Training wheels...

In my sewing "before" I had Lots of bad habits. I now have to UN-learn them. Because mainly it doesn't have to be perfect, but if I am ever going to learn how to do this well, I am going to have to learn the basic techniques. or what I will probably call "my personal quilting truths"

The things you have to hold to if you don't want the insanity of quilting, to drive you insane. (and NOT going insane is why I started crafting in the first place)

What we have in the picture is a "training wheel" so to speak designed to help me learn what a 1/4 inch seam is and also supposed to help me learn to keep my work strait. It helps SOME, but just like training wheels only as much as they can.

It took me until I was almost 8 to learn how to ride a bike without training wheels. Lets hope I don't have this thing of "post its" on my machine that long!

Vintage Sheets

Well now that I have decided to do small projects with vintage sheets I needed to find some so off to my favorite second hand store.

I found a whole stack for like $5 of gorgeous, bright sheets. (as you can see, the purple ones made it in the bag... WELL THEY'RE PURPLE!)

"new" machine to use, stack of sheets, new ideas on what to make with them

yep sounds like lots of great sewing coming up!

I GIVE UP or is it give in?

OK when I started this whole Linus Blanket thing. I was not a quilter. But as I did more sewing work. I am starting to see where it is just a matter of time before I succumb to the terrible infection of being bitten by the "quilting bug". (I think they lie in wait in a stack of fabric waiting for unsuspecting crafters to bite)

Well after seeing a post of vintage sheet quilts. It was just WOW what a beautiful Quilt!

I know now that must do this. Its not just and "OH that's pretty I could do this." It has moved on to a "I WANT to learn this!"

I think I have only said this maybe three times in my whole life. and as most of my family knows, I have always been in search of the easier quicker way. learning things... up to a point. Then quitting because I don't won't to conform to the "Basic Principles".

Sewing was the 1/4 inch seam.... but in the past month or so I have found DUH 1/4 inch seams are EASIER. Like I said my family knows me pretty well and they also know that once I stop taking the Hard way (which for some reason I thought was easier) I conform nicely

OK everyone is right...
Now all you non-conformists out there... Say it with me

I don't know anything
I will start with a small project
I will follow a pattern
I will follow the directions to the pattern
AND MAINLY
I will trust the pattern because the person who wrote it KNOWS more than me and I will learn from this!

and it is all good

How Great are sisters?

My sister has to be the coolest sister in the world!

OK, maybe the sewing machine she lent me today has me biased. It was one of her backups that she had bought for a class she used to teach that was just "taking up space"

I did warn her that the last time I left her house with a machine, I still have it and I don't want to give it back.... and like she said "I know where it is when I need it just like I know where this one will be when I need it"

Ain't she a peach? I just love her.

Bulbs are up

Now quite a while ago Mom told me her bulbs were up as did my sister. But I have never had good luck with things coming up as soon as everyone else.

Mom and I live next door to each other, so its not an area thing. But she and I can plant the exact same thing at the exact same time, and hers will come up before mine.

When we plant out gardens, her tomatoes flower a week before mine. Her beans produce beans a full two weeks before mine.

Well the purple tulips that I found in a catalog last year (yea I know, who would have thought they existed?) are just now sprouting! Big sis had a full two inches above the ground last week. Also, the tulips at my father's stone were up this far on the 11th of this month.

So what gives?

Who knows why winter stays a little longer in my little world. I guess it just gives me a bit more time to sew right?

Fabric Addiction?

When did second hand shopping turn into fabric shopping?

Seems to me anytime I go second hand shopping, all I see is fabric. For example these sheets would have been bought because there were purple and in excellent condition. But they are a twin, and only one twin bed in the house, in an orange (not my choice) room, and no pillow case to match either.

But OH the shades of purple! All the solids I have that will match this! So into the cart it went. I have an idea of what to use this for, but just how I'm not certain yet. The top is a different pattern and I want to use that somehow as well. I will just have to stew on it for a while.

Wii Bags

I recently bought a Wii fit and if anyone out there has been looking to get one, you already know that its no easy task. The Wal-mart that I bought mine at got 12 in at Ten PM just to be sold out by noon the following day. I bought number 8 leaving 4 at 10 am.

While in my quest for the much heard about but seldom seen Wii Fit. I came across Tote bags for it. And I gotta tell you I was very puzzled by this. Why do you need a tote bag for a video gaming system? I never had one for my PS2 or the Sega etc.

Well since I have bought my Wii Fit. I have taken it to one home, and I am planning on taking it somewhere else, and probably elsewhere before its all said and done.

Do I need a tote bag? Well it would certainly make things easier. But do I really need to rush right out a BUY one? nah. Not with all this nice fabric I have setting around, and this new addiction to sewing tote bags.

