My Crafting Projects List

In keeping with my efforts to get organized this year.  I'm updating my crafting projects list.  I have been keeping this list ever since I realized that I was buying project materials faster than I was making projects.  This list reminds me that I either have a kit, materials, or the fabric for what is on this list and these items are kitted up with everything I need to make it in a two gallon storage bag with the corresponding number on it from the list.  In the case of the crocheted afghans, all the yarn is in big storage boxes with the unfinished pieces.

Some of these items have been on the list a while but that's because I don't work on the projects in the exact order that they are on the list.  This is a dream list.  I usually just pick whatever grabs my attention and sometimes (most of the time) I start a new project that's not even on the list.

Here is my new and improved crafting projects list.

1.  Piece and quilt pink and orange Grandmother's Flower Garden
2.  Piece and quilt a St. Patrick's Day block for a door decoration
3.  Make vinyl cross stitch project bags
4.  Make photo jewelry with the diamond glaze and bezels
5.  Cross Stitch Witch's Inn
6.  Piece and quilt  Little Red Riding Hood top
7.  Finish the fabric embroidery hoop decorations
8.  Piece and quilt Christmas table runners
9.  Knit dishcloths
10.  Make up zipper pouches with fabric already cut
11.  Finish making your wizard's wand
12.  Crochet angel ornaments with white cotton and silver metallic crochet cotton
13.  Make 10" string blocks with strings and paper towels.
14.  Make snowflake ornaments with clothes pins
15.  Make stuffed Christmas trees to place in small tin pots
16.  Knit Christmas tea pot cozies for the small blue teapot and the large white teapot with pom poms.
17.  Cross stitch Christmas ornaments (kits)
18.  Make Christmas hanging dishtowels
19.  Make candy bag pouches
20.  Knit a pair of socks for me
21.  Crochet the colorful ripple afghan that is started
22.  Crochet the granny square afghan that is started

Long Over Due

          I have been afraid to do this and have put it off for the last 6 months. I finally broke down and made a list of all the projects I have materials for. I have 16 projects that I can work on today that I have everything I need to make it.  My project list is a nice mix of sewing, crocheting and knitting projects. Some of these projects are started and some of them are just dreams. Dreams that I have material to make come true.

          Here are the first five things on my list.

         1.    Hexagon Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt. (already started)

         2.    Make tote bags with Hawaii fabric and canvas. (not started)

         3.    Make hanging dish towels with Bake Sale fabric and colorful towels. (not started)

         4.    Secret birthday sewing. (not started)

        5.    Knit hat. (already started)

          I put the hand sewing project at the top of the list. It's been neglected long enough. It's time I dedicate a few hours each week to work on this one.  If I see some progress on it I'll be more inclined to work on it more often.  I'm posting a picture of everything done to this point. I really like this quilt and I want to finish it.

          One project I did not put on my list is one that I do when I have a few minutes watching YouTube videos in the morning before work.  I've been crocheting some colorful thread spool doilies to share with other folks who quilt and sew.  I've been making them up with some beautiful embroidery thread I ordered last month from 123Stitch.com.  When you buy a skein of embroidery thread and it only costs $.52, you don't mind ordering two or three of each color you want.   The color selection on that website is amazing.  I love sharing these bits of color to dress up sewing machines.

            Some of the projects on the list are quick projects that will take a couple of hours from cutting to snipping the last thread.  I like those.  Others will be long term projects.

            List making is good for me.  I use them to stay focused on what I have to work on.  This list is also a great reminder that I don't have to buy any more crafting supplies for a long while.  I won't even need so much as a new card of buttons.  I have a lovely stash of fabric, stabilizers, buttons, zippers, thread, yarn, knitting needles, crochet hooks and patterns to make everything I have on my list.   I've been buying fabric, yarn, hooks, and knitting needles like a demon for the past 7 months and I should have everything I need.  The only things I do not have are batting and backing fabric for the two quilt tops on my list, but I won't have the tops finished until next year so there's no rush to get those.

