Showing Bones

Long time no see!

2011-09-22T13:22:00.002-04:00

I have returned...finally! I don't know why I randomly stopped blogging, but alas, here I am again. Hopefully I'll keep it up this time. Despite my severe lack of blogging, my crafting has been going nonstop. I've re-opened my etsy shop, but this time with crocheted scarves, sewn countless items of clothing, and I've been baking my life away. So needless to say, I'm going to have a lot to post about!

For now though, go ahead and check out my new etsy items and let me know what you think!

vacation is approaching!

2010-06-26T20:14:00.004-04:00

So did anyone else watch the USA World Cup match today? How upsetting...but we played well!

Anyway, onto more crafty matters. I decided to make some quick, simple crochet earrings on Friday just to have. I don't know if I'll really ever wear them, but it's the thought that counts! I just did a basic DC circle situation. The yarn is a little thick to be making earrings with, but it's all I had.

I'm still working on the thing from the last post as well as two other new vest things. I got new yarn today to finish the first two I had started, and should have enough yarn to finish the third one out. I'm pretty excited to see how they turn out!

Speaking of yarn, this came in the mail for me from fabric.com. The colors are gorgeous and I already started using the green one. I don't really have plans yet for the others, but I will!

Work In Progress

2010-06-22T19:58:00.002-04:00

Started this bad boy today. One piece down, 3 more to go! I'm attempting to use up a bunch of yarn that I already have because I just ordered a ton of yarn from Fabric.com thanks to a coupon code I found!

Pattern can be found here.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

2010-06-21T19:43:00.004-04:00

I made myself a delicious cup of chamomile and hibiscus tea last night and thought to myself, "wow, I really wish I had some shortbread cookies to go with this". I don't know where this thought came from, but it stuck with me all the way through the night and into today. So the search began! I happen to be a big fan of the BakeBakeBake community on livejournal, there are so many talented people with awesome recipes. I happened to run across a delicious sounding recipe for chocolate shortbread cookies and I was sold.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

2 cups flour
1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 sticks (226g) butter
1⁄4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
Cream butter. Add in sugar, salt and vanilla essence.
On low speed, add the flour and cocoa powder until the dough holds together.
Form the mixture into a ball, and flatten slightly.
Flour a pastry cloth or your work surface, along with your rolling pin. Place the dough on the floured surface, turning it to coat both sides of the dough with flour. Roll the dough into a square of about 1⁄2 inch thick. Cut the dough into 1 1⁄2 inch squares. Prick the surface with a fork.
Bake for 25 – 30mins.

Recipe can be found here.

Guess where I'm going in 2 1/2 weeks!

2010-06-15T15:02:00.003-04:00

LAS VEGAS! On my 21st birthday! Me = pretty excited.

I month or so back I randomly entered a contest that was on the Dell University website. Since I've never won anything in my life I promptly forgot all about it and moved on. However, a few weeks later I received an email telling me I'd won the contest and to fill out all these forms and mail them in. Naturally, I was skeptical because this had to be a joke or a scam or something...right?! But no, it's completely real and completely AWESOME.

The contest was called Whoever, Wherever, Whenever. I got to pick where and wanted to go and which concert I wanted to see. I get to bring along a guest as my +1, so I chose my dearest mother. Little known fact, but my biggest regret from childhood was not seeing the Backstreet Boys in concert, so I'm making up for that right now! I chose to see them in Vegas on my 21st birthday!

aaand FINISHED!

2010-06-07T17:29:00.005-04:00

I finished sooner than I thought I would! I think that seaming/weaving in ends can be categorized as my own personal hell. I would rather do ANYTHING else besides sit there and weave in ends for an hour. The end result is worth it though!

This is my first wearable crochet project! I can't wait to wear it out and show it off. I kind of fell in love with the color, it's gorgeous in person.

Mystery Crochet!

