its been nothing but potty training. (can you really do anything else?) I’ve kept my wits but it seems I’ll be doing more of the same for rest of the week.
You can do it Bron!
I am having such a great week; the weather is cooling, the kids and I are cooperating, deadlines have been met without too much stress, it’s just run so smoothly or as smooth as it can.
Last night to celebrate the passing of a deadline I sewed myself up a covered journal with pocket and matching pen.
I love the look of it but am not happy with how it feels. Apperently the quality depends on the interfacing you use. I have a variety of scraps of interfacing I’ve been using and the ones i used for this notebook just didn’t cut it.
I looked online in hopes to order some better interfacing or at least a more appropriate one for this project but quickly realized that I have no idea what to get. I know there are certain weights you use depending on the project but I have no idea which is which. The stuff I have doesn’t have a label so I have no idea what to order.
Any suggestions?
Posted in paper goods, sewing | No Comments »
Thisbe claimed this one and filled it with her front yard rock collection.
Posted in felting | 1 Comment »
I realize that I have posted that I am not much of fan of weekends. (maybe it was on the family blog) What I really should have said was I struggle with Saturdays because I love Sundays.
Since church doesn’t start till 2 we stay in our pj’s till noon, the kids play happily, or sometimes watch a movie. For about a month now Sunday morning has been relaxing and looked forward too.
Yesterday was no different but I decided to do some knitting since the kids were being so good. I’ve been wanting to make felted bowls for a while now and when I saw this post a few days ago I realized that now was the time.
I didn’t use the posted pattern but I did use two strait needles. I casted on 100 sts with Patons Classic Wool Merino on 10 1/2 needles. (got the yarn at Joanns) I worked in garter stitch for about 2 inches or so then switched to a different color. Knit 2 rows then started decreasing. For the decrease I knit 8 knit 2 together all the way across then knit the next row. Knit 7 knit 2 together across and then knit the next row. I continued in this pattern decreasing the number of knits before the decrease every other row. Then I simply sewed up the seem and felted it. (if it works I’ll write it out better in post it in free patterns)
I was a bit disipointed when I pulled it from the washer since it was a flat circle. Not willing to give up I draped it over my small sauce pan and wrapped yarn around the fluted sides, smoothing it out as I went, to give it the proper shape. (Has anyone done this before?)
My hope is that when it is dry it will retain its pan shaped shape and not open back up to a circle again but I wont know if it worked until it is dry. This morning it is very wet, especially where all the yarn is. It might be a couple more days.
I’ll let you know.
I also did a bit of sewing last night. I have a lesson that I need to prepare of a group of preschoolers and I needed a couple of bean bags. This problem was easily fixed with a rummage through the scrap box and a couple handfuls of rice.
Posted in felting, sewing | 1 Comment »
This goes for my attitude too.
I think we all need too get really frustrated every once in while. It just does something for you. A little irrational thinking and venting, some crying and then a bit more venting and then some more crying, getting it all out just seems to free your mind to see the bigger picture. Now that I’m on the other side of all that I am feeling great about my situation and loving where I am .
So, out with the old.
I have been dragging around this old wallet for at least 11 years. I don’t remember when exactly a dear friend of mine picked it up for me in Chile,(ironical it was made in Guatemala) but it was before I was married. It has spent the majority of it’s life in my back pocket. This wallet still has some life in it, despite its ragged appearance. However, I decided to break with my usual traditions and retire it before it actually dies. (I think Magnus has decided to finish it off for me)
I needed a little pick me up and there is nothing better for that then a bit of selfish sewing.
So, in with the new
I used the old wallet as a template, omitting pockets I never used. Since this was my first attempt at wallet making there are a few things I would change for next time, but in all honesty, since the wallet is very functional and the changes would only be very minor and superficial, I probably wont be making another one.
Posted in sewing | 2 Comments »
It is amazing what a good night sleep can do for a mama’s attitude. I have been wanting to take this blog to a new level and make it more personal, after all I am more than happy moments with my family and fun crafts. I have real struggles and concerns just like everyone else. So here’s to letting you in on more of the real me.
This week its been frustrations with my husband being gone, a really messy and unorganized house due to the fact that I had to do all the unpacking of all our boxes all by myself(did i put in enough alls), and the transitioning of my children into public school. The good has been: a closer relationship with my Heavenly Father and I’ve stopped being so independant and reached out to some neighbors and friends.
