Susan being Snippy

A Few Useful Links for Quilters

2012-01-30T06:55:00.000-08:00

The last few days I have come across some interesting subjects that apply to quilters and can teach us a few lessons. Lessons that cost nothing! My favourite thing about the internet. When you look for information on the internet and when you look at BLOGS it rarely costs a penny!

On Ellen Ann Eddy's blog is an explaination of the colour wheel -- not about the colours but about which colour wheel to use, depending on what you are looking at...

http://www.ellenanneeddy.com/weblog/?p=480

Susie Monday (quilt artist) has a very useful post on her blog about What Writers need for focus. Pretty much the same rules apply to quilt making or for that matter EVERYDAY LIFE -- I know I break the first rule regularly and now I know that rule is the biggest challenge for most everybody...

Check out http://susiemonday.squarespace.com/journal/2012/1/30/what-henry-miller-said-writers-read-artists-you-need-for-foc.html

And here is another ART Quilter's Blog that is just completely fun to look at! Not just one entry, if you read not one word, the photos of quilts (not just her own) will keep your eyes moving as you scroll down the page! Are you thinking you might want to create a COW Quilt after taking a look at her images?

http://marylouweidman.blogspot.com/

And even though I have the "button" over on my right hand side bar, I am going to suggest you go check out the Needle and Thread network. Every Wednesday is a "LINK-UP" of Canadian Blogs with something new every week... Just click on the red 'button' over there to explore a set of Canadian quilters and crafters....

Cooking like Gramma House

2012-01-26T08:07:00.000-08:00

First I should explain that House was not my Gramma's real name. I grew up calling her that because she lived in a house, while my other Gramma was Gramma Choo Choo -- Yep! you got it she lived and worked as Cook on a Train!

So, as I said Gramma Choo Choo was a professional Cook -- and good enough to create menu's for the upper classes travelling by train -- back in the 1940's and 50's there was not much travel by plane and train travel was quite elegant, apparently.

ANYWAY. Gramma House was just a regular family cook, mind you for 10 children and a husband!

I cook more like Gramma House than like Gramma Choo Choo... In fact I doubt that I am even close to being as competent as either, but I try, sort of...

I know that Gramma House had very few recipes, most of her cooking was meat, either roasted or boiled or fried along with potatoes -- I don't think she ever made any kind of noodles or rice. But she did love beans, Beans in everything and every kind of beans she could find. Fresh Green Beans, fresh yellow string beans, dried white beans, kidney beans!

Well, last night I decided to cook like Gramma House. I got out the slow cooker and checked out the pantry and freezer. I am calling it Meatball Chili...

The Men thought it was one of those GREAT meals! Tho you must take into consideration that they both worked a 8 hour day at their job and a pot of hot and ready food is number one on their list when they walk in the door at 6pm...

So.

Meatball Chili (in the slow cooker)

dump each ingredient in the slow cooker and turn on LOW for 6 hours. Eat

20 frozen Turkey Meatballs - thats what I had but I am sure beef, pork or chicken would work quite as well... and it is 20 because I get 4 meatballs and the men each get 8 -- if you have a different count, go ahead and put in what you need -- same as the carrots, I make them eat a carrot for every meatball!

20 baby carrots, whole

1 middling size zuchinni chopped up, skin on.

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 medium onion chopped fairly fine

2 tablespoons honey garlic BBQ sauce, your favourite brand

1 can kidney beans rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes 14 oz or 400 gr

2 big tablespoons chili powder

1 tsp cumin

a few drops tabasco, depending how much "heat" you like

And I know the consensus is to add salt and pepper, but i am supposed to watch the salt intake and my son doesn't like salt on things, so each person in my house adds their own salt as desired...

Now, I know that when writing about a recipe you should show a lovely enticing photo of the food, just before you serve it up. BUT. I didn't expect it to be quite so appreciated! And I must add, tho, there is a problem with having Meatballs in Chili....

They picked out all the meatballs! So the few spoonfulls left at the bottom of the pot doesn't have a meatball in it... It is a good thing that in my house, THE COOK always gets first dibs on the food or I would have been eating vegetarian chili!

Thanks to Gramma House and her style of improvisational cooking I can create my own masterpieces (and terrible failures too)!

Stacks of 3 1/2 inch Squares

2012-01-21T11:37:00.000-08:00

I grew up in farm country, North of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The worst blizzard ever recorded was part of my early teen years... The snow blew from Friday afternoon (of course) til Monday morning (wouldn't you know it!)

I really dislike snow!

I now live where it doesn't snow so much and it certainly doesn't get the prolonged freezing temperatures that happens in Manitoba.

Oh, by the way, the background photo that you see on my blog here was taken by my sister-in-law, Karen and is a view from near their cottage at Winnipeg Beach, MB. It looks so cold and yet it is somewhat compelling and you wish you could stand out there and watch the wisps of snow drift across the frozen lake.

So the last few days we have had snow -- and I have not been out, other than my back yard since the snow started...

From my sewing room window I can look out across the neighbours property and watch the snow pile up. The Crows congregate in a tree with red berries for their lunch, while the chickadees and juncos take turns at the bird feeders in the backyard...

I have too many UFO's to count but I also have a shoebox full of squares cut at 3 1/2 inches from the scrappy bits from other projects. I started cutting the leftover bits way back in Y2K... I use some but mostly they stack up. With no real intention I started to arrange and re arrange some of the squares...

So, what else to do except start to sew 3 1/2 inch squares together. With a Plan, sort of...

I put togther 20 - 16 patch blocks. I had been thinking perhaps a Trip Around the World, but when I got to 20 blocks, I realized that really wouldn't work there were not enough of some fabrics and the quilt would need to be square. To do it properly I would have to continue til I had 36 blocks and I didn't want to make such a big quilt, even though there are still alot of 3 1/2 inch squares in those shoe boxes!

So after a couple hours of playing with placement, this is what is on the design wall now...

Today it has started to rain and the snow is almost gone. I should get out into the world...

I think I will wait a bit and perhaps go think up another project. Ya Think?

How to BE Together for 40 years Without Really Trying or Love the One Your With

2012-01-18T08:47:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day will be upon us in just a month.

Everybody loves Hearts and there are so many ways to create crafty hearts to symbolize the feelings and idea of being in Love.

40 years in a partnership is symbolized by the RUBY gemstone, so perhaps the red ruby heart carries even more meaning when you have lived and worked and laughed and cried and struggled and dreamed with the same person for that length of time...

When we started out on this journey we had no thought or goal or plan to get this far! When you are 19 years old and your partner only 22, what can be on your mind but LOVE -- and that is LOVE in really big letters.

It surely has not been an easy journey and we never thought it would be, we never thought about it at all, really. We woke up every morning together and we took care of the things that presented themselves each day.

Sure, we had dreams and plans but we never believed that those things were just my dream or his dream. We always worked together. We replicated ourselves in the form of two very satisfactory boys (now, well grown men). We worked together and believed together. And we always told people that what he says is what I mean and what I say is what he wants.

We always stood up for each other. We always respected each other. We never called the other one names and we never swore at each other, even in rather heated 'discussions'. We always figured out a way. We never gave up on each other, even though there were disappointments, we worked to understand and repair the things we could.

We have always been ONE.

We got married in the front room of this little house at the corner of Dalton St and Mountain Ave in Winnipeg, Manitoba on a bitterly cold day in January. The 22nd day to be exact. It was a small wedding in my Mom and Dad's house with only our closest family there to witness. I wore a short lace dress that cost less than 10 dollars and he wore a brown suit that came from the 2nd hand store. Our rings came from the jewellery counter in the Woolworth's store downtown on Portage Avenue and were not real gold...

We shared a meal at the Shanghai Restaurant in Winnipeg's Old Downtown that hosted 35 friends and family and cost my dad 96 dollars for the whole thing.

It was the most stressful day of my life! I can honestly say, I did not particularly enjoy the day. In fact, I fainted half way through the wedding ceremony. My Mom thought I was being dramatic!

I was just scared sh*tl#ss!

I cannot say there has been a day in those 40 years that I regretted.

We have come from being teenagers together to being old foggies.

It was an easy thing to do and yet it is something that not everyone can do. Life treats you how you expect it to and there is no way to stop it from passing by. You grab what you can, and hold on to what you need and want.

You don't throw things away just cause they get old, you find a new use for it or a way to revamp it or accept it. I am pretty good at reusing and recycling things, so treating a relationship that way is not so far fetched.

I cannot imagine life without, Chris Barker, the man I have spent my life with and I would never wish I had a different life. The best part is there is still time to learn and be more and do more and just be TOGETHER.

Don't ask me how it's done, and don't ask me how you can do it as my only answer is what you have heard many times before. One step at a time. It's like making a quilt, I guess, you sew all the pieces together and stitch the layers so they become so knotted together it is impossible to rip it apart and eventually it becomes ONE big thing.

Triangles

2012-01-15T07:01:00.000-08:00

I have this thing about sewing triangles. I love to sew triangles. I sew triangles when I can't think of anything else to make! I have a shoe box full of triangles, sometimes alot of the same and sometimes not so many -- depends on the fabric that I have at the end of bigger pieces to make into triangles and sometimes it just depends on how much I am craving a certain colour.

I made these blocks from triangles in the bright blue, green, orange and red, each with white after seeing a really bright beautifully made granny square afghan. Do they look like granny squares to you?

These navy blue and white quarter square triangles were done quite a while ago, mainly because I was trying to figure out if my particular sewing style needed to have the starting squares cut a little larger than the actual requirement. I was reading some instructions that said if you make the starting square 6" inches and trimmed the block down after it was sewn, you would always have the right size. So these were an exercise in accuracy. Do you practice sewing, just to improve your sport? You don't always have to be "playing a game" -- time to practice is just as useful.

I wanted to make 4" quarter square triangles (4 1/2 inch unfinished) and if the starting square was 6", that became alot of waste! I mean alot! Like 5/8 inch on two sides!

So I made the square at 5 3/8 -- technically to sew it perfectly you add 1 1/4 inch to what you want the finished square to be when you are sewing this type of triangle. I decided to add an extra 1/8 inch for varience.

I discovered that I do sew a pretty accurate 1/4 inch seam allowance and that extra 1/8 inch extra was most often trimmed off -- thus a bit of waste. The few triangles I sewed with a slight difference in the seam allowance made the 1/8 inch extra worth the time that it took to trim the piece, because there would be the occasional one that would have sewn up just a tad too small to have a perfectly pieced complete block.

So adding that 1/8 inch leeway works for me, but adding 3/4 inch leeway is far too wasteful...

These practice triangle have been combined with that lovely deep red to create the traditional 12 inch square Ohio Star Block.

How do you put together triangles? Do you find them to be as soothing to create as I do? Do you use sewing of any sort to calm your nerves and ease the stress in your life?

I love sewing triangles!

PS. These sets of blocks will be in the Etsy shop early in the week, just in case you are looking for a quick way to get started on a quilt AND in case you find making triangles troublesome...

Fabric Piles -- Organizing

2012-01-12T07:31:00.000-08:00

Seems to me, the big theme for this new year is to Organize. Everything from Whole Laundry Room Redo's at Mini Manor Blog to a tutorial for wall organizers made from stretched canvas (the stuff artists paint on) at Craft:

I have had my own system of fabric organizing for quite a while -- probably about 8 years actually. I know that because a dollar store went out of business in our downtown, that my son worked at and I got a great deal on the baskets that the store used to keep small items in to display on the open shelves. The baskets were like 10 cents each at the time and I bought about 20! Over the years though with handling they have developed cracks and breaks and I have disposed of at least one third of the ones I have. I don't know how much longer these will last me, but for now they are quite adequete and I am going to continue using them. Except, in a slightly different manner than I have been doing.

It's one of those "Why didn't I think of that before?", things!

Everytime I wanted a fabric, or to try to combine various fabrics I would be digging through these baskets to see what was in there.

It was very easy to miss something or completely forget some of the smaller pieces.

The difference is small but changes the whole view of things! Now, there is no digging. I can see what is in a particular basket as it sits on my shelves. I have only done the roll up and stack to two of my baskets as you can see in this photo. The difference is HUGE! The baskets of fabric below are over stacked, but when tidied and rolled, I don't think the basket will overflow -- those floral fabrics on the left of the photo were over flowing their basket but now they fit quite nicely...

Well, this project is one that will take a few days, I still need to sew! I tell myself a half hour to organize the baskets, then get on with the sewing!

So, have you decided to take on an New Year organization? What is it?

Crochet Floor Sweeper Cover

2012-01-07T06:19:00.000-08:00

About a week ago I came across this tutorial about how to make a reuseable and reverseable swiffer sweeper cover. Heres the link if you want to try it for yourself. http://www.craftstylish.com/item/44816/how-to-make-a-reversible-swiffer-sock

I don't have a Swiffer -- but a similar floor cleaning tool.

Mine came with reusable and washable pad made of a microfibre cloth. The cloth (actually 2 of them) have proved to be excellent for most floor cleaning jobs, washing and wiping up spills and for dry sweeping too.

But now with a constantly shedding border collie and two cats about the house, it seems hair has multiplied in corners, expotentionally. The short, sort of terry cloth of the purchased pads really just moved the hair around and didn't pick it up.

So when I saw this tutorial on the Craftstylish web page, I decided to try it out with some of my one ball acrylic yarns that had been waiting to be used for SOMETHING.

This project does take a fair amount of yarn because you are making quite a loopy fabric -- I had about 1/2 of a large skein of "I don't know what, cause the label was lost long ago" and an full ball of a baby yarn that was in a bag of 2nd hand store yarns that just didn't belong. So these two yarns are what I used and came within a few inches of the end of the baby yarn skein.

I had to adjust the number of stitches slightly for my floor tool as I think it must be a bit bigger than the Swiffer brand tool.

I will tell you, this sweeper pad is GREAT! It grabs those animal hair and dustballs from every corner and under all the furniture like it was a magnet, and because of the loopy things it holds it to the tool instead of just pushing it around.

Now to clean it off, you could hold it out the door and give it a shake, but I live in a townhouse and such a disposal of household dirt is quite frowned upon, so I just use my hands to pull off the hair and dustballs and put it all in the garbage bin.

This was a very successful creation and if you need an inordinate amount of dry dirt picked up, instead of pushed around, this is your next crochet project!

The tutorial link I gave you at the start of this post is easy to read and the instructions are clear. I had never done this particular kind of loopy stitch but it was easy to figure out and once done a few times you did not need to refer back to the instructions.

Have a great weekend -- perhaps you will have a new sweeper pad by the time you need to use it on Monday!

Free Quilt Patterns!

2012-01-03T06:43:00.000-08:00

Years ago there was a book called "Free Stuff on the Internet... For Quilters"

Things change so quickly on the internet that publishing a book about the Free Stuff would be outdated before they finished the print run!

But there is still an amazing amount of Free Stuff, especially for quilters! Actually no matter what your interest there is free stuff and that includes free instructions. When we want to learn new stuff about our hobbies we can go to our Local Quilt Shop and take a class. The environment of learning along with like minded individuals is something that cannot be replaced. We love to socialize and make new friends at the same time as learning and doing.

This year, I am going to be posting or rather trying to post a few regular features on my blog... One of those features is to help you find Free Patterns, Free Ideas, Free Instructions, all about Quilting and sometimes about other needle crafts like Crochet, Knitting, Embroidery and using items, whether it be an old coat or an old shampoo bottle to create reused, recycled or reclaimed things that are USEFUL.

So Today Free Quilt Patterns...

This is a great web site maintained by Windham Fabrics. There are 26 pages of complete quilt patterns, with a couple of 'stuffies' and a few Bags amongst the wonderful designs. You will need to have Adobe Reader on your computer to download the patterns.

Now, don't print them all out today! You know how we quilters have great intentions for making the next quilt? Well, try to refrain from printing out too many! These patterns are on the site for some time and should be available for awhile -- and in a few months your idea of making the next quilt may have changed, so there are still dozens to choose from.

Go check out the free patterns on the Windham Fabrics site here.

http://www.windhamfabrics.net/projects/

And heres just one of many -- maybe named for our own Darcey, of the Holly Jolly Bingo Game?? (a local quilt guild member for those not familiar with my town)...

Stop by and take your time looking through the 200 or so patterns. Is there a special one for you?

Added

2012-01-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

Just a short note to let you know to look over on the side panel. Yep, right there at the top.

A search box.

I just discovered that there was such a thing that could be added to a blog and truth be told, I have been wondering myself, "How do I go back and find specific things I wrote about?"

Well, there it is! A search box. Now, not only does it search my blog for particular subjects but it will also search for previous links to other blogs that I have posted about.

Now, I won't feel quite so lost -- after a few years of posting about things it is so easy to loose some of those ideas...

I learned about the search box and some other great tips on a blog I discovered today. Check out Crystal & Co. a blog about family life with alot of interesting tips and ideas...

Try it out! I'm hoping it will make things a bit easier for both you and me.

Try To ___ This Year

2012-01-01T07:06:00.000-08:00

This is a boring post.

I am just posting a couple of thoughts for 2012, might they be called resolutions?

Well, okay, yeah I guess they could be called that.

1. I am going to think about the food I eat, meaning a bit more careful about the sweet stuff, the greasy stuff and the highly processed stuff....

2. I am going to work on using the water colour pencils I bought a few months back and have barely opened, except to discover that watercolours work best on watercolour paper. So I have to go get some of that to actually paint a picture...

3. I am going to make a list of my DVD's so that I can remember to watch some of the movies I have sitting on the shelves, instead of renting or "on demanding" movies...

4. I am going to set aside a few dollars -- into a savings account - and plan a trip. I think I would like to go to the South of the USA, Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisianna, Florida -- I particularly want to ride on a Paddlewheel boat on the Mississippi and go to New Orleans.

Thats my list.

Oh, and a word of the year -- I did not post last years word, but I do think I accomplished it to some extent -- the word was Recovery.

Now this year I am thinking the word to strive for is Robust!

PS - I wanted to add that a comment from another person (it was actually a tweet) who says that making resolutions are an admission of impending failure...
What do you think about that thought? Now you know I have to put my 2 bits in on that -- I think that failure is part of life and we learn most and best by failing and trying again. If a person is afraid to admit they failed at an endeavour, could you or would you trust that person? A perfectionist even has to fail, maybe more times that you know, to get to the point of perfection.

Have you thought of any new goals?

Ghosts of Days Gone By

2011-12-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Do you keep a Journal?

I have been keeping a journal for close to 20 years now. My journals tho do not follow what many people think are the RULES of journalling. My journals are not uniform, they may not be neat and nicely written, whether hand written or typed, but they are my journals. My journals do not contain secrets. My journal sits on the table by my TV watching chair and sometimes I will add things in the morning, sometimes in the evening, sometimes I will rush to my journal to put in a photo or make a drawing that seems to me to be important to remember.