2010-06-07T11:22:00.003-04:00

IT'S A MIRACLE...I ACTUALLY CRAFTED SOMETHING. It's been months and months since I've managed to pick up a crochet hook, sit down at my sewing table, or even think about doing anything remotely crafty, but this weekend I took matters into my own hands. I plopped myself down in my chair, looked up a cute crochet pattern, and got to work.

Try and guess what this is! I should be finished within the next few days.

Clutch!

2010-06-01T12:36:00.005-04:00

I made this a few months back, but better late than never...right?! I lovelovelove the color! The pattern is from the Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet book. It was super easy to follow and I finished it in just a few hours (my attention span is lacking).

I need to get back into the crafty swing of things, but Veronica Mars has taken over my life. Does anyone watch that show? It was on a few years back and got canceled so I'm watching the dvds...it's such a great show! I also just got sucked into the show Castle. How adorable are Castle and Beckett. Too cute! Dawson's Creek is also sitting on my shelf and semi being watching by me. I'm still on disk one, but it's kind of a good little show. AND I also happen to be rewatching Supernatural. If you don't watch it, we cannot be friends. Just kidding! But really, Supernatural is awesome and you're missing out if you're not watching.

Hi my name is Brenna, and I'm addicted to TV.

Do you still remember me?

2010-05-12T16:04:00.003-04:00

-sound of crickets chirping-

Yeah, that's what I thought. It's been so long since I've posted here and even longer since I've done any form of crafting. True travesty, I know. That's what happens when college takes hold of you, important things like quilting and crocheting get pushed to the wayside.

But never fear! My last two finals are tomorrow and after that...I'm home free! (except for the fact that I'm taking two summer courses, but who's counting?) I promise to be a better blogger and a better crafter! Don't abandon me yet.

Also! New layout in preparation for the exciting things to come, let me know what you think!

Holy Crap!

2010-03-07T11:59:00.002-05:00

This giveaway from Epiphanie has just blown my mind. Not only are their bags adorable, but they are giving away either a $2500 Southwest Airlines gift certificate or a Canon camera! Can it get any better than that! RUN over to their blog and check it out...you do not want to miss out on a chance to win this.

Click here to check it out!

Dream Home

2010-03-05T10:55:00.006-05:00

As you may or may not know, I'm just a lowly college student still living at home. I quite love both my family and my house, but that doesn't mean a girl can't dream! I am OBSESSED with home decorating, remodeling, you name it. I fantasize about having my own home all the time, it's getting out of control. I save picture after picture to my computer so that when I go to decorate my future home, I'll have plenty of inspiration. I go to thrift stores and seriously contemplate purchasing pieces of furniture for my future home. My family laughs at me now, but when I'm off in my adorable dream home, I'll be the one laughing.

Here are a few of the pictures that I cannot live without. Hopefully my dream home will be something like these! (crosses fingers)

Look at that adorable country chic style. So cute. I love the greenish teal color of the furniture, and all the pillows just add so much warmth.

Words cannot fully express how I feel about this bathroom...so I shall let your minds decide for you.

Those floors. Be still my beating heart.

Do you live in your dream home right now? If you do...pictures would be great! DO share.

If you build it...

2010-02-19T10:58:00.003-05:00

Despite the fact that I'm sure nobody reads my blog, I continue to post things as if they do. I'm not sure why, but I just like blogging...whether people see it or not. I'm don't really know how to "attract" people to my blog. I post some pictures of pretty things, some crafty stuff, some boring stuff, but the people are not coming. If you build it, he will come? I guess not in this case! Hah. Oh well! I will continue to blog for as long as it entertains me and maybe someday someone will show up!

If anyone is interested, I have another blog as well! It's a movie blog sort of thing. I watched 370 something movies last year (yeah...I have no life) so I decided to start posting about some of them! Nobody is interested in that either, but who cares. My friend inspired my to start that one so I did. Go check it out if you like movies! Life is like the movies.

Inspirations & Celebration!

2010-02-17T18:58:00.003-05:00

Good news! For my degree at my university, you have to apply and be accepted into the Upper Division Social Work program in order to continue. I applied in early January and just got my acceptance letter today! I was so excited when I opened it up and saw the good news. I've been stressing since long before I even turned the application in.

