Mama Said Sew

Still here. Still sewing.

2012-01-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

I finally finished and delivered the last of my handmade Christmas presents this weekend. Yes, I know it's the middle of January, but there's been a lot going on around here.

I took a Color Play class with Nancy Rink to learn more about the color wheel and how to use it when choosing fabrics.

I made these cute little pumpkin pincushions for a pin cushion swap.

We celebrated the holidays in style. (Harry is a very tolerant dog!)

We launched model rockets.

I made a quilt for my Grandpa. I pulled out all of the blue-green fabrics from my stash and used Amanda Jean's Easy As Pie quilt pattern. This quilt is a queen size.....one of the largest quilts I've ever made.

And I made a quilt for my Mom to use out on her porch swing.
(Pattern is Square One from Simplify by Camille Roskelley.)

Phew! That just about catches us up on everything.

Oh wait, one more thing..........after more than 9 years as a full time stay-at-home mom, I've gone back to work! I was hired at a local middle school as a Special Ed Instructional Aide. I started last week and they threw me in with the kids right away. Kind of sink or swim. The kids and staff have been very accepting and helpful. I've gotten some good feedback and I think I'm going to like this job!

It's a dog's life!

2011-11-07T19:50:00.000-08:00

Harry

Halloween

2011-11-06T22:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it's November 6th, but better late than never...

We made a quick trip to the Pumpkin Patch for pumpkins.

Nathan thought he should get this ginormous thing to carve.

I did have him talked into this slightly more reasonably sized pumpkin, but it had some bug problems.

He finally settled on this larger-than-usual-for-him beauty.

And yes, he wanted to photograph all the goop inside his pumpkin.

That's me, the official Pumpkin Goop Cleaner Outer.

The finished pumpkins

I was fortunate that Nathan chose a simple costume this year. No pattern. No ridiculous fabric fluff. Very little sewing.
Mario only needed to have some big yellow buttons glued onto a pair of thrifted overalls and a cool hat made of fleece. I followed this tutorial, but increased the measurements to fit his head.

beebolt block

2011-10-22T17:33:00.000-07:00

If you've read just about anyone's recap post from The Sewing Summit, you know that we each received a swag bag filled with some great stuff. Included in our swag bag was a small pack of fabric squares from beebolt.com. Each attendee was asked to use these little squares to make a quilt block. The blocks will be collected by Kate at beebolt and made into a quilt which will be auctioned off at The Sewing Summit 2012. The proceeds from the quilt auction will go to Project Linus.

I had to play around with the squares and look at quite a few block ideas before I made up my mind. I didn't want anything too complicated, so I decided on a Shoofly block. It was pretty easy to put together (except for the piece I put in backwards) and I'm happy with how it came out.

I can't wait to see the finished quilt at TSS next year!

From My Garden

2011-10-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Evidently my garden doesn't realize that November is quickly approaching.

Or that I stopped watering it a few weeks ago.

I went out yesterday to start clearing out the debris from the summer garden and this is what I found....

a dozen or so little eggplant

a few "Early Girl" tomatoes

tons of yellow blooms on the Grape Tomato plants

There are some benefits to living in this warm California climate.

Finished: The Nikki Tote

2011-10-19T15:07:00.000-07:00

There were so many great bags being made by people attending The Sewing Summit, that I wanted to make one too. I needed a bag to function as both a tote and handbag. I decided on the Nikki Tote by Michelle of Paisley Pear Quilts.

The pattern is easy to follow, with simple instructions. The bag was more than big enough for all my regular handbag stuff plus a few extra travel necessities. I wish I had added a closure to the top though. (My bag fell over when I was getting out of a car and my phone fell out.) Overall, I'm very happy with how this came out.

The Sewing Summit - Recap

2011-10-11T21:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I was fortunate enough to attend The Sewing Summit in Salt Lake City. It was an amazing, inspiring, fabulous, exhausting weekend. We packed a lot of activity into a very short time.

I started out the weekend with great intentions of documenting my experiences. I started during breakfast on Friday. I met Melissa and Ali for waffles and frites at Bruge's.

Bruge's Waffles & Frites
It's a tiny place, where we sat outside to eat, shivering just a little!

Vanilla liege waffle with creme fraiche and peaches.
(Just look at that scoop of cream!)

Frites!
And since they served fries too, we had to have some with aioli and andalouse sauce.
(BTW, I was on vacation, so all food was calorie free!)

Now comes the funny part......I was having such a wonderful time that I apparently forgot to take pictures!

I only took 3 photos with people in them. And one of those was taken in a dark restaurant and isn't really viewable.

(Sorry to catch you with your mouth open Dana!)
Dana and I have been online friends for over 4 years and I jumped at the chance to meet her in real life. She is just as amazing in real life!

The amazing organizers of The Sewing Summit - Erin and Amy!
I cannot say enough good things about these wonderful gals. They did an incredible job of organizing this event. I know we're all looking forward to doing it again next year!

And now we get to the architecutal part of the post. I did manage to take some nice photos of some well known buildings around Salt Lake City.

Cathedral of The Madeleine

Mormon Temple

Salt Lake City & County building

The view from our balcony at The Little America Hotel
If you travel to Salt Lake City, I highly recommend this hotel. The accommodations were luxurious and the staff was very helpful and friendly.

So, now I'm home and nearly finished unpacking. My husband and son kept the house in reasonable shape while I was away. I only have one load of laundry left to do. And so much inspiration in my head that I have to get to sewing. SOON!

A Girly Tote

2011-09-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

For my niece........

She picked out the fabrics herself. A little Nicey Jane from Heather Bailey and a bright polka dot that I can't remember the name of. The tote is reversible with the inside having the dots on the top and the print on the bottom. I also made 2 fluffy flowers with a jewel button center. It turned out pretty well and I think my niece will get a lot of use out of it.

Home Improvement

2011-09-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

We've been working on a few smallish projects here and there around our property. Evidently, we needed an outdoor kitchen too.

And not just any outdoor kitchen.....

...it has a Traeger Wood Pellet Grill, a fridge and a nice bar for visiting with the grill master.

It's the end of the BBQ buying season, so we got a great deal on this set up. Luckily, the weather here lets us grill/BBQ nearly year round.

My first attempt at Beer Can Chicken was interesting. Nathan was pretty freaked out when he saw these two hanging out on the grill!

The chickens came out beautifully. The meat was very moist and tasty.

