Giving

Relay for Life

Cancer Sucks. It seems to touch every corner of life recently. For the past five years I have participated in Relay for Life in various roles. If this isn't an event you are familiar with, I highly suggest you google it and find an event in your area. I relay to find a cure. I relay in honor and memory of many family and friends. I began as a member of a team in honor of a colleague, the next year I became a team captain playing the role of an organizer for other team members and organizing fundraisers. Now, I am still a part of a team but I also am on the Event Committee as an Entertainment Organizer. I arrange music and activities throughout the night to keep the walkers energized during their over-night adventure. I also fund-raise throughout the year. If you are interesting in donating to my team please click on the following link: Donate! To pull my weight in fundraising I agreed to donate a bag that I made for a Calendar Raffle. There was a prize for each day in the month of April! Mine will be drawn next Wednesday and here is what the winner will get: A Tulip Purse! I just love this material. The photo hardly does it justice.

I also just finished another Quick Trip Diaper bag for a friend of a friend. The picture quality is not the best as I had poor lighting today, but it is a brown and blue/teal. It looks much busier than it is in real life, I promise! I love this bag because it has pockets galore! It has a pocket on the outside front, and an elastic pocket below one of the straps and SIX on the inside!

Respectfully,

Harmony

Projects Galore

Fun Projects

Even though it has been a while since I was last able to post a blog, I have been very busy crafting! This post is going to be chock-a-block full. 

Last Week

I was pleased to attend the baby shower for my best friend, Beth. On my last blog I shared with you the the Swaddling Blanket that I made for her from the book Fabric by Fabric One Yard Wonder. Well I took another project from that book too. I made her a stroller bag. Of course, I forgot to get a photo so instead I will share with you the picture of the product from the pattern.

Diaper Bag

The blanket and stroller bags were just fillers though. The real present was a diaper bag! She already had the big 'everything but the kitchen sink' heavy duty diaper bag, but what new mom doesn't want an trendy option for quick trips out? My solution to this was found in an online pattern!  I chose the Quick Trip diaper bag found here: Quick Trip Diaper Bag It has a plenty of pockets inside and out. The pattern called for PUL fabric for a waterproof lining. I don't have any available to me, so I lined it with a standard cotton fabric. I also substituted the button for magnetic snaps. This pattern is very well written and I was able to put this bag together in approximately four hours. Here is my version...

Shopping

The baby shower was trip south to a 'Big City' for this county girl.  It was also the perfect opportunity to take a trip to JoAnne Fabric! My dearest Dad gave me a gift card for Christmas and it was just calling out to be used. Sadly, I had no specific projects lined up so I tried to think about what were some staples that I would be needing. Below is a photo on what I stocked up on. Gutermann thread (on sale and very good to have on hand), paper weights (I had fighting with pattern pieces), 3 packages of magnetic snaps (I can't buy them where I live....and I LOVE them), 2 bundles of 18"x21" solids, and 1 yd each of a print and solid that I will be using to make a purse that will be part of a fundraising raffle for my Relay for Life team.

 This Week

This week is a school vacation and it came just in time! It's only Monday and I am already using the time to craft every spare moment! This weekend I decided to make myself a bouquet of flower pens. Have you ever noticed that the pens that are left by the note pad to take phone messages or write grocery lists always seem to grow legs and walk off? Well not longer. Here is my beautiful pot of pens.

Puzzles

Vacation is all about taking time to refuel. Growing up it meant working on a puzzle. I love puzzles and I get a new one nearly every year for Christmas! But living in a small apartment, it isn't easy to find the space to complete a puzzle. The puzzle I got for Christmas this year was the perfect size and it was fun to put together. This is what I spent Saturday doing.

Knitting Project

Last night I plucked up the courage to attempt a slouchy hat on my knitting loom. I've wanted to make one for awhile now, but had not found a pattern that I liked for the loom. After watching a few youtube videos, I decided to attempt my own! I'm pleased with the result! I will be making more of these and I will probably make them a bit longer than this one, but you have to start somewhere right?

Respectfully,

Harmony

Christmas gifts on Easter Day?

Easter fell on the second Sunday of the month but I was able to keep my commitment to work on Christmas presents on this day! The weather here was lovely and I was able to cut out a project and do some hand stitching out in the screen room! A real contrast to the weather in Maine. When Mr. Pieceful and I talked to Harmony today she said it was snowing in northern Maine! Tomorrow will find me finishing up the Christmas gift and placing it in the gift box! Next month I will continue this resolution back home in Maine! Hope it stops snowing by then!

I have been busy since my last post working on small items to send back to Maine. The quilt group that I belong to is having it's biannual Quilt Show the first Saturday in May and I have made items for the Sale Room. I have made bread basket cloths, pin cushions, bibs, a nursing apron ( aka Udder Cover or Hooter Hider),burp cloths and a few other things.