30 in 30: A New Adventure

I am a sucker for a new craft! 

Ok so this isn’t really new it’s just a different version of something I already do.  

I recently picked up a few things to give something new a try.  

I found this practice sampler and thread at the last quilt show I went to and the price was right so I decided to give it a go.  I have seen sashiko in the past and always liked how simple and clean it is but always had so much else going on.  

I thought this little sampler would be ideal for getting my stitches and tension just right!

Pretty sure I am going to start with this one!

Anything new with you?

~Leah 

30 in 30: Clearance Crafting

Ok, so I'm just going to lay it out there.  

I am not thrifty, I am cheap! Well, some of the time. 

I may have mentioned before that I love to shop, what I failed to mention is that I, like just about everyone else, am on a super tight budget. Every now and then when work gets super stressful I leave the building at lunch just to get a change of scene and there is a craft store right up the road.  I usually just wander the aisles for about a half hour and leave but last time I was there I happened by the clearance row.  $3.79 later I walked out with 3 projects!! 

The two little ones were originally $1.00 and were marked down to $0.50 and the bigger one was a mark down on a markdown that left it at $2.79!! Holy score Batman! 

I so love it when the little things that make life better have an itty bitty price tag!

~Leah

30 in 30: Source of Joy

I think one of my favorite things about crafting is being able to buy new supplies.  I love to buy fabric in person.  I love to feel the weave and see all the vibrant colors.  Half the time when I buy fabric I have no idea how I am going to use it; I just know that I love it.  

I even have a few fabrics I have no intentions of using ever, I love it that much.  I know if I make something I love with a fabric I love I will love that something forever but sometimes I just can’t get past the thought of cutting that fabric I love up.  

Sherbet Pips by Aneela Hoey
are my current do I cut them or no fabrics...

Every now and again I pull out my stash just to make sure it’s still there….

Do you have a secret part of your stash that never seems to make it to the cutting mat?

~Leah  

30 in 30: Ready For the Next Steps

Every year we have a few quilt shows that come around and I love to visit.  The finished works are so amazing and inspiration is everywhere.  I am still a novice quilter, I am still struggling to find the love of piecing, but I love all of the possibilities out there.  One of my favorite parts of the quilt shows are the demos.  I am a sucker for any kind of ruler! A little ways back I got sucked in to the Twister series of rulers and bought one, still haven’t used it but I am now one step closer. 

I used up some leftovers from a charm pack and they are now ready to be cut and pieced into a fantastic little twister!

Now let’s see just how long it takes for me to complete step 2!!

Wish me luck!

~Leah

30 in 30: Birthday Love

Both my Mom and I are members of our local Modern Quilt Guild and every month we travel to meetings and sew-ins to spend some time with an incredibly talented group of diverse women.  Every month I packed my tools into old pattern sleeves (easy way to recycle) and complained about how I didn’t have anything good to carry my tools in. 

Last month my mom solved my problem with this fantastic birthday gift! So many sleeves and little pockets, I love it! Plus she dived into my fabric stash (with permission of course) to make sure I loved the print.  

I’d been hanging on to this one for a while, not sure what to do with it.

Now all my hand tools get to travel in style!

Happy Birthday to me indeed!

~Leah   

30 in 30: Something to Occupy My Mind

I am one of those people that love Jane Austen.  I mean loves!!! 

Reading her books over and over again makes me happy, as does watching the multitude of movie versions.  Sometimes while I stitch I pop one in and zone out dreaming of my Mr. Darcy.  Although, come to think of it, I am an even bigger fan of Mr. Tilney, maybe I’ll dream of him instead.  There is something to be said of a fevered imagination!

Just a sampling of my collection.

P & P is my favorite to read but Northanger Abbey is my favorite to watch.

Whats your favorite to have on in the background while you work?

~Leah 

30 in 30: Craft in Peace

Nothing gets me set up for a long afternoon of stitching like a steaming hot cup of tea.  Other than water, tea is the beverage I drink the most of.  Green Tea with lemon is my favorite but I am open to all kinds and I drink my black teas straight; no milk, no sugar.  Nothing makes me happier than having something to stitch on my lap with two hands wrapped around a nice big mug.  Since it’s my favorite I thought it should have a little spot of its own.

This project gave me a way to get rid of some scraps, work with my favorite materials and also gave me a quick hand stitching project. The design is based on others I have seen on lots of websites and in lots of vendor booths at quilt shows.

It was a super easy project I finished over 3 nights while watching TV.  All it took was black wool felt and some left over felted wool cut into two different sized circles. I went based on the smallest leftover piece I had that wasn’t ridiculously small and ended up with circles that were 1.5 and 2.25 inches in diameter.  I blanket stitched the small to the big, backed the big ones with more black and then attached the circles in a circular pattern to make my tea cup a nice new resting place.  My other coasters are jealous!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Leah