busy hands

The "Oldmops" apron

2009-06-07T23:24:00.003-04:00

This looks a little contrived--doesn't it?? Since I don't like to take pictures of myself and nobody lives here to model it for me --except my husband:) I try to find interesting ways to photograph what I have made, but I realize photography is not my "gift".
--This is an apron I sort of "made up" using an old vintage apron I had as a pattern--I have made maybe a dozen or more over the past few years--just laying the apron on fabric and cutting around the parts. But I finally made a pattern and wrote directions for some apron kits we are selling at the quilt shop where I work part-time--The Dusty Attic in Fruitland, MD.

Boy--writing directions is HARD and a well-written pattern is worth the money it costs! Those people who write them deserve every penny!

Life is very busy this month so there won't be too many posts, but check back now and again--I may do a give-away of some "stuff" as soon as I decide what would be good to give.

Apron Giveaway at "Becoming a Homemaker"

2009-06-03T17:01:00.004-04:00

If you haven't clicked on "Becoming a Homemaker" over on the side--you should--a very nice place to visit.
And she is doing an Apron Give-Away--so go check it out!! http://becomingahomemaker.blogspot.com/2009/06/apron-give-away.html

Strawberry Pie Recipe

2009-06-03T10:28:00.004-04:00

Here is the pie recipe--from Betty Crocker in the 70's--with a little tweaking by ME!

If you don't buy ready crust:)
PIE CRUST
preheat oven 475 F

for 8 or 9 inch 2 crust pie (or 2 pie shells)
2/3 Cup plus 2 TBS Shortening
2 Cups all purpose Flour
1 tsp. Salt
4 to 5 TBS COLD water

1. Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas. (Never knew what THAT means--but I do cut shortening in thoroughly till no powdery flour left in mix. you "cut" with a pastry cutter)
2. Sprinkle in water and gently toss around with a fork until all flour is moist and dough just about cleans sides of bowl.
3. Gather pastry into a ball--take half and roll out into circle to fit pie plate--Over rolling or too much handling makes crust tough.
4. Lay in pie plate and turn under top edge and crimp. Thoroughly poke holes with fork on bottom and sides (If you have pie weights and know all those tricks--you don't need this recipe anyway--you know what you are doing!) now roll another one--you might as well make two at one time--save it for later:)
5. Bake at 475 about 8-10 minutes until light brown. Cool.

Strawberry Pie filling. FOR 1 PIE 8 or 9 inch
at least 6 cups of rinsed and hulled strawberries( about 1 and 1/2 quarts)
3/4 C. sugar (or 1 cup if berries not too sweet)
3 TBS cornstarch
1/2C. water
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened--optional

1. Mix sugar and cornstarch together in a 2 qt sauce pan. Very gradually add the water--to avoid "lumps"
2. Mash enough strawberries to measure about 1 cup. or a little over that.
3. Stir strawberries into sugar mix in saucepan.
4. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly(I don't and sometimes it turns out and sometimes I get LUMPS) until mixture thickens and boils.(Goes from cloudy red to clear)
Boil and stir for 1 minute.
5. Cool--doesn't have to be COLD--just not piping hot--warm is okay!

6.OPTIONAL Beat Cream Cheese till smooth--I add a couple TBS sugar to it
Spread on bottom of cooled pie crust.

7. pat dry a bit the remaining strawberries and fill the pie shell with them.
8. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over the top.
8. Refrigerate for 3 hours--top with whipped cream if desired.

And the Winner is......

2009-06-01T00:11:00.003-04:00

zees5!!!

Thank you Thank you--All of you who entered my first Give-Away.

I hope to have another give-away in the near future and by the end of summer I hope to have a shop organized over at Etsy. I am not too computer savvy so these things take a while and I'm making the cake for my son's July wedding (I have to practice recipes first--they want chocolate and peanut butter --for 300!),
Life just gets full and busy!
I tried to visit anyone who commented. That was a blast. I am in awe of the creativity.

