The Fix It Box

At the bottom of the closet in my sewing room there are three boxes, they are all full.  One is a box of clothing that waits to be repurposed into new items; one is a box of items ready to be gifted to new homes; and one is a box of items waiting to be fixed.  The "Fix It" box gathers lots and lots of dust.  It's the utilitarian side of sewing that just isn't attractive to me.  It's work.

I would much rather start on a cute new dress than sit down a hem some pants, mend some holes or sew on a button.  The sad reality is that once something gets to the Fix It box then it will probably not be seen again for a long, long time.  I know I need to change that.  I recently reorganized the whole room and went through the Fix It box.  Interestingly enough my husband just asked about a pair of his shorts that have been in the box since last summer.  They were mended but I needed to repair the pocket.  It took me less than 5 minutes to get the shorts ready for him to wear.  Why have I put this off so long?!

So I made a new commitment to myself - I promised to take one thing out of the Fix It box and fix it (in its entirety) before moving on to my new, fun project.  Today's Fix It - a button on a different pair of my husband's shorts.  It seemed to be the most immediate need.  Again it took only minutes and now I'm off to re-try the Snappy Toddler Top from Prudent Baby.  Those dag-blasted snaps are giving me grief!!!

What about you?  Do you have a similar box somewhere in your house?  I challenge you to find a way to tackle it!  Let's see if we can get that box emptied out!

Everybody Needs A Little Time Away

After a bit of time away from sewing and blogging, I'm coming back.  I haven't been completely idle in my studio but I have shifted gears and slowed way down.  In fact, I have very few completed projects over the past few months.  And I have quite a few half-finished projects just waiting for me.  So in the spirit of productivity and to overcome my great Indecision lately...I took a cue from Stitched in Color's recent blog post and made A Sewing List.  Well, actually, mine is a Crafting List because it isn't exclusively sewing.

Also, if you haven't heard, I am just about 4 months pregnant, so I know that my list is for projects to be completed before baby's arrival in late October. 

My List

1. Two Maternity Dresses - Mariposa Dress and Empire Waist Dress
2. Blossom Blouse for myself and Lil Hoot
3. Sun Hats for myself and Lil Hoot
4. Central Park Quilt for Lil Hoot's room and some throw pillows/pillow shams.
5. Spectrum Quilt for our new baby, The Kid
6. Collaborative Wall Art with Lil Hoot for her new room
7. Finish Lil Hoot's Robin Hood Jacket
8. Knit a sweater for The Kid

I could go on but I feel like since these were the first to come to mind then I should stop here and focus on these.

But I realized I couldn't just make one list.  I enjoy making things for others and already have plans for several things for others and their young 'uns.

For Others List

1. Camera Bag
2. Two Growth Charts
3. Three Summer Dresses
4. Two Mini-Quilts
5. Henny Penny
6. Crib Quilt

All is subject to change of course, but I'm hoping this will help me get moving forward.

Free Motion Quilting

My interest in free-motion quilting began this past summer with this post at Craft Apple.  Then this fall, several of my friends learned the technique.  And when I saw this beautiful bib posted by my friend, Quirky Granola Girl, I just had to learn for myself.

I started by asking her (and a few others) some questions.  Then I watched a few tutorials - Craft Apple,  Crazy Mom Quilts, and (of course) Oh, Fransson!  I laughed when I saw the speed with which these women can quilt.  Rest assured, if you are like me, there is no need to go that fast.  And the first attempt, it probably won't be pretty, see? 

First Attempt

 But don't sweat it, because it will get better.  And if you have questions, there are tons of people out there willing to help.  Crafters/Knitters/Quilters - we're a generally friendly bunch.

Second Attempt

And then we you get up the nerve - start your first project.  For me, once I had the groove down, I had to keep going.  It takes me a while to warm-up before I can get going again.

First Project

Smallcakes

It is a New Year's goal of mine to try at least one local restaurant or bakery each month.  Not a huge goal, but we tend not to eat out very often.  For February, we made it a family event - one place for each of us.  First, we were off to Monkey Bizness for Lil' Hoot.  Then, we ate at Oklahoma Joe's - a favorite of Big Hoot.  And our final stop, Smallcakes was just for me.

Smallcakes came to my attention through Cupcake Wars on the Food Network.  (I tend to be a bit of a Food Network junkie.)  In their first appearance on the show Owner/Baker Jeff Martin admitted to the judges that a flavor was forgotten.  While his honesty was admired, he was sent home.  The appearance gathered him local fame and the news piece caught my attention.  And I am always on the look out for a good cupcake. 

Forgive my poor photos but I just couldn't wait until morning to bust open the box.  Aren't they pretty?

And the breakdown of contents, starting at top left:

My cupcake - Drum Stick
Classic vanilla cake
topped with both fudge icing
and vanilla buttercream
drizzled with caramel & a few nuts

Big Hoot's cupcake - Choc-o-holic

Classic chocolate cake

topped with chocolate buttercream 

Lil Hoot's Cupcake - The Hostess
Chocolate Cake filled with vanilla buttercream, topped with fudge icing

The Reviews:

Lil Hoot cried when we split her cupcake in half.  She loved it so much, she couldn't bear to part with even a piece of it.  (Note to parents:  Always split the cupcake in half when it's out of sight, then give only the half from the beginning.  Duh.) 

Big Hoot scarfed his cupcake down and deemed it, "Delectable."

Mama Hoot - I loved the cake and the fudge icing, but the buttercream is a bit sweet for me.  I will certainly have one again though.

Quilting Bee Blocks

As I mentioned before, I am currently part of a virtual quilting bee.  We started back in October and here is a walk through our blocks.  I am loving learning new techniques and taking them with me into my products.



January's Block - String Quilt

October's Block - String Quilt

November's Block - Anna's Design