Summer 2011

This is going to be an obnoxiously long post. Since I have not posted one thing since the beginning of the summer I feel I should play a little catch up. Even though the summer felt very short alot sure went on!

First....I fell in love with my plants. I have never had or pretended to have a green thumb but this summer I felt I needed a little greenery in my bedroom to brighten it up. Enter my succulents....very easy to take care of....very hard to kill...PERFECT!!





I wrote about this little guy in an earlier post here. He was part of my nana's Christmas Cactus. Well look at him now!

 
This is why I love succulents so much...you can get soooo many out of just one plant! I hope it gets as big as my nana's one day. It has stopped growing since it started getting cold out but hopefully it will get bigger in the spring!

Then we have this guy. I am not sure what kind of succulent he is....but I love him too =)

 
I am talking about the one on the left. The one on the right died unfortunately =(....leave it to me to kill a nearly impossible to kill plant! But the one on the left is doing very well!


 
Look at how tall it is! Haha I also love how the colors changed too. And last but not least it seemed like a no brainer to have an aloe plant in the summer...being that I am such a beach bum!


 
I don't have a good "after" picture of this one, but it is much taller and has branched out a bit. It has actually started to out grow its pot so I will have to find a new one soon!

Sewing

There was alot of sewing this summer, especially with my new sewing machine. It is crazy what a difference a little speed control can do to your confidence! I have a lead foot....both when driving and sewing so that feature has pretty much been the key to my success since I no longer lose control of the fabric! Here are just a few of the things I have made. Description are on my flickr page found on the side bar =)




























 
So that is the bulk of it. There were a few more zippy bags that I made but I gave them away without taking pictures lol...oh well...I need to stop doing that! I love sewing so much! The instant gratification is really awesome for my crazy craft ADD haha! Don't get me wrong I am still in love with knitting and spinning, but it can take me a LONG to time to complete a knitting project and only a few days for a sewing project so when time is tight (which is alot more often these days) I like the sewing.

Other then all that I went to the beach....

 
Went to Disney with my Robert and his family. It wasn't a very good trip (we also went with his siblings and you can imagine how that can go) but the Christmas store has alway been my favorite! Weird that this painting says 2010 though.


 
Made corn hole bean bags for my Robert. He built his own Bruins themed boards this summer! We went to the parade and he was feeling inspired haha


 
And finally my favorite part of the summer. I recieved this beautiful Pandora bracelet from my Robert....just because =


Well that should do it for the summer. I am sure I have left alot out but if I need to back track I will haha. Tomorrow I will finish up the fall months and hopefully be completely up to date with my posting! I love getting caught up =)

Happy Monday!

Still Around

Wow it has really been over 4 months since my last post?!?! Ugh... I was trying really hard to be good and post at least 3 times a week (time allowing) but it seemed to get away from me'. Oh well I am back now!

Lots has been going on in life lately.... Lots of crafting and sewing... Not much knitting but I am still working on those socks... Yes I know it has been 4 months since I finished the first one but I have been lazy lol.

I have been going through my pictures that we're intended for the blog and oh man! There are a TON of things to share!! I am going to be posting alot the next few days since there is alot of material haha, I kinda love that! I also discovered the blogger ap for my iPhone so that will make things a little more convenient I hope :) most of my pictures are taken on this thing so it should be good!

For now I have decided to show off my new sewing machine!!



This has been the reason for all of my productivity! It is a simple Kenmore machine but it has speed control, need drop down position and adjustable foot pressure! Perfect for my beginner quilting and other fun projects!

Hopefully I will be able to have another post tonight. But if not tomorrow.. Have a great rest of the weekend!

Christina's Socks

Christina's Sock, a photo by dragongrl4 on Flickr.

Whooo hoo!! Finally finished the first sock! ( I actually finished it last month, but I finally saw Christina to model it for me....my feet are toooooo big!)

The second one is about a quarter of the way done and knitting up fast! As long as I stick too it she will have them in now time =) Ahhhh I do love this yarn and pattern!

