WIP Wednesday – Pleated Crib Skirt

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Samantha

It’s been a little nutty, store wise this past week. I had a couple rush orders that threw my schedule off, but I pulled it out. It’s a little stressful working against a deadline, but it’s so satisfying once the packages are on the way to their new homes.


A friend asked to have this for her son’s birthday. We’re crossing our fingers the post to Germany doesn’t take too long. I don’t usually do licensed character stuff, but this was special circumstances.

These tutu sets are one of my biggest sellers. They take a bit more work than most of my items, but it’s always special to be a part of a deployment or homecoming for the families who order from me. I’ve never put one together as quickly as I had to do this one, but I know what it’ll mean to the family.

 A girlfriend of mine is due soon with her first girl. Having a gaggle of boys myself I understand her excitement and I was happy to help when she asked me to help with her bedding by making a crib skirt. I started with this tutorial here, by request. I usually try to wing it, but I liked having the measurements already there. I cut a 5″ strip to make the pleat in a coordinating fabric. This means that I also had to split my side panels in two and add extra for seams, so I had 4 pieces that were 26″ long and 4 that were 17″. I had a 14.25″ length because that’s all the fabric we had to work with.

Cut pieces
I then pieced them together. I also had to piece together one of my longer striped panels due to a fabric shortage, but it all worked out.
One pieced panel

Once pieced together I just finished the instructions as written. I got lucky and had an old crib shirt that I cut up to use for the center base piece.

All done! I’m only slightly jealous I don’t have a reason to keep this for myself. :p It turned out super cute. The turkey’s toddler bed is lower to the ground and wider than a crib, but it works for picture purposes. Man I married is pretty handy and whipped that up one afternoon. It’s super sturdy. One of these days I plan to paint it. You can see where the turkey has already started for me with a little nail polish and pen.

I enjoy sharing these little updates of what I’ve been working on, so I hope you like reading them.

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How to Tuesday – Grape Jelly From Juice Concentrate

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Samantha

We needed something nummy to put on our almost wonder bread and we’re out of jelly and jam. Oh the horror! I’m pretty sure I teared up a little when we scraped out the last of the raspberry jam from Alaska. I have to admit that when I heard you could use frozen grape juice concentrate to make jelly I thought it was a cop out. Even lazy me thinks that’s not enough work to say “hey I did it myself.” Grapes only last all of a day in this house, so we had to try it anyway. Anything at least once, right?

Gather the fixings:
100% grape juice concentrate
1 packet of pectin
water
sugar
pan
jars and lids

-Sanitize your jars and lids, I let them boil while I’m working on my goodies
-Make juice as directed and pour 3 cups into a pan
-Add pectin packet
-Bring to a rolling boil
-Stir in 4 cups of sugar and boil for 2 minutes
-Skim froth off the top
-Fill jars and place lids on
-Place in hot water bath and boil 1/2 pints for 5 minutes and pints for 10, make sure the water covers the tops of your jars.
– Set out for 24 hours, you’ll hear the little pops as they cool. This is my favorite part of canning.
-Check your seals and store/enjoy

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Monday Musings – Time Well Spent

Posted on July 10, 2012 by Samantha

Road trips across Nebraska are dull. There is something soothing about corn waves in the wind, but after the first 100 miles it soothes you right to sleep. It’s nothing like driving in Alaska; sky, mountains, trees, water, flowers, etc. It’s like Mary Poppinsing your way into a postcard. Barely outside of Lincoln I lose my favorite radio station and then half way to our destination my phone loses reception. AT&T is not the cell provider of choice in these parts. I drove child of the eldest variety to church camp this weekend. It’s quite different than driving around with toddler child. I habitually pointed out cows and trains and crop dusters and he looked up from his book long enough to give me the tweenager eye roll. I lost some cool mom points, but overall it was nice to have some one on one time with him. He’s going to have a great week. It’s family tradition to go out there and of course experiences he doesn’t have to share with his brothers are always nice.

