Monday, September 8, 2008

Newest Project

Today I was going to go in to work ad put a quilt on....but then Marshy was so tired after our grocery shopping excursion that I decided not to go in. Instead, I got started on my latest project.

I began working on this on our Deer Valley vacation back in July, but didn't get very far. I cut out the background pieces, and that was about it. I've been planning on doing this little alphabet soft book for quite some time now, and I am even hoping to maybe make a pattern that I could sell, along with the finished product.

I spent most of the afternoon watching Law and Order: SVU on Netflix instant view on our home theater PC (it's a normal desktop that is hooked up to the TV, and we watch movies and instant view stuff on it, as well as use it for internet and other things....especially now that the laptop really won't charge hardly at all). While watching SVU season 4, I began working on the applique shapes. Last week I spent an entire night trying to figure out what each page was going to have on it. I finally got a picture planned for each letter of the alphabet. WHEW! It was rough for several of them....like "J", "M", and "V". I think those were the ones I had the hardest time with.

Anyway, I drew all the shapes out, and then traced the patterns onto my Wunder-under, and then cut them out, and fused them to my selcted fabrics. And then I cut those out and fused them to the background squares. It really wasn't too hard. I bet I could bust it out in far less time the next time I decide to make one, because now I have all the pictures drawn.

So, here is my progress. I was originally going to make the book with 1 letter per page, but I think now I'm going to do 2 letters per page. That way instead of 26 pages there are only going to be 13. I had even contemplated 4 per page, but that left the last page with only 2 letters, and I'd have to figure something out for the other 2 blocks. So I think I'll stick with the 2 per page for now.

Above: A-F

Below G-J


Above: K-N
Below: O-P


Above: Q-T

Below: U-X

Below: Y-Z


It will look really cute when it is all stitched down and embellished. I'm debating stitching in the word as well, somewhere on the page. I think I'll play around with that idea.....not quite sure yet what I want to do. I want to get the cover made tomorrow, and at least sew the pages together to that I can get started on the stitching and not have to worry about as many blocks. Then I can baste the page filler (probably left-over batting from the quilts I've been doing) and then sew each side together and attach it to the cover as I finish it. That is my hope.

I've had this idea for oh....8 months now I think.... and am finally getting around to doing it. I guess that is what happens when you run out of things to do! hahaha It's not like I've been reading a ton of books lately or anything....oh wait, yeah, I have. (Still reading the partial of Midnight Sun, and absolutely LOVING it, by the way! I really hope she decides to finish it soon.)

Anyway, so maybe tomorrow the book will be partially finished. I have a few other projects that need appliques stitched down on, too, but they are a lot bigger than this one. So, I guess we'll see which one gets done first. One of the other projects is mostly done, but it's so boring! I can barely stand to pick it up anymore. I need to just buckle down and finish it. I wish I were more motivated. It's going up for sale in my Etsy shop once I'm done with it, so you'd think that ought to be motivation enough, but for some reason it just isn't. Hmmm.....I've only been working on it for about a month, but I still feel like I ought to be farther along on it. I started it during the Olympics. It's just a placemat/wall-hanging size project. It really shouldn't take that long..... but now I'm running on and on. And I have some more chapters to read online.

I wish I hadn't rediscovered how much I really do enjoy reading....it only makes it that much more difficult to focus on everything else I have to do. Like iron 4 of Mike's shirts for his trip this week. I guess I'd better do that right now before I forget and it's 4:30 AM and he's getting ready to leave and he comes out here to me asleep on the floor in front of the TV with my book open on the screen! That would not be fun at all! "You let it burn in to the tv! how could you?" I can hear it now.... hahah :)



3 comments:

Nanette Merrill said...

Oh wow this is so cute. What a great idea and it is going to be darling when its done.

DAJP said...

This is so adorable, you're always so creative girl!

I am a mother! said...

Holy cuteness! I love it!