It's Official!

I'm addicted to teddy bears!!! Don't get me wrong, I love making quilts, I love sewing for my grandchildren, and I love making porcelain and cloth dolls.  I just find myself with teddy bears in every room of my house! I pulled out a hot pad yesterday and found about five with teddy bears on them! I have framed art in my sewing room....teddy bears. I have shelves in my living room....teddy bears.  I have fur, polyfil, and teddy bear parts in every area where I spend time. They say (who are "they" anyway) that the first step to recovery is to admit there is a problem. I am not sure I want to admit it's a problem though....I love my teddy bears!

What is it that you love so much you find it in every room of your house? I have friends who love to make cards, etc. with rubber stamps and other things, some love to scrapbook (digital and paper), others love to do yarn crafts (knitting and crocheting), and still others who love to sew and make quilts.  I would love to know what occupies your spare time...even if it isn't a craft! 

I am designing another bear today. Sometime really soon, I am going to branch out and try a different animal.  I have two really cute miniature dachshunds and I think I want to try to reproduce them in fur and polyfil! I'd like to try a rabbit with hugely long ears and feet. So many goals, so little time!

Enjoy your day. I hope you get some time to do the things you love. Please share with us.

P.S. I did go to the doctor for this silly loss of voice...both ears are infected as are my sinuses! Seriously, who has time to be sick??

happy crafting,

Debi

Technical Difficulties!!

I'm sorry I didn't get a post out this morning. I have been trying for three days to get pictures to upload.  I am not sure what the problem is, SO...I asked my husband to have a look at everything for me. I am hoping by this time tomorrow, or really WAY sooner, I will have my pictures back and can get the blog up to date!!

Thanks for your patience!!

Keep busy... I may take some time to design another bear today, haven't done one is a while and I have an idea I want to try.  Hope you have time to do something you love!! Please share on our facebook page or right here.  If you have trouble, email or pm me and I will upload your pic for you.

happy crafting,

Debi

Speechless!

Today I find myself, for the fourth day in a row, without a voice. I think the grandchildren are liking not having Nana hollering at them. They are asking me to repeat what I say so they can actually hear me! Oh well, the "quiet time" has given me some time to sew on a teddy bear and do a bit of knitting.

I have been working on a new teddy bear. I plan to lay this one on her tummy and kick her feet in the air or sit with her legs hanging off the edge of the shelf. Can't wait to get her finished to see if my plan worked. She is going to be tiny when she sits, probably about three inches (or less) from her bum to her ears. It is going to be hard to measure her as she doesn't stand. Here's her wee leg...

I hope to finish this by the end of the weekend and be able to post pics to show you what I mean. I have most of the other pieces sewn and waiting for the legs. If I would just get busy, I could finish it! How do you "dress" a teddy bear who is laying on her tummy anyway???

I know that dishcloths are the easiest thing in the world to knit, but I enjoy taking those with me in my "go bag".  I find them an easy, instant gratification project that will go anywhere. I can always gift them and I am teaching my granddaughters to knit by making them.  The problem is I really don't like unfinished projects, so I find myself pulling from my bag to finish up. Am I OCD or what?????

We spent the afternoon at Mayo Thursday. Shane is still all clear and getting raving reports from his oncologists.  We are so thankful for the continued healing and strength. Our two year battle with colo-rectal cancer seems to be over. We pray he remains all clear and the cancer doesn't come back. His doctors are keeping a close eye on him, he sees them every three months for now.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you. Don't forget to post here, on our Facebook page "The Crafter's Thread", or wherever you like, but let us see what you're doing. I find great inspiration from you.

happy crafting,

Debi

Been Busy...

Do you ever feel like you are so busy being busy that you don't have time for the things you want to do?? The past few weeks have been full of grandchildren (which we truly love), but has given me little time to sew on bears, quilts, or knit. 

On the up-side, I will be working with Becky Jorgensen and the Patchwork Posse blog, website, and facebook page as a contributor. I will be posting tutorials, tips and tricks, and patterns on her site. We have been discussing details for a few weeks and I can't wait to work with her. She is crafty like me, sewing not only quilts, but other things including soft toys and clothes.  

AND, I tested blocks for Jess at The Quilt and Needle. She is currently in Africa on a medical/teaching missions trip.  Her husband is the medical side and she will be teaching the ladies how to sew, make quilts, and make money from their efforts.  I tested the ten blocks she will be teaching them.  They were pictured in her last newsletter.  I have way too much fun! Here is the image cut from her post today.  I am uber excited.

Just for your enjoyment, here's a pic of our youngest grandchild and our daughter's dog. Isn't it just too sweet?!?!?! We have eight in the house right now (children, not dogs!!) and it is a noisy crazy place, but fun at the same time. We have seen all ten of them so far this summer. Our son and his family left about a week before the next crew came. Now we have both girls with us and their eight!! By the way, we have nine dogs with all the kids and grandkids dogs here!!!

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out Patchwork Posse's blog at: PatchworkPosse.com and her facebook page Patchwork Posse. There is also a "join the group" page for those serious crafters (like me!!). Also, please post on our Crafter's Thread facebook page or here with your current projects. I can't wait to see what you're up to. I appreciate you!

happy crafting,

Debi

Writer's Block

When you get the proverbial "writer's block", where do you go for inspiration?? When you are winding down a project to gift or keep, where do you go for inspiration? I subscribe to a couple quilting magazines, but is it a waste of money or do I find inspiration to do another project there....

