Unplugged = less distracted = more productivity

This year I have decided to spend one day a week off social media such as Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram etc. This is my second unplugged day and I must say I get through a lot without the social media distractions. It's not like sit there all day looking at it - but it's the interruption of "I'll just check... for a moment" and it must interfere with momentum or something.

As I look at what I achieved, it appears that I was jumping from activity to activity, but it didn't feel like that. I spent my day focused and working away at each thing until I felt I had completed enough for the day and moved on.

Today I managed to:

• Cut up some fabric for the enormous lot of bunting I am making for the Sunday School
• supervised the kids dusting/vacuuming/tidying their bedrooms
• washing sheets
• shopping for luggage
• Did a Project Life page
• Wrote a letter (I KNOW!!! WROTE!! I can't remember the last time I wrote a letter)
• Did a few stitches in my cross stitch.
• Packed the kids clothes for our camping trip
• Decided to do the Fat Quarter Shop Cross Roads Quilt Along for my bed (King Size! Gulp!) and have made a list of the fabric I need to add to the fabric I already have to make it.
• Went digging around in my WIP's and found a partially done quilty project which I want to finish for a purpose now. I pressed all the blocks I have already sewn and plan to sew up a stack more soon.

(Cross stitch)

(My WIP that I found)

It's been a productive day and I know that my crafty time will become less over the next few days as we start to prepare and pack for our camping trip. It will be quiet around here while I rest and relax with my family by the river. I know... it's tough. But someone has to do it.

"One Day" came today.

In the wee hours of this morning I turned over in bed, trying to ease my back and settling back to catch at least 4 more hours sleep. My brain was sleepy and not really thinking about much. It floated off in the direction of something I keep saying I need, but never make it a priority to just make it!! "I really need to make myself a thread catcher. My side table is always such a mess with ends of threads." 

My brain came to for a moment - "Well... if you are thinking about it at 4 in the morning then it must be important to you. No more wishing Madam Skipper! Just make it already!". I snuggled into my pillow and dropped off to sleep.

Today I was determine to make myself a thread catcher. As I wandered into my craft room I looked at my side table and scoffed! "No wonder I keep losing my needles - it's just sitting there waiting to be knocked off! I'm going to make myself an armchair caddy too while I am at it!" I have been wanting one of those for ages too. One day, I would make myself one, I would always say. Well today was "one day". 

I opened up my box of scraps and there sitting on top was a collection of fabric sent to me by a dear friend who has sent me stacks of lovely fabric, blocks and leftovers from her quilts. I absolutely treasure what she sends me and I keep saying "I'll use that for a special occasion" or "One day I will use that for a special project." Well today was "one day". It's silly hanging on to fabrics that I love waiting for that moment. I was going to use them today. So I did.

I pulled out my massive box of leftover binding that I was going to use one day - and since "one day" was today - I used some of that on my project.

And here we have the finished project.

I like one days! One days should happen more often I think!

Do you have projects for the elusive "One day?" 

Advent Blog Along #3

What I am creating:

Colouring-in... I was in a bit of a dark mood when I started this, but by the time I had finished I felt a lot better. I can tell my mood by the colours I chose LOL!

I pulled out the old hexie quilt top again with the aim to finish this top and ready for hand quilting before I start my next scrap project with my quilting group in February. 

What I am listening to:



(This song always reminds me of my Pops (who passed away 13 years ago. I always miss him at Christmas time.)

What I am doing:

Getting excited because it's getting closer and closer!!

Choosing fabric for another present to make. I am pleased to say this came from my stash, so stash slashing is still happening!

And finally..... drum roll please......

The girls finished the-craft-project-from-hell.

They are pleased with it and have proudly hung it in their rooms.

It's been a busy day and I am looking forward to a quiet evening. 

Dear Vice-Principal

I realise that my very late arrival to pick up my children from school caused some alarm. I can explain.....

I lost track of time. One minute it was 1:54pm and then next it was 3:45pm. But look at the squares! Aren't they just wonderful?? I know that being 15 minutes late feels like an eternity to my kids... but look at the squares!!!

I will be setting an alarm in future because obviously, I need reminding what time it is. 

Sincerely,

#badmother #crafterholic #lovingmyfreedomfromuni

Resurrecting the caterpillar

... the Very Hungry Caterpillar that is.