The trip back was exciting having my gauge lights come on and stopping to add oil to the car and then getting stuck in stand still traffic. I was in park on the interstate. I did a couple crosswords while not moving along. I do enjoy all the old barns and farm houses we see. One of these days I’m going to stop and take pictures along the way. Of course once it starts to get dark all those cool old structures take on a new aura. I’m seen Children of the Corn and they can be down right spooky! We’ll be making the trek again next weekend.

Today I ran errands with the rest of the boys. They’re such troopers when it comes to fabric shopping. Toddler child has the greatest imagination and it’s hard not to get caught up in his excitement sometimes. We played swords and guns while getting our fabric cut and I’m quite sure we made the day of the clerk helping us. she just kept laughing. For me it’s freeing to not worry about the world around us and just share in his interest “you have a gun and I have a sword”. To see shelves as barriers and tiles as land mines and that no matter where you go your fingers can be a gun or a sword and hearing him say “en garde” is just happy making. I hope that they remember that mom was always willing to play and that when they grow up they too drop everything and enjoy the moments like this with their own kids.

Roadtrip funny: I love Friends! Yea, it’s great to have people you think are fab who accept you regardless of your neurosis, but I’m talking about the TV show. Man I married and I used to have this theory that everything in life could be related to an episode of Friends. Anyway, in the episode “The One With the Stoned Guy” it was Chandler’s responsibility to take care of the WENUS (Weekly Estimated Net Usage Statistics). So I got a chuckle when I saw this:

Ok, the spelling is wrong, but it still made me think Friends.
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Almost Wonder Bread Recipe

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Samantha
The kids have been asking for Wonder Bread. Having been a kid myself I understand the desire for that fluffy, white, nutritionally void, bread. I had once read that generally when you’re craving store bought white bread it’s the shortening you desire, so I needed to find a lighter, oily option that didn’t make me feel totally guilty. So I took my go to bread recipe and looked to see what I could change to make it more kid appealing and then did a little research on white breads.
                           
Obviously the oats had to go, but I refused to revert to sugar in place of honey. Most of the recipes called for powdered milk, so we added that and played with the flour ratios. My first experiment didn’t have enough whole wheat to make me happy, but it was super squishy. After a few more tries I think I have a good “kid” bread recipe to fall back on when the kids get bored of the ole standby.
Ingredients (makes 2 loaves):
2 cups warm water
1 TBS yeast
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup dry milk
2 cups WW flour (if you find your bread to dense reduce this by a cup and increase the all purpose flour)
4-5 cups AP flour

– Proof yeast by combining with water and letting sit for 5 minutes
– Add oil and honey
– In another bowl combine dry ingredients. I start with 4 cups of the bread flour and add the extra later.
– Mix dry ingredients with wet. If it’s still sticky add additional flour in 1/4 cup measurements. Higher humidity days will require more and dryer days will use less.
– Once combined knead for 10-15 minutes. Some breads I can just mix and go, but I find this one requires the kneading.
– Place in lightly oiled bowl and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes
– Lightly grease bread pans
– Divide dough into pans and let rise 30-45 minutes
– Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until golden
– Slather top with butter while still warm

I have a friend who says the measure of a good bread is the ability to roll it into a ball. I say “mission accomplished!”

Yum!

2 cu

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What in the World?! Contest

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Samantha

I thought it would be fun to do a little contest/giveaway focusing on my upcoming tutorials. And maybe it’ll help my readers be more interactive. Hint hint, yes, that means you.

Here’s the scoop! I post a picture of something related to an upcoming post and you get to guess what it is. The first correct guess wins the item I make in the related tutorial or a gift certificate to my shop. Winner’s choice. Sound fun? If not you can tell me how lame I am; I can take it. I may even throw in bonuses if you share on Facebook, Twitter, or any of the places you hang out. Remember, sharing is caring!

Here is our first What in the World!? picture. I figured we should start out with something easy.

