Just 3 Things | #35

Summertime is here at last. The days are hot and muggy but we have enjoyed a shower or two every now and again. On days like these, I'm just glad I no longer have fifty cows to milk each morning and afternoon!

- What I've Been Reading -

I truly love reading almost more than anything else in this world. I like to find a character that I enjoy or learn about a person who intrigues me. I love learning about events and places. I always have questions and look forward to finding the answers. My daughter, Bridgette, and I discussed this recently. She and her younger two daughters had a wonderful opportunity to take a bus trip out west and saw so many wondrous things. She messaged me and told me that she had sort of become like me and would read and learn more about places and things she was seeing or was getting ready to see the next day. Her reading would cause her to pose more questions and she would have to search and find answers to those as well. 

Luci, Bridgette, and Lydia on their wild west tour!

She would send me photos of the wondrous things she was seeing and I would have questions. Some of them she knew the answers for and others we wound up searching online to find some sort of answer. I've never travelled to the part of the world where they went last week. So, I was intrigued by the things she was photographing and sharing. Was Old Faithful 'on time' with the spewing? How hot are the hot springs? What causes the hot springs? Is that basically just like a volcano? How did they build the walkways without getting injured by the hot springs? Oh, I had loads of questions and she said she did as well!

I find myself doing that sort of thing on the daily. When I read my morning news feeds, I will question something related to what I am reading and go down multiple rabbit holes learning more in relation to the subject at hand. So, I'm glad to know that the pursuit of knowledge is working in the next generation.

- What I've Been Loving -

I am a firm believer that every single person needs to find something that brings them joy and engage in that pursuit of joy. I also firmly believe that we need to be grateful for the opportunities and blessings that are provided for us. There are so many things that bring me joy and I have so very much to be grateful for!

As I was pursuing one of those joyful opportunities in my office/sewing room this week, I looked out the window and saw a mother deer and her baby go strolling by in our yard. I guess that means I enjoyed a two-for. Daily, I find that I am thankful for the opportunity to be retired and enjoy slow days, days when I can just pick up and go visiting my children and grandchildren like I did this past week, and days when the only real work I have to do is picking up things the Mister and I have left out or sweeping the floor where we have tracked in or washing the mound of clothes we have dirtied. 

I've also been finding I'm thankful for the means to purchase a fancy sewing/embroidery machine and having the time to putter and play with it to see what sorts of things I can create. I believe we all sort of come alive when we are creating something or crafting something. I also believe that we truly enjoy time spent with those we love and I am ever so grateful for those opportunities as well. 

This past week I got to go watch our oldest grandson play ball.  I got to see him pitch a no-hitter and to hit a couple of home runs - true home runs. I was informed a couple of years ago that when he scored on errors, it didn't really count as a home run. He said, "You know Grand B, it's not really a home run until you hit it over the fence!"

Bryan, Jessica, Linley, and Harris, the homerun hitter

I guess I can say that this week I really and truly loved the retirement life more than any other stage I've enjoyed in life so far. We celebrated the Mister for Father's Day with my bonus son and his children, I was enjoying the updates from the travelers via pictures and text messages. Then, I got the pleasure of visiting with my son and his crew doing something the entire family seems to enjoy. What a great week!

- What I've Been Working On -

Maybe I'm a cheapskate but I don't like to throw away something that I feel certain I might use at a later date. That causes problems for me, though. I like for things to be organized. I seem to function better when things have a place and most things are in their place. Yet, when I save fabric scraps, that seems to cause me problems. I know that a large fabric scrap might be just what I need for a project and I would never think of tossing it in the trash. Yet, I'm finding that smaller fabric scraps can come in handy as well but, how is the best way to store all of those smaller fabric scraps? For that matter, what is the best way to store all of the larger fabric scraps? 

I love having the fabric scraps. For all of these projects that I have completed lately I have just been using my scraps. It is wonderful because I don't have to spend money on fabric and I generally wind up with something really nice. (Of course, sometimes a scrap of fabric is combined with a stabilizer and thread and winds up just being a mess. I will practice a couple of things on it. I will try out an idea there. Then, into the trash it is tossed. That part of having a stash of fabric scraps has been great. The storage of usable fabric scraps just isn't working out to my liking.