Vintage Sheet Quilt - The Beginning

I have begun cutting for my vintage sheet quilt! I am not doing anything fancy, just a simple patchwork quilt so the colors and patterns can all be seen nicely. I absolutely LOVE the sheets I got from etsy! They were all different patterns and colors, perfect for what I want this quilt to be! Since I don't want more then 6 squares of the same sheet in the quilt I was only able to get 99 squares so far and I will need about 16 more sheets to finish. In other words I will be scouring thrift stores this weekend for more! I love the hunt!


I estimated I will need about 192 for the size I am hoping for which about 60" x 80". The are 5.5" unfinished and 5" finished. I think they are going to look super pretty! Might do a small border too, but we will see how it turns out.


Sorry for the dark pics. It was about 11 at night when I finished cutting them all! The batting has been purchased so all that is left to do is collect more sheets and find a good backing and binding! This is so exciting!

Goings On

Alot has been going on around here. Baking, thrifting, shopping, plants, puppies and fabric. Notice I didn't say sewing haha. I am having a very hard time finding a new quilt project. I want to do a big one! What I think I am going to do is use vintage sheets. They have plenty of fabric and all kinds of pretty colors to use. I bought some on etsy this afternoon so I can hopefully get the ball rolling soon =) I bought these a few weeks ago. Hope they go well with the others!




I have also decided to change the name of the blog to just "Crafty Mushu" instead of "Crafty Mushu Knits" since I have been taking on alot more crafts then just knitting and I want to share those more. For example: cross stitching.




My new hobby! I love it now =) It is very relaxing (and inexpensive). I bought this pattern at The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. They have the cutest little patterns! I am working on the May Fruit of the Month right now, how cute is this!?




I bought all of them so far, think I am going to try to make some kind of a calender out of them =) If you like to cross stitch you should definately check them out!

Other then that it has been alot of family get togethers and fabric shopping which might not be a good thing since I can wrap my brain around what it is I would like to sew. Hopefully I will have a good update about that one! Right now I will leave you with pretty pictures of some Moda Fandango by Kate Spain charm packs I plan to cut into something!

Pyrexia

Pyrex Collection, a photo by dragongrl4 on Flickr.

Yes I have it and I want more!!!! I have become 100% obsessed with Pyrex and I can't wait to add more to my collection! Thrift stores are my new best friends =)

Spring has Sprung

I am a little late with the spring has sprung post but it has been a very busy couple of weeks. I did some sewing and things of that nature but I have also been working alot which has made me tired and grumpy so the happy spring post had to wait. But here it is!

I love spring, the colors are amazing, everything is blooming and the smell in the air is enough to make even the grumpiest person smile =)

I love when the trees bloom...it always makes me happy to see it =)

My goofy co-worker even bought us all flowers to celebrate spring! It was so nice of her and she knows my favorite color is purple =)

My mom even gave me a piece of her Christmas Cactus that belonged to my nana so I can have my own! Pretty huh?

My mom grew this one from a small piece too. I hope mine ends up looking like this eventually though I know it will take years! It blooms twice a year and is absolutely gorgeous. As of today mine has two little roots, few more weeks and I will be able to pot it =)

In sewing news I have discovered the addictiveness of hexagons.

Went a little crazy this weekend and made about 45 of them! I couldn't stop! I was all cozy in my bed watching TV and before I knew it I had a ton! I love them...they're cute and easy and you can make some really nice patchwork projects with them. Not to mention they are great for scraps! Now whenever I have scraps from a project I am going to make a few of these babies and hopefully end up with something big in the end!

And the grand finale! The most exciting thing that has happened in my life these last few weeks.

My quilt is bound and FINISHED!! I could not be happier with how it turned out! In all honesty I thought that I was going to get bored with it and never finished it before I even started, but it was fun and interesting and I never once got bored! I want to make ten more! I am already trying to plan my next one...looking at all kinds of pictures for inspiration. I was going to make one for Robert but the colors he would want are a little dark and for my next project I want to use bright warm colors! So I just need to make a decision and pick out all the fabric then we will be on to quilt #2 =) It will certainly be alot bigger then this one, more of a snuggle on the couch size I think.

