Does this make me crafty?

In the past, if anyone ever asked me "Are you crafty?" I would reply with a big sigh and say "Nope! Not me!" Then I would dream of all the really cool stuff I would do if I was crafty. Just think, if I could scrapbook all the cool things I would make, or if I could sew I could make...well, I never really knew WHAT I would make if I could sew, but I KNEW it would be cool! A few years ago, when I was trying to quit smoking, I picked up a needlepoint kit at a hobby store. I thought it would keep my hands busy and possibly give me a new hobby. Well, it took me over two years to finish the project, and no it didn't help me quit smoking. (Getting pregnant, however, worked like a charm!) Needless to say, I wasn't too pleased with my new "hobby." When we moved to Fort Wayne, I gave needlepoint another shot. That project turned out a little better, but was lacking the fine details to make it really stellar. So, I put needlepoint aside again. I picked it up again when I started substitute teaching. It was something I could do to keep my hands busy, but I could still keep an eye on those rebellious kids.

I am proud to say that I finished two needlepoints in record time this school year. I am even proud enough of them to share them with all of you! The first one made for Adelae's room. The plan is to get some purple ribbon to hang it by. I'm trying to talk Ben into painting a 7"x7" white square (the needlepoint is 5"x5") on Adelae's wall to sort of "frame" it in. He's not totally sold on the idea yet. But, at any rate, this will be up in her room shortly!


This particular needlepoint I made for someone. I plan on giving to our niece Carolina. I don't know why, but when I saw the pattern, it made me think of her. Cara recently turned two and I think this will be a great present for her! I can honestly say, this is the VERY FIRST thing I've EVER made that I feel comfortable giving to someone as a gift. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to gift giving, especially if it's something I've made myself. I really like the way this turned out, so I hope she likes it! Oh..but keep it a secret...she doesn't know she's getting it yet ;)



Last, but certainly not least, is the crayon roll I just finished. I am lucky enough to have a stepmom that let me borrow one of her old sewing machines. I'm also lucky enough to have a friend to teach me how to use it. (Thanks again Becky!)I found this pattern over at Skip To My Lou . I thought it looked fairly simple, I recruited Becky to help me and away we went! The first one didn't turn out so well. Sewing straight lines takes a patience! Today I decided I would make one from scratch. I measured, cut, pinned and sewed the whole thing on my own. The one pocket is a little small, I'm guessing my measurements were off, and I didn't add any fancy touches, but I'm proud of it all the same. I haven't sewn anything other than the project we did in 8th grade home ec class. I think I have a right to be proud! :) There are definitely a few things I will do differently next time, but I like this one. (BTW...if you have small children and are related to me, you can expect to get one of these sometime this year! And don't worry, I have something up my sleeve for the big kids too.)




So now if someone asks me if I'm crafy, I can say "I'm working on it!"