So, this week I have been trying to get my sewing supplies organized better. I'm not feeling very successful at getting organized either. When my mother was a seamstress, she had large bags of fabric scraps. She would take time and sort them by color every now and again. Then, when a project called for a small piece of blue fabric, she would dig around in the blue fabric bag till she found what she needed. I've tried doing something similar with large, clear, plastic tubs. I fold the larger pieces and sort of roll the smaller pieces of fabric. However, when I dig around in the tub, all of it seems to just become a jumbled mess. So, for the largest pieces of fabric, I've folded them and hung them on a hanger. Medium sized pieces get folded and stacked in a tub. Smaller pieces just seem to go into a tub as a jumble. 

There has to be a better way. I am determined to find it. I hope the idea comes to me soon. 

My Go-To

I've found that trying something out on my sewing machine in embroidery mode seems to nudge me toward making a wreath sash. I guess you could say it is my 'Go-To' product. 

My 1st Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because the designs are usually pretty quick projects.

Patriotic Wreath Sash

Floral Monogrammed Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because the designs are relatively small.

Patriotic Wreath Sash #2

Monogrammed Hydrangea Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because this is a pretty easy project.

Floral Monogrammed Wreath Sash #2

Pineapple Monogrammed Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because there are lots of ways to diversify designs.

Patriotic Monogrammed Wreath #1

Patriotic Monogrammed Wreath #2

Maybe it is because I want to try all the different things on my new machine.

Bandana Wreath Sash

Maybe it is because I have a lot of long, thin scrap pieces. 

Today I noticed...every attempt is a learning experience.

My daughter has been encouraging as I am learning to use my new sewing and embroidery machine. She knows that I want to create items that are simple, basic, and purposeful. I added embroidered names to my bonus daughter-in-law's gift of beach towels, for example. Simple. Basic. Purposeful. So, my daughter, Bridgette, sent me a couple of examples of wreath sashes and I gave that a try. Simple. Basic. Purposeful (if you count home decor as purposeful). 

Decor at our back doors

I love the concept of custom stitched wreath sashes. Just perform a search using wreath sash as the key term and thousands will pop up. Bridgette sent me a suggestion similar to the example pictured below. (I included the source in case you want to order one.) There are so many beautiful ideas out there. I hardly have an original thought in my head but I can copy somebody else's good idea and put my own spin on it. That is just what I did.

Source

When I was searching for sash ideas, I stumbled across several patriotic examples since we are in the patriotic season of July 4th and this is a big year for celebrating. So, I decided to give that a try. Bridgette had suggested that I look to etsy for reasonably priced designs and that was another good suggestion. I took the ideas that I saw for wreath sashes that were offered for sale and combined that with a couple of patriotic designs that I purchased and made myself some patriotic wreath decor.

Let me also add that the letter O - the letter that begins our last name - is not really a pretty letter. Making an O with a flourish, yet, still making it legible is difficult. So, when I see a pretty O, I am very likely to purchase that design. Otherwise, the O will simply be a plain, ordinary, boring circle. One option that I found on etsy did have a swirly, flourished, pretty O. So, I pounced on that alphabet quickly! Thank you Rivermill Embroidery.

Since we have French doors at our back entrance, I needed two wreaths. I like to have something that is similar but just a bit different whenever I can. So, I thought the HOME and LOVE designs which featured an American flag, heart-shaped design were just perfect for there. That let me use two of my new etsy purchases effectively. I had left-over striped fabric from creating the pillowcases for the basement bedroom that worked perfectly.

After making the first wreath sash, I realized that crafting one that is reversible is a wise move. So, I dug around in my fabric stash and found another scrap that would back the cranberry striped perfectly. For that side of the sash, I just stitched the same design.

I decided that the bandana print fabric was busy enough that I needed something simple. So, I chose a heart-shaped frame that came with my sewing machine designs. I used some of the control buttons that I had noticed and moved one heart up and toward the left a quarter of an inch and stitched it in white. Then, I used the same frame design and moved it down and to the right before stitching it in black. Then, on the other side of the sash, I used a Fishtail Font for the long and thin white O and a more ornate and rounder O that came with a different font package called Maxwell & Merit. for stitching with black thread. 

I love the flexibility of mixing and matching designs within a project and combining similar but different products. I also like having an item that can be used for different patriotic holidays as well as for an everyday look. Plus, I learned how to use different font packages and combine and center designs together as well as how to manipulate the designs that came with my machine.

