Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

A place for Artistry, Crafts and Needlework; Decorating and Holidays.
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Harriet
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Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harriet » Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:45 pm

What is your Creative Direction right now?

:arrow: :) :arrow:

Are you deep into a familiar creative pursuit, perfecting it?
Is there something completely new you've started?
Are you thinking more traditionally?
More modern, more trendy, even an experiment?
Are you considering the calendar and preparing for handmade gift ideas?

In July,
Harmony transformed a jigsaw puzzle into framed art and matched it to decor
Nancy painted frames and terra-cotta pots, found lumber for future projects
BookSaver tried an ice dye of a white purse and cut out another complex bag
Twins' Mom shared that dyes and pigments can also be used in stamping techniques
Harriet learned to press thicker flower blooms, & found better paper for pressing

We're thinking of BookSaver, far from home on a trip to represent her sewing group at a sewing and quilting event/symposium. Stay safe, have fun!

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Harmony
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harmony » Fri Aug 02, 2019 2:23 pm

I may not consider myself a very creative person... but maybe I'm just missing the talent to create the stuff that constantly swirls in my head. :?

Now I'm facing the one space in my house that is not organized. Well, we're not including the garage which is ... well... never going to be I guess...

I have 3 bins and a shelf full of material, batting, stuff like that. The bins simply do not work. If I need one thing I drag them out, cause sometimes what I need is on the bottom, then everything gets emptied despite my effort to put like pastels together in plastic bags and label... and the bins are too full to easily put stuff back. I have everything out right now and I'm putting likes together. Then what? I've done this before and it doesn't stay.

I need suggestions. What do you keep all your stuff like this in? And where? And how? There has to be a way to conquer this. HELP!

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Nancy
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Nancy » Fri Aug 02, 2019 5:23 pm

I use clear totes, and super size zip bags that are about the size of a pillow case for fabric and quilt supplies. They are in the basement near the sewing zone.
Some on u tube have a hanging file system for quilt block that are cut out.
Last edited by Nancy on Fri Aug 02, 2019 8:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Harmony
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harmony » Fri Aug 02, 2019 8:34 pm

Thanks, Nancy. Do you have your stuff sorted by color or type? And where do you keep all those totes and bags?

I discovered by measuring things my totes are too big to fit on the wire shelf rack I have in there and the totes end up just sitting on the floor piled up on top of each other. Bags don't really stack well, do they?

I had everything out and likes with likes in colors and then I started playing with some of this to see what I could do with them in a couple different things around here... I guess I need to start using some of this. Now after all that I have everything piled about again and need to resort all over.

I don't have trouble getting rid of some things but I've already done that and what's left is nice things...

And I do have a bag of nice sized scraps I don't think I'll ever use but have no idea what to do with this. Does anybody ever buy them from a thrift shop? I've never seen fabric in any of mine. I don't know anyone else who quilts or sews either.

Ak, this is awful.

Ok I am back on Saturday. Up really late last night working on this..and because Nancy mentioned utube, I began looking around. Find my stuff was all pretty small with just one stack of bigger pieces. So I've managed to organize it with that in mind and got it together today... better than it's ever been!

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Nancy » Sat Aug 03, 2019 4:14 pm

Well my sewing zone could use some organization.
Got some new to us P. J.' s hemmed.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harriet » Mon Aug 05, 2019 11:40 pm

Here I am grateful to have shelving that works pretty well for the sterlite or rubber maid type boxes/totes. Many are shoe size and some larger. The shoe size nestle onto each other two or three deep. Mostly organized by color of fabrics with cards as labels on the ends, stuck down inside where they help even more with keeping light out, but also organized by type of projects. The roll-around sets of sterlite drawers are good, too.

I'm glad you are more content now, Harmony. To actually let things go, eBay works. It's been a while since I went that route but it was fine. I never found anyone or any place local who appreciated or paid attention.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Nancy » Tue Aug 06, 2019 3:20 pm

Nope just a quick stash and dash type of pick up, I had sorted it by fabric type cotten for projects.
Some by color and have been cut out or in strips went in that bag.
I left out 2 projects so I am not over whelmed.
Doing ten min a day on the sewing zone it is really helping.
I made a gift bag this morning.

Next I have fabrics draped over the loom for cutting into strips for a throw.
I de-seamed jean pieces.

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Harmony
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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harmony » Wed Aug 07, 2019 6:55 pm

Harriet, your system sounds much like how I finally got my stuff together. The trick was having boxes the right size for the fabrics I have. Little scraps put in with big pieces means it all gets dragged out to find the little stuff... no more of that!

Today I looked around for a quilt pattern...need to make that one for DGD. That was a fun pursuit this afternoon! Solution was to put the word EASY in the search....and I found one that'll work quickly and I think it's pretty. Not too many seams to match. Wouldn't take a prize at a show, but it won't take me half a year to do either. I'm sure I'll be able to use up some of those blues in one of the boxes!

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Nancy » Wed Aug 07, 2019 8:18 pm

I made another fabric gift bag it has a draw string closure, and quilt block pocket.
Last edited by Nancy on Fri Aug 09, 2019 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Art, Craft and Needlework, August, 2019

Postby Harmony » Fri Aug 09, 2019 12:33 am

At the fabric store they had a company of people in there doing inventory, walking around with their machines reading the skew numbers... and clogging up the already tight crowded aisles, and getting in everybody's way. There was a big pile of little fat quarters on the floor I walked past and one guy said to a lady (co-worker) don't bother picking those up we'll get them when we're done. I remarked that I hoped I hadn't stepped on them.. and he said it didn't matter, they throw them out anyway. What! :shock:

Did some planning work on future project. Decided the one pattern I'd printed out wouldn't work because it was all narrow strips...fine unless one wants to actually focus on the figures or things in the material. Then I found another with bigger squares... and looked at material I had and decided the squares were too small for the scale I had. So I drew it all out with bigger square sizes, figured out yardage...went to the store.

Got 5 pieces with small scale print showing the dolphins and fish and turtles DGD wanted. Should be really cute sewed up (I hope, I hope). Now that I have a plan I'm anxious to get started.


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