Hubby did a smoked Brisket last weekend and it was SO good. We'll definitely be doing that again.

My first pillow

2011-09-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, my Mom gave me a tee shirt that she purchased in Japan many years ago and asked if I could do anything with it.

I thought the graphic on it would be nice as the center of a pillow. This is what I came up with:

I added interfacing to the tee shirt to limit stretching, then fussy cut the part of the shirt that I wanted. I added quilter's linen in pink for the inner border. The outer border is called "Tweedy", but I can't remember who makes it. I forgot to take a photo of the back. The back is more Tweedy, with an edge of the pink quilter's linen along the overlapping closure.

My Mom loves the pillow and it goes very well with her black and white decor.

Harry's Camping Adventure

2011-08-21T01:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, we took Harry on his first family camping trip.

He had a ball!

Camper Harry, staying warm in his camo/fleece jacket.

Boating Harry, relaxing on the boat and....

....feeling the wind in his fur.

Swimming in the cool lake water.

And enjoying some spicy chicken noodles. (Look at that tongue hanging out!)

Really enjoying those noodles.

He is one funny little dog!

Vintage Squares Quilt

2011-08-12T17:46:00.000-07:00

I have no idea why this photo came out so wonky! I even took the photo twice, trying to get it straight. Oh well, the quilt is actually straight. I hope the doesn't mean that my back porch is crooked!

A few years ago (yes, years), I received a bunch of 6" squares cut from vintage sheets and fabrics. I came across them recently while trying to sort out my sewing room and decided to just put them all together to see how they looked. I'm very happy with the end result. It's a little like an I Spy quilt. I see something different every time I look at it. I'm keeping this one for myself and have even been sleeping with the ceiling fan on so that I can use my quilt!

This photo is a little better. That's me behind the quilt, showing it off during show and tell at our guild meeting.

Finished! Easy As Pie Quilt

2011-08-05T21:09:00.001-07:00

I'm slowly working through my pile of UFO's, and actually making some progress.

At the beginning of July, I finished this quilt:

I used Crazy Mom Quilts' Easy As Pie quilt pattern. And actually, I think it was easier to make this quilt than to make a pie. (Except for the one fabric that was directional and kept ending up upside down!)

I used a thrifted Tommy Hilfiger sheet for the backing. The colors were perfect and I think the Hawaiian print makes it feel a little more casual.

The finished quilt measures approximately 58"x70".

I donated this quilt to the local hospice group that I volunteer for. They are raffling it off to raise funds for the volunteer department's crafting supplies. They often have school and church groups that volunteer their time to make greeting cards and door hangers for patients on hospice.

I have another quilt finished, but no photos yet. Soon, I hope.

Catching Up......again

2011-08-01T16:17:00.000-07:00

July was a very busy month, filled with canning, vacation, a quilt show, a birthday party and some lovely afternoon naps.

Nathan and I headed to Oregon for a vacation visiting family. The weather was lovely and cool. The scenery, as always, was beautiful.

One of the highlights of the trip was going to the 36th Annual Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show. There were over 1,300 quilts on display all over town. We didn't get around to all of them, but everything I saw was gorgeous. I took over 90 photos. I don't think blogger can handle all those, so I'll share a few of my favorites.

And finally, the birthday party.....5 boys, a backyard campout and lots of fun!

My little rock star!

Blowing out the candles on his camping cake.

Acting like a goofy nine year old.

Now we're in the final countdown of summer vacation. Only 3 weeks 'til school starts!

A slow start

2011-06-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Sheesh, it's Tuesday already. Where are the days going?

After my last post, I had high hopes of accomplishing quite a few things on my sewing to-do list.

I only managed to finish one thing. Well, I guess it's really 4 things.

I finished and delivered four aprons for hospice.

Finishing this picnic quilt will be my goal for this week. Again.
(basting, quilting and binding needed)

I was slightly more successful with my harvesting. We had marinated/grilled eggplant, squash and peppers for several meals.

I also discovered that I had LOTS of green beans hiding in my garden.

From this batch, I froze 4 quart size bags of garden fresh, super yummy green beans. (More of them would have made it to the freezer if I hadn't been snacking!)

I've also put up a couple pints of tomatoes and 5 pints of Bread & Butter Pickles.

A little slow on the sewing, but a great start on canning season.

Joining In: One Week, One Thing and Finish It Up

2011-06-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

I've realized that I really need to spend some time digging my way out of my sewing room. There are several piles of fabric and unfinished projects sitting around. Obviously I need some motivation, so I've joined in on a couple of fun challenges.

First up is Amy's One Thing, One Week Challenge. No pressure with this one, just do one thing per week. I'm a planner, so being able to specify one project at a time will be great.

My plan for this week is to baste and quilt this picnic blanket:

If I can get the binding done too, that'll be even better.

The second challenge I'm joining is Meg's Finish It Up Challenge. This one will last all summer. I've gone through my WIP drawer and found some things that I'd completely forgotten about.

Here are the projects I hope to finish this summer:

Sew 4 clothing protectors (aprons) for hospice.

Bind my Vintage Squares quilt.

I started this Mama Backpack at least 2 years ago. Just need to make casings for the drawstring and sew the sides together.

Baste, quilt and bind this quilt top from June 2009.

More basting, quilting and binding. I can't even remember when I made this scrappy log cabin quilt top.

So, with some traveling and other planned activities, this should be plenty to keep me busy through the summer.

Wish me luck!

Garden Update

2011-06-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Summer is obviously here. It's gotten hot and my garden is going crazy! Tonight, we picked 8 pounds of produce.....cucumbers, yellow squash, green bell peppers and first of the season tomatoes.

Coming soon.....peas, beans, eggplant, anaheim chiles, jalapenos and tomatillos.

June 4th????

2011-06-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

As usual, time has been flying by.

The last few weeks have been super busy with the end of the school year and fighting a rotten cold. Luckily, all the school stuff is finished and I'm feeling better.

Bring on summer vacation!

I have managed a little sewing recently. The BMQG had it's first swap last week. The theme was Summer Mug Rugs. This is the mug rug that I made:

I was inspired by the Accidental Landscapes of Karen Eckmeier. This was actually the second beach scene mug rug that I made. Hubby loved the first one so much that he said I couldn't give it away. It reminded him of some of the beaches that we like to visit on family trips.

I also have a new quilt in the works. And a plan to finish some of my UFOs!

Thanks Easter Bunny!