So that is what has been going on. I also found a few new pyrex pieces last weekend but it was too dreary to take pics. I will try to take some tomorrow ( I think the sun is supposed to come out...ahh spring in Boston!)

Happy Wednesday!

Quilted Away!

I finished the quilting on my quilt! I am super excited! Now all that is left is the binding....I hear it is the trickiest part but I hope I catch on quick!

 I am in love. The colors are perfect and even though the quilting around the edges is a little crooked I am sure once I do the binding you won't be able to see it. I couldn't be more thrilled! I can't wait to start my next one!

I Have Caught the Vintage Bug

I was blog stalking this week during work. Don't judge you know you do it too! And since I have been doing alot of sewing lately I have been looking for some good quilting blogs to read. I love reading about what other people are making and seeing their pretty progress pictures. They are so inspiring! They make me want to call in sick and sew all day!

Anyways I have noticed a trend. Not on all the blogs I came across but a few of them. One of them is Pyrex. I guess I have never given enamel ware much thought since I don't have my own house or kitchen, but I was intrigued. I guess I never realized how PRETTY vintage colored Pyrex actually was. I fell in love and found out that alot of people are in love to. There is a whole community out there devoted to Pyrex! Haha who would have thought? My mom actually had a set and when I told I like it she gave it to me! Pretty huh?

The next thing is vintage sheets. Many quilters love to quilt with vintage sheets. I was looking at some pictures and they actually seem like a very nice fabric to work with. The colors are great and it seems like alot of them go together so it is easy to create a whole quilt with what you have without worrying about matching colors.

I started reading about it on a few blogs and found that many people find most of their stuff at thrift stores. This idea wasn't too bad. My Robert and I are trying to buy a house and quilting isn't exactly the cheapest hobby. Not too mention I would use the Pyrex in my new kitchen!

I had never been to a thrift store before. I am not really into wearing other peoples clothing, not that there is anything wrong with it...just never appealed to me. But that is what I think about when I think Thrift Store. So upon reading this little bit of information I decided that my interest was peaked enough to give them a shot. There are 2 on the highway on my way home from work and a few up where my Robert lives. I got out early on Friday and went to a few without much luck. I knew that stuff goes in and out of them all the time so I was not too concerned and told myself I would try again another time. Until I got to that last one....

EEEEE!!! Teal blue Pyrex! I looked it up and this is one of the more common patterns. Butterprint I think it was called, but I LOVE the color. This is the color I was hoping I would find the most. Any kind of beachy color makes me happy =) I might have spent too much on it at $12 but it was a consignment shop so the things there were a little more expensive and I had to have it!

 And this was my deal of the day! A perfectly nice, well working iron for $5! I have been needing a new iron (ours is sooooo old!) and this was just the perfect thing to find when I wasn't looking for it. All in all my first thrifting experience was a success.

But my second was even better! I found a Pyrex casserole dish with a teal pattern on it ( Meadow I think is what people call it) and the cutest little Pyrex creamer. The dish was $5 and the creamer $0.49! Can't beat that =) I also found some pretty sheets for $2.99. To be honest I have no I idea if they are vintage or not, but the colors are pretty and they will look great in a quilt....once I finish my first on successfully that is. I promised I would try to start any more until that one is finished, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared!

So I think I am going to stick to this thrifting thing. It is so much fun to be on the hunt for something! Especially these sheets, they will help bring the cost of my craft way down and if I can find a bunch of different ones I will be all set. Keeping my fingers crossed to find more stuff at the stores I know and to find more stores!

Making Progress

Haha! On Sunday I will start the quilting part! I am so excited...but I wish it was bigger so I could use it as a blanket for myself =( oh well....just gonna have to do another one! =)

The Cutest Things in the World

OMG I am loving my sewing machine! I am finding the cutest patterns for little bags and things that I am having a hard time picking what I would want to make first! I have very limited time to sew so when I pick a new project to sew I want it to be a.) quick enough to finish in an hour or two and b.) not so difficult that I will be pulling my hair out and end up wanting to throw my sewing machine out the window. The reason I want something quick is because since I am working on a little quilt I don't want to start any long, time consuming projects.