I have to be careful not to spend so much time getting inspired that I have no time to sew! Does anyone else have that problem? I call it Vicarious Creativity!
O--I was asked for the strawberry pie recipe--I'll try to get that posted soon, but it basically came from an old Betty Crocker Cookbook with just a little tweaking! It really is good.

I need a nap

2009-05-31T15:18:00.002-04:00

I just realized I thought yesterday was the 31st and today June 1st--Even my post date said yesterday was the 30th. PAY attention, Cindy!!
Give-away ends tonight!
Sorry!

2009-05-30T00:35:00.003-04:00

Hello, Wonderful people!!
Midnight tonight the comments will close on this giveaway. Tomorrow I will text or call my sweet youngest who lives 1000 miles away in North Dakota and ask her to pick a number between 1 and--how many comments. I'll count down the list and there will be the winner! and I will post and contact. Keep checking--Be Patient--Dear Daughter is a TSA Officer at airport and can't answer phone while working.
NOW--I am overwhelmed at the kind and encouraging comments. Until this give-away this was a private blog for my sister in Mexico to see what I've been up to--creative wise.
Thank you all so very much. I am trying to visit the other give-aways and those who commented--
I am so inspired at so many of your clever posts and design of your blogs.
BUT I am working with a handicap with a SLOW internet--Too little RAM? A virus? internet gremlins? Cable overload?
who knows!?
For months this has been slower than molasses in January!

PS If you click on it it WILL show you a larger image this time.

2009-05-29T23:42:00.004-04:00

So--I'm thinking 65 quarts is enough--I am NOT going back--the season is about done--harder to pick--my knees and back hurt more now--more rotten ones--eeewww--
Then it hits me--
ALL THOSE STRAWBERRIES that my DH paid for(to support my picking obsession) and all in freezer or given away--and NO strawberry pie for DH! NOT ONE! How could I?!! For the 30 years we've been married--
when I say--
"I made a treat..."
he responds by saying..(EVERY TIME, MIND YOU--even in December)
"Shoney's Strawberry Pie?"
shoney's! whatever! (I have no idea how shoney's made their pie!)
So I went back this morning before the rains were coming. just to pick enough for a pie for dh. Picked 14 more quarts (that would be some pie) Finally pulled myself away cause I was dehydrated, wobbling around, and had to use the ladies' room)

Made 2 pies. Look at that RED!!! not a drop of food coloring--No strawberry jello--just berries, water, cornstarch and sugar.Those berries are something else. WOW. Get the whipped cream and let's have PIE!

Little Girl's Apron Giveaway

2009-05-26T09:14:00.004-04:00

Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day

Here it is! Just leave a comment by midnight May 31.
And the winner will be a random pick--
I think I'll keep it simple this first time.

I am feeling so jolly doing my first giveaway--
A sweet little reversible apron--Gingham with a pocket on one side--
Washday Kitties on on the other side. Tie and waistband measure about 40". Apron is 11 " long. The Kittie fabric I thought a little weird at the Quilt Shop yard sale I found it at--BUT I thought it would be a very sweet little apron and the shop had this perfect pale yellow and grey gingham to match.

Click on either picture to get a bigger image.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for coming to visit me!
I will post the winner's name here on June 1 and I will ship internationally if needed.
(Psst..I am not sure how this works, whether I will have an email for you or click and go to a blog and leave you a comment--I will do all I can to let you know you won!!! If you win I will ask you to email me your address.)

SIXTY-FIVE Quarts--(or why I haven't gotten an etsy shop up and running this week!)

2009-05-26T08:01:00.000-04:00

4 trips in one week--65 quarts of these beauties!! Yes. tis the season--

SEW MAMA SEW announced a May Giveaway about the time That the strawberries are out--
I thought that If I pushed, Maybe this was a good time to start an etsy shop --and give something away--
No--The berries won--I get obsessed! And the place I picked had a gigantic NEW field--Berries were everywhere--I could get a quart in 5 to 7 minutes!!! But it takes longer than you think to get them in the freezer!
I still hope to go ETSY in the future, but for now I will still give something away--next post--I've tried to get this site up to date this week with a few projects from the past year I never posted.

