Jen Crutchfield

Finish It Friday - Pillow Cover

2013-05-17T14:00:00.002-04:00

I needed a quick and easy project to work on while watching tv in the evenings with the kids. This was pretty fun to make but I would like to use different colors for the rows next time to make it more interesting. The inspiration and tutorial for this project came from the Nest.

Zendala Dare #5

2013-05-12T12:49:00.000-04:00

This week's template from The Bright Owl and TangleHarmony:

And my finished page:

I found this one a little dizzying at times. When I reached this point with the white space in the middle, I decided it was quite enough. I think I'm reaching that point in learning a new craft when you start to get frustrated with yourself because you're approaching the hard part. The part where I have to actually buckle down and practice to get better. I need to learn to get better at shading. It's my current nemesis. Usually, I just ignore it. I know when I decide to take the time to practice, I'll be pleased with the results.

I also received my first zen in the mail this week. Awfully fitting that it came from Rick and Maria, the inventors of the art form. I won a previous week's giveaway at the Zentangle Blog.

It's kind of amazing. The lines are so gentle and soft. It honestly looks kind of unreal. I'm excited to have it as I continue to learn how to improve my own drawings.

Zendala Dare #4

2013-05-06T11:18:00.002-04:00

This week's template from The Bright Owl:

And my finished project:

Again, click on it to see it larger.

And, here's Sarah's version.

Also, please go and enter this giveaway. I'm sure my aunty would love to win but really, y'all are gonna let her win by default? Come on. Really. Go enter and tell your friends.

My lake called my name today

2013-05-03T20:18:00.001-04:00

Audrey (the Quilt) - Finish It Friday

2013-05-03T15:50:00.001-04:00

I've decided I'm going to start naming my quilts after people in my family. So this one is named after my grandma, Audrey (Dad's mom).

I started this quilt when I took the "How to Quilt From Start to Finish Class" at my local quilt shop. The only thing I'd been avoiding was the binding. I decided to queue up a Law & Order marathon on Netflix to "watch" and got that thing done!

Remember to enter the giveaway I posted yesterday for a copy of Seaside Home from Stash Books.

Pebble Stack Wallhanging and a Giveaway

2013-05-02T19:19:00.000-04:00

So, last week I showed you my finished pebble wall quilt because seriously, who can wait to show a finish, right?

But - this week there's more! The pattern comes from the book called Seaside Home. And this week, someone reading this post will get a copy of their very own from Stash Books and C&T Publishing. (Overseas winners will receive an electronic copy.)

While I was working at Erica's, it was pretty much an occupational hazard that I got to see everything new as it came in. That was part of my job, after all. So when I saw this book it went on the "Jen must have it" list. Because my husband and mother-in-law are awesome I received it as a Christmas gift.

The designer of the Pebble Stack Wallhanging, Deborah O'Hare, is a fabric painter and the fabrics in her quilt in the book certainly show it. The sand and the water, and of course the sky, look almost real in her version. I had high intentions of painting some fabric for this project but time and wisdom (?) got the best of me so I decided to use some batiks. I found Hoffman Fabrics Bali Snaps in Breakers and Caramel which I thought looked perfect. I even decided to use them for some of the pebbles.

Practicing the layout for the background

Also, the designer was able to make her binding match the colors of the different sections. While I thought this was fantastic, I pretty much knew from the beginning this wasn't going to work for me and my current skill set. Maybe next time.

There are about a thousand things I could have done better on this quilt but I love, love, love it all the same. I had originally thought I would quilt it rather sparsely, but in the end I followed some of the coloring on the fabrics with the quilting and it all just led to quilting the crap out of it. It turns out, that's becoming my style, I think.

Now, some of you may know how much I love the lake and would really love to have a seaside home. Maybe some day I will but it most likely won't be for a while so making all of the projects in this book may not be all that practical. But, in the mean time I'm going to choose a couple to work on anyway.

So here's what I think I'll do. In order to enter the giveaway for the book (thanks again to Allison and Stash Books!), you need to leave a comment with your choice of which of the following three projects I should try first. Whichever gets the most votes will be the first one I try.