Do you remember that I made my daughter a VHC quilt nearly 5 years ago? Before that I had made a few others HERE and HERE. Well to my shame, I have had scraps sitting in a bag waiting for me to use them for another project. A friend donated some of her left over VHC fabric to me, which meant I had more than enough to do something with.

Well today I decided to pull it out and actually use it! Slashing that stash baby!

I think I have enough for three quilts. I found left over blocks from my daughter's quilt, and I'm thinking of finishing them up and assembling them to make a small quilt. From the scraps of fabric I have begun cutting out 5" squares and 2.5" squares and bagging them up. Depending on how much I have of each will decide the final design.

I spent a glorious afternoon, watching Rom-coms on Stan and cutting fabric. I'm about half way through, so I will continue on next time I want to watch a movie.

Malibu Monkey {slash that stash}

And it's done! I used the Malibu Monkey fabric - which is so cute! It's all about beach loving sock monkeys! This baby quilt took me two days from start to finish. Day one was cutting and piecing the quilt top. Day two was assembling the backing, basting, quilting and binding. I'm so pleased with this. It's so bright and busy, perfect for tummy time or to snuggle down with in the cot. 

(The back of the quilt. I used some leftover bits and I love how it looks)

Now to wait until the plague is lifted from this household before I can gift it. I hope it won't be too much longer.

This was a Slash That Stash project in it's entirety. I used left over binding from another project, and scraps to back it. The fabric I had in my stash tub, just waiting for the perfect recipient. 

PS: I decided to cut up the left over pieces of this fabric into strips, so I can quickly assemble another quilt for a baby boy at another time. 

New quilty project

I've started another quilty project. I've been cutting out the fabric while listening to lectures and I've started to piece a few blocks together when I've had a few moments. It's another simple design but I really love it and think it will showcase the fabric, which is what I want to do.

Here is a sneak peak...

I don't think it will take me long to finish these blocks up and I'm still tossing up with the idea of quilt-as-you-go to make the quilting process a little easier in my little machine. 

So cute! {slash that stash}

My brain was aching from all the reading I was doing for the research paper. I needed to do something different and exercise another part of my brain. I grabbed my crochet hook, rummaged around in my orphan yarn for a leftover ball of cotton and I began to crochet - and later that night I ended up with this finished beanie!

It's so cute! I love it and will be wearing it quite often I think! I might make a few more for myself - but since sharing this pic on facebook, a few of my friends have ordered some. So maybe I'll make some for me after that! 

Naturally I found this pattern on Pinterest

Shhhh..... it's vewy vewy quiet..

.... apart from the ROAR of my brain that is moving a million miles an hour as I work on my final weeks at uni. 3 assignments done and dusted... one doozy to go!

But in the middle of the crazy, panicked exhaustion.... I whipped up one of these beauties for my granny sampler. 

A snuggly finish! {slash that stash}

I finished that simple quilt that I have been working on and I'm so pleased with it! And it's kicked my mojo into gear for making more quilts.

I have so much fabric and I want to use it all - so there is no time like the present to get started and make some lovely bits.

I have my next pile of fabric ready to go, I just need to decide on design.

Watercolours

Last year I purchased water colours as part of a journalling project. I continued to journal, but gave up on the watercolours. I've pulled them out again as part of Slash That Stash. I've always loved painting, and I must admit I am better with acrylics - but since I have them, I may as well use them. I have dreams of creating my own watercolour art to put into small frames and have them sitting around the house.

I find painting relaxing and brain numbing, which is just what I need after a day of intense research for uni assignments. This is just what the doctor ordered!

I still need to learn and understand how to create more depth in my work - but I guess that will come with time and practice.

Righto... back to my assignment.

Quilting Project WIP {slash that stash}

I whipped up a really simple throw quilt top to:

1. Get me back into the quilting thing

2. See how my body holds up with the machine (fibromyalgia sucks)

3. Start using up my stash.


I cut it in one sitting, pieced it in two sittings and have begun quilting it. I don't think it will take me long to finish. I just love the colours!

I've made more!!

Spit cloths that is! My cousin is expecting a baby girl anytime now - well... his wife is... :P I think these will be a lovely gift for them to catch all the puke and drool that babies seem to have in abundance!

Finally! Pictures of the finished product!

Remember the Slash that Stash project I was working on with my orphan yarn?

Well I can finally show you what it was for!

