Showing posts sorted by relevance for query home for christmas. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query home for christmas. Sort by date Show all posts

Thursday, December 5, 2013

My Daughter Wanted Something, So ...

"I have so many crochet hooks," my daughter said. "I wish I could find a case that would hold them all in order! Everything is too small, and it's such a headache to dig through the whole pile every time I want one." Then she smiled and showed me some of the lovely and fun crochet projects she's been working on for Christmas gifts.

Those might not have been her exact words, but I knew what she was really saying with that pretty smile that I can never resist. "Mom, I'm not going to ask you outright, but I really want you to make a case for my crochet hooks. Please. With sugar and cream."

Melt. Of course. Anything for my sweet daughter.

The minute I got home I headed to my sewing room and got out paper, rulers, a pencil, and a calculator. Then I sorted through my stash of fabrics and "stuff" to find what I needed.

Yes! That last little bit of tape measure fabric will do. And, it goes perfectly with this yellow and black floral that I used to make that tote and iPad holder. (For my daughter, of course.)

Oh, and here's a black button, a great zipper, and magnetic snaps. Oh, look! Skinny elastic cord! Happy, happy!

Twenty four hours later ...


As for the crochet hooks ... 




But would she like it?

There was only one way to answer that. Forget waiting till Christmas morning. I was too anxious to have her to check it out. I could alway make another, better one for her if I needed to. 

"I have something for you to look at," I said. "It's just a prototype," I said.

"What is it?" she asked, grabbing it from my hands. (Maybe I handed it to her, but grabbing sounds more interesting.) 

She immediately pulled out her crochet hooks and slipped them in the pockets. Room to spare! Then she found the little pocket and squealed! (Or, perhaps she just said something about it being perfect, but I like the idea of squealing so much better.)

"It's a prototype," I said, pulling hooks out and taking it from her. "I need to improve it for a pattern." 

"But...." Oh, those puppy dog eyes! (She really hasn't made those eyes for years, but don't those words make for a great picture?)

So, in spite of her objections, I brought the case home so I could make a pattern. I hadn't been sure about the pattern idea until I saw her reaction. Perhaps other crocheters could use something like this, too.

I changed the pocket up a bit to make it more spacious and easier to attach. I used different fabric, too. The tape measure fabric is pretty much used up, now. 

Measure, cut, mark, stitch ...

and here it is!


I hope you will like what I've done. 

Happy Stitching!!









Thursday, January 8, 2015

Alphabet Soup for Quilting

I made a set of alphabet templates last summer, but it was only after Christmas that I found time to stitch them into some sample projects. The alphabet is sized to be just right for fitting a one or two word phrase on a mug rug, but there are other projects on which  a quilter might want to use lettering.

Letters are another a fabulous way to use scraps, and using scraps fits right into my goal of trying to buy less and use more of my fabric stash this year. I'm a happy camper today.



Just a few ideas for using lettering in quilting:

Mug rugs instead of cards: I've always liked the idea of using mug rugs as a replacement for those expensive commercial throw away cards with their canned messages. I wouldn't go through this much trouble for everyone, but I would definitely do so for special friends. It really helps that mug rugs come in many, many sizes. If the words don't fit the mug rug you can enlarge or shrink the mug rug to fit the words.

I love the flexibility of words, too. A person can be so creative in how they are used. Each project becomes something totally unique and original. Whatever you make won't look like someone else's project, and I really, truly like that aspect! It's the very reason I refuse to buy kits. I don't want to make anything that's absolutely identical to something another person has made.

What can you say in a mug rug card in only one or two words? This is only the tip of the iceberg.

  • Thank you
  • Welcome Home
  • Love
  • Best Friends
  • BFF
  • Get Well
  • Good Luck
  • Graduate
  • Wedding Bells
  • It's a Boy!
  • It's a Girl!
  • Congratulations
  • Way to Go!
  • Proud of You
  • I Miss You
  • Mom
  • Dad
  • Love My Sister
  • Keep Smiling


I began my samples with a keepsake thank you card to have on hand. Just in case. You never know when you might need to give a heartfelt "thank you" to someone near and dear. It needed a bit of something else to fill in and add balance, so I made templates for a couple of flowers and a heart to go along with the letters.



