Art, Craft and Needlework, July, 2025

[Harriet]

When we're designing or planning a new project to paint, weave, scrap, knit, sculpt, crochet, sew or write, what fun we have to look forward to!

There's also so much satisfaction to be found in going back to an UnFinished Object and completing it to enjoy.

When we can balance our creativity with keeping up with our work (so that there's no guilt, no worry that we "should" be doing something else) we can have the best of both worlds - a calm, well-ordered home AND the chance to create things of beauty to place within it! That's a double blessing to strive for!

Welcome, and please let us know about the project you have at hand, compliments received, struggles to balance work and play, and your creative direction!

It's the half-way point of the year and "Christmas in July" may be on our minds. Have you been having thoughts about what the second half of 2025 will bring in your creative life?

[Nancy]

Today I'm painting on the small table in the basement the lower part has the 1st coat on it and is drying now.
Did that in white.
The top is be navy now it was brown.
Done with that project.

Got some fab a yard ish short of a picket size piece it missing.
It's been washed and pressed.
I have figured out how I can cut it and piece some and put a binding around and ties for
an apron. In a bit of contrasting fabric. I had to think on it how I"LL be able to do it.

Working on my sewing set up plugged in the machine, put up the ironing board plugged it in
put a power strip in them. Machine it threaded. Mended one seam yea!

I will need to get pins when I'm downstairs next time.
Glad for progress bit by bit.

Finished the prayer shawl I've been working on.

[Nancy]

July Update
finished green stripe prayer shawl project
Started blue stripe " "
Multi color " " " is half done now.

Projects this week
Set up sewing zone. X
Mend fav. tee shirt top with 3/4 length sleeves. X
Cut off press & pin & hem jeans. X
Put pocket on cotton dress. X
----
Next up projects;
Flannel tea cup print p.j pants are cut out.
Green cobbler style apron
One other one diff. color.
Partly sewn quilt project for unknown project.
Strips cut for quilts strip projects or what ever.

Skirts.
jean denim
cotton.

[Nancy]

I got new multi colored yarn started the next shawl so it will be ready to go when I am done with the
blue one I"m current doing.

Worked on the former sewing zone getting it cleaned up and sorting fabric & projects
before I bring them to the new one I need a spot to put them 1st.

[Nancy]

I have finished the knitting part of the blue striped prayer shawl.
It's self striping yarn! Now to weave in the ends.
Was getting ready for doing that when ddoggo wanted some attn.
Okay I have the ends woven in.
Next will be multi color knit shawl in the same pattern to show off the
coloring of the yarn.

Started that project after my next one in the same blue color.

[Harriet]

I was able to mend a pair of slacks yesterday at the sewing machine, which also entailed changing thread color from light to dark. That's not a lot, but it gets me back to the machine, probably makes it easier to keep finding more small projects and move back into sewing.

Happily, I was also able to make the automatic needle threader feature work this time, something that's been mysteriously not working for a long time. Hope I can remember exactly what I did!

Nancy, your upcoming projects sound like a lot of fun.

[Nancy]

Harriet I got hung up with the former sewing zone clean up so have not gotten to the new next fun projects unfortunately.
On the bright side I have cleared off the counter in the laundry zone and wiped it down.
Containerized the notions and they need more sorting but at least if feels like head way.

A diff. project I"m excited about a shift in a fun floral print with yellows and greens found that fabric I'd forgotten about!

[Nancy]

Tip of the day!
You can use tomato cages upside down with lites on them in your yard for
holiday decor at Christmas time they look like Christmas trees at nite.
My neighbor told me this yesterday!

Update got some at a yd. sale his week!!!

[Harriet]

Nancy, maybe those are the little trees I've seen dotted around a couple yards last year. During the day it didn't look like there was anything there, then at night there were perfectly shaped mini-trees. Cute.

Such fun for me to do a bit of paper crafting. I got out the x-acto knife and self-healing green mat and made two diagonal cuts into a cute greeting card for a gift card that sort of matched, so two opposite corners of the card would slip in sturdily. Marked with pencil dots first, which erased away as soon as the cutting was done. I had to find my own envelope because the one I'd bought had a very poor envelope choice that was too thick, closed awkwardly. Thankfully, I had my trusty box of various envelopes and that worked out fine with a blue one that blended.

Other paper crafting has been to make quick bookmarks from attractive greeting cards we've received rather than toss. Just a hole-punch at one end lets simple thin ribbon go through for a bit more color, and so it stays put in the book.

[Harriet]

I chatted with the construction guy about the frustration of not being able to hang anything much in our house because of plaster walls. I showed him the one and only place where I've been able to hang a quilt larger than a lightweight mini or small wall-hanging. He did seem interested but didn't suggest any possibilities like he did for other things. I imagine I probably have more ideas than he would anyway, just because of spending so long pondering it. He says the other house he's dealt with that had plaster walls now has sheetrock "over" that, actually making the dimensions of each room smaller in all directions, including ceiling height. HRH said the dimensions of the owner's pocketbook are probably smaller too, and he laughed.