The journal I worked on, I never say wrote in, cause I add so much more to a journal, photos, drawings, bits of yarn or fabric that might show a current project and memories...

There are no rules to my Journal, except that about 10 years ago, I started calling the notebooks that I put them in ODD BITS...

Even the rule of having a dated book for journaling is not a rule, where I am concerned. Most of my Odd Bits books are dollar store blank notebooks, that I often spent some time creating a cover for -- either in fabric or paper or a combination. In fact creating the cover is my favourite part of the journal book. This year, I didn't even make the cover until about September! I think, tho, I already have a "end of the world" theme cover for 2012!

Now, I put everything and anything that strikes my fancy into my journal. If there is not enough pages, or if there is a newspaper clipping or other printed article that I want to keep, I will glue in or tape in (I do try to use archival type tape) an envelope and put the extra "odd bits" directly into the envelope.

Sometimes I perhaps have decided there is nothing to write on a page, or maybe something that is important enough not to be regulated to just one day, so I will often paint, draw, scribble over or otherwise decorate a whole page and then glue in a seperate piece of paper with the written or printed bit of news so that it stands out in the book.

Sometimes, I don't have much to say or not alot has happened in the days drifting by, so the book gets words put in as I feel like doing -- some days are "memorial" days and my thoughts are too complicated and extensive to write alot about them, so I just do a small summary of the day.

I don't worry about missing days. I don't worry if a family member reads or even writes or draws in something -- but it is MY book so if something is added by another person, I do ask them to keep it to a minimum. I have pages from years past where one or the other of my sons have added special little drawings or messages -- I love to read those when I go back and flip through those journals -- and I have to say I have reread my journals many many times and can open a particular journal to a particular page whenever I am feeling the need to review that memory!

Now if you are thinking of starting a journal, make or break rules as you please. I have no secrets in my journals, anybody could open any page and not find something that might shake their world.

Remember too, not everyday is important enough to take time to write everything down -- who cares in 20 or 50 or 100 years that you got up at 8am and had porridge with cinnamon in it. Nobody, really, but it could be interesting to put your grocery list in one week with how much those things cost. Of course you want to document important days, births, deaths, and all those kind of events.

If you are thinking of keeping a journal, you don't HAVE to start tomorrow! You can start and end, or take a break for periods of time. Some of my journals fill up in 6 months and other books I have take 2 or 3 years to use up all the pages. There are no rules to it.

And speaking of Ghosts ...

We do believe that Cats have special powers. We have known for many years that cats can teleport -- one moment they are sitting quietly on the floor, next moment they have teleported to the kitchen counter (especially if you preparing a chicken for roasting or even just slicing some ham for a sandwich)!

I have finally caught Walter in the processes of teleporting from one side of the room to the other!

Happy New Year, Everyone! Drive Safe and Sober if you are out late tonight!

Good Riddance Day

2011-12-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

I noticed a "tweet" this morning that today is "Good Riddance Day", which apparently means that you should write down any bad memories that you have been holding onto from 2011 and then tear, shred, burn or otherwise destroy the paper with that memory.

Start the New Year Fresh and give up on those little incidents, slights, wrongs, mistakes and other foolish events that take up your thoughts that could be used for creative things instead.

Okay? Now thats done!

By now you know my Christmas Day and the days surrounding are very quiet, but I do find ways to keep well occupied and my family too enjoy this week without stress and obligation.

Anyway.

I made a little wall hanging for my kitchen. A bit of embroidery, a bit of big stitch quilting and a bit of quilting; along with a bit of fauxing...

Pretty teacups simply surrounded by sasning and a blue binding to reflect the blue embroidery stitches.

Destined for a bit of wall between the window and the fridge in my kitchen.

Now, I must admit I did not actually embroider the teacups. They look and even feel like actual stitches on the white cotton fabric. The Tea Cups tho are IRON-ON! This is a product by DRITZ and I really cannot tell you much about it because I found 9 blocks and the instruction sheet in a 'packet' on the back wall at Value Village -- .99 cents I think. It has a soft fuzzy texture once you iron on the pattern piece. Do you remember what the used to call flocking? That is very much like what this product is. I LOVE it and now that I have seen it once I will be on the lookout for more!

And in these lazy days at home I have been working on a quilt project. I spent a few hours a couple of years ago, figuring out the math for these blocks so that I can make two blocks out of two width of fabric strips that are 2 1/2 inches wide. Each block is 8 1/2 inches square. After cutting strips in every red, most browns, and all my yellows and golds, I have spent the last few days -- a few hours each day making up these blocks. I have now, done 64 blocks -- I am trying to decide if I want to do a few more.

Here are 36 of the blocks made. My 'design wall' is not large enough to show them all.

I am thinking of hand quilting these blocks and plan to use the "Quilt as You Go Method" which you can find written instructions for here or check out the Original Lap Quilter here to learn more about this particular technique.

Every morning I go through and look at the updates of other blogs and came across this quilt block being done by Grey Cat Quilts, so take a look at her treatment of this same design! Go to http://greycatquilts.blogspot.com/2011/12/this-christmas-eve.html

Well, now, back to the sewing room....

Over Christmas

2011-12-26T07:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we got through those few days with minimal interruption of our daily routine. I think I have said before, my household doesn't do alot for Christmas and we do not do ANY gift giving, except to a very few friends. I am way over the idea of the obligation of exchanging gifts at Christmas. Don't get me wrong -- I love to give gifts! I just really dislike giving them because there is an obligation to do so. I give gifts when the mood strikes me. Anyday, anytime.

So instead of the hustle and bustle and the rush to get presents I spent time doing a bit of cleaning in the corners of my house -- you know a house always needs that, even if we try not to notice those corners! Mostly tho, I did some sewing and testing out some ideas for products to put into my etsy store.

I made a cozy for my french press coffee carafe quite a few months back and then just realized that they go together fairly quickly and that these carafe's are generally about the same size.

The possibilities of variations is limitless. I decided to use a tab with a button hole and large button as both a easy to put on and take off of the carafe element and as a decorative element.

So I am working on making a few of these in a variety of colours and using both a whole cloth fabric and co ordinated pieced fabrics. They will be listed in the Etsy Shop in the new year.

And then, because I can't just sit and watch TV, I found this little cap online at

http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2011/12/crochet-cap-with-bear-ears-small-infant.html

and set to making one -- it worked up so quickly, that I made a second -- the blue one, but I did not have enough yarn to add the same colour bear ears, so I am at a dilemna. Do I leave off the ears? Or maybe do the ears in a completely different colour? I have a really bright yellow that might be just the thing to contrast with that blue. Then. Perhaps I will also list these caps in the Etsy shop

as I have no young ones to give these too...

I definately recommend this free pattern tho if you you have a small child to gift it to. Use a soft chunky or worsted yarn for the little ones and keep their little noggins warm on these cooler winter days.

Well, now back to the work room for a few hours and for the next few days -- it is still the Holiday Season and there are alot of people out in the shops still looking for those Boxing Day and Boxing Week sales -- as for me, I still don't need to be out there, so I will work on piecing some bits of fabric into quilt block that I will then put together to make a quilt. Maybe I will keep it for my own, for a change.

Will show you some peeks of it in the next day or two!

Enjoy these last few days of 2011 and I hope the Christmas Wishes you wished for came true!

2012 Pantone Color of the Year

2011-12-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

Tangerine Tango

I discovered this web page a couple years ago -- when the color of the year was blue turquoise -- 2005. It has become somewhat of a habit to check the website to see what the newest year will bring for color.

Seems to me the last couple of years, 2010, 2011, and this year the colours are becoming much deeper than 5 or 6 years ago. It is interesting to see the progression of colours, isn't it?

Go Check Out

http://www.colorbudz.com/2011/12/pantone-color-of-the-year-2012-2000/

for further details and much clearer image that I am able to put here on my blog.

Housetop Quilt Block

2011-12-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

The last time on this blog, I wanted to talk about something new that I learned, the Housetops block. Turns out it really is only the name, Housetops that was new to me.

This block is almost a Natural block that one would make if you had no idea about what patchwork patterns were out there. Perhaps this would be the very first block that you would make if you had a stack of fabrics and had no idea about patchwork.

"It is a historical utilitarian pattern used by the amish, african american women, rural women and many others. It is a form of log cabin variation at its simplest, but according to Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, is called "Blocks in the Box," and "Bright Hopes." Gees Bend quilters called it a variation of a pattern called "Housetops."

From a stack of scraps this is the block I came up with, as you can see, quite similar to a log cabin but each round varies depending on how much of a particular scrap you have. Some of the pieces were easily long enough to sew a complete "side" but in most other cases, I had to patch together scraps to create a length to go along a side before sewing the next side (or log onto the block).

You can practically use any format to put together a Housetop Block. You could get quite artistic or very random about it. You could choose a colour theme or just use the idea of colour value in piecing the scrappy bits.

The only thing about this block, it uses all your leftovers and in this world we have so much that often we don't need the leftovers from our projects. This is where this type of block would be very useful in creating blocks and the piecing together the blocks for donation quilts. These would also make great picnic or beach quilts. So maybe make up a few of these and incorporate them into the next "utilitarian" type project you have.

Putting together a number of these blocks, whether or not you used light and dark sides to enhance or create a secondary pattern would be up to each individual quilt maker. You could do the patches, completely randomly.

I only made the one block, for now mainly to see how it worked out. This block is 19" square and turned out just about perfect for a pillowform that I had sitting on a top shelf, that was waiting to be used someday.

OOPS

I decided to machine quilt the Housetops block to a piece of blanket flannel as I did not want a puffy or textured finish to the pillow cover -- EXCEPT somehow along the way, a tiny (this piece is about 1/2 inch wide x 1 inch) bit of scrap got stuck onto the back of the blanket flannel and was quilted along with the layers!

This I'm sure is not such an unusual occurence! How many times have you done this? Well, this time it was not a big deal and I am leaving it right where it got quilted in because it will be on the inside of the pillow cover and no one but you will ever see it again!!

There now. Can you see the Oops from the right side? No, eh? So it's fine.

And then when you step back and see the cushion on the recliner you would never even suspect there was an Oops!

I hope you enjoyed this little Mystery and puzzled over what a Housetops Quilt Block might look like. So Easy, wasn't it?

Well, today, I think I shall do a bit of crochet instead of sewing. I ordered some fabric from anETSY seller so that I can make a pair of pillow cases for my son in Victoria, BC. I'm sure, as a single man, buying pillowcases is one of the last things on his mind, so I am going to make some for him... He is a guitar player and a car restorer in his spare hours so the pillowcases are a bright blue with sporty cars and car parts print. I have to wait til it arrives before making the pillowcases so, a crochet project seems to be just the thing to fill in the rest of the day.

The More You Know...

2011-12-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

I discovered quite sometime ago that whenever I learned something new, I realized how much more I didn't know and how much more I had to learn...

Well, I sort of forgot that little "rule of learning" because I was beginning to think that I knew ALOT about quilting - and to be honest, I do have a pretty fair knowledge of quiltmaking but there is at least twice as much again that there is still to learn.

I have a couple of books -- actually more like 4 or 5 books on Quilt Blocks, the construction of, the design of, and the names of, the traditional blocks, how to recognize blocks using "grids", even a book with some japanese blocks and so much more in those books.

But.

I came across a quilt block that I had never heard of before and went looking for examples of it on the internet. And that was quite a search, it is not a well known block at all! In fact I am beginning to think that it is a SECRET!

So, Dear Readers, I am going to give you some hints about this quilt block and I am going to issue a challenge. Make one of these blocks! Or make a quilt using these blocks.

I am not posting any photos of this block but I will give a few hints about what it is and I would LOVE to see what you come up with.

First the name of this block is Housetop

Next think of your neighbourhood, then think what it might look like if you were in a low flying aircraft and looking down.

And, the block is quite interpretive, there is a "design"(a detailed plan) to it but not really a "pattern" (a regular or repetitive form).

Now, create a Housetop block...

I am not promising any reward or giveaways, just the satisfaction of learning something new about quilting.

In a few days or a week or when I get around to it (now thats a promise, eh?), I will post some photos of Housetop blocks and tell you where this particular block probably orginated from.

I hope this gives you a little puzzle to work on and if you are so inclined, please send me a photo of your Housetop block and I will post it here on the blog.

Send your photo to me at jswb4com AT yahoo DOT com

Oh, (since my sister who really, really dislikes me says I am a bully) I will BULLY you into sending me your interpretation so if NO ONE sends me a photo of their Housetop block, I may not reveal the SECRET at all and you may have to just go on wondering what the block looks like!

But Really, I would LOVE it if you would take up this little challenge!

Quantity vs Quality

2011-12-11T05:14:00.001-08:00

A subject I have been dwelling upon for a day or two and finally came to some conclusions about this question.

A week or so ago, I answered a question "When it comes to crafting which do you prefer?"

I actually answered the question wrongly, or rather differently than any of the other respondents. I came at the question from a different direction than anyone else who submitted their thoughts. You can go and see the question and answers by a variety of people, including me. http://www.favecraftsblog.com/monthly-craft-question-quantity-vs-quality/

Now, that you are back do you see how my answer did not fit in with every other answer? I wondered why? And I have been wondering why for the last couple of days. Turns out, to me, this is a more important question than I at first realized.

First, everyone who answered the question assumed that they actually have a choice between quantity and quality. In general, so do I, most of the time anyway.   As for the question having to do with crafting -- one must have quality materials to create quality products, so because I have NEVER been easily able to choose a sufficient quantity of quality materials, I have created items to the best of my ability with materials that in most cases come from sale stock or are "vintage" from the 2nd hand stores or garage sales that I frequent.   In many instances I have a choice, to buy 1 meter of top quality newly released designs or buy 3 or 4 meters of year or older "sale" materials. Now, in the case of quilt making -- it is really not possible to make a quilt with one single cut of top quality fabric, so in this case my option, my choice becomes "What is the best quality I can get at discounted prices?"

And this is what blurs the question of Quantity vs Quality.

As a child, I grew up mostly on a farm -- my father worked in the city, driving 20 miles to his place of work everyday, in fine weather and bad and dangerous weather.   He provided the income for our family that paid the 'traditional' bills -- mortgage, car payment, and clothing.   Our farm provided the "intangibles". We only had about 25 acres, but that was alot for my mother to manage. The farm provided 95 per cent of the food we ate. Even so, we still did not have alot of extra dollars to go around, so things such as clothes were usually second hand along with toys and many of the household items such as dishes, pots, utensils, towels, etc. My mother used to say after you have worn a brand new shirt once and it has been washed, no one knows that the shirt you got from the 2nd hand store was not first worn by you...

As a child, my choice was often quantity over quality. What good would one shiny crystal crock (large marble) be without 20 or 50 other marbles to make it a game, so 50 plain regular marbles was the first choice everytime.

This is how I was taught that choice sometimes meant that quantity was the choice to make over quality.   It was always better to have two or three second hand dresses than one dress that could only be worn for a special occassion.   We learned early that "something was better than nothing" in EVERYTHING.

As my years have progressed the choice between quantity and quality became a Mother's question. Two growing sons taught me that often Quality was the way to go even if I had to sacrifice a choice somewhere else. As teens my boys played sports and did ALOT of running -- shoes became important -- the quality shoe not only helped them to be part of the sports they wanted to play but the quality shoe would out last the cheap wal-mart runner by at least 3 to 5 times the length of usefulness and therefore cost less in the LONG run!

Maybe it is only me (it sort of seemed like it by my answer of the question I replied to) but I thought just having the choice between quantity and quality is somewhat of a luxury.

Do you have that choice? I bet you do! You make the choice between quality and quantity every single day. Do you go to the grocery story and buy 2 freshly baked loaves of bread or do you first go to check the day old bread and take home 4 or 6 loaves of the exact same baked bread that came out of the oven 2 days ago? Me, I always choose the day old bread! Habit, somewhat, necessity also often true.

Now -- to the point of this whole thought, of Quantity vs Quality.

What if you didn't even get a choice? What if because of finances, perhaps bad choices others made for you, your choices were taken away. Your single mother HOPES she has enough to get a turkey for christmas, she HOPES she can find SOMETHING for the child to open on Christmas morning.   What about the young man who even though it is his own fault is now living on a downtown street, he will be lucky to have the choice between a cold doorway Christmas night or a blanket in a corner of a overcrowded shelter.

Not only was it the initial question posed by Favecraft about Quantity vs Quality but it has also been the ongoing news story about the Attawapiskat First Nation Emergency which is not so unusual in our own rich country of Canada. You can google the news stories if you have not heard of this (especially if you are outside of Canada). Distress is not just in Africa, or Cuba, or remote areas of the world.

My wish for the world and those humans living on it is that we all be able to have the basic choice of Quantity vs Quality.   What if your choice for Christmas was between a shelter, any shelter and one meal? Which would be your choice?

Take the time to think about your own choices between Quantity and Quality -- How lucky you (and I) are!

Recyclable/Reuseable Christmas Wrap

2011-12-10T06:33:00.001-08:00

Since I discovered that stack of Christmas fabrics in that bottom drawer in the back closet in the corner of the attic, I have been trying to think up uses for these pretty seasonal fabrics.

One of the first things was to make the table cover I did a few days ago. Then I was thinking that I would use the fabric to wrap Christmas gifts in.

Then the idea progressed just a step further.

I made drawstring bags of various sizes, some specifically for bottles, some for small gifts, and some for much larger gifts. I went to Micheal's (and the 2nd hand store) to find the cheapest satin ribbons on rolls and used the different ones as the drawstrings. Now each gift I have so far sent or given has been wrapped in these bags. But. Oh my! I still have at least 20 of these drawstring bags, (did I tell you how deep that drawer was?) so I am giving the bags to friends and relatives so that they can hopefully make their christmas wrap more sustainable. Perhaps save some pretty printed papers from the local transfer station (dump, in other words) and save dollars on one time use paper so you can buy a bigger turkey... (SAVE A TREE)!

Now, I am not saying to go out and buy fabric for this purpose, unless of course you want to. I am saying this is a really good use for the older colours and prints and designs of previous years, that perhaps you are not so keen on making a quilt or a christmas dress with.

These bags are so quick and easy to make up, there are tutorials on the internet of how to make a drawstring bag, in fact, here are a couple...

This one is for a lined bag (great to keep small toys in afterwards)

http://sewbunnybum.blogspot.com/2008/05/drawstring-bag-tutorial.html

This is my favourite one for simplicity and speedy to make up.

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/02/18/a-drawstring-bag-tutorial/

And if you want to be meticulous about it, here is a tutorial to make french seams on the inside of your drawstring bags!

http://pm-betweenthelines.blogspot.com/2009/04/drawstring-bag-french-seam-tutorial.html

Christmas wrap for the next 10 years! Or even translate the idea to using drawstring bags as birthday wrap, or even as useful little storage units to keep things in...

