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52 Project Challenge, 2011

20K views 426 replies 32 participants last post by  zebra15 
#1 ·
SO --- This was so popular and successful in 2010, I think it's time to start a new thread for 2011.

Those of us who craft tend to accumulate stashes of projects to complete, and UFOs (Unfinished Objects), etc. We'd all like to finish them ... but they can feel overwhelming! I think those of us who participated last year found our thread very motivational and supportive as we all worked towards this goal.

Is anyone else up for a challenge? One project a week, we can report back here about what we've finished each week. Kudos for those who work ahead (and demerits for any 'new' projects we add to the stash) -

So for example, if I sew three projects Week 1, I am at 49/52. If in Week 2, I sew a project but buy two new projects, then I am at 50/52 in Week 2. The object is to finish what we have, and avoid increasing our stash.

Bonus points for "upcycling" items - old tshirts into PJs for kids, or old sweaters into wool longies, etc.

C'mon, folks - let's motivate each other!
 
#302 ·
Ok I started/re-started the Eeyore pillowcase. It was right where I left it, in my sewing box.(my little sewing scissors are missing though) Ho-hummm. Heather, the butterflies are now complete, the flowers are done, the clouds are done and the pink tail on Eeyore is started. I do all the detail/edging last (cuz I really HATE that part)

The pre-printed X's are very difficult to see, just as I remember but I think if I start with the few blotches of accent color on Eeyore then go all out with the purple I should be good. I'm not using the string they gave, I have variegated of my own- kinda like a built in short cut.

On a personal note, my mother is coming to visit at the end of July and my depression/anxiety is acting up. Hopefully crafting will keep the brain in line!

Heather- GAME ON..... of course, only if you want too
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#303 ·
Zebra sounds like fun. I need the motivation to get it done quickly. My SIL's birthday is at the end of the month and its a present for her,

I don't know how much crafting Ill be getting done any time soon. My Uncle called Sunday night to tell me my Grandma passed that morning in her sleep. In one way Im relieved that she passed at home in her sleep (thats how she always said she wanted to go when it was her time) but Im going to miss her. I was really close with her, she was like a second mom to me when my mother was ill and then passed. She was also my last living grandparent so its hard to imagine I don't have anyone of that generation to talk to from my family anymore.
 
#304 ·
Heather - May you find strength and peace.
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Zebra -
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I am stilllll painting pieces of the Ivar system from our project room. The side supports and two wood drawers are completely finished and inside. The rest is still outside, receiving a coat of paint whenever I get a few moments. There are two coats of primer on everything and I'm working on one coat of paint at the moment. We had a lot of fun this weekend, so painting was stalled considerably.

I'm leaving town Friday morning @ 8 am for three days and need to switch gears to get ready for that. It's a Scrapbook Getaway with friends in the mountains and I haven't even decided which project to bring or anything. EEK! My desk is clean and I unpacked everything from a previous crop, so at least I'm ready to start getting ready now...
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This is a busy week with other things, too, of course... I'm driving our Prius and my local friend is riding with me and I may be picking up another friend about 1.5 hours into the drive, which means I cannot just throw a bunch of stuff in the car and call it good.
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#306 ·
Thanks for the sympathy.. Her passing caught me by surprise, I think its one of those things you can never prepare for.

I got the Eeyore pillow case kit in the mail today.. I started on one of the clouds and found myself falling asleep so Im putting it down for the night and working on it tomorrow. I did finish a washcloth today and worked on the shawl Im making.
 
#307 ·
sorry about your grandma, Heather. Hugs to you.

Zebra, you and me both on the scrapbooking. That is really hard for me to get into, for some reason. I have plenty of papers etc and a scrapbook with less than half a dozen finished pages and boxes of photos but I keep putting off working on that. Scrapbooking really is daunting for me. I really should start working on this, thanks ya'll for the reminder.

I have had a case of the lazies and haven't been in my sewing room for days for some reason. FIVE raglan tees is the reason; I wanted to have already collected that point but have only completed two, not sure why I have been avoiding finishing this project for days; they are really easy to make.
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Really hope to be motivated tomorrow because I want to make an Infinity dress before our date (first time out w/o kids in 2 years) and also feeling like I really need to blog. But first, the raglan tees, i hope!
 
