Finding My Creative Style

Tuscan Style

I've been doing a lot of thinking about being creative and what it means to be creative.  I've also been thinking about what my design style is.  I haven't really decided what my style in general is, never mind my creative style.  I starting to come to terms with the fact that like in my professional career, in general and in being creative, I am more eclectic than anything else.

Bohemian Design

Sometimes, I think I am Bohemian.  Sometimes, I think I am Classic or Vintage or Traditional.  Sometimes, I think Country, Tuscan, or even French Provençal is really what I like.  Then there is the whole shabby chic style that I love too.  Other times, less often, I think I am modern.  As I think about it, I honestly think it is how I am feeling in the moment.

French Provencal

When you don't have a style, it makes it very difficult to design your house or your creative projects.  Then again, it can be fun to have eclectic tastes.  It isn't boring, but is makes it difficult to to be cohesive when decorating or trying to decide what colors and patterns to use when making something.

Modern Fabric

So not only do I have a hard time figuring out colors and style, I have a hard time figuring out what it is that I love to do, what I love to create.  I love to quilt, I love to do needlework, I love paper crafts, and I love making jewelry, I love clay work.  It's not a problem that I love all of these things.  The problem is that I am not proficient in any one area.  I also don't know where I'd like to focus to get proficient.  I guess, making jewelry is something that I do well and am somewhat proficient.  I actually feel pretty proficient in English Paper Piecing.  I would also say that I can knit pretty proficiently.  Now I just need to find the time to get more proficient in all the other things that I love!

One of these days, I'll figure out how to combine all the things I love and learn all the things that I want to.

Amy

More On English Paper Piecing

I'm still amazingly addicted to the idea of English Paper Piecing and I'm still spending time researching what I can find.  I have a few projects in the works.  I joined an English paper piecing quilt a long, with the goal to make a sampler quilt.

This is for block number one

I guess I haven't taken a picture of my tumbling blocks for quilt block number two, but it is in the same colors just the tumbling block pattern.  I made the six point diamonds a little bigger than I was supposed to, so I think I am just going to make three instead of six tumbling blocks.  The current month is eighty-one half inch hexagons in a diamond shape.  Not looking forward to sewing them all together (or even cutting out eighty-one hexagons), but I am looking forward to seeing these all come together.

It's amazing.  Just when I think I've seen all that you can do with regards to shapes and english paper piecing, I find something new.  I now have two more blogs that I am following because of english paper piecing projects.  I looked at getting the book "Pieced Hexies" by Mickey Dupre, but decided against it.  I'm rethinking that decision, since I think it may be helpful to have for creative ideas with hexagons and english paper piecing.   I think I tend to be to concrete when it comes to shapes for english paper piecing.  I'm thinking that if I can just think outside the box, I may be able to come up with my own shapes and designs.  Love the internet, social media, and having the ability to learn all about things like this.  

I also want to keep learning about handcrafting history, especially quilting including hand piecing and hand quilting.  Along with that, I want to learn more about the creative arts and how they affect both your mental and physical health.  I have read about and talked with people who are able to do some amazing projects, but you would never expect it, looking at their physical condition (severe arthritis for example).  I also plan to continue with my goal of creating forty things for others (handcrafted) before I turn forty-one.  I am  also hoping that I can get the courage to teach a class at my local art/craft studio that will be opening this summer.

Lots of goals and projects in the works.  I really love sewing.  I wish I had more time to spend making things, learning how to make things, teaching others how to make things, teaching others how being creative can benefit them physically, mentally, and even spiritually.

Have a fabulous day.  Until next time!

Amy

BTW-going gluten free has been easier than I thought it would be.It hasn't been easy, but I am doing it and actually following through with not eating gluten.  I had a little trouble a a graduation party I was at, but I was better than I would have been if I hadn't been doing this challenge!

My Latest Obsession

Or should the title be, "Continuing With My Obsession".  Another quilting, twin mom friend blogged about her hexagon sewing experience and I became obsessed.  Not only do I love hexagons, but I love, maybe even more than hexagons, english paper piecing other shapes.  I have a huge pinterest board for hexagon quilting and english paper piecing.  I love finding new shapes to add.

I keep looking up blogs and finding new ways to english paper piece.  I love crafty blogs, but lately I am really interested in  EPP.  Since I am cheap and I can't stand to wait (I have a little trouble with needing almost instant gratification with my crafting.  I don't like projects that take to long to complete.  Often those projects become UFO's and WIP'S in my crafting bin), I have been making my own templates.  One thing I love about EPP is how forgiving it is.  Even though my pieces aren't perfect, the outcome is really good.

