Gifted::Quilted Photo Wall Hanging

Two late Christmas presents - gifted. Well, almost. They are done and one is gifted, the other will be given on Sunday. Hope you like how it turned out Grandma! I gave her the printed fabric squares in an envelope with a print out of what the project was, but other than that, she didn't know what it would look like once done. I really like the 30's prints and the Amy Butler solids coordinated so nicely.

This project was found on the Fiskers website here. I never really follow patterns, but loved their idea. I haven't done anything with pictures on fabric before. I am amazed at how beautifully these photos printed. I used Printed Treasures Printer Fabric Sheets and printed some images I converted to black and white. Joann's sometimes has it on sale for 50% off, or you can use your 40% off coupon. I can't wait to think of another project to use fabric printed photos with. I was thinking this would make a great gift for a babies room, provided you have pictures of said baby. I'll have to think of some ideas. Any to share? There are pictures of the individual blocks on my Flickr.

Cutting Out

Cutting out and getting ready to sew.  I don't know how, but i'm finding time to sew.  I'm almost done with two more late Christmas gifts, and hope I can show you tomorrow.  I also hope to have a tutorial for a much better way to sew the hourglass quilt blocks.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.

Travel Sewing Case

Requested by my mom for Christmas...and gifted a month late.  See a running theme to my posts this week?  I've been getting some projects finished up.  Not sure how i'm finding the time.  She has told me at least three times today how much she loves it.  I like giving gifts like that.

I wanted the exterior to be linen, but I let her pick the fabrics for the inside.  So Sandi Henderson it was.  I have one of these myself I made years ago.  It's really handy.  I use it for my hand quilting and other small sewing projects.  It's especially nice to take along if you're going to do some trimming on small quilt blocks and the such.  

I wanted something for the outside of the case.  To spruce it up a bit.  She requested the flower.  I love this little touch.  Perfect for the plain linen cover.  I thought about making a few for the Etsy shop once i'm done catching up on Christmas (and some now late birthday gifts for two of my sisters).  

**Edited** Made loosely following this pattern.

Zakka Camera Case

It's always so hard to think of gifts for grandparents.  They have what they need usually, and it's hard to know as a grandkid what they might like.  With my grandma I think: practical.  What will she use.  Because if it's not in use, it doesn't stay in her house for long.  That's a good thing.

So a camera case it was!  It has a cute little button closure on the side for the strap, so that it can be slipped around a purse or bag strap and kept within easy reach.

It also has a button closure on the top to keep the camera securely inside.  I just adore the interior fabric.

It's so cute and was so quick to make.  The pattern was from one of my Japanese sewing books.  You know how I love pin tucks, so this was an easy choice for me.  I love so much about this little case.  I especially love that grandma uses it!  It's so nice to know a gift is loved.  So this was actually completed in time to be gifted for Christmas...I just forgot to take pictures in all the Christmas rush.  

**Edited** Interior Fabric is Rosie's Garden Daisy Plaid Peach.  Exterior is linen from Joann's.

Really People?

This was the highest viewed photo on my Flickr yesterday.  Usually my highest viewed photo of the day is around a dozen (max).  This one got 53 views!  53!  Why does a diapered baby butt get so many views?  Ok, so that's bad, and this is almost equally as bad: my 13 weeks pregnant belly shot is the all time most viewed of my photos.  It has been since I loaded it, I think.  Are there weirdo's on Flickr I should know about?

Sunday Stash...on Sunday!

Luckily I already had this photographed and on the computer, because my camera's CF card did it again!  I'm recovering files again, but I guess that means this card is shot.  It's new, too.  So i'll contact the manufacturer, and luckily I have another to use.  So these are some more orange and white fabrics for the quilt I want to make.  I'm not sure i'll use all of these in that, but some for sure.  I especially love the orange flowers.  I probably should have got more than 1/2 yard of that.  Now I can't remember where I bought it.  Isn't that always the way!

Still Alive

Sorry for the unplanned for blog break.  Everything is okay, just had a little glitch with my camera’s memory card.  I had to find a way to restore files that mysteriously disappeared.  All is recovered.  I was crafting during this unplanned break.  Finishing up a late Christmas present, starting over on my knitting and starting a new lacy crochet.  Oh!  One of my friends started a new blog, check it out!

