Hello There!

It's been a loooong time since I've posted anything. I really haven't had anything creative or crafty to post. It's been sort of a rough three or four months here with health issues but after 6 doctor appointments, lab work, an ultrasound, endoscopy, ER trip, HIDA scan, and 5 prescriptions, I finally have an answer for why I've been feeling so crappy most of the time...an abnormally functioning gallbladder. So, I see a surgeon next week and will have my gallbladder removed soon after that and will hopefully be feeling much better (and more creative and motivated!). Keep your fingers crossed for a safe and successful surgery and quick recovery.

On the crafty front, I finally finished my newest quilt! I had been struggling with what to do on the back and finally decided on white with one pieced strip across the bottom.
Yeah, that's not a white back, is it? I went to Joann's last week to buy the fabric but couldn't find the right white and realized I wasn't even sure of the correct name for the Kona Cotton white I used on the front. I knew the front wasn't white-white and it wasn't off-white either and nothing seemed to be the shade I was looking for.
The back isn't nearly as smooth as this picture makes it look. There are tons of creases and puckers but that's part of the charm (and proof!) of quilting it myself, right?
I came across this teal blue fabric that I've used in projects for my boss recently, saw it was 30% off and was sold!
I went back and forth between free motion quilting and stitching in the ditch but decided to stick with stippling because I really like the crinkly look it makes and I think stitching in the ditch just sounds stupid:)
The binding is made from various lime green fabrics I had in my stash.
I'm really happy with how it turned out and it was nice to be reminded of how good it feels to make something for myself. Next up is a new summer tote bag, new pillows for the living room and possibly some vintage sheet patchwork shams for the master bedroom. What are your summer sewing projects?

Handmade Gifts

As I've mentioned way too many times before, I really like giving handmade gifts but I've learned through lots of experience that not everyone appreciates getting them (which still baffles me). Yesterday was our good friend, Luke's 4th birthday party and he was definitely deserving of some one of a kind gifts. Lucky for me, he's not super into toys so I can still get away with giving clothes:)

First I made Luke and his new sister Grace matching towels... Why haven't I made these for my girls?! They're so cute and inexpensive, I have no reason not to spoil my girls with one of these. I used my Cricut to cut the letters which makes the whole project super easy.

Next I made him some preppy tie outfits. Luke's mom's taste is more preppy and classic than mine but I think these are a good balance between the two of us - not that it matters much what I like since he's not my kid, but if I'm making it, my rule is that I have to like it.

I finished my quilt top on Friday and love how it turned out. If I add one more row, it would fit on our bed. Hmmmm, decisions decisions.

Moving On

Do things look a little different around here? I officially closed my shop today and shipped my last package. I removed my business-y banner from my blog and Etsy and also got rid of a few business-y things on the side bar. I also need to work on updating my faves that are listed in the side bar because I don't think I've done that in a few years!

I spent several hours working on my quilt over the weekend and I have three rows finished. Only two more to go!
The blocks are large - about 16" - so they come together quickly and all of the progress is great for keeping me motivated.

Now I need to start thinking about the back and binding. I love the look of a pieced back but I'm fairly confident I can't get everything lined up correctly and my lines between pieces won't be straight. Does that make sense? I'm considering an all white back with some kind of patterned applique or maybe a big cluster of rolled roses. Any ideas?

I'm dreading the step I think everyone hates...pinning together all of the layers. The hardest part for me is that we live in a tiny old house with small, chopped up rooms so there isn't really a spot for me to lay everything out. I tried using basting adhesive with my last quilt and that was a DISASTER! I ended up in tears with quilt pieces stuck to my feet!

Has it really been almost two weeks since I last posted? I wish I had more to show for it. I decided to make a new quilt for cuddling up on the couch and looked at patterns on several different websites but couldn't quite find what I was looking for. I wanted something with lots of white background and blocks made from scraps. Oh, and something fairly easy since I'm impatient (I first typed "INpatient"-it's funny because it's true) and not extremely competent.

