Project time Tuesday

 Other than working on doing the hand quilting on our quilt (and arranging flowers) I haven't worked on many inside projects lately. My time has been very much concentrated on gardening and a little beekeeping too. But I hadn't gotten around to writing about some of the things I made for a silent auction in early May so here are some pictures of projects I had fun doing then.

 ~A set of cards.  I had a bunch of fun using my heart and paisley punch and then some various scrap paper (It was all stuff recycled from other things) to make flowers with and I glued them on simple cardstock cards.

 I also made a stationary set with stamps. The box they are in was actually one of my "dumpster diving" finds from one of our trips to the university after school was done for the summer.

 A garden kit. I had been given the peat pots from a gardener friend that didn't care for them. I discovered I didn't like that much either and there were still a couple of unopened packages. I also potted some plants and added some gloves that I bought on sale for 25 cents. I cost me pretty much nothing to put together but raised some money.

My breakfast kits was a big hit at the silent auction. It included: A pancake mix, granola, coffee buns, maple syrup and jam all made by me as well as a little package of coffee.

All of the projects raised money and they were fun for me to make/ put together. It was fun to see that people did really like them and made me think that gifts like that might be appreciated.

Have you been working on any projects lately?

Taking care of those runny noses!

 We seem to be having some Spring allergy problems or maybe some colds bothering us a bit around here. It isn't bad but we have had some need to wipe our noses. I have been trying to use less and less of things that just get thrown away (like tissues) and have been trying to convert over to handkerchiefs more and more. The kids have started using them fairly well but we were having a hard time having enough ready and clean all the time so then we would resort to throwaway tissues.

 I decided to try to remedy that problem. Today I found a pair of old flannel pajama pants that we had around here. I had already cut a little off them to use for another project last winter but I decided to turn the rest of the pair into handkerchiefs. I was able to cut 10 handkerchiefs from the pair, mostly around 8 inch square. We do not like huge handkerchiefs as they are to big for our pockets and who really needs that much blowing space (or if you have used part of it do you really want to continue to use it until it is all used up?!).

I quickly and easily hemmed them on my machine and now they are ready for use.

The boys kindly "Modeled" them for me. Sorry the picture is bad but I found it humorous so I decided to include it anyway.

Now hopefully we won't run out of handkerchiefs so fast- and if we still do I'll just sew up some more. We have other absorbent fabrics that would work and they are very fast to make. We keep them in one of our handmade baskets in a easy to find spot next to the phone.

  I know some (maybe many) people find handkerchiefs gross but I guess I don't see it that way and I would prefer not to spend a lot of money on something that just goes to the dump. (Though I did recently read that you can compost Kleenex- so if you do use it please at least compost them!)

 That is something I have been fixing up this week. What have you been working on?

How to make a Quiet time with God set.

 To those coming over from Giveaway Day at Sew, Mama, Sew!, The giveaway is over HERE. If you would like ideas on how to make the set that I am giving away then stick around at this post.

I recently made this set of stuff to help in your devotions time to give away. Since not everybody will get to win I thought I would share some links to tutorials so that you could make your own if you like.

• To make the journal I simple covered the front of a regular notebook with fabric and then decorated it. Here is the link to instructions where I actually made a journal and then decorated it similarly to the one above.
• For the memory verse cards I simply cut out card stock rectangles (you could use index cards) and then using my heart shaped paper punch I cut a bunch of hearts from colored paper or card stock. I then glued them on to look like a flower. In the center of the flower I glued a piece of yellow or green paper that had been punched out with my snowflake punch. (It made a really nice stamen look I thought.)
• For the bookmark I simply threaded a bunch of beads on some thin wire and formed it in the shape of a flower. Then I attached the ribbon.
• For the bag I made it following this basic tutorial (but not doing the folded flower pocket). I then made one of these melted fabric flowers and sewed it on the pocket.

The set was very fun and not that hard to make. I hope you enjoy making it too if you give it a try!