             Now all I need is about 6 months off from work to craft full time.

I Keep A Sewing Machine Inventory

      Since I have more than one sewing machine and they change periodically, I decided to keep a sewing machine inventory for my daughter's use when I pass away.

    I know she will probably want to sell some of my sewing machines when I die and I don't want her to be one of those people that says, "I have this sewing machine for sale, but I don't know if it works or what it does."  She can just look at my inventory to see when the machine was bought, how much I paid for it, the serial number of the machine, a description of the kind of sewing you can do with the machine, all the presser feet that go with that machine, and whether there is an owner's manual.  Knowing how much I originally paid for it will definitely help her set a price.

   I've let her sew on three of the machines, so she knows how to use them and will know that they work, if and when she tries to sell them.

   I keep this list up to date with each machine purchased or discarded.

An Ohio Star Block Decoration And More

     I made this Ohio Star Block to hang somewhere.  This block was a lot of fun to make and I enjoyed stash diving to find the fabrics for it.  I used the instructions in a video by Amanda of 3and3quarters blog.  The link to her video is right here.

    This is a nice big block.  It finishes at 14" x 14".  Later I'll be making a door decoration using three of these blocks and some stash fabrics.  I would love to make a quilt using this block, but I have several quilt projects on my list already, so that will have to wait.

   I have a pile of fabrics on my cutting table waiting to be cut for fabric trees, two will be made with cute Arctic Antics fabric I made my rag quilt from.  See a picture at this post here.   Another tree will be pink for my bedroom made with fat quarters from the Far, Far Away fabric line (see picture below), and one will be made with some miscellaneous blue fat quarters I found (picture below) to make a sewing table decoration.

    Today I picked up some bar mop kitchen towels to make some new hanging dishtowels for DD's kitchen.  I will be using some of my precious Time With Friends by Lynette Anderson fabric (see below) to make the fabric section to create the button holes.  DD asked for gray, maroon, and white fabrics and this is the perfect combination plus she loves dogs and cats.

 

     There are tons of tutorials on line and the last time I made some I used a tutorial that had me make bias binding for ties.  I want to make one with a buttonhole this time, because I just learned how to make buttonholes on my Janome machine and I'd like to get some more experience used that cool foot, plus you don't need all that extra fabric for buttonholes.  Let's face it when I make bias binding, I waste some fabric and I'm not going to waste any of the only yard of this lovely Time With Friends fabric.  Here is the hanging dishtowel tutorial that I will be using for this project.

       

 

Craft Organization

     I spent the evening organizing.  My project list and project material box were out of control.  I was starting new projects before getting the older projects done and that is not good.  I'm a little obsessive about doing things in order and I really needed to revise my crazy long crafting project list.  I numbered every project in the order I want to do them, then I took all the materials to make most of these projects and organized them in separate numbered bags to correspond to the list.  All I have to do is pick up a bag and everything I need to get started will be there.  I didn't take a before picture of that messy box because it was just a jumble of material.  Now my project box looks like this:

Here Comes The Machine Parade!

     I'm having a sewing, embroidery and serger machine parade today.  Well, not really a parade.  I'm rearranging some furniture and I wanted to put all my machines in one place to take a group photo but I didn't have a table large enough for all the machines together.  So here they are individually.   All of these machines work and I have used every one of them except the hand crank (the black machine).  That one has not been used on a project yet.  All of my machines have names.  I started naming them when I adopted the Bernina and Singer 401A.  I named them after their former owners.

   I keep a current inventory document with each machine's history on it.  I note the machine make,  model number, the serial number, when I bought or received it, how much I paid, where it came from, when it was last serviced, what each machine does the best and how I use it.  I also note what accessories I purchased for the machine and how much they cost.  I also note whether I have an owner's manual for the machine.  I love owner's manuals, they are the best resource for learning your machine.  I refer to this inventory quite often and I hope my daughter will find the inventory handy if she ever has to downsize the collection.  

