Welcoming 2015 with a Give Away

                      Ringing in the New Year
                                 With A Give Away
                                      Brand new book -- Absolutely A line

             

    1 easy pattern= 26 adorable dresses.

Pattern sized 3-8

You are so creative you will come up with even more variations.

       
                                       Keeping it very simple to win 
                                       
                                 Drawing will be Jan 7th

              1. Leave a comment for one entry-let me know you are a 
                   follower and you get a second entry.

            That's it!  Pretty simple to win this new book.  I never like to jump through hoops for a contest and don't think you want to either.

                                   Good Luck
                             

It"s coming!! Another season of Downton Abbey

I am not a fan of Downton Abby,   I am obsessed!!

                            I was a slow starter.  I missed the first series and had to buy it, to catch up.    Now it is time to go back and re-watch before the next season starts.

                                         Love the downstairs

                                 The wardrobe is breathtaking.
                             No short cuts are taken, you get to see what
                                          was worn in this period.

                        Like I said   I am obsessed!

Paradise Wild

                No words Needed
                  pictures Captured
                 By  McGlinn's

                     Majestic

                  Powerful

                   Amazing


     So thankful, to live in paradise   
              
            

Merry christmas

Christmas baking begins

 What better way to start then with 
        Magic cookie Bars

                                 Gather your ingredients
 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can  sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet
        chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

                               
                            Pre-heat oven to 350 (325 for glass pan) in 13x9 baking pan, melt butter in oven.

2.  sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter; pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs.
Top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.
   (note)  I found you have to really press hard, the ones I have that do not turn out just right is because I didn't press hard enough on that step.
3. Bake 25-30 minutes or until browned. cool and cut.

 
                           So good and quick!!  These are a favorite goodie around here.
                       

Memories of Christmas past

Scrolling through past pictures of Christmas.

           

         The smocked Christmas dress

 

                         Such a sweetie in his smocked sweatshirt.

Sam loves Christmas.  She has been Santa's helper for many years.

Don't forget the goodies.  What would Christmas be without goodies?    These will show up again soon.  I know you have all made them but I think they need their very own post.

Sunrise

       Each golden sunrise ushers in new
       opportunities for those who retain
       faith in themselves, and keep their
                      chins up....Meet the sunrise with
       confidence. Fill every golden minute
       with right thinking and worthwhile
       endeavor.  Do this and there will be
       joy for you in each golden sunset.
                         --Alonzo Newton Benn

Hospital Babies

Sometimes it is hard to think of just the right word.  I enjoy making the wee care gowns,  for the hospital babies.
I do not enjoy that there is a need for such gowns.

             If you are wondering where the name
                       hospital babies came from
                        

  It is the name Zoe gave to the tiny gowns.


It is hard to explain sometimes, that some tiny babies go right to heaven.           

I just explained to her I was making gowns that go to the babies in the hospital.From that day on, if she saw me smocking on a gown, she would ask if it was for the hospital babies.

The design for these gowns come from Kathy
   Her wonderful blog is all about sewing wonderful, creative garments.    KATHY'S WONDERFUL BLOG

NO, I did not over use the word Wonderful.

Kathy's design solves the sewing for boy babies.  Hers are beyond wonderful.

I might add, so is her photography!!

Oh Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree holds many memories.  I think that is what a tree is for--to hold those special memories of days past.

A few of my special memories:

Sam chose to wear her original dress this year for her Christmas picture.  Christmas is special for that is when Samantha (Sam) joined our family.

How my sister loved anything that sparkled. She even wore sparkles.  What makes this ornament so special is, it is the last ornament my sister ever chose for Christmas.  She was so very sick but one day she felt good and wanted to go to the Bon. Now day's the store is called Macey's.
When it was the Bon, they always did Christmas up in a big way and had ton's of decorated trees.  This decoration caught Maurine's eye. I knew it would after all, it sparkles.

 Santa, jumped into my shopping cart one day, when Zoe was just old enough to grab things from the shelves.  Of coarse he came home with us.

Mr. Bluebird joined when our grandson Isaiah was helping decorate the tree and happened to mention a tree needs birds. So he picked out birds and sure enough the tree needed birds.

