It's Already November Where Did The Time Go!

Once again another year is coming to an end here it is already November 24th and sometimes when I think back across the year I think I haven't done anything. And yet I can see that I have been extremely busy and this year has been a year of starts and finishes. All to often in the past I have had ideas for projects and gotten all the materials needed but one thing or another got in the way and many of those projects never got finished. Well this year has been very different for me, I have started many projects and have actually finished a majority of them. I decided this year that I wanted to get organized and that I wanted to pursue my dreams and I have been working on both of these things.

I started by getting all of my sewing and craft items gathered together and when sewing I have attempted to not only use the fabric on hand but I have also attempted to clean up my scraps. When I started classes again this all got kind of side tracked but I have been slowly pulling projects out and finishing them up. There are many projects that I thought I would never really do and yet I find I am not only doing them but I am completing them and they are turning out much better than I thought they ever would.

Here are a few of the clean up projects that I have been working on:

These are potholders I have been making that have all been from fabric that I have had on hand for awhile.

These are tablerunners made from blocks that I have made throughout the year. The red and white and blue one is quilted and binding placed on it. The black and white one I still need to quilt and bind it that is the project for today.

The following pictures are some experiments on some coasters that I embroidered over two years ago. At the time I wasn't sure how I was going to finish them. So this past weekend I tried three different methods. The round circle I at first attempted to use cork and then I used felt. Both ways left the coaster wonky. Then I attempted two squares both turned out much better the biggest problem I found was that the bigger square seems to big to me. However, I like the way it lays much flatter and after a good pressing I think they will lay really well. So I have decided to go with the smaller square and do that with the rest of the coasters I made. these were mostly just test ones.

And then the project that I never really felt I had the ability to do is my kitchen window valance. This is crocheted with size 10 thread and a size 7 crochet hook. The pattern began from a found pattern and yet I eventually turned it into my own pattern. I am very close to being finished with these as well.

I also thanks to my very best friend and partner my kitchen island is very close to being finished. We finished laying the tile in the kitchen this year as well and it is slowly but most definitely surely coming together. I do truly love it the color and the space I will have when it is completed is truly a very cool thing.

Now for the final update it is on pursuing my dream. I finally started Smaug like I posted the last time. And I have almost completed the outline of him the outline will be finished either today or tomorrow depends on the progress I make on sewing today lol. However, I thought I should post a picture of Smaug as well, The area in the hoop is the last of my outline and from there it is on to another new technique of course if the technique doesn't work I will have to start over so we shall see how it all goes.

I finally started Smaug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok so yesterday I took the plunge. I have spent the time to acquire elements for my project, I have drawn and redrawn my design. I have thought about and rethought how I was going to do this until almost an entire year has gone by again before I even began to finally work on my project. But yesterday I finally started. I sewed some fabric pieces together and I spent 3 whole hours actually embroidering on my Smaug. I don't know why I love the name Smaug so much besides the fact that he is a strong character in my all time favorite book "The Hobbit" by JRR Tolkien. Everyone has heard of this book and most have probably seen the wonderful movies that Peter Jackson has directed. The amount of time and effort that everyone put into remaking these films really came out fantastic.

I first read the Hobbit at least 40 years ago and I loved the story then I was able to transport myself into the story and see this running imagery inside my mind as I read the story. I believe it is a must read for everyone. However, I digress yesterday I finished up a jacket and skirt that I have been working on I also finished a garter belt that I have been working on for my soon to be niece.
The design was of my own making I created the pattern and crocheted it myself from white cotton thread. The blue and yellow ribbon are hopefully the right shade to match her wedding colors. And the flowers and feathers are for my own pleasure of design lol. The little pearl beads are hand crocheted in as well. I also sewed a piece of elastic to help keep it in place and left the ribbon long enough to be fit to size.

This is the bottom fabric for Smaug what I have done is to use a fairly sturdy piece of stabilizer under a nice off white muslin. I serged the edges of the muslin so that it would not shred. I then sewed a piece of gold spandex is the best description to be used to help define the gold pile. For the dragon itself I have used two separate pieces a blue marble with glitter flecks in it and a creamy white opaque organza this will add the coloring that I want to achieve on my dragon. 

 And then to protect the fabric and because I didn't want to draw on my fabric I then traced out my design onto tissue paper and I am in the process of doing all the outline stitching first this way I won't have to have to use a pencil mark on my final piece that I most like would cover up, however I didn't want to really take a chance that it would possible show. Now I did draw out my design on the stabilizer as well but that isn't really usuable but it does still give me a guideline to freehand what I want to do.

 And there they are the first stitches of a project that has been in my head for a long time. I am really glad that I have finally started this project and will share progress as it comes along.