Here they are in order of acquisition:

Singer 3400XL- Vesta.  Acquired in 2002.  This machine is great for regular sewing and straight line quilting with a walking foot.  I cannot free motion quilt with it because the feed dogs do not drop.  I know I can cover the feed dogs with an index card but I'm just not comfortable doing that so I got another machine for free motion quilting.  This machine is great for garment sewing and quilting.  I use this sewing machine when I'm inserting zippers and making button holes.  I also use the buttonhole stitch for machine applique.  

Bernina 1530 - Martha.  Given to me in 2010.  This machine is great from free motion quilting, straight line quilting and regular straight sewing.  There are lots of specialty stitches on the machine, but I only use it for piecing,quilting and applique.  I have two patchwork presser feet, a zipper foot, a general purpose foot, a hopping (darning) foot, and a walking foot for this machine.

Singer 401A -  Elsie.  Given to me in 2011.  This vintage machine (manufactured in 1959) came with some cool presser feet.  I have not done a lot with this machine because I don't usually have time to experiment with it, but I love the ruffler foot that came with this machine.  I played with the ruffler foot a little last year and really loved the ruffle created with that foot.

Juki MO644 D - Browyn.  Serger - I bought this serger in 2013.  I wanted a serger to make scarves and finish seams, but I'm not loving this serger.  The stitching is off on it and I have been trying to fix it.  I have to check out some of the youtube videos on tension and see if I can get it working right again.

Singer Model 15 hand crank -  Black Beauty. I bought this from an ebay seller last year.  I've not used this straight stitch machine much except to test it when I first got it.  I just love the look of it and I love the wooden base.  I'm thinking about painting the base.

Brother 770PE - Myrna.  Embroidery Machine.  This is the most recent acquisition.  Given to me as a birthday present last December.  I'm enjoying playing with this machine.  I wish I had more time to play with it.  I will share a recent project with you after it is gifted tomorrow.

    Oh, yeah, and I'm also storing a Domestic (White Sewing Machine Company) Model 801 from the 1970's.  It was inherited by my daughter from her Grandmother.  It sits in a rickety cabinet that needs to be replaced but I tested the machine when it came here a few years ago and it seems to work okay.  It probably could do with a servicing, but with the cabinet it's hard to get that done.  Her name is Carolina (after the former owner).  She does straight and zig zag stitching, button holes, came with a zipper foot, a darning foot, a seam guide, a cording foot, an extra needle plate.  I don't have any pictures of her.

My Project To Do List Updated

MY CRAFTING TO DO LIST – DECEMBER 5, 2014

Make my Irish Chain quilt in pink, green and white. You only need to order batting after top is complete. (I will start cutting fabric this weekend for this project).

Start the hand embroidery project “Never Underestimate The Power Of A Woman With A Sewing Machine.”   Get white fabric from stash, get a brown  Pigma pen and choose your embroidery floss colors before you start.

Make more pin cushions with small embroidery hoops (you have all the materials to finish these).

Make collapsible thread catcher with the 4” embroidery hoop you just ordered from Amazon.

Make a blue dog harness for Wolfgang.

Use hexagon punch you bought from Amazon to make papers for English Paper Piecing project.

Start crocheting a granny square afghan in pink, green and white for your bedroom.  You have lots of ideas posted on Pinterest board for inspiration.

Recover large ironing board with solid fabric that does not bleed.

Make new curtains for bedroom, living room, and dining room.  Use 108” backing fabric.

Learn how to cross stitch with small kits you bought.

Use pattern to make Gadget Girl sewing kit bag with vinyl pockets.  You have the pattern.

Print slipper pattern to make slippers.  You have the .pdf on your computer.

Make a new purse using bow tuck pattern you have or using the video tutorial by Debbie Shore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love this list.  These are all projects just for me.