Honey… Getting crafty in 2020!!!

Life is a series of obstacles preventing me from crafting”

scrapbook.com

One of the joys I have found in retirement is reacquainting myself with crafting… needlework, sewing, Cricut (boy, is that fun!), and one of my new passions, punch needle. Really exciting, messy, and…. expensive! However, I will survive! I have found the perfect sweet spot – sitting at my sewing machine, surrounded by 3 cats and 1 dog, listening to a great book on Audible or music, and sewing my little heart out! That, for me, is a charmed life!

This year, I decided to make stockings for all of us in my immediate family… me, Mr. G., my son and daughter, and my daughter-in-laws. What fun I had! I chose fabrics from three different jelly rolls (pre-cut 2.5″ strips of a collection of fabrics meant to go together), and used the “Quilt as You Go” kits https://www.junetailor.com/quilt-as-you-go (which consist of quilt batting with a printed pattern already on it – you quilt strips directly onto the batting, and voila!, you have a finished, quilted stocking when you are done). You sew a backing fabric on the back side of the batting before you start sewing strips on the front, so that when you do sew the strips on the front, the stocking is lined as well as quilted. Easy-peasy! The “Quilt as You Go” line also carries patterns for placemats, table runners, and other fun stuff! I’m having a blast. As someone who is incredibly impatient and not particularly geared towards a project that would take a long time, this is definitely in my wheel house.

Here’s a peek at works as I progressed:

One thing that was stumping me was how to personalize the stockings. I really didn’t want to go traditional cuff with embroidered name, because it would cover up some of the fabrics I had chosen (and I really tried to choose fabrics that reflected the personality of each of my family members – that was so fun!). I came upon the idea of using ribbon as the hanging loop and using my Cricut to cut out everyone’s names and ironing them on. Here’s a peek:

I secured each name loop with a button, and, two (only two?) trips to Michael’s later, I was in business.

I would love to know what you all are doing craft-wise. I am loving this life, and I am enjoying connecting with friends who love to do the same. Hopefully, this year, there will be many more craft posts on Honey, Let Me Tell You…

Hoping that you all had a wonderful holiday season! Blessings to everyone! Next time on the blog… the dreaded Resolutions and a Book challenge!!! Until then, my friends!