2009-05-26T07:54:00.000-04:00

For a friend's children's boutique...

I was in a time crunch so nothing too fancy--just a little craft apron for crayons--

they are reversible--and I may tweak it before I make more of them.

BUT I did think the fabrics looked very Crayola!

2009-05-25T22:56:00.000-04:00

Sort of made this up using as pattern for the body a vintage apron I bought on e-bay-I added the lined, pleated pockets and didn't have a great button to match--So I made 2--with little happy oranges on them!

Purple is her favorite color!

2009-05-25T22:24:00.001-04:00

My sweet Bright--grand daughter--loves purple--Pretty traditional, and I love gingham--I do not remember where I got the purple cotton gingham(it isn't a blend. I think it was from The Dusty Attic in Fruitland, Maryland, and I think it was the last piece they had--a FQ.) I DO know I found the vintage looking sweet print at The Dusty Attic(a quilt shop close to me).

Poppies for Linnea!

2009-05-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

Many years since I have made a dress for a grown-up!--but last summer while in North Dakota visiting my daughter, I made this shirtdress from some vintage buttery soft cotton lawn I had been given by a dear older friend. I found some old bias trim at a thrift store that went so well I had to use it as piping! I was a little rusty, but it is sort of like riding a bike :)

2009-05-22T23:19:00.000-04:00

Little boxes I made for the bathroom at my church. Sort of keeps the towels neat and dry! I made my own pattern and I am not sure I did it the easy way--but I made it like the drawer boxes I made in North Dakota last summer. If I make more--maybe I'll write a tutorial.

Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

2009-03-10T20:57:00.000-04:00

Just visited my own poor neglected blog here--and was reminded of this cool site grosgrain--visited it again--and MORE give-aways. I am so inspired and check out her Paper Cranes!

Cinnamon Sticks GUEST GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

What a Wonderful World!!

2008-08-25T22:27:00.000-04:00

Kathleen at GROGRAIN -- http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/

Apple Orchard Overalls GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

Today was the first day I happily stumbled across this site--and this generous soul loves to make beautiful things and give them away! May God bless her!

North Dakota pt 3

2008-07-16T16:01:00.000-04:00

I soon realized as I began working here in this little apt on my little table that I needed to get organized. I was nuts misplacing things all the time--Also--I thought it would be good to have something I could use at home too--and to quickly pack up for classes. I have seen several projects--but I sort of made these 2 up in my brain borrowing from what I remembered seeing.

The little zipper bag has a loop of sorts I can carry it on my wrist or hang it on a hook--some pockets inside-some shallow for needles, etc, and some deep.

The roll I am very happy with--as an afterthought I attached 2 little rings on inside so it can double as an organizer in my sewing room hung on hooks but be rolled up to go with me, too . You can't see it but there is a flap that flips to inside about 1/3 way down before you roll it up so stuff can't fall out.

I like the fabric but it isn't my favorite-it was a bargain, but good quality- that is why I used it!! I couldn't bear to use something I might want for something else--and I only brought a few of my fabrics with me to North Dakota.

North Dakota Sewing Part 2

2008-07-16T15:44:00.000-04:00

Other projects--aprons for Hannah and Patrick, toddler play pants for grandson, Krue.

sweet little girl dress for granddaughter Bright (and a doll dress to match!)
teeny little bluebrids floating on a creamy background.

I must say, that it took me a few of days to figure out what to do on the front--I couldn't find buttons I liked and I wasn't sure about applique. bought 3 different fabrics and 2 kinds of buttons. I am pleased with what finally evolved--a simple little bird applique I drew myself.

North Dakota Sewing part 1

2008-07-16T15:29:00.000-04:00

One of the first projects was a sweet little bag to sling over my shoulder to go to the Farmer's Market or other shopping--something just big enough for the necessities so I wouldn't have to lug my BIG leather purse!

