Crafty 'Ole Me

Since at this moment and time, I'm not able to do what I really want to do (travel and explore), I have made myself an outlet. I don't have a lazy personality so sitting around watching t.v. or sleeping is not an option for me.

After I bought my sewing machine last fall, I started feeling really creative. I made my first quilt...a small one for Summer.



I enjoyed doing it so much I wanted to do another one.

The only problem is that how many quilts does one household need? Fabric is not cheap and neither is having it quilted. After Summer's quilt I decided that I really wasn't fond of hand quilting. I'm just not sure how to machine quilt..or if it's even possible on my little $75 machine.

Even with my dilemma, I started on another quilt top..and another...and another. So I have 3 quilt tops hanging around, one that I made with the scraps from Summer's quilt and another two. I don't care. I love cutting the pieces and sewing them together. The whole process of sewing and piecing is very relaxing to me.

Only thing is,I'm also very frugal. I didn't like the thought of going out and buying fabric to make a quilt that may actually never become an actual quilt, so I got my frugal creative juices flowing and came up with an idea.

Every couple of months Austin has a City Wide Garage Sale at the Palmer Events Center. I had been once before and remembered that I had gotten some scrap fabric there for Summer to use when she was going through her hand sewing phase.

I didn't have to wait long for the garage sale to roll around again. I hit the jackpot. They had tables and tables piled high of scrap table napkins, doilies, quilts, sheets, scarves, etc. for super cheap.

I was wanting to make a Floral Snowball Quilt I had seen online so I decided the best bet for what I needed would be the table piled high full of cloth napkins. After about 20 minutes I found a selection that I thought would work.

The fabric is by the pound so I ended up paying $9 for my bag full. Good deal for what I came home with.

Anyway, I ended up having some scrap table napkins left over so I started on my second quilt top with a slightly different design. No need to waste fabric. I'm still very amateurish so please don't judge to harshly.

Here is the snowball one...



..the one made from leftovers. I'm still not done with bordering this one...



During one of my quilting lulls, I got crafty with one of Toby's old ragged pillows from his childhood. The pillow was ripped and torn except for the furry cat so I cut the cat out and found some scrap fabric to match and appliqued the cat on and made a wall hanging out of it...even though I still don't have it hung up because I'm not sure what room to hang it in yet..probably Summer's.



Something else I have been dabbling in is Quilling. In my opinion it is a beautiful form of art. It looks so fancy and intricate but yet such and easy and inexpensive art. I also love the fact that I can do it while sitting around with Sum and Toby while they watch T.V.

I have a plan in the works for my next larger and more detailed one, but here is my first practice one.



I also have my eye on a couple nice crochet afghan patterns that I would like to get started on.

I told you I was feeling rather creative lately!