How about the drawstring bag itself as part of the gift -- a sewing kit in a bag? a winter emergency car kit in a bag? a camping cook tools kit in a bag? A "Hot Wheels" cars Storage Sack? How many other things can you think of where the bag itself is part of the gift?

Currently In the Sewing Room

2011-12-08T10:51:00.001-08:00

On Monday I thought I would dig into my stash of christmas fabrics -- these fabrics have been preying on my mind lately, mainly because they are OUTDATED, some from as long ago as the mid-nineties! I thought I got rid of a bunch of christmas fabrics a year or two ago, but somehow another stack propogated in the back of a drawer in the furtherest dark corner of a closet up in the attic...

So, I was wanting to make something "quick 'n dirty" as they say and I thought that I would cut the scraps into 3 inch wide strips -- most of the scraps were parts of fat quarters so were about 18 to 20 inches long. I have seen this idea used to some success before. But I wasn't pleased at all with the long strips sewn together. They were not at all interesting and somewhat drab.

So. I took the strips in sections of 4 strips and cut them crosswise and trimmed them up into 9 1/2 inch squares.

and laid them out like a 'rail fence' pattern.

There.

That looked a bit more interesting to my eye and not too much more work.

Next I added a narrow border all around -- it too is a christmas print but so dark that it is almost depressing -- but it did help the mish mash of christmas fabrics stand out and yet contain them.

With a backing, but no batting in between I simply did a seam all around and turned it right side out, and sewed or perhaps quilted the two layers and called it a table cover.

Now, if you look closely at the bottom of the photo you will see a little nose and under that nose are cat teeth trying to pull the cloth off of the table! So since he, you know WALTER, right? Since he insisted on getting a better look at the new christmas table cover I took the opportunity for some candid family photos...

I'm thinking I might have to make a frilly christmas collar for Walter -- He does make a fine looking Christmas Cat, does he not?

Check This out - Christmas

2011-12-06T07:42:00.001-08:00

I have one quick link for you today...

Sometimes I find an interesting idea while surfing the internet and I get this little greedy bug in the back of my mind. It is a bug that says, if I make this and show it off, everyone will be SOOOO impressed and I will have something special and unusual... Do you get like that? Well, it is a hard thing to admit, but mostly I can overcome that little bit of greedy thought!

So here is a link to an origami type wreath. It takes 12 pieces of paper or fabric -- remember if you use fabric to make folded items first spray starch the fabric or, I also discovered another method for accurately and crisply folding fabric, first iron your fabric to freezer paper! The paper gives it that nice crisp fold.

Now, as I said here is the link.

http://angsandy.blogspot.com/2011/12/origami-wreath-tutorial.html

Round Up

2011-11-30T07:07:00.001-08:00

Whew! I have not written on the blog for a week and a day! That is cause I have been caught up with making! Making stuff for Christmas; all of the things are from other blog posts on the internet. The best part of these other blog posts is that each one has a very well written tutorial so that it is easy to recreate one's own version!

My nephew is getting married at the end of December and I have been trying to think of something to send (half way across the country) when I saw this really cute fabric and knew it was just the thing for newlyweds. It shows the "bear" family doing all the fun things a new young family does together, with little hearts sprinkled all over -- so I made a pair of pillowcases! Now I realize that pillowcases are not a real exciting gift but this fabric just cried out to be something just for them and so because they each already have children, a loving family fabric seemed to be the thing...

If you want to try out these pillowcases you can go to the tutorial at http://www.allpeoplequilt.com/millionpillowcases/instructions/RollItUp.pdf

This pattern explains how to add the top border with a very simple turned under edge so that there are no raw edges, and the side seams are done as french seams, again shown very clearly in the tutorial. I think a pair of these took me just a bit over an hour to create -- and I think, now that I have done them once, it will be even less time to do more of them!

And Hey! We all, or mostly all know that Christmas is coming! And coming along faster than anyone can manage to fit in all the things that have to be done -- well, most everyone, but me, since I do have alot of fun with Christmas but don't burden myself with alot of Christmas obligations. I can pick and choose what I want to do with this season and mostly to me that means creating things that please me and things that I can give as the whim strikes me!

So I discovered the cutest little crochet christmas stockings and had to go ahead and try out the tutorial for them, too. These are very quick to make up and using left over scraps of yarn cost only the time it takes -- for me about 1 hour, while watching tv. I must add that I wrote down the instructions, and between the time it took me to get from the computer to the tv watching room, the piece of paper disappeared (I suspect the dog ate it!) And since the show on tv had started I was reluctant to go back and jot down the instructions, so my crochet stockings are slightly different than the tutorial, but my third one will be exact... When I get to it -- perhaps another one or two will get made up tonight while watching SURVIVOR!

Aren't they just the cutest?

Go to http://www.lemondedesucrette.com/2011/11/16/little-christmas-socks-the-pattern/ for the very simple tutorial...

Then read further in this writers blog (todays' blog post) where the writer shows some stockings made by another reader who made these little socks into ADVENT CALENDERS and be amazed at the variety of looks you can get with the combinations of colours!

The quilt guild that I belong to has a postcard exchange every month with a theme that those taking part try to conform to and at the same time try to create little original works of ART.

I have to admit this months theme had me stumped. I dawdled and put off creating my trade able postcard because just nothing came into my head. The theme was YO-YO's. I just couldn't seem to grasp an idea to use Yo-yos on the the card with. Then while surfin' the net one morning, I came across this tutorial for making folded paper wreaths and the wreath and a yo-yo clicked into an idea in my head.

Go to http://gretchenbarron.typepad.com/folded_wreath_tutorial.pdf for the instuctions. This is a very old origami paper folding pattern but this tutorial makes it into a pretty little christmas ornament.

Now, because I wanted to do this little wreath with christmas fabrics you need to be aware that fabric just does not fold as crisply as paper, so what I did was use spray starch on the fabric pieces before I even attempted any folding and I used the HOT iron to press those folds nice and firm. Also it is a bit trickier to fit the pieces together, so just work slowly and with patience and you will get the pieces together -- admittedly it took me a couple of tries to get the wreath to fit together and look right -- and another difference between paper and fabric, is that when I did get the wreath together, I sewed around the inside opening and that held it all together with no fear of the wreath slipping apart.

On this one, the extra time and effort is definately worth the end product.

I am so enthralled by these wreaths I am making more of them to include with the Christmas cards that I send out to friends and family!

And finally another 'ornament' for the tree or to give as quick little gifts is this origami christmas flower. This too is an original paper craft but it is so very lovely in fabric. I saw it some years ago used as a dimensional applique flower in a quilt book by Kumiko Sudo -- sorry I cannot remember the name of the book.

Here is an online tutorial for making this flower and it truly is quick and easy to make. I did these four in the above photo is just under one hour. And remember it does make it nicer and crisper folds if you spray starch the fabric before you start folding. Oh, and you do have to create your own template for this. I used my acrylic ruler with the 30 degree angle lines so that each of the three sides of the triangle measured 6 inches then I added a 1/4 inch seam allowance on to that. Go to http://katrinastutorials.blogspot.com/2009/09/fabric-ornament-number-two.html

And that sums up my week!

If you try out one or two or even all of these projects I am happy that I could point you to them. Have FUN, keep busy, and you will get to where you want to be!

PS I wanted to add -- I found a blog where all the links are CANADIAN web pages and blogs, go visit at http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.com/ and you will see what is going on across our country!

Crafting Quilts with Colour!

2011-11-21T05:53:00.001-08:00

I am inspired to think about colour after a conversation the other day, with Doris and Ingrid...

Rather impossible to create a quilt without colour, isn't it? Well, there is one type that you can make and that would be a whole cloth white quilt with white threads -- that is a quilt I would never dare to make for my home.... A black and white border collie and a black and white kitten and a grown up but still mischievious siamese cat makes for a very bad combination to keep white quilts in!

This image is not one of my creations -- just to illustrate the beauty of lack of colour

Can you imagine this sort of thing in the middle of a beautiful white whole cloth quilt? I can imagine it, but I surely don't want such a thing! Walter is happy on the hardwood floor where his black and white hair can easily be swept up or vacuumed away!

I am wanting to point you to a couple of interesting web pages that may help us with the colour in our quilts. There are some of us who have a special instinct for putting colours together -- but that is rare and like I said very special!

I for one tend to choose rather dark or greyish colours -- and it seems no matter how hard I try, it is a very rare quilt of mine that comes out bright and with really excellent colour choices. Even my scrap quilts tend to have a greyish look to them. That trend has held true for most of my quiltmaking years -- tho, every once in a while I manage to put together brights!

I almost think that brights are accidental for me and I have been hoping (for a long time) to find ways to improve my choice of fabrics --both in colour and print choices.

I have found two websites that I am hoping might give me new eyes in the choices of colour.

Take a look at both of these web pages -- look back to previous postings and take the time to compare the photographs with the colour choices.

I have thought that perhaps if I practice looking at everyday things, I will get better at choosing the colours that are within my own little "photographs"

Check out these:

http://www.design-seeds.com/

if you look down the page a bit, my favourite choice of the offered groupings is the one called "branching hues"

and

http://www.photocardboutique.com/blog/

this one is similar - a photo along with "chips" of colour

Hmmmm..... Perhaps a walk around my neighbourhood with my camera and then a "study" of the colour in the photos that I took.

Maybe a trip to the hardware store and a handful of paint chip cards, to mix and match and play with?

So? Do you think these will help with combining colour in your quilts? It is one of many many hints and tips that artist use in their crafts, I think.

Check This Out 2

2011-11-18T08:25:00.001-08:00

I just found this little HOOKY treasure this morning! A perfect little pear with a tutorial on this http://speckless.wordpress.com/2011/10/16/crochet-pattern-tiny-pear-necklace-charm/ lovely blog.

I was just looking at some of my scrappy bits of yarn yesterday afternoon and since I woke up this morning with SNOW on the ground, I think I will go set down in my chair and crochet one or two of these gorgeous little pears. I am thinking though that the tiny pear would also suit my tiny christmas tree -- so instead of a necklace, I will use mine as a christmas tree ornament . Will try to get back later today and post a photo of two of my own completed pear.

And to add -- 11:27 am -- the results of my efforts to crochet the little pear...

I need more practice - or I need different yarn. I am using worsted acrylic and the tutorial says to use a baby type yarn -- I don't have any right now, not in green, yellow, peachy, but I do have purple -- pears are not usually purple. So I made it with what I had....

The yarn for the leaf is also too heavy and makes them a bit large for the pear. I will try again in a day or two, perhaps a trip to the thrift shop to see what I can find to more accurately create the pear in the proper proportions -- but I would say this is a really easy and quick ornament to work, I think it took no more than about 20 minutes -- you could really make a whole CROWD of them in an evening!

As you can see, I brought my yarn up to the computer and worked right from the screen. I am also low on paper to print with, so direct from the blog works quite as well!

And, since I was taking pictures and putting them on the blog, I thought I would include a couple of other recent projects. The tiny skate is thanks to ALICE, our guild program co ordinator. Everyone at the day meeting received a little kit and we proceeded to make a pair of tiny skates. I made a very slight change to the one I did (I still need to get the second one done) -- I folded in the felt at a very slight angle when I "laced" up the boot and it more realistically resembles a figure skate, I think.

I got a pattern quite sometime ago for making crochet kittens (from an etsy shop) and I have made and given away a few already.

There are so very many patterns and ideas for making small things to give or use on your christmas tree or just to display around your house. I personally don't purchase "manufactured" tree ornaments anymore. I guess I like the old-fashioned homey look!

How 'bout you? Is crafting part of your Christmas or do you prefer the bright sparkley easy but expensive option of Christmas decor?

Check This Out!

2011-11-16T06:09:00.001-08:00

It is only 6 weeks til Christmas! Lot of time, RIGHT?!

I have said it before on my blog, we don't really do Christmas, but I love to watch everybody else "doing" it! I don't go to the MALLS at all, because I don't really like crowds of people (unless I can get up and out early, early, early)

I most enjoy the lights of Christmas and am out a few times during the month of December driving through neighbourhoods to see the outdoor yard decorations. Every year it amazes me, the ingeniousness of home owners and apartment dwellers to create a theme of Christmas in their own spaces!

I love the traditions of Christmas and the traditions that families create. The ideas for Food, Decorations, Gifts and the Spirit of Christmas, grows and changes every year.

So, I am going to start a Source for Christmas here on my Blog for the next few weeks and perhaps I can pass along some ideas that you may have a use for.

Today, Christmas Gift Tags.

Go to

http://www.freeprintablegifttags.net/

where you can print out a page or two or three of a number of gift tags to go on all those parcels that you wrap and give.

The instruction for printing is right there on the page. You just need a printer with coloured inks (most inkjet printers are built that way) and a few sheets of paper or cardstock.

the People's Home Library

2011-11-13T06:47:00.001-08:00

I wanted to let you, my readers know about my "other" blog. It is The Peoples Home Library. It is actually a book published in 1910 and describes itself as "a set of three practical books, the aim being to give the reader a complete library of practical information"

This book includes three essential subjects needed in the home, be it on a farm or on a city lot. Housekeeping and all it entails, from keeping a home clean and neat along with the acceptable etiquette of the day, how to cook, what to cook, and when to cook. Medical information -- not just the everyday treatment of cuts and bruises but things such as birthing, treating broken bones, and diagnosing and treating common and uncommon diseases including herbal remedies and the making of tinctures, teas and salves. Animal Husbandry -- how the man of the house can treat his stock, the horse, the pig and cattle, even a few hints on keeping the house cat and the essential farm dog! Oh and of course a chapter on keeping chickens and even how to build a chicken coop!

I simply transcribe sections of the book -- I don't write any new words to what this book offers. I present the book as a historical document for those who might be interested in "how things were done" a hundred years ago.

I do not transcribe the book in any particular orderly fashion, so one entry may include diseases of horses, with the next weeks posting may be recipes for muffins or how to set a table. If you are interested in a particular subject, please use the "labels" to find pages that I have already transcribed from the book.

I would like to add a note of caution. Some of the items such as herbal remedies could be dangerous, so please use what is written only as entertainment value, not as medical advice! I take no responsibility for your own choices in the use of the information that comes out of this book. Keep in mind it was written and published more than one hundred years ago and modern knowledge has changed and improved in that time.

I did start transcribing this book, in 2008 but it has been on hold for almost 2 years while I waited to have the book and bindings restored. I now have the book back in my hands and intend to continue entering pages and exerpts from this long ago household "bible".

My Mother discovered this large old book in a second hand shop in the early 1960's and even tho it was then 50 years old, it held some relevantcy to our life as my Father had just moved us from a city house to a small farm near St. Andrews, Manitoba (near Lockport) and we had a lot to learn about raising chickens and keeping an old farmhouse warm using only two potbelly wood stoves! In those days, my mother became an expert farm wife, even to the point of saving the life of a sick turkey, only to have the turkey nabbed by a marauding neighbours' dog a few days later!

Go to http://peopleslibrary.blogspot.com/ to read the details of how to manage the home in the early 20th century.

I hope you enjoy this departure from everyday modern life -- it is a bit of time travel, I think.

A Little Quilt, and Work in Progress

2011-11-09T12:36:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile. Quiltmaking that is. I am not quite sure why I haven't been peicing and sewing, cutting and measuring, but there have been alot of other chores getting done instead of...

Actually, now that my DH is back putting in full days of paid employment I don't have him hanging about the house with me trying to think of jobs to keep him busy! I actually did dishes today! I don't think I have done dishes in months!! Not to mention vacuuming stairs or washing floors -- well now those regular chores fall to me again. Which is a good thing!

So I put together a few blocks of "yellow brick road" -- I actually have 25 blocks but then decided that I would make two small quilts, one to give to my guilds charity quilts program, so this quilt will probably go to our childrens ward at our local hospital.

My favourite free motion quilting design is in the borders of the quilt, random lines of hearts...

Then I fell into experimentation. I talked a bit about failures in anything that we do and sometimes 'failure'is meerly a matter of opinion.

I decided to try out a quilt in Skinny Quilts & Table Runner II edited by Eleanor Levie and published by Martingale Books. An excellent technique book with table runner as the focus and an artistic bend by a variety of well known quiltmakers.

So I tried out the "RUNGS" pattern by Karla Alexander -- a stack and slash in control design. I did two versions of this pattern. One really wild, using south african batik fabrics that I got from Pippa Moore's website, an the second version more fresh and pretty. What do you think??

The African print one is now almost done, layered and quilted, is now waiting for its binding.

And the pretty one, with of course a cat (Walter) making it known that he prefers the pretty colours best is still waiting for the finishing steps -- the fabrics on this second on is all done using vintage 1960's and 50's bed sheets. I haven't decided yet myself which I prefer!

Time to rake up a few leaves? ya, think?

Dark-eyed Junco

2011-11-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

I think this is a first....

I am not generally a bird watcher, but Walter has become facinated with the crowds of birds at our feeders -- this variety of bird is the dark eyed Junco -- it took me forever to find photos and descriptions online. I only noticed them last winter and now this fall, too. I guess they come here to winter and I have no idea where they go all summer. They come along with the chickadees but do not feed at the hanging feeders, they pick up the fallen seeds from the ground, so I found a little "cactus planter bowl" and set it near our patio doors. They are quite brave little fellows as it is quite close to the window and Walter sits within about 3 ft of the bowl, except with a sheet of glass between.

I will have to practice at my nature photography -- perhaps I will post more as I find time to sit outside and hold the camera!

Do You Crochet?

2011-10-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

Just a quick little post, and no pictures today...

If you crochet and enjoy seeing the things that you can make, I would like to suggest a site that is crammed full of links to crochet pages. It is a "linky" site and is posted every week or two -- once you get there, just click on some of the many pictures and it will open a new window to the blog that features that particular item.

Go to http://i-crochet.blogspot.com/

Put this blog on your Google Reader or your RSS Feed or your Favourites list, you will want to check back regularly!

Oh Sheet!

2011-10-23T11:38:00.000-07:00

Another post about repurposing various things! This blog though is not just about reuse, recycle, repurpose, reclaim, but I do find that it is a fair part of what I do...

Rag Rugs. Now this is not one of the things that have satisfied me very well in the past. I have cut or torn up fabric or cloth that didn't seem to have any other use, into long strips --- usually about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch wide and crocheted the strips into baskets and various sized mats. I have never really felt they were pretty or particularly useful but this time it seems to have worked out nicely.

For some reason I thought I would try it again. Why? I don't know. Maybe I like using that giant size crochet hook. Maybe I feel not so guilty in cutting an already torn sheet into strips for a different way to use the cloth instead of into the bin (though it might also have been used as car rags too)

It takes forever to tear those strips --- then there are the straggling threads! Each strip has a few of those along the sides and if you don't pull them off, the whole thing can tangle which could cause a bit of frustration. There are a number of tutorials online of how to join the strips -- all I do is snip a hole in each end of each strip and pull one strip through both holes -- it makes a kind of turned and locked connection without making a big knot.