I had to write two papers; one on why I chose to be a social work, and one of which group I will have the most trouble understanding and working with. I won't go into detail on them right now because who wants to be bored with that, but I wrote it about the movie Blow and sexual offenders. Hopefully this degree is everything and more for me.

Pictures of Walls

2010-02-15T13:27:00.005-05:00

I have been a big fan of the site Pictures of Walls for quite some time now. I found it about 5 years ago and have wandered back upon it every now and then. I find it so inspiring and beautiful as well as somewhat hilarious. If you look through the different albums, you're bound to find something that speaks to you in a profound way. I have many favorites from over the years, but here are a few that I've stumbled upon. Have a look around and show me your favorites!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-13T20:48:00.003-05:00

This holiday doesn't really mean anything to me because I don't have a boyfriend/husband/significant other to share it with, but I can appreciate its meaning. It's an adorable holiday with a great meaning, so I think we should celebrate it!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Sneak Peek!

2010-02-08T15:04:00.001-05:00

Here's a quick picture of my newest crochet project. I mentioned it in my last post, but here it is! I love how well the colors work together, it's on its way to becoming my favorite thing EVER.

Here's The Deal

2010-02-08T10:10:00.002-05:00

School and I have a love-hate relationship...leaning heavily on the hate. However, I know that in order to be successful in the real world blahblahblah I need an education. So I deal. What I don't appreciate about school is how it takes away from my quality craft time, something very special and essential to a girl. I try to work my crafty magic in as best I can, but sometimes it just doesn't work out. This is exactly why there has been a half finished quilt top sprawled out on my floor for over a month now. I have, however, been able to get some serious crochet time in! I finished a market bag and have now moved onto a ripple afghan. I'm so excited about the blanket, it's going to be awesome.

Onto other matters. I changed my layout! WOOHOO! I need opinions/thoughts/commentds/whatever so I know how it looks and works out. I loved my old one, but thought it was time for a change. This one is muuuuuch more simplisitic.

Anywho. I have a habit of right click saving TONS of pictures that I happen to stumble upon, therefore leaving me with quite a hefty file full of beautiful pictures and nobody to swoon over them with. So I shall now start a new weekly post where I drop all my favorite pictures! Sound good, good?

All credit goes to the respective owners/artists of these pictures. I take no credit for any of the above pictures.

Real Life Has Taken Control

2010-01-27T11:17:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's true...the real world has taken hold of me and refuses to let me get back into my crafty self. The new semester just started and it's been chaotic trying to get back into the groove of things. My new classes appear to be alright, and hopefully won't require too much effort on my part. For those of you interested I'm taking:

Families & Aging
Death, Dying, and Bereavement
History of Sexuality in the US
Human Behavior & the Social Environment II

Riveting...I'm sure. I don't talk about school much on here because really, who wants to read about that? I'm a Social Work major but you probably couldn't tell that from my classes this semester...don't ask. Anyway! Onto the crafty goodness...

I did manage to make to sneak a few hours of crochet in this weekend! My dad's girlfriend brought over some almost finished placemats that her grandmother had been working on before he passed away and asked me to finish them for her. The only thing that needed done was to weave the ends in...and yet she felt the need to pay me $25! I felt bad, so in return I decided to make her a scarf! I made the One Skein Scarf from the Stitch N Bitch book. It was super easy and fun to make. I love the way it looks and I definitely want to make more soon!

Finished Quilt Tops

2010-01-08T12:08:00.002-05:00

The brick path quilt I finished a few months ago but never got around to photographing. It's for my sister and is made from all Kona solids, I believe. I love the way it turned out.

This one is made up of a bunch of prints that I got for super cheap. It was SO easy and took only a few hours from start to finish. I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet, but I'm excited.

