Snip-It!!

I took a class on how to make this nifty little gadget last week! It is a pin cushion and trash bag to sit next to your sewing machine! I always put my pins in my mouth as I sew (BAD-I know!) and drop my threads on the floor. This solves both problems. It was easy to make! I sent one to my "Take Time to Relax" swap partner because she likes to sew. Most of the time I find sewing relaxing! So here are the directions:

You need: (You will have enough to make 2)

3/8 yard fabric for outer bag

3/8 yard fabric for lining

1 yard thin boning

sand or rice (we used desert sand from Lowes garden area)

Directions:

1. Cut:

rectangle 17.5" X 10" of outer fabric and same of lining for bag

rectangle 6.5" X 8.5" of outer fabric and same of lining for pin cushion

rectangle 4" X 6" of one fabric for strap

(Since I already made one from this fabric -I found that I did not have a big enough piece for the outer pin cushion so I had to make a seam and sew two pieces together to get a 6.5 X 8.5". Then I used a piece of muslin to make the lining piece.)

2. Fold strap and sew seam (sew with 1/4" seam) -Leave ends open. Turn right side out.

3. Stack pin cushion fabrics (2 layers to keep sand from leaking) . Center strap on 6.5" side of right side of fabric.

Fold. Sew through all layers on 2 sides. Leave end open.

Turn right side out.

4. With outer fabric for bag- Fold and sew seam in side and bottom. Leave top open.

OK- the next part is a little tricky! Make square corners by sewing across the corners of the bottom of the bag -2 inches from corners (see pictures)

5. Repeat #4 with bag lining fabric, except leave a 3 inch hole in the side seam to be able to turn the bag.

6. Center strap on seam of right side of outer bag.

7. Put lining (right sides together) inside outer bag. Match seams. Sew around the top. Pull outer fabric through hole in lining to turn right side out.


8. Sew along the top edge of bag. Sew a second line 1/2" down to make casing for boning. Leave a 1" hole to thread boning through. Cut boning 18". Use hole in lining to put boning between outer bag and lining. Thread boning in casing. It will overlap itself. Sew 1" hole closed.

9. Fill pinchusion with sand. Hand sew opening.

10. Hand sew opening in lining.

DONE!!

He Promised Me a Rose Garden....

When we were dating DH sent me lots of roses. So many that I was a little afraid that he was getting some kind of kickback from the local florist or that he was going in debt to win me over! It worked. But the real clincher was that he promised that if I wanted a rose garden that he would plant one! Over the years I've had several bushes that barely cling to life, but, he still indulges me!

This weekend he planted these Knockout Roses on our hillside landscape project. I have been told that they are drought resistant and grow quickly in our area. I sure hope so!

I am not sure what these are...??? A friend gave me these to root last fall. She said they look tropical and will spread. I can take cuttings in the fall and root more. I'll have to ask her the name again. She has them around her pool and they will help screen the area.

And here is the Great Wall...complete with junipers and pine straw. Now if we could just have a little warm weather we will spend every possible moment out here!

My Stressful Week and Relaxing Treat

My family knows to stay out of my way when I have a dentist appointment coming up. I'm such a baby.... My dentist's mother used to have to come to my car and bring me in....then sit with me...holding my hand and giving me Kleenex. Now he just gives me a "happy" pill to take an hour before I go. But, that does not help my family the week before I go! I try to stay very, very busy!!! So Tuesday I had a sewing lesson, followed by a shopping trip, then I came home to find this...

My "Take time to Relax" swap gift!!! I was not very relaxed at this point so I decided to save it for my after dentist reward! I had to earn it!

Wednesday I went to the dentist and slept the rest of the day....after effects of the happy pill???? or relief that it was over???

This morning I remembered the box!!! Yay!!! Just look at the goodies!

A handmade tote (more about that later)...new magazines (for the bathtub- later) and the most wonderful Amish Cinnamon Bread!!!!

Here you see the bread (2 pieces missing) that will not last to see another morning once the Kids get home. I sat down and ate the two pieces like a wild animal- remember I had no solid food yesterday- It was so good! Thank you so much Amanda! You really made my day!!! Your box is on the way- I had to finish something at my sewing class Tuesday!

And the tote- so cute- when I went to my sewing class I couldn't find my old "teacher" bag to carry my supplies in. So I carried them in a Wal-Mart bag! Oh the shame! I hid it under the table! And the door prize was a cute little sewing tote.....I didn't win...So this will be my official Sewing Class Tote Bag! Love it!

One more thing- Karma- my fear of the dentist has made it full circle! Son #2 has just announced his engagement. He will be married in December -TO MY DENTIST'S DAUGHTER!!!!!! Truly-she is lovely and I am so excited for them!

Hand Bags!

Oh! How I love them! But not the $$$$$ ones, cause I do not want to feel guilty if I don't carry it all the time or if it is out of style but not worn out! I usually carry a small bag because I tend to keep stuffing things in it and never clean them out until I change purses. I have many handmade purses from my custom bag making days and several that have pugs on them. Random tagged me to show off my current bag.

1. Take a picture. This is the bag I carried yesterday and have not switched it out today. I wore a bright pink dress to church with black shoes...so.....

2. Tell how much it cost. My SIL gave it to me for Christmas -so I don't know. But, I love it even if she didn't buy it at a thrift store! I usually don't buy thrift store purses because I HAVE to wash previously loved items before I can use them!!!! But, I do LOVE a sale purse like Random got!!!