I was really pleased with this first mug rug! I was on a roll, so I made a couple of personalized mug rugs for the desks of my daughter's friends. They are so different from each other and I know her office buddies will be surprised and pleased. I'll have to make a lot more name mug rugs as time permits.



Look how different all of these projects are from one another. They use letters from the same alphabet and they contain the same flowers and heart shapes, but because of length of words, the way the letters fit on the mug rug, different fabrics, and little touches, each one of these is absolutely unique. 

On two mug rugs I used contrasting thread for outlining the letters, but I used matching thread on one. The flower in the thank you project has a contrasting center, but the centers of the flowers in the other mugs are made with spiral machine stitching.

The letters on one mug rug were made with charm square solids and they looked a bit plain. Judy is a short name, so I used only upper case letters to fill more space, but the larger letters gave me an opportunity to dress them up with embroidered running stitches. 



Ideas for using lettering are popping my head one after another! I'll need to make more little picture templates to fit some of these thoughts very soon. Flowers and hearts aren't right for everything or for everyone.

Signs! Anything can be labeled.

This is just a starter list.
  • My Sewing Room
  • Jacob's Room (substitute any name)
  • The Boss (That could be a cute mug rug, too.)
  • Do Not Disturb
  • Welcome
  •  Chores, or To Do (Great on a bulletin board.) 

Quilts.

There is no end to words you might add to quilts. You could personalize a baby quilt, put a title at the top or along the side of a quilt, or add a word or phrase in one of the blocks. If the letters are too small they can easily be enlarged to fit onto a bigger project. 

You needn't stop with my alphabet templates. There are many sets of letters of different styles to be found if you look for them. 

Happy Stitching!!









Saturday, December 26, 2015

Fuzzy Comforts and Christmas Spaghetti with a Secret Ingredient

It's the day after Christmas and all is quiet in our house, exactly the opposite from yesterday's wonderful hustle and bustle, laughter and cookie snitching. The family began arriving around 9:30 in the morning and stayed for the entire day. We started with breakfast and ended with our famous Christmas spaghetti dinner. (The recipe is below.) We were too full of cookies and good food to have any interest in dessert. I am truly blessed.

We are in no danger of being cold this winter. My son dressed us all in matching fleece jackets, and I handed out five warm fleecy robes. Yes, they were finished, and with time to spare!


There is nothing that needs doing today. Such a luxury! I've spent the whole day lounging in my chair reading the latest Inspector Gamache novel by Louise Penny, and I have no intention of doing anything more energetic than that.

Christmas Spaghetti Sauce With Meatballs 
(and a secret ingredient)


I was so busy enjoying my family that I forgot to take photos of our dinner table. The spaghetti was served with fettuccini and accompanied by lots of fresh veggies and warm garlic bread.

This is a large recipe. There were seven of us, and I made a full crockpot of sauce so that there would be plenty left to send home with everyone.

Once again, the measurements for ingredients are close estimates, but not exact. I don't usually measure at all, but I let my taste guide the proportions. I made the sauce the day before Christmas, then reheated it and added the secret ingredient on Christmas day.

