Post Christmas Sewing Update...among other thing!

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!  It was a nice one in the Eckert household.  Now I'm enjoying some time before heading back to school on January 7th.  Lots of crafting time in front of me.

One of my exciting Christmas presents from my parents was a new sewing machine!

It's the same brand as the previous one I was using, this is just "several" years newer.  My mom knew that I wanted to get into quilting at some point so this one has some quilting capabilities.  She said she almost bought another one, but the quilting reviews weren't great.  She researched it quite thoroughly it sounds.  I'm excited to have one that's all mine.  :)  Mom's old one is going onto another sister.  I wish her luck.

I jumped right in today and made the following tote bag.  It's like one I made earlier, (and now realized, I never posted) but I made a smaller size.  I messed up a little on the corners so it has a square shape to it.  I think it will work nicely for my knitting.  I used the following tutorial.  Tote Bag Tutorial

Today's tote

Tote from few months back

I really enjoy that pattern.  It's easy to do and it makes a nice looking bag.  I just need to start making them for other people and not just myself!

I've finally taken pictures of some of my other projects and am now getting around to posting them. 

First, my newest (as of April) nephew needed a bear of his own.  I wanted to make him look different, so this one gets a sophisticated black tie look.  He needs to look distinguished with all the drool and spit-up he's about to take.  

I think we'll call him "Classy Bear"

 

Next we have some gifts for my sister that is also my goddaughter.  Orange happens to be her favorite color and I happened upon this cotton yarn (wish I could remember what kind it is!) when my local yarn shop was going out of business.  I'm cheep when it comes to yarn, but when it's 50% off, I'll splurge a little.  I found the headband pattern on Pinterest (Knotted Headband) but the scarf is a something I've adapted on my own from a dishcloth pattern.  

Headband

Knot detail-Looks tricky, very easy.

Scarf

And catching up on some past work, here's the cross stitch I finished back in March, April, June?  See, it's been so long ago, I can't remember.  

That's all the pictures I have for now.  Several other things I need to post, but need to get the person it was gifted to send me a picture.  Hate when I forget to take pictures before wrapping.

In baby blanket updates,  that grey and variegated one I was working on,  had to tear the whole thing out and start over.  Wasn't happy about that one, but wasn't quite sure how to fix my mistake.  Just now started working on that again.

Happy New Year everyone!  Here's to crafting in 2013!

Lots and lots of crafting…

I know I e bee. Slacking at updating this little blog. I have many projects to update ranging back about 6 months.

I have several gifts I'm finishing up this week so after those are gifted, look for a big long post with many pictures.

Merry Christmas!

Still Here and Crafting

I know it's been awhile. I never did get a picture of that tote bag and cross stitch. Oh well.

I'm now working on two baby blankets (picture of one) two scarfs, dishcloth and a crocheted top. Obviously I get sidetracked when I'm working. Maybe sidetracked isn't the right word, bored is more like it.

I have a couple days coming up so maybe I can do some more sewing then.

Cheers!

Cross stitch done!

Finally finished the cross stitch I started over 3 years ago.  I started it in the fall of 2008 (or maybe it was 2009).  It ended up being more involved than I thought when I bought it and didn't work as fast as I anticipated.  I was hoping to have it done for a Christmas present that year.  That didn't happen.  I messed up one a spot and couldn't figure out what I did so I put it aside...for 2-3 years.  Pulled it out over Spring Break and decided I wanted to get it finished.  I've been working on it like a crazy person the past few months.  Once I find my camera I'll post a picture of it. 

Also pulled out a baby blanket I put aside several months ago because I messed up.  Figured out that mistake and have been working on that.  I'll post some pictures soon of what I've been working on. 

Still Crazy, Still Crafting

I realize this blog has been slightly neglected lately.  Never fear, I've still been crafting.  I've been working the past month on a cross stitch that I started about 2 years ago.  I'm to the point I just want this thing done.  The finished size is 10" x 16".  I would say I'm somewhere between half and two-thirds finished.  My goal is to finish it before the end of summer.

After school is out for the year (Four days left!!!) I'll have more crafting time.  This will be the 2nd summer I'm not working a summer job so I plan to fill my time with sewing.  I found some more tote bag tutorials that I want to try.  Going to try sewing with canvas and making some grocery style bags.  We'll see how that goes.  I also want to try making some little dresses for my little niece.  She's only one so I figured they'd be small and manageable.  I've found some small cute patterns online. 