Finished! :: Square Doily

So it's really being called the "Lube Doily". If the last one was the "Condom Doily" then this one had to have an equally ridiculous name. Now, I will just have to go out and buy some "lube" to go on it.

Seriously, I could see this doily maybe being used somewhere. I'm just not sure where. It's just fun to crochet them. Now that I have the two basic projects in the book out of the way, i'm going on to something that I will for sure use. I think i'll start that one tomorrow.

Don't you love this orange!

Nothing Went Right

I sewed the first strap on upside down. So I went with it for the second one.

The strap ended up being too wide for the waist band after some adjustments.

I forgot to include a loop. Had to go back and add it in. Icky!

Then I realized I forgot to even stitch the edge of the folded loop! Hello ladder stitch.

Sewed the bottom hem before I sewed the side seam. *slaps forehead*

Stitching on front didn’t translate to the back. Ugh!

This was a nightmare. I don’t know why so much went wrong. It was the second I made, so I had a “pattern”. Nothing went wrong with the first one! Something went wrong every step of the way. But, I. had. to. finish. It’s done. Good riddance!

Sunday Stash

I’m stashing some oranges for an orange and white quilt – inspired by this.

Sewing + Tags

You might not believe it, but I got a little bit of sewing in yesterday!  Very little.  But it still felt good!  I am finishing an apron for my friend…a belated Christmas gift.  And let me tell you, it’s the second one i’ve made, but on this one, if something could go wrong, it is!  Frustrating.  I’m staying in PJ’s today and sewing!  …I hope…

I keep forgetting to thank Cathy for the Kreativ Blogger Award she awarded me back in December!  She also listed me as one of her 5 favorite blogs to read.  That is just so flattering!  She has the kindest things to say about my blog.  I was tagged by her to find the 4th photo in the 4th folder on my computer and post it.  Well, this is it.  It’s a picture of my best friend Liz and I on a cruise to the Western Caribbean in January 2007…the first of three cruises for Aaron and I that year.  Good thing we got those out of the way with baby coming so soon after we got married.  We are ready for more…cruises, not kids.  Now I tag my mom (she needs an excuse to blog), Liz (because she needs to blog!), Sarah (because I love her photography), Rachel (because I love her photography, too!).

A Better Day

I didn't get to any sewing today, but it was a much better day. I think his rash is getting better and he was in a better mood. I actually got him to nap for almost 2 hours this morning! I get a little worried when he naps that long, but I knew he needed it. Of course it's on the days that I have help from Grandma.

Annoying...I screwed up my stitching. I actually had to pull out two more rows that is shown here. It's amazing how one little stitch can mess up a project. Just goes to show I shouldn't crochet when I have a cranky baby. I posted some photos of the macro lens i'm using on my Flickr, if your intersted in seeing it. It screws onto the end of my standard 18-55mm lens.

How can I be frustrated at a face like that! It was so nice to have him in a better mood today. I did some running around with my mom and he was a good boy. Even took a couple cat naps in the car. We went to Mill Ends and Whole Foods. I was able to find him some rice-free teething biscuits - he LOVED them. I posted lots of pictures from today in the 2009 album if you'd like to take a peek. Sewing tomorrow, I promise!

NEED CRAFT TIME!

He's napping...again. I got 20 minutes out of him this morning. On top of waking every 1-2 hours to eat, he woke up at 4:30a and thought it was time to get up. I did get him back to sleep. Then 6:30 came and there was no putting him back to sleep. There is no crafting to be done with this kid this week. I have so many ideas floating around in my head, tutorials to write, things to sew, Illustrator things to design... Will you settle for a picture of some cute Michael Miller fabric? I'll take whatever suggestions you have for Brice at this point. I've tried them all, but maybe i've missed one.

