Quilts

My new obsession? Quilts.

Even though I have only made one quilt before, and it has been years since then, I am dying to make one.

My Dad's mother, my Mimi, taught me to sew. I own her sewing machine now. It is old and yellowing, but it works better than my mom's younger machine. I love knowing that when I sew, I am using the same machine that she sewed on for as long as I can remember. The same machine she taught me how to sew on.

Sewing is one of my favorite things to do, although I don't get to very often. I can't design clothes, and I need a relatively simple pattern, but I enjoy it regardless.

Here are some quilts I found on Pinterest that are seriously inspiring me to get out my machine and get started.

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I would love to pick a pattern and beautiful fabric and make a quilt for my and Branden's future apartment. I think it would make a lovely symbol of our first home together, and something we could always treasure. 

Have you ever sewn a quilt before? 

Crayon Art

Melted crayon art.

We've all seen it on Pinterest and think it is really cool, but we never sit down and do it.  Turns out, it is such an easy thing to do!

I had the morning off and would be near a Hobby Lobby after running errands, so I figured, why not? 

All I needed was a canvas, crayons, hot glue, and a blow dryer. I bought two different sized canvases, but I went with the bigger one. I went a little overboard on Crayons. I bought two boxes of 96 and one box of 24.  I would suggest getting two boxes of 48, or one of 64 and one 24. It helped to have an idea of what colors I wanted to use, and I wanted to make sure that I had a good range of shades.

From there it was pretty simple. 

This was my first arrangement. I played around with colors and the groupings for a while before I started gluing. 

Once I decided my pattern, it was time to glue. I made sure to start gluing my crayons an inch or so away from the edge. This was the most tedious part of the project, but it didn't take longer than 10 minutes. 

Next step: melting! I set up outside and set out plenty of news paper. Melting was easier than I expected. I made sure to keep the blow dryer moving and pointed straight at the crayons. It also helped to blow dry straight down from the top of the crayon. From there, I kept going until it looked how I wanted. The wax dries quickly, but when I wanted it to melt lower on the canvas, it just took a little blow drying. 

Very easy!

This is my finished project. I love it! Overall, from beginning to end, it took less than an hour! A perfect mid-morning craft. 

I can't wait to do more! I definitely have plenty of left over crayons. 

Weekly Pin Love: Fall Wreaths

I am dying to make a wreath for the fall. Here are some favorites I've seen on pinterest:

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I love the textures and simplicity of this one. 

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This seems easy to make and looks so elegant and pretty!

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What is more fall than this?

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Simple, clean, and lovely.

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I think this one is so original, and I love pumpkins! 

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Leaves are my favorite part of the season, so of course, I love this one. 

I am definitely inspired to get to the craft store and start making a wreath for my front door. Maybe my fall wreath will inspire the weather to actually start feeling like fall!

P.S. Can you believe this is the last day of September? Tomorrow is the start of my favorite month!