Crafting – Thimbleanna

Liberty Bracelets

17 Comments / November 23, 2015 November 23, 2015 / Crafting, Sewing

Gosh. I’m sorry it’s been so boring around here. All work and no play makes Thimbleanna a very dull girl. Sadly, that’s all it is around here though — work, work, work. Work at work and then work at home. I listened to the Marie Kondo book on tape (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up) a few months ago and I’ve been trying to clean up a little around here. It was an interesting book and I talked back to the tape a lot — half the time I was saying “Great Idea”, and the other half of the time I was saying “You’re out of your mind!”. I’d love to be able to live as simply as she does, but it’s just not going to happen. For one thing, I’m a fabric hoarder. And, somehow, I just don’t see myself talking to my clothes and shoes at the end of each day. If I had more time to pause and actually talk to them, maybe … but for now, life is too busy. Anyway, it’s going to take a loooong time to get through the closets and drawers around here. Maybe after Christmas I’ll start back up and take it a little at a time. Or not, LOL.

In between finally finishing up the 3-week cleanout of our jumbo bookcases in the basement, I took a little one hour break this weekend and made a few Liberty bracelets. I’ve been wanting to try this project for a long time. I raided my little charm stash for charms for the bracelets.

Needle and Thread:

A Thimble (of course!):

And “Be Kind”:

I experimented with a little wider ribbon and just once around the wrist vs. thinner and twice around the wrist. I think I like the twice around the wrist version the best.

Anyway, they’re quick and fun and I think they’d make cute gifts for the ladies in your life. This video was very helpful. And I still have plenty of fabric and trinkets to make more!

Ok, off to bed for me. Are you US girls all ready for your big cooking week? Ours is going to be a little different this year and I’m a little sad I won’t be doing my usual pie making. I’ll explain when it’s all over – Good Luck with YOUR prep.

XOXO,
Anna

June?

26 Comments / June 1, 2014 June 6, 2014 / Crafting, Store

June Junie June. Can you believe it’s June already? My spring has just disappeared in the mist and it feels like we just jumped from winter to summer. It feels that way weather-wise too — it was cold for so long and now it’s pretty darn warm. We’ll take it though, won’t we? It’s been beautiful out there!

I had a busy weekend. SweetiePie dropped in for a short visit. We went shopping for CuteNiece1’s upcoming birthday but I forgot to buy wrapping paper. Pinterest to the rescue ! I found a cute gift wrap that would use the little flower loom that I’ve saved since I was a little girl.

SweetiePie and I played with the loom and I was surprised that I remembered how to make these little flowers. I used leftover yarn from this fun bag. It pays to be a hoarder!

I also managed to do a teeny bit of applique this weekend. I’m working on the center block from Phebe in the book Primarily Quilts by Di Ford. I love using that green and white stripe for flower stems — but you already know that from my last post. I had some of the green stripe from Bonnie and Camille’s Scrumptious line in my stash and I figured I’d use that because the stripe that I ordered at market wasn’t scheduled to be here until the end of summer.

But yesterday, the vendor called and said the stripe I ordered is no longer available. I’m distraught! I REALLY wanted that stripe to use on The Aunt’s Quilt!!! What are WE going to DO???

If it’s any consolation (I don’t think it is?) guess who’s here????

The Ghastlies* arrived on Friday and they’ve already found a friend among my fabric bolts. That’s the 1/8″ black and white stripe from Timeless Treasures. If you’re a fan of Red Pepper Quilts, you recognize this stripe as one of her favorites for quilt bindings. If you need some of either fabric, they’re in my little shop. ;-D

Have a Good Week!
XOXO,
Anna

*As I mentioned when I returned from market, this is rumored to be the last of the Ghastlies line!

A Button Board

46 Comments / October 7, 2012 June 22, 2013 / Around the House, Crafting

Did you all have a nice weekend? It was dreary here, but still beautiful. Our trees are turning early this fall — makes me worry a bit about what winter might have in store for us. The view from my kitchen window was so pretty today. I’m really happy that I snapped this picture today as we’re expecting a freeze tonight and the zinnias probably won’t be so vibrant tomorrow.

Someone had a really nice post not too long ago about moments that take your breath away. (Aha! It was Jody!!! ) She said that sometimes you see something so beautiful, it just grabs at your heart and you feel like it might burst. I felt that way today while I was out mowing the lawn. Even though the sun wasn’t shining, the trees and all the fall color were just so gorgeous. At one point, I mowed up to an area with a little thimble forest. If your blog is called Thimbleanna, you can’t pass up a thimble forest, so I ran inside and grabbed the camera. Thus, the new blog header.

It wasn’t all teary-eyed appreciation of Mother Nature around here this weekend. I did pick up a needle and thread. I sewed buttons to the new bulletin board that I made for my kitchen desk area.