1. Embroidered Wall Art designed by Jasonda Desmond

2. Porthole Baby Quilt designed by Latifah Saafir

3. Beach Pillow designed by Heidi Troyer

Just leave a comment with your favorite choice, the order of your comment will determine your number, and I'll use a random number generator to choose the winner. Entries will be accepted until next Wednesday, May 8th, 2013, at 12 noon, EST. I'll announce the winner by Thursday, May 9th at noon and your book will be on it's way from C&T Publishing (remember, overseas winners will receive an e-book). I have not received compensation for this review, I really just simply love this book!

Good luck, and tell all your friends!

Clean the freezer day

2013-04-30T13:16:00.000-04:00

Some of you know how when you're working 40 hours a week there are other things that don't get done, right? For the last year-ish while I've been working full time there are many, many things around my house that have not been getting accomplished. In the two and a half weeks since I've been home again, I've been a veritable whirlwind of activity.

Today, I cleaned out the freezer. Not the extra one in the garage, though that needs a good defrost and clean as well. I cleaned out the freezer in the kitchen. I've been waiting until it was almost empty to get a chance to clean it out. Today was the day! And it wasn't even on today's to-do list.

Also, this is how our kitchen looked before we moved in. I know you're jealous of that brown carpeting on the floor. And that really awesome wallpaper on that back wall.

The first thing I'll say is that sometimes, wallpaper can hide a multitude of sins. When we removed that wallpaper and painted that wall, it was no easy task.

And - look at what my fantastic husband, Jon, did while I was out of town in February. He refinished the floor in the kitchen! It is fantastic. It's amazing how much brighter the room is now that the floor is done.

With such nice improvements and now a clean freezer you would think I would just love cooking in there, eh? Unfortunately, cooking is not one of my loves. Maybe I'll pretend it's crafting while I cook dinner tonight!

Zendala Dare - #3

2013-04-28T18:13:00.002-04:00

There's really not much for me to say about these any more really. Except that I'm becoming a tad bit obsessed.

If the smaller tangles are difficult to see on your monitor you should be able to see the image larger if you try clicking on it.

Be sure to visit The Bright Owl to see this week's template and everyone's drawings throughout the week. I've also been working through some of the previous week's dares and I'll post them at some other point.

Finish It Friday

2013-04-26T18:04:00.000-04:00

Here's a project I actually finished this week. I even have the ouchies on my fingers from binding to prove it. I've got to learn to use a thimble. Or find someone to do my bindings for me. I think I like that idea even better.

I'll have more on this next week along with a give away of the book it's from! I'm thinking about giving this wall hanging away, too. I can't keep them all, right? Not enough room in my house. Who wants it?

Artists I Adore - Sarah Crutchfield

2013-04-25T19:15:00.001-04:00

This past week was my Sarah's 6th Birthday. I can't think of a better artist to spotlight this week than her.

She wrote in permanent ink on the floor. We left it for a while and did manage to eventually get all of it off.

Sarah's first sewing lesson. I made the mistake of buying her a kid's machine another day thinking it would be better for safety. We quickly abandoned it to return to this machine. She does a great job watching out for her fingers and this machine actually works.

She has a very special sense of style.

AND - she lost her first tooth today while she was at school. Wow, was she excited.

This girl is going to do great things and I can't wait to see.

Zendala Dare - #2

2013-04-21T22:15:00.001-04:00

I intend to work more on this one but thought I would like to document the process along the way.

Here's the beginning:

Here's where it's at tonight:

When I spun it around I thought that this view of the checkerboard portions looked like some crazy guy walking across the page.

You can find the template and check out the linky with other people's work as well at The Bright Owl.

And here's the update:

Zendala Dare - #1

2013-04-14T23:09:00.002-04:00

So I've jumped into a Challenge a year into the thing. There is a new template posted weekly for you to use as a starting point for your drawing. You can learn more about it by clicking on the blog button below.