So I wound up the strips into one REALLY HUGE ball and starting in the centre used single crochet, increasing each round as needed. The beginning was six single crochet in a loop, the second round 2 single crochet in each stitch of the previous round, the next row, 2 single crochet in one stitch, then on single crochet continued around. Then the next row is one sc in each sc of the previous round, from there on in, I increase so that every second row has an increase of one more stitch in each repeat -- 3 sc in each previous sc then 2 in one, next row 1 in 1, next row 4 sc in each sc in each previous then 2 sc in one... Makes sense?

As the project progressed - and it does progress quickly -- I actually liked the looks of this project. It was laying flat, with no ripples or bulges, which meant my increases on each round were working out quite even. (oh, mark the start of each round so you have a general idea of when to work those increases).

It is about 36 inches from one side to the other. This is one whole queen size sheet, with the hems and selvedge discarded and the torn bit in the middle that was about 4 inches wide and the threads were very worn so I did not use the really thin section. Not too small and looks okay in front of the old wicker chair that my husband inherited from his grandmother some time before Time actually began. (we have a photo of him in that chair when he was about 5 years old -- and now he is not far from retirement and his gramma is long gone...)

Then I turned my back to do something and turned around again, to discover that Pearl had taken possession of the new rag rug and had made herself comfortable.

Not sure if I will do another -- but after previous failures at crocheting strips of fabric I would say this one has turned out to be quite pleasing so I am encouraged to consider rag rugs as a use for old sheets. I was thinking that a few of these would make good picnic or beach mats... Would a rag rug mat work on a park lawn under a tree on a spring afternoon to relax on while reading a book??

AH-HA Recycling Moment

2011-10-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been struggling to find BOXES. Most of the boxes I need are for shipping small items that I have sold in my ETSY store. The big and medium sized cardboard boxes are easy to find in the recycle bin or even free from a variety of stores about town. Even some of my friends keep me in mind when they come across boxes, especially small ones. But it still seems that I am having to hunt for little, little boxes!

Right now, I am needing boxes that are about 4 inches cubed -- not many boxes around that are that small...

I finally figured out I need to make my own (buying them just costs more that I am willing to pay).

Of course I get these ideas when there is little or no recycled cardboard for a project, so I just had to empty the current morning cereal box into a plastic container and cut into the box to make what I needed.

So I opened up the cereal box - nice and flat.

Drew the lines with my big acrylic rotary cutting ruler. Measure twice, cut once - thats why you see that extra drawn line, with the crosshatch marks -- that is the wrong line to follow...

cut out the soon to be little box -- I just translated the design from regular boxes you find anywhere and used my own measurements.

A touch of glue on the one "tab" to create the square, then a piece of masking tape to help hold it.

I scored all my drawn lines with the scoring or embossing tool I had bought at least twenty years ago when I thought I might be interested in Scrapbooking.

And there it is! The perfect sized box for protecting and then shipping off some of the egg coddlers that are in my shop....

Now, I have to find 15 more cereal boxes and get busy drawing, cutting and folding.

Probably useful for some of the gifts that will need boxing and wrapping at Christmas? Do you think?

Have a great Saturday! Maybe just the day to get out there and rake up a few leaves and then yell at the kids for spreading them out again!?

"They" Keep Making Things Easier!

2011-10-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Recently I have noticed a new element on some of the blogs that I visit. A box that says I can get an email whenever the blog writer has written a new post. Well, I just discovered today, that BLOGGER now offers that to blog readers!

So, this offers the reader another option of finding blogs that they want to return to and read on a regular basis. Instead of adding the blog to your favourites -- and that list of favourites can get so long you can't keep track of it anyway, or to your Google Reader List and again that list can become overwhelming, you now can receive an email that tells you that your favourite blog or webpage has been updated.

Take a look on the right side of my page at the top and you will see a place to type in your email address, when you click on submit, it will take you to a page that tells you to go to your email to confirm that you want to receive these updates. Say ok, or not if you made a mistake and then each time the writer has added new content to their blog or website you will get an email to tell you. Often, the email will include all the written text but not the pictures but will provide a link to the page so that you can go directly to the web page or blog, or you can choose to read the content and then delete the email.

Test it out, tell me what you think? Will it make it easier to keep up to the blogs you want to be reminded of?

I have 'subscribed' to a few that way and find it quite convenient for the way I use the internet.

Oh, and THANKS, if you decide to subscribe to my blog!

Shopping

2011-10-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

I have taken a few days off from the blog, not by choice. I hurt my back - I don't know how and have been having muscle spasms for the past 4 days.   Boy oh, boy! That can sure make one miserable! Well, I am not the kind of person who suffers in silence -- I let everyone around me know how crappy I feel and sad to say, I can get rather mean.   My husband is the one who suffers in silence -- sometimes I wonder that he doesn't garrott me (strangle me) but he just does everything I ask for and even when I complain that he didn't do it right he tries again and again to please me...

BUT ANYWAY (I know that certain people who read this will agree and call me a bully and other people who know me will be surprised and say NO, not you, SUSAN) But yes, me -- not all the time tho, mostly I am a pretty nice person. (or try to be ) I like to think I work very hard to suppress some of the tendancies that come from my maternal side of the family and enhance the patience and consideration that comes from the paternal side.

I have been thinking about SHOPPING. I have been thinking about it because many people tend to spend more and want more as we get closer to the Christmas Season. Buying PRESENTS is what so many of us do for CHRISTMAS, but all those gifts, do we really want to buy them? or are some of those gifts simply because we feel obligated to get them.

Now, I am an online shop vendor and would love to encourage you to shop in my little store! But in all practicallity (did I spell that right?) that doesn't make sense -- I just don't have the variety of goods needed to satisfy everything on everyone's list. You would have to go to that big "W" or similar type of store to accomplish that! But. Then again, do you really need to be buying things just for the sake of buying them to fulfill an obligation? (I am working on a blog post that will explain some of the things to make shopping online easier to accomplish, especially if you have not done it before -- so come back in the next few days for a bit of a shopping tutorial)

Partly because of finances in the last three years, my thoughts on what I can give and what I want to give has become a major question in my household.   There are a few people who I really LOVE giving things To and there are those that I have stopped giving To because of reasons that make giving a burden and a feeling of unappreciation.

The thought of a gift being just another piece of junk is quite frustrating to me because I generally try to give handmade items. (But even purchased gifts from those big store can quickly become junk when the recipient has no appreciation)

I don't give handmade because I am cheap -- by no means can you call todays raw materials for creating CHEAP! Even relatively inexpensive acrylic yarn is about $5 a skein and most things, even a scarf takes 2 or more skeins and that cost does not include the 20 hours or more that it takes to make the item!

A handmade scarf's value probably starts around $50! What about a set of quilted placemats? Fabric, at $15 a meter, or sometimes on sale about $10 a meter-- a set of 4 placemats will take 2 to 3 metres of fabric, plus the inner layer of batting which can equal the cost of the fabric. What about the thread, the needles and even the sewing machine that is needed to put the project together? Sewn items are a very good value -- would you think that including the time, materials and years of know how, that a $100 for a set of placemats is a reasonable value? Well, maybe it comes close.

How many people give you gifts that have that kind of value? Has anyone every given you a quilt -- would you think they were giving you something that should be valued at $500 or more?   No?   So what makes an iPad a better gift than a quilt, speaking strictly money wise?

Above all, most of the people who make things for those they LOVE, put LOVE into what they make, a special design, a special pattern, a special size -- ONE OF A KIND with thought and caring in every single stitch. When Ma, or Grandma makes a pair of mittens for you she is thinking about YOU when ever she is working on the project.   What do they say? It's the thought that counts.   Well, it surely is! You are being remembered and thought about when your handcrafted item is being made for you.  Someone is thinking of you right now, while your gift is being made! The idea that someone has you in mind and perhaps is remembering good times they have spent with you is woven, hammered or sewn into the cellular structure of that item!

Why is the value of handcrafted items so undervalued and even looked upon as CHEAP?    Now after this many years of giving "hand crafted items" I do understand that some people would rather get a new bedspread from one of those discount stores every year or even every season for $39 so that the bedspread can change with the season and the decor -- a hand crafted quilt will last 20 years, not 20 weeks like the mass produced item. Whenever you look at the hand made gift an image of it's maker rises up in your mind. Sweet Memories. Even years later when you no longer have the item or the maker in your life, you have the memory.   How many broken plastic toys stay in your thoughts?

Now when you give something that you made to someone who wanted a game for their player and you have made a knitted hat, or perhaps spent hours cutting and sanding and finishing a toy box and you see that look of disappointment -- it is hard on your heart, I know. I have seen it, and I have done it to my own gramma myself -- today I would give almost anything for a pair of her knee high hand knitted cable ribbed socks -- but those are long ago gone and only a memory.

Hand made is becoming rarer and rarer in our world. Learning the craft of creating something is falling by the wayside, simply because it is easier to buy the mass produced winter hat, or the plastic doll, or the plastic, one time use tablecloth...
My little tirade here is not against purchased gifts -- there are certain things that it does take mass production to create, and we need to buy them too.   Just think tho how precious those hand made things are -- the maker has to have started to make that item, weeks or months ahead of the gift giving day -- there is very little crafting going on, on Christmas Eve, a quilt or a crochet shawl or a stain glass lamp cannot be done up in the last shopping hours!   Even buying hand made items from online shops or from local craft fairs means that the maker has been creating these things through the summer months when you went to the beach!

All, I am saying, is think about what you give and who you give it to. Is it a JOY to give, or is it an exercise in frustration?

Now, I am going up to my sewing space because I have a couple of things to sew up for some lovely little girls....

Sandwiches/Scanwiches

2011-10-06T06:08:00.000-07:00

Still thinking about Food, not quilts and not crochet, but I am working on a knitted scarf and sewing together some scrappy bits to gift a nephew for his coming wedding...

The other day, I discovered a facinating webpage -- called Scanwiches...

Pictures of original and inventive sandwiches.... Boy, the things people think of, eh? I have this great admiration for simple but enlightening ideas and this is surely one of them.

Go to http://scanwiches.com/post/11064078341/5-borough-bistro-google-nyc-peanut-butter to take a look at the most recent posting.... Then take a look back at previous postings which really are just a simple description and a close-up photo of a sandwich...

It is become quite compelling to me to see if I can create a sandwich as pretty as a quilt. So, here is my own little SCANWICH offering...

Cherry Tomatoes from my own little garden, slices of avocado, cream cheese all on toasted 100 % whole wheat bread, with black pepper...

So now thinking quilt, a couple of shades of green, white, two or three brown, or "natural" beige and a bright cherry red... A Christmas Wall Hanging!!

How about you, got a sandwich that can translate into a quilt???

CAKIES

2011-10-02T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have had a couple of requests for the "CAKIES"....

This is the recipe that i use.

1 Cake Mix -- any brand, any flavour (see notes below)

2 eggs, large or extra large -- 3 eggs if medium.

1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a fairly large bowl, dump in cake mix, add eggs and oil. With electric mixer mix until there is no dry mix visible. Should be quite firm. I happened to use Pillsbury Cake Mix, because that is the brand that was on sale (I bought 6 boxes) but any brand will do. This recipe applies to boxed cake mixes, the "yellow' brand bagged mixes sometimes go on sale for as little as 45 cents, to use those you need to use two bags, plus I would increase the oil to 1/2 cup.

by teaspoon full, drop onto baking sheet.    Bake for about 20 minutes at 350F Should make about 24 cookies.

I watch the baking of the cakies when I make variations because depending on the size of the cookie, and what you add, the baking time can vary, quite a bit. I also find that white cake mix cookies bake faster than chocolate. White, Lemon, or other light coloured mixes can be baked in 10 minutes, also the smaller the cookie you make the quicker it will bake.   So the first few times you make these, keep a note of the baking time. The cakies I make are relatively large (I have large men who eat them) so a 20 minute baking time is just about perfect.

VARIATIONS:

To your favourite flavour or brand cake mix add what seems natural.   Lemon cake mix, add dried fruit, maybe cranberries.   To Chocolate cake mix, add chopped walnuts, or coconut. Use you imagination and you can create any kind of "CAKIES" that you desire.   To make Thumbprint cakies, drop the mixture on the cookie sheet, and then I use a melita coffee measure spoon, to make an indent and drop into the little indent 1/4 teaspoon of raspberry jam before baking the cookies -- again, different cake mix flavour, different jam -- apricot jam in white cakies??.   You can even add food colouring to white cake mix to give a festive touch, say green at christmas, pink at birthdays.

ENJOY!

PS this is a great recipe to do with kids learning about baking... Have fun with the grand-kids!

!

2011-10-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Oh! What a GOOD morning this is, isn't it? I sure hope this day is starting out as well for you as it is for me!

Today, I am in my house ALONE! Well actually Pearl, Archie and Walter are here, but there are no other humans! The men of the house are off to work for the whole day! This situation has not occured here since January 2009 -- getting close to THREE YEARS!

My dear husband was put out of work at that time and, not being a spring chicken -- in fact he is a tough old bird, it has taken this long to find work to support us... WHEW, financially things were getting pretty tight, but now we are on the road to recovery!

Anyway, it was a wonderful day when he came home from an interview to say he would be working very very soon -- it is not full time work, but along with his 'sub-contract delivery job' it will mean that he will be able to support me again, in the way I was acustomed to! HA!

I am a very frugal person, My Mom taught me many tricks to running a home and being comfortable without the extras that other folks think they cannot live without... Baking, Cooking, Sewing and other needlecrafts, along with gardening and fixing and even some inventing...

This morning, as I said has started out wonderfully, so I decided to celebrate by making a batch of cookies for my hard-working man (and son).

It is so easy to buy a box of cookies but GEE, with a "CAKIES" as my husband calls them it is easier to make a batch (if you have a cake mix in the cupboard, and was bought on sale for 99cents) than to go to the grocery store and buy a bag or box of cookies for $3 or more...

If you GOOGLE "cake mix cookies" you will find a number of very simple recipes, usually, eggs, oil, and a cake mix; mix and bake. Makes about 2 dozen cookies...

So, while I was making this batch of cookies, I let my mind drift back to a bit of a problem I was trying to sort out. Birthday Cards, Anniversary Cards, Hello! cards -- you know the kind of thing? Right. Nieces, Nephews, Cousins, Aunties and everyone else you know regularly have events that you try to congratulate them for.

I have found cards on sale and have about 20 or so saved up for those kind of events, but keeping them in the bottom of a drawer, has caused bent corners and other damage to the cards that make them look not so new....

So.

As I was mixing up the batch of Cake mix Cookies, I had an idea!

The Cake Mix Box was turned into an organizer box! You have seen those Magazine file boxes? Yes? Great idea for keeping your magazines in order! And if you don't want to buy, the office supply store Magazine boxes, a large cereal box works just as well. Made even stronger if you use that sticky contact paper to cover it up.

I had the Birthday Card Organizer Box made in the time it took to bake one batch of cookies (12 minutes)! YUM!

Everyone else or most everyone else is on their weekend, but not in this house, working days are according to what the boss writes on the schedule. If this is your weekend, Enjoy! If you are working, don't work to terribly hard and maybe you will come home to a batch of "CAKIES"!

Failures

2011-09-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about Failures lately. I thought I would bring the subject up today because I have been sewing on a fairly small project for the last few hours and now that I have come to the last "turn" before the finish line, I realize IT is a FAILURE....

Well, I guess that of course depends on each persons' opinion whether or not it has turned out to be a failure. I got a stack of upholstery fabric samples a few weeks back -- for FREE. I have been thinking about what to do with them.

I do have another project on the go, and it is turning out to be quite fine, so like many quilters I thought I would start on this other idea. I knew it would only take a couple of hours to put it together, then it would be back to the QUILT project I am doing.

So, I pulled out the upholstery samples and cut them into 5" squares -- the idea being, to make SPLIT NINE PATCH blocks. I like this block because it can look so complicated and random yet is just one step beyond the basic 9 patch block.

I got the nine patch blocks done. I made 5 of them and then cut those 5 nine patches into 4s.

I then resewed nine of the sections together and came up with the 20 inch square piece you see in the photo above.

Now when I got this piece together, it seemed to me that by using the samples that belonged to one "collection" nothing about it was pleasing to my eye. The fabrics were too close in colour and they did not "land" together very well.

This was not a particularly easy fabric to sew with, it is a slippery poly but yet heavier than dress weight. I feel like the idea of it was good, but something about the fabric and its colours just does not please me. Maybe it will please someone elses eyes?

Now, the thing I have come recently to realize about failure is that it more often than not is actually a GOOD thing! So many of our teachers, and that includes our parents, show disappointment at failures, whether it is failure of a test or a project or a relationship. Now, I have, I am sure failed in things many more times than I have succeeded and most of those failures get hidden away if at all possible. But without those failures I realize that I would not have learned that something did not work and not only that it did not work, but WHY it did not work!

So yes, failing at something can be the best way to learn to SUCCEED at it! I wish that someone had told me that it was okay to fail a long time ago. I often work at a project and throw it away or hide it until the guilt of failure eases and i can take the next step in using that failure as a learning experience and a way to Success.

I surely don't know at this point if this small project will progress into anything else, but it has taught me, that even if some things appear like they belong, well, maybe they are not the optimal choice...

Have a great weekend, EVERYONE -- Autumn is upon us!

Odd Bits

2011-09-20T07:15:00.000-07:00

Hellow Happy Readers! I sure do hope everyone is enjoying these first fresh days of autumn!

Many of us are well into harvest, even if that harvest is only three tomato plants in containers in the back yard. Well, I do have chocolat mint and strawberry plants, too. I am so excited about my tomatoes! I have hundreds! Tho they are only cherry tomatoes, they have been so very successful this year!

In one of the containers that I had a strawberry plant in, up popped a bit of a different "weed" between the strawberry leaves. It didn't look like the usual garden weeds, so I thought I would leave it and see what it might turn into. Turns out to be a sunflower! We have birdfeeders in our backyard so I suspect a black sunflower seed was picked up and dropped by the chickadees that frequent our feeders. And the seed has grown... I don't think it will have time to ripen tho... It is very pretty.

I also planted from seeds I got from a friend, calendula. They really have alot of rather ugly foliage, but I like the flowers of this plant very much. These were not very successful because really I got a pot full of long green leaves and only about 6 flowers developed. Hmmm... not sure why, tho. Maybe too many seeds/plants in one pot? Maybe too dry? Even though I only have a few flowers, they go to seed easily so I will pick the seed heads off soon and have seeds to start and try again next spring.
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Halloween is coming on quickly and it never hurts to plan ahead, especially if you are one who really goes "whole hog" with Halloween and all it entails.