2011-05-02T19:08:00.000-07:00

"No, I really didn't eat the ears off that chocolate bunny!"

Quilted Circles Shoulderbag

2011-04-24T18:01:00.000-07:00

My niece is turning 18 next week and I wanted to make something spectacular for her birthday. She loves handbags. She's also into the hippie vibe and the color purple. With a little help from the gals at Strawberry Patches, this is what I came up with:

The pattern is the Quilted Circles Shoulderbag from One Yard Wonders. The main bag fabric is Millefiore by Kaffe Fasset

Instead of circles, I fussy cut the flowers from Kaffe Fassett's Big Blooms, then raw-edge appliqued them to both the front and back of the bag. The flowers help to bring out more of the purple in the Millefiore fabric.

I hope she likes it.

Happy Birthday Erin!

On trial

2011-04-09T22:14:00.000-07:00

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 1 close up

Exhibit 2
.

Guilty!

Improv Quilting

2011-03-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

At our guild meeting last week, we learned about Improv Quilting. Well, maybe "learned" is the wrong word. It seems like a bit of an oximoron to "learn" about something that is supposed to be done in an off-handed way.

Anyway, we talked about Improv Quilting and then got to play with scraps on design boards. It as really fun seeing how other quilters arranged their scraps. Our group had the bag of pink scraps and we all got to take some home with us. (Thanks Terri!)

Here's what I did with mine:

For anyone who knows me, you know that I don't do random. Improv is a little difficult for me. And I will admit that this block wasn't completely off the cuff. There was a little thinking involved.

I've also started working on a crazy quilt. Again, I just can't let it all be random, so I decided I'd work primarily with my pink scraps to create my blocks.

Crazy Quilt block 1

Crazy Quilt block 2

At first I didn't like these blocks at all, but I think I'm warming up to them. I'm going to make at least 6 blocks to see how I feel about this kind of quilt making before I throw in the towel.

My budding scientist

2011-03-18T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's Science Fair time around here. We've been busy assembling, testing, and recording results.

Since Nathan has shown some interest in environmental issues, I suggested we find a project that dealt with recycling or alternative power. He wanted to try something with solar power.

So, we gathered supplies and started building.

Assembling the foil lined cardboard boxes to make......

a solar oven!

Nathan had some great ideas for his display board.
(Check out that hand crafted sun in the middle!)

We live in sunny California, but March is not the best time to attempt cookie baking in a solar oven. It did get pretty warm (175* F), but not hot enough to bake our cookies.

And even though the cookies didn't bake....

my little scientist won the Sweepstakes Trophy!

He was very excited about his success and we couldn't be more proud of him.

Decisions, Decisions...

2011-03-11T12:14:00.001-08:00

Last week, Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom Quilts chose me as the winner of Amy Ellis' new book Modern Basics. I am so excited to have a copy of this book! As soon as I got it out of the mailbox, it was straight into my sewing room to see what fabrics I could find to play with.

These green and purple fabrics are from Joann's. They're part of their Quilter's Showcase collection.

And those are the plants I picked up this morning to plant in my garden. Oh, and my cute new PINK gloves.

So here's where the decision comes in.......sewing or gardening? fabric or plants?

Science in the making

2011-03-10T22:19:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's that time of year again.....Science Fair! As a third grader, this will be the first year for Nathan to be graded on his project. We had a fun family evening of building, along with a few frustrating days of testing. The Science Fair itself takes place next week, so I'll post more details and the final results later. Wish us luck!

An empty spot

2011-03-01T14:59:00.001-08:00

That's the spot where my Bernina usually resides. I've finally taken it in for a service. The squeaky Walking Foot was driving me batty. I won't get it back 'til sometime Thursday. Of course, as soon as I dropped it off, I had a ton of ideas for projects that I want to start on right now! I guess this would be a good opportunity to continue my Spring Cleaning.

Note the cute puppy in the corner and the well organized scrap bins under the desk! (Thanks for the idea Terri!)

A Special Request

2011-02-13T20:38:00.000-08:00

My husband liked my mug rug so much, that he asked me to make one for him.

He just didn't want his to be quite so pink and girly. :)

Lucky for him, I had some appropriate "boy" fabrics in my stash.

I think it's manly enough. And he likes it too!

Something fun

2011-02-09T13:50:00.001-08:00

I've been mostly housebound for the last 4 days with a sick kiddo. With his mix of symptoms, I'm not sure what kind of bug he's had. Today he asked to watch TV and wanted Rainbow Sherbert for breakfast. Since he's eaten hardly anything for 4 days, I was more than happy to indulge his request.

I think he's definitely on the road to recovery.

And me....I needed to make something today. It had to be fun. It had to be fast. And it had to be simple.

I rummaged through my scrap bin and came up with this....

a Ticker Tape Mug Rug! I didn't have Valentine's Day in mind when I was picking the fabrics, but it does seem appropriate for the occasion. Since I hardly ever make anything for myself, I think I'll keep this one.

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

Finally finished.....

2011-02-07T16:10:00.000-08:00

with Christmas sewing.

Yes, Christmas sewing.

And yes, I know that today is February 7th.

But I have ~~excuses~~ reasons for this gift being delayed.

I made this quilt for my husband. He asked for a handmade quilt that he could use while hanging out on the couch with the family. It had to be big enough for cuddling with a little boy and a puppy. And it had to reach his chin without uncovering his feet.

This bares little resemblance to the quilt that I started making for him. (I messed that one up and had to start over.) Luckily, this ended up fulfilling all his criteria. I did have the quilt top finished before Christmas and presented it to him on Christmas Day.

This is the first quilt that I have machine quilted with my walking foot. And the first time I have hand stitched the binding to the back of a quilt. Although not perfect, I'm very happy with it.

Hope you love it honey!

Comfy

2011-01-31T19:34:00.001-08:00

Yes, he looks very comfy. Harry seems to really enjoy this bean bag chair. Unfortunately, it wasn't made for him!

This was my handmade Christmas gift for Nathan. I followed this tutorial from Michael Miller Fabrics. I purchased a bean bag chair at Goodwill for about $7, so I didn't have to make a liner.The fleece was purchased from Joann's. The tutorial was very simple. This came together easily in just one afternoon.

Just one more Christmas gift to show you, but that will have to wait a day or two. I'm hand stitching it. (Yes, that means it's not finished yet. And yes, I know it's January 31st already!)

