of the beautiful, sawtooth star quilt that I finished just in time for the baby shower for a dear friend.
For those of you who have followed this blog lately, it is a quilt that I have had hanging up, looking at it, being very deliberate in making every decision because I wanted it to be just right.
When my second hand machine quit working, I took it to my mom's house to finish the quilting and put on the binding. Then, we threw it in the washer.
That was the end of my quilt. It, literally, fell apart in the wash. I have had a seam pop once in a great while, but have never made a quilt and had it shred in the washing machine. I made my first quilt in 1988 and have made every mistake in the book, but my work has held together. Until now.
I don't know if the fabric gave way. Large parts of the stitching seemed to come out. Could this have been from using a crappy machine? I use good seam allowance; nothing should have pulled out. I probably make too large a seam allowance to make sure everything is very, very secure.
I had to go to this very special shower (which I was one of the ladies who threw it) with no gift. I was embarassed and mortified. I could have sat and had a good cry if I had a quiet moment.
So.... I don't know if I shouldn't have used the vintage shirts. I don' t know if it was the machine. I just know that I am not happy about it right now.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Women Helping Women
I just learned about a new company that is allowing women from wealthier countries to help women from more poverty stricken areas in a really meaningful way.
That company is Seeds of Blessing. They are an offshoot of the group The Blessing Basket which bought woven baskets and other products from women in poverty and sold them. The ladies who made the baskets benefitted tremendously by bringing in a good and fair income, having a ready market for their goods, and learning solid business skills. It is a great opportunity for them and a great opportunity for ladies in wealthier nations to be able to help these women by purchasing their products, but also by receiving gorgeous, handmade items of great quality!
In order to spread the word, Seeds of Blessing is bringing their products into the Party Plan format. You can also purchase from their website.
I learned about this from a fabulous blog. This blog is part of Party Plan Divas, another example of women helping women to succeed.
I think it is high time that we women stick together and help others to make their dreams come true!
That company is Seeds of Blessing. They are an offshoot of the group The Blessing Basket which bought woven baskets and other products from women in poverty and sold them. The ladies who made the baskets benefitted tremendously by bringing in a good and fair income, having a ready market for their goods, and learning solid business skills. It is a great opportunity for them and a great opportunity for ladies in wealthier nations to be able to help these women by purchasing their products, but also by receiving gorgeous, handmade items of great quality!
In order to spread the word, Seeds of Blessing is bringing their products into the Party Plan format. You can also purchase from their website.
I learned about this from a fabulous blog. This blog is part of Party Plan Divas, another example of women helping women to succeed.
I think it is high time that we women stick together and help others to make their dreams come true!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Some progress
Well, I was finally forced to make a decision regarding the baby quilt that I am making. Mostly, the decisions were made by realizing that while I had started in plenty of time to leisurely work on this quilt, I had gotten busy with other things and didn't realize that the shower is NEXT SATURDAY!!!
So, with time short and money shorter, I had to just go with a plan that would allow me to use fabrics that I already had and that I could sew up in very little time.
The photo doesn't really show it well, but the red outer border is the exact same fabric as the red star points. It should finish up to a 40 inch square. I think I might have enough of the blue check from the star points for the binding. But, at this point, it is going to be bound with whatever I have that will work. I am not against a scrappy binding.
As for the backing, I will have to start working on it tomorrow evening. I will be using various shirting materials I have. The mom-to-be had a color scheme in mind for the top (she has no idea what I did with her color choices, though), but the backing may add in other colors out of necessity. I plan to piece together scraps from my shirting fabrics to make a scrappy back. I do have a vintage sheet that is a red, white, and blue plaid that I could use for a single fabric back.
I kind of had it in my head that since this was my first quilt from shirt fabrics that it would be entirely out of shirt fabrics. I am not sure why it matters, but....
After that, I will be seeing what I have in the batting department. I may be piecing some batting together to get a piece big enough to work with. At least I feel like I haven't been wasteful at all with this quilt.
I did plan on making my dad a quilt for Christmas out of the shirt fabrics, and if I am going to do that, I will have to get started pretty darn quick! Otherwise, I won't get it finished in time.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Sniff, sniff...
Nothing smells better than apples and pears cooking with a little cinnamon and cloves. It's heavenly!
This week, I went over and got the last of the pears that weren't rotten on my parents' pear trees. They are organic, which really means that we have never pruned them, taken care of them, watered them, or fertilized them. But, no chemicals, so that is a good thing!
These are not pretty, grocery store pears with a buttery, smooth texture. These are old fashioned pears with peels like leather and a slightly grainy texture, but the taste is sweet and wonderful. They cook up well, but will make your hands sore when you peel and core lots of them at a time!
Today, I prepared two large bags of pears and some Fuji apples that we got at a farm stand (off the trees that morning!). Now, I have both crockpots running on high. The largest one is full of pears, cinnamon, splenda, and ground cloves. It is filled to the brim, just waiting to cook down into pear butter. Mmmmmm.