#308 ·
So sorry about your grandmother, Heather. Big hugs...

I have finished my BFF's cloth pads and just started on my mom's pads. I think I need to make more for myself as my second PP AF is super bad right now. I also am on my 7th dishcloth. I've got a knitting date with a friend later this month so I can get started on making these super-cute knitted head scarves that she gave me last summer. Oh, and apparently I have to make some knitted baby wash clothes for the craft store I co-own so that my more creative co-owner can make some new baby gift baskets...

So it total - two more projects done...but maybe one demerit if I can't find soft yarn to make the baby stuff with...gotta go check the craft room (and raid all of my friends' stashes...
 
#309 ·
My friend and I calculated the number of hours she scrapped on the drive home and I estimated I worked about the same as she did, just slightly different hours since she is a night owl and I am a work-through meals gal. We scrapped 24 hours and accomplished quite a bit!
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I finished as much as I could on a brand new mini album. I decided to scrap my "Quilt Journal". I forgot to get one quilt's pictures printed and one quilt's pictures turned out way too dark. Otherwise, I nearly completed an entire album! I haven't counted the pages, yet, so I'll add to my project total later.
 
#310 ·
Hold on to your crafts ladies... this evening I sat on the sofa and.... crocheted! I finished up one skein, started the 2nd and boy I was back in heaven.

This yarn is the perfect match for my sofa. I can not wait to finish the afghan and have something beautiful in my apartment.

The cross stitch is definitely a WIP. I have a whole container of them, I need to get my groove back.
 
#311 ·
Ugh, lets not talk about scrapbooking.. I still haven't even started my first daughter's scrapbook.. or the one for my childhood pictures.. I did do a wedding one so thats something

I haven't even really worked on the pillowcase. I need to get my bottom on the move. I did get the other cross stitch in the mail.. but its not what it was advertised to be. In the description it said a stamped cross stitch and its counted. Sooo, Im still going to do it but I KNOW it won't get done for the wedding. Ooops, bad me. Ill end up sending a card and a little cash instead. I tore out all the knitting I did on the shawl because I didn't like how it was turning out so Im going to start it with a different pattern as soon as I get the right size needles.

So basically no progress on anything lately. Im just not in the mood to do anything, my poor house shows it too. Need to clean today and resort the tread for the pillowcase (my girls got into it). Maybe Ill get myself to work on it today as well.
 
#313 ·
Ok Im putting this here to make myself accountable.. Tomorrow I will

finish up the journals for the children (next time I think "oh we won't need those and have TMO pack them tell me not to please) One cheetah, One Monkey, One Giraffe

re-cast on the shawl and do 10 rows Done!

re-sort the thread

finish the flowers on the pillowcase- only finished two

Now Im accountable, tomorrow night Ill check in with the results.
 
#314 ·
Zebra- Im glad you are getting motivated again! I think crafting is its own unique therapy, it sure helps me when Im feeling down.
 
#316 ·
Got the journals done! Im not the best at drawing but they are passable. Just won't be getting a job as a cartoonist any time soon
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060.JPGMy daughter's journals. One wanted Hello Kitty and the other a monkey (no surprise there!)

061.JPGThe baby's and my husbands. My hubby is a big fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas.

Ill update my project count in the next post.
 
#317 ·
1) Doll for DD1(Jan)
2) Doll for DD2 (Jan)
3) Doll outfit for DD1 (Jan)
4) Doll outfit for DD2(Jan)
5) DD1's birthday top and skirt (Jan)
6) Birth necklace and bracelet for DD1 (Jan)
7) Car Seat Blanket (Feb)
8) Purple skirt for me (Mar)
9) Flower skirt for me (Mar)
10) 2 skirts for the girls (Mar)
11) two backpacks for the girls with first aid kits and utensil bags (Mar)
12) nursing cover with pouch for pads (Mar)
13) shawl (Mar)
14) Move (Apr)
15) knitted washcloth(June)
16) Project spreadsheet and supply spreadsheet (June)

17) Four journals

But with the two demerits I'm at
15/52
 
#318 ·
I spent last night and well into the wee hours of the AM crocheting. I'm making progress on my 2nd skein of yarn and my blanket is coming out so thick and fluffy. This was clearance yarn and I've never really worked with this type before so I'm super excited. Keep in mind its 110+ degrees outside LOL.