This fabric, now that I have brought it up, was duvet covers that I found second hand. There were two the same color and it made scads of yardage. I was originally going to make shopping bags out of it, and I may still since I still have lots left over.

So a Big bag for my balance board, and a smaller drawstring bag for my controllers and games. And perhaps, if I feel the need, I will make one for the Wii as well.

Brown :-P

I started this blanket when I first came down with that nasty cold. It's made from yarn that was donated to me, by a crafter that just couldn't seem to get it used. It's about 10 inches longer than it needed to be. Caused no doubt by a fever induced haze.

Also, I do not like brown. I like it even less now that I have stared at it for over a month. This is one Linus blanket I am VERY happy to see go into the "finished" bag.

Isn't it almost time for a purple blanket?

More Bags

After finishing my Linus bag. I just fell in love with the simplicity of making it. How easily and quickly one goes together.

My sister-in-law's birthday is right on my heels so I had to come up with a present on a VERY short notice. So I came home from working a 12-8 shift and popped this together before I went to bed. Gift done "wrapped" and ready to give.

In case you didn't check out the pattern, it has instructions of how you can fold these bags in on themselves to tuck away neatly in your glove box, purse or diaper bag.

The more I use mine, the more I love them

My Dinosaur

Well this is my sewing machine. This is the machine I learned on. I cannot tell you how many miles this machine has sewn.

It was my mothers machine. She sewed baby clothes for my sister my brother and me. Along with clothing for all of us as we grew up. Not to mention the clothes she sewed for herself my Dad and my Grandparents. Many a happy hour was spend as a child sitting with mom as she sewed a new top for a special occasion. or sewed rick rack onto a dress hem she had let down for me so the dress could be worn just a little longer.

After My Sister moved out and started her own family this machine went to her house. More baby things. Curtains, you name it she sewed it.

Then I moved out and started my family. with no sewing machine of my own, This was then passed to me. Countless pairs of curtains. all of the things for my daughters nursery I sewed on this. When I married my Dear Husband, I sewed my wedding dress on it. Any sewing projects I have posted here have also been done on this machine.

I am starting to think that perhaps I need to think about buying a new machine and putting this aside. I have seen many of the new machines that have fancy stiches, alphabets, you name it they got it. And I must say it leaves me with a bit of "machine envy". But I just don't know. Both Mom and Sis have said they have kicked themselves for getting rid of it. So do I learn from them, and just deal with not having a zig zag?

PS ... I talked to my Mom about this machine... It was purchased in 1961 at a furniture store here locally called Davis's. She bought it on credit while she was working and going to college. (by the way, she was making $32 a week)

Tote Bag

This is the tote bag I made to put my Project Linus badge on.

This is the first one I have ever made. I am always leery of doing things for the first time. But the website this was on is so simple, it was hard to mess it up!

And actually adding the pocket was the hardest part. After I was finished I noticed it isn't quite centered. But that's not a big deal to me. Most of the time I'm not centered either!

If you would like to make of of these, here is where I found it.

Grocery Bag

These bags are a great afternoon project. It might have taken 2 hours if I had stayed at it and not on the phone so much! They make great Gifts too. Big sis made one for me last year for my birthday. and I use it to tote my lunch to and from work every day. They fold up well too so you can keep them to use for actual groceries. The uses are endless!

Easter table set

About a year ago My big Sis, went through her fabric stash and pawned a bunch of it on me. I was just starting to really craft and money wasn't something I had a lot of. So free was good. Actually free was great. But ideas just weren't forthcoming. so much of the fabric just sat in bags in my stash hole.

I also didn't have a place to leave my sewing machine up. Well in the last year I have some some switching around and I now have an "area" I wish I had a whole room. But I will have to get my teen off to college for that.

Anyhow back on the subject! She gave me just SCADS of this Easter Egg fabric. and originally I was going to make scrubs out of them. But its too busy for me to wear, and I hate storing seasonal scrubs. so what to do with all of this??

Well an Easter tablecloth, place mats and napkins! This project has seriously made me re-think my sewing machine. A pretty decorative stitch for the top stitching would have been really nice. But I still love them!

The place mats and napkins I used the sew and turn method. It made it real easy to keep from having any edges I had to trim or bind.

Jello Poke Cake

As I was trying to find ideas for St Patrick day desserts, I decided to try the jello Poke cake. I have eaten these at summertime functions, but had never successfully made one. Although I had tried and failed miserably!

With some coaching from the Big sister, (thanks again!) I found i was making my holes too big and my cake should be cold before adding my Jello.

