My Patchwork Picnic Blanket

Back in June, I wanted to make a patchwork picnic blanket. However, with my growing pregnancy and the visit of our two international students, I didn't quite get around to it until this past week.

I went to Walmart and into my own "collection" for fabric and just choose what caught my eye. The pics don't really do it justice - but I love the prints and the assortment of reds, blues, oranges and greens. It was kind of a country vintage inspired look I was going for. Then I had to figure out how I wanted to place them.

It was amusing to me to learn exactly how "technical-creative" I am. For while assorting the fabrics, it was as if I was using some unsaid formula of "one hue of color per line, alternate "crazy" fabric with "quiet" fabric, and not too similar colors or fabric on opposite sides"...etc...anyhow, the final product!

It's on the larger size, but I think I could have made it even bigger...but it's 4 across by 4 down (each 21 inch squares) with a furry soft green backing. (see the top right corner in the picture below -- that's the real cozy side :P)

One of my favorite features, besides the prints themselves, are the ties. This keeps it folded nicely for transport and storage.

One little "oops" --- when folding it for the first time, I poked myself with none other but a sewing pin stuck within one of the seams....sheeseh. Can you see it in the picture? I am pointing to it.

So I just maneuvered it to one of the seam corners and tried to pull out as gently as possible. My fingers kept slipping and it wasn't working, so I asked my husband to just break the pin and grab the pointy side (if the head is floating around in the furry fabric, no one would feel it..) but he was able to pull the whole thing out with pliers with no damage to the fabric!
Thanks, hon!

Overall, pretty excited about my first picnic blanket. I'd say it cost about $35 in supplies. I got about 13 squares, which came in packs of 5 for $7-12 each (depending on whether I got them from Walmart in Canada or in the States), some random pieces of fabric
and a $5 king-sized furry blanket from Goodwill!

The project took about 3-4 hours in total. After buying the fabric and taking off all the price tags (why do stores insist on putting these on the most visible and hard to remove places??), I washed the fabric. I then had to spend about 30 mins unraveling the HUGE mess that came out of the wash. All the fabric sort of shredded a little on the ends and wrapped and entangled itself. I attacked it, using patience and my seam-ripper. Then I ironed each piece (remember, 16 pieces!), and decided on layout. Working on each "row", I pinned two together, sewed that and then pinned and sewed the two longer pieces together. Once I had 4 rows, I then pinned and sewed rows 1 and 2 together and then 3 and 4. Finally, I pinned and sewed "Big piece 1" and "big piece 2"....makes sense?

And by the way, I pressed the seams at every step of the way. It really helped to get the corners crisp. (sorry no pics, but as usual, I am doing my projects late at night and I don't think my Iphone pics at that light turn out so great anyhow...)

Now, you know what we are doing this weekend -- we are going to have a picnic! :)

Linked to: Today's Creative Blog, Blue Cricket Design, Sew Much Ado, Eisy Morgan, Ginger Snaps, Trophy Wife, let birds fly
and

The Little Dishcloth that Could....

Last year, while on family vacation in South Carolina, we visited the Magnolia Plantation.

Besides the amazing tour of the house...

the gardens...

the slave houses...(which in fact were actually USED by SLAVES up until the late 1980's..)

the petting zoo...(where Eliel got his first "hear" of a peacock and panicked...loudly)

and even the swamp garden...

what I looked forward to was visiting the Gift Shop. Call me silly, but I wanted to see if I could find a "Southern" apron or dish cloth set. We had just renovated our kitchen (in what I call a farmhouse-cottage by the sea style) and I wanted some finishing touches.

Well, I nearly squealed when I saw a dish cloth that would be perfect. A pretty blue and green plaid print.

At first, I thought I was that much closer to the country kitchen diva I so wanted to be and then I had an idea. The dish cloth was larger than most regular cloths (but then again, isn't everything in the South so....or is it just in Texas...? anyhow.). So, I took it home, telling my husband that I was going to do something really special with it. He didn't seem convinced -- he was probably tired of my spending, so I discussed the hidden benefits because I was gonna make this into something else that was on my "must-buy" list -- an apron --- so I was actually saving money. Okay, see how much I love ya. I am helping you and your checkbook out. Yeah you can give me a high-five for that.

So.....good thing we didn't talk about any compounding interest for it was almost a YEAR later that I actually got around to this project.

