Just 3 Things | #34

This has truly been a week of practicing, learning, successes, and failures for me. The Mister has been busy with projects of his own and I had lots of uninterrupted time for four days to spend time at my sewing machine. I am still loving the experiences I'm getting with it and those long stretches of time to practice and learn.

- What I've Been Watching -

I've watched a lot of YouTube tutorials this week. I'm learning all I can about using my new sewing machine and have lined up a few projects for myself. My daughter, Bridgette, suggested that I could practice different designs with my sewing machine by creating wreath sashes and bows. She sent me some links showing some that were available for custom order on Etsy. Of course, I was inspired right away and had to give it a try using some scrap fabric I had here. So, I also watched a tutorial or two on how to create one from start to finish. 

My sash  sort of overwhelms my little wreath but it is what I had handy and it does show off the sash well. This was really the first start to finish project I've created while using my new machine. I didn't have these designs and went to Etsy to purchase them. I am so glad I did, too. I must confess that I spent hours down the rabbit hole of font selection and design selection but I am pleased wit my purchases and how my project turned out. 

Almost immediately upon completing the project I realized that I could have made the sash reversible and put a different design on the other side where I have a checked fabric lining or finishing off the sash. Oh well, live and learn!

The font I used is called Cambridge Royal Monogram by Stitch Monogram. I really think it is beautiful and I will use it quite a lot. The hydrangea vase design by EmbRoseArt is just gorgeous and is another one that I think I will use frequently. I wasn't compensated for this endorsement but I do like their products and found them easy to use. Of course, I didn't stop there, I also bought other fonts and other designs. So, brace yourself for me sharing more fun projects.

inspiration link

- What I've Been Reading -

I started reading one of Carol Burnett's memoirs this week. I remember as a kid that we all enjoyed watching her television show as a family. It was broadcast during the years of 1967 and 1978. So, maybe my sister who was born in 1965 might not have enjoyed it as much as the rest of us but I'm certain that she got to see some reruns and probably didn't miss much. 

link

I always have loved Burnett's sense of humor. This book has already enlightened me in that I always thought she was a natural redhead like my sister but, alas, no. She confessed that she always colored her hair herself because she didn't like sitting in a hairdresser's chair so long to have it professionally colored. I am enjoying the stories she shares about the different aspects of getting the show up and going and especially enjoyed the part where she introduced Vicki Lawrence. They just don't make television like that anymore.

- What I've Been Working On -

As you might guess, what I've been working on this week is mostly stitchery projects. I monogrammed a towel, stitched a design onto another dish towel, made a mess on a practice strip of fabric, and started a project for the basement bedroom. 

The mess I made is really just a practice strip that I would have used for something if it had worked out but alas, it did not. Sometimes, though, I learn as much from the messes I make as from the projects that turn out like my vision. One of the suggestions Bridgette sent me included a shield that had a letter inside. My sewing machine has several different frames and some of them are shaped like a shield. So, I selected one and stitched it onto a small fabric strip. I couldn't find a pretty capital O within the designs pre-programmed into my machine. So, I decided to try to add a swirly letter O from one of the fonts I had purchased. 

As you can tell in the photo above, my design did not work out to be like my inspiration and the vision I had. I can still use it for something, I guess but it really is just a practice piece and helped me to know more. First, I know that I really like the swirly O that I chose and will probably use it on a project in the near future. (I guess O is just one of those letters that doesn't have a lot of options for fancying it up and it still looking like an O!) I like the size - that is the smallest size that came in the bundle and the O and lots of the other letters will look nice in the right project and I know that I have it in a larger format as well. Secondly, I learned that I like the shield and it will work with some other font just fine and will frame out something nicely. I now know what size it is and how it looks. I also learned that when I am embroidering on a small strip of fabric that it might pucker up a wee bit. So, I will need to be sure I am alright with that before I try it again. 

So, the only thing lost was a bit of time and some thread. Everything else was a scrap that was bound for the waste basket anyway. Truly, failure is not the end. Instead it is just a part of the learning process.

I hope you week was filled with more successes than failures but I also hope that both rounded out a week in a good way where you can learn and move forward progressively like I am.