Newest Quilt

2010-01-06T16:17:00.006-05:00

I ordered my new fabrics from Whittle's Fabrics on Saturday afternoon and they arrived Monday...talk about fast shipping! I was so excited when they showed up, I was showing them off to everyone. Today I finally got a chance to cut into them and managed to sew up all the blocks as well. I ended up only using 6 of the prints because I didn't want the blue to be disproportionate with the other colors. I LOVE the way they turned out. The colors are awesome together and it took so little time to cut, sew, and press. I have to decide on the final layout and then I can piece them all together.

Quilt Inspiration

2010-01-03T11:52:00.002-05:00

I'm about to start working on my next quilt and I couldn't be more excited! I finally got the quilting feet for my machine that I've been wanting forever, so no more procrastination from me. I still have quite a few unfinished quilts waiting in the wings, but for now they will have to wait some more. I have too much delicious fabric to wait any longer.

Speaking of fabric...I just ordered more yesterday. I couldn't control myself. It's right after Christmas and my bank account is still suffering from all the gift giving, but there was just no way I could deny the $1.75/$2.00 1/2 yard cut prices! I'll post a picture when they get here!

For now, here are some quilt that are going to be my inspirations for my next quilt. I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet but all of these are gorgeous.

Sky High Scarf - Free Pattern!

2010-01-01T19:12:00.006-05:00

I've been busy working on getting this pattern tested and prepared so that I could post it online for everyone to use! My sister requested a scarf for a friend and I made this up as I went. It's very easy and very cute! I hope everyone loves it. I'm not a professional crocheter, but I do my best.

If you are confused about anything just leave me a comment and ask away, I'll do my best to help you out. Enjoy!

Please let me know what you think about this!

The name Sky High reminds me of huge skyscrapers and all their little windows so I thought it was appropriate for this pattern.

Sky High Scarf Pattern

Materials

Chunky Yarn (I used 1 ½ skeins of Patons Shetland Chunky Tweed, 108 yds each).

K (6.5mm) Hook

Instructions

Ch 17.

Row 1: DC in 2^nd stitch from hook. DC in each stitch to end of row.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn. Skip 1^st stitch, DC in next. *Ch 1, skip stitch, DC in next*. Repeat from * to end of row.

Row 3: Ch 2, turn. DC in each Ch 1 space and in top of each DC to end of row.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until scarf reaches desired length, bind off, weave in ends.

(Note: You may use a lighter weight yarn if you’d like. Chain more at the beginning in order to have the right width. Make sure to start with an odd number of chains.)

Christmas Stockings

2009-12-24T09:58:00.003-05:00

These are for my brother and his girlfriend for Christmas. I figured they could start their own memories and traditions together instead of using his own family stocking. I hope they love them!

Just A Reminder

2009-12-19T10:21:00.001-05:00

I know the holiday season can be stressful, but there's nothing more relaxing than sitting down and making something. Don't forget.

Crochet Mania Part 2!

2009-12-18T21:36:00.009-05:00

Pattern from here.

I've been on a crocheting craze again lately. The cream hat is a gift for my sister for Christmas which she requested...I think she'll love it. The orange scarf is for my brother's girlfriend, hopefully she'll like it! I found all the patterns online for the hats, the scarf I just made up based on what I wanted.

Inspirations

2009-12-13T23:18:00.002-05:00

These are some things that have been inspiring me lately. There's nothing like a lazy Sunday and some pretty pictures to set the mood.

Lucy's Tales @ flickr

bitterlemons @ flickr

entrayia @ flickr

I won! I won!

2009-12-09T16:30:00.003-05:00

I entered a little giveaway in celebration of WollyPetal's 100th blog post with no hopes of ever winning (my luck equates to about zero), so when I got an email from her stating that I'd won I was excited! This is my first giveaway win...ever! And how adorable are these little guys:

I've been working on some Christmas stockings so I'll update soon with those. I also completed a little decorative wreath yesterday which I'm planning on hanging in my room somewhere. Pictures soon of both things!

Finals are this week/next week so I'm attempting to focus my attention on some crafts so I don't get too stressed. I'm not one of those people who studies for hours on end before an exam, I just go with the flow. Wish me luck!