Christmas Sewing from One Yard Wonders

2011-01-24T12:21:00.001-08:00

A Pet Bed for Moose

Another Pet Bed, which is supposed to be for Sam.

(Moose seems to think all of the beds are for her.)

A Taggie Blanket for a friend's new baby boy, born December 23rd.

Oven Mitt and Potholder for my MIL.
(I used scraps from an apron I made for her, so she has a matching set.)

Oven Mitt and Potholder for my Mom's rooster themed kitchen.

Wine Bag and Coasters finished way after Christmas.

(Hey, it means I'm ahead of the game for Christmas 2011!)

Still kickin'

2011-01-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm still around.

Just busy, like everyone else.

We have had some family fun lately.....

I have been sewing too.

Photos coming soon.

More Harry (Harry-er?)

2010-11-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

(Pet bed from One Yard Wonders)

Our growing family.....

2010-11-11T20:18:00.001-08:00

Meet Harry, the newest addition to our family.

Harry is a 5 month old Terrier mix.

We rescued him from the county animal shelter.

Nathan said we had to rescue him because he was getting beaten up by the other dogs in his kennel.

He is a sweet, well behaved little guy.

I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Harry around here soon.

Pumpkin Harvesting In Our Own Backyard

2010-11-01T16:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T18:55:00.000-07:00

Nathan as Raichu

Scraps

2010-10-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have scraps.

Lots of scraps.

A basket full of scraps.

A bin full of scraps.

I won't show you the grocery bag full of scraps.

I think you get the idea.

So, I'm going to do a little scrap busting....

Can't wait to see what projects Jodi has planned.

Third grade......

2010-09-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

is tough on little boys.

Finished Projects

2010-09-16T19:12:00.000-07:00

A large bag to carry a display board for the Volunteer Department at Optimal Hospice

And a new wrench case for hubby

Summer Photo Roundup

2010-09-13T13:30:00.000-07:00

I've had a personal request (Hello Mum!) for more family photos on my blog. So, here are a few of my favorites from this past summer.

Sparklers on the 4th of July

Boating on Huntington Lake

Monkeying around

Paddling in Huntington Lake

In Red Bluff, California along the Sacramento River

Nathan inside the Ticket Blaster at Chuck E Cheese

Nathan's 8th birthday party

Nathan the Rock Star

In the garden

First day of third grade

Mmmmmmm

2010-09-08T15:29:00.000-07:00

I've been canning again.

My first attempt at jelly making.

And I must say, it's pretty good.

I took out all of the seeds and veins, so it isn't very hot,

but very tasty on toast with peanut butter.

Mystery Photos

2010-08-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

I uploaded photos from our camera tonight and came across some mystery photos that I thought I'd share.

:: the couch (possibly) ::

:: leaves ::

:: my backside (ahem!) ::

:: grass ::

:: george in action ::

:: aha! the photographer's self portrait ::

Swap Goodies - Sent

2010-08-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

I recently participated in A Midsummer Night's Dream swap with Sweet Goodness Swaps. Our inspiration was supposed to come from warm summer nights, soft music and romantic Shakespeare.

I struggled a bit with the inspiration, so I went with a midsummer evening picnic theme. My swap partner Sue, is a multitalented farm girl in Tennessee. Check out her farm website and her blogs. She keeps herself pretty busy with crops and dairy goats and all sorts of farm critters.

Here's a look at the goodies I sent her:

A few thrifted summer themed cookbooks, locally made caramels (one of her favorite sweets) and some pretty notecards in Sue's favorite colors.

You can't really tell from this photo, but there are homemade marshmallows in that jar. I followed this recipe and they are fabulous! (Nathan ate 7 of them at one sitting!)

And finally, a picnic blanket to use on a sunny summer day or a starry summer night. I used the leftover quilt blocks from the quilt top I made for myself last summer.

And the back of the picnic blanket.

Overall, I was very happy with the package I put together for Sue and so was she. I'll post photos of my goodies when the package arrives. Speaking of which, I better go check the mail. :)

Just Peachy!

2010-08-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Not bad for my first canning season. So far, I've put up 4 quarts plus 3 pints of peaches and 9 pints of tomatoes.

I've got more tomatoes ripening, so there will be more of those. And I planted some more zucchini.

No, I'm not crazy. I want to try making bread and butter pickles with zucchini instead of cucumber. We'll see how that works out.

Oops

2010-08-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

My MIL gave me this cute little sign for Christmas:

I think it was a premonition of this:

Poor little steaks!

I shouldn't be allowed to use the barbeque anymore.

An unexpected harvest

2010-07-22T23:08:00.001-07:00

Let's say you're going on vacation for a week or so.

If you have a Roma Tomato plant in your garden, do not leave it unattended.

If you do, when you return, the plants will be loaded with fruit.

Loaded with fruit that looks suspicously like.....

Yellow Pear Tomatoes!

Not the Romas I was anticipating. Not even close.

So much for delicious homemade red sauce.

Any recipes for Yellow Tomatoes?

Oh, and those Red Bell Peppers I planted?

They're sneaky too.

If you turn your back, they produce these......

My guess is that they're really Anaheim Peppers.

Any recipes for those?

Well, at least my other tomatoes are behaving themselves.

I think it's Salsa time!

Weekending

2010-07-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Photo highlights from a family camping weekend at Huntington Lake.

Nathan captaining a rented boat out on the lake.

A refreshing dip in the lake.....toes only! (It was very cold.)

A beautiful day to be out on the water.

My turn as captain.

Happy boater!

Hanging out at the campsite, playing DS.

Camping is hard work!

Breakfast time.

Huntington Lake Regatta

(I was amazed to see so many sailboats on a mountain lake.)

A quick paddle in the lake before heading home.

Sparklers for everyone!!!

2010-07-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Scrap Busting - Blue

2010-06-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

For Anna Maria Horner's Rainbow Around The Block project.

Tired of the garden yet?

2010-06-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

No?

Good, because I have more to show you. :)

This is what I harvested tonight:

Thirteen more zucchini. That monster on the top of the pile was hiding under a rather large leaf. I think he'll be grated up for zucchini muffins.

(Total zucchini count: 55)

And a pile of fresh basil, which was made into some incredibly yummy pesto sauce. I took a photo of the finished product, but honestly, who wants to look at pictures of green paste? Luckily, it does taste much better than it looks. If it weren't so late, I'd whip up a bowl of warm pasta and top it off with pesto. Mmmmm....maybe for breakfast.

