Can you believe that we're standing here at January 18th, half way through the first month of 2019? That first month always seems to zip right by, doesn't it? Or is that just me? Have you set any resolutions or goals for the new year? If so, how are they doing?
Mine seem to be on the back burner at the moment, but I'd like to change that, and I guess that's the reason why I'm writing today.
A new year is such a cool idea, isn't it? Technically, there's not much difference between December 31st and January 1st. The weather is probably the same, your house is the same, you probably are going to have pretty similar routines. But mentally, it's a fresh start, a chance to put a book end on one part of your life and start a brand new part.
When I look back to the year that's behind us, I see all the missed opportunities to do more in my life. I wonder, am I working hard enough? I probably could be taking my business to another level if I tried harder, worked longer, stopped being so lazy. So I set a bunch of goals at the beginning of this month with that in mind, goals to design more, blog more, and to become over all more successful.
And that's about the time when I started having anxiety attacks. Early in the morning, my heart would start racing and my stomach would churn, thinking about all of the goals I had laid out for myself and my ever expanding to-do list. I'm grateful that I'm a homemaker and stay home anyway, because it was debilitating. I spent three or four days sitting on the floor of my living room, trying to chill out, doing nothing on my to-do lists whatsoever.
Then of course I got sick, and I spent several days huddled on the couch and in bed. My body is much wiser than I am. It knows when I need a real rest, and makes me take it whether I want to or not.
I'm feeling better now thank goodness, and with my better health comes all this ambition to jump back onto the wagon and start working on all of those goals and long to-do lists again. Except, I can feel it. In the pit of my stomach, I can feel the inner resistance. I know that if I jump back in like I did before and try to give myself a nonstop 16 hour work day, I'm going to end up with anxiety attacks again and become completely useless. Is it worth it?
I have so many aspects of my life pulling me in all different directions, and being a perfectionist at heart, I want to put all of myself into each thing. I want to be a full time designer, I want to be the best homemaker, I want to have a big veggie garden, I want to take care of my mom full time, I want to be the best wife, I want to have a real social life and good friends, I want to be there for my niece and nephews, I want to be ultra frugal and DIY everything to save money, I want to have a sparklingly clean home. I want to sew, I want to travel, I want to buy a home in the country and have chickens, I want to volunteer, I want to exercise more, I want to read more.
But I'm just one person, and not even a very efficient or energetic one. I can never do all of the things I want to do as perfectly as I'd like to do them. Some things I'll never get to do. I have to admit these things to myself because holding onto the false notion that I can do everything if I just try harder is clearly hurting me.
So how do you find balance in this world? I guess it's a matter of setting priorities, but I think it's more complicated than that. If I only do what seems like is most important, I end up feeling hollow inside because I almost always leave out the activities that make me full of joy. I could spend my day homemaking and caring for my mom and my garden and my husband, but at the end of the day I feel like I've lost myself. I need to include those things that make me happy, like sewing or designing.
On the other hand, as much as I'd like to spend all day sewing or designing, if I don't include my daily routines of cleaning and cooking and taking care of my loved ones, I end up feeling disconnected from my life. Balance is so important. I just wish I knew how to reach it.
Now you all know where I am mentally and why I haven't been posting much on this blog lately. The truth is, I don't know what to do with myself now. I guess I'll keep muddling through life the best I can. One thing I read a while back does give me hope and makes me feel better; goals don't matter nearly as much as making progress every single day. So I guess that's my motto for 2019.
What does that mean for this blog? I don't know, honestly. I like blogging, and I enjoy designing small free patterns for the world. I just need some time to figure out my life and hopefully I'll get back into it soon. Thanks for sticking around while I work my way through!
Showing posts with label chatter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chatter. Show all posts
Friday, January 18, 2019
Monday, August 14, 2017
I'm back!
I got some good pictures to remind me of our super relaxing trip! We had a beautiful cabin in the woods, right on a lake. We had our own private dock, a big area out back for chilling out on Adirondack chairs and a hammock, and there was a huge fire pit for camp fires at night.
My favorite spot though was out on the dock. The water was so warm, I'd just take my shoes off and dangle them in. It was an excellent place to watch kayakers go by and listen to the loons sing.
We took several day trips, including to the ocean (did you know the ocean is freaking cold in Maine?!), to the last working Shaker community, and to Freeport to see L. L. Bean's flagship store with the huge boot out front!
I left my mother-in-law in charge of my vegetable garden while I was gone, but she's not really a vegetable gardener. She watered for me, but didn't pick anything. So when I came back, everything was just bulging with produce! This is what I picked that first day back!