I always ended up with a jello soaked cake instead of a pretty striped cake.

OK now that I know how to do it, I'll tell you!

Start off with a regular yellow or white cake mix and bake according to directions.

stick in refrigerator to cool completely

after its cold, mix together

any flavor jello
3/4 cup of boiling water

after its dissolved add
1/2 cup cold water

use a two prong meat fork to poke cake, the more you poke the more stripes, but avoid over poking

pour jello over holes, and get it back in the fridge.

I frosted mine with some plain whipped topping that I had colored to match my jello.

Big sis said that it would be "better" if I made fresh whipped cream with it. And you know like most big sisters are always right. She probably was in this instance too, but I have a touch of lazy in me and frankly we are lucky I added the green food coloring instead of just shaking on some green sugar sprinkles.

More Yarn?

OK, so what happens to the yarn that someone buys because they just cant live without it? and then they can't use it or don't know what to do with it? But mostly just get tired of storing it???

They give it away to someone. All of the yarn I have used for my Linus blankets has been donated yarn. and what do we have here?? Yes that's right more yarn. But I figure, I have donated 2 skeins of yearn per blanket and I have donated 2 crocheted blankets. so that's 4 skeins so what do I bring in only 4 and three of them are small. so I think I'm down sizing.... maybe

Spring?!

It was such a beautiful day that I decided to put up the gate and let in some fresh air. and maybe flush the germs out of the house so we can all get better.

Apparently the cats thought it was a good idea too. You would think that they would like to go outside the thing is they are afraid of grass (but don't tell!)

Tradional Irish Soda Bread

Happy St. Patrick's day everyone!

Irish Soda Bread

(Makes 1 loaf)

3 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 to 2 cups raisins

2 cups buttermilk

Coat raisins with flour (important). Mix baking soda and buttermilk together and set aside for a few minutes.

Cream (mix) the sugar, butter, and eggs.

Stir in everything else.

Bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F in greased bread pan (but do check after 50 minutes or so).

Make certain you set a timer!!!!

This bread browns easily, so don't take it out early, or you will end up with a loaf of bread with a big hole in the center!

If, by chance, you take it out of the pan and it "sags" in the center put it back in the pan and bake it some more. Chances are it should still be OK. It wont act like a yeast bread that "looses" its inflation. it will just "re-inflate"

Drop off

I dropped off my Four Linus Blankets today, and look what I received! I special gift from my Sister who turns in my blankets.

She gave me a pin a patch and a tablet. Now as a child I was a girl scout. and I stayed in until I was a Cadette. (that's like 17 years old i think) anywho, Patches are like HUGE for me. So I am going to make a purple bag with a purple pocket (or maybe baby blue?) to put the patch on. either way I'm so excited about it.

My pin I am going to affix to the bag I carry my Crocheting in. the tablet I am planning on carrying in my bag so if someone wants information in it I can jot it right down for them!

Poke-a-dots

You want to talk about a blanket to make you ready for spring! Wow the electric pink backing on this blanket has made me so ready for summer!

This blanket is certain to brighten someones day. I hope the young person who gets this feels as good about it as I did putting it together.

This makes the number 4!

Bears are done!

One Down! The teddy bears are done. Michelle offered to tie it for me. and why not like she's gonna mess it up? So I let her tie it while I cut the poke-a-dot fabric for the next one. after all monday's coming really fast!!! and I now only have three of my five done. I dont know if I can get all five but I think I can get four done!

Teddy bear borders

Well after realizing that I bought burgundy instead of brick red for a border I really didn't know what I should do. Then I noticed that I bought way too much navy. So navy borders and then I'll put on a navy back! I think contrast is nice, but done is better than perfect!

Fleece!!!!!

What can make the sunshine?

Well that old song says the candy man can. But I'm here to tell you its Fleece. I walked into Walmart yesterday it was rainy and dreary. I bought this fleece and came out and it was sunny and 60 deg! so that's the best I can figure.

Kinda wish someone had told me that before I put that last 20 pounds on....

I bought the pink and poke-a-dots to go together, and the burgundy and navy to go with my teddy bears. unfortunately the teddy bear burgundy isn't the same shade so I'll have to figure something out.

Now that I am actually starting to feel better I need to get moving if I am going to make my personal Goal my the 16th! being out of the crafting game for 20 days has taken a toll on what I have gotten done!

Teenagers!

This is what happens when you lock a creative teenager in a room with my daughter. I will say though, shes a very talented artist. I can appreciate good art. at least appreciate it enough to take a picture and not make my teen wash it off.

850 pounds

Have you ever said "I have a TON of laundry to do"? Well, do you know how much that would be? Probably not. I am here to tell you how much that would be! I work in a nursing home as most of you know. and sometimes they decide to point out how good I have it when I work housekeeping by making me do laundry for a few days.