Stressed Out Mom

There is nothing worse than a sick baby...unless it's my little guy that seems to be sick AND teething. It's terrible. The doctors office seems to agree with me, it looks like fifths disease. Sounds terrible, but is nothing more than a rash. He had a bit of a cold last week, nothing major, just a bit of a runny nose, and then started to develop a rash on his lower back last Saturday. I thought it was a heat rash at first, but it came back a few days later and yesterday it spread to his legs, stomach and overnight the back of his arms a little behind his ears. He's a little cranky, and a little itchy, but pretty much himself. (This can come and go for 3 weeks!) It's harder than hell to get him down for a nap and the stress has caused my milk production to go down, which makes for a crankier baby! I gave him a little baby Tylenol and he's napping now. I need an hour nap from him today. *crossing fingers*

Sunday Stash to follow later today, as I don't dare go in to the room to get my laptop with those pictures. Instead, enjoy these photos that I still had on my camera today. He woke up...after maybe 20 minutes. So here's my Sunday Stash. A box FULL of scraps from a lovely admirer of my mini quilt from JC's scrap challenge I did a few months back. I was so excited when she emailed to ask if I was interested. Of course it was an immediate YES! I love blog-land. Thank you again, Shari! I can't wait to dive in and start making more scrappy quilts.

Addicted

I am officially addicted to lacy crochet. I started another project tonight. It just keeps my fingers busy.

Condom Doily

Me: I'm done! Now what do I do with it?
Mom: Put it on Aaron's side of the bed under the clock!
Aaron: No, let's put it under the condoms.

Now it's being called the condom doily and makes us laugh every time. Was that too much information? I hope it made you laugh, too! This is from the book Kyuuto! Japanese Crafts: Lacy Crochet. It was "Lesson 1" and was great at teaching how to interpret the crochet diagrams.

Doesn't anyone else want to join in on the Macro fun? There's a link in the side bar if you'd like to join the Flickr group and share an image once in awhile.

Progress + Flickr Group

I've had a few more of you intersted in joining in on the 365 Days of Macro Photo Challenge, so I created a Flickr group for us to share our favorite macro images with each other. Share everyday or just once in awhile. I love macro photography and can't wait to see everyones photos. This is of the doily i'm working on from the Lacy Crochet book I got for Christmas. I'm almost done. Maybe i'll be able to show the finished product tomorrow!

Frustration

I've plucked this seam too many times. That's what comes with drafting a pattern on the go. I took a break from sewing today, I think I was sick of this seam. Oh, and I took a nap! I never nap. I think Brice's cruddy sleeping has caught up with me. My girlfriend Sarah decided to join me in the 365 Days of Macro I'm doing. Want to join us?

Birthday Goodies

For my birthday this year my mom, Liz and I (Brice, too) went over to the Japanese bookstore. I got a few new patchwork books (Thanks, Mom!) that I hadn't seen before. They had Kimono Dress...but I wasn't brave enough to buy that one yet. It has some great dresses and tops in it, but i'm afraid with the alterations i'd probably have to do for the bust, that I wouldn't be able to manage. I'm not really a seamstress and it's in Japanese. I do have my limits. But i'm still thinking about it.

After that we headed to lunch and then off to Joanns. I had seen some crafting done with applique scissors the night before and was like "I have to have some of those!" So my mom bought me a pair. The nice thing about a New Year's birthday is the sales. Scissors were 40% off. Nice.

Liz got me another great Kyuuto! book and ruler. Mom got me some crochet thread, small hooks and a different size ruler (50% off). I'm always one to find the good in the bad: birthday so close to Christmas= holidayed out; birthday so close to Christmas= end of year sales.

Sunday (my actual birthday) my mom and I went out to some craft stores and ended up at a different Joann's. My brother happened to be at a store in the same shopping center and spotted his Jeep (we were borrowing it that day) and tracked us down inside. He and his girlfriend stopped in to get me a birthday present, too. So, after scaring the living daylights out of my mom (she about decked him when he ran into her, rather rudely) he snuck up to the register and got me a gift certificate from both him and Rachel. So these are the goodies I got with that! I have plans of knitting a baby blanket for Brice with the taupe, blue and green yarn. There was a really cute baby knits book there that i'm thinking of using the rest of my gift card on...

Books!

I have SO much to post about. But i'm so tired! That always seems to happen. Here are the craft related books I got for Christmas. I also got some cookbooks and geology books, glacier related. My other passion. I started adding photos to my Flickr for the self-imposed Macro Photography Challenge :: 365 Days of Macro. I'm so excited by this and I'm loving the photos so far.

Sunday Stash

I'm back to Sunday Stash! It's been a few weeks. These are all fabrics I got for Christmas from my grandma. She ordered them on Etsy. I love them all! I had a birthday today. #29. I'm having a hard time with it, for a big explainable reason. But i'll spare you. It's hard having a birthday so close to Christmas. I haven't even got to tell you about what I got for Christmas and now I have birthday stuff mounting on top of that! I had a very low-key, relaxed birthday. I have pictures to share, so i'll post that tomorrow! And, as a teaser, I have a new pattern to go into my Etsy shop in another week (or so, dependant on baby) and a free pattern for my blog to go with that! So you'll want to stay tuned.

No More Yellow! (Custom White Balance)

I've been playing around with my camera's manual functions more and more. I just reached a plateau with my photography and needed to take the next step. I initially used the auto function a lot on my DSLR, you know...that green rectangle (at least on the Canon). The flash would pop up and annoy me all the time. I hate onboard flashes. But it had been a few years since I had operated an SLR, so my little blonde brain forgot all about proper control of aperture and shutter speed. Then I discovered if you turn it to P it is fully automated, but without the flash! Awesome. From there I moved on to using Av, so that I controlled the aperture and the camera decided on the shutter speed. This served me well for a long time. Now, i'm in full M (manual) mode. I control the aperture and shutter speed myself. I love it. Shortly after that I discovered switching up the white balance. There are some great presets - like tungsten, for use indoors with most light bulbs (yellow cast). This usually does the trick. But tonight I was getting irritated. It wasn't working out, my pictures were still coming out with a yellow cast.

See what I mean? Yellow! Then I remembered seeing the "Custom" in white balance settings. So I went to the instruction manual to see about fiddling with the white balance correction/bracketing. But instead figured out the whole Custom thing.

You take a picture of something fully white (my poster board in this case) under the light you'll be shooting in (dining room can lights). You'll need to make sure your lens is in manual focus for this. Then, you go into MENU and find Custom White Balance. This will then pop up your pictures, specifically your last picture of white. You SET this (using the Set button) and exit the Menu screen. Now, back to your "shooting-a-picture" screen/mode you now go into your WB (white balance) menu (found on my down arrow on the back of my camera, Canon XTi) and choose Custom. Snap a picture. It will turn out PERFECT.

I am so happy tonight. I have a picture without a yellow cast, taken at 10 at night. This excites me to no end. The subject of this photo is some of the crafting books I received for Christmas - just a peak for now. But when I was shooting these I thought it funny how perfectly these words you see describe me. With that said, i've come up with a theme for my 365 days of photography. I am going to focus on Macro photography and want to specifically make it craft related. More important than that is that it represent something I "did" that day. I could have been looking at craft books, going to a fabric store, or something un-craft related because I just couldn't get to crafts that day. This will be fun, motivating and something to look forward to. If you want to join in, let me know so I can follow your blog/Flickr. I think you'll find the more you shoot macro, the better you'll feel about your photography and you'll find yourself looking a the world in a whole new way.

A New Year

I know most of the bloggers out there are doing a "year in review" posting today.  Some may be stating their resolutions or goals for the year.  I'm not going to do much of either.  If you would like to review my busy year, you can go through the Archives - but i'll tell you, the biggest things for me this year was starting this blog and giving birth to a wonderful baby boy.  As for goals, I just want to continue on my list from my first posting.  I have lots of WIPs to finish and quilts in the waiting to work on.  I wouldn't mind getting more patterns written up for my Etsy shop, either.  I would love to post a free pattern on my blog every time I come up with a new pattern for the shop - but we'll see how that goes.  I don't make resolutions, I just try and better myself continually throughout the year.  I don't like to set myself up for failure, I guess.  

I really wanted to do some sort of 365 days of photography thing, but i'm not sure what to do.  Just photos in general?  Crafting photos?  Macro photos?  What I did each day photos?  I guess i'd better decide, the first day of the year is almost over!  I would love to do something with others, does anyone know of anything out there?  Or, does anyone want to do something like that with me?  We can keep each other motivated!

I think I gave you a quick "Christmas was lovely" in my last post.  But that's not very descriptive.  I have some photos uploaded here.  We had a great New Year, too!  I got some fabric and craft books and supplies.  I'm so excited to start using it all!  I know I have been super lame about posting these last two weeks, but I hope to get back into the swing of things now that the holidays are over.  I got a TON of photos edited and posted to Flickr, so I feel like my road block as been moved and I can now continue on.  I hope you'll join me in my new adventures this year!  Happy New Year!