The basic tote bag pattern is one I have made over and over again- do you have any favorite patterns that you repeat over and over? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Remember if you want to enter the giveaway for the set picture above to go over HERE.

A Giveaway! {A Handmade Quiet Time Set}

It is giveaway day at "Sew, Mama, Sew"! "Sew, Mama, Sew!" is a neat site that has lots of fun ideas. They are also great at spotlighting blogs that have the neatest sewing projects. It is a very fun place to visit. Anyway.... I thought it would be fun to join in on the giveaway fun and offer a giveaway here at my blog. If you are visiting for the first time thanks to "Sew, Mama, Sew!" Welcome! If you are here because you visit my blog regularly than I hope you know you are always very welcome too!

I have been loving all the flowers that are now blooming around here! (Like the apple blossoms that I took a picture of today at the church building.) Spring is really here! Because I am enjoying the flowers so much they are showing up in my crafting as well. I have made a couple of floral inspired sets lately and I am going to give one away here today. I hope you like it!

My Giveaway is a Quiet Time Set. I love having my quiet time alone with God every morning and I want to encourage all of you to grow in your relationship with God as well. So I made this set with that in mind.

The set includes:

• A notebook- it is simply a regular notebook that I decorated the front cover of. I like to use a notebook to journal my prayers in. It helps me to stay focused and it is fun to look back and see how God answers prayer.
• 12 floral cards to write your memory verses on. Memorizing is such a wonderful way to keep God's word with you and helping you throughout the day!
• A bookmark. Made with beads and ribbon and it will look so pretty marking your place in your Bible.
• A Bag to keep everything in.
  
  The Bible is not included - I hope you have one of your own- If you don't I really recommend getting one!

Obviously you could use all these items for things other than a quiet time but that is what I had in mind when I made them. I hope they are a blessing to whomever wins them!

 

To Enter the Giveaway
Leave a comment telling me your favorite (or one you really like) flower of Spring.

Make sure to leave a way for me to contact you -either an e-mail address or make sure there is an e-mail address in your profile. If you prefer not to have your e-mail available for others to see you can leave a comment here and then e-mail me your e-mail address separately.

This giveaway is open to those living in the U.S.A.  The giveaway will close on May 25th.
I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Fix it up Friday

 One fun thing about having a little girl is getting to sew things for her and then take pictures of her wearing them. It is quite amusing to have a very creative model. Megan is wearing a jumper that I put together for her using a tank top and then adding some fabric for the skirt. Here is some pictures of our "photo shoot".

  

My "sleeping" girl

This "fix-up" worked very well for us as we don't wear tank tops around here but Megan loves having girly dresses to wear. It was also very simple to put together and so we like it for that.

Another baby sweater set

 This month I made yet another baby sweater set (with a sweater rather like this one). I am having so much fun turning my odds and ends of leftover yarn to make cute stuff for babies with. I used up every little scrap of this particular type of white yarn on this set. I had used up all the peach too and thought I didn't have enough yarn when Mara produced from her room another ball of the peach yarn.

 I love the touch that the flowers add to the simple sweater and hat. This is the link to the basic pattern that I used. I just did a little changing on it to make it a bit more special. This sweater set I donated to a fundraiser silent auction. I hope to make another one soon to have to give away friends that have babies.

I am linking this to:

Enjoying working and relaxing outside!

We are so enjoying being able to work and play and even eat outdoors now. We have had some pretty lovely weather and the leaves are popping out on the trees and the grass is getting pretty green. This morning while working outside I actually got hot and that is saying quite a bit for my cold blooded self. I am chilly now however, just sitting here in the downstairs typing.

  Since the weather has been nice it has made us feel like getting busy and getting some of those outdoor activities done.  We checked on the bees again (a couple of times since last report) and gave them their medicine. I was checking to see how well the queen was laying and if they had a nice brood going. I have read about this but I still feel rather unqualified for being able to tell for sure if things are really going well or not. 