Enter the TEA WALLET! I thought the birds I was making were addictive! These things are soooo cute! They are like little credit card holders, but meant to carry your favorite tea around in your purse =). What an adorable concept. I am a big fan of tea, more so since I have been with the love of my life the last (almost) 10 years. He is OBSESSED with tea so I am going to whip up one of these for myself so I can bring along his favorites when we go out...this one I gave to a co-worker.

Here is my first tea wallet!

These are the pieces before I sewed them together. It was actually very easy until that point. I had to figure out how to get my sewing machine to sew through the thicker points in the fabric. I just used my manual wheel thing until it started feeding through easier. That seemed to work!

I love the coffee/tea/hot cocoa fabric. Could be any one of them lol. I have about a yard and three quarters so I am going to have to find some other things to use it for. Perhaps my first mug rug?? My quilting class is tonight so I am hoping we will get to the basting point so I can learn how to use my walking foot for quilting. Then I can start a mug rug! We will see. I will post pics of the progress tomorrow hopefully =)....I really want to start anoth quilt...one that is MUCH bigger then the one I am working on in class...but I know I have to be patient...not my strongest virtue I confess =P

New Hobbies

I have not been knitting. I know this is an awful truth, but no I have not been knitting. I finished the toe on one plain vanilla sock for my Robert and that is the extent of my knitting since my last post. I am deeply ashamed of myself because the reason for my non-knitting (besides a hellish year end at work and my wonderful Robert Gerard distracting me =P) is that I have taken up 2 new hobbies that are occupying my time.

One of them is working out. I am up at 5:15 in the morning, at the gym by 6, shower then go to work. It is right across the street so I don't need to go very far. I LOVE it. I didn't think I would like going to the gym by myself, but there was no more room at Rob's studio so I had no choice. It is actually very therapeutic. There is hardly anyone there and you can just get lost in the (incredibly hard) workouts. Not to mention it is an all women's gym so no weird pressure from men being around. Robert creates a new, harder work-out for me each month for both upper and lower body and I must admit it makes a huge difference. I am seeing crazy results, my clothes fit better and I am getting nice tone. If only I could will myself to stick to a decent diet I would be competition ready in no time! Haha but I digress =P

The second hobby I have taken up in a frenzy is SEWING!! OMG I signed up for a quilting class (and it was FREE!!) learned how to use my sewing machine properly and ever since I have been sewing and buying fabric and supplies like crazy! This is NOT OK! I can't be obsessed with so many different crafts! I dont have room for all the different stashes! Yarn, spinning fiber and now fabric?? When will the madness end! Hopefully not too soon, I am making some cute stuff as you can see...

Aren't these adorable? I love them! I have been making tons of them! I got the pattern from PatchworkPottery. Her crafts are incredible! I have been following her blog for a while and I really like her Esty shop too. One can only dream of reaching her level of talent but I love to look lol. Her's are much more precise and even but I still love mine =) I plan on making many more!

And then there are my quilting adventures. The place I am taking the class in is awesome. The women are so nice and friendly and everyone is so helpful! They LOVE teaching people which is always a plus since they will need alot of patience with me. I just needed the book and the materials and the class itself was free. I am already loving is sooooo much! Here is what I have so far.....

I started with this fabric and book....that is a picture of the quilt we are doing.

Cut it into 2.5" wide strips

Sewed 3 strips of each color palette together using 1/4" seams

Then cut the strips into 6.5" squares and arranged them how we wanted!

That is as far as we got until the next class which is on Tuesday. They have a sit and sew every sunday for 4 hours for $10 so I might go to that also and do some small stuff. It is hard at home to spread out so it would be good. I can't wait to sew the blocks together! But I don't want to do anything without supervision....would hate to mess up when it is already so pretty! I am in love with these colors....reminds me of the beach =)

So those are the reasons I have not been knitting. Tragic I know and I will certainly start again as soon as the thrill has dies down a bit. Tonight I am heading back to Joann Fabrics (it is on the way home from work which is dangerous) to buy a new tote for my fabric since my stash is getting pretty big now...I have a 40% off coupon haha.

Well I suppose I should get back to work. I am going to try to post alot more....if I have time between projects  =P