Gathering Dust

Charm Packs

The words "charm pack" sound just like magic to me.  I just found out about charm packs a few months ago. 

If you haven't heard of them, charm pack is a quilting term- it means a package of multiple pieces of coordinating fabric pre cut to 5" squares.  So if you fall in love with a fabric collection, but can't really justify buying a yard of each of 24 or 48 fabrics at $8 a yard, you can buy a charm pack for $10 to $15 and satisfy your fabric craving.

I bought a "mini charm pack" of French General fabrics. Mini charm packs have pieces that are 2 1/2" square.  My idea  was I'd make a regular patchwork quilt, all by hand.  It would be a small quilt, but a good starter piece for someone like me.  And I get a chance to play with all those beautiful fabrics.

You know what?  It's not that easy.  You'd think that anyone who spends as much time with a needle and thread as I do wouldn't have any trouble sewing 2 1/2" of fabric to another piece of fabric and keep the seam straight.

But by the time I got to row three, my seams were already way off.  I might just have to go back to my wonky crazy stitching.

Like this... my Project Runway piece that I showed in my last post. This week, I'm going to turn it into a mini quilt.  It might not have straight seams, but that would be ok.

In between stitching straight and stitching crooked, I've added a bunch to my Etsy shops.

In SugarPinkMoon

Jewelry - some sparkly and some cameos.

Some repair/remake pieces like the rhinestones pieces on the right- good for anyone who likes to use old jewelry to make new jewelry.

The carved mother of pearl pin on the left is just a classic beauty.

In  Gathering Dust

Watches, spools and cabinet cards.

Pinnies

and more Pinnies.

Cute muslin bags to embellish (or pin a Pinnie to)

And for the first time in a long time, I have wallpaper packs.

Thanks for looking.  I'm going to dig into that charm pack and see if I can make something that doesn't need a straight stitch.

Give Me a Needle, Thread, and a Bit of Fabric

...and I'll start a project for you.

Notice, I said START.  I didn't say finish.  When I'm sitting in front of my sewing basket(s), I'm full of inspiration and ideas.

But once I see my idea stitched out and I've worked out the details, I get another idea- and I never completely finish the earlier project.

Oh, eventually pieces will be finished; but it seems like starting a project is just so much more fun than finishing it...

I'm guessing I'm not the only person with a few unfinished project in their sewing basket or on their craft table.  I try not to get too stressed out about it.  I craft for fun, and if I'm enjoying myself, does it really matter if I finish? Crafting is therapy, and I need to remind myself that it's the process, not the product.

I guess it'll start to matter when I get so many unfinished projects tucked away on shelves and in closets that they threaten to topple over and bury me. 

I've been to estate sales like that- full of more craft supplies and projects than could ever be finished in ten lifetimes.  Sometimes my jaw drops a bit when I see craft supplies and projects on that scale, but I also say a little thank you prayer because I love vintage craft supplies.

So these are a few of the projects that just need a final push to be finished. This is the tip of the iceberg- most of these projects are 85% done.  There's a whole other set of 20%-80% projects.

And knitting UFOs (UnFinished Objects)...well, that's a whole other set of posts.

Making a Security Envelope Book

Before I took Mary Ann Moss's Remains of the Day journal making class, I hadn't given much thought to safety envelopes- envelopes with a pattern inside meant to keep nosy people from peeking through the envelope.

Then I started to notice them at work, and I wondered just how many different patterns there were.  I had the girls I work with save envelopes for some future art project.  At first I thought I'd piece the envelopes into some kind of paper quilt.  When I couldn't decide what you'd do with a paper quilt, I decided to try a book instead.

Here's how I made it:

(Note: These are really basic bookmaking instructions. I didn't invent them, this is just kind of an accumulation of ideas I've cobbled together from lots of places. I am, by no means, implying that I discovered how to make a book.)

Gather Supplies

Grab some safety envelopes, sturdy paper to be used as pages (I'm using some recycled watercolor notecards), a paper cutter or scissors, an awl, several glue sticks and some twine, ribbon or thread to tie the pages together. 

The watercolor paper I'm using for my pages is approx 7" x 10", and when folded in half makes pages that are 7" x 5".  I've used 8 pieces of paper.  Each piece, when folded makes 4 pages.  The book will end up being 32 pages.

