CHECKING IN...

I know I've been scarce lately. I can't really explain why except that we have a lot of projects going on around the house inside and out and ,well, the weather has been so nice! I've noticed a few of you have visited and I'm sorry there hasn't been anything new to read. We've been having some landscaping done in our yard, new carpet installed and while I'm not doing the work, of course I need to supervise!

Track season is also winding down so I'm looking forward to seeing more of my son, not driving everywhere for meets and and more importantly not standing out shivering in the rain for 3 hours anymore. We have the finals today and I'm elated to say that it is actually sunny!


The quilted pillow sham project for my son's bed is now finished, you remember the one that I told you about a few weeks ago where I had to rip out all my quilting stitches? Please tell me it looks like Pottery Barn because that was my inspiration. Now I'm feeling motivated to finish a sweater I started knitting last year. When I finish one project I always seem find another one that's incomplete! The disadvantages of being crafty I suppose!

Sales in my shop have been pretty steady this month, and while I won't be paying the mortgage with my profits anytime soon, I'm feeling good about the way it's going. I just added these necklaces to my shop which I've called "Alpha Pendants". The initial is stamped while the Metal clay is in the "wet stage", dried, filed and then fired. I dug through my old scrapbooking supplies for the rubber stamps that I'm using, how fun (and practical) is that? I sold my first pendant within a few days so that's always a plus! Here's a photo of the pendants I've made so far, with the first one being shipped today.

Sorry about my randomness, but that's a little how I'm feeling right now! How have you been in your part of the world? Are you getting out to enjoy the warmer weather, or finishing some projects as well?

PS: Don't you just love my new shoes. I resisted buying Mary Janes for so long but now I think I'm going to live in flats from now on!

AS YE SEW...

NEEDLEWORKER'S PROVERB:

"As ye shall SEW, so shall ye RIP". Author Unknown

No, you read it right. It is not the well known biblical scripture "As ye SOW, so shall ye REAP". I'm talking about how if you expect to get any sewing done you will have to spend some time ripping out. Actually this can be applied to almost every project, whether it's knitting, sewing, needlework, making jewelry, there are times when you feel like you have to take 2 steps backwards to go forward one step.

A few days ago, I took out a sewing project that has been taunting me for the last year. I kept hearing the fabric crying out "Finish what you started, already!" So now, I am determined to finish some quilted pillow shams for my son's bed.

I know that his quilt has been finished now for over a year, a quilt that I pieced with fabrics we bought on a trip to Kauai, and had one of those professional quilters with those awesome long arm machines on ball bearings and a 10 foot long frame, quilt. Not to mention the fact, that my 12 year old probably does not even know or care what a pillow sham is! Oh, but she made lovely even stitches in a beautiful wave pattern and I am trying to recreate it on the pillow shams. Why oh why did I not have her also quilt the pillow shams? Well, because they were not made at the time and I didn't want to drive the 10 miles again to her house to deliver them for quilting. And now, she lives in Kansas and I am in Washington state.

Meanwhile, I am ripping out stitches because I'm not happy with the way they look. And, I don't have enough fabric to piece another piece, unless I go back to Kauai and get some more. (Mmm, I like that idea!) I am determined to finish this so I will promise you all a picture of the completed bed with matching pillow shams when complete. And I will finish, because I bought some more yarn to start a felted knitted bag and I WILL NOT start knitting until this project is done!

Do you have any unfinished projects calling out to you? Feel free to share in the comments below.