My First Bags

I had never sewn bags before, but I've wanted to for a while. 

As a mom and errand-runner, diaper-hauler, mail picker-upper, and library book-carrier, I expect a lot of the bag I'm using. Many times it is required to haul all of those items at the same time! So they wear out... 

Well, now I can make a new bag when I need it, in my choice of colors and with my own inside pocket configuration. 

I can't tell you exactly how I made the bags because I didn't use a pattern. I started with some ideas in my head, and learned as I went. The basic shape is a rectangle a little wider than it is high.

I had some help with the zippered pocket tutorial from here. 

In fact, these turned out too small to be my perfect right-hand bag, so they were Christmas gifts.

Ugly Toy Horses

I made some ugly toy horses for my kids last Christmas. I didn't mean for them to be ugly; it's just that they turned out that way. That doesn't hinder their play-ability, though! I made these for my kids because they were always stealing my yard-stick and pretending it was a horse. It was no problem for me to find some lonely socks and scraps to put to good use. 

Some tips if you want to make a sock-horse:

Start with a 3- or 4-foot stick of some kind. I bought 5/8" dowels from a craft store. Use scraps to make ears, and anything you want for stuffing. 

Loop some yarn back and forth for the mane and sew it on, then cut. Kind of tricky to get the sock onto the arm of your machine and sew sideways. 

After stuffing the horse-heads, I used crochet cotton and a large darning needle to sew on the eyes, stitch along the mouth to pucker it up, and stitch through the neck to make it bend. 

I drilled a small hole through the dowel near the top, and then when I stitched around the neck, I stitched through this hole a few times to keep the head on the stick, and the stuffing inside.

So even though they are ugly as old socks, my kids have played with their horses a lot! It was a fun and easy project. No professional skills required.

Embroidery from Grandma

I have a Grandma who loves handwork and quilting. When she was younger, she spent years making large, beautiful, heirloom quilts for each of her 23 grandchildren. Now she still enjoys her hobby on a smaller scale. I traced this design onto some fabric and gave it to her.

Now I need to finish it and I'm not sure what to do... add simple borders in dark fabric and make it a wall hanging? It's not really big enough to be the center of a quilt. Any ideas? (BTW, her color choices, not mine:)

And an item that I didn't feel deserved its own blog post... White Brite for laundry.

Every time I use it I'm amazed at its whitening power. I didn't even know my washer was dirty!

But please remember: Do Not Use it on Anything Colored. It Will Ruin Your Colored Clothes. Even Clothes with Just a Little Bit of Color.

That's the only reason I don't use it all the time; because I need to have a load of white and only white clothes.

Bacon and Parmesan Pasta

I was just checking up on the Tasty Kitchen Blog to see if I could find a giveaway to enter... when I saw my recipe featured on the blog! Surprise! 

Here's a link to the Tasty Kitchen Blog page. 
Here's a link to the post on Monday, November 22, 2010. 
Here's a link to the printable recipe.

An Apron for my Girl

Don't tell my girl! She's getting a play kitchen for Christmas, and I've been sewing accessories...

a little chef apron with pockets, and 2 miniature potholders

some places to store pens, papers, and all those little treasures

tiny potholders with little fingertip pockets

Shhhhh, hide the pictures, quick! Before she sees ;)
Just in case you ever want to make your kiddo an apron, here are the measurements I used.

Book Close Outs.com

If you're in the mood to spend $35 or more on books, try BookCloseOuts.com. Free shipping for Canucks on orders of $35 or more until December 31, 2010. 

And one more perk - a $5 discount using code winnerpro-5 and password bookcloseouts.com with your $35 order, or winnerpro-10 and password bookcloseouts.com to save $10 on a $65 order. Enter and apply the discount first, and then choose $0 shipping for your shipping option.

Some suggestions:
Paperback Scratch & Dent copy for $4.49


Softcover for $5.99$5.99


$2.99     $2.99
$3.49     $3.49
Scratch & Dent Hardcover $3.49 or New $4.99
Scratch & Dent Softcover $3.49
Hardcover 2-in-1 $2.99
mass market $3.49Hardcover $3.99
Softcover $5.99


Isn't it fun to window-shop?

Easy Bias-Bound Finish for a Neckhole

Here's a tutorial for those of you who wish to reinvent the way you finish a round neckline for a garment. I have been a happier person since I started using this method for finishing my round necklines. No zippers, no buttons, no fuss!

This finish is for a simple round neckline that slips on over the head. I use the same method for child or adult, but I will give you the measurements I use for myself.

Here are my front and back necklines. Front is cut on the fold, back is cut with a seam. I use 3/8" seams. Now cut your bias strip for the binding 2 inches wide by 23.5 inches long, on the bias.

Stitch the ends together and fold the loop in half lengthwise. Press.

Find the centers and pin the binding onto the neckline on the wrong side of the fabric. (Quilters will understand why.) Sew around using 1/4 inch seam.

Clip seam. Now, fold the binding over and pin it down on the right side of the fabric. Sew the binding down right on the edge.

Press it and you're done! 

Notes: If you're not sure what length of bias binding to start with, do not sew the loop shut. Instead, start sewing it on in the back, and when you have sewn almost around, cut it off to the right length. Sew the binding shut, and then finish sewing it on. 
Remember the neckhole needs to be big enough to pull over the head. You will need to cut your pattern out at least a seam width. When using this method, the raw edge does not get turned under as when you sew on a facing; the raw edge just gets covered with a binding.

Down-Home Words from Down-Home Albertans

The snow has fallen in Alberta today but I'm still thinking fondly of warmer weather, harvest-time, the machines that are part of our life, and the good memories we make every year.

On the Combine

Brad Rempel/Paul Brandt

John Deere lunch kit and a thermos full of Kool-Aid

September harvest and I missed another school day

14 hours worth of work and dirt were lessons learned

         waist deep in those fields of gold

         7 tons of steel and a twelve-year-old

workin’ hard just to keep it in a straight line

                ...on the combine

hand-me-down overalls and an a.m. radio

try to get it right the first time and take it slow

Alabama singing “in a hurry and I don’t know why”

         black clouds and it starts to rain

         runnin’ short on time, and out of faith

nothin’ you can do but pray for the sun to shine

                ...on the combine

eighty acres and a Friday night

first date dinner in the cab beneath the moonlight

cushion on a five-gallon pail riding shotgun

         time goes by like those waves of grain

         but I remember it like yesterday

where I fell in love for the first time

                ...on the combine

every time I climb that ladder

it takes me back to things that matter

we’re still workin’ hard just to keep it in a straight line

         nothin’ you can do but pray for the sun to shine

                  where I fell in love, in love for the first time

                         ...on the combine.

                                                                

Peter Rabbit Quilt

I had a lot of fun making this quilt. I started by embroidering on blocks.

This was the fun part!

Putting it all together? I should have started out with a plan.

Always start with a plan!

So that's how it finished. I like it - but don't need it - so it's for sale here.

Now... on to better and brighter quilts!