2014 ~ Our Creations

[Charley]

I am so wanting to get back into making things. I still haven't found my sewing scissors…I know we have some unpacked boxes out in the unattached garage but just can't seem to find the box that I packed them in.

I'm hoping that we all have a wonderful and creative year! So I thought a new thread would be fun.

Can't wait to see your new arts and crafts!

 

[Charley]

I have this head cold that just keeps hanging on and I just didn't feel like sewing. But it is finally letting up so...

I am planning a baby quilt for my nephew's baby due in February. Hoping to get the center block pieces cut out today. I still am not sure about the outer borders (still trying to use my stash fabrics) but know that ideas will flow once the center blocks are pieced.

It is going to be a good day! First sewing project of 2014!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Charley, I feel for you with the cold. Sure zaps one's energy.

I'm working on my state button society newsletter. There was an article in the paper about spiders of Oklahoma, so I thought I would do an article on spiders/webs for the newsletter. The fun thing about writing non fiction is the wonderful things discovered with research.

I bought some original artwork from an Etsy seller and have been playing with making it into spider buttons. The resin is very hard to work with; I only had one success with it out of several tries. The fabric transfers were more successful. I only wanted to use identifyable spiders for the article, so it was very cool to find several on buttons. These are the two buttons I made: hacklemesh spider and hobo spider. I experimented with some embroidery on this fabric one. The resin is on vintage bakelite.

 

[Charley]

Love the buttons!

 

[Performancemini]

I read the crafter's board but haven't posted but once. I sew but am not an avid seamstress. I get frustrated with it easily. I can always hear my Dad's voice saying to me-'put it away and get it out when you think you have the patience again'. But sometimes you just got to keep 'keeping on' with a project.

I have a lot of sewing I need to do between now and the first of April. We participate in a very large horse expo in Wisconsin come April and I need to get some costuming done. A shirt, vest and gators for my husband and a saddle cover and breast collar for his mini. Possibly a dress for my little grandniece (but I am hoping her 'nonnie', my sister does it), and a dress for my Mom for it. Then I am making roadster silks and cap for a friend. I have a lot of fabric I should use up.

I used to draw and paint when I was younger and first married. I kind of got away from it. Horses, of course, where my main theme. Especially headstudies. Also did dogs and cats and a few other animals. I tried oils and acrylics. I would get impatient with oils because they took so long to dry (to me). Especially if I wanted to correct something. Acrylics just didn't have the rich color the oils did. So, my Mom got me into doing charcoals and pastels. I liked them best. I tried some pen and ink too, which was interesting.

I never really 'sold' anything much though. I always ended up giving my work away.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I read the crafter's board but haven't posted but once. I sew but am not an avid seamstress. I get frustrated with it easily. I can always hear my Dad's voice saying to me-'put it away and get it out when you think you have the patience again'. But sometimes you just got to keep 'keeping on' with a project.

I have a lot of sewing I need to do between now and the first of April. We participate in a very large horse expo in Wisconsin come April and I need to get some costuming done. A shirt, vest and gators for my husband and a saddle cover and breast collar for his mini. Possibly a dress for my little grandniece (but I am hoping her 'nonnie', my sister does it), and a dress for my Mom for it. Then I am making roadster silks and cap for a friend. I have a lot of fabric I should use up.

I used to draw and paint when I was younger and first married. I kind of got away from it. Horses, of course, where my main theme. Especially headstudies. Also did dogs and cats and a few other animals. I tried oils and acrylics. I would get impatient with oils because they took so long to dry (to me). Especially if I wanted to correct something. Acrylics just didn't have the rich color the oils did. So, my Mom got me into doing charcoals and pastels. I liked them best. I tried some pen and ink too, which was interesting.

I never really 'sold' anything much though. I always ended up giving my work away.

You have a lot of work ahead of you! How hard it is it to make roaster silks?

The Expo sounds really interesting.

 

[Performancemini]

The standard roadster silks pattern is not too difficult. The cap is kind of fussy. I always have trouble with the elastic in the back of the cap. I use the pattern from 'Suitability'. They make patterns for equestrians and horses (including some patterns for minis). Some of the patterns can be a little tricky due to fabric and fit. I have found that they run small. The roadster jacket doesn't, but the blouses and such seems too. There are a number of people/places that do silks. The trick is making different looks. I just do them occasionally.

The expo (Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, Wisconsin) is one we have been doing for many years. I have been the co-ordinator for our club at it for a number of years now. It's a lot of creative fun and a few headaches too LOL! We never know what the weather will hold as it is usually the 3rd weekend in April. Unfortunately, this year (because of Easter) it is going to be the 2nd weekend! And with this weather we have been having so far I am hoping we have an early spring or a unusual spell of warmth that weekend. The horses have to be body clipped and clean and in show condition. Though we can slinky and blanket them to the hilt if we have too. But it's cold in the barn's anyway. We are probably as miserable as the horses if it's like that. But we still look forward to it.

