Generosity, Creativity and Prayer

The mailman delivered two surprise packages yesterday.  It was a fabric explosion!

Two lovely, generous Farmgirl Sisters sent me goodies from their fabric stash.  The sizes range from a few inches to a half-yard.  I was planning projects by the dozens while sorting through the piles.  Number one on my list is the Book Quilt.  I now have PLENTY of choices for making the 300+ "books".  One package included some pre-cut 8" squares which my sister and I will be making into potholders.

Among the many treasures I received was one that made my heart do an extra pitter-patter.  This lovely ocean print - and a good-sized hunk of it - was probably my favorite find.  It will become something adorable and beach-related for my house.

Another project that will benefit from this gift are my prayer flags.  I recently ran across the idea - I can't remember where - which led me to the Prayer Flag Project website and this Pinterest board,  The idea of prayer flags is based somewhere in Buddhism, but the details vary depending on what source you read.  Regardless of the history, the common idea today is to create a fabric or paper flag to represent the person or subject you are praying for.  The flag is then hung outside to wave in the wind and scatter the prayers to heaven, or to blow blessings throughout the neighborhood.  The interpretation is open and not necessarily theologically sound from a Christian perspective, but I figure if the smoke from incense can be used in scripture to symbolize prayers rising to Heaven, the symbolism of the breeze isn't far off.  

There are no instructions for creating a prayer flag. They can be quilted, painted, adorned with lace, buttons, flowers . . . the possibilities are endless.  They tend to be rectangular and approximately 10"x12" - but the size and shape are as individual as the decorations. They can fly for a day to mark prayers for a certain event, or left up indefinitely for ongoing concerns.  

I have so many ideas in my head, it will take awhile to get caught up.  I hope to start on the first prayer flag this evening.  The addition of the "Fabric Extravaganza" will certainly help my creativity.  Thank you, ladies!

The "Book" Quilt - Step 1

In early March, I wrote this post about my latest and greatest quilt plan.  Although the inspiration quilt was designed to resemble the bass line on an equalizer, I naturally, saw it as bookshelves.

Quilt by Sarah @ The Last Piece

All I need now are 300+ 2 1/2" strips of assorted  fabrics. I have enough fabric on hand to accomplish that, but I think this project calls for as much variety as possible, so I asked some of my Farmgirl Sisters if they would swap scraps with me.  Four generous ladies responded, so I spent last evening sorting through my stash (which is really just a stash-let, compared to some of you big-time quilters) for pieces to cut into strips and pieces to share.  Here's what I have so far:

It's going to be a wild bookshelf!

Packages of my leftovers will soon be winging their way to Sisters in North Dakota, Maine and I forget where else, while mini-treasure chests of their leftovers are headed to Nebraska.  I can't wait! (Can you wait?  Ask my nephew, Todd - it's an inside joke.)

Sew Wonderful

As part of the Farmgirl Sisterhood, I have been earning various badges. I will be using the blog as a way of documenting them for my own use, and possibly for your amusement.   So far I have received first level badges for Water Conservation and Quilting, and have applied for my first level Apron badge. The most recent badge I've applied for is the "Sew Wonderful" badge.  

The requirements for the badge are to put together a basic sewing supply kit - various colored threads, scissors, needles, pins, etc. - and to make a pin keeper of some sort.  Since I've been sewing off and on for years, I already had those supplies and more.  My issue is finding them when I need them.  I have a tendency to lay things down wherever is handy while I'm working.  "A place for everything and everything piled haphazardly."  Think I'm exaggerating?  See for yourself.

There's a trash can under the table, but obviously my aim stinks.  The plastic tote and the shopping bag on the floor of the closet hold my fabric stash - but the stash has outgrown the space and when I'm looking for something, everything gets dumped.  Same with my sewing tools.  You can't see it in this shot, but there is a lovely cabinet on the wall which my father built many years ago to hold my mom's sewing supplies.  Still, the supplies I've been using are laying on the table, the ironing board or the floor.  