Here's to the crazies that keep us crafting!  :)

Little Critters

Before I inherited a sewing machine, I did (and probably still will) a lot of hand sewing.  Something I found enjoyable was felt animals for my nephew.  It all started with Bear.

Isn't he cute?

My Emerson loved Bear and I enjoyed making Bear.  I couldn't stop here.  He needed a whole zoo!

Frog

Lion

Chick

Fish

Duck

Aren't they cute?  After making these for Emerson, I decided that Adayla couldn't  be left out.  So she got her own bear, but I had to make them look a different.  

Introducing Sister Bear!

I'm always on the lookout for good outlines of basic animals.  These are fun to make and the kids seem to enjoy them.  :)

Simple Six-Pocket Bag

I have definitely caught the sewing bug!  I started out with the following fabrics and these directions. Simple Six-Pocket Bag

Found these at Hobby Lobby.  I think I wandered around the fabric section for over an hour trying to pick out something fun that I wouldn't be sick of next Thursday.  Finally settled on these.  I'm usually more of a green or purple girl, (not together though), so I went outside my norms.  

Three hours later, this is what I have to show. 

Isn't it cute?  It's not a large tote, more of a purse size, which I will totally be using it for! I really like the fabrics I picked out.  Especially how the inside looks.

It really was easy to make.  If I make another one, it will go much faster.  I tended to read the directions four times before proceeding.  It didn't say it in the instruction, but I might tack down the lining in a few places. I would totally recommend the directions.  If I was able to do it, you can too!

Tote Bag-Success!

Moved on from the slightly disastrous to this Simple Tote Bag. This blog had nice step by step pictures and instructions.  I like that.  This one lived up to the title and was simple.  I think I did it in less than an hour.  

Finished product.  Basic construction, nothing too difficult.  Good project to get my feet wet with sewing again. (I can't figure out how to turn pictures.  Amuse me and turn your head.)

Close up of the pattern.  I like purple and this fabric looked like fun.  It was!

Hum, empty tote bag.  Looks like it needs to tote something.

I have plenty of knitting project that need somewhere to live when I'm not working on them.  (Craig will appreciate they're not all over the end tables!)

And here's the trusty sewing machine I got to behave.  It's my mom's old one and it's older than me.  I learned to sew on this machine.  My mom got a new one about 20 years ago when this one was acting up while we were working on 4-H projects.  It behaved nicely for me today. 





Now that I've gotten my feet wet with sewing, I want to go out and get more fabric and make something else tomorrow! 

First try at sewing

Made a simple drawstring bag. Had an error in design, but the machine worked fine. On to trying the basic tote bag I found.

Spring Wreath

Being Spring Break, I'm feeling quite crafty.  I needed a break from knitting and crocheting, so I figured I'd take my hand at an idea I saw online.

For Christmas we had a wreath on our pantry door and the hook was still there, so I figured we needed something more spring like.

Here's the materials I used.

I started with the larger wreath.  The smaller one was intended to go on the linen closet door upstairs.  That never ended up happening.

I started winding the fur yarn around the straw wreath.  I left the plastic on the wreath because it gave a smoother surface.

Winding, winding and winding.  Did I mention I wound the yarn around the wreath? 

 

Three and a half episodes of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman later, it was wrapped.  I didn't take a picture after that.  I needed to secure the end of the yard somehow.  I ended up taking a straight pin, cut the end off and bent it into a staple shape.  Hot glue secured the flowers, add a ribbon hanger and voila!  It was finished.  I decided that one was enough and returned the rest of the supplies.  

 

Here's a closer up view of how it looked.  I ended up using 1 1/2 skeins of the fur yarn.  I like how the color turned out.  I think it was called moss or something like that.  It was a variegated green that gave the wreath some depth.  Even though it took forever, I like how it turned out. 

Next adventure, sewing!

First Post

So, I'm sitting here on the couch on Spring Break and I figure, Hey, why not start a blog on my adventures in knitting, crocheting and other crafty things.  I have about 5 projects I'm in the middle of and I figure if I blog about them every now and then, it will give me motivation to finish.  We'll see how this works.