Here was today's starting template:

And here's where I ended up:

I'm still not convinced it's really "finished," but that's all I have time for today, so there you go.

Artists I Adore - Jacquie Gering

2013-04-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

I had the chance to meet Jacquie Gering at Quilt Con in February but didn't see this video until this past weekend. It totally broke my heart, and hers, obviously, as she talked about her husband's experience working in the Chicago Public Schools. I really hope you'll take the time to watch the video. You can also see two more very interesting interviews from QuiltCon at the QuiltAlliance website.

But, the way I met Jacquie really had little to do with actually making quilts, other than the fact that we were both at that place because we were quilters. Jacquie was one of the leaders for the conference and I got to spend some time with her on the first day I worked as a volunteer. Basically, she and I (and a bunch of other folks) schlepped a whole bunch of stuff from the loading dock to the quilt show floor and the office. All of the goodie bags, quilts for the show, office supplies, etc had to be brought from vehicles to the appropriate areas. I was probably counting at some point because that's what I do, but I quickly lost count of the number of trips we made back and forth from the loading dock.

So that was the first time I met Jacquie, after which of course I realized that she was THAT Jacquie Gering, the one who wrote Quilting Modern with Katie Pedersen. Jacquie of Tallgrass Prairie Studio.

The best part about meeting people such as Jacquie (and others I'll write about in coming weeks) is realizing, once again, that they are just regular people. People who have perhaps been working on something longer than I have, or had different experiences or opportunities that led them to where they are today.

So, be sure to check out Jacquie's work. Also, when you have a chance, volunteer for a conference or some other opportunity. It's a great way to get to know people at large events.

Artists I Adore - Jenny Hart

2013-04-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Also known as Sublime Stitching Embroidery, Jenny Hart is really fun because "This ain't your gramma's embroidery." I've been following her for quite a while and I'm currently working on the Epic Alphabet design. I've got a way to go. (Obviously the one below is not mine.)

Source: mycraftaddiction.tumblr.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Jenny recently launched her own floss line, which I think is fun. Frosting is my favorite collection. Also, she always has one "freebie" pattern on her site.

I hope you'll check her out. Let me know if you decide to do any of her designs and I'll stitch along with you.

Artists I Adore - Sara Mincy

2013-03-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

I love, love, love the art work of Sara Mincy. She's also a hard working mama so I'm just extra impressed that she gets as much done as she appears to. Be sure to check out her blog, her Pinterest, and keep up with her on Facebook.

Source: sara-mincy.blogspot.com via Sara on Pinterest

Artists I Adore - Mary Engelbreit

2013-03-18T13:12:00.000-04:00

Ever since I first found her greeting cards with coordinating decorated envelopes at the University Bookstore, I have been in love with Mary Engelbreit. The first one I sent in the mail was to my sister, for her birthday maybe? And I am positive that it made it through the mail faster than a normal old plain envelope.

Source: Uploaded by user via Mary Engelbreit on Pinterest

If you've lived under a rock and never seen any Mary Engelbreit art, take a look at her website, her blog, and her Pinterest page.

I'm determined to attend the Home Companion Workshop in St. Louis but they aren't holding it this year. I'm planning on being there in Spring 2014.

Log Cabin Conundrum

2013-03-15T22:22:00.000-04:00

I need your help to decide which way to arrange my log cabin blocks. I tried five different sets but the choices are truly endless. What do you think? In no particular order we have ...

Straight Furrows

Unnamed

Streak of Lightning

Barn Raising

Sunshine and Shadows

The original article I wrote on this is here. I hope you'll let me know what you think.

In case you missed it - Sarah's first sewing lesson

2013-03-13T09:00:00.000-04:00

Not too long ago I wrote an article about Sarah's first sewing lesson. Hope you'll click through and take a look.

How to keep the dining room table clean

2013-03-12T20:05:00.001-04:00

Finish your sewing project, of course.

There they are. 49 log cabin blocks. The plan was to make 48 for this quilt. I figure this way I can throw one out if I don't like it.

The next step is to decide which pattern to use to put them together. This? Could take a while. The choices are literally endless.