I really liked the crossed flag design that was in the example Bridgette sent. So, I searched till I found one that I liked. Again, I wanted it simple but also versatile. TinyTreasures804 had a beautiful option that offered several different sizes as well. I had seen this example and knew that I had a scrap of yellow gingham that might work for a sash. I really liked the pop of red on the yellow fabric. So, I decided to give that a try.

In my search, I stumbled across another concept that I thought was versatile but truly beautiful. The sewists had used a bold floral print fabric and added a simple single initial. A couple of examples are shown in the photo below. So, I dug into my scraps of fabric and found a yellow floral to back the gingham patriotic option.

my inspiration

I was talking to my daughter-in-law and sent her a quick photo asking her for a suggested color combo. So, I was getting her opinion in a sneaky way for a gift I was creating for her.

My finished product

I will definitely be making myself one with another scrap of that bold floral fabric. It is just beautiful to me. I used a Two Color Fishtail Monogram for the B. As luck would have it, one of the cranberry red peonies or roses or whatever flower that is wound up right on the tail end of the other side. I could not have planned that better!

The reverse patriotic side is beautiful as well. I did learn, however, that with a thin, light colored fabric like the yellow gingham, it would have been better to add a lining so that the reverse design doesn't show through. Every attempt is a learning experience!

Another plus to these wreath sashes is that I can just use fabric scraps that I already have. So far my only expense has been for stabilizer and thread. I have a couple more wreath sashes on the drawing board. I cannot wait to get back to my sewing machine each day. 

Out of Pocket

I've been a little out of pocket for the past few days. Oh, I haven't gone anywhere - well, except for one night, when I visited my son and his family. I just have sort of been out of pocket. 

I was learning with my new sewing machine. Here are some projects I completed. Wreath Sashes. Kitchen towels. Placemats. Bag Tags.

Evidently bag tags are a big thing and I have been blissfully ignorant of them. Bag tags can be key chains, luggage tags, athletic bag decor, purse decor, backpack decor, and more. They seem to be very popular with the grands. So, I got a couple of patterns and embroidery designs and launched into trying to make a custom one or two for them. 

They are not as easy as YouTube makes them look! But, then, is anything really as easy as You Tube makes it look? They are really cute and I am going to keep trying to make them simple. 

Here is what I learned with the first few that I stitched up:

1. The embroidery/decor work needs to be done first.
2. Hoop the stabilizer and add the decorated piece of fabric after the applique stitch step has been outlined. 
3. The design needs to be pretty small to fit on the pattern well. 
4. Sometimes you have to stitch that outside 'boundary' a second time.
5. Maybe I need a heat gun like I saw on some of the YouTube tutorials to make the edges not have whiskers.
6. These little jewels are really labor intensive.
7. The youngest granddaughters really like them!

Projects, Pillows, and Putterings

Since I have been practicing and learning with my new sewing machine, I have worked on some projects as well. 

When I first began reclaiming the basement, I decided to turn the bedroom into a guest area. I had collected lots of ideas that included twin beds. So, I used the twin bed that had been Bryan's as he was growing up after I had stumbled across one while thrifting that looked sort of like it. I painted them out to be the same color and dressed them the same and they work together. 

I had a large chunk of fabric that my friend Kathy had given me and decided that would eventually become window treatment for the room. So, I have been planning around that as a color-way. I prepared the fabric for stitching to make a couple of panels for either side of the windows. I will take a bit and stitch up a hem and some rod pockets and finish that up soon.

In the meantime, I wanted to putter and practice with my new sewing machine. I dug out a remnant of fabric that I had picked up at a discount store. It is a nice percale stripe that is the same colors as the window treatment fabric. So, I decided it would become pillow cases.

I used the tutorial found HERE for my pillowcase dimensions and method. Before stitching it all together, though, I did a little embroidery decorating. I just chose a couple of the colors in the contrast strip that is floral (the window treatment material) and embroidered a couple of stacked Os as a monogram of our last name. 

Then, I stitched it all together. I think it adds a nice layer to the bedding. I love custom linens such as window treatment and simple things like pillows and pillow coverings. 

