles really come together.

And after a couple of hours "Crumb Quilting" from a great tutorial I found HERE, I found I actually had enough bits and pieces to create three decent sized quilts.

I am going to call this first one "The Quilt I Made While I Thought About You."  It turned out to be the perfect crib quilt size.
 

This second quilt I haven't named yet. It has actually grown from this picture into a twin sized quilt.  I decided to raid my larger white/cream colored stash and even added a great cream colored eyelet ruffle around the edges.

And finally, I am still working on this piece.  I think I have decided to go back and add frames around each of the separate blocks to also make it stretch closer to a twin sized quilt.  I am still playing with the layout as well.  Of course I will post pictures when it has all come together.

Who knew I had three great quilts lurking in my dresser drawer all this time.  Anyone else getting motivated for big plans?  Maybe my quilting is actually a sign that I'm ready for cooler nights already.  Can I get an amen?

Something Old Becomes New Again

While I was trying to pay off my Student Loans I took on a ton of odd jobs every month.  Every little $20 I could make went straight into the Student Loans Savings account I set up so that I could make huge payments each month.  One of the projects I took on was recovering this recliner for a client.  I'm not sure why I didn't take actual before pictures, but here is one stolen from the internet:

Credit: here

It actually looked just like that, except more royal blue.  Anyway, it was in great shape and my super sweet client wanting something more feminine and washable for a corner of her bedroom.  So I created this slip cover, complete with ruffle:

Sorry about the blur, this was a quick shot from my phone while I was waiting for the client to come pick up the chair and realized I didn't have any photos.  

Anyway, I loved this project and was so proud that she loved it too.  It took about a week to really get where I wanted it but it was so worth the time and effort.

I had to stop slinging my sewing when I took my new VISTA position, but it's nice to know I have something to fall back on later if I ever need the extra income.  Anyone else picking up odd jobs to save up some cash?  

Save the Date

I am proud to announce that the classes I am teaching with the Arts Council have been set!  You can check out my dates and details across the top of the page under the Oxford Handmade tab. 

I am so very, very excited to get this party started and cannot wait to share these experiences.  I hope to see everyone there. Remember that classes are cheaper for Arts Council members and membership fees start at just $25 a year.

After October 31st I will also be available for individual sewing lessons.  New to sewing?  Have a specific project you'd like to work on?  Need help figuring out your machine?  I'd love to help.  You can email me at Stacey@madedem.com for more information.

I'll admit I'm terrified.  I'm terrified and excited and when I start directly thinking about this life change I start to feel a little bit woozy and the room spins... but I know that at the very, very bottom of the fear is the feeling that I am doing something which makes my soul sing.  I am listening to that voice who has been so angry and upset.

Twenty years from now you will regret the things you did not do, much more than the things you did. You know what I think?  That thing you've always wanted to do?  You should go do it too.

Thank you for coming along with me.