Now for some crafts.
I squeezed in a little time this past week. Well really I stole some but it was well worth it. I finally got to have a go at one of the projects swimming in my head.
These are those small 3×5 and 4×6 spiral notebooks. The cover is removable so if you fill the notebook you can just get another one to replace it for less than a dollar. I want to make a bigger version of these with nicer notebooks but these little guys were great for figuring out what pattern I wanted to use. I went through a few tutorial I googled but wasn’t happy with the results. I ended up combining a few and am now happy with them.
Thisbe belongs to a Keepers of the Home group (its pretty much a religious Girl Scouts) and the girls are going to learn how to sew them this week.
Posted in paper goods, sewing | 2 Comments »
Its 4 in the morning and have been up for while trying to sort out my feelings and frustrations. I have been trying to feel sorry for myself. I am after all in a new country alone with my three kids, struggling with finding the right balance in my life. But the fact is, I am not alone. With all the chaos around me I have had my rock, my Savior, next to me the whole time. Unfortunately, I have been acting very stubborn, and trying to figure out what to do on my own. This has made me very blind to the reality of my situation.
Its way too early in the morning for my brain to wrap around my situation completely but I have no doubt in my mind that I am being watched over and cared for. If I open my eyes at all I can’t help but see God’s hand in my life, and that I truly have nothing to fear.
I think I can go back to bed now.
Posted in everything else | 3 Comments »
We’ve go a new friend staying with us. He’s moist, cold, and wonderful. I don’t know how long he’s staying but I sure like him.
More details on the family blog.
Posted in Nature, family fun | No Comments »
These cookies bring back so many memories. Mostly of American Lake. Growing up our family used to go to American Lake to water ski and swim. My mom would often make these cookies for this trip. They were my absolute favorite with her sugar cookies at a close second.
The problem with these cookies is that you have to be very careful when cooking them. You cook them even 30 seconds too long or short and they just aren’t right. In an attempt to figure out the perfect cooking time I went through three batches. The problem was that my mom didn’t have how long to cook them on the recipe. In a home economics class in middle school we made these and I thought the time was about 2 minutes but every time through the years I’ve tried to make them they always came out gooey. Not that that is a bad thing, but I wanted cookies not something I needed a spoon to eat. I knew that over cooking them was bad since it burns and is not so good to eat. So, anyway, I fooled around with the time and decided that I was wrong in thinking that you only cooked them for 2 minuets but actually they needed to cook for 4.
So here is the recipe. If you try it and have success at 4 minutes let me know, maybe it’s only 4 minutes here in turkey.
No Bake Cookies
3 cups oatmeal
one large scoop peanut butter (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup cocoa
Measure out the oatmeal, peanut butter, vanilla, and set aside. It is important to have these ingredients premeasured because if you don’t your cookies will burn while you do it.
In a medium saucepan bring sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
As soon as you see the first signs of the mixture boiling start your timer. Boil for 4 minutes stirring the whole time. At 4 minutes remove from heat and quickly add premeasured ingredients stirring until combined. Again, quickly scoop out the mixture onto parchment paper . If you move too slow the cookies will harden in the pan and you’ll end up with a pan that is very hard to clean and very few cookies. The bigger the scoop the bigger the cookie. You can place them pretty close together if you want. The cookies will harden has they cool.
Enjoy
Posted in from the kitchen | 6 Comments »
I made something.
My brain has been going crazy these last two months. Wow, I cant believe I’ve only been here two months. It seems more like six. Anyway, I’ve been going crazy without a creative outlet. I’ve been trying to cope and do some gardening and some cooking, oh and I’ve rearranged our furniture in my head about 100 times in preporation for our stuff getting here. I’ve walked over to the arts and craft building and surched it’s very limited, I mean very limited supply of craft supplies many times, always coming home with nothing. They just didn’t seem to have anything that I could use. I wanted some yarn and needles or maybe some paper to make a book with or something. I would have been happy with anything other than cake decorating and beeding supplies. This place had a few and I mean like three different types of paper so I kept coming back to the book making thing. If I only could find some paper that I liked to make a cover. Thisbe had some DMC floss and I could borrow a hammer and nails from the neighbor and I bet the BX has some type of paper I could use for the pages. I surched all the local turkish stores that I dared enter, but found nothing. But the other night the light went on.
