Song for Saturday Morning

Chris Isaak is one of my favorite artists. Songwriter, singer, musician, actor...is there anything this guy can't do?

Sad thing is, he's performing at the Ryman in Nashville next month...and I'm not going. I'll just heave a big sigh, watch this video, and pretend I'm there...

Finished for Friday...Groovy Elephant

I would love to be able to say that I've whipped up four or five aprons and other goodies for my empty Etsy shop this week, but nope. I did, however, finish one little sewing project!

I've been wanting to try making another toy since I made these two. This particular doll only uses two pattern pieces, so I thought it'd be easier. And it was...for the most part.
The pattern I used is Simplicity 2613, which shows the toys done up using 30's repro prints, and they are darling. I didn't want to cut into any of my 30's prints for a first time project, so instead, I used a thrifted sheet that I found for .25 at St. Vincent DePaul. My mom bought these same sheets in the 70's...probably at Kmart or Sears since those are the two main stores I remember shopping at as a kid.Believe it or not, I had the most trouble with the felt eyes. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to get them on neatly. I tried sewing them on...you can't see it but I made a mess of them. Next time, I think I'll just use fabric glue and embroider the eyelashes only...or use safety eyes...or buttons.

I have a giraffe cut out to try next and hopefully this WILL be the week that I get some more things finished.

With this new puppy in the house, it's hard to get anything done! I feel like I spend 3/4 of my day following her around making sure she isn't peeing/pooping/chewing! But it's so worth it...Mark and I are in love with this dog! I've been given advice from several friends saying to think of her kennel as a crib...so today, baby's going in the crib for a while so I can get something done!

Vintage BBQ Aprons

For this week's Vintage Thingies Thursday, I wanted to share more of my vintage apron collection. These are two I'm quite proud of! BBQ aprons for the fellas!

I've had this one a while, and I may have shared it before...so think of this as a return engagement! It was only with slight reluctance that I handed over 25 bucks in exchange for this apron at a local 4H flea market. At the time, it was the first vintage man's apron that I'd come across and I decided I couldn't live without it. The chef's head is a pocket. Still lovin' it!Last Monday I was at another flea market in the area and found this set that included not only the 50's graphic style illustration that I love so much, but a matching chef's hat! And it was a bargain compared to the first apron...only 12.50 for the set!I tried to get Mark to model these for me, but he declined.

Wanna see more fun vintage thingies? Head HERE!

Meet Mya

A few posts ago, I mentioned that I had seen a sweet little puppy face on Petfinder.com ...WELL, turns out we were able to adopt that face(and the puppy attatched to it)! We brought her home Saturday, and she's been a wonderful addition to our family of furballs!We got Mya through an animal rescue organization. She was a stray who was picked up and taken to a local shelter. She was adopted but was returned to the shelter when the first owner couldn't get her potty trained. Later, she was placed on petfinder.com by the rescue orginization and we were lucky enough to find her.She's one of the sweetest dogs I've ever met. She LOVES to play but is pretty laid back most of the time. The four cats aren't thrilled that she's living with us, but everyone seems to be slowly adjusting to the new addition. Potty training is going slowly...I'm guessing w/her background, she never had much structure or practice w/it. She's about 6 months old, so still a pup, and I believe she'll get it eventually. She's smart too! She's already pretty good w/sit and we're working on down. Probably should have started with "come" and "stay", huh.

Finished for Friday...or...Oh Look, More Aprons!

I know, I know...I posted about aprons for Vintage Thingies Thursday. But these aren't vintage aprons, these are aprons that I whipped up just this week! Now that I'm back to blogging, I wanted to start participating in Finished for Friday once again. I figure it'll keep me on my toes w/crafting and whatnot.

These two aprons are the firsts of my summer sewing projects.

This one I finished up on Sunday night for my Sister's Mom in Law, Debbie. I thought it would go nicely with her blue kitchen. These aren't my normal style of prints, but I think it turned out nicely. The fabrics really grew on me as I worked with them...the rose print has an almost cottage feel, dontcha think?I was in a blue mood(har har har) this week with my fabric choices... This fabric, however, I did love right away. I finished this apron up on Thursday. It has been a while since I used bias tape on anything. Dear Lord! I forgot that stuff can be the devil to work with! Here's a close up of the print...and my experiment with the neckstrap...
OK, I finished this one a looooong time ago, but I love it. So I'm gonna show it off too...I hope you will indulge me. I love how fabulous fabric can make the simplest of apron styles into something special. This one will eventually hit the Etsy shop...when I have enough stuff to restock it.
And one more thing...we get to bring Mya (Claire) home on Saturday! We are so excited about this furry little addition to our family!

