After an extended hibernation, my creative crafting bug has resurfaced. I’ve missed him so.
In a recent attempt to clean my room, I made the mistake of starting in the Craft Corner. I never got any further! I discovered a few projects that have been waiting for my returned interest – waiting for many years.
The Christmas Sparkler – This bead/sequins project was started when my daughter was very small. Back then, I took piano lessons from a wonderful woman during my lunch hour. She offered lessons to many of the neighborhood children, during after school hours. So she had time during the day for a few adult pupils. She was also a crafter, and made some beautiful “bedazzled” sweatshirts. She showed me how she sewed the sequins to the shirts, and shared a few of her patterns with me.
My original intention was to make matching poinsettia shirts for me and my daughter to wear to the annual family Christmas party. Sadly, I never even started on Brittany’s. She’s now 16.
Here’s mine.
The process of stitching the sequins to the fabric kinda reminds me of counted cross stitch, except that there’s glue and beads involved! The pattern is taped to the fabric and folded back to reveal the next row as you move across the page. I use glass seed beads to secure the sequins to the shirt – a truly bedazzled look.
I’m so close to finishing – I must have started working on this too close to Christmas. When I didn’t make my target date, I’m sure I just put it away and never got back to it.
I think I’ll restart this project for the SAL (Stitch-a-Long) – a group of ladies from around the world who post their WIPs (Works in Progress) on their respective sites. We watch each other’s progress and celebrate completion – sometimes with a Happy Dance! I’m thrilled they’ve allowed me to join.
So, here’s a closeup of my current progress.
I’ll start posting regularly on the SAL and introduce you to all the ladies on October 12.
Stay tuned for updates!
garden4therapy 
You could try to finish this one for Christmas this year. Maybe your daughter will have one by next year 😉 There’s a lot more to sequins work than I’d imagined! I’m so pleased you could join us in the SAL 🙂
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At this point in her life, it’s probably not cool to match mom! Would have been cute about 12 years ago! She is welcome to borrow it, just better be not on “ugly Christmas sweater day”!
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Ooh, sparkly 🙂
That’s a lovely project to get you back into crafting. I’m looking forward to seeing it at the first progress update.
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I like the sparkles, too! It’s so close to being finished, I almost feel like I’m cheating on the SAL!
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I empathize with your pointsettia project and your crafty enthusiasm, which doesn’t seem to stay long with me. I hope you don’t have the occasional 30-year-old project in a corner of the closet as I do–one placemat embroidered of a pair. Also, I stalled on finishing my goddaughter’s baby blanket 18 years ago, but have started making a baby sweater with the rest of the pretty peach yarn. Now, I hope to be ready when she finishes college in 4 yrs…and gets married at some unknown date…and has a baby girl only God knows when! Bring on the Future, I enthusiastically shout …at the moment!
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Actually, a 24-year-old baby blanket will be making an appearance on the SAL as soon as the Christmas Sparkler is complete! Not sure there’s a good reason to work on it at this point, but my son (who should have had the blanket when he was a baby) pointed out that it’s all about accomplishing completion. He’s right!
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I’m sure that finishing your old/new baby blanket will give you a wonderful sense of satisfaction, and it’s wonderful to have your former baby cheering you on! With my “old” projects, I’m finding the yarn isn’t as soft and pretty as the new DK yarns I’ve been using for baby sweaters. Maybe it’s just my imagination, though!
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