I found an interesting spiderweb cake in a jar, that would be an extra neat treat, if you have the time and oh so impressive for the little ones in your family.

Check out the Chocolate Spider Web Cake in a Jar at http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2011/09/halloween-cake-in-a-jar.html

And are you planning to carve a pumpkin? Here is a page where you can print out a template to use on your pumpkin...
A nice variety... http://www.myhomeideas.com/holidays/9-jack-o-lantern-templates-10000001850864/index.html

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And then, of course there is WALTER....

Tomorrow is his big day at the Vet's. He is going to get "the operation"....

He will be feeling a bit sore for a few days and I suspect he will be napping more than usual...

In a few days he will be back to being the whirling black devil in this house.

Antique Pineapple Stitch - Revisited

2011-09-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

I have been working on figuring out how to use this crochet stitch. I rediscovered it a couple weeks back and because it is a one way stitch it really cannot be used in the usual back and forth crochet designs.

First I thought I would try using it anyway, in a back and forth design with a row of single crochet in each alternate row. By doing that, though, the effect of the stitch is lost.

Working in the round, was the best answer it turn out. I started out using a self striping yarn, but withing a couple of inches realized that the colour changes are the highlight of the design and not the actual crochet stitch.

So I switched to solid colour yarn. A turquoise acrylic. And a chunky grey acrylic.

One of my favourite things about this stitch is that each side looks so different from the otherside. Because of the different textures created it makes any item reversible!

With the grey, I have done a chunky cowl. It will make the winterwinds practically negligible!

And combined with a toque or slouchy hat --- well, WARM can look quite stylish, can't it?

As the ease and working this stitch progressed, so did my creativity. After a few false starts and adjustments I created a toque/slouchy hat to go along with the cowl. Both in that turquoise acrylic.

And there is more than one way to wear the cowl -- I made it extra wide and even alone it makes its own scarf and head cover combined!

(My stryofoam model got a bump on her nose, caused by Walter the rambunctious kitten)

These items and more will appear later today in my etsy shop. My fingers are working on making a few more cowl and hat sets for the shop, too -- as time permits!

*refer to the original post Antique Pineapple Stitch for the link to the instructions of how to make this interesting stitch.

Scott's Birthday

2011-09-05T17:42:00.000-07:00

It is only 3 weeks and my youngest son will turn 34 years old. Now, I am not the kind of person to give 'things' or to go and hunt up gifts for occasions. I give presents when I feel like it and that can happen on any day, or at any time. Around our house tho, we like to have a cake and ice cream and maybe even jello -- the traditional (well for us anyway) birthday cake with two layers and icing.

This time though I was thinking cheesecake. Scott does love cheesecake -- and so do I. As to the father in this family, it really doesn't matter what he likes, cause he's not the baker and if he doesn't want any, well more for me and Scott.

So, I went looking for cheesecake recipes on the internet. Here are a few that look to be interesting and perhaps I will have to test them out over the next weeks, until I settle on one for the birthday Day...

What an excuse to have cheesecake!

So first I came upon

http://permanentposies.com/2011/09/crockpot-cheesecake-with-caramel-sauce/

Which seems to me the easiest and perhaps the most interesting experiment, simply because it is done in a crockpot...

Then cheesecake in a crockpot lead me to the blog that it was adapted from

http://kedarhower.blogspot.com/2011/08/crockpot-peanut-butter-cheesecake.html

I am not quite sure about peanut butter cheesecake though. The father of this family does love peanut butter above all else, but we are not making a cheesecake for him, are we?

So the Peanut Butter cheesecake says it was adapted from this crockpot cheesecake recipe....

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/07/crockpot-cheesecake-recipe.html

I remember when Scott was a little boy, we used to make a 'cheesecake' with whipping cream and jello in a premade graham pie crust that was no cook and the whole family gobbled it up -- back in those days we had to of course share with older son, Neil, who was not a cheesecake fiend but of course would not refuse it, either....

Hmmmmmmm.... Did I say it was three weeks to Scott's birthday? Perhaps a cheesecake every weeks up to his birthday would be an interesting birthday concept. Scott and I love cheesecake. We are going to be SO fat, or well, fatter by the time his birthday rolls around on the 24th of this month...

1982

I will try to take photos to post reviews of these cheesecakes as I get them made....

Hot, Hot, Hot!

2011-09-04T10:03:00.000-07:00

I love when I am able to be impulsive! Without thinking too much and considering the what ifs or where-to-for's I joined my cousins and aunty on a 4 day trip to Las Vegas!

We stayed at one of the newest hotels, The Vdara. Luxurious Comfort and Fabulous style!

Our first night we went to see the Beatles Love - cirque du soliel. I was so amazed and enthralled my eyes did not know what to watch at any given moment. The agility and athletics of the performers was stunning! Seeing cirque du soliel on tv is no indication of what one experiences in a live performance!

I so enjoyed myself!

Everything was bigger than life, even a Gelato Shop at the Bellagio had a marshmallow train that if real one could get in and go for a ride.

The newest shopping experience - The Crystals - in Vegas was a dream come true for a person looking to renew their wardrobe -- I spent nothing, but looked at shoes in Stella McCartneys store and diamonds at Tiffany & Co.

I did not stick to the Vegas strip, I wanted to see what the surrounding landscape was like, so booked a bus tour to Hoover Dam. Gee, it was hot out there! The landscape and hills, where like watching one of John Wayne's western movies. The cactus, and few flowers, the flat salt plains, and the high hard red rocks. I loved it all and dreamed of visiting that house up top of that hill...

The Hoover Dam tho impressive was the destination of the bus tour but being somewhat of a nature feind, I enjoyed most the ride to and from the dam, and was not so enarmoured of the engineering feat that the dam was to so many others... I liked the weeds and the rocks!

One special meal, now and then -- yum, yum, yum! at a Food Network Celebrity's restaurant in the Bellagio, where I was served a wonderful 'comfort' food meal -- meatloaf and mashed potatoes that were just fabulous along with a glass of Zinfandahl wine...

What a special week that was!

Walter is Growing Up

2011-08-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

He is turning into a handsome boy! Isn't he?

He is a sun lover! And once he has tired himself out after a few hours in the early mornings (5am til about 9am) he lays on one of the chairs out on our upper balcony.

Just over 5 months old now.

Best Budds with Pearl.

Good ole` Archie watches over the Youngsters.

What was That? Oh yeah! Birds on the bird feeder!

*************************************

PS. notice something new? look down at the bottom of each blog post -- just before it says comments.... Now, if you really don't want to type out a comment, you can just click on your quick opinion and make your mark in the REACTIONS box.

A Drive in the Country

2011-08-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

We didn't plan to go anywhere, but being the impulsive sorts that we are, we got in the car at just after 8am and decided to go for a drive.

We crossed the Mighty Fraser River at Hwy 11, to Mission BC and headed east, planning on finding a picnic site near Harrison Hot Springs or futher up at Sasquatch Provincial Park.

We were so early in the day, that there were no other human or animal bodies at the little beach and picnic site that we came upon, just north of Harrison. A wander about and a half hour hike brought us along the beach, where Pearl played and galloped at the the edge of the water. She really loves the beach. And (not to offend) but a dog does not want or expect anything more than the thrill of a stick in the waves... I do remember the days when our children were as entertaining but they always did seem to want something more. I do like having a dog!

After our walk through the woods and play in the water, we had a light lunch, just a sandwich each and a bit of fruit and water or lemonade to drink.

Just as we came back to the paved road heading south to Harrison a huge logging truck rumbled by. I am so glad he was in front of our little compact car rather than chasing behind us. Seemed to me like he was going way too fast on those downgrades and certainly too wide on the curves, but then perhaps the driver does that same run a few times a day for months on end and it has become familiar to him. Again, I am thankful that I have not been on that road so many times that is is familar and boring! Every turn presented its own special beauty.

A view of Harrison Lake, from a little pullout on the side of the road.

Then back home again before the rush home for dinner of traffic in town and the reminder of people going through the daily grind...

Antique Pineapple Stitch

2011-08-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Good Morning! Fellow Crochet Fiends!

So, everyonceinawhile, I wake up with a vague idea floating around the inside of my skull. Sometimes it never does escape and just sort of fades away and is forgotten and never heard from again.

I have been wanting to make a cowl to keep my neck warm in the cooler winter windy days that are coming. I started to make one using the crochet seed stitch. I really like this stitch and have used it many times over the years since I first saw it done by my sister. I have said before she was my inspiration for many things CROCHET and the seed stitch being one of those. I did need a change and a challenge to try something just a bit different from the usual automatic - no - thought - needed stitches in my repertoire.

So, I started the cowl for myself but for some reason kept thinking I really want to try something a bit different for a change. And again, a sister -- this time a sister-in-law was my inspiration. Some time back my SIL Bett made a scarf for one of her daughters with a crochet stitch I had never heard of before but loved the effect of the stitch. It was called the Antique Pineapple Stitch (click on the link for instructions how to do it). One of the major stumbling blocks to this stitch is that it is a one way design. This type of stitch really only works if done from one direction and that means at the end of every row you cut the yarn and go back to the other side and start again. For a scarf this would work well, because then you will end up with a fringe on each end where you restart the yarn anew and cut it at the end of the row, OR if you work in the round you would basically be working the row in the same direction on top of each previous row, all in the same direction.

I wanted my cowl to go back and forth without having a fringe or without having to weave in ends at each row, which would detract from the pattern.

So this morning I have done just a bit of experiment. That is one great thing about Crochet is with the basic 4 stitches, you can combine and change the look of your end piece quite drastically, simply or with great combinations.

right side of updated stitch

My resulting pattern stitch is simple, easy to remember and doesn't require the ending and beginning of every row. An easy solution to the 'fringe' effect was to make the second row a row of single crochet across. My version of the UPDATED Antique Pineapple stitch is quite nice actually and I have begun to crochet my new winter cowl.

wrong side of updated antique pineapple stitch

I should say that if you try this out, it requires a odd number of chain stitches to start so that there is one single crochet at the end of the antique pineapple stitch row, then chain one, turn and single crochet back. The APS row makes one stitch for every two foundation chain, or for every two single crochet on the alternate row.

In a day or two I will post about the completed cowl.

Looks like the sun will shine today, so enjoy it before the winter winds put a damper on sitting under that big tree in the back yard!

Well, Maybe they are. Worth the effort, that is...

2011-08-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hellow! my crafty buddies!

In my little town we are right now, getting a morning summer rain. So lovely! It tends to get a bit dry here in summer, but we know that the rains will come by October and continue to March, so the weather soon averages itself out.

I could not leave the change purse as it was in my last post! Even though I rushed through the making of it, I learned the process needed to make one so, back I went to Craft Passions tutorial for the Zip-itself change purse and made another one.

First, I decided that I needed to do this completely by hand sewing. Last time, I used my sewing machine, and creating the curves is practically impossible on a machine -- you just cannot hold and see the placement properly. So with hand stitches I accomplished a reasonably good first turn. Do you think? I also used a zipper in better condition, still a previously used zipper but not so grungy as the first.

And again, taking my time and properly following the tutorial, I used a back stitch, not so pretty on the inside, but it does securely hold the "ribbon" (see my version of ribbon explaination at the end ). The tutorial give the option of putting a lining inside and explains how to do that, but since it is on the inside, I don't think it really needs to be lined. But I will think on it and being female, you never know, I could change my mind!

The last part of the tutorial was about "balance" and I sort of skipped over it on my first try, and as a result, my change purse did not have the proper tetrahedron shape, which of course made it lop sided and definately detracted from its "cute factor"

So here I have my properly done version of the zip-itself change purse.

A couple of things I learned and slightly adjusted from the tutorial. I did not use ribbon, because I have ACRES of fabric scraps. In order to create a "ribbon" I cut a strip of fabric and sewed it into a long tube, thus, no raw edge to unravel or frazzle. The thing I would change about the fabric "tube" is that I think for the next, (yes, I will try another, to achieve one even closer to perfection) I will make the "tube" cut on the bias. If the tube is on the bias, it might make it easier to work it around those tight curves required on the change purse. I cut the strip 2 1/4 inches wide and I think it ends up making a tube closer to an inch than the necessary 3/4 of an inch. So a narrower tube, say cut 1 7/8 wide would be better. I started out, sewing with a regular thread (and I should have know this) hand quilting thread is a much better choice. It does not tangle nor does it snag on the zipper teeth so easily as regular thread. If you have no quilting thread, try running the thread through some beeswax. If you don't have beeswax -- just go out and get a spool of quilting thread, it will make your life easier in all your hand sewing!

So, ultimately, this turned into quite a challenge for me and a lesson re-learned. Why do we have to be reminded over and over about certain things in life? Most everything one does, does not benefit by hurrying through it! That is my own little lesson for today.

To make this change purse by being patient and slowly sewing it by hand and with careful stitches, it turned into something that I can show off as a success and will find useful to keep those bits of change in an easy to find place. It took me about an hour and a half to make the change purse, which in the scheme of this is not so long, is it? What else to do on a rainy summer day?

Thanks for visiting!

Some things are not quite worth the effort!

2011-08-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well, in this case, this is my first try at making a little change purse that I saw on another website, Craft Passion. The purse, change purse actually should look like those on the site,

The one I did is not nearly so pretty or even so well made as those you see in the photo above.

A rush. I was in a rush to see how it would come together and didn't bother with being neat.

Plus, I used an old, not quite good condition zipper (the ends were trimmed and threads still were on the zipper from whatever previous garment it was used in) It was not a pretty zipper. AND the zipper pull was all chipped and worn.

If Craft Passion's little change purses intrique you, (certainly don't be influenced by my half-assed effort here!) there is a tutorial and perhaps you will more carefully follow the directions than I did.... I do know what I did wrong, it was the last step, 'to balance'. I will think on going back and undoing the last section of stitching to put the change purse right. Re stitching a few inches will be easier than making a whole 'nother one.

I don't think I will start a production line of making these, even tho they have that cuteness factor! One is all I need for now. All in all tho, it is an interesting concept and if you make one, everyone who sees you with it will ask you about it I am sure!

Here is the link to the craft passion tutorial for these change purses...
http://www.craftpassion.com/2011/07/zip-itself-coin-purse-tutorial.html

Christmas Thinkin'

2011-08-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

Christmas is always coming, isn't it? It is such a big event in many of our lives and has in some cases become a very long planning event. There is decorating and gift gathering, food and festivity planning.

Well, my own little family hardly notices Christmas anymore, but many of my friends and relatives plan big things for almost the whole month of December. I do love Christmas! My Christmas though entails Peace above everything else. Peace at Home and to avoid turmoil, I do not shop the malls and avoid the whole rush of the season as much as possible.

I took up my crochet hook a week or so ago in order to make some crochet angels ( here is the free pattern) if you want to try this simple ornament yourself. I used Sugar and Cream Crochet yarn, which made the angels about 6 inches top to bottom; the pattern calls for crochet cotton and that would make them about 3 inches. I wanted mine larger because I was thinking not just an ornament for the tree -- I wanted an ANGEL BANNER.

Because it is AUGUST, I tacked up my finished banner on the fence in the backyard. I think the angels will need a bit of starch and pressing to bring out the best.

Now they are done, I am going to try to make a few more to go into the ETSY shop in the months closer to Christmas, or as my brother says, he doesn't think about Christmas until there is an "R" in the name of the month (but that is not so far away!)

In the meantime, the tomatoes are growing beyond my expectations this year! I only planted cherry tomatoes in my little container garden. We pruned back some overhanging cedar branches and this year our little yard actually gets some sun, both morning and afternoon...

I can hardly wait to taste these little treats when the ripen!

ANNIVERSARY!

2011-08-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

I almost missed it! It was only by accident that I noticed that TOMORROW is the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of my ETSY shop! You can click on the Susan Being Snippy shop name on the widget thingy that is on the left hand side of this page, or if you see the photo of the item you want, click on the BUY button or heres the link to the HOME page.

In celebration I am offering a limited time sale of 20% off any items in my shop! When you purchase an item use code 1STanni when it asks for coupon codes. This sale is good on any and all items (does not include shipping) until September 9, 2011.

Just my way of saying Thanks to my customers and to give a little incentive to new customers.

PS. If you are local to ABBOTSFORD, BC I will refund your shipping charge if you come pick up the item or if we can arrange for me to drop it off to you

Collaboration...

2011-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am a sorter and organizer.

Not sure if I came by it through my mother who was quite a meticulous-neat and clean person, or via my husband who has spent most of his working years in warehousing, keeping product moving to and from shelves and trucks and sales sites.

It does seem tho that I am not ever really happy for any length to time unless I am putting things in some sort of logical order.

Currently my cousin is clearing and cleaning out her nooks and crannies and we have a bit of a project where she gets rid of stuff by giving it to me...

How is that working for me you ask?

Well, I get to reorganize and sort things and some of those things I will be listing in my ETSY Store (check for the link on the left side bar)...

What would you expect to find in that very pretty tin box?

Ah, yes, Buttons, many many buttons!

There are 4 containers of buttons to sort through.

It could be a gramma's dream, to keep grandchildren occupied on a rainy day,

But

We have no grandchildren to do that so I am picking through and the BUTTONS

will be listed in the shop as I am able to sort them.

ALSO

FABRIC.

Not sure if this can be called Vintage, but the choice of fabrics are about 15 to 20 years old, but have been kept in containers and are in new condition...

Some of that too, will be listed.

So kindly watch the shop if there is something you might like...

A couple of other things to look for New, Unused Wooden Thread Spools, Vintage Sheets Fat Quarters, Quilt Books and Vintage Quilt booklets.

Whew! Lots of computering and sorting ahead!

BC Day

2011-08-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Well actually.... BC Day was yesterday. Some years back, "the powers that be", decided that we needed a mid-summer long weekend. What a great idea! Though for my little family it doesn't me we go away or do anything unusual, we do the same stuff, but maybe a bit more...

We went for a drive in the country. Normally we go on our little adventures quite early in the morning and arrive at our destination before the flocks of people get there. Well, it seems we could not come to an agreement on what we wanted to do and after much discussion we settled on a park and a picnic. Well, by the time we got to where we thought we wanted to be, it was 11:30 am and there was not a picnic table available and parking had been designated to the overflow area --- many many many steps to the 'nice' spots...

We don't like crowds, so we decided to find somewhere else.

As we drove along a country road, we chose a driveway with a closed gate that lead out into a cranberry growing field. There was space for our car and we had our picnic there by the side of the road. Cars went by. We squirmed through the gate with the dog and took a toddle around the field. It was quiet.

Later driving back on those back and side roads we stopped to admire a goat wander in her field. There were others there but they were on the far side and photos would have just showed brown blurs off in the distance.