Meatballs
I don't add herbs or spices to the meatballs because they absorb their flavor from the sauce as it simmers.
  • 3 pounds ground beef
  • 2 medium onions
  • salt and pepper to taste

  1. Chop the onions in a food processor or grate them.
  2. Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. 
  3. Shape into balls. I made the meatballs about 2 inches in diameter, but smaller is fine.
  4. Brown the meatballs. 
  5. Refrigerate until needed.
Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 6 - 8 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 1 bunch (about 1 cup)  of fresh parsley, chopped fine, or 2 tablespoons dried
  • 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 sweet green pepper, diced
  • 1/2 sweet red pepper, diced
  • 3 or 4 baby carrots, grated
  • 4 cups cooked, chopped tomatoes (I used tomatoes that I had prepared and frozen during the summer, but canned is fine.)
  • 2 small cans of tomato sauce (8 oz)
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (This will add flavor and thicken the sauce at the same time.)
  • 3 or 4 cups of water 
  • salt and pepper to taste
The Secret Ingredient
  • 1 - 3 oz. Bristol Cream Sherry (Another high quality cream sherry would do, but don't use cooking sherry or dry sherry.)  
1. In a heavy skillet, fry the onions in the olive oil until they are golden brown.
2. Add the garlic, parsley, and basil to the pan. Continue frying on medium low heat until the herbs are wilted.


 3. Add the peppers grated carrots. Fry for another minute or two. 



4. Pour the contents of the pan into a crockpot. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushroom soup, salt and pepper. Stir until blended.

5. Add enough water to give the sauce a nice consistency - not too thick, but not watery.
6. Place the meatballs in the pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or more. This can simmer all day if you like.
7. About ten minutes before serving pour an ounce or two of the cream sherry into the sauce. Stir and taste. More sherry can be added if you like, but be careful not to overwhelm the the other flavors with the sherry. The sherry should sweeten the sauce a bit with a unique, but subtle fragrance and flavor.

Enjoy!



Now, to get back to my book. I love this series!!































Saturday, October 11, 2014

The "Home" Quilt Along quilt top is done!

I am really excited about the way this little mystery wall hanging has turned out!  I do hope you like it as much as I do.

Thank you, everyone, for contributing your ideas as we designed and made this together!



This project was more than a bit scary for me!  I was as much in the dark about the finished product as the brave, faithful folks who bought the block patterns and stitched them up without knowing what the end result would be.

What if it turned out to be a disaster? What if everyone hated it?

What if... what if... what if ....


What ifs counted for more than one sleepless night. But now it's done!
Well, except for the finishing, but that will come later.

The Layout

The final layout that I settled on uses narrow (3/8") dark borders around the blocks to make them pop and wider soft green sashing to pull all of my colors together. Any two colors that bring out the best in your blocks will be wonderful.

I arranged and rearranged the blocks at least a dozen times. In the end, I balanced shapes, sizes, and colors in the best way I could. If you are making this, your block arrangement may be very different, and that is just fine! Who wants a quilt that's identical to everyone else's?

Then came the math. Oh my goodness!
All of those fractions!


Measure, measure, calculate, calculate.
Sew, write, check for errors - I thought I'd never get it right!
Thank goodness that part is done!

I've posted the layout pattern on Craftsy as a free pattern. If you like the layout, you could also use it with any other blocks of the sizes in this quilt. You might use some of my blocks and toss in some of your favorite blocks from here and there. Why not? We quilters are all creators of art, and art is definitely personal.

I said that the finishing will come later. I need to sandwich the top, batting, and backing, then quilt and bind. Sometimes waiting is a good thing! Do you see me smiling?

This quilt is pretty large for quilting on my little sewing machine, but I plan to get a new machine with a wider throat space within the next couple of months. Not a long arm or anything that fancy, but a machine with a 16" throat space so my quilts won't be quite so squished when I work on them. If all goes as planned, this will be my Christmas gift!

That's why I'm smiling!

When I have the new machine set up "Home" will be the very first quilting project.

Wishing all of you happy stitching and a very happy home!

And, please send me photos! I'll add them to the Quilt Along Photos page at the top of this blog. Can't wait to see what you do with this!




Thursday, January 12, 2017

New Mug Rugs for Valentine's Day

The February hearts pattern is named "Love". The design was such a struggle in the beginning, but once I got my head together, I had so much fun that I found it hard to stop making little variations. 

I do like to mix things up a bit, so I designed this pattern in a reverse style of applique. The more common method would be for the  smaller shapes to be appliqued on the top of the he heart. Here, the heart is made with cutouts that let the contrast fabrics peek through from underneath. 


