Beading and Tassel-Making

As you may recall, my birthday was earlier this month. One of the gifts I was given included a "project" - making a tassel necklace from DD Erin. I moved the box around from spot to spot over the course of about 10 days, and finally brought it up to my sewing room, where I again moved it around a few times. Seems it was always in the way.

Finally, this weekend I decided to make a necklace, doggone it. Then I could put the box away.

What a fun little project. I really enjoyed making the necklace, although I did feel "all thumbs" through the process. Those beads are so tiny! And then making that tassel - who knew it involved so many steps?! I have enough materials left that I can make two more, so I suppose each daughter will get one at some point. They both said they wouldn't mind a bit. *grin*

So, yes, in the midst of finishing my Elizabeth quilt, I stopped everything and made this tassel necklace. Typical me. But I did get myself focused back to Elizabeth, finished it, and will share the big reveal in tomorrow's post. If you have Instagram, I have already shared it there.

Baiting you, I know. But do come back for a look - it's a beauty!

Happy Quilting (and beading), Friends!

Other Hobbies

Do you ever think you could get sucked into another hobby? I remember when the scrapbooking craze started. I could so easily have taken the plunge and charged full speed into that hobby.

My sizeable stash prevented it, however. My brain kept screaming at me, "You  have too much money sunk into that stash, you can't afford to start another hobby!"

So I resisted.

Then, I thought I'd like to learn to knit. I have about 8 skeins of yarn, several sets of needles and so many scarf/mufflers that I can't possibly wear them all. I won't allow myself to learn more than the basic knit and pearl stitches. I could so easily fall over the knitting abyss!

Then along came crochet. I can't do this a lick, but I have 3 or 4 hooks and a couple of skeins of thread (is that the correct terminology?). I have pinned countless images on Pinterest showing some beautiful how-to's and easy projects, but, again, I don't dare let myself be sucked in.

Now, I have found a new hobby to tempt me--beading. I just love those Pandora bracelets and all the variety of beads that are offered, but my gosh, the price!! So I just browsed through the aisles of our local Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's Fabrics. I picked out a few things to make a bracelet in the Pandora style. OMG, I could get so into beading!

 

With Emma home on spring break, we "played" in the beads the other morning, and she helped me make this bracelet. It was fun! There were some beads that would not be threaded onto that elastic band, because the holes were too narrow. Turns out they weren't needed. I had leftovers of both the blue and silver beads. In the pic below, I have the leftovers making  earrings. (They are just beads placed on the table; they aren't really strung together)

I had the correct materials for making the bracelet, but not the proper materials for making earrings. With the leftover beads, I think I should go ahead and make them. So I will go looking for that stuff next time I am going that direction. I will not buy any more beading "stuff" however, as I do not, repeat, DO NOT want to be sucked into this hobby.

Besides, I really don't wear that much jewelry, you know?

No, I am happy with quilting, and I feel like it is the hobby I am meant to be doing. The fabric in my stash will outlive me, but I hope I can get quite a lot more made before that time comes!! *gracious!*

So, friends, how many of you have succumbed to hobbies other than quilting?? How do you manage it all?

Happy Quilting, Friends!