Vacation!!!

We decided this afternoon to go to St. Louis for a weekend vacation!  Planning on going to the City Museum and maybe ride bikes along the riverfront!  I'm excited, but busy getting ready!  I'll post pictures of my greatest moments when I get back.

Happy Memorial Day to Everyone!

Snuggly Ribbon Blanket

Isn't this little blanket cute?  This is a perfect baby gift!  I made this one for a sick little girl named Clara.  She is 10 weeks old and needs a liver transplant.  My pastor and church anointed it with oil and prayed for her healing. I'm expecting big miracles!  You can find out about her here: Clara Bear Fund

This pattern came from a Sewing calendar 2010, from Accord publishing, edited by Megan Smith.  The original came from My Spare Time.  Here is the copied tutorial:

Supplies:

• Cotton or flannel fabric
• Fleece
• Scraps of various ribbons

 Steps:

1. Cut one square from each fabric about 10" x 10" or 12" x 12".  Size isn't critical, as long as they're the same.
2. Cut a bunch of pieces of ribbon 4" long - try to vary the width and texture.  Lay out around your fabric square as you go so you know how many to cut.  They should be about 1" apart.
3. Fold the pieces of ribbon in half and pin to the right side of the cotton fabric, loops facing in.  Try to space out evenly. (See Picture Below)
4. Baste the ribbons using 1/4" seam allowance, pulling out the pins as you go.
5. Place the backing fabric face down on your cotton fabric, sandwiching the ribbons.  Feel with your fingers to make sure there are no folded ribbons.  Sew around the edge with slightly greater than a 1/4" seam allowance, leaving about a 4" gap to turn.
6. Turn right side out, poke out the corners with a knitting needle or chopstick, and topstitch around the whole edge.  Be sure to close up the gap you left for turning.

Cajun Pasta

I had to post my recipe for Cajun Pasta.  It makes my husband very joyful, it's his favorite meal!  The thing I love about this recipe is that I can add or take away from all the veggies depending on what's in my fridge, or what's on sale at the store.  I made it a couple days ago without onion or asparagus, but I did add some green onions and chopped spinach (No one noticed).  I always change the spice combo too; I never measure anything!  Let me know if you try it and what combination's you come up with!

It was published in the Family Circle magazine, Sept 2008.  I was very excited to have my only original recipe published.  They even paid me $50.  This is the link to it on the RecipeZarr website: Cajun Pasta

Back to the basics of Crafting!

Coloring with the kids last night.  Please excuse my son picking his nose!  Can you tell which picture is mine?

Jean Skirt - Recycling a pair of jeans

Start with a pair of jeans that currently fits you in the waist.  It does not have to be wide leg; anything will do, including capris.  Personally, I prefer to get cheap jeans at a thrift store or garage sale.  If you want a long skirt, you will need another pair of jeans in a similar color (you are going to cut them, so they don't have to fit) or a piece of fabric that you like. You'll also need matching thread, I usually use brown or cream.  Here are some samples:

1.  If making a short skirt, cut the legs off at desired length (remember to add an inch or two for hemming).  If making a long skirt, skip this step.

2.  Use a seam ripper to take out the inseam of the jeans.  Also, rip the seam from the crotch to the bottom of the fly in front, and the crotch to the bottom of the pockets in back.

3.  Lay the skirt out flat on the floor.  Make sure everything is smooth underneath.  You will have one side that naturally lies on top of the other.

4.  Cut a piece of material to add in between the legs.  If making a short skirt, you may be able to use the bottom of the pant leg like I did.  I make a rough rectangle and cut the extra off after sewing.

Note:  If making a floor length skirt or a shorter skirt using capris, you can avoid hemming by adding a piece of jeans that already is hemmed and matching the hems together.  See picture.

5.  Lay the fabric in the opening and carefully pin.
 
6.  Sew the pieces together following the original stitch line of the pants.  do two rows of stitching to prevent fraying.

7.  Turn the skirt inside out and cut off the extra fabric - be careful not to cut the skirt.

8.  Flip the skirt over and repeat steps 3-7.

9.  Hem to desired length if needed.

Finished!
After you wash it, you will need to flip it inside out to trim all the frayed threads.  You may need to do this a couple times.

Strawberry Pie

Today's joy is strawberry pie!  I made this last night so it was waiting for us as soon as we got home from church.  Yum!  I filled the crust with too many strawberries and the filling ran over, but it still tasted great.  I usually put the Cool Whip on top before serving, but now I have a daughter that's allergic to milk, so it goes on individual pieces.  This recipe was given to me by Phillip and Janey Boleyn.  I hope you like it too!

Strawberry Pie
Fill 1 graham cracker crust with sliced strawberries.
Mix 1 cup sugar & 3 Tbsp cornstarch in a small saucepan.
Add 1 cup water and bring to a boil.
Remove from heat & add 3 tsp of strawberry jello (1 small box - I used sugar-free)
Pour over strawberries.
Refrigerate until serving time.
Put Cool Whip on top to serve.

My First Post

Welcome to my first blog! I hope to inspire you to find the joy in crafting, and the joy in life. I have a lot of crafting projects to share and am always on the lookout for more fun things to make. In the future you will see projects on scrap-booking, sewing, cooking, and more. I want to highlight joyful things that I come across, like a book I discover or a photo that makes me smile. I want to encourage all of you to respond with your joys as well.

My little joys for today are:
Jean Skirts - pattern coming soon
McDonald's
Long Nap Times!!!
The Sun (after several days of rain)