Random Catch Up

2010-06-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here's what we've been up to:

Cleaning desks at school with shaving foam. (messy and fun!)

I made this sign for the reading teacher to hang on her door. The reading clinic is right next to the playground and the teacher can't eat her lunch without numerous kiddos stopping in to say hello. I thought the sign might help. And if not, at least it's cute.

Yes, I made another Teacher Tote. This one is for Nathan's teacher.

I made a fabric covered plastic insert for the bottom. This makes the whole thing washable. Very handy for a 2nd grade teacher.

And now onto the garden update:

My zucchini patch is doing very well. That stump in the foreground is about 12" across and stands about 3" tall. Some of those leaves are huge!

There are plenty of blooms and baby zucchini. I've been harvesting for about a week and have collected 30 already. My plan is to give some away and grate/freeze some for zucchini muffins.

This is one of our baby artichokes. We've never grown artichokes before, so this is a really fun thing to see in our garden.

The corn is waist high and starting to tassel.

And the sunflowers have gone a little crazy. We planted a variety of sunflower seeds, so we have smallish pale yellow sunflowers.....

mediumish red sunflowers......

And some ginormous dark yellow sunflowers.

Really, they're huge! I'll be trying to harvest some of the seeds to plant next year.

Garden Update

2010-05-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

The garden is growing and producing a few things already.

Our first broccoli. It's amazing how quickly a head of broccoli that is ready to harvest will go to flower.

One lonely sunflower. There are many more buds, two of which are starting to bloom. Some of the sunflower plants are nearly as tall as Nathan!

Broccoli in the front, tomatoes in the back and some brussel sprouts off to the right. (Oh, and our non-working tractor. Makes a nice garden decoration, don't you think?)

This is the hodge-podge bed. You can see artichokes, green onions and a monsterous cilantro plant. Luckily, I harvested and froze quite a bit of cilantro before it bolted. The flowers are dainty and white.

I did take pictures of some of the other beds, but after looking at them, I decided that they're pretty boring. I'll try to take some more creative pictures next time.

Ssssssurprise!

2010-04-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

Nathan found this little guy sunning himself on our driveway this evening.

Just a "common" Gopher Snake. Isn't he cute?

He is about 3 feet long.

We took him to a nature preserve area not to far from our home.

Oh the joys of living in the country......skunks, possums, and now snakes!

Hope he has a happy life in the wild.

Lookie what I did....

2010-04-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

Some actual sewing!
One of my teacher friends is having a birthday this weekend and she loves Mary Engelbreit. I found this M.E. fabric on Etsy and knew I had to make something for her with it. This bag is similar to the Teacher Tote that I made last year.

The lining is made from some Robert Kaufman fabric that I had in my stash. And I fussy cut the pockets to feature the "Bloom" and "Heart" mottos.

I delivered the bag yesterday. She opened it in the teacher's lunch room, which was fairly full. I got a lot of compliments on the bag. Such a nice feeling!

Something new

2010-04-06T21:02:00.001-07:00

Tonight my Mom mentioned that she'd looked at my blog and there hadn't been anything new for a while.

So, here you go Mom, something new....

My new "do"!

Obi-inspired Hot & Cold Pack

2010-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

My first complete project from One Yard Wonders.

This was a fairly easy project. I really like it when I can start and finish a project in one evening. It took me longer to fill the hot/cold pack with rice than it did to sew the whole thing! And I was very happy to find the karate kid fabric in my stash. I think it adds to the overall Japanese feel.

Mmmmmm........

2010-03-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

Mmmmmmm.....Chocolate Sheet Cake.

Yes, it looked better before we dove into it. But really, when a cake tastes this good, no one notices how it looks.

You can find the recipe here.

Kind Words & Warm Feet

2010-03-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

Jane at Out of the Crayon Box is teaming up with Comfort Socks on a great project.

Check out her post here for all the details.

{this moment}

2010-03-05T17:56:00.001-08:00

{this moment} : my cat George

Where the wild things are

2010-03-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

In my backyard, evidently.

We caught this possum last night. This is the second one in about a month. I guess they like cat food.

Hubby thinks these guys are cute. Personally, I disagree. What do you think?

{this moment}

2010-02-26T15:38:00.001-08:00

Soulemama is starting a new semi-regular Friday ritual called {this moment}. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.

(I like the idea of a single photograph, but I also like the idea of adding a caption. I'm just a rebel that way.)

{this moment} : my boy, doing his Science Fair Project

It's done! It's done!

2010-02-17T15:56:00.001-08:00

Way back in September, I was asked to make a Memory Quilt for a gal from the hospice group that I volunteer with. She lost both of her parents last year and wanted a keepsake which included some of their clothing.

Her parents had very differnt clothing styles and I struggled to find a way to put them together. After several variations on paper and my design wall, this is what we came up with.

Hubby was great at helping with color selection and arranging. I originally started with a solid 8" square of each fabric. It was his idea to combine the fabrics in strips and triangles, so it looked more cohesive.

The back includes a few pieces that I couldn't work into the quilt top.

I'm so glad I've finished this quilt. It's been quite challenging. In addition to the normal rigors of quilt making, I've been worried about whether or not it's what she wanted. Whether she'll like it. When I make something for someone else, I always worry that what I produce won't be what they had pictured in their head.

Anyway, I'll be delivering it shortly and I guess we'll see how she likes it.

Pretty In Pink

2010-02-10T20:31:00.000-08:00

Take a look at my new Wellies...

I've been hinting (not so subtly) for a while that I needed some Wellies. Pink, size 6, to be exact. My sweet hubby bought these for me for Valentine's Day, but couldn't wait any longer to give them to me. Good thing, since it's been raining and we worked in our garden today.

So far, we've dug manure and fertilezer into two plots. And put in two tomato plants (Early Girl and Bonnie Original varieties). I think I need one more to fill in this plot.

Nathan had a ball digging in the dirt. I just kept telling myself...."He's a seven year old boy. Boys play in the dirt. He IS having a bath tonight!"

A garden we will grow, a garden we will grow....

2010-02-03T09:10:00.001-08:00

bWe've lived in this house for five years.

And for five years, we've talked about putting in a vegetable garden.

Evidently, this is the year of action.

Fencing off our little veg patch.

Gardener Nathan pounding nails.

All mapped out and starting to dig.

Nathan supervising the digging.

My little hellper.