Along the way we came across another park, that was not nearly as popular as our first choice. Quite peaceful and quiet and few people -- maybe because it's main attraction was forested trails and lots of greenery...

That was BC Day, no sewing, no crocheting, no knitting...

Summer

2011-07-25T11:07:00.000-07:00

Things seem to move a bit slower in Summer, in my house anyway...

I dusted off my REALLY OLD sewing machine,

and I am still wondering who, where and exactly when it was made...

I posted about this little treasure a year or so ago when my Aunt gave it to after she had bought it at a garage sale in Winnipeg, MB. It sews! But I don't use it, I just look at it.

Maybe someday I will find a similar or exact match and my wondering will be answered.

And my serger, it has barely been used and from this photo, you can see where it sits...

Another thing to wonder, do I want or need this? Why do I have it? Anyone out there shopping for a serger? I paid $420 for it, and will accept $300... Let me know via email if you are interested... hmmmm???

Now, this is my JOY, she hums along most everyday! If I have no project in progress, I sew triangles together to make half square triangle just to be able to sit in from of my very favourite thing in the world. Even though it is JUST A THING, it is my favourite thing! I sure do enjoy a good sewing machine!

And these are a portion of the pile of stuff I have been sewing in the last week or so. I am making zipper pouches. I got a bunch of rather long zippers a couple of months back, and then my friend gave me some 'decorator' fabrics -- some rather Vintage -- so I decided to combine the two and have been sewing these 8" x 11" pouches that will mostly be donated to local Women's Shelters. Now, tell me, who doesn't have a bunch of things to put in a zippered pouch?? The uses are endless... I may put a few in my Etsy store too, and perhaps I can use the income for the purchase of zippers, so that I can make more. There is more fabric than zippers...

My Mid-summer garden is progressing quite well. I am still picking a few strawberries from the plants in containers on my front deck.

I think because I am able to put basil on my sunny front deck this year (there was no deck or place due to construction last year) it is growing better than it ever did in the mostly shade back yard.

And the red gerainium are strong and full of bloom. These I plant every year in my gardens in memory of my Mom. She always had them in her gardens and always insisted they be red, so I just continue the tradition. And really, these were not my favourite flower but, it grows on ya! I cannot now do without them in my yard...

And, thats how summer goes along here... Slow, Easy and downright Peaceable...

Great? Isn't it?

Red and Black

2011-07-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

And White, it is almost impossible to leave out White.

Walter.

Eating.

Drinking.

Ring

Bearer.

Pillows

For My Niece, Sabrina's Wedding

Thriftin' on Friday.

2011-06-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

It would sound better if I called it Thriftin' Thursday, but well, it is Friday now so Friday it is...

I tell my husband that I need some exercise and would he prefer that I walk about the MALL where prices start at the $20 dollar range or that I walk about the second hand stores where the prices generally top out at $20?

So we drove to the west end of town and stopped at Value Village -- there are 6 2nd hand shops in our town that I generally visit on a basis of one or two a week, so it has been quite a while since I walked around the most expensive shop in town (tho MCC aka Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Shop) is quickly becoming rather high priced too)

I got this McCalls Needlework and Crafts - Winter 1964 -65 for 99 cents. I like to look through these magazines because it is interesting to see the styles and the kinds of things that our Mother's worked on in their spare time. This particular magazine has no torn out pages, which is always a bonus, just in case I find something to challenge my nimble knitty fingers ; the instructions will be there...

A page of gift and christmas decorating ideas.. That Christmas tree is kinda cute, hey? And a pin cushion made from RECYCLED Wool Sweater, rolled up tightly and sewn -- What a concept! I do believe it is Betz White that does those Wool Tea Cup Pincushions. Cool how an old idea can be modernized with a bit of thought and innovation!

I think this knit sweater is way beyond my ability but just think how great you would have looked wearing it on a cold winter's eve in 1964! I was about to turn into a teenager and I know I would have coveted it (but knew it would never hang in my closet).

A Change of pace! A light synthetic piece of fabric, about 3 meters worth actually. $2.99 and I am thinking of making myself a summer top... I am not so good a choosing patterns to sew and to put on myself, so I have a top that I plan to de-construct and use as a pattern. I know I like that top, tho it is faded and has way too many snags and stains, so, next week perhaps I shall tackle that little job.

AND

I think I may have found THE fabric for the Medallion Quilt Along... It kinda has that dull, dusty type of colour that I have been hunting for to put into the next round (Round 3) So, will try it out and see how it goes -- if not I guess I will just have to trudge on over to the REGULAR fabric store and buy at retail some appropriate yardage, as the Medallion is definately needing to be worked on!

Oh, and according to the sign in the window at Value Village, Monday June 27 is half price day! So I may be back there to see if I missed anything real important!!

SEW? What's goin' on?

2011-06-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

I am finally spending HOURS in the sewing room and keeping myself busy... Mostly creating things for my etsy shop.... I'm thinking maybe I should be having thoughts of christmas? is it too early for working on christmas themed projects?

I made a picnic table cover. TODAY, is the first day of SUMMER so a picnic table cover seemed to be in order -- NOW I just have to convince the family to come along to a picnic in the country...

I bought one of those Moda Charm packs -- I really shouldn't buy those... For me they prove to be too limiting.

There are alot of ideas on the Moda website but I am far to CHEAP to buy a half dozen of the charm packs.   Something I discovered that I really don't like about these 5" squares, is the pinked edges. For me, they make the piecing inaccurate, even if you just sew the squares together, which is what I did for the picnic table cover. I find that I sort of wobble in my seam line when sewing along that pinked edge, it scrunches too easily and can make as much as an 1/8 inch difference in my seams -- it is probably just the way I sew, tho. I like that nice straight rotary cut edge that I would do when cutting my own squares from fabric.

I think, I shall keep away from those charm packs -- BUT I do love the colour combinations that they put together.   Like being in a candy store, or a quilt shop, RESISTANCE could be futile...

Yesterday I spent the day sewing FAST Flying Geese sections (go look for the instructions in the first part of the Medallion Quilt Along - clik on the tab).

I found another retro bedsheet that went quite nicely with two other sheets that I have in the closet, so I decided to make a set of Variable star blocks for the ETSY store

So I got 16 - 12 1/2 inch blocks completed and they are now listed in the shop.

The other day I discovered something VERY useful about creating quilt blocks for the STORE.

Now, I am not really an unusual person, tho like the rest of you, I like to think I am different.

I like to start new things and over the years have started many UFO's and they sit in drawers and boxes and sometimes I manage to pull them out and get them put together and finish them up. It seems my best motivation for finishing a project is a wedding or a birth to get a gift done quickly, I always turn to my UFO stacks!

Now, though, I have found that making blocks and playing with fabrics and colours, I can make a project part way and then SELL it (or at least LIST it) in the store.   A fantastic way to play with fabric and not have the guilt of a stash of UFO's!

NEW THINGS...

This is one of those "I wonder" thoughts... Has nothing to do with quilts or crochet, just a weird thing in LIFE...

Does anyone else, or in my case, does anyone else's husband INSIST on starting the newest bottle, container, box or whatever of a new thing before the previous one is quite done?   If I buy a new bottle of shampoo before the old one is done -- even if it is the same brand and fragrance -- my husband HAS to open the new one before the old is done?   If there is a open pack of baloney in the fridge, he will open a new one instead of finishing the old, even if old means he opened it yesterday!

WHY IS THAT?   The only way I seem to be able to put a stop to that sort of thing is to not buy the new replacement item until we have completely run out of the already opened product.   And this really gets me! If we run out of peanut butter and do not have a replacement jar in the house, I have seen my hubby open a jar in the store, stick his finger in for a taste and put the jar in our cart!! Is that OKAY even if you are buying the jar???

I THINK WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF.... (good thing hubby doesn't read this blog!) -- and don't YOU go telling him I am letting out his secrets!!

Admit it!

2011-06-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

I'm lazy...

It sounds better tho to say I'm busy, but honestly, there are some days, even a stretch of days where my motivation is not quite up to snuff...

I did have a busy weekend -- with putting in volunteer hours at my quilt guild's quilt show this past weekend and between those hours of manning the admittance booth, selling raffle tickets and wandering about and answering questions, I did have to wash dishes and vacuum carpets and water the garden and go grocery shopping for the food to keep my family happy and contented...

THEN on Tuesday IT happened again! The kind of event that occurs less often than Christmas but once done lasts so much longer than just one day. Since 1972, this event has occured 12 times now.

WE GOT A NEW KITTEN!!!

Walter is his name.

He is a very handsome little boy.

He comes from the home of my friend Nearissa and she hand raised/bottlefed him and his siblings from the time he was about 10 days old -- his Mama went out one day and never came back... It is a good thing Walter (who originally was named Socks) had Nearissa to save him.

Walter is the most adventurous and fearless kitten that I ever remember meeting. He is just over 8 weeks old and is as bold as if he had lived here everyday of his life.

Walter found his way about our house by going forward every step, he climbed up top and squeezed underneath. He scrambled up the stairs and scurried across the rooms he was exploring!

Even Pearl did not intimidate Walter.

Walter was happy to see Pearl, in fact. Walter embraces Pearl every chance he gets!

And Pearl, well, lets just say it was LOVE at first sight...

Archie, our mature older boy (he is only 5) was at first a bit leary of this well dressed little whirlwind who has invaded the territory. Walter did not flee nor backdown when Archie came to be introduced. Walter just watched and explored and waited til Archie invited him into the cat cave, where they now both lay together, or play peek-a-boo -- one outside and one in...

And even the DAD has taken to the charm that Walter spreads around the house! (the DAD was quite uncertain of taking on a new baby)

Walter is full of charm and it seems he is just one of those guys with a winning smile and he seems happy to spread his "shine" all around...

So now I have a reason for lazy. Watching Walter is an amazing thing and I am sure it will not wear off for days and days and days and days...

Nothing to Say...

2011-06-08T08:30:00.000-07:00

Just the regular everyday kind of things lately. It is finally showing signs of SPRING and that is my favourite season. I am planting things in my garden and the squirrels are eating the seeds that I planted for Pole Beans... My Cat Nip plant was devastated by a new cat in the neighbourhood. Chewed up, rolled on, and spit out! I moved the ragged plant to my upper balcony where that cat cannot climb...

Calendula, and Batchelor Buttons are sprouted and the second set of leaves are appearing. Tiny Tim cherry tomatoes are looking strong with bloom buds showing. My container strawberries are bloomed and tiny green strawbs have formed.

Our Guild Quilt Show is this weekend, so I am busy sorting a few items that I plan to put into our guilds "For Sale" Boutique. A couple of tote bags, children's sun hats, potholders and even an I Spy Lap Quilt. The quilts that I have in the show, were labeled and hanging sleeves put on last week and they are packed up ready to be hung.

Organizing things have been a top priority for the last few months and I keep finding things to put into order or to eliminate. Photos, dated and into file boxes by year, and month with a few special series labeled by subject. Fabric Stash reorganized and then reorganized again. Etsy Store items, inventoried and packaged for easy and quick shipping...

Yesterday, I spent the morning, organizing household files -- after the previous 2 mornings spent shredding old reciepts and tax forms and other outdated paperwork... TWO huge garbage bags of shredded paper for the recycle bin. DONE.

The Medallion Quilt, meantime is on hold -- just not the time to think about it and I am having a major difficulty finding a fabric that the next border is crying for.

A few family EVENTS and Occasions also take up my time lately -- seems like May/June is almost as busy as Christmas!

A new DRAGON/Dinosaur (from the thrift store) for my backyard -- I do have a strange set of creatures inhabiting my fence and deck and under some of the plants!

And today a couple of things lined up -- out of the house. I am going to visit the local CAT shelter and see if I might find a new member to our family. This house has always had two cats and since Fossie went on her way to the big cat haven we have been missing her so it is time to look for that new kitty to fit into our home... And the not so fun part of the day -- gotta go pay house insurance, and while we are at it, it is property tax time so that bill to will get taken care of today.....

WHEWF! Thats enough for one day. I think before I start it all, I will fill the slow cooker with some chicken and veg and I won't need to think about dinner until it is time to scoop a serving from the ceramic bowl of the slow cooker...

Ten days!

2011-05-26T07:47:00.000-07:00

You'd think I had gone on holiday, but no...

Maybe I was Ill, not me.

How about busy -- yeah, thats it, I was busy -- a crappy excuse actually... so how about, I just didn't get around to posting on the blog, and I am feeling somewhat guilty because the Medallion Quilt Along seems to be bogged down too... And really, it is bogged down because of COLOUR. I know what it needs and I don't have it in the stash and I can't seem to find the right colour in local shops... This could be indefinate. I hope not. I could compromise and use half of this and a bit of that and some of those, but it would not feel right to me and sometimes, even though I can be a bit lackadasical I need to have the right colour for this little quilt. So, patience please? Or if you don't want to wait around for me, you could invent the next round or two for yourself...

Yesterday, I spent all afternoon putting hanging sleeves on 4 quilts that I have registered for my guilds quilt show...

Yes, Abbotsford Quilters' Guild is having a quilt show...
It is a pretty big thing for us, well, every guild that does a show, puts alot of time and effort into showing their quilts and it seems like there is always more that could be done.

I totally enjoy our guild show everytime but as with any large show, it takes at least two visits to aborb and see all the quilts that have been hung.   If you only have a couple of hours for a quilt show, it is impossible to see it all!   Isn't that the way for any sort of 'trade' show?

The best thing about quilt shows, is there is no really pressure to spend money! There are booths where you CAN spend money, buy fabric or books or gadgets, but you don't HAVE to! I like that you can just walk around and look. You can look at the colours and study how shapes fit together. Quilts are an interesting way to learn about Math. I certainly was a poor student of Mathematics when I was in High School, but now, I love the use of Math to puzzle out how the various pieces of fabric can fit together, and the USE of MATH to create MATH puzzles -- and our show has a special display all about how Math works to make interesting quilts...

If you have been part of a quilt guild, sooner or later you will be part of a quilt show! The admission to the show and a few other things are what helps our guild to pay bills, hire instructors and have our meetings, so a well attended show is important. We also have a RAFFLE QUILT along with a secondary prize and the sales of those tickets go to support our guilds Community Service. We provide Quilts to a number of local charities, including the local hospital, women's shelter and a program to reward high school age young people who are new or very soon to be parents.   Individuals in our guild support other causes that sometimes are helped by our guilds charitable program.   So even if you don't gamble, think of buying a ticket on the raffle because that is a contribution to our We Care charitable quilts Society.

I have not been an organizer of the quilt show but I can tell you that we will have on display, more that 400 quilts! Wow!   I am not posting photos of the quilts I have registered because I am only one of many! Come to visit our show, I think you will enjoy the time you spend here and this year, an important 'deal' MEN ARE FREE!   Now, that doesn't mean you can get a MAN for free, it means that if you bring one with you, be he a friend, neighbour, husband or son, HE will get into the quilt show for FREE!   That is a savings of $5.00.

Our Quilt Show is on Friday June 10 and Saturday June 11 at the TRADEX building which is very near the Abbotsford Airport. If you come from the south (USA) it is very easy access, simply come up the Guide Meridian and cross the border at ALDERGROVE, continue north to HUNTINGTON RD and turn east, you will see signs (about 20 kms or 15 miles) that point you to the AIRPORT and signs that point you to the Tradex and the Quilt SHOW. If you come from the West there is the TransCanada Hwy, or if you are in Delta or Surrey or Tswassen, use 0 ave... East from Chilliwack or Hope or even further, again east on the TransCanada (Number 1)... There is very good signage, so keep an eye out and you will find us! Oh, come early you will see more and perhaps bring a lunch for a picnic in the area, before or after you visit the QUILTS.

Mainly, Welcome! Come and enjoy our quilts...

Echth... (means I am feeling ucky today)

2011-05-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

But, I wanted to pass along a link that those who embroider might find somewhat amusing but also VERY useful.

Go check out this ingenious method for winding embroidery thread onto those sorta plasticy cardboard bobbins....

http://littleloveliesbyallison.blogspot.com/2011/05/embroidery-part-2.html

Then once I read through the whole process I was wondering if this trick might work for those small leftover bits of yarn?

And since I have been feeling a bit low I sent my husband out to rent me a couple of movies... I did check the local video store online new releases and then phoned ahead to get the clerk to hold the movies til my sweetie (who could get lost in all those titles) went to pick it up and bring it home just for me...

So for a change, both movies were entertaining and I would actually recommend one if you like a bit of a mystery and a bit of a life story along with a "period piece"-- Tennesee in the 1930's. The movie is described as a true tall tale. Very excellent acting by Robert Duvall (one of my favourite cowboys -- think Lonesome Dove) Sissy Spacek, Bill Murray as a serious funeral director and a grown up child actor Lucas Black (remember the tv series Eerie, Indiana?) Well, excellent, very excellent... Oh yeah, the movie title is GET LOW.

This is a somewhat eclectic blog post so take a look at my recent thrifty find -- actually a church parking lot sale. I paid $2 and it sits nailed to my back fence...

and it now sits just down the fence from my other 'birdhouse' lighthouse that I got late last fall in a garage sale just down the street from our house...

Hoping tomorrow I have the energy to continue with the Medallion Quilt Along...

Update on Medallion Quilt Progress and What else I've been up to...

2011-05-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

Part One of Two parts of Round Three is posted... Whew, sounds complicated. Well, not really. Click on the Medallion Quilt Along Tab at the top of the page and check it out if you like.

Now other than that...

This morning, I made a bunch of pot holders!

My Friend Helen gave me some fabrics that she could not find a use for. Neither could I! For the longest time! The only reason I know Helen gave me the piece of fabric is cause I wrote on a piece of masking tape and stuck it on a corner... Well, that bit of fabric fell out of the drawer the other day and I had just been thinking of making placemats but these were way to small for placemats and then I realized I have been hoarding about a 1/2 meter of thermal batting -- the fabric and the batting together were just about right. So with just doing a turn over or pillow style I put front, back and batting together and had eight nice size (7" x 10") pot holders -- oh and a light bulb moment told me to use a cut up unused blue boot lace as the loop for the potholders! Worked great. So these 8 potholders will go into my guilds quilt show boutique -- I'll tell you about the quilt show in a day or two -- YOU ARE INVITED!

The other CREATION is one of those weird things that I make now and then and I wonder if I just wasted time, supplies and money. Well, since I haven't decided even if I like it. Take a Look.

Don't look at my wrinkledy neck -- well, I know you can't help it. But anyway, I made a summer scarf. Who wears a scarf in summer? It is really really long and goes around me (and thats a long way around) at least three times. It is nice summery, sort of ice cream colours tho and it is crocheted with a rather nice cotton yarn... It is a bit frilly for me, I am not a frilly person. It isn't for warmth, just for pretty. I am trying to decide what to do with it tho...

