This is the finished dress with
They all looked so stunning!
I bought some fleece, that wasn't quite big enough to cut and tie, so i got to thinking about my new sewing machine.
I had a joiner stitch that I used. I ran the stitch right along the very edge of the fabric much like a finish stitch. Where the thread isnt on the material, its just a twisted little loop.
This loop is going to give me some where to hook in some yarn to the blanket, so I can crochet a pretty ruffle around this blanket.
Recently My sister and I were discussing patio furniture and my lack of. Well, more to the point she suggested I go sit under a tree and read a book. But all I have is strait back chairs. I have never had the time to lay out and just rest outside. So she brought me over one she had in her basement.
The cushions are the same style my grandmother had, and you stick to them. But not being one to complain about being given something to use, I decided to figure out a solution.
Wal-Mart had Huge beach towels for under $20. But that brought a whole new set of problems.... towels slip, slide and bunch. but some well placed elastic bands made a new cover, without having to replace the cushion!
** If you are surprised to see yellow and pink, Wal-Mart seems to have boycotted purple
Within an hour of my husband putting this house up, this is what we saw! Both of them going in and out checking it all out. what i have seen in the last few days reminds me of house hunting for myself. you go and look at all of the locations, then boom! you find one that really strikes your fancy. I hope by the end of the day I will see them moving in their nest.
My mother is retiring soon, and she has decided to get all of her co workers a gift Yea i know i thought the co workers gave you gifts... but as much as i love my mom she can be a bit backwards about some things i guess after my 39 years i should have learned to deal with it LOL!
anyhow she has not an artistic bone in her body, so when she has an "artsy" type project she will call me and see if i can help her out.
She ordered printed tissue paper and wanted to "make" gift bags to match.
So I spent about an hour visiting with her while I drew these sheep on to enough bags to make them work. we folded down the tops of the lunch bags, and mom ironed them. (cuz I don't iron) punched a couple of holes in the bags and threaded some chenille yarn though the holes and Bingo matching gift bags for pennies! we even took the time to make the name tags...
A week or so ago I noticed a blue bird sitting on a "bird house perch" But i never really used it as a bird house, i always dumped feed into it.
But Alas, I have not fed my birds since the end of winter so i haven't had all that many birds. Yes the cats are not happy about it.
so I thought if i leave these Blue birds alone maybe they will build in my pumpkin house...
but after a week i am seeing that they don't want to build in it but as most Realtors say its all about location....
so we are going to get a spanking new house for them and put it out in their favorite location and see what happends.
they have also investigated my squirrel feeder to see if that is alright to use....
As you prepare for you festivities, your cookouts and your picnics. Please take a moment and remember what this weekend is all about.
Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1868. As a day of remembrance of those that have died in combat for our freedom. It was originally called decoration day because the graves of our vets were strewn with flowers.
To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed on Dec 2000 which asks that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans "To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to "Taps"
Please share in this with me. And remember please that freedom isn't free
Ten years ago I married my best friend. So I am skipping my regular post today.
I also just noticed that today is my 100th post.
Do you remember the purple tulips I spoke of back in march? Well they are bloomed and they are beautiful!!!!
I think this one looks more like a rose than a tulip! And just on the side, you can see the jagged edged one as well.
I am so glad I planted these! I wish I could get out to weed the grass out, but right now it just isn't gonna happen! maybe I will feel up to it by the end of the week.
Today I would like to acknowledge my favorite actors birthday
Jimmy Stewart
He would have been 101 years old had he still been with us today.
He made many great movies. I have never seen one that I disliked.
Celebrate Jimmy's birthday with me today by sitting down and watching an old Jimmy Stewart movie
Lately I have been watching too much TV, and it seems to be affecting what I do... but there is this one commercial that has the awesome looking lasagna rolls. Now we don't get out to a restaurant very often, if we do its normally a buffet type place. but this dish just looked too yummy to not try to duplicate at home.
The first thing I want to say is I don't even know which restaurant this comes from nor have I ever had it from there I just twisted my lasagna recipe to work.
Lasagna rolls
12 lasagna noodles cooked
32 oz ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tab onion powder
1 tab parsley
3 cups of shredded mozzarella
1 jar of your favorite sauce
some pre-made meatballs or ground beef (optional)
while you are cooking your noodles, mix together ricotta cheese, eggs onion powder, parsley and 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella.
When noodles are near done quick cool them in an ice bath.
Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan. take a dollop of the cheese mixture and wrap the noodle around it. ( I did this by laying the noodle on my palm, with the excess hanging off the tip of my fingers then placing the dollop on my palm and enveloping the cheese with the noodle.)
You don't need to be chincy with the cheese either. there is PLENTY to do all of these noodles.
place roll in pan 3 rolls by 4 rolls. springle ground beef on top or place meatballs amongst the rolls.
pour your favorite sauce over rolls.
bake 350 degrees 1 hour
sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over the top bake 10 mins more.
serve with garlic bread and tossed salad.
This dish could easily feed about 9 or so people depending on how big your eaters are. One roll was plenty for me once I figured in the side salad and my garlic bread. I ended up putting half of it into an 8x8 and popping it in the freezer. It will make a good quick meal sometimes when I don't feel up to cooking.
Mom used to treat a bad day by giving me a sugar cookie. but I am far to lazy to mix them let them chill for three hours, roll them out, cut them, bake them, and frost them. Its like a whole day process.
These don't take nearly that kind of time! And they taste Exactly the same!
A perfect TV snack
Sugar Cookie Bars
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tea vanilla
5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teas soda
frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temp
1/2 cup shortening
1 tea vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 tab milk
cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time mixing after each egg. add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Spread on a greased cookie sheet.
bake at 350 deg for 10 - 15 mins until light brown
for frosting
combine the butter and the shortening until smooth and creamy add vanilla and salt. add powdered sugar a cup at a time then add milk and mix until smooth and spreadable.
This stuff is just the cats pajamas! my sister makes it for almost every family function. But to give her credit (because its due) she makes her own bread dough not frozen. But I have this lazy streak that makes me take the easy way sometimes.
The first few times I tried this it actually didn't work but I was making my dough in my bread machine, which 3 fails later, died a slow and painful death. So I thought I would try the frozen bread way. Now, I guess, it wasn't the recipe it was the broken bread machine!
Bubble bread
1 stick of butter melted
1 c sugar
2 tab cinnamon
2 loaves of frozen bread dough
Defrost bread dough and cut into small pieces roll into melted butter and then in cinnamon sugar mixture. Grease bundt pan and let raise about an hour. Bake at 350 for 35 mins.
I really am having fun making these change purses!
This one was a skirt that had a back pocket already in it. A little cut here and a zipper and Voila! a change purse with a WAY COOL pocket with out a lot of hard seamstress work.
I made these wallets out of the scraps I had left over from the new tote bag I really thought making these would be a lot harder. But with a printable PDF file (wow what a great idea) tutorial. I was amazingly simple!!
A Great big thank you to "A Spoonful Of Sugar" and their wonderful tutorial! I just want to go on one more minuet if you will indulge me. I know I can print any tutorial, but with a PDF file it just makes it all that much better! It was really great to have it right there on my sewing table!
You can check this out here!
My daughter loves to give presents. She really liked the change purse I posted last week. She liked it so much she asked me to make a few for her friends.
Well anyhow, Last fall, at my favorite thrift store they had a summer clothes sale, a grocery bag full for a $1. I went through the racks and picked out cotton skirts and shorts that had zippers because I hate buying zippers. I never knew how useful, this bag of stuff would be!
The above used to be a skirt. The teal part is the actual waist band. the embroidered part was already on the skirt I just incorporated it into the piece. It is zipped closed with the zipper from the skirt. Of course it all matched. Now a once discarded skirt, is a nifty little change purse.
The best part? The factory did most of the work, all I had to do was fussy cut the squares sew on the zipper, and sew the outside and turn!
I had the greatest thing happen today! My Jack-in-the-pulpit came up.
Now I am sure that it was sprouted yesterday, but I was just out in the bed yesterday, pulling the 1,000 dandelions out of my bed and I didn't notice it. And from the look of the leaves, they just unfurled today.
It was far too dry last year, and it shriveled before it was good and strong. I was very afraid that it wouldn't be back this year. So I was ever so happy to see it today!
I decided to use some of those fat quarters to try another attempt a the bag that was so hard for me to do.
I still had some trouble with the straps, but I was happy enough with the result that I am now willing to post the link with a big THUMBS UP.
I think my main issue with this pattern was I was not using a heavy enough fabric. I solved that with a bit of fusible interfacing on the bottom piece of the bag.
Also, I think the new Machine did WONDERS for this bag. Sometimes it is the equipment you use. I personally can't get over how much BETTER I sew with the new machine.
I also added a button and a piece of bias tape for the closure.
I also want to say to the person who I give this to, better NEVER let me catch her buying another tote bag from Joanne's!