Happy guessing!
PS. If you won’t be checking back, please make sure your contact info is in your comment. Thanks!
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A Little Dye Will Do Ya

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Samantha

It’s been a bit chaotic this week. Who am I kidding it’s chaotic every week! This is my life we’re talking about here. But by grace alone we’re still kickin’. I did a guest blog on the Diaper Pin. I get a lot of comments on how neatly my pre-folds are pinned, so I shared some of my tricks. My biggest secret is that I use nice stretchy bamboo diapers. If you’ve ever been curious you can read about it.

I’ve become more interested in repurposing and refashioning. In my previous life we never thought twice about tossing items a little past their prime or sending things with minor flaws to Goodwill. But now we waste not want not. And really it’s a far more satisfying way to live. This weekend we made a trek to the thrift store ourselves. I was looking for cute sheets to make pillow covers, but struck out. However, I did find my new favorite jeans and spent all of 99 cents on them. Shh!
Pawing through racks of unwanted items with holes and stains and a little what were they thinking?! I remembered that I had a shirt sitting at home I had been meaning to return to a wearable state. I loved this shirt; simple soft cotton, well placed stripes, and good for everyday. Then I washed it with something I shouldn’t have and it has been molted blue ever since.
Poorly lit picture of evidence:
Not convinced? Let’s zoom in… See it’s like a Smurf was murdered. There are splotches like this in numerous places turning one of my favorite shirts into rag bag fodder.
What’s black and white and blue all over? Wait, wrong joke. I happen to have happy little jars of dye shelved away. And while I couldn’t make my shirt black and white again surely I could find another acceptable hue afterall my shirt was already changing on it’s on. I threw it in a pot o’ tint. I’ve never actually done a solid dye job before, so I was a tad nervous. Hey, I couldn’t make it any worse right?
I think the key to a solid dye job is: Just keep stirring, just keep stirring… I didn’t want it to be very dark, just enough to cover the splotches, so I only let it soak for about 2 hours. Look at my new blue and black stripes:
Ignore my frizzy hair, darn humidity! Notice my capris, another $.99 thrift find. Two new pairs of britches that ACTUALLY fit without constantly yanking them back up. Bottoms that actually require unzipping in order to use the restroom equals two dollars well spent. I can say that having clothes that fit can go a long way towards making you feel human again.
Back to sewing pail liners…
G’nite-
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WIP Wednesday – My First Rag Doll

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Samantha

What have we been up to this week? We’re still surviving the different type of quiet that comes when half your children (the two with the best communication skills) are visiting grandma, but I think that affords me the ability to pay more attention to the littles. The turkey has started his new therapy sessions and I’m confident it’s what he needs to keep heading in the right direction and everyday I see positive change in him. Dealing with his delays has made me hyperaware of the bean’s growing vocabulary and it makes me smile when he squeals “kitty” or tells his brother “no!” I find myself keep track and counting, things I never thought of before, but since toddler child I’ve learned so much.

I was contacted by a girlfriend who needed a baby for her little girl’s first birthday and I was excited that my services were requested. I always love to craft for friends. I’d never actually done a rag doll, but it seemed simple enough and was very satisfying. When you make a doll there’s just a process and and as you work through it their little personalities develop. I think she’s sweet and cute.

Don’t you love the piggy tails?
I also recieved a package of fabric this week and I get to make a crib skirt for another friend. At least the people in my life have little girls that I can craft for.
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How to Tuesday – Pony Bead Sun Catchers

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Samantha

I’ve finally had enough and turned on the air conditioning. The melting Alaskan girl has overpowered the cheapo girl. Since the air was running anyway I decided a little oven action couldn’t hurt. I had recently heard that you can make crafts by melting pony beads in the oven. Sounds fun right?

We took out our little cake pans and loaded up our beads. I put them in the oven on 400° and cooked them for about 25 minutes, checking periodically. After melting I’ve decided I like the results when you place the beads on their sides rather then hole facing up. They melt smoother.

Toddler child’s turned out better than mine becuase of the way most of his beads were on their sides.

They made a cracking sound as they cooled and they popped right out. My pans live to see another day! The edges were a little sharp in places, so I had to file them down a bit in those spots to smooth them out. I used the drill to make holes and ran some fishing line through.

