French General Quilt (in progress)

Here it is, all put together! Well, almost. Right now it sits on my sewing table, basted with batting and backing and ready to actually quilt. I just thought I'd give you a sneak peek!

There is no "After"

This post has nothing to do with crafting. I stumbled upon a blog today that I've now been reading for two hours, and I want to read more. The blogger, Charlotte, and I are on opposite ends of the fitness spectrum, but I'm hoping to use her for motivation. I got EA Sports "Active" for Christmas this year (a gift to myself), and now that the baby is 2 months old and my body has returned to its normal state, it's time to start thinking about getting fit, for once and for all. Which brings me to the title of this post.

I'm reminded of the line from The Matrix: "There is no spoon." So many examples out there of fitness before and after, as if "after" is this utopia that, once attained, will never desert you. I'm living proof that this is not true. A number of years ago I managed to shed a significant number of pounds, only to gain it all back, plus more. This time I'm approaching things slightly differently, in that I'm incorporating exercise immediately. In truth, I haven't been watching my diet as closely as I should be, but I'm easing into this. I think maybe I'll post this on my fridge or something, just to remind me that it's a journey, not a destination.

WIP

If you're anything like me, and I know you are, you've got at least a couple of Works In Progress stashed away somewhere. For some reason, I've been in a mood to tie up loose ends recently, and I've been able to complete a couple of projects that have been laying around forever.

Do I have pictures? No. Because I'm new to this blog thing.

Anyway, the first thing that I attempted to make when my sewing machine was brand-spanking new was a knitting needle clutch. I hadn't sewn on a machine in a looong time, so I thought something simple like that would be good practice. Well, after many tension issues and then sewing the flannel to the incorrect side of the fabric, my frustration got the best of me. I chucked that sucker in a sack, threw it in the closet and forgot about it. Until last week, that is. In a fit of organizing my craft supplies, I put all my WIPs in a pile and decided to pick them off one by one. The knitting needle clutch has been ripped apart where necessary and put back together properly. Well, mostly properly. It has two tie closures, and I didn't place them quite where they ought to go. But I'm considering it a success because it's all together, and it's functional. Next time I'll use thinner felt or batting, because that flannel I used made it too puffy for my taste.

So, what's left on my list?
A quilt I made as part of a "mystery quilt along" almost 4 years ago. The top is done. It looks like crap because there are a bunch of triangles with their points missing, and things don't line up properly. I never did buy backing or binding fabric for it, so whatever I get won't match exactly. It's 4th of July themed, so I'd like to wait until summer to look for something. But I can't decide if it's even worth it since the top really does look like crap. My money might be better spent on something I'll actually like when it's completed. Or perhaps I'll just cut it up and make pot holders out of it or something.

A couple of garments I started to make for myself. Learning to sew clothes is WAY different than quilting. And I learned that the "size" on the pattern does NOT correspond to the size you wear off the rack. So both garments are too small for me. I don't think they're fixable, especially since I doubt I could get any more of the same fabric. I think these will go in the stash pile to be used for kids' clothes or some other project.

Well, I don't have my to-do list available to me, and I can't think of anything else off the top of my head. But believe, I know there's more WIPs in that pile than I've mentioned here.

In the beginning...

I'm a crafty kind of girl. So this blog is a place for me to share all the crafty things I attempt, along with an occasional personal anecdote. I tried a blog in the past but just couldn't get into it. I think I was hoping it would turn into a money-making blogging powerhouse, with book deals and personal appearances and all that. What pressure to put on oneself! I was writing for an audience, instead of for myself. This time will be different. This time, I am creating a blog so that I have a place to share my hobbies without bugging all my friends on Facebook who could care less that I just made another thingamajig. This time, I'm not going to worry that my photos are kinda dark, or that my post doesn't contain the right keywords. This time, I'm concentrating on the enjoyment I get out of making something and sharing it with anyone who cares to read along.

With that said, here's what I'm working on now. My mom bought me a jelly roll of the latest line from French General for Moda (thanks mom!). This design was made in Corel Draw, so I just approximated the color and design elements to get the general idea. I wanted to do something a little abstract, and keep the strips mostly in tact so that you can see the designs better. I've already finished piecing the top, I just haven't gotten the images off the camera yet. I'm trying to decide how to quilt it next. I think I'm going to do parallel wavy lines running from bottom left to top right to emphasize the directionality shown in the color progression built into the top. They'll be done in a red thread. Whaddya think?

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