Making All the Things



I don't know if you noticed this about me but... I make a lot of stuff. I love trying new crafts and experimenting with new techniques. I will try anything at least once, and sometimes I become obsessed and sometimes I just need to get it out of my head, and then I forget about it.

I have been a maker for many many years... mostly just jewelry but lately I am trying new crafts and that may have something to do with decline in jewelry sales. I get more amped up to make jewelry when I am selling it consistently however with that also is the fact that I notice I sell more jewelry when I make more jewelry and with a part time quilt shop gig, that's not always possible.

Then, there is this old dusty blog.  Ahhh poor blog.  You and I used to be the best of friends. I remember a time when I blogged every day! Those were the days.... I loved the constant connection to my followers, the conversations we would have in the comments.  In my eyes the main contributor to my poor blogs death was Instagram/Facebook. An outlet to share content in a less wordy way. More about the photos and less about the words.

So here we are.

I'm going to start sharing more of what I'm making and we are going to revitalize this baby. I know. I've said it before but I'm tired of social media. I want better content. I want to connect on a deeper level because I've lost touch with so many of my friends!

I miss my friends!

Here are the things you can expect to see on this new blog adventure. I am rebranding to Handmade by Lorelei eventually on all platforms ....

Knitting- I knit A LOT. I love it, it's keeping me sane in a world that I just don't understand anymore.
Jewelry- my passion - you'll always see me making it.
Quilting- I have this quilt shop job and being around a lot of quilters making amazing things, is rubbing off on me. So I have been quilting a bit more.
Sewing- I like sewing bags, and purses too! These will pop up here as well.
Wool Applique- My newest obsession. It's a rabbit hole I didn't want to fall down and avoided for a year- even though I was taunted every day by the beautiful colorful wool, threads, and books flowing through the quilt shop. I have succumbed and am really loving it.
Reading- I have recently started reading again and I am looking forward to posting about what I'm reading and hopefully this will open up conversations about what books you're reading.

I used to have a knitting podcast where I talked about what knitting I was doing and I stopped doing that for a few different reasons that I 'm not going to get into now... but I feel like the blog will be a better place to share my crafting .












This morning I was watching Youtube videos about cutting appliqué shapes using a Circuit machine. I need another tool like I need a hole in the head but when I was cutting out wool shapes last night with scissors, my hand was kind of hurting and that's to be expected. Shit, I have really done a number on my hands. They've done a lot that past  13 years. I don't know, maybe I should look into getting a Cricut. Maybe it's something I can utilize a coupon on.



Do you have one? Do you recommend it for certain things? Is there a specific model I should look for?  I do have hopes of creating my own appliqué designs mostly because a lot of what I'm seeing on the market is very Primitive and that's not really my style. When I google MODERN appliqué I just get a lot of Sue Spargo which is MEGA talented and very popular but not really my style either.

I love this whole process of cutting out the shapes, and layering them on a background and then embellishing the pieces with thread and embroidery stitches. Which is something amazing since I didn't really think I liked hand sewing.  I also love the instant gratification of this craft. It really doesn't take that long.



Comments

  1. I'm new to your blog, but I love that you will share all of your passions, I need to start up knitting, cross stitching, sewing etc. again...thank you for sharing

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    1. Thank you for stopping in Denise! I hope I do inspire you to pick up your long lost crafts!

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  2. Yay sister is blogging!! I LOVED your old blog and am so excited to read and watch you craft and share! Always find joy in it and don't let ppl hang you up for anything involving your art! Love you and maybe we can do a post together in a few weeeeks when I visit! 😍😍

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    1. Hello Sis! Glad you are looking forward to following my journey. I really do think that FB and IG have an upper hand with sharing crafting content but the good thing about reading a blog is, there's not extra crap/ads/political agenda! It's just the good stuff!

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  3. I think you're awesome so I'll follow your blog, whatever you choose to write about!

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    1. Thank you Brenda. I think YOU'RE AWESOME TOO!

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  4. I'll be interested in your 'book reports'. I'm addicted to spy novels, and just about have to force myself to read anything else.

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  5. I followed your old blog when I first started making jewelry, and found it very inspiring and informative. Then you started knitting, and it gave me the encouragement to start crocheting again after a lapse of about 20 years. I look forward to following this new blog and seeing all the wonderful things you're doing. You are so talented, and I love to drool over all the beautiful things you make.

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  6. Glad to read that you will be blogging again! I too miss the blogging community as I found it very inspiring and a wonderful way to get to know artists and connect with them. I much prefer it over Facebook, honestly.

    I haven't put as much focus on my jewelry business the past few years, aside from creating collections for a shop and a few trunk shows, as I have been focusing on home/family. My baby boy is now a little boy in kindergarten (sobbing)! I haven't written a blog post since February 2015 (gasp) but would really like to get back into it. Here's to getting back to our inspired roots! Cheers (with coffee in hand)!

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  7. Lorelei, I'm so happy to see you blogging again. I've moved away from FB as much as possible and only check in each day for messages or certain notifications, like your post. It's really helped to lower my stress and anxiety. I've gotten into podcasts lately though (I'm a big fan of Gretchen Rubin's podcast with her sister Liz Craft, as well as the podcast Liz does with her writing partner, Sarah Fain).

    I'm glad I'm not the only one who has her hand in multiple things, LOL. At the moment, I'm obsessed Alabama Chanin (slow fashion/hand sewing). I am collecting her books and trying my hand at some of the patterns. Nothing that I ever would make money at - just something for me to challenge myself.

    Welcome back. :)

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  8. Awww. I miss ye olde blogging days. I always loved reading and commenting and creating community of inspiration and joy. It felt like a gentler time, too, where you could sit down with a cuppa and catch up and really dive deep with those you followed. I am making all the things too. Tonight is a mixed media play date with a friend to get me ready for a class I will be teaching in my new home teaching studio in 2 weeks. I wonder if I will ever get back to writing again. I miss it and my blog. So I will be following along with you and celebrating the making you are doing. Enjoy the day! Erin

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  9. Hey, I am all about those things too, as always, I love your style! Julie Leake

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  10. I always loved reading your Blog, what you were up to and all. I too miss sitting with a cuppa coffee and reading some lovely Blogs, then all of a sudden woosh Blogging was seemingly gone. Keep Blogging I always loved yours Lorereli oxx

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