Call it a bust!

Let's just call the month of January a bust!  Perhaps I need to re-evaluate my life and get things in order.  Not only do I work full-time as an administrator of an adult foster care agency and part-time as an ELCA organist/pianist (a denomination of which I am not a member), but I'm also an active member in my own church, and a part-time student working on my Post Bac.  It wouldn't be altogether inaccurate to say I've spread myself a little too thin.  I spend most of my spare time doing homework, vegging in front of the TV, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and sleeping.  So, when do I get all the crafting projects done that I've started?  This is just one of the things I will be thinking about this week as I try to prioritize my life, goals, and dreams.      

Last night, my husband took me to the ballet to see Swan Lake.  The venue was an hour and a half up the road and we almost hit what seemed like the largest deer in the peninsula on our way there! Then, on our way back, we hit pockets of heavy snow and white out conditions.  Today, I'm happy to say, "Rah Rah, it's Friday!"  And then know that tomorrow I can settle back into my crafting world.  I'm really looking forward to it.

 

Busy, Busy, Busy

This week is quickly becoming the no-time-for-crafting week, with a board meeting, trivia night, Cuban Culture class, a deaconess meeting, mystery book club meeting, the ballet, and a two-day trip to Albion, Michigan all being scheduled in a five day period.  So, that being said, it's a good time to come up with ideas for next week's crafting adventures.

For next week, I would like to make some key chains (one will definitely  be for my husband's car key which is easy to lose because of its lack of chain).

It may also be a good idea to start getting some Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter projects started.  I would like an embroidered kitchen hand towel for each of these holidays.  I'll make sure to post pictures once I get them done.  I will be working out of town for two days next week and I will plan on taking some crafting supplies for my evening in the hotel.

Hope you have time to craft this week.    

A Non-Crafting Night

There are some nights when I don't even get a chance to enter my craft studio, much less work on any projects.  Last night was one such night.  After leaving the office I headed straight to my church to meet one of the other members.  We had set aside a little time this afternoon to "un-decorate" the church now that the Christmas Season is officially over.  It took us two hours to take down all the decorations, repackage them in a somewhat organized manner, relabel all of the containers and bags, and shove them back into the attic.  My idea was to jam the tree with all the decorations into the attic. After all, if the Grinch can jam a Christmas Tree, trimmings and all, up a chimney, certainly she and I could get this thing through the narrow attic door!  But, I was vetoed.  And not because the job falls on the two of us again next year (it does), but because it's the right thing to do. 

After arriving home I took some time to learn a little about Google+ and how to use it.  I uploaded an album containing 42 of the 50 dresses that I will be sending to Dresses for Haiti.   I I have attached the link for you to see them.  Enjoy.  

https://plus.google.com/100113720934182297964/posts/KMc1ATjEP3f

 

   

I'm All Strapped Up, Mm, mm, oh, oh, yeah, yeah!

  

Tonight I began the work of making straps for some shirred dresses I made a while back.  To be honest, I wasn't even certain I had remnants of each fabric to finish the dresses, or even matching fabric!  So far, I've been able to get three dresses completed.  I found leftover fabric for one dress and complementary fabric for two.

Some time ago I found a two drawer dresser at a thrift store and placed it in my studio.  In the top drawer I keep yarn and in the bottom drawer I keep a ton of remnant fabric.  I try to throw away as little as possible - a wonderful habit, I'm beginning to find.  It was in this bottom drawer that I found the treasure I was searching for.  The old adage "waste not, want not" was certainly applicable today.  

Ooh, I'm shirring my life away!

After working for a few hours, lunching out with my hubby, and taking a much needed nap by the space heater, I finally made it down to my studio.  Armed with a bunch of new fabric I jumped right in and made this cutie of a dress.  This is one of the dresses that will be donated to the Dresses for Haiti organization very soon.  

The dress organization accepts dresses all year long on a rolling basis for girls aged 3 to 19.  All of the dresses I am donating are on the younger end of the spectrum, since that is my preferred age group.  

I often think of the Bible character named Dorcas or Tabitha.  She was a woman known for her charity work in clothing people.  And although I don't liken myself to her, I do find her inspiring.

All Hemmed Up!

I finally finished hemming all the dresses I made last year for Dresses for Haiti!!!  I don't know about you, but hemming is one of my least favorite sewing jobs.  I had about ten dresses needing hemming so I called my mom up and talked to her while I worked on the dresses.  She was very much a cheer leader and stuck with me to the bitter end. 

Tonight, I need to start making shoulder straps for the dresses still lacking them.  Shoulder straps were one of those projects I kept putting off because I didn't want to attach them in the wrong place or make them too tight.  Since I recently bought a child's dress form this makes it an easier task for me to complete.

A Weekend Getaway: Have Needles, Will Travel

Happy belated New Year! To celebrate the start of new, fun challenges, hopes and dreams, my husband and I decided, very last minute, to go away for a few days. We crazily drove through a snow storm to get to magical, wonderful Traverse City for their Festival of Trains. We love being able to get away from time to time to do something completely child-like.  It’s a great way to remove stress from our lives.     

On this weekend getaway, instead of toting around my iPad, I opted to bring a craft basket full of yarn and knitting needles of varying sizes.  Knitting during my down time was an enjoyable experience and I was able to knit four to five dish cloths between hot tub dunkings!