 

[jacks'thunder]

Charley, I feel for you with the cold. Sure zaps one's energy.

I'm working on my state button society newsletter. There was an article in the paper about spiders of Oklahoma, so I thought I would do an article on spiders/webs for the newsletter. The fun thing about writing non fiction is the wonderful things discovered with research.

I bought some original artwork from an Etsy seller and have been playing with making it into spider buttons. The resin is very hard to work with; I only had one success with it out of several tries. The fabric transfers were more successful. I only wanted to use identifyable spiders for the article, so it was very cool to find several on buttons. These are the two buttons I made: hacklemesh spider and hobo spider. I experimented with some embroidery on this fabric one. The resin is on vintage bakelite.

Marsha, these mesmerize me! I love them and yet do not love them at the same time! LOL! I have very bad arachnophobia, but I'm drawn to these. Great job!

 

[Charley]

Thought I would update you on the baby quilt that I am currently piecing. It is going slowly as I have this cold that won't leave. I have had it for several weeks. It is in my middle ear and most days I don't feel like sewing, so I am doing a lot of reading.

Anyway this is pieced through the sashing (the white material). It is pinned up on my planning board; which is a flannel backed plastic tablecloth pinned with clothes pins to a shelving unit that holds some of my supplies. The pink border is pinned on top of the outer border material which is pinned to the flannel side of the hanging tablecloth.

The center is two blocks wide and three down. It will have a darker pink binding when done and will be backed in a fabric with dark pink swirls on a medium pink background.

 

[madmax]

Love your pretty baby quilt, lucky baby and mommy! A little peek at your supplies closet is tantalizing. Hope you feel better soon.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I like that viney material around the sides.

I am unable to choose girl-fabrics. When I need to make something girlish, I have to trust someone else to choose the material. My taste is primitive, and I am paralyzed if I have to pick out pastels for quilts or doll clothes.

Get well soon!

 

[Charley]

I do like how it is coming together, but is not as I originally planned.

I buy fabrics that I like usually a yard at a time. Then I wash it and dry it and put it away. Now that I am trying to use my stash, I have it mostly arranged by color and went and picked out the colors that went together. The small pink border that is next-to-be-cut was originally going to be green and white but when I put it on the planning board I didn't like it and went to the pink. So things don't always go as planned. I doubt that I even bought two of these fabrics at the same time and probably couldn't buy more of most of these fabrics if I needed more. When I put the sweet shop fabric in the center next to the viney fabric, they don't look like they would do well together but with a little separation, to me, it works.

Some day I am going to make a quilt from scraps I know I have enough to make several of this size quilt already.

I do take small swatches of fabric with me if I am planning a quilt and don't have enough matching fabric. I also have ideas of what I am looking for but the swatches really help.

I am finding that buying fabric online lately, my screen colors and the true color of the fabric differ a lot. Also am finding that it is usually cheaper for me to shop sales in brick and mortar stores than buying on etsy. eBay is still closer in cost to shopping locally. My problem is that where I live I am 30 miles from the nearest fabric store; so, time wise it is sometimes a pain to go shopping.

As for picking colors, I have a dear friend and we try to go fabric shopping yearly (we live about four hours from each other). She has told me several times not to buy some fabric as she doesn't like it. I usually don't buy it, but sometimes I wish I had as it would have been the right match for something I already have. I also will lay my fabrics out and just let them mingle before deciding which one's I will use. Once cut then I fiddle for the right place of each piece. No wonder it takes me so long to finish these things…guess it is truly amazing that I do finish them.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Just for fun, and to keep this topic moving, I'm showing some button flowers I made. Wow, it takes a lot of buttons and time to put combinations together! The leaves are vintage crepe paper.

 

[Charley]

So pretty! Love that you used them to top a jar of buttons!

 

[chandab]

No pictures, yet, but I'm working on a quilt from a pattern I saw on FB that is available from Craftsy. Its so easy, that I didn't buy the pattern, just winging it, and adding a little to it to make it a bit bigger (and to use up all my FQs I cut into for it).

Its a yellow star block surrounded by blue.

 

[atotton]

Here are some ornaments/decorations I started making cut out of old tin.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Here are some ornaments/decorations I started making cut out of old tin.

Very nice. It's difficult to cut tin smoothly so you have a real knack.

 

[atotton]

Thanks, I have a pretty good pair of tin snips which helps a lot.

 

[Charley]

I'm impressed that you just use tin snips. I was thinking some kind of metal cutting scroll saw. Love your work!

 

[chandab]

Ok, I got the top finished today, so here you go: