The Garden Patch Granny Afghan: Ends In, Seaming Started

I love granny squares!

Obvious by the fact that I am making this blanket.

But like anything, there are disadvantages, and without a doubt one of the major drawbacks to granny squares are all the ends that you are left with as a result of all the color changes.

Each time I start a granny square project, I vow to weave in the ends as I go, hoping to avoid the daunting task of having hundreds of ends left dangling and needing to be put in when the project is complete.

Did I do this with this project?

No. I did not.

I was crocheting my little heart out making square after square and had not weaved in a single end.

Yikes!

So I put the brakes on crocheting and committed to putting in the ends. Since this task is no where near as fun as crocheting squares and seeing the colors come together, I was not as eager to work on it and my overall progress on my blanket did slow considerably.

But after countless, painstaking hours of weaving in ends, I can say that I am caught up - all the ends are in on all the squares that I have crocheted.

And my snip jar is looking phenomenal with all the colorful snips I have added.

As I move forward, crocheting more squares, I am weaving in the ends as I go! (This is my solemn vow)

I have also made myself a blocking board and have begun blocking and then sewing the large, medium and small squares together into rectangles.

I did try sewing the squares together without blocking them but was not all that pleased with the results; some squares looked stretched while others were squashed together, and the few rectangles that I did sew together this way were not the same size.

Blocking the squares into their rectangular arrangements allows me to make sure that the individual squares are all the same size and that the overall rectangles are all the same size.  It also makes sewing the squares together much easier.

My mom is making the same blanket at the same time as me (a fun mother-daughter crochet along) and she helped me block my first rectangle.

This is the above rectangle (rectangle A) blocked and sewn together. With the ends in of course.

I have all the squares for a few more rectangles crocheted and ready to be blocked and sewn together.  I hope to show you those soon.

Right now, I am feeling like the more I accomplish on this afghan, the more there still is left to do...it is a little overwhelming.  Ever felt that way when working on a large project?

But at least I have all the parts underway - crocheting, ends in, seaming started.... I should be good from here on out.

Stay tuned for regular updates.

(For an introduction to this project visit The Garden Patch Granny Afghan: An Introduction)

Card of the Week: The One Pad Challenge Week Five

I am still making cards from this one pad of patterned paper

Here are this weeks' creations: A lovely card to say "hello" to a friend.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Bazzill; Letter Stickers: American Crafts; Die-Cut, Floss, Button: my craft stash; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

A simple sympathy card.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Rub-On: Black River Designs; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

And a 'wise owl' thank you card that I plan to give my daughter's teacher at the end of the school year.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Border Punch: Fiskars; Owl Chipboard: Pretty Darn Quick; Rub-On: Pebbles Inc.; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

That brings the total to 13 cards and 2 tags.

And there is still a lot of paper left.....so many more cards and tags to come.

(To see what I created during the first 4 weeks of this challenge click the following links: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4 )

Three Reasons Why I "Multi-Craft"

I sew.  I make cards. I scrapbook. I crochet.  I do home decor projects.

I am a "mulit-crafter" and proud of it!

I do all these crafts for three reasons:

1. There are so many wonderful crafts out there to do....why not try and love them all?

2. Sometimes I am not in the right mindset for a particular craft and another is better suited to where I am creatively.  For example, sometimes designing a card or scrapbook layout is not going to happen - I am too tired, my mind is scattered...whatever the reason, designing something from scratch is not in the cards.  So I turn to crochet, where I can follow a pattern and still feel accomplished during my craft time.

3. I want to keep my skills sharp in all areas.  In particular, sewing.  I sew, but not as often as I pursue my other crafts.  So every so often, I pull out a sewing project so that I can keep my skills up to snuff.  Believe me, after not sewing in a zipper for several years, it was like I was doing it for the first time when I put one in my pillow.

What about you?  Do you multi-craft or are you dedicated to just one craft?

I'd love to hear what crafts you do, how many, and why.

Card of the Week: The One Pad Challenge Week Four

How many cards can a card maker make from one pad of patterned paper?

I am a little surprised by how many cards I have made so far, and how much paper I have left to work with.  It makes the $3.00 that I spent on paper when I vowed not to buy any paper at all, so worth it!

Here are this weeks' cards: a colorful birthday card perfect for a summer birthday.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Bazzill; Die Cut, Button, Floss: my craft stash; Rub-On: American Crafts; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

A note card to send to a special friend.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Die Cut: Pretty Darn Quick; Rub-On: Black River Designs; Border Punch: Fiskars; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

And a lovely card that could be used for a number of occasions - birthday, thinking of you, congratulations, or just to say hello!

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Rub-On: Basic Grey; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Quickie Glue

This weeks' creations bring the total to 10 cards and 2 tags.

Not too shabby, eh?

(To see what I created during the first 3 weeks of this challenge click the following links: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3 )

Has anyone else taken on a similar challenge?  What was your final count of cards made?  It seems like I could keep going and going....

Mailbox Redo

Our mailbox looked like this since we moved into this house 3 1/2 years ago. Yuck!

Needless to say, it was time to do something about this eyesore.

We looked at buying a new mailbox, but anything in a similar style (we find this one to be a perfect shape for what we get in the mail) was either made of flimsy plastic or was ridiculously expensive.  

So we decided to go the spray paint route.

I started by taking the mailbox off the wall, removing the hanging brackets from the bottom, and giving the whole thing a good wash.  It was really dirty!

When everything was dry, I sanded the mailbox and the hanging brackets with steel wool to remove any loose rust.  I then laid all the pieces on a piece of cardboard in the garage and gave it two coats of Rust-Oleum white primer. Most of the rust was covered by this point.

I am so glad that the warm weather is finally here and that I can start on the many spray painting projects that I want to do.  Here I am, the happy to be spraying!

After the primer was dry, I applied 3 coats of Tremclad Hammered in glossy black. 

This paint was supposed to create a hammered finish.  I don't see that, but I do see a black, non-rusty mailbox that pops nicely against the brick and looks a million times better than it did before. 

A simple project with dramatic results. 

Love it!

Card of the Week: The One Pad Challenge Week Three

How many cards can a card maker make from one pad of patterned paper?

That is my challenge as I work with this pad of Indie Bloom patterned paper by Basic Grey.

Over the last two weeks I have made 4 greeting cards and 2 tags.  To see my previous weeks' creations click here and here

My one rule for this challenge was that I not buy anything new but use only what I already have at home.  This has been one of my best plans ever!

After all, "Necessity is the mother of all invention" (a little philosophical for card making perhaps, but work with me), and not being able to buy additional supplies has forced me to root through the piles of embellishments that I already have to come up with something that works.

And I have found something that works.  Every. Single. Time.

I have saved time and money, and by looking through my stash have been reminded of what I have.

So great!

I encourage you to give this a try....you may be amazed by what you have stashed away in your craft space.

Now for this week's creations: A Mother's Day card that I gave my Mom.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Ink: Ranger Inks; Border Punch: Fiskars; Rub-Ons: Basic Grey, American Crafts; Letter Stickers: American Crafts; Ribbon: my craft stash; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

A Mother's Day card that I gave my Oma.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Ink: Ranger Inks; Rub-Ons: Basic Grey, Button: my craft stash; Sentiment Font: Monotype Corsiva; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

And a birthday card that I think would be suitable for a man or boy.  Making male-appropriate cards is my greatest card making challenge for sure, but I think that this one would work for the next guy I know having a birthday.

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Ink: Ranger Inks; Rub-Ons: Basic Grey, American Crafts; Doodle Pen: American Crafts; Ribbon: my craft stash; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives

So that brings the total to 7 greeting cards and 2 tags from one pad of patterned paper.  

I think this card maker is doing pretty well.

I'm in Love with my Smash Journal

Have you seen Smash Journals and all the cool accessories that go along with them?

These books are everywhere - local scrapbook stores, Michaels, and my goodness just about every booth I visited at Scrapfest was selling them.

And they are so cool!  I love them!  I can not wait to start using mine!

The idea behind these books are that they are a place to store memories, photos, articles, lists, bits of inspiration....anything that has meaning to you.

You do not need to be a scrapbooker to use these journals....they are for everyone!

Some of the example journals that I have seen have included pictures from magazines, things-to-do lists for upcoming trips, ticket stubs from a concert, descriptions of everyday life, handwritten notes from children or husbands, favorite recipes, quotes....really what you put in your journal is completely up to you.

I have purchased the Retro Style journal.  Honestly, the hardest part was choosing which journal to use. There are several different styles and each one has different pictures, quotes and writing prompts inside. I chose the Retro Style because it seemed to suit me best.

Here are some of the pages from in the Retro Journal:

Each journal comes with an attached pen/glue stick - one end is a pen, the other is a glue stick - that way you are always ready to add to your book.  

And there are tons of cool accessories for you to personalize your journal with - like large pockets made of pretty paper or a blank calendar:

Or small pockets for tiny memorabilia:

And even tabs to mark your inspiration:

There are more accessories that can be purchased, but these are the ones that I grabbed to get me started.  

I also plan to use some of my paper scraps to add a little pizzazz to my book.

I am so excited to start using my Smash Journal.  

I think that these journals are just amazing and such a brilliant way to corral all the treasures and mementos that I currently have in a shoe box.  

Like all the memorabilia I have from when my husband and I were dating....I think it would work great on the "That was Then" (see above photo) page in my journal.  

And I love that it can be so random.  There is no right or wrong way of doing it - just add in whatever is inspirational and treasured and watch as the book comes together.  

I honestly can not remember the last time that I was so excited about a new product.

So what do you think?  Is a Smash Journal for you?   

Card of the Week: The One Pad Challenge Week Two

Last week I issued a challenge to myself:

How many cards can a card maker make from one pad of patterned paper?

To read the reasons for this challenge and to see last weeks' creations click here.

I am working with this lovely collection of Indie Bloom papers from Basic Grey.

I love the patterns and colors of these papers - cheerful and happy.  

Here are this weeks creations:

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Prima; Rub-Ons: Pebbles, Basic Grey; Button: my craft stash; Acrylic: Harmonie; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Prima; Rub-On: Pebbles; Button, Ribbon: my craft stash; Acrylic: Harmonie; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Cardstock: Bazzill; Flower: Prima; Rub-Ons: Basic Grey; Letter Sticker: American Crafts; Buttons: my craft stash;Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

Card Base: Recollections; Patterned Paper: Basic Grey; Flowers: Prima; Rub-On: American Crafts; Button, Ribbon: my craft stash; Corrugated Cardboard: the garage; Mist: Maya Road; Ink: Ranger Inks; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives, Glue Dots

So, what do you think?

I am going to try and make some cards that are suitable for men and boys this coming week as that is always a challenge for me.  Well see how that works out...this paper is very girly.

How to Sew a Window Valance

A year and a half ago we renovated our kitchen extensively and since then my kitchen window has been naked.

I wanted to add a splash of color and personality to the space so I decided to sew a simple valance.

I always wash my fabric before I sew.  I don't want to go through all the effort of sewing something only to wash it and have the color run all over the place; better to find that out when all you have is a piece of fabric.  

To begin, I assembled my supplies: fabric, curtain rod, pins, thread, measuring tape, sewing machine.

The amount of fabric that you need depends on your window size.  You want the fabric to gather, but the amount of gather (or fullness) is really a personal preference.  It can also depend on your fabric.  If you have a very large or symmetrical pattern you may want to make your curtain less full so that the pattern is visible.  If your pattern is small or the design is random you can make your valance fuller.  Bottom line: it is really up to you and how you want your valance to look.

Step 1: Pin and sew side seams.  If they are raw edges, fold over 1/2 inch first and then fold again to hide the raw edges.  On my curtain the side seams were finished since I used an entire width of fabric, but they said "Ikea of Sweden" on them.  I folded the sides over far enough to ensure that this writing was on the back of my curtain.  A typical side seam would be about 1/2 inch.

Step 2: Measure your curtain rod to determine the width of rod pocket (where the rod will be inserted) needed.  My rod was 1/2 inch wide so I needed a 5/8 inch rod pocket to allow for the rod to slid in easily.  You want your rod pocket to be only slightly wider than your rod;  if it is too tight, the curtain will look crammed on the rod, and if it is too loose the curtain will not gather as nicely.

Step 3:  Fold the top edge of your fabric over about 1/2 inch (this fold will hide the raw edge), and then fold the top edge down again towards the center of your fabric accounting for the width of your rod pocket and the amount of fabric that you would like to have above the rod.  Since my rod was 1/2 inch wide, I folded my fabric over 2 3/8 inches to allow for a 5/8 inch rod pocket and about 1 1/2 inches of fabric above the rod.  Pin.  Sew along bottom fold.

Step 4: Knowing the width of your rod pocket, measure that distance from the line of sewing that you just completed toward the fold and pin this point as you move along the length of your curtain.  I measured 5/8 inch from the line of sewing that I completed in step 3. (My rod pocket needed to be 5/8 inch).  Sew along line of pins.  Your rod pocket is now complete.

Step 5: Insert rod into rod pocket and hang curtain.  Determine the final length that you would like the valance to be and pin the fabric at this length.

Step 6: Returning to your sewing table, measure 1 inch from the line of pins you inserted in step 5 (when curtain was hanging and you were determining the final length).  Cut excess fabric off at this line, fold bottom edge over 1/2 inch to hide raw edge, and then 1/2 inch again.  Pin.  

Step 7: Sew hem along fold.  You can use a "straight stitch", but I like to use the "blind hem stitch".

  

Step 8:  Press and hang valance.  Marvel at the color and personality that it brings to your window and room.

 
I am very happy with how my valance turned out.  The kitchen feels much cozier now that the window has something to wear.