I went to Walmart for post-Christmas sales and actually found this pink paisley ribbon for oooohhhh $1.22! It was wired, so I just took that out and used some for the waistband and for around the neck. At first, I thought the pink was too bright in contrast to the pastel blue and green (tho' it's not that bright as how it shows in the pictures...) but I am totally okay with the contrast. You know, it brings attention to my hips when I am shaking it like Shakira.

I even made an organza and silk flower and added a little (well, not so little...) rhinestone. For some extra detail, I added green leafs and a stalk.

By the way, some other items I purchased there (cuz I was saving y'know..) was a gorgeous (gorgeous, I repeat) blue lotus candleholder and a glass starfish from the Science Museum.

I didn't have a camera handy when I was making it, but if enough people ask, I can write up a tutorial. It was VERY easy. Under an hour. Even with a 2 year old around :)

Linky Parties that my apron and I are attending...

The Thrifty House
Blue Cricket Designs
The Shabby Chic Cottage
Fireflys and Jellybeans
Somewhat Simple
Tales from Bloggerritaville
Beyond the Picket Fence
Life as Lori
Just a Girl

A Crafter's Confession & the McLinky Party begins....

As a Christian, I know the Bible teaches us about confession and the subsequent redemption party after......so on that note, I have a confession.

Okay, two confessions.

1. My previously awaited McLinky party (for last Monday)...yeah, even with all sorts of ambition, interest, right heart and motivation, I didn't get to it.

2. The craft I am posting for this week is actually a Christmas craft. Yes, it is 2010 and for most people, the Christmas tree may be down and the decorations snuggled into their large Tupperware boxes and stored into the basement, but that is not so at this house!


(oooh, pls don't look too hard at the "in-bad-need-of-a-paint-job-hutch, I just got it and plan to refinish it....)





And this, is for two reasons. Not only is my husband's birthday on the 9th of January (so the celebration and partying continues) and I like to have my house maintain its festive look, but I am really focusing on sticking to my word. What does this have to do with crafting, you simply ask. Well, (almost) everything in my book. I had said (even if it was to myself!) that I would create my advent calendar this year. Well, if the complete truth be told, this was a project I aimed for last year. Yikes. Anyhow, I said that I was gonna complete this project and so on December 27th, I finished it.

Here is my advent calendar.





It's located in our dining room and it has little envelopes where I can place a scripture, a family activity for that day and a little treat for Eliel
(to share with his momma!).

Granted, right now, because I finished it after Christmas, there are no scriptures, activities or little treats in there. BUT --- it's up and that's what counts right now to me! Check THAT one off my list.
Ohhh, how great does that feel?

Now from the crafter's perspective.

Have you ever had those crafts where you just aren't 100% satisfied with your handiwork...like, it just isn't hitting that "WOW, and I made it" factor for me. Might be memories of working/sewing with 25 pieces of felt that might be affecting me, but yeah I get visions of a laundry line when I look at it. Does it look "young" with the glittered numbers? And its okay, I can take constructive criticism.....even if my thumb and forefinger are still aching from using that glitter tube ---- I'm asking, was it all worth it??

Maybe this year, I will keep the idea but change the envelopes to a different fabric, maybe the same turquoise blue/brown polka dots fabric I used for my tree skirt (thanks Nicole for that idea!!!).

What are your thoughts on my advent calendar?

What are some of your crafts that you finally got around to doing?

Or, what was the craft (recipe, home improvement project etc..) that you did last week?

Here is the McLinky. Post away!
(oh and for easier viewing, post the title of your craft in the title box...)

a skirt of my very own...

so now with little Eliel into somewhat of a schedule, I am aiming at being more productive, in the kitchen with fab meals, with my enjoyment reading and with crafts. Ideally, I’d like to work on a craft each day. Something. Anything. Just to keep whittling away this huge self-imposed punishment list of crafts….so one project I did today was a skirt for the Christmas tree! I always wanted one and dreamly walk through the stores fascinated with the beauty of the ones calling my name, begging me to take them home….but that all comes to a serious halt when I see the prices!!! And I always think “I can make that”. Well if you are like me, you say that so often that you actually don’t get to anything bc there are so many things you are currently working on….but anyway, without any more delay, here is my “country vintage meets whimsical” Christmas tree skirt…



It’s a teal color with brown polka dots w/a yellow and red stripe ruffle. And I added a little shimmer to it with teal, blue and pink rhinestones. I just love it!

Here is a better look, a closeup.


And if you do a second glance, it looks like Ms. Pacman is in the house…..hehehe (w/my big Apple pushpin holder thingamajig…)