Ooops!

Like an idiot I forgot to include my email/blog url so that my swap partner could contact me and let me know that she received her apron. Hopefully, she'll be able to track me down.

Ready to Go!

I went with the rick-rack but I'm not sure if I like it. My fabulous dd Hannah is modeling for me today.

This is the pot holder I made yesterday evening. It is from In Stitches by Amy Butler. I was going to make two; however, I ran out of thread and decided that one was enough.* I really like this pot holder and may have to make a few more for myself and for gifts. This picture shows the front (right) side. You can slip your fingers and thumb into the flaps and bend the pot holder into half. I love that.

This shows the back; kind of a scrappy quilty look. I think it's cute.

I have to say this about the instructions, they are unbelievably thorough. IMO a rank beginner could easily make a project from this book. Well, they could at least make the pot holders.

I am sending along this recipe:

EGGNOG PUMPKIN PIE

1 15 0z. can solid packed pumpkin

1 1/4 c. eggnog

2/3 sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

1 9" unbaked pastry shell

In large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice and salt. Pour into pastry shell. Bake at 375 for 60-65 minutes or until knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate until serving. 6-8 servings

I used to have a wonderful recipe for a Chocolate Chip Supreme Pie. I loved it and so did Everybody that ate a slice. Unfortunately, the card it was written on died a watery death when Hurricane Rita demolished our 5Th wheel travel trailer, 3 years ago. If anybody has a copy of the Pillsbury Bake-Off Booklet from 1990 or 1991, please let me know. I tried to do a search but could not find it.

*Before you think that I am being chintzy, let me just say that I had already driven 40 miles into town once and I really didn't feel like spending $25 in gas for a $3 spool of thread.

K.I.S.S

I don't have pictures of my shirts, yet! I'll get them posted, I am first going to have to practice with the timer of my camera and the tripod that I bought so that I don't have to depend on someone else to take my picture.


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So far, we haven't had much more than a steady drizzle, so I'm hoping to get a little shopping done this afternoon. Rachael's 6Th birthday is Wednesday, and I have not had a chance to get anything without her seeing.


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I have gotten started on my/her apron and I need some advice, but first I want to show you what I have done so far.




My swap partner asked for a Thanksgiving apron, she likes gold but doesn't like orange. While at the quilt store, I realized that there can be a fine line between the two. You can see the fabrics that I picked out here.




After deciding to use the Basic Bib Apron from The Apron Book by EllynAnne Geisel, I needed to decide on my applique. I considered sewing a cornucopia with fruit spilling out of it, but discarded that idea when I remembered that I had only 1 week left to make and send this apron. Then I had another idea! I recall making a turkey with my hand prints as a craft project back in elementary school. Everybody that I know associates turkeys with Thanksgiving. It shouldn't be too hard, right?

My first attempt at this proved disastrous - it looked awful and it is now residing in the trash can. I think that I was just trying to make it too complicated for my limited applique-ing abilities.

I started over and decided to keep it much simpler this time. I added that red gobble thingy that turkeys have first, sewed the right leg, sewed on the hand print and then sewed the left leg. I have to tell you it was sooo hard to cut the fingers off, but it was necessary to reduce the fabric bulk behind the feathers. I learned that with the first turkey.


Then, the feathers and a machine-stitched granito for the eye.

I then put my pocket together and started sewing on the apron. I used a brown pique for the lining of this apron (I love pique), and made my own bias binding. In the book, EllynAnne states that you need 9 yards of binding for this apron, I barely used 3 yds.

I've noticed that a lot of people like longer ties on their aprons so that they can tie them in the front, with that in mind I cut the ties 22" longer than the instructions state.

The instructions tell you to sew the side loops (holds ties) and the ties to the right side of the apron, sew your bias binding to the back and then turn your binding up and over to the right side.

I didn't like the way this looked. If you use a different fabric for the binding it breaks up the line around the apron. I ripped the ties and the side loops out and sewed them to the back side and then stitched so that when I flipped the bias binding to the front, the binding would be just one continuous line around.