I think the pillowcases work well with the throw pillows I've already got on the bed. I bought the red one at a thrift sale, brought it home and washed and dried it. My plan was to cover it but it looks good with the bedding. So, it will stay that way and just provide texture right now. The checked one is an envelope pillow cover that I made out of another remnant I had picked up at a discount. The fabric is a nice upholstery fabric and I used one of the designs that came on my sewing machine to monogram it.

You can see in the photo above that I have been using soft white bedding. I think that is hard to beat and I have the pillows with the soft white cases in the room still. I'm trying to decide if that is overkill to stack them on the bed as well!

I like the added layer of the design on the new pillow cases and am now more inspired to get the window treatment completed! That is another project for another day of puttering.

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.

Satisfying Little Projects

I have been tackling some little projects around the house and I have found such satisfaction in completing each one. 

Last week I decided that I had procrastinated long enough about repotting what the Mister had proclaimed was a jungle. I must admit that I did have a lot going on with my plants in the kitchen.

The first little project was to separate and repot my lemon/lime trees. I read where growing lemon trees is a fun endeavor and that it is simple to start a tree just by saving the seeds and letting them dry a bit before planting. So, I saved a few seeds from a lime and some from a lemon. I laid them on a paper towel on the counter to dry for a bit. Then, I bumped them and knocked the paper towel onto the floor, mixing the seeds. I was not deterred, I still planted them. I decided that it didn't really matter to me which was what and I would figure it out when and if they ever produced fruit. For now, I was just going to give the growing thing a try.

So, I put the handful of seeds into a small pot and set it near a window on the kitchen counter. Sure enough, a handful of little green leaves poked their heads out of the soil and began to grow up into tiny trees. One had gotten tall enough that it was a bit crowded under the cabinet. 

I didn't have many spare pots sitting around. So, I dug into a closet and found an old brass planter that had come from a thrifting adventure where I got several items for one price. So, I went off to the barn and found a plastic pot that would fit inside it and brought it to the house along with a few other plastic pots.

I'm hoping it will grow into a stately tree and be worthy of such a fancy pot. 

A couple of the other trees went into the plastic pots and I had a basket that fit around the outside of one of them to dress it up a bit. I'm still searching for something to hide the serviceable but not pretty pot. The remaining three little trees are in small pots and back onto the kitchen counter corner for now.

The other jungle that the Mister had pointed out was the dish garden that had been living on the dining table for a couple of years. 

The photo above shows how it looked last fall and it had grown even more. The tallest plant with leaves that are yellow in the center and green around the edges had fallen over and I feared it was a goner.

Again, I needed pots that look sort of nice and I had none. So, one day last week I stopped in at the local Goodwill store. I found a couple of nice pots and figured that would give me a pretty good start. One has a raised vine design around the top and an attached drip tray. The other did not have a saucer or drip tray but there just happened to be a square plate sitting nearby on the shelf. So, both pots came home with me.

In the pot that the Mister said looks sort of like a deep dish fudge pie, I replanted a Madagascar Dragon tree and a small little prayer plant.

There were two or three other prayer plants in the jungle. So, I put them into a blue and white pot.

The peace lily went back into the pretty green ceramic pot and is still gracing the center of the dining table. I've learned that I like having a live plant on the table and it serves as a nice center where I can add seasonal decor but also looks alive and welcoming on the daily.

The poor plant that laid over got put into the thrifted pot with a raised vine pattern. I staked it up with a small dowel rod and some raffia. I've learned that it is called a dieffenbachia or dumb cane and is a member of the peace lily family. I think the species I have is either Camille or Tropic Snow. I placed it where it was leaning away from the window in my office. I am telling myself that it is straightening up and moving itself toward the light of the window a little each day. Fingers crossed.

I saw on a plant care site that it can be propagated. So, I will give it a bit of time and if it doesn't straighten back up, I will give propagation a try.

I'm so glad I got the inspiration to visit the local Goodwill for my pots. While I was searching for plant names, I also learned that glazed ceramic pots like those sell online for anywhere from $20 to $70. I really got a deal, paying only $6 each and the additional plate that serves as a saucer on the brown glazed pot was $2. So, I got all of my planters for less than one that was advertised at the lowest price. Deal! Deal! I love getting a good deal! 

And I love having projects like repotting plants that help me to feel like I accomplished something worthwhile and have even more opportunities to spread greenery around our space. Little projects like that are so satisfying!