Works in Progress

This week I have been waking up very early in the morning to get a couple hours sewing/craft work in before the boys wake up at 7:30 am.  I wanted to be farther along but sometimes thats just the way it goes.  So, I apologize for no posts early on in the week but I wanted to actually show some progress.

Let's start with my items for That Girl . . . That Quilt Along:

I know - the photo is pretty bad since I took it tonight (bad lighting).  I just have the rest of the neutral strips to cut.  I was working on that after supper tonight but both of my cutters have bad blades.  You would think after just reorganizing my sewing room I would be able to find my box of new blades (in the scissor/blade drawer would make complete sense) but alas - no.  I'll have to keep searching - it's not like they grew legs and walked away.

Next (and what I have been focused on the past few mornings):

My Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar.  This is a fabulous pattern from Everyday Celebrations - so easy to follow and so lovely!  There is a lot of cutting out of numbers though - especially when you do it twice - blah!  The first time I used a cotton that showed everything through the bottom when it was ironed on.  So, today Grant and I went and found some heavier material - let's hope the new fabric works better!

Best part of this project was everything came from my stash and scraps!  Gotta love that!  The pictures do make my squash colored felt look a bit off - trust me the color really does work in real life!  When it's finished I'll do a nice daytime shot.

I also need to finish all the cards.  Clark helped me cut them out while we were waiting for water to boil for supper.  Need to laminate them and then recut :)- cutting seems to be a theme!

And last, but certainly not least, I am trying to put together something for the Project Compassion craft I'm leading.  Project Compassion is a program at our church where we make a nice crafty item with the youth of the congregation (I think the 6th grade Confirmation Class this time around); pastor puts together a devotion; and a group of volunteers take these items along on a visit to the shut-ins of our congregation.  It really seems to mean a lot to our shut-ins - especially since the youth took the time to think of them and to have a nice visit.  Since I am horrible at visits (my introvertedness gets in the way even though I know it's a great thing) - but this allows me an outlet to help by providing service in a different capacity.

Anyway - I am thinking of little Thanksgiving fabric ornaments that the youth can personalize/decorate.  It was kind of fun playing with fabric markers and stamps today.  It was fabulous to find out that we can stamp onto the fabric!  After playing around with it I think I have come up with a cute little idea.  Sometimes it's just fun to play with fabric and paint.  Plus, good excuse to add these wonderful little stamps to my craft room!

Twenty Five Cents Per Yard

Last Tuesday I decided to go to an auction at the local auction house.  The listing said there would be fabric. I always take this to mean there will be a box or two of very outdated material.  However, sometimes you never know when you'll find a few treasures.  Like some pretty vintage fabric, some 30's prints, some cute 60's retro fabrics amongst all the other stuff in the last women's stash that she held onto thinking she'd use it but it never came pass and slowly passed out of any sense of style.  What?  I say this out of great respect.

Back to Tuesday's auction - it was amazing.  The boxes of fabric held some beautiful finds including lots of lovely solids (which I am was sorely lacking).  I finally found time to wash, fold, and sort all my fabric and add it to my own stash.  Already some of it has been cut for a number of holiday projects.

Here is some of the fun I found:

Check out this pretty stretch knit and black solid stretch knit.  I so badly want to find the time to make a pretty blouse and cami out of these.

Then some pretty pinks.  The one floral piece is about 5 yards and would be perfect to back a quilt made from Moda's Bliss line.

 Here are some of the pretty vintage pieces that were in the mix.

And here are some cute pieces for apron making.

This piece I find pretty - just need the right project (or projects).  This piece topped the yardage chart - a whopping 11 yards of pretty cotton fabric.

I did feel that maybe I had spent more than I should have on a couple of boxes.  However, when all was said and done I ended up with some very useful fabric for only $0.25 per yard - yep, a whole quarter for each yard.  Not bad - doubt I'll ever be that lucky again.

In addition to the fabric; I found a box that in the bottom held lots of cloth for cross stitching AND a whole bunch of nice cross stitch pattern books and a couple of cross stitch kits.  Sweet!  There were also lots of pretty trims in the bottom of a couple of boxes.  The auctioneer kept trying to get me to buy some old sewing machines since I had the fabric - I kept telling him they've come a long way in sewing machine technology (plus, I already own old machines - I don't need to add to that line-up).

I also picked up a box of Christmas ornaments for the boys' Christmas trees - as the boys and I sat and happily sorted through the box we came across a vintage ISU Cyclone ornament with Cy (yeah - for those of you who are not ISU fan's you're going so what).  Trust me - to a Cyclone fan that was worth the whole $5.00 I spent on the ornament box.  The time spent having fun with the boys looking through the box - priceless.

For the hubby (well, Clark has claimed it now) a Star Wars lunch box.  Clark keeps asking me to put sandwiches in it.  I keep saying it would make a great crayon box.  I don't think mommy's going to win this one.