 The best memory of all--the special gifts the kids make in school.  All their love sent with their very special made with love gift.

A clue to one of my favorite blogs

Her Christmas postcard!

You guessed it!  It is from Laura at "Decor to Adore".

Read about her creative solution to the Christmas card plight facing her after she 1. Just moved and 2. Has been facing personal challenges.

Did she use it as an excuse as I would have?   NO! She solved her challenge.  


Even now Laura is busy decorating.

I was surfing blog land, when I landed on 
"Decor to Adore".   Just the name sounds inviting, so I entered to investigate and found the sweetest hostess.  I call her my friend.  

I am sure she feels as though someone is following her because that would be me!! 

Laura's family just moved into a new to them home and she has been re-decorating room by room, step by step so each day I can hardly wait to see what is new.  Just a hint-today she started showing her kitchen. I know it will be fantastic.  

You will need to go check her out--I didn't ask for permission to share her pictures so you need to go see for yourself.  You will love her as I do.

Her love for sewing and teaching just shine

" I'd like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony".  Replace (sing) with the word sew and you know what Bunny is all about.

She delves into the steps needed to beome a person that loves to sew.  The home ec teacher you wish you had.  

I was lucky,  I had a great home ec teacher for the sewing part, she gave me the foundation to love sewing.  Now, my cooking teacher was not great,  I can feed myself with no love of cooking.

If you want to learn to sew or just hone your skills, sign up and follow Bunny.  She is doing weekly specials, each week going in to depth on a different sewing topic. 

I really think this lay needs her own sewing show on TV!! 

Visit here:  LaSewist 

What is your favorite season?

The burning bush is starting to show it's colors as the nights become cooler and the days become shorter.  As the season goes on, the bushes will get brighter, until they do look like they are burning.

Do you have a favorite season?  For color fall is at the top of my list.

 Summer also shares so much of her beauty. So Summer is also high on my list of favorite seasons.

For those of us that have more then one season, we also have winter.  Pretty, cold and necessary.  Just on even close to going on my favorite list.

Which brings me back to fall--next season will be winter. ugh

Love Fall colors

The mums on the front porch are finally starting to bloom.  They have been in bud for what seems like forever. 

I have so missed writing but, it is one of those time when I do not feel very creative.

I am going through some issue's, that on the scheme of life issue's  should not even be on the radar. 

  

It involves this item right here!  I think I will feel better if I tell the story, but, I am having a hard time doing that right now.  Do I start in?  or do I wait until it goes through court?
Will writing help me resolve some issue's I am having?  
Would really love your opinion.

Leave it in or take it out?

That was the question I asked on the sewing forum Everythingsewing.  Each year our smocking group "Apple Valley Smockers ", donate a smocked stocking to CASA.  These are then filled with gifts and given to foster children at Christmas.  The smocked stocking is only one of hundreds made and donated by groups and individuals.

We smock a row or two and pass the project on to the next person on the list.  I think you can see where this is going.  When doing part of a job and passing it on, mistakes are going to be made. 
As I started the second row, I found the first row was off, I had a choice to work around the mistake as in repeating the mistake in each row or to take it out and start over.

I dislike taking things out!!  I am sure some of you feel the same way.   I was actually trying to talk myself into leaving the mistake---I could not stop thinking about it though, I knew it was there and would remain.  What if the next person I hand it off to doeesn't want to work around the mistake and I leave a mess for the next person?

So, it all came out!  I am so happy I took it out.   In the process now of putting it all back in.

A added P.S.   The older kids asked if they could please get pillowcases instead of the stocking.  Yipee!  I can do pillowcases---  

Girley smocked bib

I want to share this smocked bib with you. When I found out my best friend Roberta is to be a first time grandma, of a sweet baby girl, I just have to make her something special.  I can not take credit for designing it.
It was a post at Everythingsewing.

Just to darling not to share. I thank the poster named challenged.  

 

• Instructions as posted by challenged follow.
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• I will be making this bib.
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Re: Smocked Baby Bib Pattern

by Challenged » Sat Aug 08, 2009 6:46 pm

I made up my own pattern for a bib.

