Getting Better

I am one of those people . . .


Yes I have been negligent with my posting . . . but in my defense I had shoulder surgery.

Shoulder on April 1st

See isn’t that awful looking. The doctor repaired three things that were wrong. I am finally on the mend. Since this is not a medical blog I won’t explain all of the yucky parts – it is just good to know that I am finally on the mend.

Shoulder is almost back to normal! It only has a tiny scar . . . still sore but doing my stretching exercises .

Enough of that  . . . on to the creative and sewing things . . .

Sewing Guild’s Spring Fling – a big success . . .

The tables that our group decorated for the spring tea were wonderful. We had a good time.

This is the green tea table . . . it is soooo cute and everyone loved their little pincushions.

This one is the polka dot table – everyone got a basket of goodies to take home.

It was a lot of fun making them. I have had so much fun with the sewing guild – if you are not a member try and find one it is a great source of motivation and just plain fun being with others who enjoy sewing.

That's all for  . . .now more good stuff to come . .

All Good Stuff Happeing here

What started out as a creative fun little journey, has really taken off. Joining the Sewing guild was the best thing I have done so far. I have only been to two meetings – but a whole bunch of good stuff has come from it!!! Remember the table we signed up to decorate -- it is pretty much done. Carol is making the placemats, and silverware holder thingys. I gave her the fabric sister Debby picked out – she loved it . . I guess I am still not very good with color. I am still trying though :) .

I volunteered to set another table. I am not sure why – at the time it sounded like a good idea??? Any way I found some really cute fabric on line – that even has tea cups on it . . . Eventually, I will remember to take pics to post here – I am learning – it is all about the journey. As usual, it took me a while to decide on a pattern I like – and use the teacups. The teacups are rectangular and most quilt patterns are square . . . but I came up with a nine-patch except with rectangles. Papa Smurf helped me with an oval pattern. Did you know that an oval is not just a rectangle with curved edges? Mr. Engineer got out some very old technical drawing books to make me a 'proper template' for the ovalness of the placemats. I am pretty sure the folks at the luncheon will not care -- but they do look really nice.

I found a way cool pattern for napkins and a way to fold them so they can hold the silverware and the chocolate spoons. Because I did not have enough of the tea cup fabric the napkins will made out of some matching colors – I think it will be way cool – stand by for pics . . .see comment above about remembering to take pictures for posting.

Lotsa good stuff happening. . . more later – really not so long next time. . . really – I don’t want to be one of those folks who lament about not posting . . . . soon I promise . . .

Trying to be creative

Although I said I would not post every day . . . I really thought I would be better than this - I was thinking at least once a week. There are blogs I read that post almost daily -- maybe I can find a happy medium in between.

I was waiting until I had pictures to post - I am not sure who will be reading this (if anyone) - but I think it will not be so boring and to keep a record my creative journey.

Plans are coming together for the Atlanta Sewing Guild Spring fling. I found the cutest fabric for lining the baskets. It has old McCall’s patterns printed on it. The baskets have the same colors on the sides – they are so cute!!!!

They were very easy to make and they turned out just right. . . what do ya' think?

I have made eight of them so everyone sitting at our table will get a basket filled with goodies. I made cute little tissue holders. I gave these as teacher christmas presents one year. They are incredibly easy and take about 3 minutes each to make . . . . and the fabric matches the colors in the McCall's fabric.
I also made my first ever wool felted project - the idea came from Fee Folk Art! (There are lots and lots of cool patterns there!) Each person at our table will get a wool felted coaster in their basket.

So all total each person will get a basket filled with a coaster, tissue holder, a travel sewing kit and some spring colored candy corn packaged in some spring colored netting. What do ya' think?

The journey begins

This will be my third blog. I don’t think the first one really counts – it was for school. The second was all about our trip to Australia (see pic below). Which was way cool all by itself – but this one is for me and my creative journey. Just that and nothing more. You see my New Year’s resolution is all about learning new stuff – and learning to be more creative. I am without a doubt a left-brain person – very logical, I think in sequence, I am very rational, extremely analytical (can a person be too analytical? – oops there I go again thinking too much!) Hopefully by the end of the year I will be able to think out of order, be intuitive, subjective and think outside the box.

My first endeavor into being more creativity started in August ’09 when I joined a postcard exchange group – and I have been having a blast!!!! These are some cards I mailed in Feb. '10

I have gotten soooo many ideas from all of the cards I have received – and doing my ‘homework’(left brain thinking) for new cards has helped me use the ‘other’ part of my brain.

So then, to keep the creative juices flowing I decided to join the American Sewing Guild – Atlanta Chapter. Doesn’t that just have a nice ring to it? It sounds so old-fashioned . . . I wanted to find others who enjoy sewing and being creative. Boy did I hit the jackpot!!! Well, there is going to be a Spring Fling in Atlanta in April.

Our neighborhood chapter is decorating the tables. The folks in charge had the clever idea to use teapots as a ‘theme’- they brought several to the meeting and we were to choose one. We are to decorate a table for 8 using the teapot. Wow, I got Sister Debby to help – she came on board right away – with some of the neatest ideas. Stay tuned for the pics – it is going to be soooo cute . . . See the creative side is winning a little. this is our teapot . . .

My plan is to learn something new every month. I told Sister Debby this and she said it was a bit much. Well, I said – not completely new but -- for example I already know how to knit – but the only thing I have ever made is scarves. So my new project for January was knitting socks. I took a class at the neatest yarn shop in Woodstock (Ga.) Its called the Whole Nine Yards. The folks there are a very knowledge and talented bunch of ladies. Here is sock # 1 . . . .
For my first attempt, I think I did very well. I started sock #2 over the weekend. I hope to make many more – ok knitting and crocheting are creative . So I ordered some cool patterns from Sarah London. The series is called ‘Hip to Hook’. . . oops looks I will have to go back to the yarns store. I believe you can never have too much fabric or too much yarn . . .

More to come . . . I don't want to promise that I will blog every day . . . but stick around -- more creative stuff is coming.