Now it's back to real life! I always feel so refreshed and refocused after our summer vacations. It gives me a chance to remember what's important to me in life, and gives me new direction to keep moving forward. I'm going to get back into blogging frequently and working on my patterns every day, because I'm passionate about my creative life and I shouldn't let procrastination stop me. So stay tuned! I'll have lots of interesting new things coming out soon!
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Whirlwind week!
Hi guys! How are you all doing? I hope you're well! I haven't really had much of a chance to sit down and write or even read blog posts lately. It's spring, and that's the nature of this season. There's always something to do!
The last week my hubs and I have been on a staycation. Pretty cool, right? Well, as a homemaker, it actually wasn't too much different for me. Actually, it was more work than usual! As a bonus, hubs now understands how much I actually work on this house and how hard and draining it can be, not just keeping it clean but keeping track of everything that needs done and planning all the meals and such. It's easy for that stuff to go unnoticed by the people who don't do them.
Anyway, I used my staycation to get almost off of the garden things done that needed done. I got all of the vegetables planted, flowers potted and put into the ground, cleaned up the perennials, and spread mulch on what seems like the whole neighborhood. I'm totally beat and I don't want to ever see a bag of mulch ever again. I'm totally grateful that it's all over though; now I can get back to working on my designs.
And that's exactly what I did today! I got to work and finished a project that I've been playing with for a couple of weeks now. It's another Christmas design (it'll be here before you know it!), an adorable wall hanging.
I'm not sure what I'll work on next. I feel like I should get some 4th of July patterns made, but it's getting kind of late for those! I may just work on more Christmas things. I really want to make sure I'm prepared this year.
So what are you guys working on right now? Got any craft projects in the works, or are you busy with your gardens too? I hope you're all having a great week so far.
The last week my hubs and I have been on a staycation. Pretty cool, right? Well, as a homemaker, it actually wasn't too much different for me. Actually, it was more work than usual! As a bonus, hubs now understands how much I actually work on this house and how hard and draining it can be, not just keeping it clean but keeping track of everything that needs done and planning all the meals and such. It's easy for that stuff to go unnoticed by the people who don't do them.
Anyway, I used my staycation to get almost off of the garden things done that needed done. I got all of the vegetables planted, flowers potted and put into the ground, cleaned up the perennials, and spread mulch on what seems like the whole neighborhood. I'm totally beat and I don't want to ever see a bag of mulch ever again. I'm totally grateful that it's all over though; now I can get back to working on my designs.
And that's exactly what I did today! I got to work and finished a project that I've been playing with for a couple of weeks now. It's another Christmas design (it'll be here before you know it!), an adorable wall hanging.
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| Owl Be Home For Christmas wall hanging pattern, $4 on Etsy |
So what are you guys working on right now? Got any craft projects in the works, or are you busy with your gardens too? I hope you're all having a great week so far.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Hiatus
Hey there, everyone. I just wanted to post a short note to say that I'm going on hiatus for a little bit. After all the craziness last week, my life has gotten hectic and uncertain, and my emotions aren't much better. So I decided to take a little break for my own sanity. I'll probably be back to posting in a couple of weeks, once life settles back into some kind of routine. Hope to see you all soon!
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Ugh!
Sorry I didn't get around to posting the free pattern on Friday, guys. This has just been the worst week ever..... well, ok, not EVER, but maybe the second worst week ever. Like, mom goes to hospital and sister gets arrested kind of week. Yeah.
So I'm just chillin, trying to get some kind of normal back to my days. The good news in that I'm doing lots of PC design work! I've got two new projects in the works. I just haven't gotten any pattern work done yet, which is kind of the important part!
Hopefully next week will be a little better *fingers crossed*
So I'm just chillin, trying to get some kind of normal back to my days. The good news in that I'm doing lots of PC design work! I've got two new projects in the works. I just haven't gotten any pattern work done yet, which is kind of the important part!
Hopefully next week will be a little better *fingers crossed*
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Wordy Wednesday
So I'm sure you've all heard of Wordless Wednesday, right? It's the idea of posting on your blog with just pictures, without words. I've tried that in the past (not on this blog), but you know what? I'm too wordy for that! So instead, today's post is Wordy Wednesday!
It's been a hectic week, but I did make some progress on my projects, and I thought you'd all like to see how they're doing! I have a PC pattern almost done. It's totally stitched, but I need to get around to making the pattern now, but for some reason I just feel totally blah about doing that today (which is why I took these pictures instead, lol). Here it is:
It's a spring version of my Fall Wall Hanging for sale up at Etsy. I plan on eventually doing one for each season, but gee whiz! These wall hangings take forever to stitch. I've been working at this one for two weeks now, I believe. Of course, it probably would have taken less time if I hadn't also been busy with a quilt and taking care of a sick guy.