I eventually ended up in someone's flickr stream and saw this quilt posted.

Lucky for me, she posted a brief tutorial on her blog and I immediately got to work cutting scraps. I spent several hours cutting and piecing yesterday and thought I had made a good dent. When I counted, I only had 25 pieced scrap strips and I need 80. Yikes! Not even close. Luckily, I have tons of fabric so I sliced into a bunch more this morning and I'm now up to 55.

I'm loving the scrappy, random look and I think it's going to look great against the white. I also think vintage sheets would be an excellent choice for the strips but of course I didn't think of that until I had made 30 or so strips.

See my portable dvd player in the background of the picture? I think I mentioned before that I always watch something while I sew. Yeah, I already watch plenty of tv but trust me, 20 hours a week at the sewing machine would get lonely. So, I've been watching "Seinfeld" from beginning to end and am currently on Season 7 so it's coming to an end soon. Any other ideas for a long running series I could watch from start to finish? I was considering the "Gilmore Girls" but I really hated the last season.

In other news, I only have a few things left in my shop and am just about ready to close things up. I just reduced prices on what's remaining so take another peek and see if there's something you must have.

A New Day

I have to admit that I shed a quick tear or two last night after posting this. But, it was so nice to wake up this morning and know that I only have to put in 4 hours for my work at home job and then the rest of the day is mine (I mean, rest of the day minus getting kids ready, making meals, running errands, doing dishes, doing laundry, cleaning the bathroom...so like one hour of the day is mine).

I've been wanting to try Jona's pillowcase tutorial since she posted it ummmmm, 2 1/2 years ago! So, I made each of the girls a bright and fun and funky new pillowcase this morning!

And then promptly ran to Walmart to get them new pillows.

Crafty Papa and I have been saying for quite awhile that we all need new pillows but it became very clear today was the day once I put their puny pillows in these beautiful new cases and you almost couldn't tell there was a pillow inside!

They're both totally happy and I love that I used some of my favorite fabrics that I would normally hang on to for projects for my shop. No more! Now we get the "good stuff" too:)

Oh, and you're probably wondering how on earth these pillow cases match their room...or their bedding. They don't! Their room doesn't really have a theme, just lots of bright colors and lots of patterns so their new pillowcases work perfectly.

The tutorial was super quick and easy. I think it only took about 30 minutes for both of the pillowcases. And wouldn't this make a great gift with the recipient's name embroidered on the edge. Or maybe I'll embroider "Keep your booty in bed and don't even think of getting up again" on Matea's.

Party's Over

After several weeks of thought and lots of discussion with Crafty Papa, I've decided to close up the Crafty Mama Creations shop. I've been making and selling bags and such for almost 6 years and also working part-time for the last two. As I'm sure many moms reading this will understand, it's all just too hard to balance.

Something about having an Etsy shop makes me feel guilty about sewing stuff for myself. I have no idea why, but any time I'm at my sewing machine I feel like I need to be sewing for my "real" job or making something for Etsy. I have an opportunity for more hours with my work at home job and Crafty Papa and I agree that it would be best for the family for me to get in my part-time hours every week and then know that any extra sewing time can be for me (fun) and not my shop.

Big thanks to everyone who has supported my shop over the years - especially those of you who followed me from Ebay to Etsy way back when! I'll be updating my shop in the next few days with clearance prices and also removing a few items to save for gifts. I'm hoping to post on the blog more often now because I'll have more fun personal projects to share. Thanks again!

-Crafty Mama

Lets Get the Party Started!

My shop's 4th Etsy Birthday Sale has begun! All bags have been marked down to $20, $25 or $30. I'm also offering 30% off my entire shop with coupon code "birthday4". And, when you spend $50 or more, you'll get a free zippered pouch!

I'll be adding new items today and throughout the weekend so keep checking back!