My project for the badge was to sort, organize and store my supplies so that I can find them when I need them without having to dig through everything else.  It took a chunk of an afternoon, but everything is put away with like objects - all ribbon spools hanging together, bias tape in one cubby, snaps and Velcro in another, buttons gathered into a plastic bin, etc.  

The biggest sorting job was fabric, so I spread it out on the living room floor, divided it according to size, and stored it so that I can find what I need, whether it's a full yard or a six-inch square.   Fabrics for projects in progress are in the shopping bag. 

On the table, scissors and other tools I need frequently are in the cute pink craft tote I found in a box of things Amanda left behind when she went to college.  Supplies for other crafts are in the plastic drawer units.

As for the pin keeper requirement for the badge, I've previously shared one I made from a keepsake coffee mug and one I made for the arm of my chair.  Anyone want to lay odds on how long my sewing room will look this way?

Getting the Cart Before the Horse . . .

I love crafting and sewing, but sometimes I get so excited for the finished product that I don't adequately plan and I end up wishing I had taken the time to decide what I really wanted before I started.  Case in point - I recently joined the Farmgirl Sisterhood and needed a place to preserve/display the badges I've been earning.  So I purchased a kit through Mary Jane's Farm for this tote bag:

Adorable, isn't it?  My plan was to sew the completed badges on the reverse side.  But when the kit arrived, I changed plans (so what else is new?).   I didn't want a tote that looked like everyone else's tote, I needed to personalize it.  "Wait a minute!" I told myself, "If you didn't want it to look like the picture, why did you buy the kit?  You spent good money on this kit, you really ought to follow the instructions."  And the obedient, rule-following, don't-get-out-of-line girl in me agreed.  So, I swapped out the brown fabrics for my own aqua kitchen print that I love, and replaced the "fetchin" embroidered square with my membership badge.  It looked like this:

Also kinda cute.  But while the tote sat in my sewing room waiting for me to attach the badges, the rebellious, free-thinking, I-don't-need-no-stinking-rules girl in me kept nagging that it really wasn't what I wanted.  Although it's cute, the fringe and chenille really aren't "me".  Now compliant girl and rebel girl were having an arguement:  "You bought the kit and this is what you're supposed to do with it.  If you aren't going to follow the instructions, you have wasted the money."  "You have to be unique. No one can tell you how you have to decorate your tote bag!"  Yada yada yada - back and forth.

Rebellious girl won.  Rule girl finally admitted that, yes, I could have saved money by buying a plain tote and starting from scratch, but also acknowledged that I probably wouldn't have without the inspiration of the kit.  Either way, the money is spent and having a bag I'm not happy with and don't use is wasteful also.  So, I took everything off the bag and started over. (Rule girl was sure to save the pieces to be used in a future project.)  It's got a vintage feel, it incorporates quilting, the off-set pocket and badge are a bit quirky, and it's pretty.  I'd say I captured "me" pretty well.  I plan to get the badges attached to the back this weekend and keep the bag in my car to use as a shopping bag for those quick stops I frequently make to pick up only a few items.

The moral of my silly story is best summed up by country music legend Dolly Parton:

"Find out who you are and do it on purpose."

Clothespin Apron Tutorial

A couple days ago, I posted about a clothespin apron I made from instructions I found on Pinterest.  I also intended to use the apron to earn a badge through Farm Girl Sisterhood.  However, when I read the badge requirements more thoroughly (I can hear my fifth grade teacher now "Read ALL of the instructions before you begin.") there was a 2-hour minimum time requirement.  Since I had just bragged about making that apron in less than 10 minutes, it obviously wasn't going to qualify.

My next plan was to make one from my own fabric rather than a pillowcase - and I had the perfect piece waiting in the closet.  (You know, one of those pieces you buy because you know you have to make SOMETHING from it, even if you have no idea what.)  The hitch was that I didn't have enough of the gorgeous black and red fabric, so I found some red fabric with white stars for the back of the apron and inside of the pocket.  

Again, my enthusiasm overwhelmed my preparation.  Once the body of the apron was assembled, I found I didn't have enough of the black OR red fabrics to make the ties.  Another dig through the fabric stash unearthed a second red fabric - this one with small red hearts.  The three fabrics worked beautifully together and I ended up with a "tool belt" style apron that I love.  