Speaking of my quilt, it's really coming along too. I sewed up the first block last night, and I have to say, it's going to be one weird ass quilt, lol. It's a lot brighter and wilder than I usually make my quilts! But my MIL gave me a bunch of fruit and veggie fabric a while back, and I love this pattern so much, I thought I'd give it a try. I figure if nothing else, it'll make the perfect picnic quilt.
I also wanted to share my newest toys! I decided to buy myself some books to help me with my designing since I'm still pretty new at it and I want to become really good at it. Here they are:
The one on the left is 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks and the one on the right is The Needlepoint Book. Yes, I know the one is a quilt book! However, I bought it because I've always had intentions of incorporating quilt designs into my PC designs, and this book will certainly help with that. Especially since it's specifically rotary cut blocks, the designs should translate to PC pretty easily.
There's lots of gorgeous designs! I'm excited to get working on those. Plus, I'll have it on hand for my quilting too (someday I'd like to start designing for quilts too, but that's in the future somewhere).
Did you know that Plastic Canvas is actually a form of needlepoint? Until recently, I had no idea. As a designer, I really want to bring something new to the PC world, and I especially want to make pieces with lots of texture and interesting techniques. So many PC designs are super simplistic, using only the continental stitch. That's ok for a beginner, but as you progress, you want to make something more complex and interesting, but there's very few designs out there that fit that bill.
That's where this book comes in. Since PC is a form of needlepoint, I'm hoping I can learn to beef up my designs with what I learn. I have to tell you, this book is fascinating! It has well over 300 needlepoint stitches! I spent over an hour just flipping through pages, staring wide eyed at all the new possibilities. This is how much of the book is just stitches:
And here's a picture of some of the cool stitches in the book.
I can't wait to try some of these out! I'll be sure to share anything I learn, too.
So that's what I'm up to this week. Have any of you got any interesting projects going on?
It's been a hectic week, but I did make some progress on my projects, and I thought you'd all like to see how they're doing! I have a PC pattern almost done. It's totally stitched, but I need to get around to making the pattern now, but for some reason I just feel totally blah about doing that today (which is why I took these pictures instead, lol). Here it is:
It's a spring version of my Fall Wall Hanging for sale up at Etsy. I plan on eventually doing one for each season, but gee whiz! These wall hangings take forever to stitch. I've been working at this one for two weeks now, I believe. Of course, it probably would have taken less time if I hadn't also been busy with a quilt and taking care of a sick guy.
Speaking of my quilt, it's really coming along too. I sewed up the first block last night, and I have to say, it's going to be one weird ass quilt, lol. It's a lot brighter and wilder than I usually make my quilts! But my MIL gave me a bunch of fruit and veggie fabric a while back, and I love this pattern so much, I thought I'd give it a try. I figure if nothing else, it'll make the perfect picnic quilt.
I also wanted to share my newest toys! I decided to buy myself some books to help me with my designing since I'm still pretty new at it and I want to become really good at it. Here they are:
The one on the left is 501 Rotary-Cut Quilt Blocks and the one on the right is The Needlepoint Book. Yes, I know the one is a quilt book! However, I bought it because I've always had intentions of incorporating quilt designs into my PC designs, and this book will certainly help with that. Especially since it's specifically rotary cut blocks, the designs should translate to PC pretty easily.
There's lots of gorgeous designs! I'm excited to get working on those. Plus, I'll have it on hand for my quilting too (someday I'd like to start designing for quilts too, but that's in the future somewhere).
Did you know that Plastic Canvas is actually a form of needlepoint? Until recently, I had no idea. As a designer, I really want to bring something new to the PC world, and I especially want to make pieces with lots of texture and interesting techniques. So many PC designs are super simplistic, using only the continental stitch. That's ok for a beginner, but as you progress, you want to make something more complex and interesting, but there's very few designs out there that fit that bill.
That's where this book comes in. Since PC is a form of needlepoint, I'm hoping I can learn to beef up my designs with what I learn. I have to tell you, this book is fascinating! It has well over 300 needlepoint stitches! I spent over an hour just flipping through pages, staring wide eyed at all the new possibilities. This is how much of the book is just stitches:
And here's a picture of some of the cool stitches in the book.
I can't wait to try some of these out! I'll be sure to share anything I learn, too.
So that's what I'm up to this week. Have any of you got any interesting projects going on?
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
My projects!
So I said before that I've been super busy lately, and I bet you're wondering what I'm busy with! Well, here's a couple pictures to pique you're interest!
My latest design:
The beginnings of a cool quilt:
I'm also still working on organizing my crafts, though to be honest, I'm just waiting for a package from Ikea to get here so I can finish everything. I can't wait to show you what I've done!