AND, since I am finished with this part of the project, I removed my sewing machine from the dining room table. This is also very good news.

French General-ish Log Cabin

2013-03-03T22:34:00.001-05:00

Of course I started a new project.

French General is the designer of the majority of the fabrics going into this quilt. And yes, I really just cannot stay up long enough to make one more block tonight.

I've been wanting to use this fabric to make a quilt just forever and collecting fabrics as they were in the end of bolts shelf (deep discounts). It's a good start.

Personalized Pillow #4

2013-03-02T18:56:00.001-05:00

The one where I finish another project.

2013-02-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

So here is my third finished personalized pillow. This pattern has become my new favorite go-to gift for birthdays for young kids. At least I know that nobody else will get them the same thing, right?

And I don't care what anybody says, that's a hug. He did this just after he opened it up. It made me happy. Happy 2nd birthday to one of Sarah's favorite little buddies!

Aidan Pillow

2013-01-20T00:11:00.001-05:00

Today was my nephew Aidan's birthday. He had a pretty fun Angry Birds party. And I actually finished his birthday gift an entire hour before the party. I really need to get better at planning ahead for this stuff.

Before I left I asked him to pose with his pillow. He's such a good kid he humored me for my picture. I really enjoy the light saber battle going on in the background.

I know this one is blurry but he looked so stinkin' happy to me when he opened it. It made me feel pretty good.

The stitching looked really cool on the inside before I turned it right side out. This was the first time I've tried satin stitching using my new sewing machine. It's not as easy as it looks, that's for sure.

Pre-Stuffing

Post Stuffing

So, that's one crafty finish for me. And one happy birthday for the Birthday Boy.

Start Less, Finish More

2013-01-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

Waaay back on May 21st of last year, I made a list of unfinished projects that needed some attention. Here's what's left to do:

1. Pink/White class quilt binding
2. Bee hexagon quilt
3. Buttercup quilt - need to cut more strips

Strips cut for the Buttercup Quilt

4. Broken Blues quilt - Very first quilt top I ever pieced.
5. Red/Brown squares quilt
6. Welcome Home cross stitch
7. Tomato Crate Label cross stitch - which is farther along than I remember!

Tomato Crate Label

8. Sublime Stitching ABC
9. Emily's yellow rug - I really will finish them some day, Emily.
10. Emily's blue rug
11. Blue table runner - needs quilting and binding
12. Red/White/Blue table runner - top is finished

All of the above projects are in some stage of completion, as you can see from the photos.

These projects were actually finished:

1. Art Beat Yarn Bomb

Mine wasn't her favorite, but she was nice enough to pose by mine anyway.

2. Sarah's purple and green quilt binding
3. Practice piece binding
4. Nana book bag
5. Hand Made Gift Exchange pin cushion
6. Jessica and Nick beach glass heart

I must really like them to give away my beach glass.

7. Charlotte's Strip and Flip Quilt
8. "Sarah" pillow

And these projects have been abandoned for various reasons:

1. Sarah's purple sweater
2. Sublime Stitching frame for Jessica and Nick
3. Julie cuff bracelet for myself
4. Snake amigurumi

And of course, more projects have been added to the list for finishing:

1. Aidan's birthday gift - finished 1/19/13
2. Tara's birthday gift
3. Fruit Punch afghan

As hard as I try, I know I will start more projects. It's just what I do. But, the plan is to finish what I have, and use supplies I already own to make any new projects that do pop up.

Well, that's the plan anyway...

Dedicated

2013-01-03T23:36:00.000-05:00

It's time to choose some reading. It's been a while since I've done any focused blog reading and commenting so here goes. I think I'll choose ten this time around. Most likely they'll be mainly crafting blogs because that's what I'm up to right now. However, I'm open to others as well.

If you could use a dedicated reader/commenter for the next month or so, send me an email to jencrutch (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll add you to the list.

Last time I did this I learned some lessons. I'm sure I will this time around as well. Kind of fun, eh?

So, what are you reading these days?