A Haven for Vee

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Mindless Fluffies aka Sewing Projects

Do you give your photo folders some pretty whacky names the way I do? I always name them something, though I must admit that even I was surprised to see that I had named this folder Mindless Fluffies. Indeed. I may be losing it or maybe there's just way too much going on in the world.






Okay, when I need to get away from it all, I usually head for my wee sewing room and there is zero point in that unless I can crow cackle a little over my projects.  (That little lid there is a gift from my sister-in-law. The bottom part of the casserole dish had cracked so she passed it on to me because she couldn't bear tossing it. Now it's mine and I can't bear to toss it either. Perhaps a plant on the deck come spring or some little seedlings in March. We shall see...)



Lately, I have been making a lot of what I am calling tea pot mats. The idea came from watching a Missouri Quilt Company video at You Tube. Jenny's project required a special gizmo that I had no intention of buying so I sort of made my gizmo up, which will become painfully obvious. I never was good at math and if I had only known how much I was going to need geometry, I might have paid better attention back in the day. (I say that in all my sharing posts about sewing/quilting.) If you'd like to try anything like this, it is helpful to know that with six pieces of fabric made into a circle (sort of), you will need 30° angles (if cutting fabrics on the fold that is). There! Haven't I been helpful?





This mat was made from old fabric that my mother had used to make curtains at the cottage. My sister brought it to me last summer. There's so much of it, yet it is badly faded and quite thin in places. I salvaged the best of it. I think it will look great back at the cottage because there is a beautiful tea pot there.
 


From now on, I am disguising the center with something. Again, for obvious reasons. 






Wowzer! Don't put your eye out. I have been loving using my new Tea Mug from Teavana. A Christmas gift from my daughter-in-law, and the rest of the family, though I am quite certain that she selected it.




Yes, well I forgot to plop something down...
And that's not all...




I am still enjoying using the fabric scraps in mug rugs. 




Still playing with tea towels...

***





This is my chuckle of the week...favorite hand-knit mittens now under glass because my husband has yet to realize that they are part of the decor. I had them artfully arranged at the base of the pedestal, but would find them all over the place every day, multiple times a day. No more of that! Yes, the decor remains decidedly winter.





Thank you, Dear Heart, for hanging around visiting with me today. I know that there are many things to do, many things to think about, many others to visit. For all those reasons, I am pleased that you made time to visit here and to comment how much you love my little tea pot mats. < insert big cheeky grin >


A blessed day to you...





40 comments:

  1. I really love your little teapot mats!!! ;-) I do love popping in for a visit - I always leave grinning.

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  2. I do love those little teapot mats! A friend made me a similar one a few years ago from feed-sack fabric, and I love it. I really, really love your mug mats! Have made a few and am longing to make more. Maybe this week!

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  3. Vee, you are much too hard on yourself. Your mats are lovely! I love that you are making them with fabric from your mother. That makes them extra special. What a gorgeous teapot!
    Oh, as far as John not noticing the mitten decor under glass. Grayden wouldn't notice if I put an elephant in the living room! He's a great man, but engineers have tunnel vision! ♥

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  4. Your little teapot mats are just adorable, Vee. And I wouldn't throw that cute little lid away either :) Fun post!

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  5. So cool to be working with fabric your mom also sewed with. The teapot mats and cup rugs are so colorful, cheery and just a nice thing to have around. I thought the mittens under glass were pieces of cinnamon swirl cake. Oh well.

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  6. I think you really are too hard on yourself dear Vee, you must describe these as "free form" teapot mats from now on and explain how your art cannot be constrained by the boundaries of geometry. In other words, never let on that something turned out other than you had planned. Who is to know? All that aside, I think they turned out just fine and they are certainly useful. As an artist you must be prepared for some of your projects to not turn out as perfectly as you would like. It is that daring, devil may care forging ahead that separates you from the people who give up when things go wonky :>) Besides, it looks like only your first try was a little Avant-garde, the rest look just perfect to me!

