Spool Basket
As my online classes wind down, now is the time I get to make "souvenirs" for campers who earned all their merit badges. This is especially fun when a camper chooses to be surprised by what I'll make!
I've been wanting to try out these cute spool patterns by Sew-Ichigo. They're foundation paper pieced and partially freezer paper pieced, where y-seams are involved. It was a learning experience, and not everything ended up perfect, but I'm happy with my little spools. Making use of little fabric crumbs was the best part!
I merged the spools with Ayumi's fabric basket tutorial, making the basket taller and longer so that the spools would be featured at center. Somehow Chicopee Heatwave Stripe reminds me of thread, so that was quite the satisfying choice!
On this side, I love how that tiny Cathedrals Good Folks scrap (center spool) placed itself just slightly off-center. And the French General "la la la"... I guess this is why people get hooked on paper piecing!
Inside, she's finished with the multi-colored Ledger lining (all Ledger colors are still available at Lark Cottons!). And now I'll be sending her off to her new home, where I hope she'll have a long and successful life as a holder of dear things.
Do you know what happened after I finished my spool basket? I got stuck. Like, WAY stuck. I didn't want to sew anything, blog anything, instagram anything. But, the kicker is it was a "work" day and work I must.
Last night a friend and reader asked me if Stitched in Color is a weight of sorts on me. I had to answer... yes. On the one hand I feel truly blessed to have a creative job that requires me to stretch myself, grow and make. And, amazingly, I get to do this from home so that I can homeschool! On the other hand, it is a job. We absolutely depend on my Stitched income. It's not "extra".
And so, yesterday, when I wasn't too happy with a block I'd made for my next class, I felt paralyzed. Sometimes it feels like our life (and that 85% question of the future) hinges on doing everything right the first time. Panic! What helped was to remind myself that I can throw out that block, try it again and keep learning. I have time to get it "right" and maybe even space to get it "wrong" sometimes. Perfection is not the point, after all.
Well, there's no real reason to share this here, except to say "I'm human". Fortunately, stuck-ness passes. Don't ever think that you're alone when you feel that creative paralysis. In my experience, there's often something really great on the other side.
I've been wanting to try out these cute spool patterns by Sew-Ichigo. They're foundation paper pieced and partially freezer paper pieced, where y-seams are involved. It was a learning experience, and not everything ended up perfect, but I'm happy with my little spools. Making use of little fabric crumbs was the best part!
I merged the spools with Ayumi's fabric basket tutorial, making the basket taller and longer so that the spools would be featured at center. Somehow Chicopee Heatwave Stripe reminds me of thread, so that was quite the satisfying choice!
On this side, I love how that tiny Cathedrals Good Folks scrap (center spool) placed itself just slightly off-center. And the French General "la la la"... I guess this is why people get hooked on paper piecing!
Inside, she's finished with the multi-colored Ledger lining (all Ledger colors are still available at Lark Cottons!). And now I'll be sending her off to her new home, where I hope she'll have a long and successful life as a holder of dear things.
Do you know what happened after I finished my spool basket? I got stuck. Like, WAY stuck. I didn't want to sew anything, blog anything, instagram anything. But, the kicker is it was a "work" day and work I must.
Last night a friend and reader asked me if Stitched in Color is a weight of sorts on me. I had to answer... yes. On the one hand I feel truly blessed to have a creative job that requires me to stretch myself, grow and make. And, amazingly, I get to do this from home so that I can homeschool! On the other hand, it is a job. We absolutely depend on my Stitched income. It's not "extra".
And so, yesterday, when I wasn't too happy with a block I'd made for my next class, I felt paralyzed. Sometimes it feels like our life (and that 85% question of the future) hinges on doing everything right the first time. Panic! What helped was to remind myself that I can throw out that block, try it again and keep learning. I have time to get it "right" and maybe even space to get it "wrong" sometimes. Perfection is not the point, after all.
Well, there's no real reason to share this here, except to say "I'm human". Fortunately, stuck-ness passes. Don't ever think that you're alone when you feel that creative paralysis. In my experience, there's often something really great on the other side.