So that's all! I'll be sure to post more pictures of my projects when I'm further along with them.
My latest design:
The beginnings of a cool quilt:
I'm also still working on organizing my crafts, though to be honest, I'm just waiting for a package from Ikea to get here so I can finish everything. I can't wait to show you what I've done!
So that's all! I'll be sure to post more pictures of my projects when I'm further along with them.
Monday, January 2, 2017
A Craft Room Tour
Happy New Year, everyone! Ok, so my post is a little late, but I've been busy lately. But finally, FINALLY the holidays are over and I'm getting back into my daily routine! Do any of you miss your normal life when the holidays come around? Or am I just a huge introvert that likes to go off in a corner to craft?
I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the plastic totes and shelves in the seasonal section of the stores, but this time of year I always start thinking about how to declutter my home. This year, I'm especially thinking about my craft supplies. I just have so much, and I don't have nearly enough room for all of it. Currently, my supplies are split between two rooms, my (very tiny) studio, and the corner of our multipurpose room.
I wish there was some way of getting it all into my studio, but it's far too small for that (I believe it's 8x12 feet). I often find myself looking at pictures of immaculate craft rooms on pinterest, drooling over all the shelves and peg boards and carefully stacked fabric. I know no one's craft room really looks like that, but there's still part of me that wishes I could have what I see in those pictures. Sigh!
In that spirit, I decided I'm going to show pictures of my very real, very messy craft room(s). This is for both of us. It helps me by getting an outside view and maybe getting some new ideas on how to organize everything, and it helps you by showing you that, yes, there are seriously messy craft rooms, you're not the only one.
I don't know what it is, though I suspect it's the plastic totes and shelves in the seasonal section of the stores, but this time of year I always start thinking about how to declutter my home. This year, I'm especially thinking about my craft supplies. I just have so much, and I don't have nearly enough room for all of it. Currently, my supplies are split between two rooms, my (very tiny) studio, and the corner of our multipurpose room.
I wish there was some way of getting it all into my studio, but it's far too small for that (I believe it's 8x12 feet). I often find myself looking at pictures of immaculate craft rooms on pinterest, drooling over all the shelves and peg boards and carefully stacked fabric. I know no one's craft room really looks like that, but there's still part of me that wishes I could have what I see in those pictures. Sigh!
In that spirit, I decided I'm going to show pictures of my very real, very messy craft room(s). This is for both of us. It helps me by getting an outside view and maybe getting some new ideas on how to organize everything, and it helps you by showing you that, yes, there are seriously messy craft rooms, you're not the only one.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Happy Belated Christmas!
Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, full of magic and good cheer. Mine was hectic and stressful, but nevertheless still wonderful. I am grateful that it's over though! Now I can get back to some kind of normal.
I don't have a tip today, but I wanted to just say hello to you all and let you know that I'll be back to designing soon! Actually, I'm going to spend this morning working on a graph for my latest project, a pretty earring holder I made for my MIL.
I had to wait until after Christmas to finish this design, because it was my present to her! She regularly checks my store, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise. For a lady with unpierced ears, she sure has a lot of earrings! She filled this thing right up, and had 15 pairs left over. I should have made it bigger.
Here's hoping you all had a great holiday. Next is New Year! Do you have plans to go out and party, or stay in and have a relaxing night? Hubs and I have a tradition; we stay in, watch a goofball movie (like anything from Mel Brooks), and eat nachos!
I don't have a tip today, but I wanted to just say hello to you all and let you know that I'll be back to designing soon! Actually, I'm going to spend this morning working on a graph for my latest project, a pretty earring holder I made for my MIL.
I had to wait until after Christmas to finish this design, because it was my present to her! She regularly checks my store, and I didn't want to ruin the surprise. For a lady with unpierced ears, she sure has a lot of earrings! She filled this thing right up, and had 15 pairs left over. I should have made it bigger.
Here's hoping you all had a great holiday. Next is New Year! Do you have plans to go out and party, or stay in and have a relaxing night? Hubs and I have a tradition; we stay in, watch a goofball movie (like anything from Mel Brooks), and eat nachos!
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Snowpocalypse!
Remember on Friday when I said a storm was coming, and I didn't think we'd get more than 8 inches? Here's a picture of my mom's back yard.
That's a table. A three foot wide table. With TWO FEET OF SNOW ON TOP!
I had to walk through my own back yard tonight to dump my compost (sometimes I really regret putting my pile way in the back of the yard!), and my knee boots were getting snow in them! What a storm!