Mothers come in all forms. They could be an Aunt, Grand mother, Mother -in-Law, family friend or perhaps just an older woman friend of yours.
Moms have an unending love and the wonderful ability to overlook your faults and love you for who you are.
So today, take the time to honor that person in your life. That woman that make you realize that sometimes all you really need is a little bit of love to make everything better.
And have a Happy Mothers Day
This is a great pattern, really easy the instructions are clear and concise and a PRINTABLE pattern!
Made for making this do-rag real simple.
Many thanks to Claire for having the Scuba Doo Rag posted! what a great thing!
I thought a decorative top stitch in the front would be fun!
I made this change purse out of scraps that were left over from the bag on the Needs A Home post. It even has a divider in the center of the bag. it fits just nicely in the center of your palm.
This was one of those I don't know why I bought it or what I am going to use it for but it was a must have.
Does anyone have any Great Ideas for this fabric? I am open to any suggestions, and of course I have LOTS of coordinating fabric!
My husband suggested that I make a "do-rag" to wear under my motorcycle helmet. I may have to think that over.....
I have been trying to find ways to make my beef dishes without using beef. I have found I just don't feel as healthy eating beef. But yet I still miss my "beefy" dishes. So I thought I could "re-work" a few of them and give them a try.
This is a variation of my beef stroganoff
CURRIED PORK STOGANOFF
what you need:
4 boneless loin chops cut into strips
1/8 c apple cider vinegar
1/8 c Soy sauce (reduced sodium works fine)
1/2 tea minced garlic dried (or 1 fresh clove minced)
1/8 cup olive oil
1 coarsely chopped onion
Combine these ingredients and let marinade for 30 mins
saute pork, onion and marinade, until pork is done. The marinade will reduce to almost nothing
combine the following:
1/4 cup boiling water
1 beef bullion cube
1 tea rubbed sage
1 tea curry powder
Then add to the pork and onion bring to near boil
thicken with:
1/4 cup cold water
2 tab cornstarch
after thickened add
1/2 cup sour cream
serve over egg noodles
I found a wind chime that was forgotten last fall. The strings were broken the "catcher" was missing, the paint was chipped. Sadly this was chime was a good sounding one. So I feel I must repair it.
First thing I had to do was remove all of the broken strings, sand off the old paint, and re paint with a corresponding color.
Now I have to re string the pipes, and my center clapper, and wind catcher. if you are repairing a chime of your own pay close attention to how the pipes are strung most are strung this way.
But this was the first one that I have seen that the strings were held fast by a tack. I like this idea, by fastening the strings with a tack, the pipes stay where you put them. I will probably use this method again!
And there you go, ready to hang! I enjoyed this. It was an easy afternoon task. I did this while my daughter was signing up for her SAT's.
I searched online and there are lots of Kits available if you want to make one yourself. I am also thinking about making a new one myself... maybe we will see another one of these before summer is out.
I know that its a little out of season for a pumpkin pie, but my nephew is home for a visit and we are having a turkey dinner. and I thought bringing a pumpkin pie would be a nice treat. but why not in single serve tarts?
I tried these out on my family last thanksgiving. They liked them so much, I am going to make some for everyone tonight
so what we do is...
I line my muffin pan with paper liners because they stuck in my pans without them. I also think that you could grease and flour them to get the same result. unless your have new non stick pans, they would probably pop right out if you did but, mine are a bit old....
Cut your crusts into a 4 inch diameter circle. I use my sugar cookie cutter for this. Check the measurements of the cutter first. I think maybe 3 3 1/2 would work as a small cereal bowl also. but my four inch one works really well. As you can see, I use the pre made crusts just because I don't feel like monkeying around making crust. I get about 5 crusts out of one pre made shell.
Once you have pressed you crusts into your pan... you can add your filling
I use an icecream scoop. This helps me keep the filling in my cups and not all over everything.
Here is the recipe I use for my filling:
2 cups of pumpkin (that's a 15 OZ can)
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
bake your tarts at 350 degrees keep your eye on them you dont want them to burn but yet you want the centers done as well
After they cool completely, GENTLY peel off the paper
Serve with a whirl of whipped cream on top
I really expected this part to be a lot harder than it was! I sewed the beading back onto the dress with a blind hem stitch. I did not know this stitch existed until just recently!
I think the dart is well hidden. and I think the straps are close enough that they don't look "added".
I guess the best part is the teen is happy with it. Also, that i learned that perhaps, I know more than I give myself credit for.
