And The Inspiration Continues...

Over the past week, I had plans-plans to make items from one of my favorite crafty books and even plans to make something from a pattern.  Well, I went where my creative daydreams were taking me and that is to blogland to try out more things I have read about from all of you creative and talented people!

For starters, I had fun making this ruffled scarf from MADE.  It included a technique I had been dying to try-smocking with elastic thread in the bobbin.  What fun!  It was easier than I thought it would be.   I was able to wind my bobbin with the elastic right on my machine-I didn't have to wind it by hand.  I didn't have to mess with the tension on my machine.  It just worked perfectly!  The most time consuming part was hemming the scarf before I gathered it with the elastic.  I didn't like the look my serger made on this fabric, so I hemmed it the old fashioned way.  I am wearing the scarf today.  It is summery and I would prefer to wear it with a dressy tshirt, but it is chilly and rainy here in the Northeast, so I am wearing it with a crew neck sweater. 

Another project I made was a mug rug.  I have read about these and they sounded so fun, I had to try one.  I found this "house version" on Fashioned By Meg.  It was so much fun to think about what fabrics would define me a little so this mug rug would be personalized.  I love toile so that was the roof fabric.  I used wood look fabric for the actual house so it would be like a cabin.  My sewing room shows through the window and the door is my shoe fabric because, as my husband will tell you, I am a shoe girl.  And let's be honest, Mickey had to be on there somewhere!  She is by the door.  I had a blast using my sewing machine's fancy stitches to put yellow tulips under the window.  It was a lot of fun.  I forgot the chimney though.  I had cute measuring tape ribbon all ready for it and I got so carried away with the rest, I forgot. 

One last thing I want to show you is this amazing Bloomin' Onion Bread I found on Your Homebased Mom.  It is crazy good!  I didn't have any green onions, so I put garlic powder in my melted butter that I drizzled on top.  Yowza!  I had a hard time stopping!  Luckily, I had made homemade beef vegetable soup to serve with it so there was some nutrition to counteract the butter, bread and cheese. 

I hope everyone has a great week.  All three of my guys have a head cold that is hanging on so I hope that will be leaving us soon.  I am counting down to my April break from school.  I am hoping to get to my favorite quilt shop, Mission Rose, during that vacation.  Take care of yourselves and happy crafting.  Nancy