We're used to getting a lot of snow, but that was a lot of snow in a really short time (just two days). Plus, it's only December so the ground is still very warm, which means the snow is very wet and heavy. It's like shoveling two feet of wet sand :( I feel worst for my 68 year old MIL who shovels her entire 100 foot driveway all by herself. She won't let us help! And she hates snow blowers. Thankfully she's talking about hiring someone to plow.
So that was my weekend. I hope you all had a better one than I did. Now I'm off to get some relaxing in before the weekend is over.
That's a table. A three foot wide table. With TWO FEET OF SNOW ON TOP!
I had to walk through my own back yard tonight to dump my compost (sometimes I really regret putting my pile way in the back of the yard!), and my knee boots were getting snow in them! What a storm!
We're used to getting a lot of snow, but that was a lot of snow in a really short time (just two days). Plus, it's only December so the ground is still very warm, which means the snow is very wet and heavy. It's like shoveling two feet of wet sand :( I feel worst for my 68 year old MIL who shovels her entire 100 foot driveway all by herself. She won't let us help! And she hates snow blowers. Thankfully she's talking about hiring someone to plow.
So that was my weekend. I hope you all had a better one than I did. Now I'm off to get some relaxing in before the weekend is over.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Christmas Tour
Hi there, everyone! I hope you're all having a great week so far. I've been a little under the weather; my recurring inner ear problem has come back the last few days, and I've been riding the couch with a bad case of the dizzies. You have no idea how boring just sitting around is, especially when there's so much Christmas stuff to be done! Luckily, hubs and I got most of the decorating done on Thanksgiving weekend, so at least I don't have to worry about that.
Speaking of Christmas decorations, I thought it would be fun to give you guys a little tour of my decked halls, because what's more fun than sharing all the cute things I've created over the years?
Speaking of Christmas decorations, I thought it would be fun to give you guys a little tour of my decked halls, because what's more fun than sharing all the cute things I've created over the years?
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Work Life Balance
Hey there, everyone! How was your Thanksgiving? Did you go out Black Friday shopping, or were you like me and avoided stores like the plague? I can't stand big crowds, especially when they see you as competition! Yikes!
I had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent Thursday with my family, my mom and dad, sister, nephew, my oldest niece and her little boy, and of course my mom's cats. Then on Friday, we went over to my hubby's parents house for leftover feast. It was so nice to spend time with family, and to take time off from blogging and designing. It gave me lots of time to think about this strange year I've had and about the work I've been doing with pattern designing.
For many years now, almost my whole married life, I've been a full time homemaker and part time artist. I always enjoyed being a homemaker; I was proud to be creating a sanctuary for my little family, a safe place in this crazy world. I wanted to be an artist, but I didn't know what direction to take my art. So for many years, I was mainly a homemaker.
But then in July, I started designing patterns, and I just jumped in with both feet. I love it! It's so exciting to be creating all the time and actually getting paid for my work. That's an amazing feeling after all these years of being an unknown artist. But I've been having a lot of trouble figuring out a balance between being a homemaker and a designer. I try to work only 4 hours a day on my designing, but I get so excited about the work that I usually work all day on projects.
However, then I see the house all messed up and I realize 10 minutes before my husband gets home that I haven't figured out what I want to make for dinner, and it really stresses me out. I want to design, but I also want my home to be the perfect sanctuary that I've always tried to make it. I just can't have it both ways.
Then on top of that, Christmas has really been complicating things! I always make most of the Christmas presents I give away, but I can't find the time to make the gifts, clean the house, and design patterns. And I don't even have kids; I can only imagine what stay-at-home-moms with a business must be going through!
I don't think I have an answer to my problem, I just wanted to complain, lol. I think at least for Christmas, I'm going to design some patterns that will end up being gifts for people on my list, that way I kill two birds with one stone. I probably just need to be more efficient when it comes to the homemaking, and I probably also need to give up some responsibilities, like making all my food from scratch and starting all my garden plants from seed. I just feel like I'm not being a very good homemaker if I don't do those things, like I'm letting my grandma down (she had 12 kids and made everything from scratch, including a dozen loaves of bread a week!).
Are there any other homemaker/business people out there? How do you managed your time and still stay sane? I'd love to hear what everyone else is doing!
I had a very nice Thanksgiving. We spent Thursday with my family, my mom and dad, sister, nephew, my oldest niece and her little boy, and of course my mom's cats. Then on Friday, we went over to my hubby's parents house for leftover feast. It was so nice to spend time with family, and to take time off from blogging and designing. It gave me lots of time to think about this strange year I've had and about the work I've been doing with pattern designing.
For many years now, almost my whole married life, I've been a full time homemaker and part time artist. I always enjoyed being a homemaker; I was proud to be creating a sanctuary for my little family, a safe place in this crazy world. I wanted to be an artist, but I didn't know what direction to take my art. So for many years, I was mainly a homemaker.