Thanks to all of hubby's hard work, the beds are now dug and ready for planting. We're going to try green beans, peas, carrots, parsnips, turnips, onions, broccoli, brussel sprouts, zucchini, jalapenos, sunflowers and some herbs. We'll plant pumpkins later in the year.

Wish us luck!

Foggy Friday

2010-01-29T08:54:00.001-08:00

The horses certainly don't seem to mind the fog, but personally, I'm glad I can spend the day inside.

I think a little sewing and maybe some baking would be good Foggy Friday projects. I'm working on a quilt, which I hope to have done by next week. And I think a batch of Banana Bread from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook is in order.

Back by popular demand!

2010-01-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

Yep, it's me, back in blogland. Not really any demand, popular or otherwise.

I miss my blog and my bloggy friends. I hope there are still a few readers out there.

I'll share some photos later of our holidays, but for now, I'll leave you with this little critter.....

A little skunk who's been nibbling through quite a bit of our cat food.

(He/she was relocated to a lovely field down the road.)

IBOL

2009-09-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

What's IBOL you say?

Go here and find out.

Do it now.

Not much time left, but you can make the deadline.

Hello

2009-08-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

This summer has gone by in a bit of a blur. Hard to believe that school starts in a little over a week.

Here are some highlights of what we've been up to:

A little swimming....

A little road trip....

A little birthday party....

And a new furry addition to the family....

I'll post more details if/when I get the photos sorted out.

Hope you've all had a fabulous summer!

Beach Camping

2009-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

:: happy toothless grin ::

:: smores ::

:: fog ::

:: beach combing ::

:: sandy feet ::

:: running in the water :: (brrrrrr!)

:: digging for treasure ::

My new BFF

2009-06-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail today...

I treated myself to a new pair of sewing scissors. I bought them on ebay, so the price was right. The storage tin was a little dented, which was disappointing. But the scissors are fabulous!

Quilt blocks

2009-06-19T11:42:00.001-07:00

Quilt blocks
Originally uploaded by cmhall410

I'm finally getting caught up on the Old Red Barn Co. Quilt-a-long. This is week 5 of the Quilt-a-long and I'm still behind. Today I finished cutting my sewn strips into blocks, which was actually supposed to be done in week 3. I may not finish this in the 7 weeks of the quilt-a-long, but I will finish it.

I'm just a little worried about the quilting part of this quilt. I've made quilts before, but I've always hand tied them. I really want to try free motion quilting on this one. I've never attempted free motion quilting before. Everything I've read says practice, practice, practice. So, I guess I'd better make up some mini quilt sandwiches and get to practicing.

In the mean time, I made myself a design wall (4 yards white flannel, cut in half and sewn together) and hope to use it tomorrow to work on my quilt layout. I've done pretty well at arranging the strips randomly so far. We'll see how the block arrangement goes. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not a random sort of person.

I'm more of a "a place for everything and everything in it's place" kinda girl.

Wish me luck!

I'm not afraid of beige...

2009-06-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Just before Nathan was born, we moved into a new house and purchased some new furniture. A living room set and a dining room set. The green and cream living room set looked like it would hold up well to the rigors of family life. So did the dining room set. The glass table top would be easy to clean and the light colored chair cushions.......well, not so easy to clean.

After nearly seven years, those cushions show the evidence of a child who likes to paint, do playdoh and drink chocolate milk.

Not to worry......

I have thrifted IKEA couch slipcovers and all the neccessary tools.

A few hours later....we have nice, new (beige) chair cushions!

Now, I just need to find that can of Scotchguard.

(And the living room set...that's a story for another post.)

Quilt Along

2009-06-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Obviously I don't have enough projects on my plate.

And this.....

looked like so much fun, that I just had to join in. We're in the middle of week 3 and I'm already behind. Hoping to catch up this weekend.

Here is what I have so far...

My fabric choices. Mostly Moda in turquoise, lime and strawberry. The striped fabric in the back will be my binding (cut on the bias). I have an idea for the backing, but I want to see the quilt top all put together before I decide.

All 12 fabrics are cut into 2.5" strips. And now comes the exciting job of arranging them into sets to be sewn into blocks.

In all the years I've sewn, I've never made a quilt for myself. I love the fabrics and cannot wait to see how it all turns out. I'm not sure what I'll do with the finished quilt. I might just have to keep it for myself.

This and That

2009-06-03T20:04:00.000-07:00

A Crayon Roll for a friend who is moving away.

Inside the Crayon Roll - pencil and paper included

Baking Day - Orange Sweet Rolls

(Yes, they're Pillsbury from a can. I did make Chocolate Chip Scones from scratch too.)

Nathan and his black olive mustache

Another finished project!

2009-05-25T22:33:00.001-07:00

From this....

To this....

This was a great family project. Hubby helped by making the top/back piece and shelves. Nathan helped with the painting. I did a little of everything, including sanding, painting and decoupage. All the wood was scrap from previous projects and the paint was leftover from doing Nathan's room. Total cost was less than $12!

We'll be delivering the bookcase at school tomorrow. It's a gift for Nathan's teacher. She needs more organization in her room and mentioned that she'd like a bookcase. I hope she likes it.

Weekend Sewing

2009-05-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

I've actually finished a few things on my To Do List! There's still plenty to do, but at least I'm making some progress.

Two pairs of summer sleep shorts for Nathan. The fabrics were on clearance at Joann's, so only $7 for both pair.

And an end-of-the-year gift for the student teacher in Nathan's class. It's similar to Lotta Jandotter's All Day Tote, but I made different pockets. I'm very happy with it except that I wish I'd used heavier interfacing so it would hold it's shape better.

It's lined and has an inside pocket.

Now back to that To Do List....

Another birthday. Another bag.

2009-05-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

I made this one for Nathan's teacher, Mrs. M.

On each student's birthday, Mrs. M gives them a goody bag. Nathan thought it'd be a good idea to give her a goody bag too! He included a Teacher's Journal, colored paper clips, hand lotion, lip balm and chocolate.

I also took cupcakes in for the class. It was the first time Mrs. M had celebrated her birthday with her class.

WIP

2009-05-16T22:28:00.001-07:00

I've been searching for a bookcase that I could refinish.

I found this at the Goodwill Clearance Center for $4. In it's previous life, it was a kitchen cupboard. Not a bookcase, but the price was right and it has potential.

With a little effort (and some power tools)....

It has a nice, new top and back board.

A little priming help from my assistant and it's coming along fabulously!