Vintage Thingie Thursday--Vintage Aprons

I love adding to my vintage apron collection. As much as I love making aprons, I love finding vintage ones even more! It's fun to imagine the women who wore these aprons and the circumstances in which they might have worn them. And I'm drawn to the whimsical and sweetness of the fabrics used in these vintage beauties, even though there are gorgeous, fun and funky fabrics widely available today. I suppose it's the nostalgia of a vintage apron(heck, vintage anything)that gets me.

These are two of my more recent vintage apron finds.

This one is even more adorable in person. The print is little clowns/men holding umbrellas and giant raindrops. I love the shades of gray and brown w/the big orange border. SO sweet!And this. Swoon! Cobbler aprons are my favorite style...even though they aren't so figure flattering on me! I don't know why I'm drawn to these more, there's just something a little extra sassy about a cobbler apron!Earlier this week, I scored two more FABULOUS vintage aprons(one is for the fellas). I'll be sharing them next week!

Head over to Coloradolady's blog for more Vintage Thingies Thursday.

FINALLY!

Summer break arrived this week! It was way overdue thanks to the 2009 Ice Storm of Death that we suffered through this past Winter. But it's here and I am so looking forward to it! My plans for the summer include:

1. Rehearsal for Grease(I'm in our community theater production of Grease!!! Did I tell you?)
2. Reading
3. Catching up on Movies/DVR'd things
4. Sewing
5. Catching up on some things that need to be done around the house.
6. Maybe a few day trips for shopping/antique malls/flea markets
   

Now I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but last summer I went to Europe, and that was enough excitement to last me years! Besides, we start back to school on August 4th! Yikes! So only a few weeks of actual summer to enjoy this year and the less I'm doing, the longer it'll seem, right?

The most exciting thing going on this summer??? We're getting a puppy!! Yay! I am so excited...I've wanted a dog forever! I love dogs, and growing up, we always had dogs around the house of every shape size and mixed breed! And even though he only had maybe two dogs growing up, Mark loves any and all animals.

We've worried about having a dog in the same house with 2, then 3, then 4 cats. But we've finally decided(after 21 years) that we have plenty of room in our home(and hearts) for one more set of paws...and there are sooo many dogs out there looking for homes that it was time for us to do our part to help them! I've been scouring Petfinder non stop and have made a few contacts that didn't work out...but have kept up the search and now I have an appointment to meet up with this little sweetie on Monday. Her name is Mya...she's another rescue dog that I saw on petfinder.com. Her info is here. I'm praying that we pass the application process and home visit and that Mya passes the "cat test" so that we can adopt her.

Turning Twenty Finished!

Yay!!! I finished up my first Turning Twenty quilt top last Monday. I can tell you, it won't be my last. I love this pattern! Even though I used 10 fabrics instead of 20, I'm so please w/the way it turned out! Very forgiving and relatively quick to go together...if sneak cat attacks can be prevented during what I call the "laying it out on the floor" phase, that is.The fabrics I used are the absolutely gorgeous Mendocino line from Heather Ross(all but the gold print)! I'm hoping to find someone locally who can quilt this for me. These fabrics were too expensive and are too lovely for me to go trying it on my own! Besides, straight line machine quilting is the only type I've ever tried, and I think this needs something a bit free form.

Next on my project list:

• A blouse that I started WEEKS ago...it was getting difficult, so I stopped. Time to re-start.
  
• An apron for my Aunt Betty using some pretty yellow & purple 40's fabrics.
• Aprons for my empty Etsy shop.
• Another Turning 20 using batiks!
  
• A tiered batik skirt(am I becoming batik obsessed?).
• And speaking of skirts, I really want to make a skirt like this one from Lily Pulitzer. Of course I'd love to just buy it, but it's 158.00!! For. a. skirt! If there's anyone out there still reading this blog(I know, I rarely update)who might know, please tell me where I can find a pattern/tutorial similar to this lovely skirt...

Don't Forget...

I wish we didn't have to wear our "testing" T shirts on Apron Day! An apron needs a cute skirt and top for public wear! But I'm tying mine on w/my jeans and t shirt anyway!

Mini Hawaiian Roll Sandwiches

Need something quick and easy to take to a family/church gathering? You must try these mini sandwiches...they are deeeeelicious!