My Lovely Town

2009-12-01T14:14:00.002-05:00

I'm pretty fortunate to live in a beautiful state and in an equally beautiful city. Mooresville, NC is where I call home...and I wouldn't change it for a thing. I have such a love affair with North Carolina, it's ridiculous. I've lived here since I was 10 and I plan on spending the rest of my life in NC. Onto my town...

Those of you who are Nascar fans will know that Mooresville is pretty much the racing capital. All the Nascar shops and teams are located here and a ton of drivers themselves live on the lake. Speaking of the lake...it's kind of a big deal. Lake Norman is located in Mooresville and takes up a ton of the area. It's so beautiful and I love being able to drive over it day after day after day.

Great Giveaway

2009-11-02T13:07:00.003-05:00

Go check it out for a chance to win some beautiful fabrics!

Crochet Mania!

2009-10-31T11:57:00.003-04:00

My life has become a whirlwind of crocheting! Last week I decided to attempt crocheting a hat and it's all gone downhill from there. I can't seem to put my hook and yarn down for more than a couple hours. I've been turning out finished items like it's my job. Here's what I've been busy making.

I'm a fabric addict

2009-10-19T14:23:00.003-04:00

Hi, my name is Brenna...and I'm addicted to fabric.

It's true. I'm a poor college student and yet I find myself ordering fabric ALL THE TIME. I can't help it! I just love opening up the packages and holding my brand new pretty fabrics in my hands. My collection is constantly growing.

I just ordered some amazing solids as well. Unfortunately, I suck at photographing them. I got a beautiful teal blue, a dark gray, a sunset yellow, and a dark fushia. I'm planning on making this quilt with them.

New Stuff!

2009-10-07T16:26:00.004-04:00

I've been working on a new wonky log cabin quilt in hopes of sending if off to my friend for her birthday this week, but I've decided to abandon that project for now and work on something else for her birthday. I whipped up this bag in about an hour. It's not perfect, but it's the thought that counts. It's reversible and has a green print on the outside and a blue print on the inside. Hopefully she'll love it!

I've also been really into these tea bag bookmarks. They're super cute and very fun to make. My family has been demanding I make one for them! I don't know what I'm doing with them yet, but there are a few in my etsy shop.

Lovely Giveaway at Vintage Fern!

2009-09-29T22:55:00.002-04:00

Go check it out!

You could win this adorable bag!

I'm still hard at work on my newest quilt, so progress pictures will come soon!

What I've Been Up To!

2009-09-25T16:48:00.004-04:00

I got some inspiration from the latest ORBC Quilt Along and decided to break out some fabrics and start my own wonky log cabin quilt! I'm not sure if I'm really doing it "right", but I like the way they look so far. I think I want to do some odd shaped ones, and not just all squares. We'll see!

Missing!

2009-09-06T09:59:00.003-04:00

Sorry I've been missing from around here lately. My crafting self has taken a backseat so that the scholarly self can drive for awhile. My classes started a few weeks ago so I've been in full-force education mode. On top of that, we decided to install some hardwood floors (which look AMAZING) so I've been busy with that as well. Overall, a busybusybusy last few weeks.

The only crafty thing I've managed to work on in awhile has been taking apart an old dress in an attempt to refashion it into a skirt. I have yet to start the reconstruction on it. If anyone has any ideas on skirts patterns, I would love to hear them!

I also love how we hit September and the weather cooled off 10 degrees. It feels heavenly outside these days. I can't wait to start sleeping with my windows open. There's nothing like a cool breeze at night.

All Squared Up

2009-08-25T16:28:00.007-04:00

I'm FINALLY done sewing all my half square triangles for my next quilt. It's only taken forever and a day. Not really, but it seemed like they would never end. I have 289! -gasp-

Look at them all stacked and crazy. I love it.