I could make my own paper for the cover. And that is what I did. I didn’t actually make the paper but painted my own design. The craft store had some nutral cardstock and a few acrilic paints. I painted on some paprika colored blobs, added some black centers and a few stipes of white. I did run into a problem with the paper. I don’t think its the best quality. Where ever I put my blobs the paper would wrinkle. I guess I applied too much paint. So this paper sat on the table for a couple of days waiting for some inspiration. Then the light went on again. Maybe I could iron out the wrinkles. That wasn’t the best idea but it did do the trick once I realized I shouldn’t have the iron so hot. So I ironed out the wrinkles and applied some black cardstock to the back of it with double sided tape and called it good for a cover.
So there you go I actually made something. The problem is that I don’t have a need for them and I strangely feel guilty making something without having a destination for it. Why cant I just make something for the sake of making it. Oh well.
Well my stuff is scheduled to get here on Tuesday so hopefully my sewing machine will be warm within a couple of days of that.
Posted in paper goods | No Comments »
I got back a couple of days ago from an awesome long weekend to the Mediterranean.
More details coming on the family blog and pics are already on Flickr.
Posted in family fun | 2 Comments »
Today to my surprise I received a shipment of fabric I ordered from Pink Chalk Fabrics. I ordered them on Wednesday or something and they arrived, here in Turkey, just a few short days later. I am so excited. I have felt a bit out of sorts here not being about to make anything. Almost desperate.
The top four fabrics are one of Kathy’s August Fields by Amy Butler Stack Pack. I haven’t dreamt up what they are for yet. The bottom three are going to be made into an Emmeline Apron.
The bad new is that my sewing machine hasn’t come yet so they just get to sit there and taunt me. The good news is that our “deliver by date” for our stuff was today so hopefully we’ll hear something soon.
Posted in sewing | 2 Comments »
No romance here. When your all done, you just leave.
Posted in Nature, photography | No Comments »
Yilankale are the first ruins we been able to explore.
Posted in photography | 2 Comments »
Hello, Is anybody out there? We made it safe and sound to Turkey a couple of weeks ago yet we are far from being settled. That won’t happen until after we get all our household stuff. Hopefully that will happen within the next month or so.
We just got Internet access today so I thought that since there won’t be any crafting for a bit I’d spend September getting organized and simply leave you some daily pics from our new surrounding.
Here are some seedpods we found on our first full day here. The first, Magnus is sure has power. I found the second ones interesting because the look like round pine cones.
Posted in Nature, photography | 2 Comments »
I didn’t end up having time take some pics but now that the movers have come and gone I do have a bit of time. I don’t have computer access anymore at my house but right now at my mom’s (where we will be spending a lot of time until the move) there is, so I snapped some shots. They are a bit washed out. I have been having some frustrations with my camera lately. I really need to read the manual and learn how to use it. I wish that I would have left it out instead of forgetting about it and letting it get packed, not to be seen again until late September with the bulk of our stuff. Oh well.
This is what I like to call the back. It was sort of fashioned after Denyse Scmidt’s A day at the beach only with a wider stripe. (I didn’t have enough peacock blue to make a small stripe, but I like how it turned out)
This is what I would call the front
I got the three block inspiration from here and the color inspiration from here. To piece the blocks i used this tutorial except I used different sized strips instead of only one size.
The binding was done in espresso with a corner of Amy Butler. It was quilted with the dark brown tread again.
I think my crafting time is over until I get to Turkey so I think I will say good-bye on this blog for the rest of the summer. I can’t wait to see what crafty things Turkey will add to this blog.
Have a great summer and I’ll see you in September.
Posted in quilting | 1 Comment »
Wow, time is moving so fast. July is half over and soon I’ll be living in a new country. It’s just too weird.
Well, we had our garage sale this past weekend and I happily got ride a whole lot of unwanted stuff. Anything that wasn’t purchased was hauled off to the local thrift store. This week has already been crazy and promises only to get worse. The movers are coming at the end of the week and I am not ready. I will be ready but there’s just a ton of things to do.
I did finish the quilt I mentioned a couple of posts ago and will (time willing) take a couple of photos tomorrow.
Posted in everything else | 2 Comments »
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