Tonight needs to be an x-stitch night.
 
#319 ·
I finally sorted out the thread so I can start working on Eeyore again. Tonight I finished two of the blue flowers (I even outlined them), tomorrow I want to try to finish the rest of the flowers. I really need to hurry up on this since its already the middle of the month.

Got the blue flowers finished and outlined. Tomorrow Im going to work on the green ones and the butterflies. I also did 10 rows on the shawl today, tomorrow hopefully I can do another 5.
 
#320 ·
I just inherited another persons UFO.. One of my husbands aunts started making this rabbit costume for one of her children but never finished who passed it to another aunt who was going to make it for her granddaughter but never finished and she sent it to me.. Its really NOT my style (cheap, synthetic material.. and a rabbit costume I use to have nightmares about people in rabbit costumes every Easter) but Im think of finishing it just to have it DONE and then leaving it up to the girls whether they ever play with it or not. It will take a back burner though since I have a TON of holiday sewing to start on.

The positive side she also sent me 10 patterns. Some I won't use (spandex pants for one) but one in particular I want to try. Its a button down dress I think I can easily convert for nursing
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And the pattern isn't a tissue paper one so I don't have to worry about it ripping the first time I unfold it.. Ive ripped many a pattern by trying to unfold it.
 
#322 ·
haha Im so tempted but the aunt lives down the street from me and would ask about it.. we already have a shaky relationship (long story, lots of family drama) so Id rather not stir the pot anymore. I almost feel like giving it back though since shes determined to open her own handmade costume shop so it would be something she could do.. Or maybe when DH gets home I can rehome it and not worry about her complaining to him and him being overseas.
 
#323 ·
Last week I worked 6 days at a local bookstore owned by friends of mine. In the past I've done some minor cosmetic touch ups to their store - the owners basically said that they were fine with anything I could do to make the store look better. So I took them at their word and did some major overhauls while i was there last week. Everything I did was completely free!! I reused, used up, and repurposed all sorts of materials from my craft stash, so I'm not taking any demerits for this. Here's what I did:

Changed the front window, gift, and Maine displays (cleaned out a lot of dust and dead bugs!!)

Repurposed my college dorm room curtains - I made them new shelving curtains that I handpainted blue and yellow stars on (the colors match the paint from outside the store). Also used up fabric paints I've had for years

Cleared off their sales table and made it into a comfy sitting area complete with pillows and foam pads - which cleaned out my pillow stuffing and foam pads that I had sitting around for ages

Took the fabric that was on the sales table and used it to reupholster two office chairs that were stained and crappy looking

Painted the front desk front and the wall behind it to make it look new again - paint came from my house left over from the previous owner

Handpainted blue and yellow stars on the newly painted areas to tie into the curtains - craft paints from my stash

Rehung the artwork in the store that is for sale

Cleaned out 6 huge boxes of stuff in the shelving that had been saved to reuse, but was never going to be reused...and organized their CD drawers

Put down a new carpet remnant behind the front desk (and removed the old nasty one) - this came from our attic left by previous owner

Cleaned, dusted, scrubbed, scraped, and vacuumed the hell out of the store

I was amazed at the results and so were the owners when they came back from their trip...I was so happy that they liked the changes and they were happy that the store looked great

So, 10 points for me for all the projects I completed over there!!!!
 
#326 ·
Wow thats a lot of work! Great job!

I finished my first holiday craft. I found a wooden unfinished giraffe that would be perfect for DS's stocking so I hand painted it..

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And now Im beginning to rethink my idea of making him a giraffe and sewing on each spot.. It took a LONG time to paint them all, sewing them on would take more time than I probably have. Back to the drawing board for that project I guess!
 
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