Open the envelopes and trim off any parts you don't want to use.  I trimmed a lot of the white flaps and some windows.

Covering the Pages

After the envelopes have been trimmed, they can be glued, patchwork style onto the paper that will be used for pages.

Cover one side of the paper, and then turn it over and trim any overlapping edges.  Then cover the other side.  Do this for all pages.

As you're gluing envelopes, images can be glued down and windows glued over them.

Making the Cover

The book cover can be made of the same paper as the pages, or something heavier.  I've used a binder cover.  The cover size should be between 1/2" to 1" larger than the pages on all sides.

Measure to find the center of the cover and fold about a 1/2" on either side to create an approximately 1" spine.  To get my fold even and crisp, I laid a metal ruler on my fold line and folded against the ruler.

Use a pencil to mark four dots on the spine about a quarter of the way from the top and  a quarter of the way from the bottom.  This will be where you poke holes to tie your pages to the cover.

Lay a plain piece of paper next to the book spine and mark on the paper where the spine holes are.  This plain piece of paper will be used to guide where to poke holes in the folded pages.

Sewing the pages to the cover.

In my example, we'll be using eight pages folded in half.

Nestle two pages together, and using your paper template and awl, poke holes in the fold. This group of pages is called a signature. Repeat this with the next set of two pages, creating another signature.

Cradle one signature inside your cover.

Thread your needle and push it from the cover side through the top hole on the cover and signature.  Leave about an 8" tail.   On the inside of the signature pull the needle through the bottom hole to the outside of the spine.  On the outside of the cover, tie the two pieces of twine together.

(In other words, you're just threading the twine through the top hole in the cover and signature and then the bottom hole in the cover and signature, leaving the loose ends on the outside of the cover to be tied together)

Do the same thing with the next signature, using the same holes.

Follow the same instructions for the remaining signatures, using the other set of holes in the spine.

When you've got your book put together, the decorating begins.

Washi tape and labels.

Journaling spots and glassine envelopes.

Clip Art.

You can make books like this using lots of different supplies- cardstock, magazine pages, vellum, even fabric. These books are great to use for a pictures and keepsakes from a special occasion- a wedding, a family reunion, a trip.  I keep a small version in my purse (with plain pages) just to take notes and doodle.

Let me know how your bookmaking goes, or if you have questions.

If you are curious about safety envelopes check out this website.

 

4th of July Etsy Shop Update

Actually, it's the 6th of July, but I've been working on my Etsy shop update since the 4th of July.  

Between my two shops SugarPinkMoon and Gathering Dust, I've added about 30 new items, including jewelry...

Books and Trims...

And by special request, Pinnies.

Each shop also has a clearance section with prices reduced by about a third.

Thanks for looking!

How to Save a Family Reunion

We spent last weekend in North Dakota at my husband's family reunion.  The reunion is just for his immediate family- brothers & sisters, their kids and grandkids.  Reunions used to be week long spectaculars with theme nights- Hawaiian luaus, Cowboy night; all day bingo, watermelon seed spitting contests and afternoon long shopping trips (for the guys) to Scheels, the huge sporting goods store.

The reunions don't last as long as they used to, with over 30 of us, it's hard to find a time when everyone can get together and so the activities have been scaled back.  But one thing we still have is The Talent Show.

In the past, the Supremes made an appearance. (I'm one of back up singers.)

As have the Blues Brothers.

And even Sister Act.

This year's show featured a lot of balance beam numbers. Both Grace (above)

and Clara had costumes from their dance classes.

Grace's little sister Molly was very disappointed that she didn't have a costume to wear while performing. 

Grace tried to console her by explaining, "Mom didn't pack a costume for you because she didn't know you had talent".

Auntie Laura to the rescue.  She fashioned a Project Runway worthy ensemble for Molly out of half a towel, a head scarf, a piece of ribbon, and a clothes pin and chip clip to keep it all together.

There was enough left of the towel that even just-turned two year old Addie got a costume and performed on the balance beam (junior level).

So- if you usually read my blog to see crafts, remember that crafts have real world applications.  With just a towel, a scarf, a ribbon and some clothes pins and chip clips (and a lot of compliments and fawning), you can turn a tearful family reunion into a successful gala.