Crossing All of My X's

I'm happy to say that gift one has been received and delighted over!

A group of my real life girlfriends are crafters so we did an exchange that was a "Crafting Free-For-All", which means craft what you want or with your person in mind.  I wanted to do a bit of both, working to what I think are my strengths.

I was overly excited when I drew my friend Ali because she loves fun and modern cross-stitch plus her family is over the moon for Disney.  I was able to send her an anonymous note via the website Elfster, a great site that is free and allows for secret exchanges with ease.  I've used it several times over the past few years to set up exchanges for family and friends, it's a great tool!  Ali responded that she'd like something for her wall and I did some digging over patterns that she commented on in the past for cross-stitch.

I found the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Craftiness by Satsuma Street on Etsy, loving the stark white on the black Aida and knew that was the present to make. I hadn't cross-stitched in a while but it's like riding a bike because this is the first craft that my mom taught me when I was six.  Mom started me on 14 count Aida and had me do a small pumpkin.  I made it into a pillow for my Barbie's Dream House for Halloween (and got Girl Scout credit in sewing).  Unfortunately, I left Barbie's Dream House out in the backyard for a few days and it rained.  The house survived but the pillow did not, getting moldy.

Now as I finished the cross-stitch, I realized it was an odd shape, about 9" by 10.5", meaning most frames weren't going to work but I lucked out at Joann's with this 12" x 12" Float Fame that allowed me to square up the piece and center it. But what to do with the back?? I had sins to hide from Ali, so I found this great metallic print in Joann's quilting section and used my 1/4" seam sewing skills to attach the piece of fabric to the aida.  Phew, now everyone would think I was brilliant instead of queen of tangling her thread.  (Seriously, I think at times it was purposely making knots so I'd cry.)

Since I had gotten great deals at Joann's on my supplies, 90% of the project came from there, I decided that Ali needed the cross-stitch pattern Pretty Little London by Satsuma Street for her own cross-stitching pleasure. Also, I went through my flannel stash for my Disney group and knew that Ali's son would need a cuddle blanket. I used the Self-Binding Baby Blanket, as demonstrated by Jenny Doan of the Missiouri Star Quilt Company.

It's a great project that only takes about an hour from start to finish and I love the finishing top-stitch that allows you to be creative.  On my sewing machine, a Husqvarna Opal 650, I can top-stitch in different shapes and names or both into the blanket.  This time, I opted for big circles to act as ears and Ali's son's name Max to give him something that's all his own.

Now, I can't wait for package number two to be received because that's a project that I'm eager to share.

Working for the Crafting

I promised to always post on Saturdays at least and I want to keep that promise!

I have been crafting: working on two projects that I can't post about because they are surprises and won't be delivered until the end of the week. I did take pictures! But since one of them won't arrive until Tuesday and the other hasn't shipped, I can't post!!

Oh yeah, the ladies in question who will be receiving such surprises read this blog!

So SURPRISE!!

I will be posting once the items are unwrapped and squealed over!

(Now me and my exclamation points are going to sleep.)

What has Jenifer made?

Introductory posts are so awkward. If we were in person, I'd take you to my craft room and I could do my display of what I've done with five year-old glee of "Look what I made!!"

I still squeal with delight when I finish a project and run around the house searching for my husband going, "LOOOOK!"  And I'm in my 30's but it never gets old, holding the finished item knowing you've taken something from concept to realization, it's something you can hold, squeeze, love and hand off to someone to love as well.

Until recently, I worked mostly in the fiber crafts: crocheting and knitting. Two of items I finished in December as Christmas presents have the CUTEST models.

First, my nephews, E and E, who are rough and tumble guys that love to imagine that they are ferocious wild beasts when they play, so I designed two cute tiger hats with a Knit Picks finger weight yarn that looked like Tiger stripes. This had been sitting on my yarn shelf for a while waiting for the right project and it was perfect!

The other item I finished knitting recently went to a wee one who needed a sweater to fight off the cold that has been plaguing most of the country this past winter. My friend Lynn was due in December and I couldn't wait to knit up a lovely sweater for her youngest-son-to-be, she has three boys who are all ADORABLE, and she honored me by putting this small sweater and hat as the going home outfit.

I apologize that I don't remember the name of the yarn but I'm thinking it's Spud and Chloe sweater yarn.

I also made a lot of aprons, bags and quilted iPad covers for Christmas but unfortunately, I need to get my photos rounded up because that is a fault of mine. I get so excited about a project, I want to give it away immediately or forget to photograph it.  I promise I'm working on that failing because I want to remember all the things I've made and I want to share them with you all!

Since January, I've been in a full-on quilt mode.  My goal this year is to give our loved ones lap quilts for Christmas. As you can imagine, this is QUITE an undertaking. I finished my first quilt in January for my Mother-in-law who loves Christmas.  I took advantage of the post-Holiday sales and snapped up the fabric from the Moda line Countdown to Christmas. 

I was lucky enough to get the world famous Lola Rocket (and by world, I mean our house) to model the finished project!  I can't wait to give this to my lovely Mother-in-law in November!  I really lucked out in the In-law lottery.

I can't wait to share more of my projects with you and I'm hoping to give you a video tour of my crafting space soon.

Now my question of the post: What inspired you all to start crafting?

Yup, another crafting blog!

Hi. I'm Jenifer (with one 'n', I'm doing my part to conserve the alphabet for the world). 

I'm a crafting addict. Currently, I'm typing this post from bed where I can easily locate four, um five, unfinished projects that are within arms reach. I have a hard time being bored but I'm very easily distracted.  Three of them are cross-stitch projects in variou states of completion and two scarfs that are knitted, one needing to be bound off and the other simply needs to have the tails hidden amongst the finished work.

Also surrounding my bed are several knitting and quilting magazines, a husband, a couple cats and the odds and ends that make up a bedroom.  I've been known to stay up to midnight watching endless youtube crafting tutorials, often times on the same subject so I can learn the most efficient way to make something or finding little tips to tweak my current project.

I will be posting once a week with updates on the latest projects, cool videos that I found on the web that I think all crafters should know about or I might post of a video of my own to show you a new tool or trick that I've discovered. I like to share, except for chocolate. Hands off, the chocolate is mine.

You will probably see some changes to this blog in the next few weeks as I customize it and get my domain up and running. I can't wait to hear about what you all out on the interwebs are making - I love seeing other people's work because making things from hand are future heirlooms, gifts to be loved and adds creativity to the world.

All of the things I show on here will be Made By Jenifer but everything I do can be made by you too!