Recently, I made these:

pre-sewing together

pre-sewing together

sewn together

without the green diamonds

I decided that I needed to make a new hanging for the door.  With spring here and the snowstorm we had the day before the first day of spring, I decided I needed something springy.  I decided to create this:

This door quilt combines both english paper piecing and machine sewing.  It's a little wonky, but I'm pretty happy with it.  I can't wait to look for more EPP blogs and maybe even a hex-along.

Happy Spring!!!

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!

Sewing and Soaping

Yesterday, I was more creative than I've been in a long time and the best part was that it didn't take a ton of time.  This week, all 5 of us have been fighting off the dreaded stomach bug in one form or another.  Yesterday, I decided that I needed to make chicken soup.  Of course, the kids didn't eat it but my husband and I had it for lunch and dinner.  Since it was last minute, I decided to buy packaged broth and use a chicken that we had cooked earlier in the week as well as some escarole from my husband's uncle's garden and frozen veggies.  I also bought a chicken so that I could make my own broth and chicken soup for later.

Later in the afternoon, I brought my sewing machine up from the cellar and made a quick strip rag quilt made out of flannel that I had bought when the twins were infants.  It worked up really quick, and even though I still need to bind them, the twins used them last night.  I like my daughter's blanket way better than I like my son's, but that could just be the colors.

All sewn and snipped, waiting to be washed

All washed, waiting to go in the dryer

Finished in the dryer waiting to have the binding put on

Later, last night, I decided to do something that I have been wanting to do for some time now.  I made soap in the crockpot.  I was a little nervous since I was told how dangerous lye could be, and even though it is very dangerous and caustic, it wasn't any where near as scary as I thought.  I most likely used the wrong oil mixture for a good hard bar of soap, but for my first try, it wasn't bad.  I am going to try again tonight with a better mix of oils.  I will use a different soap calculator than I used for my batch last night.  The one, http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php, I used last night was good for telling me how much water and lye to use given the amount of oils I was using, but it didn't tell me that I didn't use a good balance of oils.  I am hoping that after some time curing, it will harden enough to be an ok bar of soap.  I removed it from the mold and cut it so there is more surface area expose to air.  I can't wait to make more soap.  I think I have become addicted after just one batch and that batch didn't even come out right!  I think, at least for me, the lye calculator to use is: http://www.SoapCalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp.  I like all the information that it gives.  I know there is some controversy to which calculator to use, but I like http://www.SoapCalc.net.

In the crockpot cooking

colored and put into mold

un-molded and cut

I'm pretty happy with how creative I was yesterday.  If I could be creative, just a fraction of what I was yesterday, I would be thrilled!

Amy

Latest Projects

As I've written before, I am trying to make time to be creative every day.  This week, I have been trying to finish up some WIP's (works in progress), while attempting to use up some of my stash.  I had already finished my daughter's, and last night I finished her twin brother's.  I now have to finish my older son's afghan, a shawl or maybe lapghan for my mom, and start on for me and my husband.  I am also making some doll size ones to donate to my mother of twin's group for their table at the annual convention.  I am only hoping that they will like them.  I know that one that is almost finished is one that I really like.

Thomas' granny square afghan

The one for me and my husband should be interesting.  He has asked me to also make a quilt the same way.  See, his legs get warm at night, so he likes having them uncovered.  He has requested a quilt and/or an afghan that is in the shape of an L so that I am warm and his upper body is warm, but his legs stay cool.

I LOVE MAKING GRANNY SQUARES!  The afghan's I have made have all been granny square afghans so far.  This will actually lend itself to the L shape that my husband is looking for!  I just pinned a ton of granny square things to my crochet board.  I'm hoping that the weather stays nice and the kids can play outside while I crochet some more and maybe finish a couple more doll afghans sooner than later.

Oh, and I made a pair of earrings and a hand stamped washer pendant this week too.  I am hoping to donate some handmade jewelry to the twin's group too!

hand stamped washer pendant

earrings

Amy

Creativity

Since most of my posts lately have been about food and diet, I thought I would change things up and write a little about my creativity, or lack there of.  I haven't been very motivated to be creative.  It could be that I am a wife, a mom of 3 under 3, work part time, trying to cook healthy, trying to keep a clean/somewhat organized house (focus on trying), or maybe it's just that I've been lazy.  My friend Liz over at http://www.goddessinprogress.com, really inspires me.  This week, after my darling 2 1/2 year old daughter started waking up around 5:30 am sometimes earlier, I decided that I needed to actually make the light blocking shades that I had been planning on for quite some time.  Then I decided that the windows needed new curtains to go along with the space themed shades.  So now my kids have their new curtains and shades and they have actually been sleeping til 7:00 am! 

