Showing Off My Assets

Oh, now don't get too worked up when you see this project because the reversible green vest came ready-made. The embellishments, however, were mostly my handiwork.

For this particular task, I needed to design a specific applique and thought, hey, why not use my very favorite male model...

I did my thing to Z's photo and turned it into a black and white mirror image so I could trace it onto some Heat n' Bond.

Once I had my applique ready to go, the fun began with ironing and cutting and sewing, until I had this final product:

I can't take credit for the Z - it was an iron-on I purchased over a year ago and had tucked away in a drawer just waiting to find a purpose.

But I can absolutely take credit for that signature "A" on Z's butt there! All in all, I think it turned out pretty cute and I love that it's my actually my little boy being shown off on the back of my new-to-me vest.

Today Went Swimmingly...

On this fine, fine Monday, I confirmed my deepest, darkest fear. Dear daughter is truly a gal cut from the same cloth as her mother. We went to our mecca, AKA the local Goodwill store, in search of that much despised ready-made jewelry display I told you about the other day for a little something special I've got going on in the near future, right? Right.

So I say to her that I need this certain kind of fabric to make this certain kind of thing and it's her job to go find it hanging on a rack somewhere. Of course, she continues to follow about 3 steps behind me and I have to remind her that whatever it is she's supposed to locate is most certainly not on my backside anywhere. Once convinced, she wandered off alone in search of the holy grail of mystery fabrics and I in the other direction to find that dreaded jewelry display.

I rounded the corner to find her just as proud as can be, prepared to present her findings. Not only had she found the right fabric, she'd hit the motherload and had put a great deal of thought into it. Then she took off and started feeling everything - pants, shirts, jackets, skirts - EVERYTHING IN SIGHT - shouting out what it could be transformed into. At last she's experienced what it's like to live inside my head when the creative juices start a'flowin'!!! I loved it.

Needless to say, our little shopping excursion gave us a few goodies to bring home to the craft room. I should have some new creations to start sharing with all of you tomorrow!

I've Seen The Light!

Last minute prepping for tomorrow's big tack sale had me a little frantic this morning while I made up one last batch of Wild Thang headbands, trying to figure out everything I need to grab, finish or scrap before we head out in the morning. WHEW! I needed a break - I had to walk away for a little bit and take a mental breather. So I went to my happy place. You know...Goodwill. :)

I wandered around, just waiting for the creative juices to start flowing, needing that one special thing to reach off the shelf and grab me. Well first I found a heavy duty zipper for 49 cents. I don't know how to sew in zippers just yet, but I've started quite the collection of brand new ones because I find so many of them at Goodwill for the day I decide to give 'em a go. Well that wasn't quite it, so I moved on to the baskets, worked through the wreaths, found a little wrought iron jewelry display that would kinda-sorta-maybe work for tomorrow's table, especially since I don't have one ready, so I laid it in the cart with hesitation.

I pushed my trolley up and down the aisles and stared at that poor jewelry display with near disgust because it just WAS NOT what I wanted. It didn't speak to me. I didn't connect with it. I wandered back to my safe haven one more time - the sewing/game/alarm clock/box 'o' wig aisle. Yes, seriously, I found a box stuffed full of at least 3 wigs today. But I digress. I made small talk with a bearded stranger while I fumbled through different things, basically wasting time and feeling a little defeated when HELLO, LADY, there she was, sitting on the shelf smiling at me. It took me a minute to realize that her twin sister was sitting right next to her. Ahhhh, yes, these are exactly what I needed.

And a few other things. Oh, and to put back the poor unwanted jewelry display that simply will not do.

I snatched up my two new-to-me lamps, my sugar and creamer set, then scurried on home, so excitedly, to get started cleaning and polishing and snipping and super gluing. It was a festival of shiny happiness at my house this afternoon!!!

Oh, and to cover that unsightly hole where the electrical cord used to be... why BLING, of course!

Don't get too worried if I'm silent until Monday - it just means I had a really great Sunday. Happy weekend, everybody!

Check Your Pockets!

Wahoo! I finally had a chance to sit and relax at my old buddy the sewing machine. I think the other day I referenced an apron pattern I wanted to take for a test drive. Well today I gave it a whirl and failed miserably. But I figured out why relatively quickly and recovered, which resulted in making my own pattern and I like it even better. Can't beat that, right?

What I did was start with the cleaning apron pattern I found, followed the instructions as best I could - as you should all be well aware by now, pattern reading is not my strong point - and got started. I was probably almost to the half-way point of completion when I started asking myself why I was doing this or that and things really stopped making any sort of sense at all. I gave up, took a break, watched the live video feed of Vicci Martinez at the IHeart Listener Lounge today in Dayton, Ohio (because I sadly had to pass on an opportunity to be there myself), prepared and ate lunch then went back to the drawing board. Literally.

