Pipe Cleaner Bugs!

Aren't these adorable?  I had craft time with my kids yesterday.  I bought a valentine craft kit that came with the pipe cleaners, puff balls, sparkly puff balls, and googly eyes, it was $2.50 with a coupon at JoAnn Fabric (we have a lot left over for other crafts).  The beads were left over from a Christmas craft.  We found that regular Elmer's glue didn't work very well, so I had to break out the hot glue gun, which meant mommy had to do most of the work!  I had them string the beads while I was gluing though, and they told me what colors to use. 

Denim and Damask Rag Quilt

Here is my finished denim rag quilt!  I cannot find the online directions that I used, but here is a similar one: denim rag quilt.  I already had most of the jeans in my stash, but I did buy 3 pairs at a thrift store for a dollar each.  It took 4 yards or each color of flannel, but I bought extra to make some pillow cases and throw pillows (coming soon).  The total cost for this quilt (and coming pillows) was around $40, not bad for a queen size quilt!  I found the sign at JoAnn's too.  Oh yeah, I also had to buy a walking foot for my sewing machine, but that will be used on many other projects. 

Scrapbook Flowers and More Pages

I got the idea for these flowers from Scrapbooks, etc.  There are several other flower paper piecing patterns that I want to try too.  I also found a turkey, pumpkin pie, and a blue bird that I liked.  I drew this flower free hand based on the pattern I printed out, but you could also cut out their pattern and trace it.  The "Happy Birthday" and "Make a Wish" signs, as well as the puzzle pieces in the page below came from a friend of mine named Laura, who let me use her cuttle bug!

Memorial Scrapbook Page

We lost another angel baby on 1-18-11, this is the scrapbook page I made as a memorial.  In times like these, we can do nothing but trust in God.

Absolutely A-Line - Great Book

I got this book from the library this week and am so excited to make Rebekah some dresses.  Every dress in the book is based off of one simple pattern (which is included in a back pocket).  The dress on the cover is one of my favorites, called Getting Ruffled.  I also really love Jump Around (p101), which is a jumper made out of wool.

Walking Foot Necessary for Quilting

I have learned that having a walking foot is absolutely necessary for quilting.  As I started trying to sew my blocks together, the layers kept sliding (jean, flannel, flannel, jean), resulting in uneven blocks that looked like stair steps after a few were sewn together.  I tried to change my upper thread tension and put on a new needle, but the exact same thing kept happening.  After doing some reading online and talking to a very nice Walmart employee, I decided to go ahead and buy a walking foot.  I found one at JoAnn's for $15 (unfortunately you can't use a coupon on sewing machine stuff).  I am amazed at how well it works.  I have completed 4 rows, and sewed 2 of them together, twice.  In the close up picture you can see that the top 2 rows and the bottom 2 rows are not sewn together yet.  I'm showing you the jean side since you already saw my flannel side laid out.  I can't wait to see this quilt on my bed with matching pillows! 

Scrapbook Birthday Pages

These are scrapbook pages of a birthday party we had for both Caleb
and Rebekah last year.  It was a backyard BBQ party.  I just love all the pictures of Rebekah eating her first cake!  The last two scrapbook pages are going into her baby book, which is why they're a little different than the others.

Birthday Card and Quilt Update

Here's a birthday card for an avid duck and goose hunter.  I just happened to have the stickers in my stash, (from Creative Memories).  And below are all the squares cut out and ready to be sewn together for my quilt!  I ended up being 5 squares shy for each of the patterned flannel, so as soon as I can round up another JoAnn Fabric coupon, I'll be heading back to buy another yard of each.  I also planned on making matching pillow cases, which is why I'll buy a whole yard.  The last picture is what the back of the quilt will look like.  I was trying to decide between a checkerboard pattern or a diamond pattern, which is the one that won!  What do you think so far?

 

California Medley Soup with Chicken

I have made this soup a few times for church functions and have had a few requests for the recipe, so here it is.  It's a delicious cheesy soup that is wonderful on a cold night with crusty bread.  The original recipe did not call for chicken, but we prefer it.  I usually omit the celery (just because I don't normally have it on hand) and add extra frozen veggies, like frozen carrots so I don't have to peel and chop them.  The recipe also calls for bouillon cubes, but I use a couple spoonfuls of Orrington Farms Chicken flavored soup base.  I never measure, just add some and then taste it.  Enjoy!

California Medley Soup with Chicken (makes 5 quarts)
1 qt. water
4 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup each: onions, celery, carrots
2 1/2 cups chopped potatoes
1 20 oz bag frozen broccoli and cauliflower
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 chicken breasts

Boil the chicken in the water until cooked through, remove chicken and skim the fat off.  Simmer in the water: bouillon cubes, onions, celery, potatoes, and carrots for 20 min.  Meanwhile, chop the chicken into bite size pieces.  Add frozen broccoli and cauliflower and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Add chicken, soup, and cheese, simmer until cheese is melted and all vegetables are tender.

iPod Touch Fabric Cover with Armband Slots

Isn't this cute?  I needed a cover for my new iPod Touch, and I really wanted to be able to strap it to my arm while I worked out.  So, I found a pattern for an iPod Nano Cover here (look up July 29th, 2008).  You can also find the pattern in the 2010 Sewing Calendar.  I modified this pattern by making the pieces longer, making slits for my arm band, and using Velcro instead of ribbon.  I stared with 2 rectangles, 10 1/2 x 3 1/3, one in a pretty cotton, and one in felt.  The trickiest part was sewing the button hole, which I haven't done in a long time.  In the picture below, you can see my pen marks right beneath the iPod on the right side where my button hole was going to be.  The arm band is from my old Coby MP3 player, but you could easily make your own with some elastic and Velcro.   I think I might make a few more with fun fabrics so I can change them out!