Who reads this blog anyways???

Today while I was trying to think up a blog post I got thinking, I don't really LOVE blogging like I used to a couple years ago before I had baby #4 and we decided to move and build a house, and piano lessons, and soccer and preschool and activity days and primary song leader and flute choir and homework (you get the point) life just got crazy.

So I got thinking?  Why don't I enjoy blogging like I used to.  I think I've figured it out.  I don't really know who reads this blog.  I mean, of course there is my mom and some family and friends and a few of you who stuck it out though my lazy blogging period - thank you.   But for me the fun part about blogging is making friends.  And for the most part I have no idea who reads this blog.

Are you still with me or have I bored you to tears?  I thought maybe I'd tell you a few quirky things about me and maybe you could leave me a comment telling me something quirky or interesting about you.

Here is goes............

I HATE doing my hair.  Most days it doesn't get done until the afternoon.  Most people would probably recognize me better with a towel on my head then with my hair done. 

I'm a member of a very elite group called the BBC.  Totally KIDDING about he elite part. BBC stands for something - I just can't remember what.  A group of women that live by me get together once a month and we watch BBC movies.  It just started last month and now I really want to find every episode of Lark Rise to Candleford.  Here is a picture of all the fun goodies a few of the girls made last month.

I studied music in college, but I really wanted to go to culinary school.  One my my favorite things on Saturdays is to watch cooking shows - I told you I was weird.

Ok, now it's your turn.  I would really love it if you would  leave me a comment telling me a little bit about yourself.  Mom,  and friends who stuck it out - you better leave a comment too :)

My baby isn't a baby anymore!

I don't know when it happened, but sometime along 

the way, this little guy decided to go and grow up!
I wish he would have talked to me first. I would
have asked him to slow it down just a little bit.

I sure love this little guy!

You keep me on my toes.  Lately your favorite

thing to do is relocate everything in the house.

I think you think that is your job!

You love going to the park.  The problem is, nothing

scares you.  You think you are one of the big kids

and you can climb on everything.

You love to take baths in the tub.  The minute you hear

the water running you come running with that cute

little waddle of yours.

You LOVE to play with trains.  And sometimes when

I need a little quiet time, you love watching Tangled.

And at the end of the day when I'm tired, you let me 

snuggle you. You always want to snuggle with me over 

your dad (don't tell him, but secretly I love it).  

You let me give you kisses on those sweet, soft chubby

cheeks of yours.

I love you more than you'll ever know!!!

Super Simple Fall Projects!

I never know when I make my daughter a shirt for an upcoming holiday if it's going to be the time she acts like she is way to old to wear something that mom made. But, luckily for me she still seems to like the stuff I make her. I give it another year before she's had enough. I thought I'd do a quick tutorial for this stuff. At church we are having a service auction so I decided to make an apron and hot pad out of some of my left over Gobble Gobble fabric from Moda.

Here are the templates for the pumpkin. You should be able to just click on it and then print it out. You don't need to cut them out just trace them. If you have any problems let me know and I can always e-mail it to you.

You will need 4 scraps of fabric. One for pumpkin outside, another coordinating piece for inside of pumpkin. One for the stem and one for the leaf.

Start out by tracing pattern onto the textured side of Wonder Under or Heat and Bond. I made two of each since I was doing a shirt and apron. Cut around patterns and iron onto your choice of fabric.

Cut out all pieces.

Layer the pieces on apron or shirt and then iron. First layer on outer pumpkin piece, then the inside piece, stem and then leaf. Now using your favorite sewing machine stitch around each piece. On the apron you could also stitch around pumpkin by hand since the fabric is stiffer.

For the apron I just used a tea towel from the local craft store. The usually are around $3.00.

I folded the apron in half lengthwise and placed pattern on the edge and then cut.

Here is how it should look opened up.

I didn't take pictures on how to finish the edges........sorry! I'll do my best to explain it.

You will first need a 1/4 yard of fabric, cut into 4 - 2" x 45" pieces. First sew 3 of the strips together end to end (this will be used for the neck, sides and tie). I pretty much made my own bias tape out of the 2" strips. You do this by ironing the pieces in half length wise opening it back up. and then ironing the outer edges into the middle crease you just made. Then iron the entire piece in half. If you need pictures click on my tote bag tutorial, I used the same process for the handles of the bag.