I used the same fabric to make 2 little organizers for the kitchen drawer here in the little studio apt.

ABOUT this fabric--I love it--it is from a dismembered garment from a stash of older fabrics I was given by Joann. She used to sew but was ready to part with all her saved fabric. It is a very smooth cotton--I just love it.

2008-07-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

We have been in North Dakota a while. This is a yummy scone from the Dakota Bakery in Grand Forks. I love the wonderful slightly faded tablecloth--looks like vintage fabric--that graces the kitchen in the apt we are sub-letting for 2 months.

An Apron for Liz

2008-04-22T23:41:00.000-04:00

Liz is getting married in May--This apron was part of her shower gift.

Little bug quilt

2008-04-22T20:02:00.000-04:00

A quilt for Bright--March 2008
I am not sure it turned out what I hoped for--the colors maybe are drab? but I prefer to think they are kind of "old" looking to go with the the retro print. ( I loved this print!) Generally I am pleased and I had a good time quilting freemotion "flowers" on it.
size about 48 by 58.

p.s. A pillowcase and doll quilt to match:-)

oops--I should have rotated pictures before posting--I'll be more particular next time!

picnic/lunch set

2008-04-05T16:59:00.000-04:00

This all started with a wonderful tutorial for Criss Cross Coasters (Can you see it wrapped around the base of the glass?)

Then I thought--Ooooh--I can do a matching placemat--like a Giant 4-patch. That was fun--and easy--just quilted around outside and in the ditches.

Well--I might as well make napkins! Let me say--I have often whipped out cloth napkins just rolling hem as I go--but it does indeed pay to press under first and trim inside corners. I just found a pretty good tutorial for napkins here, but I don't thin it is exactly how I did mine.

Every placemat is a little different and the 4 backs are all different--just like I did the coasters.

I don't know how to link with just a word yet--but here is the

link for the coasters: http://allsorts.typepad.com/allsorts/2006/11/crisscross_coas.html

And the

link for the napkin tutorial I just found:

http://lovetocrochetandknit.blogspot.com/2008/01/cloth-napkin-tutorial.html

Shortbread! Shortbread!

2008-04-02T15:29:00.001-04:00

PECAN SHORTBREAD-This was so much fun to make.

2008-04-02T15:15:00.000-04:00

Marybeth gave me dozens of 2" half square flannel triangles--I spotted the cabin fabric (used to back the quilt and on pillow case.) So then collected some blenders that would match--and VOILA! I put together a quilt for Ben. Ben lives in North Dakota for now--so it seemed like the thing to do.

The planning was the hardest part--No Pattern--just did some small blocks --put them together in different patterns (that was the fun part)--framed them--laid them out and had to figure how to get the green between them--
Mmmmm--That Cardboard Sewing grid thing I bought at Hancocks finally had a purpose!

This was a little bigger (58x74) and heavy--so I paid my boss to quilt it for me.(Mr. Scarborough at The Dusty Attic--He is really good at that meandering!)

Cowboy Quilt for Krue

2008-04-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Here is a quilt I made for my sweet little grandson's 1st birthday a few months ago. His mama gave me the cowboy fabric and I did the rest!! (I sort of made it up as I went along. I fussy cut the blue and white squares and added the black star fabric.)What was kind of unplanned--but I was really happy with the result--the striped fabric on the border and the backing and the red narrow border and binding are FLANNEL--but the rest is cotton. I just really liked the flannel stripes--and when it was all finished--I liked having flannel around the outside--soft to hold onto.

The little horse was a vintage pattern I bought on e-bay from Australia. Took TOO much time to make---but I think he is cute!

OH! This was my first machine quilting--I made a PRACTICE STRIP first to quilt and cut it into 3 bibs when I was done. Not Perfect--But I am content.

Mother-Daughter

2008-01-07T17:51:00.000-05:00

for Stacey and Bright