From the beginning, I wanted this pattern to be versatile, and I had planned to make two mug rugs in different fabric combinations. 

I stitched up the first mug rug in red and black because it's always a striking combination. My granddaughter dropped by for lunch yesterday, and this one that went home with her.


I wondered how the pattern would look in softer colors, so I made another mug rug. My mother would have like this combination of fabrics.


And then my eyes fell on this newly purchased piece sticking out of a basket that sat on the other end of my cutting table.

 
I don't know about you, but my self control goes out the window in fabric stores. There are so many fabrics depicting items used in sewing, but I couldn't resist this piece. I may turn it into a tote, but the options are endless. It became the inspiration for a new design idea to use in the valentine pattern, one for those who love to sew. With the little sewing machine placed in the corner, it will make up beautifully in any favorite fabric.

This one is all mine!
The little sewing machine takes up quite a bit space, so I shrunk the word "love" and embroidered it by hand. I also switched up thread colors on the heart applique for a very different look.
I love how the contrasting thread "pops" against the black of the heart.

A lot of my friends have other loves. Like cats. My cat loving friends go all glassy eyed over anything showing cats.


I had to tear myself away from making more designs, but there is a B.O.M. quilt waiting for it's turn to be made. That's a first priority right now.

Oh, a little helpful hint. If you do a lot of applique, I strongly recommend that you get an applique pressing sheet. With that you can press large sections of applique pieces together before placing anything on fabric. It really does simplify things.

I'm sure there must be others, but this one by Bear Thread works beautifully for me.


I've made some progress on the goals I set last week. Four are checked off, two are left, but I still have the weekend to work on them.
 
 1. Finish the heart mug rug pattern.
       2. Design several smaller blocks and a couple of larger sections for the 2017 B.O.M.
✔  3. Give book talks introducing 10 books to four classes of fifth grade at my former school.
       4. Try a new cornbread recipe. 
✔  5. Cook up a batch of "un-stuffed" cabbage rolls. (Disappointing recipe.)
✔  6. Take down the Christmas tree.

I wouldn't mind snow, but we've been getting ice, and more is predicted over the next several days.

Stay safe!







Sunday, January 3, 2021

New Year, New Plans

Don't be surprised if you see an abundance of house themed projects in my pattern shop and on my Facebook page this year. There will be houses on quilts, houses on mug rugs, and projects for things to use inside our new house.

I definitely have houses on my mind. There's a reason for that. My daughter is building a new house for the two of us this year. We are so excited! For well over a year, we've been working together to come up with a plan that suits us both, and now it will all come together.  We'll have shared spaces and private spaces, and I'll have a lovely sewing area.


 
         

The photo shows our little bit of Nebraska prairie. It's in a newer development on the edge of town. The trees are on a farm that lies across the street from us. We're hoping to see deer, rabbits, and goodness knows what other wildlife.

Culling the excess in my house is underway. We knew this was coming, so we had two garage sales this summer, and I took several car loads to City Mission. I worked in my sewing room this past week after Christmas. Downsizing is hard. I've lived here for 30 years, and it will take me many months to go through everything in this house and decide what to keep, what to let go, and what to replace with new.

For now, we are staying home and playing it safe as we wait for the vaccine that should help make 2021 a better year than last.  

Fingers crossed!

 




Monday, January 14, 2019

The Empty Chair, Part 4: A Year Gone By


This week marks a full year since my dear man has been gone. So many things have changed. I still miss him every day, but I'm gradually adjusting. I think the hardest part has been the silence. I've been running the television or playing the radio all day long, just for background noise.

Life has changed in so many ways, but this next year will be one of happier adjustments. Something is in the works.  I always knew I'd married a stubborn man, and there are moments that leave me wondering. 

