~THE SEWING NOOK
~
I
love to sew.
Sewing has
been a hobby since high school. When my girls were
young I made clothes for them and their dolls. I have
made
my
share of Barbie clothes. Now I
mostly enjoy making home decor
items, pillows, placemats, table-runners and
curtains. I also enjoy making stuffed toys and dolls.
At Easter I like to make lovely Victorian baskets,
using
various
fabrics and trims.
One of my favorite things to make are costumes. I
guess
it's because it gives you a chance to get really
creative.
Halloween costumes are a treat every year for my
grandchildren. I've made poodle skirts, dinosaurs,
clowns, indians, lions, and of course princess and
fairy costumes. Oh, don't let me forget the cute
Minnie Mouse costume complete with ears! Recently
I
made a christening gown for my granddaughter Megan.
It was heirloom styled cotton batiste with lots of
lace, ribbon and small hand sewn seed pearls. She
looked
like an angel in it. One thing I haven't perfected
yet, is
making jointed teddy bears. The fur takes special
handling
when you cut and sew it.
I love to buy fabrics. When I see some I like I
always
try to buy between 2-3 yards. That's usually enough
for
anything I would decide to make with it later on.
Needless
to say I have quite alot on hand. If I would stay off
the
internet I could finish up some projects I have
started. Oh
well I guess I'll finish them someday.
This year (2001) I went to my local quilt store and took a 4 hour quilting class and I am hooked! I love it. I have so many scraps and fabric on hand, that this will be a good way to put some of it to good use. I have made 3 flannel Ragtime quilts. I have a blue and yellow Ohio Star quilt top done, just waiting to be machine quilted. I need to practice alot more first. I am also workng on a quilt called Nanna's Garden. It uses 40 different floral fabrics in 1" squares sewn around 8" white squares. When my Mom passed away in 1997 she left behind a Log Cabin quilt top she made in 1975. I decided this year to finish it and give it to my Dad for his birthday in May. Its looking pretty good right now. I have added the sashing and binding and am tying it with embroidery floss. One of my
goals
is to make a victorian styled crazy quilt. They are
made
out of many types of fabrics satins, velvets and
silks
etc...They have alot of hand embroidery stitches on
them
also. Very pretty and a heirloom for sure.
Sewing is a life-long hobby I will always love! If you would like to learn to sew there are some great classes offered at your community
centers,local
schools and craft stores. I have even found some
virtual
sewing classes on the internet.
LINKS
Maki
ng crafts can be very self-rewarding. Its relaxing
and a great way to make money at home in your spare
time. I have sold my crafts in consignment shops
where you rent shelf space. Also I have had booths at
craft fairs. Now I only craft for friends and
relatives. My favorite crafts are the country crafts.
You can make something as simple as rag balls, place
them in a basket to sit on a table or bookcase shelf.
They are so easy tear 2 inch wide strips of calio or
gingham fabrics and wrap around styrofoam balls. Glue
the ends under. You can make them any size. Wooden
painted objects are the staple of country decorating.
Believe me I am no painter, but I have tried my hand
at birdhouses and they are fun and pretty easy. I
think its because they don't have to be precise..or
is it because I used stencils and sponge
stamps...umm!!! My sister Carol and I recently
painted gourds to look like English cottages,
complete with gardens, trellis, windowboxes and
cobblestone walkways. Visit craft fairs and get
ideas almost any style can be copied and made to be
your own. Handmade crafts are pricy, but make a few
and you will appreciate the work that is involved.
I like to make wreaths for all of the seasons and
holidays. You can get your ideas from magazines.
The grapevine wreaths with seasonal flowers hot glued
on really look good on your front door. You can take
one wreath and make it interchangeable for all
seasons. What would us crafters do without our glue
guns? Swags also are quite easy for the beginner.
Look in your local craft store for ideas.
Christmas of course you can make beautiful ornaments
for your tree, angel tree toppers, tree skirts and
stockings can even be made now by the non-sewer.
There are all kinds of fabric glues and iron on
bonding products on the market now. Plain picture
frames can be turned into works of art. Mirrors can
be decorated with shells you picked up on your last
vacation. A great way to save those memories. Rubber
stamping has become very popular. You can make cute
invitations, gift tags and greeting cards.
There are so many ideas for beautiful Home Decor
items, just pick a theme and go with it. Whether it's
country, southwestern or modern style you can find a
craft to make, that will make the room more personal.
Below you will find some great links to craft
sites where you can get ideas and help for all
of your projects. Enjoy and lets get crafting!!!
And
Sew I Watch Over You
INDEX
[Introduction]
[Index Of Pages]
[Family~Matters]
[My~Collections]
[Making Memory Albums]
[Sewing~Crafts]
[Spring Gardening]
["I Love You Nanny"]
[Kewl Kids Links]
[The Tea Room]
[The Sweet Shop~Desserts]
[Main Dishes~Casseroles~Crock-pot Meals]
[The Strawberry Patch~Recipes]
[A-Is For Apple~Recipes]
[Healthy~Recipes]
[Recipe Archives I]
[Recipe Archives II]
[Causes and
Awards]
[Awards~II]
[Webrings~Banners]
Thanks for visiting, I hope you will
continue with me down the garden path to see what we
can find at "Nanny"s Cozy Little Nook" There's still
alot of interesting things to come....Please sign my
new guestbook.
Sign My Guestbook
View My Guestbook
Since April 24,1999
|