 The two hives are both busy and we see workers bringing pollen back regularly but one (Catnip Castle) is busier than the other. Not only do we see more activity at Catnip Castle but they also have a bunch of larva and I can't see any of that in Moonbeam Manor. They do both have capped brood cells so hopefully everything is all right. The bees at Catnip Castle have gone through their sugar water much more quickly as well.

 All of the kids have taken turns dressing up and helping with the bees. They are all incredibly interested and I love having them learn along with me. Megan is a bit more timid but yesterday I dressed her up and she was peering right in there just like the big kids. She is the clothing police for anybody that looks at our hives. She is quick to warn the the bees might sting you if you wear black or brown which is what we had been told. She is extremely careful not to wear those colors anywhere near the bees herself.

 Last Thursday evening (which actually wasn't quite so warm) we decided to cook hot dogs over a fire and eat outside. We really enjoy the laid back feeling that comes from cooking over and then eating around the fire.

 I got my rag rug for the dining room doorway done! I would have been done sooner but had some issues with it laying flat around the edges and I had to pull some out and do it over. It is behaving fairly well now. I am enjoying our new rug and of course loving the fact that it was made from something that would have otherwise been trash (Our old stained slipcovers and our very faded curtains).

 After much trench digging by the kids Ken was able to lay the electric wire and provide electricity by the bee yard so that I could plug in the fencer. Unfortunately the fencer seems to have an issue so the fence isn't electric yet but hopefully I just need to replace some fuses. This beekeeping business is certainly an education as I have never dealt with things like fuses before.

Ken did the electric work on Saturday and he also replaced an outdoor faucet that was leaking badly and....

He tilled my (our) garden!!!

I am very excited about that and I am eager to get the peas, lettuce, carrots and onions planted. Most everything else will have to wait until Memorial Day weekend.

Ken also helped me with the strawberry patch but as we aren't finished with that yet I think I will share about that next week. :-)

I am linking up the the Homestead Barn Hop hosted by

Amy @ Homestead Revival

Jill @ The Prairie Homestead

Kendra @ New Life on a Homestead and

Megan @ A Blossoming Homestead

An apron from old overalls

  A while back I had seen an apron at a craft store that had been made from cutting out the pocket/zipper area from a pair of jeans (so it was basically in a half circle shape) and then attaching a wide ruffle and a tie to it. I thought it would be fun to try and so pulled out my box of old jeans for that purpose one day last week.

 The first thing I pulled out was a pair of girls (size 7 or 8) overalls that had holes in the knees. That wasn't what I was looking for but then I thought "Why not?" I could make an apron with a bib which is what I prefer anyway. Here is how I did it:

The picture above is what I started with.
1. I unbuttoned the sides of the overalls and then seam ripped the seams down to the level of the crotch seam.
2. I cut straight across from side to side just above the crotch.

3. I found some ribbon I wanted to use to complete the neck loop and for waist ties.
4. I cut the shoulder straps off at the place that they matched the width of my ribbon.
5. I figured out how long I needed the neck to be (it is adjustable because of the way you can adjust overall straps) and cut the ribbon the right length to finish the neck strap.
6. I sewed the ribbon in place.

7. I found some white fabric to make the apron longer. I cut it around twice as wide as the denim and as long as I desired.

8. I gathered the white fabric and then sewed it to the denim.

9. I turned under the edges of the white fabric (I cut the corners so they were rounded) and then sewed lace around the edge of the whole bottom section of the apron.

10. I measured a ribbon long enough to use for the waist ties, I threaded it through the belt loops and then sewed it to secure it on each side.

11. I double stitched over many of the flattened seams to make a more finished look.

This was a very quick project and a really fun way to give new life to an old pair of overalls. It sold on a silent auction at a fundraiser last week.

I am linking this to:

Frugal Friday at Life as Mom

and

A Raincoat and Hat for Izzy

 This past week Mara decided her doll Izzy needed a raincoat and hat. So she went to work. We had found  files for free, printable, American Girl Doll Clothes Patterns and she used the one for Molly. I was so happy to see how much Mara has progressed in the sewing department. I was pretty busy so she only asked me a few questions and otherwise she just followed the directions on the pattern and did it herself.