I mentioned in an earlier blog that Fred was adamant that I not live alone. My grandchildren moved next door in March. Everything fell together so suddenly after his passing, that I questioned if Fred had a hand in it all. I've so enjoyed having those sweet, young people so close by. It's been wonderful, but not exactly what Fred wanted. In those last weeks, he insisted that I should live in the same house with one of our children.  He worried that I'd fall, or get sick, and no one would be here to help me. He had the same concerns for our daughter, who has been living on her own for several years. Fred thought we should be together under one roof. There was just one problem. Mandy has been living over an hour's drive from me and working in Omaha.

Then, just before Christmas, a position in Lincoln suddenly opened up. Mandy applied, and job was hers. Her transfer took effect last week, and she'll be moving back to Lincoln as soon as her house sells. It will go on the market in March when winter begins to bow out. In the meanwhile, Mandy is staying with me during the week, and going home on weekends. While she's working, I have the company of her two little dogs, Watson and Willow. They are delightful, and my house isn't quiet unless they're sleeping. Puppies during the day, a daughter in the evenings. What could be better?

After the sale of her house, Mandy will find a house in Lincoln. She says that her dad won't let her rest until she finds something with enough space for both of us and the pups. She also won't settle for anything that doesn't have well lighted studio space where she can paint and I can sew.

This is all quite exciting. I'm truly looking forward to the coming year.

Nap time for Watson and Willow
Change is inevitable, so I wish all of us a year filled with love, happiness, and only those changes that bring joy.
















Thursday, December 26, 2013

"Come Into My Parlor"


"Will you walk into my parlour? said the Spider to the Fly,
'tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy;
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've many curious things to shew when you are there."

from "The Spider and the Fly" by Mary Howitt



My daughter likes spiders.
Honestly.
She really does like spiders!

When she was a little girl she was afraid of all kinds of flying and crawling "bugs", spiders included. I really tried to teach her that most of these critters were completely harmless, but after the experience of sitting on a bee when she climbed into a small tree, it was pretty much a lost cause.  It didn't help that she has a severe reaction to mosquito bites, as well.

Somehow, though, she could appreciate a spider as an artist. She was fascinated by the symmetry and beauty of delicately spun webs. She also liked the idea that spiders got rid of creepy, scary insects.


And then came the experience with wolf spiders. 
Scary looking creatures, aren't they?

Wolf spiders sometimes come indoor as weather turns cold. As autumn approached we noticed that our house had absolutely no insects anywhere - nothing. Not a fly, not a cricket, not even the little spiders that like to hide their webs in corners and on ceilings. Nice! 

And then we found the wolf spiders. A pair of them had found a home in our basement. They were calm, and pretty much harmless as long as you didn't try to pick one up, so we kept them as pets. They lived in our basement for over a year, rarely seen, but working hard for their keep. 

So, my daughter likes spiders. That's why I made this mug rug for her for Christmas. 


Oh, do come into my parlor!

Happy Stitching!!







Thursday, June 4, 2015

July Table Topper Tutorial. Variation of Disappearing Nine-Patch


Fabric requirements, templates, and layouts for various sizes of quilts from this pattern can be found in this free patttern on my Craftsy pattern page. 
http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/quilting/home-decor/july-table-topper/148120

I'm all ready for July with this super quick 26" x 26" table topper. It was so much fun to whip up, and I absolutely love that bright red, white, and blue palette.

There aren't many designs as versatile as a disappearing nine-patch, but with just a bit of careful fabric placement this one begs for applique. I can see it in so many color schemes and absolutely any applique template can be used: autumn leaves, cat silhouettes, flowers, hearts, Christmas stocking ... anything at all that suits you.




Instructions:
Use 1/4" seam allowances throughout. 

Make four blocks.

1. For each block, arrange three 5" x 5" red squares, four 5" x 5" white squares, and one 5" x 5" blue square as shown here. Sew into three rows of three. 


2. Measure 2 1/4" in from the seams of the center rows. Cut straight down the middle. Then straight across the middle horizontally, again measuring 2 1/4" from the seams of the center rows.