Assemble sandwiches:
24 Hawaiian Rolls
1 lb of ham, thinly sliced
3/4-1 lb swiss cheese (I bought 1 lb and had some leftover)

To assemble sandwiches faster, slice the entire package of rolls at once to make the top and bottom layer and simply cut them when they come out of the oven. Add ham and cheese.

Mix together
1/2 cup melted butter
1 TBS dry mustard
1-2 TBS onion flakes, depending on your taste
1-2 TBS poppy seeds, depending
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Drizzle a little of the mixture over the ham and cheese layer before placing top layer of roll. Drizzle remaining mixture over the rolls. Bake at 350 until cheese is melted. Best when warm, but not bad cold either!

Lars

Went with my family to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville on Monday. I did my third drop for The Toy Society while we were there.

I wasn't planning on dropping Lars after I first made him because I thought he was too ugly and strange for The Toy Society. Monday morning as I was getting ready to meet up w/the folks, Lars sorta called out to me from my sewing desk. Perhaps it had something to do with being so close to the children's hospital at Vandy...

"Please let me join the Toy Society!" he said
"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!"

I couldn't argue w/that! SO.... my brother Shea and I meandered over to Children's Hospital while Dad was checking in. I left Lars at the koi pond in the garden area. I'm hoping that he will make a child very happy!

Check out the The Toy Society...and if you are the crafty type, please consider joining in the merriment and making a toy to drop!

Turning Twenty Progress

I'm making progress on the Turning Twenty Quilt! Here's a look at what I've managed to complete thus far. Spending Saturday at the flea market, so I'm not sure how much I'll get done this weekend. Despite some cutting snafus, it's been fairly simple and quick.

Turning Twenty Quilt

These are examples of a Turning Twenty Quilt.
1. Joel Dewberry Aqua Chocolate Quilt full, 2. Turning Twenty Spring, 3. Verena's SW Turning Twenty, 4. quilt -- finally done!, 5. 171, 6. Turning Twenty quilt top, 7. turning twenty baby quilt, 8. quilt, 9. amy butler doing turning 20, plus some, 10. Turning Twenty Quilt, 11. Elissa's Quilt - Finished, 12. Turning 16 Rocks

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

I've been obsessed with making one for some time now. Following this pattern, I'll have a nice big quilt that really showcases my fabrics and uses just 20(or 12, or 16) fat quarters to their full potential...nearly no waste at all the way the FQ are cut. And I love that it uses large cuts of the fabric to really show off a print. I'm so excited to try it!

I've been waiting a month for the pattern to come in at my local quilt shop. Yeah, I could have ordered it online and received it within a week, but I really do want to support the shop as much as I can, so I waited.

Now that the pattern has arrived, I'll be using some fabulous Heather Ross fabrics called Mendocino to make this quilt. I bought these from this Etsy seller(the local shop doesn't carry them). I am in love love love with this pattern and the way these fabrics feel. Rather than 20 different fabrics, I'm using 10 half yards that I'll cut down into FQs, so I'll have a repeat. I wanted to use as much of this fabric as possible in the quilt...the gold & solid orange are the only fabrics that aren't part of the line....debating which of those to use...If this quilt turns out well....and I have high hopes that it will...I would really like to have it professionally quilted.

I'll continue to post as it progresses!

I've been a bad blogger...

Really, I have. I haven't been blogging and I haven't been reading many blogs lately...and I miss it. I'm out of the creative loop. I'm missing out on crafty projects, new and interesting fabrics, the hot new craft/sewing books, yummy recipes to try. And when I don't read about all these things, I find that I don't do them.

And most importantly, I haven't a notion of what many of my bloggy friends have been up to lately. That's what I've missed about blogging the most...making new friends and keeping up w/those folks I've met through blogging that I've come to call friends.

SO, I'm back. It'll take me a while to catch up w/everyone and I may only post once per week, but I'm not ready to move away from Bloggyville just yet! However, if I could move farther away from Facebook Town, my productivity overall would increase by leaps and bounds.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

To my little sis Jackie, whom I adore!

FIESTA! Apron Swap

A while ago I joined Val's Hot Mama Apron Swap. The theme this time around was FIESTA! Such a fun theme for which I found the most fun fabric! My partner requested a full apron, and this was the final result.I didn't photograph it, but I also sent along a fun vintage Mexican themed tea towel, a Mexican cookbook and my recipe for Cowboy Caviar. I hope she likes everything!

And what, you ask, did I receive? I got THIS! It is incredible, is it not? I absolutely love it! LOVE. IT. Check out the appliqué work. Amazing! I feel so festive wearing this apron! I also received a matching tea towel that is currently residing in the laundry basket(hence the lack of photo). Thanks so much to Rhonda!

