Trying To Be Productive

It's amazing how little time you have when your kids get to be preschool age.  When they were babies, I had the luxury of naps.  Now, naps are few and far between and I never have all 3 kids occupied where I can spend time and create.  Of course, as usual, there are also good points to the kids getting older.  Now that they no longer nap, life is a little easier to plan or not plan and just go and do.  We can do so much more with them now.  We may have less free time on our hands, but I wouldn't change a thing.

That being said, I still try to find time to be creative and maybe even blog about my creative projects.  It may not be as often as I want or as complex as I want.  My blog posts may not be as intellectually stimulating as I would like.  But, I am finding time to create and some how, some way, journal about it; and that is what is really important to me.

Since my last post, I have done a decent amount of projects.  I have also treated myself to a new sewing machine.  I decided that my cheap $100 Joann Fabrics Singer, was just too frustrating for me to actually use.  I loved having a more portable machine than my Baby Lock Ellageo embroidery machine, but the Singer was just not a good quality machine.  At first I didn't understand the negative comments, but then After just a couple of uses, I realized how right all those reviews were.  I love my Ellageo, it's just not really portable.  I was looking at a Janome QDC3160 and a Baby Lock Grace.  I ended up at "Nashua Sewing and Vac" on Black Friday and ended up getting a Baby Lock Sofia2 for what I was quoted the Grace to be at another store.  I had heard really good things about Nashua Sewing and Vac and felt really good about trying out sewing machine and buying there.  There is nothing wrong with the Janome.  I know a few people who love the Janome and they all have different Janome machines.  One of them is not a Baby Lock fan.  I decided that it must be ike buying a Nikon vs a Canon.  I have always used a Canon, but I know that Nikon is just as good, just personal preference.  I wish I had more time to devote to my sewing!

What I've been up to:

English Paper Piecing Diamonds

Ballet Slipper Ornaments

Thanksgiving Skirt

Matching Thanksgiving Tie

My New Sofia2!

Embroidery On My Sofia2

Embroidery On My Sofia2

Embroidery On My Sofia2

Sewing On My Sofia2 With A Stitch Sampler

Cookie Plate for Santa

Cinnamon Ornaments

Now if I could just make sure that I continue to be creative both by myself and with the kids, I would be a very happyMommy!  I can't wait to sew more often.  We are in the process of decorating for Christmas and then cleaning up after that!  Right now, Creativity is going to be limited.  I am trying to make sure that I ambling creative with the kids so that they get to be creative as well as me.  Some days are better than others, but often as things are with kids, they don't go as planned, but we are still making memories and that is what is most important!

Happy Holidays to All!

Amy

Hexagon Maddness

With it being National Sewing Month, I am really trying to get some sewing projects completed.  My friend at http://www.goddessinprogressblog.com/quilts/ posted a hexagon project a while ago and I was intrigued.  More recently she posted a picture of her hexagon quilt and it got me thinking, this would be a great take along project for the part (maybe), and a great project to use up my scraps.  Of course now I want to branch out and maybe use things that aren't part of my scrap bin.I'm tempted to buy fabric, but I really want to try to use what I already have.  I can't afford to buy more and I don't have the room to buy more!  I'm trying really hard to be organized and right now I have my material pretty organized so I don't want to add more unless I have to!

My first hexie flower put together with a ladder stitch

Daddy and Thomas were watching the Patriots while I sewed and the other 2 kids were playing in their room

I am also working on a doll sized granny square afghan.  I was able to spend some time working on it while the kids played at the park!

4 flower hexies 1 completed with a whip stitch and 3 with the ladder stitch

I have been trying to organized my craft things and have been trying to get rid of some things.  I have free cycled some things, but there have been some stuff that no one seems interested in.  I have some yarn that no one has wanted and I have some stamps that I haven't posted yet.  I am hoping to get more stuff together so that I can get rid of rings and have a more organized place to work and know what supplies I have.  It's definitely a work in progress and really difficult to get rid of things.  I also just found out that I have some yarn that I totally forgot about.  I think once I finish some of the projects that I am working on, I need to go up in the attic and decide if this yarn is stuff I need/want. or if I should just get rid of it.  

It has been nice to have a more organized space.  I am not making a ton of things, but I really have been able to create more easily, know what I have for supplies, and not have to stress about cleaning up a project in the middle of working on it.  I like having a place for my dewing machine to be out all the time.  I like having small projects organized so that I can work on something while watching TV.  Of course all the new shows are starting up so it is really important to have things that I can work on while watching my favorite shows.  That way I can be productive as well as veg out in front of the TV and enjoy some good shows!  The funny thing is, I really like to be organized, but I am not one to get organized easily!

What are you making for National Sewing Month?

Amy

I think my next post will be about my Christmas list.  I need to get a plan in place if I want to make things for people for Christmas.  I need to have a plan in place so that I can get started.  I think I'll take the kids out in the back yard and work on my list!