3.  Rearrange the four segments of the block as shown, and sew together. 


4. Arrange the blocks as shown below. Sew together.



In this photo the quilt shows a quarter turn clockwise. 


 Appliqued Stars

Make four large stars and five small stars.
Large stars are approximately 5" tall and the small stars are 3".

1. Trace the star templates onto the paper side of the fusible web. Cut around the template leaving about 1/4" margin. 

2. Place the fusible web onto the wrong side of the blue star fabric and iron onto the fabric according to the instructions for your fusible web.

3. Cut the applique out, remove the paper from the fusible web and arrange onto the quilt top. Press to fuse onto the fabric.



4. Stitch the applique to the quilt top by hand or with a machine zig-zag stitch. I used a machine blanket stitch.

Finish
Make a quilt sandwich of the quilt top, batting, and backing. Quilt as desired. Bind, and it's done.




Happy Stitching!






Wednesday, March 2, 2016

"Martha's Roses" and How to Make Fusible Bias Tape

The spring table topper is finished! . When I made that big center block, I wasn't at all sure how I'd use it, but I'm really pleased with how this table topper turned out. I've named it "Martha's Roses" after my mother.

"Martha's Roses" (21 ¾” x 21 ¾”)
Mother was an avid gardener, one of those who had plant magic in her fingers. Her garden was filled with flowers, and pink roses were her favorite. From the moment I designed the appliques, this became my mother's piece.

Last fall I worked with fusible bias tape on a stained glass quilt, "First Christmas". It made attaching the bias tape so easy! I had a particular fabric in mind for the bias tape stems on "Martha's Roses", so the commercial tape wasn't going to work at all. How hard could it be to make fusible tape from my chosen fabric?

Turns out it wasn't hard at all!

Homemade fusible bias tape on "Martha's Roses"

I rarely use commercially made bias tape anymore. It's expensive and the colors and widths available are really limited. If you have bias tape makers in various widths, the task is easy, but I prefer the flexibility of making bias tape of any size with simple tools.

Make bias tape.
No bias tape maker necessary.


You will need a hera marker, a straight quilt ruler, and a flat surface for this. Hera markers are inexpensive and readily available almost anywhere that quilting supplies are sold. I bought this one made by Clover for less than $5.00. 

1. Cut bias strips 1/2" wider than the width you need for your finished tape. The tape used on "Martha's Roses" is 1/4" wide, so I cut the strips 3/4" wide. 


2. Longer sections of tape can be made by sewing strips together exactly like you would sew strips of bias binding. 

Place strips at right angles.              Sew with a 1/4" seam. Press open.                  Clip triangle "ears".


 3. When your bias strip is ready, lay it on a flat surface (I use my cutting mat.) with the wrong side facing up. Place your ruler so that it is 1/4" in from one long side of the bias strip. Mark by sliding the round end of your hera marker firmly along the edge of the ruler. The hera marker will crease the fabric and it will fold easily along the crease. Repeat on the other long side of the strip.


4. Finger press the edges down, then take the bias strip to your ironing station. Using your thumb and a forefinger, gently fold the two edges toward each other. Press the edges in and down with a hot iron.

5. The tape is now ready to use. You can use quilt basting glue to hold it in position on your quilt top, or you can make it fusible. 

 Add fusible web to the tape.

1. Slice strips of fusible web ever so slightly narrower than your bias tape. I found that it was easier to work with short sections of fusible web. Lay the fusible web, paper side up, on the bias tape. Iron to fuse to the tape in place.


2. When the paper is removed from the fusible web, the bias tape can easily be shaped and positioned in place with an iron.

 
3. Stitch the edges of the bias tape with a narrow zigzag stitch or with a straight stitch.

Other examples of bias tape made with a hera marker: 

1/2" bias tape was used on "Spring Table Runner".

5/8" bias tape was used on the ruffle of this apron. 
(I have not made a pattern for this apron.)

Happy Stitching!!