Ole'!

PIFS, BOTMS and UFOS

As promised, here's a look at the PIF (Pay it Forward) gift that I received from Gin. It's a lovely crochet hot pad. So pretty! I envy you crocheters...I tried to teach myself to crochet while we were holed up at my brother's place during the Ice Storm of 2009 but it didn't go so well.

My duty now is to make three PIF gifts to send along. Those are not going so well either. Remember when I learned to insert a zipper? I was so smug and sure of myself then... I had planned on making zippy pouches as my PIF gifts. I haven't been able to insert a decent zipper since! But I'll keep trying and I do have some lovely little scraps of fabric that may eventually turn into zippy pouches, just maybe not for PIF.

On to my most recent BOTM. THIS is my February Block of the Month. My mother, my sister and I get together once a month, head to the quilt shop to pick up our kits and get the low down on putting them together from the shop owner. We then shop a bit, head to Cracker Barrel for brunch/lunch and then back to my house to make our blocks. It's been a lot of fun! I've had a mishap w/my March block, so I'll have to show it off later, when I do it the correct way!

And finally, my newest UFO. I used a box of fat quarters that I'd received for Christmas TWO years ago. I love the colors and patterns of these fabrics! The quilt pattern is from the book McCall's Quick & Scrappy Quilts. The border was improvised as I didn't have enough fabric to do what the book called for and I had LOTS of scraps left from the fat quarters. It's not perfect and there are several things that I didn't get right, but I'm proud of it nonetheless! This quilt has been added to the stack of two other quilts that I've pieced but not yet attempted to quilt, hence the UFO status.

In my next post I WILL be showing off the FIESTA apron I received in the Hot Mama Swap! It's fabulous!

Where you at?

I haven't been a very good blogger as of late. I blame much of it on Facebook. Anyone else a FB junkie? Although lately I haven't been FB-ing either. 

Mark and I are off to the city park for a game of disc golf while the weather is GORGEOUS. But when I return I have a few things to share...

-a PIF gift that I received

-a FIESTA apron that is unbelievable

-a quilt top that I actually finished

-some fabulous fabrics and my latest quilt obsession

Later, y'all!

Granola Anyone?

I don't know why, but I was compelled to make granola over the weekend. I got this urge and HAD to make it. I'm not even a big granola/trail mix kinda person, although I am married to the crunchy-granola type. I didn't do a lot of searching for recipes. I simply googled "granola recipe", found Alton Brown's version and made a batch.

Mark loves it and I'll tell ya, for a person who's not a big granola eater, I am enjoying this stuff...maybe too much! I wish it were more clumpy though, anyone know the secret to making clumpy granola?

Unfortunately Kellie is easily amused...

This is fun! I first saw it on Patty's blog and got a big case of the giggles. Google the phrase "Unfortunately _______" with your name in the blank(leave the quotation marks) and see what you get! Let me know if you do this so I can read your results!

Unfortunately, Kellie did not win.

Unfortunately kellie is in the horrible situation of not having any health insurance, so we have started a hoagie sale...

Unfortunately, Kellie does not feature on any of the surviving Timothy Pont maps of the late sixteenth century..

Unfortunately, Kellie is an alcoholic who is systematically destroying the family finances with her Ebay habit.

Unfortunately, Kellie was absent due to health issues, and Tyler and River only came for one evening, but we had a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, Kellie can't over her own longtime crush on Drew, and her incompatibility with her own date Rand (Dublin James) doesn't help matters.

Unfortunately Kellie hosted again but I liked some members of the family.

Unfortunately, Kellie’s aunt (Grandma’s caretaker) fell and broke her hip earlier this week.

Unfortunately, Kellie did more than slip @ the Trials but she most definitely proved she's more than ready for the world stage.

Unfortunately Kellie, that is how directions are written, which is why it's imperative to start a good sewing book library.

Unfortunately, Kellie passed away on December 14, 2007.

Unfortunately Kellie didn´t have enough tea to get any of the good side effects.

Unfortunately, Kellie has had issues besides love to deal with lately.

Unfortunately, Kellie and her girlfriends were part of the mass exodus.

Unfortunately Kellie, the comment from Sharon is pure spam.

Unfortunately, Kellie had to let Toastmasters go before achieving her CTM.

Unfortunately, Kellie was horrible today.

Unfortunately, Kellie did not turn to stone when his unseeing yet ALL-seeing gaze fell upon her countenance.