Vacation Shadowbox

2011 vacation highlights

Now that it's summer 2012, I have finished my 2011 vacation shadowbox—and given that all the stuff I saved from our 2010 vacation is still in a bag, I did good this time! (I did have to wait and wait and wait for my husband to email me some of his pictures from his laptop, as some of his were much better than mine.)

The shadowbox itself is about 16" x 20" (display is slightly less). I cut a piece of foamcore to fit, and got a map of California at AAA. Then I used Scotch photo mount to attach the map to the foamcore, and trimmed.

Next I traced our route in highlighter. I used small tags and map pins to mark the significant places.

Then I had to go through my bag of stuff—maps, info sheets, campground paperwork, rocks, tickets, and miscellaneous random things—to choose the best. This was actually really fun, if difficult. I forgot that kid 2 completed junior ranger at both parks we visited, and forgot I had saved a feather. I picked about 15 pictures and had prints made.

I got out my newish circle cutter (bought at Michael's with a coupon, as yet unused), and began arranging everything and cutting pictures as needed. I used double-sided dimensional papercrafting sticky squares to give dimension. To attach the rocks I used jewelry wire (and a needle to poke holes through the foamcore). I twisted the wire together on the back, and then taped over it to (hopefully) not damage anything—like the table I was working on.

This was a fun project, and it was even more fun to be running 10 months behind. I got to revisit the trip. And now the boys are begging to go back to Carson City.

Some of the goodies

Why is there a picture of a bug? That's a 10-lined June beetle. They are an inch or more in length, and many immolated themselves in our campfire at Grover Hot Springs State Park. Kid 2 hid in the tent when they came out. The Stellar's jay feather came from the same campsite—they were everywhere, and they are one of my favorite birds. The pumice Kid 2 found along the trail from Devil's Postpile to Rainbow Falls (national forest land, for the sticklers out there). Again, it was everywhere—coming right out of the ground, which was pretty cool.

The shadowbox is now hanging in our entryway.

Linked to Sew Darn Crafty.

Finished!

I guess it says something about me that such a small quilt still takes me weeks. But it's done, and didn't get shoved into a WIP pile at any point. This may be a record for me! And--if you can believe it--it is hanging right in the spot (get it?) I designed it for.

This is the end of my pantry cabinet. For years it has had some construction paper stars hanging on it. Everett made them in preschool. He is in second grade now. The stars were faded, curling, and had dropped most of their glitter. Yet they left tape residue on the cabinet.

To hang this quilt, I hand-sewed two small 5/8" plastic rings onto the quilt back. I placed two small 3M decorating clips on the cabinet. And voila--removable quilt hangers!

The back I am not in love with--though I am pretty pleased with my label. I matched its placement to the right hand dot on the front. So the quilting outlines the label as well. Caveat: they didn't perfectly line up!

I am overall pretty pleased with this little quilt. But I am frustrated with one of the fabrics.

The honeycomb print. Look at the right edge--pretty good! Now look at the top and bottom. Looking at this fabric on the bolt and on the ironing board, it looked perfectly straight. It's definitely a little off-grain. But I wonder if it's supposed to have this step-down? It bugs me. And it kind of gives me a headache. But talk about headaches--that dot on the back! Just the picture makes me dizzy.

When dad takes the boys swimming...

...mom gets stuff done! And after they go to bed, of course.

Today I finally finished my niece's baby afghan. So she will get it before her first birthday (gulp!). There is no reason why it took so long. Well, life. But it is done now. WOOT!

These blocks are from Jan Eaton's 200 Crochet Blocks, and you can read all about it on my ravelry project page.

It is now washed, and this week I need to pack it up and mail it. Next up is a nephew's afghan, which is waaaaay behind.

Tying and gluing the cut strings.

 The day's big project? The swimming-at-the-Y-project? Shortening, lining, and rehanging my 10-year-old's bamboo blinds. The boys got their own rooms a week ago--much furniture moving, toy sorting, book purging, donating, painting. So yesterday I finally made it to The Cotton Shop and got some lightweight muslin for a bamboo blind liner. (And also got some skirt fabric, and some fabric for a quilt idea, and...)

Lining up the lining.

This went surprisingly well. I simply measured (about 20 times, just to be sure), marked, and then glued the strings below my folding point and right at the bottom piece I was leaving in. I then cut about 3 inches below my folding point, removed the bottom (which may be turning into placemats), then pulled out 2" of slats. Then nervously tied the sets of 3 strings, and glued, while my "helpers" tromped around, chewed bamboo pieces, and generally got into trouble.

Rehung--a whole foot shorter!

Then I practice folding, and moved that glue gun as fast as possible to get the strings glued down and the bottom folded up about 1". Then sized up the lining--and YAY!--was able to use the selvages as the sides. Hemmed top and bottom on the machine, hand sewed it to the blind, and voila lined blinds. Yes, the boys were home by the time I finished, but the stressful cutting and gluing were done.

How does the boy like them? Unknown as yet. It's still light out. But I am sure if he's not satisfied I will hear all about it in the morning :)

The helpers.

And, of course, as soon as this project was done? My help sacked out on the couch. Nice.