Moving Forward

So much has happened since my last post, I am not sure if I can fit it all in. One big change is I am no longer focusing on selling my crafts. If I make something and decide to sell it I will but I have closed my booth and will not be concentrating on selling, just crafting. I am so relieved and feel so happy about my decision. It has even gotten me more motivated in my studio., I don’t feel like I have to make things, I just make them. I have taken some items to The Rusty Bucket and most likely will continue to take any primitive or country items I make there, unless I decide to keep them!! I know I will not be able to control myself to over do Christmas items.

I have run two 5k's in the past couple months. Signed up for them in hopes of forcing myself to get back in shape. It is not working as we'll as I had hoped. I did we'll on them, I beat my time from the one on September on the first one and the second one I did a tad bit slower but still did well on my opinion. My eldest daughter ran with me or I should say ahead of me. She did awesome. She just missed getting a medal for the first one and she received a medal for third place on the last one we did. I am so proud of her.

Alice drew up this squirrel  a couple years ago and I had stitched it up. I used a new squirrel fabric on the back. She is quite pleased.

I did a little stitch a long where you chose Tim Burton sketches to stitch. I did two, I love Tim Burton!

Here are some other things I completed:

 

I took a couple paint classes and did these two paintings. The crab is my favorite. I gave it to my father in law for his birthday because he lives on Solomon’s Island in Maryland and they are know for their crabs there.

 

Then played around at home and painted these.

This one is of my internet pals dog Otis. He is so cute I felt the urge to paint him. That is the original picture beside him.

I had done a tester pattern offered by artist Heather Stillufsen of Rosehill Design Studio (check out her beautiful work by clicking on the purple) and made this darling little pillow.

I stitched up a pattern by Charlotte Lyons of House Wren Studio (click on her name to go to her Etsy shop). I was going through some old works in progress and came across a drunkards path quilt I was hand piecing. I was using fabric that matched the stitchery perfectly. So since the project was over 12 years old I stole the fabric from it. I still need to quilt it but it makes a cute size wall hanging or throw for a little one.

We went to a quilt shop in Durham about a month ago and Alice picked out a pattern from Wee Wonderfuls that she wanted me to make for her. So I did and she is a cutey. The legs came out larger than I would have like so I think the next one I will shrink the legs down a bit. She is wearing clothes from a 16-17” doll and they fit perfect. Alice was too anxious to play with her to let me finish her clothing.  She is in a camper that Alice bought from Target, she is having a lot of fun with her.

Speaking of Alice, she learned how to cut the grass last weekend. Whoo-hoo! does that make me happy. We took turns cutting the grass and it made it so much easier on me. Now if her brother and sister will follow suit.

Right now I am working on a t-shirt quilt for a customer. I will not be doing anymore t-shirt quilts unless it is for my own kids. For something that should be so easy it sure is time consuming. I imagine if they were all the same size it wouldn’t be so bad. Hoping to be done with it by this weekend.

 

I hope you had a great Independence Day. We cooked out and celebrated and had fireworks with our neighbors. It was a lot of fun.

 

Well I think I have given you enough to take in right now. Take it easy and don’t forget to find some stitching time!

 

~ Jennifer ~