My bookcase is full of quilting and crafting magazines and how-to books. I think I want to learn a new craft and find the best book on the market and go crazy, only to find out I can't crochet to save my life! Don't get me wrong, I can chain stitch, but don't even ask me how to read a pattern! I also have every DMC floss color ever made and a couple bolts of cross-stitch cloth, rarely used (although I do use a lot of the colors of perle cotton for the noses of my teddy bears). I have every scrapbook tool and a five drawer storage unit full of rubber stamps....  I think you get the picture, I enjoy a lot of crafts and am spoiled! But, my inspiration has to come from somewhere...where?? (Looks like this area needs an organizational specialist!)

A lot of times my inspiration comes out of necessity. The grandchildren need clothes, a quilt for their bed, pillowcases, a birthday gift...this line of inspiration could go on forever. Also, there are always decorations for my house after a piece of furniture moves from one place to another to accommodate visitors or long-term guests. But where do I go for this inspiration?? Where do you go? Do you subscribe to magazines, watch youtube, check the pins at pinterest, see what others are tweeting, or are you just gifted and your creativity boost comes from within?? 

Please share where you find your inspiration and what you are working on. Everyone needs a boost idea from which to get those creative juices flowing...where do you find yours??

searching for inspiration,

Debi  

Not enough time??

Do you ever feel you don't have enough time with jobs, kids, or spouse to do the things you want or like to do? I feel the same way and I don't work outside the home! Seems with everything we do, there is never enough time in the day. This is my "little go bag", the one for short trips or appointments that I know will be quick or I won't have a lot of spare time.

Some ideas I have implemented are:

• always have a "go bag" filled with at least one project. keep enough in there to keep you busy on a trip. make this a long term project you don't mind doing piecemeal.
• keep a project by the bed or at the television that you can work on while spending time with your spouse or family.
• never go to the doctor empty-handed, always carry a project with you.
• if you have spare time while cooking or laundry, it only takes five minutes to do a few stitches, post to a blog, adhere pictures to a page, or plan your next project.
• schedule time in your day to craft (or whatever it is you like to do), your sanity will thank you!!

I keep a knitting bag with yarn and needles by the bed, the "go bag" stays by my handbag so it is always ready, and I keep a list of projects at the ready for when one is completed. If we are going on a vacation or work related trip, I take my sewing machine and projects with me. I have a friend who is working on a hexie quilt; she works on the plane, hotel, bed or wherever she finds time. This is a hand project she carries around everywhere. Just saying....even a big project can go with you. I have found with my husband having cancer over the past two years, there is a lot of time spent at the doctor waiting...why waste time doing nothing when I enjoy working on teddy bears or binding a quilt?? 

This week I have been down with a really bad cold. I have spent a lot of time sitting around, but not empty-handed. I have finished two teddy bears I had started and am working on the third. I just keep a bottle of hand sanitizer and box of tissues right beside me! Being sick has been a slow down, but I really enjoy my crafting, so I adjust!

I'm looking into craft fairs to attend this summer, let me know of the ones in your area...we can team post so if you are on vacation, you won't be bored! Also, how do you fit your crafting into your day? Post ideas here or on the Facebook page. Can't wait to hear how you make time to do what you love. Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow.

happy crafting!

Debi

New Day, New Blog....

I have decided to start a new blog. I felt the other one was too specific to the quilting side of my addiction to crafts! I really enjoy all aspects of crafting. I love to sew, quilt, knit, scrapbook, and make teddy bears, of course! I love everything from design to completion. I also love to teach, therefore I will be adding links to others' blogs and tutorials and adding my own. I am going to be contributing to Patchwork Posse and still testing for Jess at The Quilt and Needle. I have been collecting photos for tutorials and also videos. If you have something specific you would like to see included, please let me know. I have tons of contacts across the crafting community. Let's have some fun!!

It has been a busy couple of months at the homestead. We have had a steady influx of grandchildren and the summer months will be filled with more great times with them. Looking forward to crafting with the girls. One has learned to knit, challenging but fun. I am using big circular needles so she doesn't lose stitches off the back end. She is enjoying the time with Nana! They all want to learn something, it's going to be a busy summer!

I have finished a couple of bears over the past two months of silence. (I was in Alaska for three weeks...hence that silence.) I am not sure I like the ears on this one... may take them off and change the color. Nice size with nice feet and body shape, just not sure about those EARS!!

I will save some pics for the future. I will be busy posting tutorials and linking to other blogs for your enjoyment. Hope you find something you enjoy and come back to see me. Watch this space for bigger and better things. Thanks for reading...see you soon!

happy crafting!

Debi

 

New Things Coming...

Just wanted you to know I am working on a new blog. I have been excited about this for a while, just haven't had the time to get it up and working. Hope you'll come back tomorrow to see our first post. 

If you would like to see specific tutorials here, please let me know. I have heaps of contact throughout the crafting community and can link to others' sites and tutorials.

I think we are going to have a lot of fun and learn a lot in the process!

See you tomorrow,

Debi