This is the layout I think I'm going with. Kind of a random colorful crazy thing. I hope it looks awesome because this is going to be on my bed. It'll be 17 blocks by 17 blocks when it's all said and done, so it'll be pretty big! I still need to get a different sewing machine foot so I can actually start quilting my first one and then move onto this one.

Giveaway Winner!

2009-08-23T18:26:00.003-04:00

I'm drawing it tonight because I just can't wait until tomorrow!

The winner is:

Nichol!

"What pretty fabrics! I think all these giveaways are so fun! I'm bound to get lucky. :) Thanks for hosting one too!"

Congratulations to you! Please contact me so I can get your mailing address.
burnabrenna@gmail.com

Giveaway!

2009-08-17T16:51:00.006-04:00

This past week I went on a cleaning frenzy in my garage and happened to stumble upon some vintage fabrics from my grandma and aunt. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to host a giveaway!

The winner will receive this little bundle of 4 vintage fat quarters.

Each person can earn two entries:

1) Simply leave a comment on this post!

and/or

2) Blog about this then leave a separate comment with the link to your post.

You can use my the following picture on your blog if you'd like!

I will draw the winner next Monday, August 24th. Good luck!

I have a slight library addiction.

2009-08-17T12:25:00.006-04:00

I can't help it though! I just crave books...all the time. I spend a lot of time on Amazon looking at books with pretty covers (yeah, I judge a book by its cover, so what!) so it only seems fitting that my collection of library books takes up over half my bookcase. It's verging on ridiculous really. I'm contemplating buying a bigger bookshelf!

These are the ones I have checked out right now...plus a few that are scattered all over the house.

Slaving Away On The Sewing Machine

2009-08-12T17:56:00.002-04:00

I've been hard at work sewing away in my own little world. Mark, pin, sew, cut, press, repeat. As boring as it sounds, I quite enjoy it.

I took a little break from making my new quilt pieces to attempt to make some sort of tote bag. I didn't follow a pattern or anything, I just winged it. I found these two plain pillowcases in my garage and decided to work with them. I hope to make another one with some prettier fabrics. It ended up being a little bigger than I wanted, but I do like my bags big! : ]

Relaxation

2009-08-09T20:07:00.001-04:00

Relaxation, originally uploaded by burnabrenna.

I just finished this book and I fell in love with it. It's such a good read and you're really sucked into it as you go. I fell in love with the characters, the circus, the animals...everything! One of the best books I've read in a while.

Finished Quilt Top

2009-08-03T17:15:00.001-04:00

So. Excited.

I finally finished my quilt top today and I couldn't be happier with it. I love the contrast of the white with the crazy blocks. It's going to be a twin size when it's all said and done.

Almost There

2009-08-02T13:42:00.002-04:00

I've been diligently (or not so much...) working on my quilt top. It's coming along quite nicely I think. I have more done but didn't take a picture of it before I left for the weekend, so you'll just have to wait and see what I've got right now ; ]

Fabric Goodness!

2009-08-01T12:24:00.004-04:00

My Freshcut fabrics came earlier this week and I fell in love. They're so much prettier in real life than I could have ever imagined. I threw in a few Kona solids and two other fabrics that I can't for the life of me remember right now. I think they match perfectly and I can't wait to start making a quilt with them.

That's where the next problem comes into play...which quilt to make. I'm deciding between 3 right now. The ORBC original quilt, the brick path quilt, or this gorgeous HST diamond thing. Decisions decisions!

Friday Flickr Favs!

2009-07-31T12:32:00.004-04:00

Summer, please return

2009-07-30T13:43:00.003-04:00

Summer, please return, originally uploaded by IrenaS.

I wish I had somewhere like this to explore during the summer. It's so dreamy and perfect. My, my dog, and the sunshine...what else could I ask for.

Etsy Update

2009-07-28T14:06:00.002-04:00

I finally got around to adding a new item to my etsy shop! It's a simple scrabble pendant but I think it's adorable, and customizable. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Progress

2009-07-28T11:07:00.002-04:00

Still chugging along on my blanket! Hopefully I'll be done within the next few days. I'm so excited! My dog attempted to curl up on it last night so clearly he's a big fan already.

