Whimsicals Threads

:: it's cold! ::

I hope that everyone had a merry Christmas! 

In the past month, I've started several posts and not completed any, so today, I'm going to try compiling them into one, so stick with me here......

We've were hit with cold weather really early this year, which is a major bummer to me, but it sure doesn't seem to bother our dog, Yukon.  The first snowfall we had was at the beginning of December and there has been snow on the ground ever since.  One day while my son was out shoveling the driveway, I happened to look out the window and notice Yukon patiently waiting by a tree for him to come back and play with him....

He is so funny. I think Yukon is the only one in our family who really likes the snow!

Yes, I know.  He blends right into the snow, right?!

Ok, here he is, ready for a chase through the yard......

Yep, he's a great dog for the snow!

So, what else have I been up to? 

Well, you may have guessed that I'm not a huge fan of the cold weather in Indiana.  Already, I'm wishing for those warm sunny days of June.  But instead of donning my beloved flip flops and shorts every morning, I've been layering up with sweatshirts, scarves and wool socks, just trying to stay warm.

So,I decided that what I really needed was a new winter coat, and when I couldn't find one, I took matters into my own hands.  I dug out some black heavyweight wool that I've had for years, threw it into the washing machine and felted it so that it was even thicker, and decided to make my own coat, using a pattern by Serendipity Studio.

 

(Image taken from www.sewserendipity.com)

 Ahhhhh...... all those memories from my 4-H Clothing days came flooding back.  

As you might imagine, I've never been one for following the directions, so I made a few minor changes as I made the jacket..... I added pockets in the side seams, (because pockets are a must for carrying my ipod and keys), and because wool against my skin makes me turn all red and blotchy, (which IS NOT a good look), I added a lining. 

I did have a few challenges.  One being the mix of fabrics and the faux suede that I used on the collar, facing, and cuffs.  It kept shifting on me as a stitched, but it didn't take long to figure out that it worked better to have the suede on the bottom and the wool on the top as I fed it through the machine.  And with 4+ layers of heavy, coat-weight, felted wool my trusty Pfaff with dual feed was a huge plus.

It is in no way perfect, but I love the way it turned out.  It's warm enough without being too heavy.  It's long enough to cover my bottom.  And the best thing is that both of my boys (who are really young men at 17 & 20) think it's so cool that I made a jacket!

It's been a busy month spent visiting with family and friends, making it hard to get any real projects accomplished.  I did get the patterns for the Newsboy Cap and the Little Apron sent off to the printer.  Now, I'm moving on to the patterns and book to go along with the new fabric line, Winterberry Lane.  I will keep you posted as to when each one becomes available.  In the mean time, I pray that you all have a SAFE and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Terri

 

having some fun now....

Do you ever go through phases where you just can't seem to get motivated?  Well, I've been in one this summer.  So, you want to know what I did about it?  I did something that I haven't done in many years. 

I took a vacation.

Yep.  A real vacation. 

I had no projects in the works that I could take.  Nowhere to plug in a sewing machine, (much less be able to fit it into the rental car we took.)  Very limited access to the internet.

And you know what?  I enjoyed myself.  I sat on the beach; took a ride on a sailboat; enjoyed the company of my husband and two boys; visited with family; swam in the ocean; took a walk on the beach at night; and just took it easy for several days.

 

Considering that it's been 4 years since we've taken a family vacation and the fact that the "kids" are no longer kids, it may end up being the last "real" vacation for us. Yes, there were a few times when I had to ask myself why I insisted that the kids go with us (who wouldn't when there is a 17 year old involved?) but all in all, I'm grateful that we could do it and that we had such a wonderful time.

Now, I'll let you in on another secret about me.....

I'm terrible when it comes to riding in the car.  I can't sleep unless I'm driving (yes, you read that right.) so I always take something to keep me busy and entertained.  And since I didn't have any hand work projects to take, I finished something that my mom asked me to do a while ago that I had to get finished. 

Yes, my parents are celebrating 50 years of marriage!  And If you notice the date, you'll understand why I had to get it finished.  I mean, really, mom should know that no matter how much time she gives me to get something done, I'll always wait until the last minute to do it!  I made the backgrounds myself and purchased the crinkled paper image.  And although I'm pretty much a newbie at this digital scrapbooking type of thing, I had fun making this and was pretty pleased with the way it turned out. 

So, now that I've had my happy-fun-play time, it's back to work.  Because even though I may have been pretty slack in my postings this summer, I haven't been just sitting around doing nothing.  Nope, nope, nope.  I've been busy.  You'll just have to wait a few days longer to see glimpses of a few things that I've been working on.....

 

Merry Christmas!!

Hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Christmas!  

 
 

Blog Hop ~ Day 12

How can it be?!

Is it really day twelve?! 

I can't believe that it's coming to an end, and I made it through! 

It's been so much fun going through the old photos, sharing memories, and how about all those great free projects?!   Don't forget that you can share them on our Flickr group, even after the Blog Hop is over.  It's so cool to see so many finished ones, and I'm amazed at how fast some of you are getting them done!   

Our twelfth and final designer to share a project with you is Linda from Linda Lum DeBono.  Her quilts all look so happy, so I can't wait to see what she's come up with to share with everyone.  Make sure you check it out and leave a comment!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, on to today's topic....... we get to share about a craft we did as a child or one that we do every year.

What I remember most about the Christmas season when I was growing up is all the stuff that we made.  For many years, we would make ornaments and give them to our grandparents.  Some were good, some not so good.  Some made perfect sense, some...... well, not so much.  

Like this one.

I mean, everyone wants some clothespin chickens on their Christmas tree, don't they?!   I still laugh every year when I put these on my tree and wonder whose idea this was! 

And then there was the year we got the pom pom and tassel maker and made these.....

I'm still trying to figure out how Goldilocks and the Three Bears fits into Christmas, but Grandma never seemed to mind.

In one of my previous posts, I made mention of my bendies  ornaments.  We made a bunch of these one year and for several years after, these could be found not only on the tree, but in other odd places, like hanging from the lampshades (I'm sure it was my brother that did that.  It couldn't have been me!) 

Ah, the fun things you can do with pipecleaners!

I made ornaments for many years, even after Grandma & Grandpa passed away, and when our own children were young.  Then came the years when I had to find creative ways to make extra money at Christmas to buy the kids presents.  One year, I bought a bunch of Sculpy Clay and made these little pins.  My dad took them into work to get orders for me, and boy was I stunned when I had to make about 200 of these ----- every one of them individually by hand!!!   I got them all done, but I decided NOT to do that again! 

Funny, I just ran across the box of these a few weeks ago.  I had forgotten all about them.  But as you can see by the cards that they are on, this was the beginning of Whimsicals, when I was trying to do craft fairs and before I started making quilt patterns.  Wow.  Seems like forever ago!

So, even though this is the end of the Blog Hop, it doesn't have to end.  We will all still be here, doing whatever it was we were doing before this all started, still giving you updates on what we're working on, and what's on our minds.  And who knows?  We may decide to do this again.......

But, EVERYONE will have to check back to see if they win the prize!  We have decided to let you have a few extra days to catch up and get your name in, and the winner will be chosen on Monday, so if you haven't posted comments, use the links in the sidebar and hop to it!

 I have loved sharing this time with you and hope you come back.  Your comments, your encouragement, and your excitement have been such a blessing to me!!!  I feel so fortunate that I was able to participate in this wonderful event and hope that you have all been as inspired as I have been.  

Now, I do believe that I may take a few days off to read through everything and catch up.

And on that note, I have the perfect Christmas card to share with you.....

Happy Sewing!