I cut the fabric (45"wide and usually batiste) 5" deep. Measure in 5" from the folded edge and and draw a line diagonally to the selvage edge finishing 2" from top edge. (this makes it full in the front and graded on the sides so it doesn't look like a collar.)

Now, important note: Pleat FIRST with up to 11 half space rows. Flatten out THEN sew on lace, unpicking the last inch or sew of the holding threads on the bottom rows.

Smock any pattern you want that will fit in that space....I like geometric ones because they sew up fast though I have done a couple of picture ones too.

Assembling after smocking:
Cut bias strip 1 & 1/2"w x 8 & 1/2" long.
mark center of bias
block bib in semi circle so it measures 6 & 1/2" smocked edge to smocked edge keeping center two inches tight and fanning out the remainder.
Pin and stitch on bias matching center front of bib to center of bias
Trim, roll and whip stitch selvage edges
Cut ribbon for ties 2 @ 13" each
Hand sew to neckline 1/2 inch in
Fold down bias and hand whip

Just a note to let you know with my bishop dresses I usually smock and add the bias on the straight, not blocking the conventional way. However, with the bibs I smock on the straight but it seems to hold its shape better if you block it in a semi circle before adding the bias.

Hope these instructions aren't to convoluted to understand and you have fun making them! I am not at my computer with pictures on it so I will put up a picture via another post so you can see the end results.

Elaine

A couple more pictures:

Smocked Padded Hanger

Our smocking group chose the padded hanger as it's group project this month.  Part of the decision, was to show smockers there are several projects they can do long after they have finished smocking dresses.

 I wish I had a better picture of the fabric, it has cute little clothes on it.  Perfect for Zoe.

Materials Needed:

9"x45" piece of fabric.  I used a fat quarter and just cut it in half and sewed the pieces together.
Floss:  Colors of your choosing
Lace: For finishing the bottom
Sewing thread:
Satin ribbon:
Padded Hanger--They are so easy to find, why pad your own?

Directions:
1:  You can hem the long sides now or wait to do it later. I do not like to hem before putting through my pleater, but, it's your choice.

2: Mark the center of the fabric. Run 13 rows of pleating threads, 6.rows one  each side. 
I pleat 13, then remove the center thread, leaving 6 on each side for design.

3.Tie off piece to 10-1/2"

Piece after pleating.

I did a very simple smocking design:

You can get as elaborate as you like, or simple. It is your creation.

When I assembled mine.  I marked the center, where the hanger would go, by measuring the hanger and then my smocked piece.  I did a small machine button hole, but you could just do a hole and secure it with fraycheck.  It is not going to get any wear at all.

I had an already padded hanger from the dollar store.

Once I had the button hole made, I sewed the ends together, using a french seam.  Slipped it over the hanger and secured the bottom by slip stitching the pieces together. 

The secret is out

This project was such a first for me. It all started when our quilt shop wanted to do their first  mystery quilt challenge.  

I had no idea what a mystery quilt even was. I do not think my friend Louise knew what it was either but she was excited for us to join.
Join we did, and for weeks we would get little clues.  We would then cut and bag pieces of fabric.  The only one thing I did know, was,   the colors would be red, white and blue.  The other thing I knew is,  how ever this quilt turned out it would go to my granddaughter and her hubby who is in the military.
With out to much more chatter here it is.

A first for using a quilter or as I call them a long arm person.  Didn't she do a beautiful job?

I didn't want to say much about this project, as I wanted it to be a surprise.  The quilt is now in it's new home.

Birth of a forest fire

I can not tell you how many times  have seen a puff of smoke like this.  It almost looks like a puffy cloud, doesn't it?

 The puffy cloud just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

 That is how quickly these fires start and spread.  This was the Entiat that is still not 100% contained.

Whimsie -Have to have it.

Remember this?  http://everythingsewingnet.blogspot.com/

 Store sample 
here.




















My version is here!

Plus I was able to hire a couple of chefs to help me in the kitchen.  Not sure how much help they will be they love to hang on the topper.

Being a good shopper I also spotted these plates.  This is the dessert size.  There is also a luncheon size plate and oh yes, cups. Not finished yet--canisters!  I can see just where this is going.