A lovely round rug to sit the ladder on and sink your toes into first thing in the morning. It also catches any dust that may be lying around when I do a barefoot run across the floor to go to the loo in the middle of the night. It has meant no dust or grot in my bed (a pet hate when I am camping!!)

This one was a "front door" mat. We had one door that we had open for coming in and out. This mat caught a lot of the dirt from dirty feet so my floors didn't get that grotty. When I lifted the mat to sweep underneath it and give it a shake, it was full of dust, dirt and grassy bits. This mat meant I didn't have to sweep very often. Terrible shame.

Both of these mats gave a "glamping" feel to our new camper trailer home as well as provided some padding inbetween items when we packed it up at the end of the trip. 

Slashed it!

I've been working on two orphan yarn (either left over or one of a ball and I can't use it for anything else) projects. I have just finished the second one - and because it's a project for our camper trailer, I can't show you just yet.

But I can show you my progress in slashing my stash!

Here we have before - the container was mostly full of yarn.....

...and here we have afterwards where the bottom of the tub can be seen! 

I have 1 large basket full of yarn - and this tub. The plan is to only have the basket - so I have to crochet some more! Terrible shame!

Well that was quick!

Remember that project I was doing with my orphan yarn?  Well I finished it! I must say that was a really fast project.

I will show it to you later on. That rug is designed for glamping, and since our camper trailer hasn't arrived yet, I can't show you how it looks in our new holiday home. It arrives early Feb, so in a few more weeks I can show you.

Once I finished the rug I decided to use a bit more orphan yarn for another rug. This one will go by the entrance to the annex on the camper trailer. Just some soft furnishings to make our camping a bit more posh and comfortable. Especially when we are bush camping.

(SO pretty!)

BTW, working with a 10mm hook with 6 strands of yarn is painful! It's hard work and your hands and arms have to be strong. Or I might just be a weak sook.... :P

#slashthatstash

Crafting this week

My cute washi tapes arrived with some gorgeous little stickers. I still have some more bits I want, but this is enough to make my time management diary cute. I'm finding I am more productive and I am not forgetting to do things so much. As schoool/uni terms begin I am confident that I will be less overwhelmed and more in control over my days - AND I am able to document easier for project life.

I began working on my scrap/orphan wool project with my new MASSIVE hook!

I did a lot of cutting, basting and attaching of hexies. My quilt is growing rapidly and I think I'm about 3/4's of the way done on this quilt-top. Then I have to decide how to quilt it: by hand or machine? In the ditch or not? These are the things I am thinking about.  

It's been a good creative week. What have you been creating this week?

Bits and bobs and balls (Slash that stash)

This is a rather large plastic tub filled with yarn. Not just any yarn - yarn that would only do for small projects. This is the leftovers from past projects, or balls I have been given that I have only received one of and I can't make the bigger projects that I usually make. What could I do with this?

I was on Pinterest recently looking at glamping stuff. We recently sold our caravan and now are proud owners (well, will be when it has been made) or a camper trailer. I wanted to soften the feel up in the tent by adding some glamping aspects to it. I found a project that will be perfect for it... and I can use up lots of this yarn!  I nipped down to my local Spotty, got a 10mm hook (Mum calls it a fence post!) and got hooking!

Any guesses as to what I could be making?

#slashthatstash

Something for me for a change! (Slash that Stash)

My son walked into the room and saw me sitting in my comfy armchair with a dark bluish coloured ball of wool and a crochet hook busy counting away.
"Mum, whatchya makin'?" he asks me.
"89, 90, 91" I said loudly, hoping he would get the point. My aspie son DID get the point which was a pleasant change. He sometimes doesn't get subtle or even not so subtle hints. He waited until I had stopped counting.
"Is that something for me?" he asked.
"No, it's something for ME for a change!" I responded. He grinned at me. "Cool!" and he wandered off again.

I bought this wool at a carpark sale my local Spotty had late last year and now I'm going to use it. I'm going to make a cute lacy summery cardi for me. This yarn is subtly variagated with blue, green and purple. 

#slashthatstash

Fabric from Canada - I am going to use it! (Slash that Stash)

Some time ago, my Mum, while travelling the world, bought a few bundles of fat quarters for me. I finally found use for them! I don't have enough to make a quilt, but I do have enough to chop up into hexagons and add to my growing quilt.

Yay! 5 fat quarters down!

#15in15  #slashthatstash