Sew a fabric book cover

It's a hack-job, no doubt. But I love it!

This is a journal my mother-in-law bought for my husband. He wasn't using it so I took it (with permission). It was originally a leather journal with a long leather strap (same button). It wasn't ugly but I just couldn't stand touching it. It felt grainy, like bits of leather were coming off and sticking to my fingers. It's not just because I'm a vegetarian - I don't think anyone would have liked that.

So, I grabbed some of my favorite red fabric from my stash, cut it out to (sort-of) the right size and did a quick and dirty blanket stitch along the folds at the top and bottom of each cover. I took off the leather strap and made a new one from wool yarn. I also added a piece of yarn to work as a bookmark. Turned out great!

Handmade Apron

I have been wanting an apron for some time now. Not for keeping my clothes clean when I cook, but for carrying stuff around. I wanted one for when I'm crafting! It'll hold my tapestry needle and scissors, some thread, my wee embroidery scissors. It's perfect! My friend made it and I love it. The fabric is adorable but not cheesy and the carrot just makes me giggle. Have a good look at the green end of the carrot - perfect!

I had to take matters into my own hands. I love my crafty work, I really do. But, I had to stop pursuing sales. The "Christmas" rush turned into a winter rush and I was knitting, sewing, and stenciling non-stop. In addition, I am trying to renew my teaching license as I'll be heading back to teaching in the fall. All this really made my stress level rise. So, I stopped renewing items. I put a notice on my shop that I was taking some vacation. What a good idea! I'm feeling much better. Plus, I've been able to do some crafting for myself and for my family and friends.

The nice thing about this crazy rush of orders is that I'm not so obsessed with my Etsy shop anymore. I'm not so obsessively excited when I get a sale. Now, I'm just a regular old happy person about it. And, now that I'm not quite so obsessed, I've been able to put my crafty energy into my home and my kids.

I should be taking pictures of all the things I make. I've seen other people do this and it's really inspiring. But, my pictures won't be all that good. I think maybe I'll just throw caution to the wind and post pictures even if they aren't stellar!