In the last three days I have done a TON of laundry, LITERALLY. 500lbs on Sunday, 1,100 on Monday and 850 today. That's a grand total of 2,450lbs. A TON equals 2240lbs. so I did 200lbs over a ton.


Now as my sister pointed out to me, most people have NO CONCEPT of how much this is. kinda like how much money is a trillion dollars?


So I'm gonna shed a little light on it. The average high capacity washer holds approximately 15 to 20 pounds depending on how fluffy the fabric is. (terrycloth as opposed to cotton sheets). Now the good thing is we have super capacity washers that wash 100 lbs at a time but this stuff still needs folded. And just like your towels at home, they get folded one at a time.


These pictures are just of today's wash. 850 lbs.
I highly suggest you click on the pictures to see them full size.

in this picture there are from right to left:
42 Flat sheets
62 Hospital Gowns
14 dozen Bath towels
200 washcloths (est)
22 Twin bed blankets
105 under pads These are in the blue cart in from of the table 4 stacks of 20 and the top two stacks of 10 each and the very top of five

This is a rack of the other stuff that just wont fit on the table
from top shelf to bottom
the fan so I don't die from the heat its chronically 75 degrees
9 bedspreads
second shelf down
50 pillowcases (also some t-shirt sheets but don't count those)
third shelf down
26 fitted sheets
11 bath blankets (super absorbent body towels)
last shelf
25 shower wraps (basically just more bath blankets)


So now you know a ton of laundry is approximately three times what you see in these pictures!

still sick

I just wanted to tell everyone that after 2 weeks. I am still sick, thus why I'm not posting. I am however on the mend and I know I'm on the other side of the worst of it. hopefully in a few days I can be right back at it.

I'm Sorry

I need to apologise to everyone. Apparently when I posted the 3/3 post I had the video marked as private in my YouTube account, and that is why you could not get it to work. When I played it of course it worked because I have the account duh! But thanks to my mother-in-law telling me (and some comments!) to take it off private now everyone can see it. Sorry about that. It works now. She checked it.

I guess these things happen when you are just learning!

NHS

Today My daughter is being inducted into the National Honor Society

We are so proud of her!

bike seat

How much dirt can accumulate after 15 years?? The seat that came with our bike is in excellent shape, but OH the GRIME! I tried all kinds of cleaners on it with no luck. I finally used a shower cleaner one that takes off rust stains. I wore rubber gloves and used a tooth brush to scrub into the cracks and finally I can say its clean, and ready to back on the bike!

You can see my "Princess" watched from the couch. Most of all that we have done so far has been right in our living room as we ahve no heat in our garage and 7 degrees is just to cold to work on this stuff. but yet it still needs done. hopefully soon we can put all the parts back together. I would like to get that all done PRIOR to the garage getting warm enough to work in!

rifle practice

This is a video of one of the rifle throws My daughter is using for her senior project. My daughter is the blonde that screws up the toss(it goes too high). The girl on the right had zero skills when she started. I have to say I am really impressed at how well they have learned, considering how we have only been practicing once a week since January 13th, thats 6 practices (we had to cancel one). I think it works out to 9 hours of practice.

Many kids dropped out. We originally had 4 rifle positions but I'm pretty certain we only have this girl now. We have added an additional practice so we practice twice a week now, and I could tell at this practice that she has been practicing at home as well. It takes alot of dedication. When my daughter was learning these moves she came home with bruises on her face hands and arms. The rifles are solid wood and very heavy.

Carrot bundt cake

OK OK I'll admitt it! My sister recently baked a carrot cake. Which gave me the idea to make one myself. but I'm not a big fan of cream cheese frosting. Or maybe thats just right now. I'm not really sure since I'm still fighting off this cold. As a matter of fact I ate some of this cake, but yet I still can't tell you if its awesomly great. Since I can't taist anything. BUT dear Hubby thought it was good as did my teenaged daughter, so I'm going on their word.

For the Cake
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tablespoons lime zest
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lime juice
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup Raisins
1 cup chopped Pecans

For the Glaze

2 cups powder sugar
Lime juice from half of lime
1-2 tablespoons of water
Add the water very carefully this amount will change as the humidity changes. Too much and it won’t “stick” to the cake



1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
3. Add lime zest, oil, extract and lime juice
4. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to wet mixture
5. Stir in carrots, raisins, and nuts
6. Pour into a bundt pan that has been greased well
7. Bake at 325 degrees F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean
8. Cool for 10 minutes, carefully remove from pan and pour on glaze while cake is still warm