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  7. Being tucked away in your sewing room sounds like a lovely way to pass the time during these cold winter days. I think your mats, rugs & tea towels are all very pretty. I do hope you are enjoying a nice cup of tea as you sew.
    Those mittens ought to be safe now. Although, at first glance, I thought there was a chocolate/cream type of dessert under the dome. That would never be safe in my house :).

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  8. Those look very sweet and colorful. You're getting a lot done!

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  9. Oh they are all so pretty and cute , wonderful work ! I do like that pot lid and tea pot . Hey spring is officially in 29 days WOOHOO ! Thanks for sharing , Have a good day !

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  10. I envy you the sewing skills. I am good at straight lines - link when I made the curtains for my house, but anything more intricate than that....I stink lol. Your teapot mats are lovely!

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  11. I love your little teapot mats. Several years ago I got on a kick of making miniature quilts I made several of them but can only find two now-and they are Christmas colors. That was so much fun. I did several different patterns. Yours are darling and I love the shape of the top one What fun!
    Like your cup, too. Sometimes kids get it just right.

    It is still winter here, too...ugh....laughing about the mittens under glass-xo Diana

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  12. Your creations are very nice indeed. At least your keeping busy while being snowed in.

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  13. Well it is quite true that I really like your tea pot mats. A great idea. I won't mention our weather right now. It is changing on us as I type, though. Hope the rest of your week is good...

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  14. I love your little tea pot mats. : )
    What pretty fabrics.
    I always look forward to your posts.
    I don't really save a lot of my pictures. The ones I do save I just put them in folders by the year.

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  15. I think your teapot mats are really pretty especial the pink and yellow rose one. And, the blue and yellow one. I like them both/all! Your mug rugs are cute too and very practical. I have a Teavana mug like yours in red plus a pretty one in a blue and white swirly print that has a cover, and a saucer and a strainer. Love them and love loose flavoured tea too. Your teapot mats are very cheery and springy looking.

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  16. Great idea tea pot mats!! They are all so pretty too

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  17. I'll try to visit without breathing on anyone. I'm sick with something...maybe just allergies, but I'm miserable. Now that we have that established...lol...I love your pretty mats. I had a Christmas one that was pointy to put my IPAD on top of and now I have a mug rug but it's too small. I guess I better take some measurements and make a bigger one. It can wait though. Hope you are warm today...and well. Sweet hugs, Diane

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  18. Looks to me you have no reason to put anything over the center; they look great. I love all the different colors and they make the perfect Tea Pot Mat. And then the mug rugs are great too. And the tea towels. All such great ways to use up those little scraps of fabrics. Your mittens under glass look like a wonderfully delicious dessert with a quick glance! Yes, we still have plenty of snow here to keep any snowman happy.

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  19. Oh how I enjoyed this post Vee! What a beautiful mix of patterns and such a clever idea! You have such sewing talent. I would not be able to part with the casserole lid either. I would display it in the ktichen always! This was just fun, fun today! Big hugs!

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  20. This was fun. Love the tea mats and your other scrappy projects. I hope you have that satisfying feeling one gets from successful project completion. You've been busy and productive (have you ever noticed that one can be busy and NOT productive)? The tea mat made from the vintage curtain fabric will be charming at the cottage.

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  21. And of course we all DO love your tea mats!!! I love how you can't bear to part with bits and pieces of things. Neither can I. I try to re purpose as much as possible and that makes me HAPPY!!! Louis Dean and I are becoming MASTERS at this!!!!

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  22. I DO love your teapot mats Vee! Isn't Jenny from the Missouri Star Quilt Company great!? I love her videos and have learned so much. Your mittens under glass look like a lovely marble cake - so cute! I love your tea towels too! Such a happy post...

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  23. How lovely that you were able to use the fabric that your mother had purchased! Yes, I think that tea mat will be right at home in the cabin.

    You have been a busy girl making all of those mats, each one unique and pretty. And that bright orange tea mug is wonderful! Great color for a dreary winter day. Good job, daughter-in-law!

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  24. I do love your tea mats and totally agree that you need to crow about them! I understand about the decorative items being unappreciated. I live with five males in this house, and I have just about given up on decorative anything....I have to live vicariously through you and Cheryl (above).