We didn't have true raincoat material available so she just used some nylon fabric that a friend had just given to us.

Have you been sewing anything lately? Did your Mom teach you to sew and have you taught your children?
I love to hear your thoughts!

Fixing up a raincoat for Megan

We have a friend from church who is very generous with giving up hand-me-down clothes and things she finds when going to garage sales and thrift stores. Something that she had given us this year was some short sleeved jackets (pictured above). When I looked them over more carefully I realized that they were of the material for raincoats- you know, nice light-weight, fabric raincoats. I have no idea what prompted the designer to make them short-sleeved but they did. Anyway, we didn't have any use for short sleeved raincoats and though these were women's sized I already had a raincoat but Megan did need one. So....

 I decided to fix it up! My original plan was to combine both raincoats to make one but as I was getting started on the blue coat which I had decided would be the main color, Aaron came down and said "Can't you fix up the green one for me?" so I decided I would find some other fabric to add to the blue so I could use the green one for him. I will have to do a bit more adjusting on his so that it doesn't look feminine.

The steps that I took to fix it up were:

1. Cut off the hood, cut it smaller, put elastic in the casing instead of ties, re-attach it to the jacket.
2. Cut the side seams (especially under the arms) smaller.
3. Cut the ruffle off the sleeves (basically cutting the sleeves in half horizontally) so that I can re-attach it below as a cuff.
4. Cut fabric to go in between the two sleeve sections and sew it in place. I had some nylon fabric that my grandma had bought and made some tablecloths out of. I don't think it is really waterproof but it is probably at least resistant. I was also just realizing that I have some waterproofing spray so perhaps I will try that on them.
5. Sew the side and sleeve seam.

That's all there was to it. It was fast and simple. It isn't perfect but Megan likes it and it seemed to work well for a walk in the rain. It is still a bit big but that means it will last her a while and so I don't really mind that.

She seems to kind of like it over her eyes.

She was happy the sleeves were long enough to go over her hands to keep them dry.

As you know I love these projects where I can use up what I have and make something useful.

Have you been making anything lately?

A raggedy scarf

I have been working on a rag rug lately using up my old curtains from my living and dining rooms. To make the strips I like to tear them instead of cutting. It is much faster and fun too. Anyway.... while I was tearing them I was looking at the strips and I thought they looked kind of cool....What if I made them into a scarf?

So I took around 5 of the strips and knotted them together on  both ends and "Tada! A scarf! "

I think it is kind of cool looking but it is also very raggedy looking and I am a little uncertain about it. So before I really wear it out in public I want your opinion! Don't be afraid to hurt my feelings by saying it is really weird. I am looking for honest opinions so I won't make a dreadful mistake (sarcasm here) of wearing something totally horrid out in public.

 So what do you think? Is it neat or just weird? Would you wear it?

I am linking this up to Tea Rose Home.

Turning a dress into a skirt

 A friend had given me this green dress along with some other things when she was moving away. I really liked the color and thought it was pretty but when I tried it on the sleeves were too short and I could tell it wouldn't be something that I would wear that often. I just don't wear dresses that much, I generally prefer skirts.

So I decided to make it into a skirt. This was one of those really quick (To be totally honest I did it one Sunday morning before church) easy projects. I decided I wanted this skirt to be a nice long one. So I figured out the right length and just started cutting. Because it is made with two thin layers that are wrinkly I cut each one separately.

After cutting I sewed on a strip of some other fabric I had one hand (some soft green flannel) at the waist and made a casing for the elastic out of it. It doesn't show as it is tucked inside the top of the skirt. I measured the elastic around my waist and then threaded it through the casing and sewed it in place. Quick and Easy and it was ready to wear!

It is quite comfortable and I like it much better than a dress. :-)
I am thankful that my mom taught me how to sew so that I can take something I wouldn't use and make it into something useful to me. Even if your mother didn't teach you how to sew I encourage you to give it a try. Start with simple projects like this one and you will find how rewarding it can be!

I am linking this to Jackie's Fix it up Friday: