Viewfinder fix for the weekend

Have a great weekend!

Three Cheers

Three Cheers for Kelly from Trans-Craft-inental

Hiphip-hooray Hiphip-hooray Hiphip-hooray

My sewing machine woes were all due to putting the bobbin in the wrong way. Such a simple solution for so much head banging. By the way here is my new "old" sewing machine. Just $20 from someone I work with.



These are just a few of the goodies that he brought to me in a box full of sewing stuff.



There are several pairs of great sharp scissors too. Which is great- because I can always use extra scissors.

Creation

I started this fabric piece as a sewing cushion from the Alabama Stitch Book. Then it became a dish cloth and lastly it became this.



I stuck it on to an artist's canvas and then placed all my bee earrings and pins onto it. The pinecones and such were just for the photo. I call it "Against the crowd" because even though it is hard to see- one of the bees is going in the opposite direction.

Viewfinder Fix

My favorite view

Yup, just like this. Next to the campfire, tent to the side. The little yellow things are Misty's tennis balls.

More Stitch

So you know how much I've been loving Alabama Stitch Book right? Well, boy was I pleased to have a little shout out on their blog. Here is the shout out and here is their blog.

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. In case you are new to my blog, here is a completed project from their book that I completed.





And don't forget to share your projects at our flickr group. Also, I have another idea that will be coming soon hopefully...

Viewfinder Fix

I can't make it through the day without a viewfinder photo. I am very happy to have the macro lens now.



Little hedgehog in the garden.



I am thinking about using this photo as my June PhotoTrade one.

I still know how to sew!

The new machine stitches smoother than any I have owned, but underneath gets all snaggled every few inches. I can't figure out how to fix it. This is a Singer machine with drop in bobbin, so I can't adjust the bobbin tension. Very big bummer. I have the book now and plan to fiddle with it some more when I get home.

I did get a chance to sew some small things on it. This is the wonky square for Common Threads first month. This is Don't Call Me Becky's.



This photo is really dark, but it shows that I have started a sewing cushion from the Alabama Stitch Book.



The leaf stencil shapes were placed using a blue sharpie. I used two different colored cotton shirts. White for the top and yellow underneath. I can't wait to finish sewing it so that I can cut-- my favorite part!

Here are some sketches in my journal about quilts I would like to do. I was thinking about trying a quilt marathon week at the end of the summer. I can't remember who the other blogger was that did this- Crazy Mom Quilts? She made a quilt top a day.

Little Deer

So I got this super cute ceramic deer this weekend for 25 cents. Oh jeez- so cute I thought! Think of all the fun photos I can take of it..

So I snapped some photos right away. Little dark- but that deer is so cute- jeez.





After maybe six or so shots- I dropped him. Yup. And broke his little ear off. I just can't have nice things I tell you.

Finds

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! We enjoyed camping, but decided that for the rest of the summer we should lay more low. We normally camp in Mid Coast Maine several times over the summer, but with the prices of everything being so much lately and me going back to school- best be saving our pennies.

In the mean time, some additions to my Betty Ninja Finds store:









And the new "old" sewing machine is working for me! Right now I am finishing up my blog for the virtual quilting bee Common Threads. After that is done, I plan to finish the Denim and orange sherbert quilt I was working on. So much more to come!

Tag and Sew

Good news, I may now have a working sewing machine. We will know for sure tonight when I test it out. In the meantime, I have been tagged by Cornflower Blue.



What was I doing 10 years ago?

Living in California smoking way too many cigs.

What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

uck, not much time to do things when you work. Buy some flannel, try out my new "used" sewing machine, possibly bike ride (rain may not let me), and that is all for right now.


Snacks I enjoy:

Peach ice cream, marshmallows, Salsa con Chili by Santa Barbara (I think they don't make it any more- I haven't been able to find it at Hannaford's anymore)

Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Make sure those that I know and love have adequate health care and a place to live.

Places I have lived:

Brick apartment buildings, stone houses with no running water, small cabins in the woods, places in the middle of nowhere.

Well Hello Big Beautiful Tall Boots

I love tall boots so much. Very Wonder Woman like. I was just watching some early episodes of Wonder Woman over the weekend. I spent a good deal of time marvelling over her tall gold boots and of course her red ones! Need to find me some of those.

Etsy Favorites

You may recognize some of these as I tend to find my favorites on the homepage.





It seems that I really like animals. Click on each photo to find the etsy seller.

Wrap your own Sea Glass

I know there is a lot of sea glass jewelry out there, but this wrapping technique is super easy and looks very nice.



Supplies to make sea glass necklace: craft wire (26 gauge works well) jump rings, clasps (your choice), soldering gun, solder, sea glass of course!



Step 1: cut a 6 inch length of the wire with your wire cutters



Step 2: Make a upside down U shape like this about two inches in from the end of your wire



Step 3: Cross the wire over the U shape you just made.



Step 4: Now place the wire on the back of the sea glass with the loop you just created on the side of the sea glass. You will want to do this so that the next loop you create is on the opposite side of the first loop.



Step 5: Next you will be making the same loop directly across from the first one. Start to create your U shape and twist it several times creating a loop just as you did in Steps 1-4.



Step 6: Now you have two loops on opposite ends of the same piece of wire and a loose 4-5 inch tail.





Step 7: Take the tail and encircle the sea glass with it



Step 8: First circle around sea glass. Now do that several more times, until you have done several more loops around. The amount of times you go around will depend on how large of a piece you selected.



Step 9: After looping it several times the front should look like this. Sort of tidy and neat. The back is where the two side loops are.



Step 10: Now open your jump rings and attach them to each side loop.



Step 11 Open your jump ring and attach it to the side loop of the next piece of sea glass you are using. Keep attaching pieces until you reach the desired length, soldering each piece is you so choose, to add strength to the jump rings.



Step 12: Attach your clasp to the ends.



Now go get some sea glass!

Couches

Okay before I forget again the winner of the giveaway quilt is....Jacquie from Tall Grass Prarie Studio. Uh-oh for me because I had a super hard time with the binding and my machine- I hope you don't mind Jacquie!

So, couches. This blue one is one that I snagged before it was thrown out. I plan to recover it in a gray or light blue so that the other one that I hope to buy soon matches.



I love the simple shape and how small it is. We currently just have two chairs, so we are really moving on up now.



I got this beautiful print at the Salvation Army for $2.50. I think it would look great on the wall behind the blue couch pictured above.







On another note I am very pleased that people have been buying things from me on etsy! It really makes my day when I get an order.

I just ordered a macro lens from B&H photo for my through the viewfinder experiementing. I can't wait to get it and build a contraption for it! Isn't this week the best? I find it very exciting knowing that a holiday weekend is approaching.

Weekend

With my sewing machine on the funk lately I haven't been sewing much. I still feel very creative though- just having to do different types of things.



I have been taking lots of photos lately. That makes me sooooo happy since I had given it up for five or so years.



I've also been enjoying the word unfurling. Very satisfying. This weekend I rummaged and cleaned and biked. I was very happy to make more room for my rummage finds by cleaning out a closet.



I still need to make a "contraption" for shooting through my viewfinder (none of these photos were through it). I am addicted to TTVF photography lately.



I really need to pick up a sewing machine at a yard sale somewhere so I can get to sewing! I also saw a really great round modern looking sectional couch at the Salvation Army last week. I am hoping it will still be there (and be half off!). I was thinking it would look great recovered in gray or light blue. If I leave work early Friday, I may be able to pick it up before we leave to go camping. We'll see....