Freshcut

2009-07-25T20:30:00.002-04:00

I've been mulling over fabrics for over a month now trying to decide which ones I want to order for the new Old Red Barn Co. Quilt Along. I actually ordered 12 half yards for the last quilt along, but ended up changing my mind once they got to me and started on the other one I've been posting about. Hopefully I follow through with this one.

I ordered 15 half yards so I can decide whether I want to make a twin size or 2 throw sizes. We'll see what happens.

More crocheting!

2009-07-19T19:19:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited about this whole crochet thing that I haven't put it down all weekend! I'm making so much progress, and I love watching it grow.

Crochet!

2009-07-16T20:30:00.005-04:00

So I learned to knit in one of my high school classes and have been pretty solid on that ever since, but I could never seem to learn how to crochet. I got one on one lessons from my aunt, but it still didn't sink in. I decided that I just wasn't meant to crochet...

until this past weekend!

I was bored while watching the Harry Potter marathon on ABC Family so I decided to give it another go. I watched tons of videos online trying to learn how to make a granny square, but it always seemed to be a circle. After 2 days of trying and millions of videos later, I finally found a tutorial for a "simple circle" and decided to see if I could manage that. AND I DID! I was so excited it was ridiculous. It is now sitting next to my bed being used as a coaster.

Last night though, I attempted the granny square one more time with this tutorial. It didn't seem easy at all, but once I got into it I was flying. I'm proud to say that I have successfully completed my first granny square! I'm hoping to turn it into a blanket using some teal, purple, and black yarn as well. I'll post progress pictures soon!

My first quilt ever!

2009-07-11T11:06:00.004-04:00

So I've started my very first quilt, and I couldn't be more excited!

I FINALLY got my hands on a rotary cutter on my birthday (July 2nd!) and started cutting my fabrics. I had no idea what a tedious process that was going to be. I kept having to take breaks and come back to it later when I wasn't so dead from all the effort. I finished cutting them all about a week later, but that included spending the holiday weekend with my dad so no work was done. Here they all are!

After I had them all cut I needed to arrange them into the various squares they would be sewn into. Not an easy task for one person. This is where my sister's come into play! I recruited them to help me sort and organize and it flew by. We got all the squares looking beautiful and crazy! Here's one laid out before sewing.

-Deep breath- So we're making progress, right? Next came the sewing, pressing, sewing, pressing...you get the picture. I was busting these bad boys out though at a pretty good pace. My machine kept acting up, but that's a whole different story! Here's one of the squares all finished!

It only took me 2 days to finish all my squares (that includes breaks and not working all day). I was proud! I haven't trimmed them down to size yet, but I just wanted to lay them out to see how it'd look put together. This isn't all of them, but you get the idea.

Using the tutorial from Film In the Fridge

For Sale

2009-06-24T18:32:00.003-04:00

1/2 Yard of Sugar Snap Lace in Cocoa - $4 + $2.25 shipping

I accidentally bought two and now I'm trying to get rid of one. Please email or comment if you'd like to purchase. Thanks!

Long time no blog

2009-06-19T12:19:00.003-04:00

I knew this would happen! I get so distracted that blogging just doesn't happen. It's been 10 days since I last posted anything...oops? I was having fun though, so you can't blame me!

I ordered this little kisslock clutch frame off etsy a few weeks ago and it finally got here. It was gold originally, but since I don't do too well with gold, I decided to spray paint it black. I think it looks pretty good. I knew I wanted to make a little makeup bag with it so I set out in search of a tutorial. I found this one and fell in love with it. I modified it some but I think it turned out great! It's very functional and I love the fabric combo. The glue was a pain in the ass though.

I'm also going to start Dana's quilt along soon! I finally ordered my fabric but haven't gotten around to cutting it yet, hopefully soon! I'm pretty excited about my fabric colors. It was super cheap too! It's the Sugar Snap collection by Melissa Averinos.