My smaller crock pot is filled half way with the remaining pears and topped off with the Fuji apples. They are starting to smell SO good. I will water bath can both batches when they are done. But, they have to cook a long time and they will cook down a lot, so two crock pots is a good amount to deal with.
Some of these will likely be put in Christmas baskets with maybe a decorated hand towel and/or homemade dishcloth or two. I love that the bulk of this gift is done way before Christmas.
I still have about 2/3 of the apples we bought, so some plain ol' apple butter will be next, maybe followed by some home canned applesauce!
This week, I went over and got the last of the pears that weren't rotten on my parents' pear trees. They are organic, which really means that we have never pruned them, taken care of them, watered them, or fertilized them. But, no chemicals, so that is a good thing!
These are not pretty, grocery store pears with a buttery, smooth texture. These are old fashioned pears with peels like leather and a slightly grainy texture, but the taste is sweet and wonderful. They cook up well, but will make your hands sore when you peel and core lots of them at a time!
Today, I prepared two large bags of pears and some Fuji apples that we got at a farm stand (off the trees that morning!). Now, I have both crockpots running on high. The largest one is full of pears, cinnamon, splenda, and ground cloves. It is filled to the brim, just waiting to cook down into pear butter. Mmmmmm.
My smaller crock pot is filled half way with the remaining pears and topped off with the Fuji apples. They are starting to smell SO good. I will water bath can both batches when they are done. But, they have to cook a long time and they will cook down a lot, so two crock pots is a good amount to deal with.
Some of these will likely be put in Christmas baskets with maybe a decorated hand towel and/or homemade dishcloth or two. I love that the bulk of this gift is done way before Christmas.
I still have about 2/3 of the apples we bought, so some plain ol' apple butter will be next, maybe followed by some home canned applesauce!
Frugal, by necessity or choice!
Although the politicians say otherwise, I know different. At least in my area of the country (the deep South, specifically, Georgia) we are still being hard hit by this economy. Georgia has lost tons of jobs and I know lots of people who are under-employed or going through a prolonged job search. Raises are non existent for most folks and pay cuts are the norm.
That being said, just about everyone I know is hunkering down and trying to figure out how they can hold it together through Christmas. I am certainly no exception.
Here are some of the things that I do to try and stretch my money a little bit farther.
1. Hang clothes to dry. Our dryer is on its last leg and I only use it for things that really need to be dried. Things that have to be ironed, for example. I couldn't care less if my towels are a little scratchy. Dermatologists tell us to exfoliate, don't they?
2. Home hair cuts. I do the haircuts for both of our boys and get compliments on how nice and neat they look. Hubby isn't brave enough, yet, but someone told him that he should do his hair like my son's hair. Loved that! I use a good set of clippers that hubby found with guide combs (more than paid for itsself, by the way). Even in the beginning, the kids didn't look bad. Now, I am getting good at it. I even cut my own hair. Yes, it sounds like I am super-talented. 8 or 9 years ago, I had unexplained hair loss until I started wearing wigs. I get them on sale and look for trendy/modern cuts. They look great. I buzz cut what is left of my own hair. Otherwise, I would have a stringy comb over thing happening.
3. Cook at home. This is not an easy one for me. I am not a good cook. I am best preparing candies and baking things that would make your cardiologist's head spin. But, as my doctor put me on a diet where I have lost 50 lbs., I can't eat like that. My menus are uninspired, but nutritious. Hubby is a better cook, but he isn't here to do the cooking, except on weekends. I love weekends.
4. Canning or Freezing. You can save a lot of money putting food up. I get windfall pears every year from my trees at my parent's house. They really don't use them for anything, they like that they attract deer. I will cook and can them. Yes, it's work, but that work will keep us full and happy through the winter. Canned goods in a nice basket make a great gift that I have used for many a Christmas! Family packs of meat or surplus of veggies in season can be put away inexpensively. Think sweet potatoes cooked and canned in November. Think green beans in July. Think pumpkins--NOW! If you like the seeds, dry and roast them.
5. Learn to sew. Even if you make crafty gifts or simple curtains and repairs, you can save a bundle and add a little bit of self-sufficiency to your skill list.
6. Crochet or knit. Make scarves for gifts or hats for the homeless shelter. Yarn can be found at thrift stores or even cheaply at Wal Mart. You can make things more special than you can buy them. Make your own dish cloths. If you take good care of them, they will last absolutely forever. They also make a cute gift.
7. Turn off the cable or satellite dish. We did (out of necessity) and until the new season of Dr. Who starts, I won't actually care. The kids watch shows on hulu.com and my oldest has discovered the old Superman movies and Alf! I really did miss two short PBS specials on Sapelo Island and the Okefenokee swamp that I would have liked to have seen, but I am not all that heartbroken about it.
8. Entertain yourselves at home. Rent redbox movies or trade movies that you own with a friend to see something new. Hubby salvedged the bottom bowl from an old smoker that had died and put it up on some rocks and made an impromptu fire pit. We have had numerous marshmallow and wienie roasts and they are fun! We even did this with guests who were visiting and they had a great time. We burned deadfall wood from our property. Yes, we did spring for marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate (and hot dogs) but it's still cheap fun!