3. What is in it? Glasses, keys, wallet, change purse, brush, envelope of cat food coupons, 2 coupon booklets -Proctor and Gamble and Target, pen, church bulletin, Kleenex, cell phone, and a Ziploc of paint and fabric samples

See what I mean??? I stuff things in it!!!

4. Tag others- Open season on this! Anyone who wants to play - show your stuff! I am tagging Lucky to Be Me - because she is new at this and I want to know if she is carrying the Purple People Eater at the beach!

Back in the Backyard

The weather was beautiful this weekend! We spent every moment out in the backyard. The Dining Room Project took the backseat so we could make the most of the sunny days!Last summer we ran out of energy and time on the pool landscape - so we put hay on this hill and left it for one of this year's outside projects.

Two trips to Home Depot, 224 cement retaining wall blocks, and 2 days hard labor. Each block weighs 22 pounds! I am really sore tonight - but we have a wall!

The hardest part was laying the base row level , a job for DH. The youngest boy, his friend and I unloaded the blocks. After that the wall went up pretty fast...until we ran out of blocks.

Blue rug juniper ready to be planted on the hill. Today, after church, we went back for more blocks. We finished the wall and put down landscape fabric. I'll take a picture of the finished wall when we plant the junipers.

This week I finished a sewing project for the backyard. The patio swing got a face lift. Here is the before picture of the canopy....

Pretty bad, huh? Well ...after 10 years outside....pierced by tree limbs...covered with sap, pollen....faded by the sun...

The cushions had been slip covered once, they don't look so bad- but I could not find any green outdoor fabric to match them.

And here is the after... I'm happy with it now...but I know it will show more dirt than the floral print did!

The canopy was much harder to get to fit the frame than I thought it would be. It needed to be tight and I made it too tight. I had to add some extra pieces to get it to fit. I hope it lasts a while because I think that we will have to just get a new swing next time!!!

The peach trees are blossoming. Last year we had a late cold snap and only had 1 peach! We did build a raised garden bed behind the pool last fall - so the tomato and pepper plants went in today! Not sure yet what else will go in there- summer squash and maybe some okra!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

There are not many St. Pat's decorations around our house! Perhaps I will have to visit Hobby Lobby for some good sales and add to the collection! The "Pug Flag of the Month"

Beanie Baby, the sign that used to hang on my classroom door, thrift store egg cup and ceramic egg with shamrocks.

And my favorite- leprechaun mug- another thrift store find! I would love to add more to this collection but they are too $$$$ on ebay!!!

Thrift Store Thursday

Since I am working tomorrow - I felt that I better take advantage of my freedom today! And since my thrift store buddy is still at the beach - I had to go by myself! This is not good. I can control my impulse buying more easily if I can see her spend money..... Oh, well .....I'm still too cheap to spend much!!!Here's my loot:
milk glass bud vase
Haeger Pottery Candlestick
hand painted shabby blue tin
4 Johnson Brothers ironstone bread and butter dishes
4 matching cereal bowls
pink ribbon
paper Christmas house
2 silver plate shell napkin rings
Small World book (for scrapbooking)
empty wooden frame
2 old framed prints of pocket watches

These are really vintage looking -

Love the shape of these plates. I have gotten very addicted to white ironstone from reading blogs. When I came home and looked at the price of these online-I was shocked at what a good deal they were! Too bad there were only a few of them!
These napkin rings still had the Dillard's tags on them- but I doubt they only cost $.29 !!!
Close up of the tin- I can always use more sewing notion storage!

They always wrap the dishes in T-shirts at the thrift shop. I keep some for DH to wear for yard work and take the rest back for them to reuse. Today I got a Thomas the Train shirt.....If his Mom would bring him home I would give it to him!!!!

Black and White

I love old black and white photos! I really like new ones, too, but the old ones are the best! I have them sitting here and there around my house. Some of my pictures are not even family. I am guilty of bringing home old photos from a thrift store, making up stories about them and pretending they are family. The other day my picture cut off some of the black and whites I have in that picture holder thingie.

If you guessed that was my Mom -you are right . The picture above is 3 generations- me in high school, Mom, and my Grandma B,

And here is my brother- about age 10ish and my Dad- very young- because I have no memory of that hair on top of his head!

And here we have my Dad's Mom and all of her sisters. She is the shortest one- which is another example of the apple not falling far from the tree! I would guess this is late 50's or early 60's at a family reunion. My guess is that the order of the sisters is K,V,E,D,M,W...am I right, Mom?

Paper Mache Eggs - How To

I had to replace some eggs on Etsy after I made my first sale! I made this set to hang on the tree.

Or they could nestle in some grass!

Gather all of the supplies- OK - it looks like a lot of stuff! But most of this stuff I had from other projects! Whenever I find cute napkins or tissue paper I save them for projects. I buy eggs after Easter for nothing.

I glue gunned the ribbon on the end of the eggs before I covered them with paper mache ( torn up Viva and wallpaper paste). Then dry.

Tear up napkin and sort by color. You can mix it up if you want- be creative!

Use wallpaper paste to glue on napkins. I do about 1/2 then dry and do the other 1/2. It is just easier to handle. If I am in a hurry I do the whole thing. It is best to let them dry on a piece of wax paper in the sun!

The last step is painting them with Mod Podge and shaking clear glitter over them to give a sugary coat! I forgot to take a picture of that!