Sewing

 Getting Motivated!           

       Lately, I've been wanting to learn to sew some of my own clothes, but, I'm very new at sewing. However, my mom ordered a video put out by the West ladies called The Art of Sewing,  watching this video with my mom, older sister Tabitha, and my little sister Tara, was most inspirational! The things they were making were so creative and got me motivated!

Getting Started and Finishing Up

     So, after watching this video I decided I would go for it! I would just try my best to make something simple to wear. I had remembered seeing a way to cut up and old pair of jeans to make a skirt, so I decided I'd give it try.
     After cutting up the jeans and cutting out fabric I took it to the machine, I must admit, I was slightly worried my project would turn out to be a failure, but to my surprise, it wasn't! =D
     Now, I'm even more motivated to learn more about sewing.....the more homemaking skills....the better....After all, according to God, I'm to be a keeper of home (Titus 2). =)

New skirt =D

Bucket of Dishcloths

        Lately, I've been working on a large crocheted, granny square, afghan, but after completing several squares I needed to take a small break, so I took all of my opened, cotton, dishcloth yarn and started making a bunch of dishcloths! I was able to use up all of the opened packages of the cotton yarn. I made 10 cloths, and 1 small scrubby, (the scrubby was made so I didn't waste any yarn at all!). By the time I finished all the dishcloths, which was about a day, I was ready to go back to working on my afghan, now I continue to work on the afghan, which is going to take me a very....long....time....but it''ll be worth it =D

I was able to make 10 dishcloths and one small scrubby.

Here is a cute way to display your dishcloths, in an old, black, bucket =D

Two Things!

One!

Spinning?

The chain I made =D

    Today, Mom was brushing our dog, Pumpkin. She's a labradoodle, (a mutt). As Mom brushed her, the fur slowly filled up the brush, so Mom emptied it. Then, I realized how much her fur looks like wool, then I thought....why not take this little bit of fur and try to spin a short piece? So I tried....and....it worked! =D So after spinning it, I made a very short chain....out of dog fur! hahaha

Two!

    Tonight I decided I would do a little bit of sewing, so I got out a quilting kit I got a few years ago and started making one of the squares. I had missed sewing very much, it was a lot of fun to sit down behind the machine again and get some work done!

The square I made tonight =D

    Since I started crafting again I feel so motivated, it's wonderful! I love ending a day feeling like I was productive! It's so nice to not only be productive, but to do things I enjoy! It has been a blessing and the Lord has blessed me with all the materials I need to keep on doing my homemaking! God is so amazing, He always provides! =D Without Him, I can do nothing.

Next Projects!

Almost too Many Projects!

        I have so many different projects that I want to do, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and spinning...all of it! I want to sew using a quilting kit I got a while ago, sew a skirt, finish knitting another shawl, crochet a different kind of shawl, crochet a large afghan, and get better with the drop spindle. My cotton-fields! SO many different things I'm wanting to do! It'll be so much fun, almost overwhelming though ;) haha

 New Yarn...and FREE!

        So, when we were in Tennessee, we went to Hobby Lobby. I got some fabric to make a skirt and was SO excited about it! Well, a couple days ago my sister, Tabitha, took me to Joann's because I wanted to get some yarn to make a matching shawl for my skirt, I couldn't find yarn to match it, so I bought a different color that I liked, even though I knew it wouldn't match my new fabric.
        OK, so here's the actual point to the story haha.... Today, my Gram and Grandmother came over to spend some time with us and work on some crafts. Gram showed us all of her finished shawls, one of them matches my skirt fabric PERFECTLY!! Then, Gram said she had 3 leftover skeins of that very yarn and that I could have them if I wanted! I was so super excited! It's the perfect amount to make a beautiful shawl to match my skirt! Now I can hardly wait to get sewing and crochet a shawl to match it! =D God is just so good!!!!

Update!!!

      So, after I posted this yesterday my sister and I brought my grandmother back home, and guess what! She gave me several skeins of a sage type green yarn! It'll work REALLY well for the afghan I'm wanting to do....my cotton-fields, so much yarn was given to me yesterday! =D Couldn't be more excited! Praise God!!!

 

There are about 6 skeins of this green for my afghan! =D

   


My skirt fabric and new yarn! =D

More Time to Craft

           I'm very excited to say that this week I finished up the rest of my schoolwork and graduated highschool! =D  I have much more time now to help my mom around the house and practice homemaking, which is such a huge blessing!


Some of my finished projects laying out on my bed =) Lots of yarn =D

          At some point in the next week or so I plan on getting better aquainted with our new sewing machine, I can hardly wait! We recently got a video put out by The West Ladies called The Art of Sewing, which I look forward to watching, I'm sure it'll be very helpful! =D
          Another thing! I'd REALLY like to try to use my mom's drop spindle and get good at spinning wool to make yarn. While we were in TN my new friend, Cami, taught us how to use it, I was really bad at it, but really want to learn how to get good! haha =D Cami does some BEAUTIFUL work on her spinning wheel, it inspired me, and I believe the rest of the girls too!
          I can't believe how many different crafts I want to do, and how many crafts I want to learn to do, I want to crochet more, learn more knitting and sewing, and get better at spinning, but hobbies are good, and crafts are productive, so I guess I can't really go wrong! =D Now that I'm graduated, I'll have more time to learn to do the things I want to learn and do more of the things I already know how to do, I'm sure it'll be a huge blessing, it already has been! =D God is so AWESOME!