Sewing & Crafts

So Much craftiness been going on in this place! I have been sewing up some baby towels for gifts, and using my Gelli Plate to make these fabulous deli paper flowers that I learned on this blog: https://sandi-keene.squarespace.com/secret-lake-diaries/2014/3/4/deli-paper-flower-tutorial.

I promise I will take some photos and post asap.

And I am going to do a tutorial on how to make the baby towels soon. So keep checking back. They are so fun to make, and are an easy, quick homemade gift for anyone who is expecting. 

Soooooo much better than the little storebought towels. 

I also finished a purse that I was making, and made 2 Box-bags, that I call boxy bags using this tutorial:

FINALLY.
I finally did it.
I tackled the sewing/craft/laundry/rumpus room!

Don't know why I felt I needed to.
Maybe it was because I could never find things.
Maybe it was because I had to move a ton of stuff before I could even make a card.
Maybe it was because I felt 'My New Baby" deserved better. 
Whatever the reason, it was time, and I love the results!

It is more open, and seems more spacious, and things are definitely easier to find.
Now I have to LABEL EVERYTHING. 

REALLY. Cause I won't remember where I put anything, or where it goes when I am done using it. 

But first?
I gotta find the label maker.  :)

Pictures to follow.

Well, my 23 year old Viking #1 could not be fixed. At least the guy at King Sewing and Vac couldn't figure it out. I didn't want to replace it, but I hate to be without a machine, even just to do minor repairs. To be honest, I have a little Janome machine that is my son's, but it is very basic, and sounds like a freight train. My youngest daughter, Faith has an old Singer, but it hasn't been working very well, either.  I didn't want to spend a fortune, and really, all I wanted it to do was a beautiful straight stitch, zigzag, blind hem, and buttonhole. 

I really didn't even look. I know new machines are ridiculously priced, especially if they are made decently. And by that I mean NOT PLASTiC. So I just resigned myself to waiting, and trying to make due with my son's freight train and the old Singer that was breaking thread in the bobbin about every 10th stitch. Yuck. 

My dear husband, Don was the one who started searching and researching, and sending me to the Juki website. We were tossed between the F400 and the F600, and had mostly decided to get the F400. For the money, there didn't seem to be any reason to go up to the F600. 

God gave me peace about the decision, and I was really happy about it. So I began to look online, and found a store that had a good price and free shipping, and I was ready to order it, but God said wait. So I waited for direction. I felt I needed to find a shop that was local for many reasons, but mostly because I felt like God wanted me to. So I did some research and found a shop, Stuart Sewing and Vac that had both machines in stock. (why do all sewing machine shop names seem to include "and Vac" and actually sell vacuums? Maybe that is their bread and butter and the sewing machines are just for fun? I really wonder). 

I knew the drive would take over and hour, and I wanted to just jump in the car to go get one. But I knew God was telling me to wait. To be patient. So finally by the end of the week, I was able to go, and Don wanted to go with me. That was great, because I knew if he wanted to go, he was ready to buy. I had spoken to the guy on the phone too, and he said I could bring Faith's Singer and they would do a "10 minute assessment! YAY!!!

Well, today's prompt was a killer!! This is a VERY modified version of todays prompt. It was a sketch, which did not look much like this at all. It is also based on another sketch for a challenge from Big Picture Classes for National Scrapbook Day. I melded them together and this is what I got. I did not know this about myself, as I have never tried to use one before, but I HATE using sketches!! I don't mind scrap lifting, but a blank sketch is no good for me. I might get used to it, if I tried or had to, but I am so glad I never bought a bunch of them and then discovered this!! And the photo is actually backwards....the right page goes on the left and the left on the right. At least that is how I originally "planned" (and I use that word very loosely) it. This is part of an album I am doing of an event I had at my house. These are some of the wonderful women that I am privileged to mentor and be friends with. I am so blessed.