I'll be back soon with photos of the finished project.

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week

2009-05-04T22:33:00.001-07:00

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Nathan and I have made little gifts to give his teacher and student teacher every day this week.

Here's what we've got in store:
Zinnia Mini Grow Kit with note "Thank you for helping me grow."
Rocky Road candy bar with note "You Rock!"
Tin of mints with note "You were 'mint' to teach."
Peanuts/Cashews with note "We're 'nuts' about you!"
Jumbo cupcakes with note "You take the cake!"

They both loved the little Grow Kits today.

And for some of the other school staff:

A basket of Dove chocolate roses.

You don't have to give gifts, but if you know a teacher, please let them know how much they're appreciated. This week and all year long.

A new grin

2009-04-27T23:32:00.000-07:00

Nathan has finally lost one of his top front teeth! It's been loose for what seems like months. He's spent a lot of time trying to get it out. He took special delight in showing me just how wobbly it was. (Eww!)

Anyway, it's out now, but the Tooth Fairy will have to wait another night to collect it....

He wants to take his tooth to school tomorrow for sharing!

March CRAFTalong project

2009-04-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was just looking through my last few posts and realized that I actually finished a sewing project that I haven't posted about yet.

(Good thing too, since it's too darn hot here to do any sewing or to think of something clever to post about.)

Ta Da! Crooked coasters to go with our new summer tablecloth.

I picked up the tablecloth (Liz Claiborne) at Linens 'N' Things when they were clearing everything out. I love how colorful and festive it looks. The Crooked Coasters were the March project for Finny & Donk's CRAFTalong 2009. I made the coasters from a thrifted sheet and tried to use up leftover thread from other projects. It's hard to see the different thread colors, but they are light green, yellow and light orange. I'm thinking about a set of matching napkins too.

The Crooked Coaster tutorial can be found here at The Long Thread.

Oops

2009-04-15T19:15:00.001-07:00

I had some lovely photos from our UK trip to share with you.

At least I think I had some.

I know we took over 100 photos while we were there, but most of them have gone missing.

There are only 30 some on the disk and most of them are of this character-

Oh well, at least he's entertaining!

Springing back....

2009-04-14T14:35:00.001-07:00

We're back from Spring Break.

Enjoyed a lovely holiday with our family in the UK.

I'll be back with photos soon!

(After I recover from jet lag.....and the mountain of laundry that's waiting for me.)

Thrifted sweater refashion

2009-04-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, I thrifted these to "so-so" sweaters at the Goodwill.

The beige one is kind of boring and has a tie closure at chest level. Not exactly where I want attention drawn.

The blue one is a nice color, but it's very worn and pilling all over. (Not to mention that it's about 3 sizes too small for me!)

Normally, I would have passed both of these up, but the closure on the blue sweater really grabbed my attention.

And yes, I was willing to pay $4.50 for the sweater just to get that closure. (I was very surprised when I saw the brand on the tag - Faded Glory. Not exactly the style I expect from a Walmart brand.)

Ta da! It's not a huge change, but just enough to dress it up a bit. (I think you can click on the photo to enlarge it.) It was very easy and I'm so pleased with the finished product. Think I'll be on the lookout for more refashion opportunities at the thrift store now.

We're starting our Spring Break tomorrow, so I won't be around much. Definitely time to relax and enjoy a little extra family time.

From my kitchen window

2009-03-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Our neighbor is pasturing her horses on our property to help us keep the grass down.

I noticed this one watching me through the kitchen window as I was washing dishes.

Weird being watched by a horse.

A little sewing

2009-03-30T18:48:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back to my sewing machine!

A birthday tote (filled with fun Tinkerbell stuff) for a friend of Nathan's.

Only a small project, but it's a start.

Ummmm...

2009-03-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger.

Well, I haven't actually been a blogger at all, but that's beside the point.

I do apologize for my absence.

I have no good excuse.

I promise to do better.

I'll be back with a real post soon.

Wishing It Was Spring Swap

2009-03-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

Last month, I participated in Darci's "Wising It Was Spring" Swap.

My swap partner, Omajean, spoiled me!

She put together a fabulous swap package. She sent 3 half yards of fabric, a set of lovely tea towels, Milk Chocolate Pecans, a Lego car (for Nathan, of course) and a note written in a beautiful beaded note card.

Nathan grabbed the Lego box out of the package and begged me to open it for him. He put it together himself. (I love it when Nathan is included in my swap goodies. :))

I haven't used the towels yet. They're too pretty. I think I'll just look at them for a bit before using them.

The fabrics and the pecans are both yummy! I have several ideas for the fabric. You'll have to wait and see what they become.

And the pecans.....I don't think they'll make it through the weekend.

Thank you so much Omajean!

Baby's got a brand new bed!

2009-03-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

Just so you know, I'm not the only one around here who makes things.

Mama sews.

Daddy does carpentry.

And look at his latest project....

a custom made loft bed.

Designed and manufactured by Big Daddy himself.

And I think Nathan likes it.

Quite a bit, actually.

Signs of Spring

2009-02-20T21:11:00.000-08:00

The blossoms are popping out all over our yard right now....

And you should see the orchards around us. I'm amazed at how quickly the blossoms are appearing.

Snow Day

2009-02-18T14:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we headed up to the local mountains to play in the snow. The weather was great and we had a lot of fun.

Nathan, all ready to go.

Me, all bundled up to stay warm.

Really, that tree jumped right out in front of him!

The Sledders

Nathan on one of his many solo runs.

Yep, that's me laying in the snow after riding down the hill with Nathan.

A fast ride down an icy hill.

It's nice to have snow so close, even though we only make it up there about once a year.

It's also nice to put on warm, dry clothes for the drive home. And hit Starbucks for a Chai Latte. :)

Breaking in the new mixer

2009-02-10T21:32:00.000-08:00

I had planned to make Banana Bread this afternoon, but my assistant had other ideas.

Nathan wanted to make Lemon Cupcakes.

So, we made Lemon Cupcakes.

Look at it go!

Choosing just the right colors for the liners.

Learning to use kitchen tools.

Sampling the batter. After filling all the liners, of course.

Happy bakers.

The cupcakes turned out very well. No final photo because they've been bagged and put away already. Nathan did have one tonight and assures me they are yummy!

I also made my first batch of homemade granola today.

I followed Kelli's recipe, without the coconut. Because I forgot to get the coconut when I was at the store. Those things happen when I shop without a list!