Now that you've made your bias tape first sew the single 2" strip onto the top of apron. Do this by opening the bias tape and with half on the front of apron and half on the back, sew on using about a 3/8" seam allowance. Cut off the excess from the edges (yes there is a lot of excess). Now fold your long bias tape in half, where the fold is will be the the top of the apron that goes around your neck. Decide how big you want the neck to be and the, pin the rest where you want it start on apron. Do the same thing as you did on the top, open bias tape and sew on with half of the front and half on the back. Sew bias tape on the side of the apron that you cut, then sew the rest of the tape closed until you are about two inches from the end. Finish of the end by folding the bottom up about a half inch then fold bias tape back up and sew to the end. If you don't want to do this you could always just tie a knot. Ok, last step I promise. Now just sew up the bias tape at the top where it goes around the neck. And YOUR DONE!!!

This hot pad is way easy I promise. Here is what you will need. Two pieces of Warm and Natural that are 8 1/2 inches square. 5 - 8 1/2" x 8 1/2" pieces of coordinating fabric. Four will be used for the top of the hot pad and one on the back. Decide what pieces you want to use on the front and then iron them in half.


Layer pieces together with the Warm and Natural on the bottom and then the piece of fabric you choose for the bottom next.

Now pick two of your folded piece and place them on top of the fabric your using for the back. Make sure the folds are in the center.

The other two pieces your pretty much weave in like a basket with half the fabric on top and half on the bottom, still making sure the fold is on the inside.

Now pin in the middle of all four pieces. Sew around the entire outside of hotpad using a 1/4" seam allowance. Trim edges and then turn by opening up the four fabrics in the middle and turning them onto the back.

Iron hot pad so it looks nice and pretty and ta da your done!

Hopefully this all made sense. It your have questions or I've totally confused you, please feel free to ask any questions. If you don't have a blog just leave me your e-mail address!

We gotta lot of Grape Juice!

This isn't the most exciting post ever, but this has been my life for the past few days.   I actually really enjoy putting up grape juice.   It's way easier than other caning.  My parents have tons of grape vines, but they don't like grape juice so they let me have them every year.  

Usually the whole family goes to pick, but we've had some sick kids these past few days so I took my two oldest boys. Can you tell from the picture that they were a ton of help?  :)   The minute I took any sharp tools away from them they became uninterested.  

I'm pretty sure we set the record this year for # of jars of juice at 92 jars.    I sorta make fun of the Christmas letters than say how much caning they did that year.  Well, I guess I'm eating my words because this is definitely making it into the Christmas letter.

Just in Time...................

I finished my nephews baby quilt just in time for his

big photo shoot.

I decided to be daring and do some stippling
on this quilt.  (Past experiences have been a
little scary).  It turned out pretty good.
The silky fabric I used on the back is pretty

forgiving.

My sister's friend does amazing photo's. She took
pictures of my little guy  when he was a newborn also.
  I loved them.Here is her website if your looking for
a good photographer.She has 6 kiddos of her own,
so she's good with kids.

So sweet!

I think I need one!

Baby Quilt for my Nephew!

I've been working on this quilt for my new little (ok, not so little) nephew.    I really liked how this one turned out that I made for my neighbor, but wanted make this one just a little different.   I love embellishing quilts with some of the fun stitches on my (fine, my sister n' law's  machine).

I'm going to add this little piece to the bottom of the quilt.  It would be done but I ran out of thread.  That always seems to happen.  I'll have like two more inches and I run out of thread, drives me crazy.  Now I have to try and talk my husband into going to the cute fun and darling store to get me some thread.

I've been trying to do a little Fall decorating, but honestly, I'm just not feeling it.  I LOVE the fall but I think I'm getting sick of my decorations. (Table Topper tutorial here if you interested.)

Remember this little dresser / hutch that I refinished a couple of years ago?  I doesn't fit anywhere in this house.  It makes me so sad, It was my favorite piece of furniture, I loved decorating it for the holidays.  Now it's just sitting in the basement getting dusty. 
 

And I'm left trying to decorate the top of our piano.  The table runner I made doesn't fit on the piano.  Oh well!

So there is my attempt at decorating for Fall.  I have to remind myself, I took me 5 years for figure out how to decorate our old house, it will take at least that long here!