Creative Craftiness

Yes, I've been a slacker in the blogging department. Yes, I have lots to catch up on from the holidays. Yes, it is almost the end of January. No I'm not blogging about things going on with the family or family updates. Sorry, hope ya still love me. What I am blogging about is my craftiness!! My friend Stephanie rocks and is extremely multi-talented. She can do ANYTHING. If she doesn't know how to do something it's probably cause she doesn't want to know how to. Or cause she hasn't gotten that far...if she wants to learn something she does. She researches it, gets books on the subject and learns how to do it!! She taught herself how to sew and has made a few things for the kids & myself. Well, a couple years ago I started to make a jean quilt..ya i didn't get that far. I only had 9 rows sewed...not sewn together, just 9 separate rows. They had 7 squares in each row. That was it. I wanted to make a queen/king size quilt for Clark & I for our room or whatever but mostly for camping. So earlier this month I asked Stephanie if she knew how to make a jean quilt (who was I kidding, of course she knew how to). So I asked her for help...she helped...guided me and assisted me but didn't do the work for me...which is great! That's what I needed. Someone who could help me and teach me and assist me but make me do it...I learn that way best! So I started cutting out more squares, TONS of squares so that it would be 10x10 (10 rows & 10 columns). Then because of the different designs of the squares I had to figure out placement...which meant...picking apart some of the already done rows. With the help of Stephanie, we picked apart the rows, not all squares, just a few here & there to add some new squares. Then I started to sew each row. Then once that was done I sewed all the rows together....HOLY MOLY!!! Tons of jean makes for quite the sewing experience. Anywho, I then sewed on a cute border to make it a little bit wider & longer. On the back I was going to do some patches of material that matched the border but then I decided I was done with the piecing together and opted for 1 piece of material for the back. A nice pretty blue shade of flannel! Once I got that and the batting Stephanie helped me line it up right and folded the back over the front to make a border and we pinned it all together. Then I finished the sewing and she helped me tie it. And VOILA...2 years later I FINALLY finished it! Those first original rows had been sitting in a box for 2 years...it could have been longer..who knows. But now it is done! I finished it just in time for our 8 Year Anniversary, which is today. Since I finished it yesterday I gave it to Clark last night. I wasn't sure if he was really going to like it cause I didn't think he really liked jean quilts, but he did! He LOVED it! I think even more so that I did it, mostly all by myself!! It looks much better & more impressive in person!! Also, during the sewing the rows together stages I somehow mixed up rows so the placements and spacings of certain squares got mixed up...but it's all good & still looks good, if I do say so myself! :)

Top View

Side view

Corner w/border detail

Back & Top view

There is more...yes, there is more. I am making these awesome car mats...no not for a vehicle...for cars...hot wheel/matchbox cars. I am making a town. You know those rugs you can buy with a town on it...ya, one of those...except mine will ROCK!! Cause it will be 2 sided & washable & customized ....and way cooler then any of those store bought ones! AND the 2 mats (making one for each kid) will be able to be put together to make one HUGE town! Once those are done I will share pictures.

AND for Christmas I made us all PJ's...actually, more like I made mine, Clarks & CJ's...Stephanie made Izzy's...I'm not THAT confident in sewing...YET. She actually did the waist in our pants too and some other details. And helped me cut them...ok, so I helped her make them...lol But I did some of the sewing and cutting! I am learning...slowly but surely!! I didn't get pictures of all of us wearing our jammies so one of these days/nights I will get one and then post it for all to see! :)