But then in July, I started designing patterns, and I just jumped in with both feet. I love it! It's so exciting to be creating all the time and actually getting paid for my work. That's an amazing feeling after all these years of being an unknown artist. But I've been having a lot of trouble figuring out a balance between being a homemaker and a designer. I try to work only 4 hours a day on my designing, but I get so excited about the work that I usually work all day on projects.
However, then I see the house all messed up and I realize 10 minutes before my husband gets home that I haven't figured out what I want to make for dinner, and it really stresses me out. I want to design, but I also want my home to be the perfect sanctuary that I've always tried to make it. I just can't have it both ways.
Then on top of that, Christmas has really been complicating things! I always make most of the Christmas presents I give away, but I can't find the time to make the gifts, clean the house, and design patterns. And I don't even have kids; I can only imagine what stay-at-home-moms with a business must be going through!
I don't think I have an answer to my problem, I just wanted to complain, lol. I think at least for Christmas, I'm going to design some patterns that will end up being gifts for people on my list, that way I kill two birds with one stone. I probably just need to be more efficient when it comes to the homemaking, and I probably also need to give up some responsibilities, like making all my food from scratch and starting all my garden plants from seed. I just feel like I'm not being a very good homemaker if I don't do those things, like I'm letting my grandma down (she had 12 kids and made everything from scratch, including a dozen loaves of bread a week!).
Are there any other homemaker/business people out there? How do you managed your time and still stay sane? I'd love to hear what everyone else is doing!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Happy Thanksgiving!
Well, it's that time again for turkey and family get togethers, football and pumpkin pie. The snow has really fallen here in western New York, and it's really starting to feel like tho holiday season. What makes it feel like the holidays to you?
It's also time for us all to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives. Our families, our homes, our pets, our online communities, our crafts. There's so much in life that we take for granted; I hope today you stop for just a moment to say Thank You.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
It's also time for us all to be grateful for the many blessings in our lives. Our families, our homes, our pets, our online communities, our crafts. There's so much in life that we take for granted; I hope today you stop for just a moment to say Thank You.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Monday, November 21, 2016
Thoughts on Pattern Sharing
Are you guys on Pinterest? I loooove Pinterest. I'm there every day, usually for far too much time. I love the ideas I get just surfing around, seeing what's new in the craft world and what old stuff is still loved.
I noticed earlier this year that a lot of old plastic canvas patterns are being shared on Pinterest. Have any of you noticed that? Stuff that's technically illegal to share because it's copyrighted and you have to pay for the pattern. At the time I was actually really interested in seeing all those patterns, but as I've started to design my own patterns, I've begun to have some different thoughts, and I've decided that I'm conflicted about the whole thing.
On one hand, yes, it's illegal and it's not fair to the designer or the pattern company. When you post a pattern that isn't free to share or Pinterest, you're taking money away from the people that worked hard to make that pattern. And let me tell you, it's hard work to make a pattern. I only work part time as a designer, but I still work my butt off and only get one pattern done a week, and I don't make a lot of money from it. It's a job that requires a lot of passion for little pay or recognition. I can only imagine how frustrated a designer must feel when someone's sharing their patterns without their permission.
There is another hand, believe it or not, and this I think is something specific to plastic canvas. Plastic canvas isn't very popular right now, and there are only a couple dozen designers making new patterns (and only 2 or 3 that are very well known). So new patterns are pretty hard to come by these days, which makes the old patterns really valuable. The problem is again that PC isn't popular, so even the old patterns are hard to find. Many, if not most, of the old patterns are simply out of print. Where does that leave the PC enthusiast that wants new and interesting patterns? Sometimes I see an interesting pattern on Pinterest that someone pinned illegally, but when I try to find the pattern to buy, it's impossible to find. I can't buy it even if I wanted to! Boy that frustrates me.
I definitely think sharing modern patterns is not right and only hurts the people who are doing the work that they love. If you like a pattern and you can buy the pattern, then by all means, you should buy the pattern. If you see a pattern on Pinterest that you know is pinned illegally, you should do the right thing and report it.
As for the old patterns that are out of print and simply impossible to buy? I still don't think it's right, but I think posting it on the internet is probably the only way of preserving that very special creation. If the designer or the pattern company asks you to remove it, though, you should definitely comply.
What do you guys think about pattern sharing? Do you do it? Do you report it when you see it? Do you think old out of print patterns are ok to share?
I noticed earlier this year that a lot of old plastic canvas patterns are being shared on Pinterest. Have any of you noticed that? Stuff that's technically illegal to share because it's copyrighted and you have to pay for the pattern. At the time I was actually really interested in seeing all those patterns, but as I've started to design my own patterns, I've begun to have some different thoughts, and I've decided that I'm conflicted about the whole thing.