 First I got out my cheat sheet for joining
two strips to make a long waist band.

 I don't think it turned out too bad for a first try!

Then I pinned one continuous 19" wide x 48" long piece
of fabric to form my apron and front pockets.

 The finished product is a horse grooming/braiding apron with a tie waist band, two strong side loops for hanging spray bottles on and six deep front pockets to hold rubber bands, combs, hoof picks, gloves and, well, whatever else will fit!

Notions & News

I'm not sure why, but I feel compelled to share this story in the hope that it inspires someone else not to give up when things are looking bleak. I was really struggling with some things this morning when I heard a statement on television that really caught my attention..."Sometimes in life you have to lay one thing down so you can grab onto another." This really got me thinking and changed my whole frame of mind for the day. Almost immediately I received an invitation to participate in a future joint business venture.

A little later I received a phone call that set me back, got me worrying and really had me feeling a heavy burden. I turned to a friend for support and read my daily Bible verse to get over that hurdle, then went back to concentrating on my work. Much to my complete and total surprise, the very next phone call I received was an amazing opportunity that I have been praying about but wasn't sure would come my way - and I certainly didn't think it would roll along this quickly. Somedays I am truly taken aback by the blessings in my life. Then I realized the absolute hardest part of the whole day was waiting to share all of this with my family!

Once I finally got around to creative time, I spent all of it up trying to figure out what to do with these thingies. Ok, I should probably just throw them away, but they intrigue me. They're the remaining pieces to the curtain tie-backs that I had tucked away for years (I used the cord in my Artsy Heartsy Satchel on Valentine's Day). I keep flipping them around, situating them, rearranging them and trying to find a purpose for them but continue to come up idea-less. What would you do with them?

 

Perhaps tomorrow will be more fruitful??? One can only hope!

Way Back Wednesday

This week has been a bit of a roller coaster, which led to today really being out of whack. But it was messed up in a mostly good way, so it's all ok. Monday's journey back into corporate America was very rewarding for me, and hopefully fruitful for the folks I worked with. My intention was to go in and impart some of my wisdom upon them and I feel I was able to accomplish that. Yesterday took me out of commission for some personal business and I expected to be back in the swing of thing today.

Wellllllllllllllll, here's what happened. Last night I joined in on a conference call for At Home that was so informative and got my business mind flowing again, which is odd because evening is usually my creative time. Anyway, so I got to work on some marketing plans, etc., etc. I went to bed with a very clear idea of how today should look. I woke up with a totally different view, though, and the only things from my original agenda that I accomplished were creating one sewing pattern and packing up a few more items for this weekend's tack sale. So, in lieu of a completed sewing project I planned to show you from the pattern I worked up, I decided to surprise you with a few floral creations I'm rather proud of from way back when. I hope you enjoy them!!!

 Choose Life Ribbon Designed for St. Mary's Catholic School

 Support Our Troops and Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbons

Rewind

For Valentine's Day, I made an attempt at the Pink & Blue Potpourri Backpack Pattern, which turned into my Artsy Heartsy Satchel instead because I ran into some technical difficulties. I decided that, as I'm learning to do in so many other facets of my life lately, I need to be patient with each and every step of this pattern. So I rewound and revisited it, rather than allowing myself to feel conquered. (It also helped to have "Patience" by Guns N' Roses playing ever so softly in the background.)

I must confess, I did a happy dance when I finished this pocket. 

It turned out soooooo nice, inside and out. 

Nice stitching, eh?!

 I love the subtlety of the neon green thread throughout
to tie in the front pocket. (That almost makes me sound
like I know what I'm talking about!!!)

I have a 2-tone liner because I used fat quarters, not expecting this backpack to turn out as nice as it did.

Either way, I really like the effect.

 And here's my finished product. One John Deere drawstring backpack with a fancy front pocket and a 2-tone liner.
Not too shabby if you ask me.

Just a heads up for my loyal readers that I'll be venturing out into corporate America tomorrow, so you may not hear from me until Tuesday or Wednesday. I certainly don't want you to go thinking anything terrible happens to me when I'm in hiding for more than a day at a time. ☮ and ღ

Cut It Up

We've had a good dose of under-the-weather-ness running rampant here today, so manufacturing has come to a standstill. Lots of other things have been done, don't get me wrong. I just haven't operated the sewing machine or ironed fabrics or any of that good stuff.

But the sickly girl wanted something to keep her bust while she recuperates, so I assigned her the fun task of hunting down quirky little appliques and maybe a new bag design or two. Why? Because we need some things to cut up and piece together when she feels better. :) She's done a great job so far. Once or twice I've glanced at her screen and seen a top hat or owl, and at one point I'm pretty sure there was one of those bikini t-shirts staring back at her. But hey, who am I to judge how a creative mind works???