Cool huh?
Toddler child was too busy sleeping with his for me to take hanging pictures.

I could see doing certain colors for holidays or using smaller pans to make a mobile or chime. I bet you might even be able to free form them on a cookie sheet.

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Losers

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Samantha

Losing by Tenth Avenue NorthI can’t believe what she said…
I can’t believe what he did
Don’t they know it’s wrong?
Don’t they know it’s wrong?
Maybe there’s something I missed?
But how could they treat me like this?
It’s wearing out my heart
The way they disregard

This is love
This is hate
We all have a choice to make

Oh, Father won’t You forgive them
They don’t know what they’ve been doing
Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losing

It’s only the dead that can live
But still I wrestle with this
To lose the pain that’s mine
Seventy times seven times
Lord it doesn’t feel right
For me to turn a blind eye
But I guess it’s not that much
When I think of what You’ve done.

This is love
This is hate…
We gotta a choice to make

Oh Father won’t You forgive them
They don’t know what they’ve been doin’ (oh no)
Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losing

Why do we think that our hate’s going change their heart
We’re up in arms over wars that don’t need to be fought
But pride won’t let us lay our weapons on the ground
We build our bridges up but but just to burn them down
We think our pain is own apologies and then it’ll stop
But truth be told it doesn’t matter if they’re sorry or not
Freedom comes when we surrender to the sound…
Of mercy and Your grace
Father, send Your angels down

Oh Father wont you forgive them
They don’t know what they’ve been doing
Oh Father, give me grace to forgive them
Cause I feel like the one losing
I feel like I’ve been losing

Oh Father give me grace to forgive them…
Cause I feel like the one losing

***********************************
I’ve just started hearing this on the radio and it speaks to me on a variety of levels. I’ve always been forgiving, to a fault almost. My brother would say I’m just passive and weak. And sometimes I think he’s right. It almost makes you feel walked on and abused to forgive people when they’ve hurt you; like you’re the loser and they are winning some battle.

I’ll be the first to admit I have a temper; I could just say I’m passionate, but then the moment passes and it’s gone. I don’t tend to hold grudges. I spend more time laying awake at night beating myself up over being so quick to let things go, especially when certain people feign aplogizes, then I do recounting the sins against me. There’s a quote that says ” holding a grudge is letting somone live rent free in your head.” I’m glad that the only person puttering in that space between my ears is me. Even when we feel like the losers we win. By forgiving whether they deserve it or not, we win a lighter heart, we win a life full of happiness, we win the ability to see the good beyond the next corner. When we learn to forgive it makes it easier for us to live a life loving others and putting their needs before our own.

Tonight take a deep breath and just let go.

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Hashbrowns Waffle Style

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Samantha

I’m trying to have a lazy day today. Our past week has been so chaotic I just need to veg a bit. Unfortunately, I have a to do list that goes on for miles. I’ve done the easy things, sweep, throw in a load of laundry, play robot vs. pig with toddler child and I’m saving the lamer things like dishes for nap time. The boys and I did spend a little time in the garden. The excitement of finding new veggies ready to pick never gets old for them and I have to admit I’m always a little giddy too.

We have zucchini coming out of our ears and I feel like Bubba running through all the recipes to use it up, so when we dug up our potatoes I was excited for something new. When I think of potatoes I immediately go to hash browns. I love hash browns! Starchy fried goodness covered in ketchup. And recently I had heard you could cook hash browns in your waffle maker. How can you beat crispy potatoes with little pockets for my ketchup?!

So I dusted off my waffle maker and jump on it. I grated about 1 pound of potatoes. I leave the skins on, so it kinda makes my hash browns a shade of grey, but I prefer to keep those nutrients in tact. I rinse the potatoes and then squeeze them out in a cheesecloth or flour sack towel to remove the excess starchiness.

It took me longer than waffles I had to let it go through two cycles. You can see how it’s not cooked through.
But once they were finished it was awesome! It felt like a complete meal with a little fruit and yogurt.
And in case you missed it this week I did an interview on the Diaper Pin and you can read a little about my cloth adventures here.
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