Looks much better, doesn't it?

So now I have come to the part where I need advice. I sewed the pocket onto the apron and it just faded into the background. It needs something. I thought about using some binding around the edge, but decided that would be too busy. Now, I'm thinking maybe some medium sized rick-rack in brown. That should make the pocket stand out from the rest of the apron. Anybody care to comment?

Next up - a pot holder!

Rain, Rain

Go away,

Come again another day!

After 10 straight days of rain, we are now about to get the remnants of tropical storm Fay.

Umm.....

So, does getting my fabric washed and ironed count as progress?

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I was doing my neighbor's (not the crazy one) ironing yesterday, and noticed this underarm gusset. I have read about these before but this is the first time I have ever seen one. The sleeve is on the right and that is the front of the shirt on the left. I thought that they were put in with the points going horizontally. Live and learn!

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Speaking of learning, did you know that:

In the state of Louisiana, if you get mad at your neighbor and you decide to take off all of your clothes in front of her, and then run around the yard, you should make sure that her minor children are not also watching, because it then becomes a FELONY. I'm still not sure if I was supposed to get mad back at her or what - I actually ended up laughing in disbelief.

And if you are wondering, no she wasn't drunk and she wasn't high. To me, that is probably the saddest thing about this situation.

Hey There

Yea, I know, baaaadddd blogger. I'm sorry. Forgive me?



I have been sewing, mostly for others (always a good thing). I also have had a chance to make up a couple of wearable muslins - lookin' good! I'll get those posted (hopefully tomorrow evening). My SIL, Tonya, has consented to be my photographer, since Hannah just rolls her eyes whenever I ask her to take my picture. We have a photo shoot scheduled for tomorrow after school!



Any way, there has been a lot going on lately. Life likes to interfere with my plans all the time! I have wanted to tell you so much but I wasn't sure if anybody would be interested. After all, this is supposed to be a blog about sewing.



Do you want to know about the everyday, mundane things of my life? The frustration I experienced on Wednesday when Hannah just could not grasp what I was trying to teach her. Or the extreme thrill on Thursday, when Rachael sounded out a word?



Are you interested in the absolutely crazy neighbor I have and some of the off-the-wall things she has been doing lately? Believe me when I say that that is a good story! Although, Cody probably wouldn't approve - he thinks that I am thinking way too much about it (unfortunately, he's right).



I guess that I'm just not sure what is appropriate and how much should just be kept to myself, ya know?



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With all of that said, I want to congratulate Tearsa, and Kristy on their pregnancies. It just so exciting to be pregnant for the first time. It's exciting the other times too, but there is only one first time.



I read about this sex predictor years ago on a blog and am amazed at how accurate it is. You take the year you conceived and the age you were when you conceived. If they are both odd, or both even, the baby will be girl. If one is odd and the other even, it's a boy. In our church there have been 13 babies born in the past 11 years, this was accurate on 11 of them. Yes, I know that there are umpteen dozen different ways to predict the sex of the baby and that this is just one of them but well, it is kind of interesting.



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I signed up to take the Understanding Interfacings Class with Sarah Veblen over on PatternReview. Very interesting!



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The Fall Sassy Apron Swap is this month and I finally have an idea of what I want to do and what fabrics I want to make my/her apron with! The fabrics are in the dryer as I type and hopefully I'll get started cutting things out in the next few days! That little stuffed chicken is my inspiration for the apron. Why? You'll find out, but in the meantime, can you guess what it is for?

The brown pique, from Farmhouse Fabrics, will be the lining. The yellowy mustard fabric on the bottom is the main apron fabric. The multi-colored stripe will be bias binding and the fat quarters will make up the applique.

Now, lets review the rules. The theme is Fall/Autumn. The apron must be full length for messy cooks (like me). Your package must include a handmade pot holder/hot pad. I am supposed to include a recipe for pie. Finally, I must send this out by Sept. 1. Yikes, I had better get busy!!!