Despite getting off course a bit, this afternoon was a great writing time for me and I actually got several assignments knocked out well ahead of my deadlines. If ever you find yourself interested in other activities with which I keep myself occupied, by all means check out some of these links:

My Published Articles

At Home With Karin 

Napknacks on Etsy 

In case you don't hear from me tomorrow, have a wonderful and blessed Sunday!!!

Lead 'Em On

Rambunctious horses tend to get a little destructive from time to time, and our draft horse buddies are no exception. The other night I came across a stash of draft halters with broken buckles that had been tucked away in a corner of the barn and forgotten about. You know me, I decided to bring them into the craft room and see what I could do. I mean really, what was I going to hurt by trying? They haven't been used since the buckles got broken anyway, so there was no harm in making an attempt.

I gathered up all of my supplies, including 2 of my 3 Piece Locking Pliers Set the hubby picked up at Lowe's, because seriously, who doesn't use hand tools for stitch 'n' repair jobs?!

I assessed each halter individually. Some could be repaired on the spot. Others had to be set aside for further review.

Those that could be repaired had the broken hooks removed first. Since none of the material was ruined, I folded it over the ring and started stitching it together with upholstery thread by hand.

Because this is the first time I've done a repair such as this, I don't know how long the stitches will hold. For that reason, the halters I was able to fix by hand will be used only around our barn. Safety first!

Oh, and nevermind the dirt seen in all of these pictures. I did not wash the halters before working on them. However I did thoroughly cleanse and disinfect my workspace, tools and ironing board cover when I finished this project. See, safety really is important around here.

Artsy Heartsy

Happy Valentine's Day, lovers!!!! In honor of this wonderful heart-filled holiday, I give you my artsy heartsy satchel... TADA!

 

So how did I manage to make this, you wonder? Ok, let me be totally honest here. This was supposed to be a lined backpack using a really super cutesy pattern I found on the Quilt Magazine website. Well, as you can clearly see, that did not happen. Something didn't quite jive with me and the straps and so I went with my old standby, the drawstring!

I started by cutting out two different heart-shaped appliques and ironing them onto the same fabric I used for the liner of the bag. Yes, you read that correctly. I may not have succeeded at the backpack strings, but I somehow got a liner sewn into this bag! Go figure.

After ironing, I stitched all around the perimeter of the appliques. Even though the heat bond says it'll hold these little suckers on, it also says it's sewable, so I go for maximum durability. I also think it looks really nice with the sewn border, don't you?

The upcycling portion of this project is the drawstring, which came from some less-than-eye-pleasing curtain tie-backs I purchased a few years ago and never used. They've been taking up space in a drawer and I finally decided they either needed to find a purpose or find their way to the trash can. One down, one to go!

Shifting Gears

Today's workspace was a no crafting zone. Sad, I know, but oh so worth it to get caught up on multiple other works in progress. I finished a few pending articles to keep the editors happy and grabbed the next batch of assignments so those pesky bills can keep getting paid. And then I decided to finally delve into one of two unexplored writing adventures that came my way last week new-to-me publishers. Wish me luck with that!!!

Add to all that excitement reconnecting with an old friend with whom I haven't spoken in more than 5 years while he took a hiatus from functioning socially at all outside of his workplace. Believe it or not, we didn't bump into one another on any social network, and kind of totally by accident. We did, however, spend quite a bit of time catching up today and it was honestly like we never lost any time at all.

Then I spent time getting more items squared away for our upcoming sales. With each day that passes, I get more nervously anxious about the first event, just to see how thing go. Hopefully it will be a success and we can move some items to determine what will be sellers and what not to focus on so much.

To top it all off, I snagged another little freelance gig for next week to keep my business mind fresh. I love the variety of things that roll across my plate these days....like the brussel sprouts I tried this afternoon for the first time, but that's a whole different story for another day.

Just Horsin' Around

I took a little time off this weekend just to recharge the old batteries and I think it did me a world of good.

Dear daughter and I popped in to Goodwill after our hair appointments the other day and made out like bandits on new material. I never paid attention to their fabric selection...who knew??? 

 This sunny, rainbowy fleece quickly became three 4-tab tail bags.

 The green blanket here actually did double duty.

 The 2-ply green was separated: one side became Bodey's new nitey-nite blanket. Isn't my old man precious???

The soft'n fuzzy side was split down the middle and added to the marching ants picnic fleece to become Z's newest cooler.