These are so easy to make. Wrap foam core with batting and fabric and sprinkle a little hot glue here and there to hold it all down. Oops — I laid my hot glue gun down in the batting. I hate it when that happens.

I use a long doll-making needle and some pearl cotton and just stitch right through the foam core and fabric. Here’s the new board pressed into the desk area.

You can see the old board lying on the desk. It was from our previous house and it never really fit that wall very well, so I’m glad to have it replaced.

More stitching coming soon…. Have a great week!
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. The new Auriful block of the month is up and it’s adorable! It’s by Amanda Woodward-Jennings. Run over to the Aurifil blog to get this cute pattern and read Amanda’s interview. And don’t forget to load pictures of your finished blocks into the Flickr group for a chance to win some Aurifil thread!

A Post for Ms. Dotty

55 Comments / October 26, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Crafting

It’s here! It’s here! It’s Quilt Market Week! I’m so excited to go to market and see Kellie and Jan again — in the famous words of the Pretty Woman, “I could pee my pants”! Our booth location promises to be really fun — sandwiched right between (and by between I mean front and back, not side by side) Anna Griffin and Ty Pennington. (Did you guys know that Ty Pennington has a new line of fabrics out with Westminster???) I fly out tomorrow — hopefully — we have high wind warnings here. On the plus side, we had about 30 minutes of rain today. Weak, but we’ll take it.

So, since I have nothing else for you, I thought I’d show some painted boxes for Ms. DottyCookie. A month ago Ms. Dotty posted about things she’d painted when she lived in the states and she showed a piece that was designed by Betty Caithness. I told Ms. Dotty that I love Betty and have painted several things of hers. Ms. Dotty asked to see them…so, here ya go….

This is the box that started my Betty Love. I adore nursery rhymes, fairy tales and children’s stories, so when I saw the Humpty Dumpty box, I couldn’t resist. I had to paint it. It’s hard to see, but the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme is painted around the black band on the side of the lid.

A fruit box that I painted long ago. I’m even sort of wondering if this is a Betty Box, but I think it is.

Another fruit box — can you see the bees?

And this box isn’t a Betty Box, but it’s one that I did by altering someone’s used-to-be-country-brown cow jumping over the moon. I painted this as a keepsake box for CuteNiece2 when she was born. I used Betty’s style to paint the rhyme around the box band.

And then on the body of the box, I painted the sky with rambling words about my new little niece and more of the nursery rhyme.

Just like Ms. Dotty, I have an unfinished Betty country scene, but it’s buried in the basement and I’m in a hurry tonight packing. Maybe I’ll dig it out this winter and finish it!

If you’re at quilt market this week, be sure to stop by the Don’t Look Now booth and say hi to us!
XOXO,
Anna

P.S. Thanks for all your patience with my comment problems. Let that be a lesson to you — never never ever complain about blogger. He will get together with his buddy wordpress and randomly shut off your comments!!!

Family Fun

40 Comments / October 19, 2010 February 22, 2011 / Crafting

Thanks for all the Beehive Quilt love! Gosh, I didn’t mean to be gone for so long, but it was a busy weekend. We had a girls getaway weekend in the family — MeMum, MyDadLovesMeBestSister, CuteNiece1, CuteNiece2, SweetiePie and I went to Nashville, Indiana. The weather was perfect, the autumn colors were perfect and we had a wonderful time with lots of laughs. Nashville has lots of cute shops, and more importantly a LOT of good food. We found a candy store (or two) and had great fun with those old fashioned candy cigarettes. Remember those? And fabulous caramel apples — ’tis the season!

A few weeks ago Kim mentioned care packages on her blog and it reminded me that I’d been meaning to get one in the mail for CuteNiece1. Somehow, I never managed to get my little package mailed, so I just took it to CuteNiece1 this weekend.

Pencils, chapsticks, granola bars, a first aid kit, caramel corn, socks, candy corn, orange mini-lights, glitter, a pez witch, a skeleton, and in that little space in the middle on the bottom, a Halloween mini-banner for CuteNiece1’s dorm room.

I love making those little mini-banners — they’re quick and fun. This time I used fabric scraps and instead of gluing them, I used black thread and did a bit of stitching. (If you want to see a SUPER cute banner, check out this adorable banner that Lisa made for her daughter Sarah — I LOVE it!)

Every dorm room needs a mini-skeleton and candy corn, don’t you think? (Looks like he could have used some of that chapstick.)

I wrapped the care package up with wrinkly orange tissue paper and a little pumpkin tag. And lots of opportunity to use some orange and black Divine Twine! (You knew I’d have to have a shameless plug, didn’t you? Sorry, but it’s still 20% off and it makes a fun Christmas surprise for your friends!)

Hope you’re having a good week!
XOXO,
Anna