It is easy to make and tastes great! And the recipe makes quite a bit....about 3 1/2 quarts! Hubby created his own trail mix with some granola, dark chocolate M&Ms and mixed nuts. He says it was the perfect snack.

And I did make the Banana Bread too. It's fresh out of the oven and cooling on the counter. Can't wait for breakfast!

Come join the fun...

2009-02-08T23:33:00.000-08:00

Darci at Stitches & Scissors is hosting a Fat Quarter Swap.

It'll be fun. (Who doesn't love fabric?)

It'll be easy. (Only 2 FQs.)

What are you waiting for?

Go sign up!

I'm a lucky girl

2009-02-05T13:26:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know I'm a lucky girl.

For many, many reasons.

But today, I have a few specific reasons:

1. My birthday is less than 2 months away.

2. My Mom wants me to be creative.

3. My Mom reads my blog.

4. My Mom came up for a visit yesterday.

5. She brought my early birthday present with her....

Ta Da!!!!

Oooohhhh! Aaaahhhh!

Isn't it pretty?!?!

And yes, I've already used it. We made a batch of Zucchini Bread. It was yummy. I'm sure the new mixer had a lot to do with that.

Hmmmm...what to make next?

8 Thing Meme

2009-02-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

My friend Christina tagged me for a meme, so here you go:

8 Things about me:
1. I'm a perfectionist.
2. I'm learning to say no.
3. I clip (and use) coupons.
4. I volunteer in Nathan's classroom every week.
5. I prefer salty snacks.
6. I LOVE extra butter on movie popcorn.
7. My drink of choice is Diet Coke.
8. I love to read, sew, cook and bake.

8 TV Shows I watch:
1. Top Chef
2. Project Runway
3. Tim Gunn's Guide To Style
4. Grey's Anatomy
5. ER
6. 24
7. Lost
8. Chopped (New show, haven't decided it I like it or not.)

8 Restaurants I Love
1. Bridgetender's Tavern (Tahoe)
2. Casa Mexico (the BEST fish tacos)
3. Del Taco
4. Taco Bell
5. Mi Pueblito (in Lincoln, CA)
6. The Orchid
7. In N Out
8. Olive Garden

8 Things that happened today:
1. I made bacon and waffles for breakfast.
2. I vacuumed the house.
3. I made the bed.
4. We went to the park.
5. We played basketball at the park
6. I cleaned out my coupon binder.
7. We continued our Cleaning Out the Garage project.
8. I cooked dinner.

8 Things I look forward to:
1. A good night's sleep
2. Spending time with my Mom
3. Visiting family in England
4. Converting the spare room into a sewing/crafting room
5. Spring
6. Family camping trips
7. Nathan losing his top front teeth
8. Getting a massage

8 Things I wish for:
1. Financial security for my family
2. Health for my family and friends
3. Happiness for my family and friends
4. Good friends
5. Time to spend with family and friends
6. An improved economy for everyone
7. Confidence in my sewing ability
8. A Kitchen Aid stand mixer (I know, materialistic.)

8 songs I just listened to:
1. Always Be My Baby
2. Billie Jean
3. Daytripper
4. Dream Big
5. Eleanor Rigby
6. Hello
7. I'm Alive
8. Little Sparrow
(All David Cook's versions from American Idol Season 7)

8 Favorite Movies:
1. The Cutting Edge
2. Ever After
3. Dirty Dancing
4. Miracle On 34th Street (original)
5. The Wizard of Oz
6. The Holiday
7. Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)
8. Love Actually

8 people I tag:
1. Kelli
2. Cindy
3. Yard Sale Princess
4. Jill
5. Liz
6. Julie
7. Vallen
8. Jane

(Little) Men's Hoodie

2009-01-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

I attempted to remake the hood of Nathan's hoodie. You may remember that the previous hood was too small and made him look bit turtle-ish.

The original hood. Obviously, way too small.

The remade hood. It might be a little too big this time, but Nathan doesn't seem to mind.

Modeling his new hoodie. Goofy grin and all.

Showing off the lining and fancy stitiching on the hood.

This means I've actually complete, and am fairly happy with, the first project for Finny & Donk's Sew-along 2009.

You can check out the other participant's projects in this Flickr group.

A few completed projects

2009-01-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

After my mixer issues, I managed to muscle the Martha's Sugar Cookie dough into shape. These cookies were happily consumed by Nathan and his classmates on their 100th day of school

Finally, some sewing. I finished a hot water bottle cover for myself and rice therapy pillows that were gifted to my Mom and Grandpa. The hot water bottle cover was made from a felted, thrifted wool sweater. And I was able to make the rice pillows and covers all from my fabric stash.

Mixer Mishap

2009-01-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the 100th Day of School celebration at Nathan's elementary school. I thought I'd be the Cool Mom and make cookies for his class.

Sugar cookies in the shape of the number 100, of course.

I pulled out this lovely cookbook that my dear hubby gave me for Christmas and jumped into making cookies.

It was all going well until........

the batter got a little touch for my little mixer to handle. (Yes, that's one of the beaters sitting in the bowl.)

I'm pretty sure that Martha doesn't use a mixer like mine.

So tell me, does my Sugar Cookie mishap justify getting one of these?

I did manage to gather the dough together by hand and it's chilling in the fridge. I'll let you know how they turn out.

A nice apron and an oops

2009-01-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting for some sunshine to photograph some of my latest sewing endeavors. Unfortunately, Mr. Sunshine hasn't visited these parts in quite a while.

So, I finally gave up and had to settle for indoor photos. Sorry they're not better.

Before Christmas, my Mother-in-Law asked me to make an apron for her. Nothing fancy, just something that'll do the job and not have to be ironed. I made this reversible apron from two fabrics in my stash. I altered the original pattern slightly to incorporate a set of D-hooks on the neck strap.

And my first attempt at drafting a pattern and making a hoodie for Nathan. I've joined Finny & Donk's Sew Along 2009. The first sewing project is the How To: Men's Hoodie from Craft.

Obviously, I didn't do so well drafting the hood.

My husband is certain that I can't complete a sewing project without ripping out at least one seam! I don't have enough fleece to "fix" this hood, so I will have to go to JoAnn's tomorrow and hope they have more.

Wish me luck on the next hood! :)

My new sewing chair

2008-12-29T21:35:00.000-08:00

Anyone have an easy slipcover tutorial?