On one hand, yes, it's illegal and it's not fair to the designer or the pattern company. When you post a pattern that isn't free to share or Pinterest, you're taking money away from the people that worked hard to make that pattern. And let me tell you, it's hard work to make a pattern. I only work part time as a designer, but I still work my butt off and only get one pattern done a week, and I don't make a lot of money from it. It's a job that requires a lot of passion for little pay or recognition. I can only imagine how frustrated a designer must feel when someone's sharing their patterns without their permission.
There is another hand, believe it or not, and this I think is something specific to plastic canvas. Plastic canvas isn't very popular right now, and there are only a couple dozen designers making new patterns (and only 2 or 3 that are very well known). So new patterns are pretty hard to come by these days, which makes the old patterns really valuable. The problem is again that PC isn't popular, so even the old patterns are hard to find. Many, if not most, of the old patterns are simply out of print. Where does that leave the PC enthusiast that wants new and interesting patterns? Sometimes I see an interesting pattern on Pinterest that someone pinned illegally, but when I try to find the pattern to buy, it's impossible to find. I can't buy it even if I wanted to! Boy that frustrates me.
I definitely think sharing modern patterns is not right and only hurts the people who are doing the work that they love. If you like a pattern and you can buy the pattern, then by all means, you should buy the pattern. If you see a pattern on Pinterest that you know is pinned illegally, you should do the right thing and report it.
As for the old patterns that are out of print and simply impossible to buy? I still don't think it's right, but I think posting it on the internet is probably the only way of preserving that very special creation. If the designer or the pattern company asks you to remove it, though, you should definitely comply.
What do you guys think about pattern sharing? Do you do it? Do you report it when you see it? Do you think old out of print patterns are ok to share?
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Back To Normal Life
Hi everyone! How are you all doing? I'm finally getting back to normal life after my really cool trip to Asheville, NC to visit my BIL. It was a long trip, and it was very tiring, but it was nice to spend some time with family and explore a new city. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend visiting Asheville. It's got a lot of really interesting stuff downtown and it's fairly big, but it has a small town feel. I'm sorry to say that my hubby and I didn't get to do any nature exploring (which is what we like to do on trips and vacations), but we hope to go back sometime by ourselves so we can do our own thing and go at our own pace.
On the morning we started our drive back north, we stopped at an overview and took this amazing picture.
Looking at it just makes me even more sad we didn't get to do any sight seeing or hiking!
Well, it took me a couple of days, but I'm getting back into the swing of pattern making. I'm busy taking pictures of my newest project this morning, and I'll probably have the pattern up and available tomorrow. They're really cute table decor and ornaments. Check out these cuties!
They're so cute sitting in a bowl on my dining room table. I think if I add a string to them, they'll make cute ornaments, too. I'm contemplating adjusting the pattern to make a full body snowman, too. What do you think?
Anyway, it's nice to be back and blogging again! Sorry I didn't get a tip posted on Tuesday, but I promise to have a pattern up on Friday!
On the morning we started our drive back north, we stopped at an overview and took this amazing picture.
Looking at it just makes me even more sad we didn't get to do any sight seeing or hiking!
Well, it took me a couple of days, but I'm getting back into the swing of pattern making. I'm busy taking pictures of my newest project this morning, and I'll probably have the pattern up and available tomorrow. They're really cute table decor and ornaments. Check out these cuties!
They're so cute sitting in a bowl on my dining room table. I think if I add a string to them, they'll make cute ornaments, too. I'm contemplating adjusting the pattern to make a full body snowman, too. What do you think?
Anyway, it's nice to be back and blogging again! Sorry I didn't get a tip posted on Tuesday, but I promise to have a pattern up on Friday!
Tuesday, November 1, 2016
So much housework!
Sorry I've been so quite the last week, guys. I didn't get a free pattern up last Friday and I didn't even get a tip posted! I feel pretty bad about that.
I just decided that I needed to spend a week working on my house and getting in ready for winter. I live in western NY and let me tell you, winter is a big deal here. You definitely need to prepare!
I figure I'll have everything all done by Thursday, so I should have another free pattern up for you this upcoming Friday! Keep your eyes peeled :)
I just decided that I needed to spend a week working on my house and getting in ready for winter. I live in western NY and let me tell you, winter is a big deal here. You definitely need to prepare!