Fresh Air

2009-06-07T16:38:00.002-04:00

My dad decided that our family should head up to the local state park and take a hike today. Needless to say, my sisters weren't really thrilled about the idea, but we went along with it anyway. There were a variety of trails to pick from but we ended up picking the 2.6 mile trail...or so we thought. It was the longest 2.6 miles of my life. Who knows how far we really walked. It was quite enjoyable because the whole trail was around the edge of Lake Norman. It had some beautiful views and it was a nice temperature out.

The only thing I can complain about are my poor feet. They're so sore and blister-y. My sister wore flip-flops though, so I can only imagine how bad her feet are hurting.

I didn't bring my camera so I don't have any pictures to share, sadly. Here's a map of Lake Norman for you to enjoy though. I love where I live.

Current Read

2009-06-06T16:43:00.004-04:00

The thing I love most about nice weather is sitting outside and enjoying a good book while soaking up the sun. Nothing beats it.

I've been wanting to read a Jodi Picoult book for awhile now because I hear they're all excellent books and all that jazz, but I just never got around to it. However, I made a trip to the library this week to see if I could pick up a few good books and they finally had one of hers in. I was pretty excited, needless to say. The book I ended up with is called Salem Falls.

I just finished it today and it was quite a good book! I found myself sucked into the plot and not wanting to put it down. I think I read half the book today in one sitting. It's a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone who has yet to read it. I'm definitely going to pick up some of her other books soon!

Shop Goodies

2009-06-05T11:29:00.003-04:00

I was looking through all my crafting things the other day and realized "Wow, I have a ton of buttons...". Immediately after that thought I had another that said, "What could I possibly need all these buttons for?"

So here we are...with adorable little grab bags of vintage buttons in my etsy shop. I already sold one set and they haven't even been up a day, so I take that as a good sign. I need to get on making some things for my shop because it's so empty and ugly. I do love my banner and icon though, so pretty.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade
TragicCigarette.etsy.com

My love for baked apple goods knows no bounds

2009-06-05T11:21:00.003-04:00

I think that if the only food placed in front of me for the rest of my life was pizza, apple pie, and coffee...I would be perfectly fine with that. My love for apple pie or simply baked apple goods will never fade...ever.

I found this recipe for an apple crisp while I was browsing around the internet and thought I'd try it out. Some of the reviews are pretty terrible, but I went for it anyway and it turned out great. Here's the recipe for anyone who wants to try it.

4 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. In a 9 inch square baking pan, mix sliced apples with brown sugar. In a large bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, cinnamon and salt. In a small bowl, beat together egg and melted butter. Stir into flour mixture. Spread evenly over apples.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until topping is golden and crisp.

The only thing I changed because it looked a little dry on top was I cut up 3/4 a stick of butter into thin slices and covered the top with them while in the oven. It helped to keep it moist and bake better.

My first quilt...well, sort of?

2009-06-04T10:59:00.002-04:00

Despite how tiny this quilt is I still think it counts as one! I organized my crafting/sewing area last week and found some old little squares that I had cut out a LONG time ago while my grandma was in town. She was going to help me make a quilt, but clearly we only got around to the cutting part. The squares weren't all exact so I knew the quilt wasn't going to be perfect, but you have to start somewhere I guess. I started sewing and a few hours later...bam! I still need to actually quilt over it, but I was too excited to not post this!

2009-06-03T11:22:00.003-04:00

I've been in love with little terrariums for a few months now. The idea that you can just set these bad boys in some light and watch them grow is so cute to me. They're so natural and beautiful. I would love to attempt to make one of my own, but my + plants = not good.
dewgardencrafts

Since time is so short, jump with confusion

2009-06-02T19:54:00.005-04:00

Hello world! I'm attempting to start a sort of inspiration/crafting/life blog. I don't know how well this is going to work out yet (I tend to get distracted by shiny new website quite frequently), but this should be fun! I'll be posting about things I make, do, find, buy, sell, create, whatever. Let me know how you like it and pass the word along to others if you enjoy my blog.