The mule cooler was not exactly what I envisioned for the ant fleece when we left the store, but my girl had other ideas, as you can see. Unfortunately this one also only measures 60" from side to side and doesn't quite cover his rotund belly all the way. (I don't think Z was particularly thrilled about all the pink, either, but that's a whole other issue.) Tonight I marked where we need to add some tie strings to this one and will add it to his bath-time supplies once it's all complete.

Taking Inventory

I've confirmed our first official event for the last weekend of this month, so it's time for me to take inventory. What's going to the sale, what's staying in the craft room... you know the drill. Actually, our first three events are horse tack sales, which means it is a really good thing that the majority of my items are equestrian-related, eh??

Sure, I have some of the traditional tack that needs to be sold. We've got a few too many saddles hanging around and a handful of other horsey items we've picked up at auctions along the way that just aren't being used. But when I started making my sale inventory list last night, I could not believe how many projects I've actually completed in the last couple of months. This morning I started pricing and organizing and wrapping and packing to make room for any last minute things I decide to whip up and take with me. I have at least one more project I want to design before we go to the sale, then my focus turns to those that require minor finishing touches.

But amidst all of this fun excitement, I simply must take a mid-morning break, because...

Tag 'Em & Bag 'Em!

Who decides at midnight that she should make a drawstring hobo bag out of John Deere fabric, complete with tractor applique and everything? This chica right here, that's who! Can you believe that craziness? Well, it's the truth and the darling thing turned out fabulous. See for yourself:

After I got some shut-eye and gurgled down a gallon of coffee, I decided to make darling daughter a little something special since she's got that weird affection for all things mustache. I grabbed the pretty red, white and turquoise plaid fabric (AKA Raggedy Andy Plaid Shirt) from my stockpile, along with that shiny turquoise material that she loves so much, and went to work. When she comes home from school, this is what she's going to find waiting for her. It seems I've finally made friends with cutting, bonding and stitching these wicked little appliques. Oh, I can't wait to see the look on her face. Tee hee!!!

Now I mustache you a question.
Isn't this one precious as all get out?!

Happy Tails

Don't you hate it when you go to bed early, get all snuggly warm in your bed, are nearly to the doorstep of dreamland and realize you've forgotten to do something? Like, say, write a blog post? Then you fall asleep anyway? That would be this lady last night. But oh, what a wonderful night's sleep I did have.

And today I'm happy to report that, despite my slight bout of forgetfulness, I did manage to get some things done yesterday. My good, good friend asked me to whip up some more tail bags for her out of the cutest material - did I ever mention that she works in a craft store and has access to all sorts of delightfulness??? - and that was my priority of the day. Aren't these simply adorable fabrics?!

 

I managed to squeeze 10, count 'em, TEN tail bags of various lengths from what she gave me. Two were just barely 24" long without tabs, as a result of cutting two incredibly long bags to accommodate her rather long-tailed Quarter Horse out of the same swatches, so I sewed on Velcro instead and it all worked out perfectly. 

Aside from all of that creative fun stuff, I made sure to pound out some work and correspondence in the writing world after receiving another wonderfully unexpected freelance opportunity in my inbox Monday morning. I also had a chance to delve back into my business brain and help out a few former colleagues, which is always good for keeping this old mind active.

Today continues a tail bag cutting and sewing extravaganza because, hey, when you're on a streak, you have to respect the streak! Tomorrow I might just try my hand at a few hobo bags or something kicky and fun like that.With the warmer temperatures creeping in I might have a chance to work outside and get some bigger projects underway soon! Yippee!!!

Cozy Like a Warm Blanket

Warning: This post may contain multiple movie references because, well, because that's who I am and that's what I do. Let's roll with it, shall we?

Remember in "Mr. Mom" when little Kenny's woobie is in such a state of disrepair that his dad opts to staple it back together? That's what this poor horse blanket looked like when I got it and, quite honestly, a stapler might not have been a bad way to go if the whole point wasn't for the safety and comfort of an older horse. So I put the stapler out of my mind and moved on to find another solution.

 Here's what I started with. Eek, it's shredded!

 Some spots were a breeze to stitch together.

Searching through my old coat closet, I found this icky old broken-zippered, stained up, ripped beyond belief jacket that I didn't even remember owning for a hot minute that suddenly became perfect for cutting into patches. Now I admit, sewing some of these patches together made me feel like that Wild Bill character from "Silence of the Lambs" when he was making his skin suit, so I had to get past the creepy factor I'd created in my own head. Once I worked through that, it was fairly smooth sailing.

 Other areas required large amounts of patching.

 
There are a couple of spots that need to be hand-stitched because the bulk of the blanket is too massive to maneuver around in my sewing machine, but otherwise it will be all ready for the old sorrel gelding to be strutting around in again by mid-week. It may not be the prettiest repair, but wahoo anyway!!! You know why? Because "Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown!"  :)