Crafty Fridays

I have decided to make an official day each week just for me, just for crafting, what ever tickles my fancy!

There is always a bit of a guilt factor for me when I craft just for fun. The little voice in the back of my head nags me. "Isn't there laundry to do?" "I saw a pile of ironing waiting to be done." "The living room floor really needs a vacuum." "You need to be working on the machine embroidery business!"

So, in order to find a balance, I have decided that I will focus the majority of the week on work and chores, but give myself a day off each week to just play.

One of my on-going projects is finishing the doll house which has been sitting in a corner of the craft room for..well for years. That was my New Year's resolution. I have managed to get the 1st floor done, and I am now working on the second. The silly thing seems like it should just go together in an afternoon but there is SO much painting if it is to be done right. Primer goes down on the wood, then a coat of paint, then sanding, then a coat of paint, then more sanding, then a final coat of paint. I know that seems like a lot, but in small scale, even little bits of roughness in the wood, takes away from the illusion of scale (and I am a bit of a perfectionist! My grandpa always said if you were going to do a job, to take the time and do it right.) Even the walls to be wallpapered should have at least one coat of paint to help the paper stick properly. (This is a trick, so if you want to change the wall paper later, it will actually come off and not be permanently stuck to the wood.)

Yeah! I don't have to paint where the singles will be going!

So the last two Friday's have had time devoted to the many coats of paint, with other crafting between drying and sanding times.

I am trying to also get some older projects finished before I jump into new ones. That is only sorta working, because the new projects call my name in the middle of the night. Do you have that problem?

The kitchen towel I started at the quilting show got finished, and surprisingly only took about an additional hour. After wards I thought, "Well why didn't I do this sooner? It was easy to complete!" I tried out doing machine applique for the first time for the majority of the towel, then did had embroidered blanket stitch around the tongue and fish bowl plant. Then I added little beads as bubbles for Mr. Fish, and embroidered a mouth and nose on Mr. Kitty., and finished things off with a couple eyes.

Then finally, I did a quick new project using a little pattern from Bird Brains which I also picked up at the quilt show. It wouldn't stop calling my name and I needed to make the voices stop. *grin*

How cute is that? See why I couldn't wait!

While I can't share this pattern for a little pin cushion, I can share a similar one from a vintage children's magazine called "Children's Activities." If I recall, this issue was somewhere in the 40s. If I was really diligent, I would go look up the exact issue, but that sounds like way too much hunting at the moment.

I did create a PDF file of this, which you can print and use for yourself. It should be easy enough to add leaves from green felt, if you want it to look a bit more like the one I made.

How do you make times for crafts? Do you have a special day? Do you have a place just for crafting? Please share, I would love to know.
   

Comments

[Lisa]

Looks like you're getting a lot done on your crafty Fridays. :) I'm the same way, always think there's something else I should be doing, maybe I need a day!

Your doll house is looking wonderful, it's good that you're a perfectionist! I read a quote the other day I just loved, "If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" You won't be doing your doll house over. ;)

[Elizabeth]

Jane, I am so glad you are going to work on your doll house. I think you have done such an amazing job on it so far, and can't wait to see the finished results. Your little strawberry is so sweet. Don't you just love the vintage pattern. Yeah for a day just for you! Elizabeth

[Sandy McClay]

WOW...just a tip, I recently got an 30 year old farmhouse dollhouse, and the person put the wallpaper on cardboard and then tacked it to the walls, so if you want to later, it is much easier to re-do! I am thanking him a lot! I have to paint a lot too....but I have a whole lot easier time wallpapering on my desk that in the house....I would love to see more photos of the dollhouse as you go....have a great rest of the week! I love those little pincushions....so darn cute! :) Sandy

[Jane]

Sandy, thank you so much for the tip. I think I will try that when I do the upstairs wall paper. Have you posted pictures of your dollhouse, I would love to see it.

[Dating reviews]

How do you make times for crafts? Do you have a special day? Do you have a place just for crafting? Please share, I would love to know.