I am now inspired to move on to the quilts for my kids as well as the projects for my newest niece who will be joining us in about 1 1/2 months.  I am still in the process of figuring out the quilt pattern for my kids as well as for my niece.  I am also planning on making some burp cloths for her too.  So I am now off to try to find good patterns for the quilts.  At first, I had thought about just making space themed quilts for the boys since the plan is for their rooms to be space themed.  The drawback is that my daughter shares a room with them too.  Do I make her the same quilt?  Do I make her the shabby chic inspired quilt that I had planned to make her?  Or, do I make her a space themed quilt that is a little more girly than the boys, but that will still have elements of the boys quilts so that they coordinate?  I've decided that we have entirely too many boy themed toys and we need to start encouraging some girl themed play, for all 3 kids!  I think  my daughter needs a quilt that is somewhat girly, but one that will coordinate with the boys quilt.  Any thoughts?  My friend Liz also inspires me to go beyond the traditional quilt block and try something a little different.  I can't wait to see what I come up with.

I have many projects, almost too many.  I really need to stay inspired so that I can get some things accomplished.  I find that I really enjoy being creative, especially sewing.  I don't always enjoy the process, it's something I need to work on.  One thing I need to do is give myself enough time to complete a project so that I don't stress about a deadline!  If I am not stressed about a deadline (which due to my chronic procrastination I often am), I do enjoy the process.  The one thing I always enjoy is the outcome!  I can always guarantee that I love the results especially if it comes out the way I want, but if not I'm still usually satisfied that I was able to create something.

Hopefully I can get some projects completed and post some pictures.  Also, not to rush things along, but I want to get started thinking about Christmas gifts.  Again, I find creating much more enjoyable when I am not stressed about a deadline, like I'm sure most people!

Amy

Eating

So, as you all know, after reading my multiple posts about my potential allergies, I have been trying to eat better.  I have some good days and some not so good days.  I am doing really good at cooking my own food vs eating out all the time, I just now have to start eating a little healthier.  As I've written, I've been wanting to go vegetarian/vegan, but I know that will never truly happen.  I have totally resigned myself to the fact that I will always be what I've heard referred to as a flexitarian.  I will eat meat, as healthy the meat as possible, but my focus will be on beans and veggies from this point on. 

I have been trying to eat more beans lately.  Partly because I want to for health and partly because one of my husbands doctors has recommended that he eat more beans.  My husband is seeing a dietician soon (something I was supposed to so, but I chose to see an allergist) and she will be guiding my meal planning from that point on.  I have been trying to do better at meal planning.  I have gotten better, but I still have a long way to go.

I had a playdate with another twin family today and I got a ton of new recipes.  My friend made recipe cards from a scrapbooking software program, and now I want that program.  I can have fun with scrapbooking, but not take all the time and energy of getting out all the stuff to do traditional scrapbooking.  I can also now have fun with recipes too!  One more porject to add to my list of things to make is a recipe box.  I saw the one my friend had, and now I want to paint one to put all these lovely recipe cards in, especially since she said she will make me copies when she puts together more recipes.

My goal for the week is to use what food I have in teh house til payday on Thursday.  No more eating out for me.  I am also going to go through the fridge and clean out all the old stuff.  I will be doing soem meal planning for all 3 meals, not just dinner and also snacks (even some thing as simple as dry cereal will be planned).  My friend used dry cereal for snack today and said she does it often.  Why I feel like I need to have real snack food is beyond me.  The kids loved the cereal and even did great sharing!

My final goal is to really stop the wheat and the dairy from my diet.  I have noticed that I am having more gi issues, now that I am paying attention to how much of that stuff I am eating.  I don't know if it because I am more focused on it, or if I am just eating too much of it.  Either way, I now can see why I need to eliminate it and hopefully I'll feel better.  I am seeing an allergist in 3 weeks or so.  I will be having the skin allergy test to see if it correlated to the blood test that I had done.  If so, I will definitely be eliminating these foods forever.  I just hope that I don't eliminate them before the appointment only to find out that I need to be eating them prior to having the allergy test.

This post is a little all over the place, but I guess that's where I am, a little scattered.  One more subject to throw out there is that I am planning on starting to hand piece some quilt squares so that I can have some quilting projects on the go.  Hopefully this will be fun and not tedious!

Amy