Tag Archives: diy

Goals for 2013: Factotum of Arts, Squeek Crafts

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All in all, I had a great last 4 months of 2012. For 2013, I would like to continue in much the same fashion. My goals are to:

  • Blog a minimum of 3 times a week.
  • Build up my stock in my Etsy store and sell $1000 worth of merchandise.
  • Participate in another craft fair.
  • Squeek Crafts section: Finish my four seasons quilt, a quilt for my son, and the orange and grey quilt for our room and my Christmas stocking.
  • Squeek Crafts section: Try 12 new sewing/quilt or patchwork projects e.g.. a weekender bag, something made from paper piecing.
  • Edible Delights section: Try three new recipes out per month and post them (36 in total for the year).
  • Framed section: Carve out some time to do some drawing and painting. I have 2 pieces in mind.
  • Home and Garden Design section: Finish our backyard, renovate our guest bathroom (as it desperately needs a lift).

Review of 2012: Squeek Crafts

  • I changed jobs to spend more time with my family (February)
  • Started my blog (September)
  • Opened my Etsy store – Squeek Crafts (October)
  • Participated in my first craft fair (December)
  • Sewing or Quilting Projects: Made chair bags (for my store), cushions/pillows, placemats, gift card pockets, Christmas stockings, lots and lots of coffee cup sleeves (for my store and craft fair), made my son a monster.
  • Craft Projects: Made recycled wine cork boards (for my store and craft fair), caterpillar wall display for a thank you gift at pre-school, and an Elmer growth chart (gift for a friend’s little girl), neck tie art piece (gift for my parents 40th wedding anniversary).

2012 Craft Collage

Review of 2012: Edible Delights

  • Shared some of my favorite recipes
  • Made pesto, bell pepper relish, bean salad from things in my first vegetable garden
  • Made Pies/Tarts – Bacon and egg pie, potato top pie, rhubarb apple pies, chocolate tarts, and pear tart
  • Stewed my first lot of fruit – cherries
  • Worked out to get the perfect chocolate coated strawberry without getting a flat edge
  • Got a new case of wine from my brothers vineyard – Moana Park

2012 Edible Delights Collage

Finished first quilted cushion

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I finally finished the quilted cushion, a couple weeks late, but I did enjoy the vacation :-). The cushion is a gift to our friend’s little girl, who is turning 3.

This cushion was a first of many things:

  • It was the first “bigger” quilting project I completed
  • The first time I hand quilted (the pattern is of dragonflies)
  • First time installing/sewing in a zip and it was an invisible zip

It’s not perfect, but I am very pleased with how it turned out. Here are some photos of the finished product (the front and the back). Details on the fabrics used can be found in this previous blog.

Front_Cushion

Back_Cushion

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts: Finish it up Fridays

WiP Wednesday: Children’s Cushion Part 2

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I have one late Christmas gift I am finishing up. I started it last week in this post, and I am almost finished it. It is a 32 in. x 16 in. cushion.

The front is almost done, I have sewn all the squares, added the center white Kona cotton center and started quilting using a dragonfly template. The quilting is changing color as it progresses – white –> pale pink –> pink.

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I have finished the back – I have added an additional fabric from Heather Mulder Peterson from Anka Treasures (the teal/aqua fabric).

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I still have the quilting to finish, sew the sides together and add the invisible zip. I am hoping it’s all done by Friday.