You can certainly do this in all one fabric but I'm going to share my method to make the apron with contrasting lining.  

1.  Cut two 20x14 rectangles - one from featured fabric, one from lining fabric.  (We'll call These F1 and L1)
Cut two 20x9 rectangles - one from featured fabric, one from lining fabric. (These are F2 and L2)

2.  Lay F1 and L2 together along the 20" edge - wrong sides together.  Stitch, open seam and press.  If either of your fabrics has a pattern with a definite top/bottom, check the next picture to be sure you have everything facing the right way.  
Do the same with F2 and L1.  You should now have two panels that look like this:

Notice lower half of left panel is upside down.
It will fold up to create the pocket and will then be right-side-up.

3.  Line up the panels, right sides together and sew around three sides, leaving the top open (the edge that will be the top of your apron). Turn right-side-out and press seams.  You should now have a basic pillow case (remember this was originally a pillowcase apron).  

4.  Lay the pillowcase out, the F1/L2 side facing up - the top of this side will be the main panel of your apron, so make sure the correct fabric is on top.  Fold the bottom (sewn) edge up along the seam line to create the pocket.  Pin and stitch sides three edges (sides and bottom).   Find center of pocket and stitch a vertical line from top to bottom - creating two pockets.

5.  Turn 1/2 " of top edge to the inside and press.You have now completed the body of your apron.  It just needs ties.  

6.  Cut two strips 3"x45" (or width of fabric).  Pin, right sides together along short end, stitch and press seam open - creating a strip 3"x90".  Fold in half length-wise and sew along long edge.  Turn right-side-out and press.  

7.  Pin tie along top edge of apron body, matching center seam of tie with center of apron.  Top stitch along top and bottom edges of tie, stitching body of apron closed at the same time.  Try the apron on and cut ties to the length you need.  Turn ends of tie to the inside, press and top stitch closed.

Press, fill with clothespins and head to the clothesline.

You Say You Want an Evolution . . .

We are sisters — a sisterhood of farmgirls.  We’re country, we’re city, and every texture and stripe in between. It’s not at all about where we live, but how we live.* 

I recently subscribed to Mary Jane's Farm magazine, and through the magazine, discovered the Farmgirl Sisterhood.  

Farmgirls are multi-talented, resourceful, creative, strong, down-to-earth, and generous by nature. We enjoy creating things, whether it is in the kitchen, our studios, or the wood shop. We may not live in the country, but friendship, fun, community, and creativity bloom wherever we happen to be “planted.” In other words, farmgirls can do anything they set their minds to, sorta’ like the Little Red Hen in the famous children’s story. We enjoy the fun of getting together to create, to help others in our communities, or to share ideas. We believe in the power of the Farmgirl Sisterhood to change the world for the better!*

Along with the friendships and sharing, sisterhood members can earn merit badges.  Mary Janes says "Think Girl Scouts for grown-ups".  The badges cover a wide variety of talents and subjects - sewing, crafting, conservation, gardening, geneology . . .  The group embodies the "new focus" I keep talking about on here but haven't been able to put into words. 

2012 was my Revolution Year.  Revolution:  a sudden, complete or marked change in something.  After a year of focusing on changing my diet and exercise routine, I'm ready to move on.  But, the world is getting too fast, too complex, and to negative for me, so 2013 will be my Evolution Year.  Evolution: a process of gradual, peaceful, progressive change or development.  I want to focus on simplicity, kindness, and creativity - the foundations of the Farmgirl Sisterhood.  I want those characteristics to become evident in my life and on my blog.  Hang around for 2013 and watch the Evolution - or join me.  Members or not - welcome, sisters!

**********

Farmgirls are encouraged to display their earned badges on a jacket or bag.  I purchased a tote-bag through the Farmgirl store and - after a few customizations - here's the finished product.  The hexagon shown is the membership badge.  Future badges will be sewn on the reverse side.

*from http://www.farmgirlsisterhood.org/