And. Last year I got a few strawberry plants and put them in a pot. They will give me afew berries I think! I can hardly wait! There are about a dozen blooms on it.... num-num-num...

Guild Day!

2011-05-11T07:06:00.000-07:00

My Quilt Guild -- well, the quilt guild that I have been part of for twenty years now -- I joined in the Fall of 1991-- had their regular meeting yesterday. I do believe the meeting has always been on a Tuesday, tho' some years back our group went from an evening only meeting to evening and day meetings. I have looked forward to the second Tuesday of each month (except July and August when there is no meeting) for all the years I have been a member.

Yesterday was elections for Executive Positions -- jobs that keep our guild (an every other guild) running and a happy and interesting place to go to and share a passion! We elected a President and Vice President, a Secretary and a Treasurer. Then we found people who stood up to do the Newsletter Editor position and a new Library organizer person. Our guild has alot of 'jobs' to do and every year someone jumps up with their hand in the air and says "Yes! Me, I'll try that job." Sometimes a person is new to our group but like a fearless wolverine she says okay, I will try it out and I will do the best that I am able. I am so proud of the members of our guild. We keep rolling along and there is almost always someone to do a needed job.

Now, that is not to say that sometimes a job is not difficult to fill, but someone does come along and even a bit reluctantly may take on a job. I have spent many years serving on our executive committe, I was Newsletter editor before we were able to compile all the news on the computer -- I think that was '92 - 94, I was Vice President, twice! I was Workshop organizer for a year and I shared the Program Organizing Job with my friend Cindy for two years. I helped organize our Guilds 20th Anniversary (but I became ill and did not do as good of a job as I had hoped) but thankfully I had people to support me and help with the things that needed to be done. I have been Publicity person both for the guild and for the Quilt Show and have organized the Quilt Show Challenge twice. Whew! Lots of jobs, eh? And this year, I was not quite quick enough in putting my hand up for a job, so maybe next year something again will come up for me to do...

At every guild meeting we get up and show the quilts that members have created and finished up in the previous weeks or months or even years!

This month, I did not actually get up to show off quilts, but my friend Doris did. We are collaborating on doing some quilts to give to various charitable needs. Doris brought along three of the quilts that we have worked on.
The quilt you see in the above photo was quilted and finished up by Doris. I created the top. I used those bali prints -- popular a few years back. It is a Medallion style Quilt. The centre is a "Bow Tie" block -- that I first learned how to do from another quilt guild friend - Carol Ann. Then a dark "stopper' border. The next border is a fabric that I hand-dyed and then stencil painted the leaves on. Next a single row of squares sewn in a row and finally a printed bali print (batik) all around the outside. AND it was about time this quilt, which is about 54 inches square finally got done, it has surely laid in a closet for less than 8 but more than 3 years! Doris does such wonderful work on her B-Line Quilter you would think she was a paid professional! But, she makes quilt (and knitted toques) for what she calls community service. This Medallion Quilt will be going to a Senior Centre.

Now, here is another Quilt that Doris and I got finished up. Again I did the top and Doris added the outside border, quilted and put on the binding. This quilt came to life because I had way too many floral fabrics in my stash. So as an experiment in Luminosity, I wanted it to appear as if there was a bright light shining through from behind the quilt. I used a very simple block -- a floral 6 1/2 in square with opposite corners of half square triangles -- I like the effect and think it was a success in learning for myself how light and dark values can be used in a quilt.

And this double four patch you have seen before on my blog as a mystery project - a few months back. Again beautifully quilted by Doris plus she added the outside border and put on the binding. Along with this quilt Doris also made a pillow case to match. This quilt has been donated to the Quilts of Valour here in Canada (just click on the blue print and it will open a page that tells you all about it)

Now, my closets are empty of half done quilts and my heart feels quite self satisfied. I can now start over and see what I can make next. It is great to have and own such pretty things but for myself I feel so much more useful when my quilting knowledge can be used to make someone else smile too...

This was such a fun guild day! I love showing off my stuff (and Doris') and love going to visit with all the ladies whose faces have become familiar over the years -- and I am always happy to see new younger faces join our guild. Two new young ladies became part of our guild this month and I sure do hope they feel welcomed and encouraged to come again...

The Dog's Job

2011-05-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

It seems Pearl has taken it upon herself to be the designated bottle and can picker upper in our public parks.

It has long been my practice and I have managed to get my hubby doing it too -- picking up those bottles and cans and admittedly, it is for the monetary reward they offer, not just because I am trying to be more conscience of my environment. Tho, that is a nice side effect.

Pearl has learned to SNIFF out those bottles and cans and tends to find more than she can carry and often more than my husband can help her carry. When they came home with 6 cans ( 30 cents!) we decided it was time to figure out a carry system.

Here she is with her own saddlebags, they are fairly small, but can fit two cans or bottles on each side and the straps fit snuggley across her chest and under her belly. She is not yet used to the contraption, but with a few walks I am sure she will enjoy her "Job" even more.

I do have some alterations to make, perhaps a wider, but no deeper bag for each side and then she will easily carry a half dozen empties -- and perhaps her own bottle with water for those extra long summer walks...

Medallion Quilt A Long Update

2011-05-04T09:22:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say, Round 2 is ready, just clik on the tab above and scroll down the page til you find Round 2.

a little bit behind

2011-05-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

On the Medallion Quilt that is...

A few EVENTS conspired to interfere with my 'schedule' and I have not yet posted the update on Round Two of the Medallion Quilt. I have asked the advice of my satelite group of quilters and got some great ideas -- for Round Two I plan to go with the simplest idea, but will revisit that Round again as we go along.

In the meantime, I have been playing around with photos and things you can do to make them interesting...

Dogs, Cats and Flowers always make interesting subjects... Pearl, drawn?

Being a "Snob"

2011-05-01T07:56:00.000-07:00

There is a "conversation" in blogland about being a snob about quilting...

I left a comment at Naptime Quilter on this subject and thought I was done with what I had to say...

But, I guess not.

I said that no one likes to be called names, unless of course it is something like Your Royal Highness, or Sir or even Doctor.

I have been seriously making quilts for about 30 years, my first quilt was to help my mother cut hexagon shapes for a quilt she never did finish; I was about 8. My next few quilts were as admirers -- I figure if a person says they are involved in SPORTS and say "as a spectator" --- I can say I was a quilt appreciator.   My grandmothers each made me a quilt between my toddler and teens, one a beautiful applique -- that I know today was not so finely made -- but I totally loved it! And a quilt from my other grandmother with embroidered blocks surrounded by scrappy squares -- it was used so long and so often that it got to the point where the embroidery threads and design had all worn away and the blocks were plain grubby white... Even my sons as toddlers had the benefit of use of that quilt for a few years.

I discovered a 'how to quilt' show on PBS sometime in the late 70's or early 80's and progressed to making a Delectable Mountains Quilt that I gave to my Mother and she kept and used it for about 25 years. It was made with fabrics that no one would even think of using today. A sort of loose woven woollen plaid, that shrunk but held together very well over the years, a brushed nylon? from old pj's, some cottons from a tablecloth and sheets. It was blue and grey with the occasional red bit, some yellow and even a touch of green. No thought to what colour goes where or even if the triangle points were perfect or cut off.   It did not have a true binding. The backing came around to the front and was stitched down.

My Mom did not love the quilt because it was well made, she did not love it because it was her favourite colour, and she did not love it because I made it for her. She just loved it and would not give it up even when I made her a new warm and cozy flannel quilt. She loved the quilt because it was HERS and it was soft and warm and snuggly. She used it everyday when she laid down on her couch to watch her afternoon TV with one or two cats snuggled up beside or ontop of her. She fit perfectly under that quilt and didn't care that it was not perfect because it FELT perfectly good to her.

Through the years I took some quilting lessons from very inspiring teachers. I joined a quilt guild and learned about quilting from fellow members. I learned that you could (if you could afford it) buy fabrics to co-ordinate, all of the same good quality cotton, or you could get away with the way I did things for the longest time (in secret!), I bought cotton skirts at the 2nd hand stores -- long before it was "popular" to recycle! Some skirts were probably poly cottons, some may even have been rayon, but they all together made useful quilts for my family. I did not make a quilt a month or even a quilt every three months--I worked full time and my quilting time was regulated to evenings and weekends and cutting the pieces with scissors, sewing and then hand quilting the layers together. I think I learned more about the process of piecing and accuracy by hand quilting a quilt than actually sewing the blocks. If the blocks were not sewn accurately, it made the hand quilting difficult and uneven, so next time I learned to piece accurately and to press the seams in the proper direction!

At Quilt Guild Meetings I don't think I took a quilt to show for the first three years -- then I made a quilt. A quilt for the guild's quilt show challenge. The challenge was a result of a "name" teacher coming to the guild and suggesting that people use YELLOW.   Well, I made a yellow lap size quilt, it was simply a Broken Dishes allover design -- I used yellow in every single piece... and all that yellow came from skirts that I found at the second hand store.   When I went to enter that little quilt, the "registrar" told me it did not comform and I could not enter it! She explained that YELLOW was to be used to enhance a design, not to just use YELLOW everywhere...

Now, when I think about that, what turned out to be her "rule" and not a written one for the challenge, I was somewhat dissappointed! I just accepted her interpretation and took my quilt home. It really was the first quilt I wanted to show off, but it never did get shown, anywhere -- it got remade into something else and from 1988 to today is still in use! It didn't need the approval that at first I thought it did. It was a quilt I loved making.   And I sure did not give up making quilts because of someone else's rule. In fact, I made a rule for myself -- I enter every challenge that the guild I now belong to offers -- well, almost everyone. A challenge always makes me think -- How can I follow a rule and still make the quilt something special to me? Colour, Shape, Size, Technique... (PS, I should say that the first guild was not the same guild I belong to now)

Now, after many years of learning about quilting and actually making quilts and experimenting with techniques and ideas and fabrics, I sometimes think I must have learned it all -- but (HA!) not nearly! Someone is always thinking of something new. It is almost like trying to keep up with trends in MUSIC, from an early favourite by Rosemary Clooney, through Herman's Hermits, Led Zeppelin, Winton Marsalis, Kris Kristofferson right up to todays David Gray and John Mayer, everything changes and grows and then turns back on itself and makes old things new again.

So yes, I just keep learning about quilting and I do know alot about it and sometimes I am picky about it, but I am happy to show you or learn from you so I think perhaps I am a quilt snob -- just because I love making quilts almost more that anything else I do in my life.   Don't call me a SNOB but it is okay if you think I am...

Maintenance

2011-04-25T08:06:00.000-07:00

I started out this morning, early with a plan to sew. I want to make some nine patch blocks to donate to our Guild's Quilts of Valour program. But I didn't get to doing any blocks -- hopefully I can find a bit of time this afternoon to make them -- I have a nice red and white cotton with musical notes that I want to pair up with some of the fabrics in my scrap box. I am aiming for a dozen blocks.

First though I had to take the time to fill up my bobbins. I have a couple dozen bobbins.

Why so many bobbins? Well mainly because of all the things about sewing that I love, there are a couple things that I really dislike. One of those is to have to stop in the middle of a session to fill a bobbin. I don't mind having to stop to put a full bobbin in the machine, but I really dislike having to wind the bobbin and then put it in the machine....

So I fill them all in one go.

Mostly white thread, but a couple or three black and a half dozen grey. If I do need a specific thread colour for a certain project then I will fill a couple bobbins for that, but mostly, it is black, white and grey. This bunch took me about an hour to load up, but it sure saves me frustration when I am flying along with a project and don't have to wonder at what seam I will need to stop and fill a bobbin. Bobbins are cheap -- keep a supply on hand...

The Medallion Quilt - Along
I am going to do the medallion quilt on a seperate page, so that each step will be easy to find and review and you won't have to go digging back through other posts to find the progression of it...

So take a look up at the top of this blog and you will notice 'tabs'. Just click on the one that says Medallion Quilt Along... and each post or round will be there...

If the tab isn't there check back in a couple of hours because I am working on a bit of a tutorial for the centre blocks.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T05:26:00.000-07:00

Earth Day is Tomorrow

2011-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a time when and where it was Earth Day everyday. My Parents had a small farm where they grew strawberries and vegetables and chickens -- many many chickens. My father went to a regular job in the city while my mother basically ran the farm. She knew all the tricks. (and if she didn't there was always a neighbour to ask for advice, especially Mrs. K. ) Very little went to waste and our Mom was always willing to learn about ways to use things that otherwise were thrown out.

I remember when she learned that even chicken feet had a use! My Dad being an open minded sort, especially when it came to food never said a word and tried everything she created. I can hear his voice explaining to we three children "If your Mother goes to the trouble to make something for dinner, you can be sure that it is good to eat" So we always tried it, without question and afterwards tried to find ways to avoid it again if necessary - but most things turned out fine... Well, except Head Cheese, that is.... But my Dad loved Head Cheese and was glad that he did not have to share it with unappreciative children!

Dozens of chicken feet in a big soup pot is quite the sight! Well, she never actually served chicken feet as a meal, but from my mother I learned that the chicken feet were the basis of chicken stock. Who'da thought? Apparently they have alot of the stuff that makes chicken stock like jelly when it cools -- she said it was good for us. It wasn't bad, cause I am still here to write this and the stock she made from chicken feet 'disappeared' into soups and stews and gravies.

Anyway, back to my thoughts on Earth Day -- tomorrow...

A couple of years back, someone started the idea of using cloth bags and or reuseable vinyl bags to carry groceries home in. That has taken hold in my area, tho you can still get plastic bags if you forget your cloth ones, or if you carry boxes in the trunk of your car (which is what we do).

Now lately I have been wondering why I have a whole drawer in my kitchen dedicated to plastic wrap?! A box of zip lock or no name sandwich bags now costs about $4 for a box of 100, and the thicker "freezer bags" cost about the same for just 25 bags! Now the whole idea with them is for one time use. If you take a sandwich to work or school, you throw out the bag along with the banana peel and whatever else is left over. Hmmm???

It is so easy to throw out those bits of plastic and as I keep nagging my husband, once a thing is paid for you forget what it cost you to get... But every week or two there is some sort of plastic wrap in your shopping cart. I have been wondering why we have not translated the idea of ending the use of plastic grocery bags to the same idea in our own kitchens?

Why are we buying and throwing away all those smaller plastic bags?

Plastic is everywhere, even reuseable plastic. I know that the plastic bag makers have seen the writing on the wall and sort of listened to consumers who don't want to use quite so many plastic bags, so they have created plastic containers -- not top quality that will last for years and years, but will last you longer than a bag. The problem is, most of the lids split or crack after a couple of times use either from being frozen then microwaved, or just from the pounding they get when the kids or hubby throw them in the dishwasher. And these "reuseable" plastic containers cost about $4 for 3 or 4 in a pack! I haven't counted but do those 3 containers get reused 35 times to equal the same number of plastic sandwich bags? I haven't actually tested that, so I cannot say.

There are of course the more durable plastic containers, any number of shapes and sizes that will last for YEARS and many many uses. These containers do cost more than the short term so called "reusable containers", but their price is not unreasonable for how long they will last you. In the photo above, the one with the green lid is a fairly recent addition to my kitchen -- it replaces that green "lettuce keeper" I bought at a Tupperware party about 20 years ago! I expect this new one to last at least 10 years, and the price was just under $4.   A much better deal than the so called "reuseable" zip lock or no name containers.

The more durable "tupperware" or "rubbermaid" or no name containers will last you more than 10 times but more likely a 100 times longer simply because they are better made. I am going back to using these in place of putting a few leftovers in a "ziplock" that is throw out after only one use.

But that is not the place to stop at.   In a more mature household -- meaning where small children are not dropping things, what about GLASS?  (but then again, we never had plastic when we were children) Strangely, Glass is cheaper than plastic, if you look in the right places...   For all of my leftover soups and stews along with a few other things, I am converting to glass jars.   Glass canning jars, hold and freeze leftovers as well as plastic so that is my return to what my Mother did everyday on the farm -- there was no such thing as plastic sandwich or freezer bags!

With canning jars as storage containers there is usually available new lids for purchase at the grocery store -- you only need new lids if you are actually using the jars to CAN goods, but for freezer or fridge storage, the same lid well washed like the jar is useable multiple times...

And, check out your local THRIFT store for the jars. At one local thrift shop the jars are priced at $2 a dozen!! Now try to beat that for economy and sustainability.

Another thought about reuseable -- I remember the days when we would fill a quart size canning jar with Kool-Aid and screw on the lid and wander off for a children's picnic somewhere between the tall corn rows in late summer, hoping to hide for a time from a farm chore or our Mother's voice calling us to do some "work"...

So, Thanks Mom! for making old fashioned new again...

Medallion

2011-04-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

I thought that I would start a new quilt...

Would you be interested in working along with me?

It is not a mystery, per se -- but I cannot show you the finished project, because it is going to be a medallion quilt.

Medallion quilts were fairly popular about 15 to 20 years ago. The name, Medallion basically describes the quilt quite well. If you have not come across one before a Medallion Quilt is described as a quilt made with a central block or blocks with a variety of pieced or applique borders in varying widths and design...

There were a few books out in the 1980's that described and suggested designs and how to progress with each border. One of the books is Medallion Quilts by Jinny Beyer, if you have it, it may be interesting to review it.

Medallion Quilts were also popular with groups where each member would create a centre medallion and then pass that to another member, who would add a border according to agreed upon specifications, this would usually go through 4, 5, or 6 members until everyone in the group had an border added by each of the other members. Every one of the quilts would be different, even though the 'rules' were the same for each border.

So, I am going to start a Medallion Quilt-Along. In the case of this particular quilt along, I am going to include some techniques and tips for making different parts or "rounds" of this quilt.

Now to start off, it is helpful if you choose one or two fabrics that will be consistent through each border. The consistency can be a particular print that you want to use or maybe a particular colour that is in a series of fabrics. I would suggest that you ensure a good supply of this main fabric or fabrics, at least 2 meters, and 3 would be better.

Next you can think of contrasts or even scraps that you can include that will work with your main fabric or fabrics.

Almost all Medallion quilts are square, so this one will be too. It should end up being about 60 inches square -- but don't hold me to that, cause things could change as we progress through at least 4 borders...

The central Medallion of this particular quilt will be a set of nine tradition quilt blocks and a special technique for piecing these blocks. There is also an alternative way to to piece one of the blocks.

So, this Quilt Along will be about 6 to 8 blog posts with each about 1 week apart, so the top will take about 2 months if you work along with me. Or if you prefer to wait and see and then follow the instructions when it is all done, I should have downloadable PDF files at that time.

A Mystery, well, yes, I guess so, but it has to be cause I am working on it as we go along...

Already though, I know I don't have enough of what I just told you that you needed 2 or 3 meters of -- well, my Main fabric will be multiple prints in a sort of cloudy grey blue...

