Today is the first day back for the boys.  Yay!  I am so behind on my new crochet designs and let's not even begin to talk about how far I am behind on my quilting projects!  The past few weeks have been very weird to say the least...

So we're buying a house.  Yup.  Originally we were going to build a detached garage and convert the existing 1 1/2 car garage to a media room so I can get the rock band and other video game noises out of the house a bit.. but thanks to where the septic drain field is in the back yard, that brilliant plan was zapped...  Plan B - build a room off the back of the house.. add lots of insulation to sound proof and then I'd have quiet - or at least a little more quiet... Can you say one room = $65k?  Seriously?  So I was thinking one morning while sitting at the computer wondering about other options.. how about moving?  Oh yeah!!  The housing market is actually fairly strong here in town compared to other parts of the country.  I searched and found a few houses that we could possibly move in to.. then I saw IT.  A newish development that has nice two story houses... I went online and looked and oh yeah!  Found a house plan we liked and are building in a newish development... If all goes on schedule, we'll be moving in to a new house sometime early December... or early January. One or the other.  What's holding it up? It only takes 75 days to build a house according to the builder.. They have to wait for the perk test to be done and that could take up to 2 months!  Seriously?  Madison County, get off your butt and do my flipping perk test!!


Okay.. now to get to the good stuff... A new page of tutorial links has been added! 

In my house an ottoman is worth its weight in gold.  Who doesn't like to put their feet up?  I saw a brilliant one that someone on Quilting Board had made...  and it was ironic because just earlier yesterday before I saw this post I was actually searching for a tutorial on making a foot stool out of a spackle bucket.  Sooo I figured I might as well spread the joy and behold!  My newest tutorial links list... Footstools, Ottomans & Tuffet Tutorial Links
So Go Ahead and put your feet up!  You deserve it!!
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Awhile back I saw somewhere - don't ask me where right now - a quilt that used a dresden ruler and it was so fresh and new and I just fell in love with it.  It had a white background and the petals of the dresden were white on both sides with a colored strip down the center... I searched high and low and I still don't know where that tutorial is.  It was cool if you ask me.  Maybe I'm just on crack, I don't know but I could swear that I saw that tutorial somewhere online!  If you know what I'm talking about, please put me out of my misery and send me a link!!

Joann's usually stocks the EZ Dresden Ruler but the past few times quilting notions were on sale 50% off, it was out of stock.  Yesterday I popped in there after going to see Hop at the theaters (yawn, yawn.  I'm glad that is over!) but they had the ruler in stock!  Yay for me!  It makes up for that hour and a half of Hopping boredom.  Even Logan didn't like that movie.  Collin did but he's still easier to amuse than Logan... That will change as he grows up...

So I thought of doing a new tutorial links page - no surprise there, right?   So without further ado... the Dresden Tutorial Link page!
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I don't know what got me started on this list but this morning I began to compile tutorials for curved and circle piecing for quilts....

I came across one that really really stood out and I am totally intrigued by it and it is now on my short list for things I want to make.. I know, that list is massive but wow this was a cool quilt!

It was entitled Get Your Curve On and I really want to get my curve on now!  I am not afraid of quilting curves.  One of the first quilts I did was a drunkard's path.  Nobody told me it was suppose to be a hard thing to do so I did it and enjoyed it.... Soooo.... My thought of the day is to not be afraid of the curve.  Curves are your friend.  Make something curvy already!!

Here's a link to the tutorial list I compiled....
Yes, there's also a link for sewing Y seams - at least for now.  That will be tackled another day.  I actually have a tree skirt that is absolutely gorgeous but abandoned thanks to those wretched Y seams.  THOSE I have an issue with... but I'll look at it again after I finish up some other projects :)
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Happy Valentine's Day to all of my crochet friends out there!


My website - www.CraftyDeb.com will have its two year anniversary on Monday, Valentine's Day!
It has been a great two years.  I have designed a slew of things and have many more to come.  I can not tell you how many things are on my to do list!  It truly is endless. 

I have already begun working on something new that hopefully will be ready to spring in to action next week.  It *might* be a little late thanks to that horrendous ear infection that knocked me down - never and I mean never have I had an ear infection that got so bad, so quickly and robbed me of my hearing except for a loud constant ringing and the sound of my own heartbeat echoing in my head... miserable I tell you, just miserable... but I'm on the mend now thanks to a great ENT doctor I saw yesterday.  I feel like a new woman!  Anyhooo... I have begun working on a new project and it's one that I have had drawn out for a really long time so I'm super excited to get to work on it.  I also have some new robots coming around soon and lots of other things up my sleeve... and on top of it all, I am working on designs to submit for a book proposal.  I'm very excited about that prospect.  Hopefully it will get picked up and published.... Only time will tell!


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Back to the Stuffed Candy Hearts!  I know that's why you are reading my ramblings anyway :D

They are new!  They are stuffed! They are freeeeee!!  Free is awesome, isn't it?

The arrow will work on all three of the hearts so don't feel obligated to use it only on that specific one - go wild! Embroider your love messages on them! Give them to your sweethearts!  Make a few and scatter them across your couch, bed, car!  Give them to everyone you know!  They are THAT quick to make!

I am planning on making a fourth one possibly over the weekend and I'll upload a youtube video on how to join the sections.  It isn't tricky, but a video is worth a thousand words.  I will have other videos coming up soon now that we have begun the CraftyDeb Designs Youtube channel
So far, there is only one video on how to make Big Bunny Foo Foo's nose.  That was a request - and you know that I'm always open to requests!  I love getting them!  I'll let you all know when the next youtube video debuts!

Til then - Happy Valentine's Day!
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I wanted to make a Twister quilt - well, more specifically twister runners for the dressers in my bedroom.  The 3.5" twister block costs $10... I did purchase a 3.5" square ruler from Hancock's however that was $7 - okay, it was on sale 30% off but still over priced for a piece of plastic.  The 4.5" one was $2 less!  But I had to have that 3.5" one...

I was thinking hmmm... I'm pretty sure that Home Depot or Lowes sells plexiglass.. and they did.  Lowes will actually cut it for you however the man that normally uses that machine says that it doesn't cut EXACTLY perfect so I figured I would give it a go on my own.  I did pretty good.  I figured I would only be out $2 if I messed it up, so why not give it a go.....  I'm happy with it - and I got a few of them out of my 8x10 piece of acrylic... including a 6.5" one - okay, it is a hair under 6.5 but I will not tell the quilt police if you don't....

Here is the tutorial on how I made it.. and here's a picture of my first table runner made with it.  It is a bit of an oops... but it will do... but not for my bedroom.  I've begun piecing for the bedroom ones.  I'll post pictures after they are a bit more under way  :)
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Start the new year off with a new wall calendar.  Pick one up from the local insurance company, bank, hardware store - wherever you can get one for free - then make a cover for it!  I found two great tutorials online for making them - Go creative and jazz it up!

Might as well also start the new year off financially pretty - with a checkbook cover!  These can also be used for those nifty pocket calendars too!

Check them out!

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