Camping: S'mores

You're probably thinking, any fool knows how to make s'mores ... why would someone post on a blog about it?  Just wait, you're gonna love this!  I use Ghirardelli Squares to make my s'mores.  They are the perfect size to fit on the graham and they come in all kinds of flavors!  Now - aren't you glad I posted about something as simple as s'mores?  Try your favorite flavor the next time you enjoy sitting by the fire....

Grilled Zucchini Panini

It's summertime again, and the garden is in full swing. 

I don't know if this is technically a Panini, but gosh it's just so fun to say, try it... Zucchini Panini.

Ok, so it's almost embarrassing how simple this is.  Split a torta roll (Costco) in half, drizzle with olive oil.  Drizzle both sides of the zucchini slices with olive oil, then top with salt and pepper.  Place both pieces of the torta roll cut side down on a grill.  Lightly brown/toast the bread, remove and put a slice of Havarti on each piece of bread.  Grill both sides of the zucchini, place on the bread, put the sandwich on the grill for minute or two to heat through.  

What a wonderful seasonal treat.  This would make a great pairing with salad or soup.  If I had some fresh pesto or a good pepper jelly I might have added one of those.... what would you add?

~ Enjoy ~

Log Cabin Tote Bag

More and more I find myself trying to come up with homemade gift ideas for birthdays and special occasions.  Now that I'm getting more confidence in my sewing skills and willing to try new things, it's a little easier.  I have a friend that knits and I really enjoy all the things she has made for me, so I know homemade stuff makes a great gift.

One of the teachers I've supported the last 2 years just had a milestone birthday so I decided to make her a tote bag.  What girl doesn't like a good selection of bags??  I used beautiful batik fabrics - they make everything look richer and deeper with their wonderful colors and patterns.  I followed a pattern from AllPeopleQuilt.com.

I love having sewing gal pals to bounce ideas off of.  Deanna helped me pick the fabric colors, and Dionne and Judi gave me the button closure idea.  The pattern doesn't call for a closure so it had to be done after the fact.  I made a skinny strip of fabric and since it couldn't be installed between the lining and bag without taking it apart, I tied the ends and put beads on so it would look like a decorative addition.  I used 2 different colored beads because of the two tone log cabin.  Since I haven't met a girl yet that doesn't like a little bling, I added the jewels along the bottom edge of the blue as well.  I think it really finished the bag off and made a big difference in the final outcome.


I have a confession to make: every time I walked by the bag I couldn't help but admire it.  It was probably the sparkles... they make everything better!

I was going to put homemade cookies in the bag, but ran out of time to bake them.  I put my favorite historical fiction novel in, "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet".  A friend from England said whenever they gift a bag or purse they always put a coin in for good luck.  I found one from her birth year and added that too.

Happy Birthday Nicole!

~ Enjoy ~

Sewing Room 1.2

 If you've been following the blog for awhile, you'll remember in September 2012 I cleaned out a room that had essentially been junk storage and made it into my sewing room.  For new readers, or those that don't remember, click here to see the post.


As I've been using the room, I discovered that it would be nice to put some sort of hard floor in.  Whenever I try to zoom across the room in my chair, it would flop instead of roll, pins were hard to find, and no matter how often I vacuum, whenever a project touched the floor it would come up with lint, thread or hair on it. 

I recently had a milestone birthday and my mom flew in to celebrate.  Her gift to me was laminate wood floors.  It really stressed me out taking the room apart, but I knew it was all for the greater good.  My husband worked so hard on this project.  The carpet and pad came out pretty easy, he sanded the floors and away we went.

Voila, the finished product!  Dionne and I have already roll tested the floor and it works perfect.  I think it totally changes the look of the room and I love it!

Mug Rug #4: Beach Huts

At Christmas I considered making my sister's husband a mug rug to go with his bag of coffee.  She didn't think he would get much use out of it, but said she would love one for her desk.  I told her that one day I would send her a little surprise in the mail.  Well, today is that day.