Watch for the first part later this week...

Spring?

2011-04-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

Its an IFFY thing...

Seems we are back to Spring, though...

even looks like the lawn needs a trim...

BUT

then it started to snow - and snow - and snow...

I cannot figure out what is so wonderful about Snow... Pearl loves snow just as much as she loves an egg for breakfast...

She moves so fast it is hard to get a clear, unblurred picture of her -- paw prints everywhere -- and within about 2 minutes of being out in it!

And then....

We are back to Spring...

Random

2011-04-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today, a few little things to post...

Did you know you could knit (if you can knit that is!) The Royal Wedding ?
Check out this article!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-wedding/8374292/All-you-need-to-recreate-the-Royal-wedding-in-wool.html

Imagine that! I would think it is getting a bit late to knit the whole 'party' but if you were so inclined you surely might be able to accomplish the bride and groom??
(Thanks to my cousin Judi for that link, we have been having an interesting conversation via email about it!)

**********************
Buttons.

Buttons on a blog are somewhat different than buttons on a shirt...
Not to sure if I need one but my artistic son has created one for me, for my blog...

Here is the graphic that he put together for me...

The button is not yet functional -- I need to learn how to put a message 'underneath' it so that if you see this somewhere else and you clik on it, it will bring you right here to my blog. That's what a button does -- it is sort of an advertising feature...

Tho, even as it is, it sure is pretty, eh?

******************

And here is a bit of a project that I have been working on in the last few days. My friend Doris came upon a stash of upholstry fabrics and passed them along to me. These are all scrap cuttings from a shop, it seems, some pieces are like 2 yardsin length but only 6 inches wide, then others may be as much as 15 inches wide and 18 inches long. They are fairly heavy weight fabric but not to heavy for my machine, if not too many layers are sewn together. This is a simple zippered bag and each is lined with poly cotton retro sheeting. They are quick to make and I think would be very versatile and yet secure enough to keep things from spilling out.

So, these are the first few - 6 actually of, I am hoping at least a dozen more and are my "community" project for the next little while. I am hoping that they will go to my guild's charitable resource and be distributed to the local Woman's shelter.

So, Today is Guild Day and it is time to put all my things together to take along with me... Last Day to register quilts for our Quilt Show in June...

Thank-you, EVERYONE!

2011-04-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Today, I am not doing that Check this Out Link thing. Seems there is not alot of interest and to be honest, it costs money to use that service, sooooo... I ain't spending money for nuthin'...

But.

This may not be Thanksgiving -- in fact we are at the opposite end of the year for thanksgiving, we are here at the beginning, not the end. Regardlesss, I want to thank all the people who come to visit my blog.

In the background of most blogs there is a visitor counter and the blog owner can either have a separate site keep track of how many people come to visit and read a blog, or the blog host provider -- in my case Blogger, has a Stats page to keep a count of visits and visitors. Some Statistics Counters will tell you just the number of visits. Some will count how often the same visitor comes back. Some counters can tell you where your visitors come from. Some counters can get really complicate and tell you if a visitor has copied or printed anything from the blog. Some professional blog owners want this information because they don't want someone to steal their ideas.

So I recently signed onto a Statistics Counter that tells me how often a particular ip address visits my page and where that ip address comes from sort of... First if you are not sure what an ip address is, it is the address of your "internet provider" and that ip address usually tells an approximate locality. But Don't Worry! I can't tell your home address and I cannot come knock on your door to say "Hey! Glad to meet you, wanna go for coffee?" No I can't do that with your ip address, I can only read the Statistics collected and with my particular counter, I can see if you come to visit me one time or many times over weeks or months; I can see approximately where you originate, mainly your city, but sometimes it may only show me that you come from a area, say like the north of Sweden...

So I thought I would give you a bit of insight into who and how many and from where...

So, Today my first visitor was from Sao Paulo Brazil! Hey! Thanks for Stopping In!!

Yesterday visitors came from

Aukland, New Zealand
Sylva, North Carolina, US
West Layfayette, Indiana, US
Seattle, Washington, US
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada
Abbotsford, BC Canada -- 18 of you!! So extra thank-you from my home town neighbours!
Surrey, Vernon, Victoria, and Naniamo, BC Canada
Novi Sad, Vojvodina, Serbia Whew! thats along way to come!!
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Athens, Attiki, Greece
Jakarta, Jakarta Raya, Indonesia

I get many visitors from other interesting places, with a concentration of visits from Canadian Cities and Towns and Rural Areas... it looks like Ontarians from Ottawa, Thunder Bay, St. Catherines were visiting on Wednesday.

New York, Texas, Washington, Maine, California, Arizona, New Mexico and Minnesota have multiple towns and cities over multiple days.

I love to see my European Visitors come by - there is regular visits from a variety of areas in Germany, Greece, Spain, the United Kingdom, Dominica, Barbados, Turkey!

I am amazed at how far my words can reach! And I am so very thankful that you come to read what I say... Certainly not earth shattering words and probably somewhat boring.

Most of all, though -- Just Plain Thank-you for coming! You may not leave a comment, but I know you came by and I am happy to know that you have...

So I am wishing everyone a Happy Friday! Take it easy, stay outta trouble, and enjoy your day!

Why Grannys make Grannie Squares...

2011-04-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

I took a bit of a slip late last week, not a fall and nothing that hurt at the time, but there was an injury and it progressed as the day wore on.

A knee injury. Not one of the big sports type injuries - I am no where near being a sports person! Just a pull of the muscles that runs along the outside of the leg past the knee. Very painful to turn the leg, but it is starting to ease a bit after 3 days...

My bedroom, tv room and general relaxin' room is right where we have our main backyard deck! So lucky me, got to watch the birds flit between the two different bird feeders we have out there. It allowed me to watch the clouds chase the sun and the sun burn through the clouds -- the weather has been very changeable the last few days...

Last summer, I spent alot of my spare moments sitting out on the deck using up scrappy bits of yarn. I made dozens of granny squares, two grocery bags full of the scrappy ones and then another bag full of one colour blocks. So while my knee and leg and by extention the whole body has been trying to keep still to let the muscles heal, I have been crocheting those grannies all together.

So I haven't been doing a hellofalot but there is something coming along while I spend time healing...
And the thought that occured to me was that if I was a granny, making grannie squares would be a good occupation... Just so long as my fingers and wrists keep mobile, I will keep on creating these useful home created masterpieces. Now really who doesn't love a granny square afghan? or shawl? or Pillow? or hey, maybe a skirt??

PS. I have decided not to continue with the Friday Check This Out, because there doesn't seem to be alot of interests on the part of other blogs to link up...

Okay, back to connecting those squares -- I'm sure it will be a finished project by week end...

Check This Out #3 and s'posedto...

2011-04-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

I went galavanting yesterday and didn't do what I was supposed to do -- suffice to say, there was no progress in the spring cleaning department.

There was no progress in the "what's for dinner?" department.
There was no progress in the get some exercise department -- well maybe there was -- those stores have an awful lot of aisles and an awful lot of departments to look at!

But I did ask my talented elder son about creating a "button" for my blog! And he did -- it is absolutely perfect! Simple with strong colour and yet quite elegant... That's just a teaser. I now have to go hunting up instructions on how to make it clickable... hopefully by tomorrow (saturday, or monday) Notice how I don't make definate promises?

It seems when you make a definate promise it is so much harder to follow through, but if it is a hopeful suggestion, then it somehow becomes a goal rather than "oh, I guessssss so..."

Anyway, Please add your link to Check This out #3 and we shall see how it goes...

Braids

2011-03-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

I have been spring cleaning. My sewing room is in a JUMBLE - almost, i say ALMOST unuseable because everything is moved or boxed or sitting on the floor waiting for sorting.

So.

Instead of sewing I have turned to my yarn stash... That too is destined for a spring cleaning and sorting, but not quite yet.

I have a book called Crochet Embellishments - in fact I had it as a Recommended Reading on my side bar for quite some time, but I never did say why I recommended it...

Anyway the book is one of those 'go to' books that you can use for techniques and, as it says Crochet Embellishments for all kinds of other projects.

I opened the page to Braids, last night and picked up a few of those yarn scraps I was just telling you that needed sorting...

Aren't they pretty? Just looking at those photos they look rather intricate and a bit daunting, but then I started reading the patterns. Almost everyone is a Row 1 to start then a Row 2 repeated for as long as you want to make the braid...
And who says you have to do it in crochet cotton! I was thinking some of these would really add a special touch to the plain round (or even V-neck) of a t-shirt! Maybe a hair band? Maybe a bracelet? Maybe a bit of edging on a cloth tote bag? Ah, the ideas are endless....

And QUICK to MAKE!

These four in the photo above I put together last evening while watching tv from about 6pm to 9:30pm or there abouts -- plus I did 4 more in different colours of each different braid. The yellow/orange was actually the more difficult but only because I didn't clearly read the pattern, so it took about 10 'rows' before I got it right.

Just in case you want to try out one...

This is the light coloured one on the left of the photo -- Crocheted Rick Rack
Chain 4
Row 1: Work 3 dc in 4th ch from hook; ch 3 turn
Row 2: Work 3 dc in first dc; ch 3 turn, leaving rem dc unworked.

Repeat Row 2 for desired length, Finish off; weave in yarn ends

Try that out and let me know how you fare with the idea of embellishing your things with a decorative braid...

Oh and I should say, that the Book, Crochet Embellishments is a Leisure Arts Publication and written by Jean Leinhauser... just in case you go looking for it.

Tomorrow -- the third CHECKTHISOUT link up --- I am needing at least 20 links to continue this idea ...

Pearl is ONE YEAR OLD today...

2011-03-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Pearl! -- and no Chocolate Cake for you!

Saturday...

2011-03-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

First

an early morning walk

What's this? A new toy.

Always seem to be wantin' to try something different...

Check This Out #2

2011-03-25T07:15:00.000-07:00

Let's try this again...

If you have an interesting post about crafts or cooking, or household things like decor, renovations you are working on in your home and really anything that is home related, I invite you to link your blog post -- please make it a particular post, not your whole blog -- onto this list where readers may discover you...

Just follow the directions when you click on the Add my Link (or whatever it actually says down there) and you will be on the list. This week it is just a bit more complicated. It will have a little thumbnail photo that you choose to entice those who are considering popping over to visit you.

Now, if you don't have a blog and are just here to read stuff and since I do have you right here right now, here is a partial listing of local quilt guilds in British Columbia Canada. If you are living near or visiting, perhaps you might stop in to check out what the local quilt guild is doing -- if you are not a member of a guild -- go visit -- most guilds love to have guests and most will welcome you and someone will usually step up to show you around and explain how things are done...

If you want to return to Susan Being Snippy without loosing the page: When you click on the link, use the right side of the mouse and a list will pop up before it takes you to the link, on the list it will have " open in new tab, so then click (left side) on that and a new tab will open;, when you are finished looking at the page, go to near the top of your page and look at the tabs, just click on the "x" on that tab and it will close and you will be back here, where you started...

So go visit
Abbotsford Quilters Guild at http://aqg.tripod.com/index.html
Cranbrook Quilters Guild at http://www.members.shaw.ca/cranbrookquiltersguild/index.html
Chilliwack Quilters Guild at http://www.members.shaw.ca/chilliwackquiltersguild/
Fraser Valley Quilters Guild at http://www.fvqg.org/
Sagebrush Quilters (Kamloops) at http://wwww.sagebrushquilters.ca/
Langley Quilters Guild at http://www.langleyquiltersguild.com/
Island Quilters (Naniamo at http://www.islandquilters.ca/
North/West Vancouver - Lion's Gate Quilters http://www.lionsgatequiltersguild.com/
Pincushion Quilt Guild (Peachland) at http://pincushionquiltguild.webs.com/
Squamish Valley Quilters at http://members.shaw.ca/squamishvalleyquiltersguild/aboutus.html
Blue Mountain Quilters (Tri-Cities/Port Coquitlam) at http://bluemountainquiltersguild.ca/
Westshore Quilters (Victoria) at http://www.westshorequiltersguild.com/
Whistler Valley Quilters at http://whistlerquilters.com/

I'm sure there are more quilt groups in the province but those are the ones that as of today have active links to their groups...

Now, here are this weeks Mr Linky list of blogs to go visit...

Venture or Adventure

2011-03-24T06:15:00.000-07:00

When you start something new, like a business, people often call it a Venture. My mind does work in mysterious ways and I link things that may or may not be factual -- just a bit of that childhood imagination seems to remain in me, even after all these years of supposedly being a grown up human being!

So a new venture is unfolding in my day to day adventure...

I am now a part of a partnership -- even those two words fit snuggly together don't they? Part of a Partnership and it is! Nothing at all, as yet, to do with sewing or crafting... My friend (and cousin) has been lamenting the gathering of STUFF! Too Much STUFF, in closets, in corners, on shelves in the garage so she suggested an idea that may benefit both of us. For now, EBAY!

So, yesterday I began a new Venture as a vendor on Ebay. I have been a member on ebay for a number of years but have mostly bought things using my Paypal account, but I did sell a quilt and a totebag some years back but did not pursue the selling part further as it can be somewhat time consuming and definately takes a good deal of organizing and scheduling of time!

Lately, I do seem to have time on my hands so this partnership of selling goods from my cousin's corners will be my project for awhile -- at least til she or I run out of things and the shelves and corners and closet nooks become empty and only a bit of dust covers the space.

My living room doesn't look like a place to bring guests and have conversation, tho, all the things now piled on my shelves, instead of my cousins corners and closets may in themselves be topics of conversation! I still have a couple of my own collections to pull out of a closet or two that I can 'sell at auction' too. Ever heard of Egg Coddlers? That's my collection that is itching to find a home that will show them off, instead of sitting in a box in a corner of a closet.

Time to get BUSY!

Oh if you are "into" vintage Fisher Price toys, I would be remiss if I did not point you to my current listings (with many more to come)...

Go to:

http://shop.ebay.ca/quiltcomment/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

And if you are not "into" Fisher Price, you might want to learn what an egg coddler is or maybe you are looking for a clutch purse to carry on Prom Night? Listings are imminent!? sorta...

AND TOMORROW...

the second Check This Out, where you can post a link to your crafty, quilty or just plain interesting blog post....

READERS and LINKERS needed... The goal is to reach 50 links before I have to start paying for the Linky service...

Check This Out ! #1

2011-03-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

I used to write a column for the Canadian Quilter Magazine - the magazine published for members of the Canadian Quilt Association. The name of the column was Check This Out! and 10 years ago was a list along with my "comments" of craft blogs and a variety of sewing web pages.

So, I thought I would bring the "Check This Out!" title over to this project where you as a reader can clik on a link that will take you to a blog where you can be introduced to someone elses ideas and projects.

Currently, there are no limits to the creative links other than to keep it to the theme of Home Crafts and Home Arts. If you want to create your link follow the instructions when you click on the "add your link"

Have fun and we shall see how it goes and remember to try to reciprocate -- if you post a link, please also try to visit other links on the page.

The Language of Knit

2011-03-17T07:27:00.000-07:00

My fingers have been flying this week! I have been working on a special order and because I really did not consider myself to be confident in my ability to knit, it has been a learning experience. I have done rows of stitches and then undone those rows. I have tried out two or three versions of what seemed to be what was being requested and then when I got part way I realized, No that's not right either, so undid those rows of knitting. Well, now the Three Part project is done and I have to say I learned ALOT!

I learned most importantly, how to knit mittens! They are so very much easier than i though -- even though it took me about 5 tries to really understand what the instructions were trying to tell me! Well, now I think I am becoming adept at the language of knitting. I do feel that I am wholy bi-lingual when it comes to the language of quilting and pretty close to understanding the 3 or 4 different dialects of crochet and now, well on my way, to being able to read KNIT...

I wish I had a "little one" to try on the hat, scarf, and mitts set, but for now, the styrofoam head will have to suffice...

It is kind of nice that when you set out to accomplish something, it works out to everyone's satisfaction!

I may have to title this winter season, the Winter of Knit One Purl One...

SOMETHING NEW TOMORROW!

There is this cool thing, called a Linky Tool.
I am planning to post a regular Link -up for my readers each Friday.
so come back tomorrow to either see who and what interesting blogs will be posted here!

A couple of Rules (even though I really dislike RULES)
please make you link craft related, which includes recipes!
And if you post a link, drop by someone elses link and leave a comment there.
Thanks!

The Easy Way...

2011-03-09T11:17:00.000-08:00

Not too many days ago, I came across a recipe that I had probably wondered about since I was a kid...

It always seemed to me that the ingredients that went into making many kinds of cookies was much the same as the ingredients that went into a cake, so I thought why is there a difference in cake mixes and cookie mixes... Hmmmm???

I mean it was not an all encompassing thought, just one that occured to me now and then, but I never pursued the issue... not that it was any sort of issue...

So while I was surfing through some recipes for cookies.... There is was a recipe for Cookies made from Cake Mix!

I have been otherwise occupied the last few days so have not managed to get to trying out this VERY EASY RECIPE...

This morning after about three hours of cleaning up the sewing room (that room seems to be the place where tornados hit quite frequently!) I finally turned the oven on to preheat and pulled down the only box cake mix in my cupboard.

RED VELVET by Duncan Hines.

I happened to pick it up at Fred Meyer in Bellingham,WA sometime around Christmas and it did not get used so it is the one that is becoming CAKE MIX COOKIES...

(In Canada, Red Velvet Cake mix is not sold anywhere that I have ever seen)

So if you are in Canada you can try this out with any BOX cake mix.

It works, the cookies are easy, and quick to mix up and down right cheap, too...

oops a little blurry -- maybe thats the heat rising...

So.

CAKE MIX COOKIES

1 box cake mix, any flavour.

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 large eggs

preheat oven to 350F

mix the three ingredients together with electric mixer or really well by hand.

drop by spoonful - a heaped teaspoon works well or a small icecream scoop if you have one--onto a greased cookie sheet. Make sure to allow space between these cookies because they spread out a fair bit, they will be about 3 inches round, so only put 12 on a regular cookie sheet.

I got 33 cookies from the batch.

Bake 10 - 12 minutes.

Do not lift cookies off the cookie sheet too soon as they are quite soft, they will firm up but not get hard as they cool. Give them 3 or 4 minutes before you plate them.

Enjoy.

Other thoughts on these cookies, but that I have not tried as yet. Maybe add some walnut or raisen to a white or yellow cake mix, or a spice cake mix. Coconut might be considered too... Oh and one of the things my Mom used to add to cookies to stretch them further was a 1/2 cup or so of Rice Krispies...

You also might consider frosting the cookies, either a hard sugar frosting or just a small dollop of regular butter icing and a cherry on each cookie...

Oh, and the MR. thinks they are mighty good just as they are...