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  25. Well I too LOVE your little mats! LOVE them! And when you add on that you used the fabric that your mother bought, well now it's really wonderful. I have a few yards of fabric that my mom had left in her sewing supplies and I am still wondering what to do with it. Wish I knew what she was planning to do with it so I could do it for her....And yes, whoever knew there was soo much math involved in quilting....sooo not my thing. I have to draw things out. Such a visual learner. Enjoy this Vee and hope you had a good day!

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  26. I think your mats are really pretty. I wish I could make myself dust off my sewing machine and use up some of those pieces of fabric that I've kept way too long. I admire those of you that just do it and not procrastinate forever like I do.

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  27. Your little teapot mats are adorable, Vee! I need to try my hand at some of those, or maybe a mug rug, at least. I also love your charming teapot. Isn't she a beauty? Your tea mug really must brighten your day when you sip from it. I've never been to Teavana, but someone else told me about the place. I'll have to check it out.

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  28. The pot mats are very clever, and a great way to use up fabric from your stash! I like the mug rugs too.

    Is the pattern on your cabinet in the last photo stenciled on? Its pretty and I like the colors!

    I have a few spring/summer dresses that I am planning to make for Kamryn, I just need to decide to get at them. It's a super easy pattern, and I am using the same pattern for them. So if I'd just get to it, I would be able to cut it all out and the sew it up quickly. It won't happen today. Going to visit friends this afternoon.

    Deanna

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  29. I visited earlier in the morning yesterday ~ before you posted. Your sewing projects are really cute and quite useful. You've been busy! I look at my sewing machine every day and still haven't used it in 2015.

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  30. I love all your pretty crafts here. I can't sew a lick so I really am in awe of those that can.
    Beautiful tea pot....
    Oh, and, I am ALWAYS putting things out that I mean for decorations and Mr. Sweet just doesn't get it.
    If he hangs his ole ugly cap on my vintage brass coat rack, I move it...if I hang a pretty scarf that matches the decor, HE hangs another ole ugly cap over it........or if I happen to hang some little banner or such in an off-balanced way, he straightens it. Nope, the guys just don't GET IT....:) (but don't we love 'em...)

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  31. Wow, you're really going to town with your sewing. Very impressive. That's pretty funny about the mittens. That's for adding some inspiration and color to my day. Always a pleasure to visit here.

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  32. I meant to add . . you should see my photo folders. It feels like I have millions of them, but don't have any called mindless fluffies.

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  33. I love this post Vee! We have so much in common. I do live only 45 minutes away from Missouri Star Quilt CO., so if you ever get out this way, I would love to take you there. It's a quilter's dream! I just started sewing again last year when my daughter decided she wanted to learn to make simple quilts. My first quilt that I made last year was small, so I decided to quilt it on my machine with straight line quilting. Needless to say my machine has no presser foot adjustment on it and it stretched my quilt and now it is no longer square.
    Imperfections only make handmade items more special.

    I still have a snowman on my front porch for all to see and yesterday I was standing in my entry and for some reason the Lord told me to look up. I still had evergreen wrapped around my little ceiling light fixture.

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  34. Not Mindless Fluffies! Do not put yourself down when you are being creative! And you are....I enjoy your color choices and all you make that I've seen here.........Some people make a yoyo shape or a circle and sew it down on the center of this sort of creation. But it's not necessary!

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  35. i do love your tea mats and that you used memory fabric from your cottage. have a great weekend.

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  36. Yes, those teapot mats are wonderful, and so cheery. They remind me of some placemats I have that my grandmother made. And I love the little lid, I'd keep it too.

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  37. I am still enjoying my mug mat and pretty green mug! Love the larger ones. Wish I could sew........:-).

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  38. I absolutely adorn your teapot mats! Great idea! Anything to keep the teapots from ruining a tabletop or getting too cold too quickly! Well done, ma'am!!

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  39. Oh they are ADORABLE!!!! LOVE them and you.

    xo,
    Kim

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