my day just IMPROVED!

It was looking like another gloomy day ... until I decided to open these!

OK, that definitely helped!!

Every stash needs these essentials ...

Reading about stash organization all over blogland has inspired my own ...

I'm so proud of how much thinning I've done ... and it feels really good to have everything prewashed and ready to use ...

I managed to limit my scrap-booking supplies to this shelving unit and a small drawer unit nearby, but the padded pressing board on top is just turning into more space for clutter!

The other night, I thought I would skip ahead a little and finish my quilt for the Happy Quilting Quilt-a-Long - things came to a screeching halt, when it just wasn't going together right ... I was going for the scrappy look, but ... well put it this way - I refuse to even post a picture - it's looking THAT bad! Maybe I will patiently wait for the final instructions, so I can figure out what in the world I am doing wrong?!?

I think I will run off to finish my camera bag now ... I just need to create the padded dividers. I am actually really happy with how it is turning out & for under $30!! It doesn't scream DIY or camera bag, so that feels like an achievement.

My first photography club meeting is Monday night & I'm super excited/intimidated at the same time. I've got so much to learn - I hope their kind to beginners ...

ANoTheR LoSt ToOtH!!

Kate's tooth was so loose it was making us all miserable & she wouldn't let me near it ... she asked for ice-cream and I said only if she let me pull it ... a minute later the tooth was out and the the ice-cream was forgotten ...

Wonky Star Inspiration

1. 18224556, 2. Wonky Stars, 3. Wonky Baby Stars - the Grey & Yellow version

my fav selvedge quilts

1. Spiderweb Closeup, 2. Salvaged Selvedges (2009), 3. ~ orange ~, 4. Selvedge Quilt Top, 5. selvage by tree, 6. Selvage Star - e

The Very Ocassional Blogger

I can hardly believe that another year has passed and I'm still not back in business!
It's not that I've had nothing to post about this past year - just no exciting craft nest developments! I have a tendency to take on way more than I can handle, and this last year was no exception. I trained and competed in a Half Ironman in 2010, started a LPN program by distance delivery, and began the home-schooling journey with my son, while my baby girl headed off to Kindergarten.

It wasn't until recently at a scrap-booking day with local friends, that I confessed to feeling absolutely guilty about spending time crafting, when there are a million other (more important?)things demanding my time. My friend H, reminded me that we need to take time to do things we enjoy and shouldn't feel guilty if it makes us happier, healthier and better-equipped to face everything else. That's all the encouragement I needed ...

I came home that night and stayed up until the quilt I was working on was pieced:



The next day I worked on this:



and this (strip-piecing for table runners):



And a few days later sat down and finished piecing this:


(it should have been easy to square, but it wasn't!!)

I started re-visiting blogs from the past ... and got the quilt-along bug ... which one to do first?

When I heard Melissa was hosting a quilt along I knew I HAD to join. I ordered a bunch of pre-cuts from this lovely shop during their fabshop web shopper appreciation days, but I just couldn't wait for that to arrive to get started ... so yesterday I scraped up 2 Frolic charm packs and some coordinates from my stash and got started on the 16 patch blocks.

Now I have an ever-growing pile of UFO's! I am so tempted to mail a few of the bigger quilts to Matt, so he can work his longarm magic ... but what I really need to do is tackle machine quilting them myself. My free motion is ugly fugly - can only hope it will get better soon?

What's left to do in my craft room? I NEED a design wall - still debating which way to go ... portable boards or fixed and framed like art ?
The doors need to be hung on my Kijiji china cabinet ... after I organize my fabric using this fabric folding tutorial.
Then there's shelves to hang ... I basically need hubby home for a day and willing to help ... hmmm I wonder if that will happen??

So glad the days are getting longer ... marathon training is stealing many precious hours, but I am committed to spending some time in my basement being creative ...

The Wait is Almost Over

It's been way way way too long, but there's an end to my absence in sight! Two more days and our basement will be dry-walled. Then comes the fun of furnishing my craft room!

Here's some ideas I love ....

Hopefully I will be back in action soon!

MOVING!

The Craft Nest is moving!
This online store as well as the ebay store will close
June 8th, 2008 and re-open in September 2010.
Look for a more extensive fabric inventory, and a lot more patterns & craft supplies in fall 2010!