I wanted to make her something that would remind her of the beach while at work so she could take a little mental vacation now and then.  This mug rug measures 7.5" x 9.5" and features 2 little beach huts (one for each of us), an umbrella, and a kite. 

Hope you like it Carrie!  Love you...

~ Enjoy ~

Merry Merry Snowman Block 6

I might be on a record here ... two M.M.S. blocks done in one month!  Three more blocks to go.  I think I could actually finish this by summer!  The very bottom strip I cut just slightly too small.  I'll have to make up my boo boo in the seam allowance when I piece the blocks together.  I really need to practice what I preach: measure twice, check directions twice, cut once.

There are embellishments that go on the snowman, the top present, and their hats after quilting is done.  Such fun.  :)

~ Enjoy ~

Fabric Basket #1

I saw a tutorial online for fabric baskets used to stuff with gifts.  It gave me an idea to make one I could keep next to the machine for small scraps and thread pieces.  I'm one of those sewers that clips my start and end threads after each seam.  The outer fabric matches my sewing room curtains, I have to be careful not to make and/or cover everything in sight with it, I love it that much.  The inner fabric is a coordinating piece.

I used a heavy duty interfacing so I could ensure it would stand up rigidly... I didn't want the sides collapsing at all.  I might use a slightly softer interfacing next time, or mix them with the more rigid one on the sides of the basket and a less rigid at the bottom.  I noticed the bottom of my fabric basket bows out just a little from the bulk of the interfacing.



This was a test basket so I went pretty quick and wasn't very careful.  I do plan to make more, so I'll do my own tutorial someday when I've got it just the way I want it.  But for now ... isn't it cute?!?  Thanks to Pam from the Threading My Way blog for posting her tutorial!

Tray table ironing board

 

We used to use these tray tables in our travel trailer, but now we don't need them in there.  My husband has one in our bedroom to put all of his 'stuff' (keys, wallet, phones, etc) and I decided to use the other as an ironing table that I could keep next to me while sewing.

The bottom layer is insul-brite, and that is covered by ironing board fabric.  I stapled those layers on the underside.  All the tutorials show stapling the cover fabric as well, but I wanted it to be removable for washing (or changing my mind on fabric colors).  I cut a rectangle, and stitched a pocket all the way around.  Originally I wanted elastic, but didn't make it quite big enough for that.  I found some kitchen twine and put that into my pocket as a drawstring and it worked like a charm.  I got a mini iron perfect for the tray table and use it to press seams as I go.

There aren't photos step by step on this one, but my husband wants a cover for his table so I'll do tutorial photos with that one.

 

Merry Merry Snowman Block 5

Finally finished block 5 of the Merry Merry Snowman quilt.  Four more to.  At this pace I might actually finish it before Christmas! 

I've decided there's a little more hand stitching than I enjoy doing ... but I'm loving all the applique designs.  This is a fun quilt and I look forward to seeing it all put together.

Rice Bag Covers

I've made things for a local vet in the past; it's sew fun getting the animal fabrics and learning new techniques for making unusual things.  The most recent item they needed was rice bag covers.  They put rice in IV bags, and warm those up when heat applications are needed (genious!).  They wanted covers that would be thick enough so the animal wouldn't get too much heat, but thin enough that the warmth would transfer through. 

I was on a mission.  First I needed to find the right combination of fabrics, then I had to learn the best way to make the bag.  I hadn't ever made a bag before, so this was new territory for me.  My first try was fleece, but then I thought of all the times I'd worn that on a breezy day and the cold came right through.  Next idea was flannel, but that's too thin.  Then I started thinking about sweatshirt fleece with a cotton novelty, and after a quick conversation with Dionne, she agreed.

I brought a test bag by the hospital, and we put a warmed rice bag in.  They insulate very well so there isn't a risk of burning the animal, they hold that heat nicely, and they are soft and cushioney.  I made these so there aren't any exposed seams.  Technically they are reversible, but the velcro tab closure is only on the fleece.  The velcro keeps the bag from falling out, also eliminating the risk of burning an animal.

In the end I learned a few new things, helped the vet make their patients more comfortable, and had fun doing it!

~ Enjoy ~