I figure I'll have everything all done by Thursday, so I should have another free pattern up for you this upcoming Friday! Keep your eyes peeled :)
Sunday, September 11, 2016
My Latest Obsession
So hubby and I went on a little road trip today to Erie PA. It's about an hour's drive from where we live in Jamestown NY. We don't really like going there often, because the traffic is usually pretty annoying. But today we were on a mission (well, ok, I was on a mission). I have a new obsession lately, and I figured I could find exactly what I wanted somewhere in Erie (it is the third largest city in PA afterall!).
So what's my obsession? To get every single solid color of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. Why is that my obsession? Ugh... *tries to look not in the least bit crazy* Because I feel like I need every color in order to be a good plastic canvas designer. If I don't have every color, how will I know that I'm using the best colors in my designs?! Yes, that's actually how my logic works in my head.
So anyway, we started at Joann's because I had a pretty good coupon (25% off my entire purchase). And even though the Erie Joann's was much bigger than our local Joann's, they didn't have any more yarn colors. It was pretty disappointing. So then we went to Walmart, because their price of Super Saver yarn is the best I can find ($2.88), and I was hoping maybe they'd have more colors. Nope. They had the same colors as my local Walmart. Ugh!
Well, at this point, my hubby decides he needs some art supplies, so we head over to AC Moore. I figure I may as well go check out the yarn while he's getting his stuff. What could it hurt, right? First, I was surprised to see that they have three full isles of yarn there. And then I noticed the entire back wall was Super Saver yarn. And 4 for $10! And then my eyes lit upon the many many colors that I have been hunting for! Light sage, pale plum, country blue, Aruba sea, Windsor blue, and lots more!! After I filled my arms with as many skeins as I could carry, I went looking for my hubby, who at the sight of me, ran off for some baskets. Lol, I filled two baskets with yarn. I must have looked like a freak.
Here's my haul:
I almost filled up my yarn sample cards. Just four colors to go!
I also picked up some spools of thin metallic ribbon. I can't find good metallic yarn that I like, so I figured maybe I'd try this ribbon to see if it's any better. I'll let you know if it is!
If anyone's interested, the sale at AC Moore is going on for a couple more days.
So what's my obsession? To get every single solid color of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. Why is that my obsession? Ugh... *tries to look not in the least bit crazy* Because I feel like I need every color in order to be a good plastic canvas designer. If I don't have every color, how will I know that I'm using the best colors in my designs?! Yes, that's actually how my logic works in my head.
So anyway, we started at Joann's because I had a pretty good coupon (25% off my entire purchase). And even though the Erie Joann's was much bigger than our local Joann's, they didn't have any more yarn colors. It was pretty disappointing. So then we went to Walmart, because their price of Super Saver yarn is the best I can find ($2.88), and I was hoping maybe they'd have more colors. Nope. They had the same colors as my local Walmart. Ugh!
Well, at this point, my hubby decides he needs some art supplies, so we head over to AC Moore. I figure I may as well go check out the yarn while he's getting his stuff. What could it hurt, right? First, I was surprised to see that they have three full isles of yarn there. And then I noticed the entire back wall was Super Saver yarn. And 4 for $10! And then my eyes lit upon the many many colors that I have been hunting for! Light sage, pale plum, country blue, Aruba sea, Windsor blue, and lots more!! After I filled my arms with as many skeins as I could carry, I went looking for my hubby, who at the sight of me, ran off for some baskets. Lol, I filled two baskets with yarn. I must have looked like a freak.
Here's my haul:
I almost filled up my yarn sample cards. Just four colors to go!
I also picked up some spools of thin metallic ribbon. I can't find good metallic yarn that I like, so I figured maybe I'd try this ribbon to see if it's any better. I'll let you know if it is!
If anyone's interested, the sale at AC Moore is going on for a couple more days.
Friday, September 2, 2016
Unashamed Plastic Canvas Freak
When I was growing up, crafting was really uncool. I mean, isn't that what fusty old grannies do while watching soap operas? I'm sure everyone remembers getting a handmade present from a grandma or auntie that was made with love, but you were just too embarrassed to be seen with it in public (think Ralphie's bunny pj's from A Christmas Story).
Nowadays, crafting is pretty darn cool. You can go to any hipster cafe and find cool chicks (and some guys too) knitting or crocheting, or at the very least, wearing handmade items they bought from Etsy. Let's not get started on all the amazingly cool DIY home decor ideas you can find on Pinterest. It's how you let the world know that you're different, you're creative, you don't shop at Walmart! Except for supplies, of course.
Nowadays, crafting is pretty darn cool. You can go to any hipster cafe and find cool chicks (and some guys too) knitting or crocheting, or at the very least, wearing handmade items they bought from Etsy. Let's not get started on all the amazingly cool DIY home decor ideas you can find on Pinterest. It's how you let the world know that you're different, you're creative, you don't shop at Walmart! Except for supplies, of course.
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