Happy Buy Nothing Day!!!

It's Black Friday in the USA...a day of mass consumerism and the want/"need" to spend, spend, spend all because it is "cheap". It's sad. We need to spend less, consume less, manufacture less...promote local business, local products, products produced in healthy conditions instead of coming from sweat shops. The consumer needs to speak up. Yes, we all like a great deal, but think about how and where what you are buying is made, and how much work goes into it, how much the employee makes, how far it travels to get where you are...and consider the impact that has on the environment, on your life and the lives of those around you when you purchase something.

Today, like every day after US Thanksgiving, I am "celebrating" Buy Nothing Day! and spending the day with my kids...crafting, cleaning, and uh, doing homework.

Scrappy Love

Inspired by THIS...I had a tote of strips that I had originally cut when I was learning to quilt and making log cabin blocks...I picked up this fabric when I worked at Fabricland...I used to buy the remnants so I had a collection of pieces. I used them to make a baby quilt a few years back (which I hope to post later)...and the "left overs" had been hanging around every since so I finally got the inspiration to do something with them in my "cleaning" ;) ... and here it is...


I love the results...this was a fun one! I hope to get the back and binding (that is what you see in the lower left corner) done by next week...I am going to use a fluffier loft batting so it will be pillowtop-like...so anticipate another photo of the final achievement soon! :)

Being a packrat isn't always bad...

So yeah, I'm a packrat....at least I can admit it! I AM doing something about my "problem" tho...and one of those "things" is to sew! ;) As a quilter, it is very very very very very difficult to throw away even the tinyest scrap of cotton fabric (who am I kidding...as a sewer in general its hard to throw even the other scraps out! hehe) so I have had this growing tote of scraps waiting - BEGGING - to be developed for some time...and on Monday, I got a wild creative hair and spent a few hours doing just that!

The Pile

Red Square

The Layout

I have since sewn all the blocks together and now it waits to be backed, quilted and bound...ahh, like so many of my quilts! This quilt was so fun to make...such a creative release since really it it just a matter of sewing pieces randomly together...not to much thought is needed, which is good cause my brain is overworked with school :) hehe

Once finished, I'll be giving this away...probably to the local women's shelter.

More soon...cause I'm still sewin'!

Happy Friday!

It's Friday!!! Weekend is here...and as it is the second Friday, this also happens to be Ceili night in Salem! :) (a Ceili is an Irish music & dance celebration...and I help organize and run them locally) ...so my day is to be filled with errands and prep work, but don't let you think that means I don't have crafting on my mind...

I stopped in at Jo-Ann's last night, inspired by a 40% coupon burning a hole in my pocket and picked up this lil number...

Now, I have taken the pledge to go handmade this season...I am trying to make all my gifts, or buy handmade gifts (tho I will admit, each of my kids will be getting one thing not-so handmade). When I went to the store, I intended on picking up a scrapbook mag...but then I saw this and I couldn't resist...it is filled with some of the most fun and functional projects! If you are a sewer, and especially if you wanna go handmade this holiday season, I so recommend getting this magazine! It is so worth it...filled with ideas, and patterns (even full size patterns for a few different skirts! WAY COOL!!!)

I wish I could be sewing right now, by responsibilities call (read: 3 1/2 year old wanting a snack)...but watch this space cause I will be sharing the projects I make with you here, and I hope I can help inspire you to go handmade this season, too!

Clearly UNfocused

For the past few months, I have been completely unfocused...all over the place...running in everywhich direction...but that, I have actively decided, needs to change...and I am taking charge of this unfocus!

It's a holiday today...and the kids are off school, which usually means a busy house, but it is quiet here right now (knock on wood!!!)...one is at a friends, one sleeping, and the smallest is glued to SpongeBob (one of her bff's ;)) I'm taking advantage of this moment to re-evaulate things as they are and making a "to do" list...one that puts creativity into motion...and at the forefront!

I got a wild hair this morning...but I can't share it yet...it is just in the "inspiration" mode, but it came after visiting my friend Julie Overby's blog...she was just awarded the 3rd Fiskateer of the Year award...and it is so well deserved! She trained me as a Fiskars Certified Demonstrator, and when my life turned completely upside down a couple months ago, she sent me a card and way cool Rusty Pickle shirt to cheer me up :) She is a sweetheart...and I am so glad to have her as a friend! So I just wanted to congratulate her here...and thank her for the inspiration...a pick me up I really needed!

More later...
:)

Are you there? I am...all over the place!

Ok, so I haven't been here in far too long...I haven't been crafting tho, although really, that IS no excuse. Life has completely got the better of me lately...so instead of juggling, I just need to do the balancing act ;) So I am here...and there...and over there, too.

I have 2 blogs, the other has more dust on it than here tho, so I am going to be combining the two...and actually just having this one blog for everything...crafting, sewing, scraping...LIFE! Everything!

With that said...let me share a lil something...my family situations changed a couple months ago and it was completely turned upside-down, but either its turned back around, or I've turned upside-down, too...because things are starting to look like they should ;) I'm now working 2 "consistent" jobs (still doing freelance design work tho)...but I am finally getting paid to do what I have been doing for the past 13 years...community activism, non-profit work, cultural outreach! Then...adding to that...I got what (second to being a lead Fiskateer) is my dream job...I am working at the library!!!!! WOOO HOOOO!!! Today, I created media materials (poster, voucher, bookmarks) to help market library programs :) Ok, so I love my job! :)

It is the last Irish dance class tonight...I am going to miss dancing on Tuesday! But, at least it will give me more time to devote to my schooling...cause I am taking 13 credits right now...and have my hands full with that, too! But I was given a grant to go to school so I couldn't really say no, especially since this will be my last year in this program before I can move on...and I will be 1 step closer, and only 1 set away, from my Masters degree!!!

So yeah, I haven't been doing much crafting (although I did sew 30 blankets a few weeks ago!!!!), but I anticipate this changing soon since I am taking a handmade pledge for this holiday season! :) I hope some of you will think about making that pledge too...

I'll be around...and hopefully posting again soon! Thanks for your patience...and support! :)