Anyway, if you are being hard hit by the economy, you are not alone. Just use this time to build up some frugal skills.
That being said, just about everyone I know is hunkering down and trying to figure out how they can hold it together through Christmas. I am certainly no exception.
Here are some of the things that I do to try and stretch my money a little bit farther.
1. Hang clothes to dry. Our dryer is on its last leg and I only use it for things that really need to be dried. Things that have to be ironed, for example. I couldn't care less if my towels are a little scratchy. Dermatologists tell us to exfoliate, don't they?
2. Home hair cuts. I do the haircuts for both of our boys and get compliments on how nice and neat they look. Hubby isn't brave enough, yet, but someone told him that he should do his hair like my son's hair. Loved that! I use a good set of clippers that hubby found with guide combs (more than paid for itsself, by the way). Even in the beginning, the kids didn't look bad. Now, I am getting good at it. I even cut my own hair. Yes, it sounds like I am super-talented. 8 or 9 years ago, I had unexplained hair loss until I started wearing wigs. I get them on sale and look for trendy/modern cuts. They look great. I buzz cut what is left of my own hair. Otherwise, I would have a stringy comb over thing happening.
3. Cook at home. This is not an easy one for me. I am not a good cook. I am best preparing candies and baking things that would make your cardiologist's head spin. But, as my doctor put me on a diet where I have lost 50 lbs., I can't eat like that. My menus are uninspired, but nutritious. Hubby is a better cook, but he isn't here to do the cooking, except on weekends. I love weekends.
4. Canning or Freezing. You can save a lot of money putting food up. I get windfall pears every year from my trees at my parent's house. They really don't use them for anything, they like that they attract deer. I will cook and can them. Yes, it's work, but that work will keep us full and happy through the winter. Canned goods in a nice basket make a great gift that I have used for many a Christmas! Family packs of meat or surplus of veggies in season can be put away inexpensively. Think sweet potatoes cooked and canned in November. Think green beans in July. Think pumpkins--NOW! If you like the seeds, dry and roast them.
5. Learn to sew. Even if you make crafty gifts or simple curtains and repairs, you can save a bundle and add a little bit of self-sufficiency to your skill list.
6. Crochet or knit. Make scarves for gifts or hats for the homeless shelter. Yarn can be found at thrift stores or even cheaply at Wal Mart. You can make things more special than you can buy them. Make your own dish cloths. If you take good care of them, they will last absolutely forever. They also make a cute gift.
7. Turn off the cable or satellite dish. We did (out of necessity) and until the new season of Dr. Who starts, I won't actually care. The kids watch shows on hulu.com and my oldest has discovered the old Superman movies and Alf! I really did miss two short PBS specials on Sapelo Island and the Okefenokee swamp that I would have liked to have seen, but I am not all that heartbroken about it.
8. Entertain yourselves at home. Rent redbox movies or trade movies that you own with a friend to see something new. Hubby salvedged the bottom bowl from an old smoker that had died and put it up on some rocks and made an impromptu fire pit. We have had numerous marshmallow and wienie roasts and they are fun! We even did this with guests who were visiting and they had a great time. We burned deadfall wood from our property. Yes, we did spring for marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate (and hot dogs) but it's still cheap fun!
Anyway, if you are being hard hit by the economy, you are not alone. Just use this time to build up some frugal skills.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Work in Progress
I just have to decide how I want to finish this out. I know that I will have borders around the edges, but I am not sure how many and of which fabrics. I am currently wondering if an nice red border surrounded by pieced scrappy bits of red, tan, and blue fabrics, surrounded by another dark navy border would look.
Hmmm. Maybe I should leave the scrappy to the binding. I'd love it if YOU, my wonderful and glorious readers would chime in with an opinion or two.....or thirty! I know that folks do occasionally check out my blog, so I want to know what everyone thinks would look best.
Oh, How I Love it When the Kids Share with Me...
NOT! Well, not this time, at any rate.
What started as seasonal allergies (ragweed, yuck!) has slowly turned into sinus infections for all of us, one by one. DS12 had it first, then DS14 (very mild case) and now lucky me! The doctor did set me up with 2 weeks worth of antibiotics and an antihistamine spray for my nose (which works so fast that I am coughing and sneezing just moments after I take it). The only bad thing is that the spray either runs down my throat tasting horrible or it's the drainage. Not pleasant at all.
But, I am taking the new meds and am sure to be on the mend very soon.
Which is good, because I have quilts and lots of Christmas gifty love to work on!
What started as seasonal allergies (ragweed, yuck!) has slowly turned into sinus infections for all of us, one by one. DS12 had it first, then DS14 (very mild case) and now lucky me! The doctor did set me up with 2 weeks worth of antibiotics and an antihistamine spray for my nose (which works so fast that I am coughing and sneezing just moments after I take it). The only bad thing is that the spray either runs down my throat tasting horrible or it's the drainage. Not pleasant at all.
But, I am taking the new meds and am sure to be on the mend very soon.
Which is good, because I have quilts and lots of Christmas gifty love to work on!
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