Happy New Year

Sew . . . it's been a long while since I've made a post. My apologies, the holidays always have so much going on. Quite frankly I'm glad they are over. Last time I posted I promised to share photos of some completed projects. I did finish those fleece blankets that turned out really awesome. My daughter completed 95% of her 4H project we just have one last finishing touch.


Fleece blankets made from John Deere prints for a customer's grandchildren.



One 4H project nearly complete. A display board for all her Tae Kwon Do belts complete with a low block pose. She is currently on her first level of brown belt.

  Just last week I taught a 4H sewing class over the school break. We made "Ten Minute Table Runners" which took two hours because some of the kids had never sewn before. I'm so thankful we had several extra moms to help out. The directions for this project I found online were limited so I rewrote them with photos. I've posted them online in .pdf format if you are interested. The sample I made is now looking lovely on my buffet.


Ten Minute Table Runner (Click the photo for a link to the .pdf directions)

  In the afternoon we made reusable tote bags from pet food bags that are made from the woven plastic like those blue tarps are. They really had fun with that one because they didn't have to be so precise on the sewing. I have pictures of my sample too. There are many other things you can make from these bags too. For example, an apron to wear when washing your pets or working in the garden. A couple of years ago another 4H'er turned the rabbit food bags into a tarp with duct tape and grommets.



Reusable Tote from pet food bag. You can make these as big or as small as you like.

  The other day I took my sample bag to work with me to show my boss, because that's where we buy our dog food. When we came out from work it was really windy and he made the comment that if I held the bag up I could sail home. "Light bulb" went on and I think we might try to make a good old fashioned kite out of one of these bags. Yes my mom does tell me quite often that wheels in my brain are always going. I will never disagree with that fact.

I managed to make the valance for my kitchen window from some fabric I had previously made into table skirts. This was one of my Christmas presents to myself. The print and colors in it go well with my newly revised kitchen. I tried to make replacement curtain panels for the cabinet doors above my refrigerator with the same fabric. Much to my dismay I totally miscalculated and came up shamefully short. Alas, I have no more of this print available to me. I guess I will have to look around for a coordinating print instead. Oh darn . . . I have to go fabric shopping. . . and no I don't have anything in my stash that will work.

Another Christmas present to myself was a new ironing board. I made my own cover for it because it is much prettier to look at and of better quality. I also replaced the cheesy piece of foam they expect you to use with two layers of the batting used to make hot pads and such. I used the piece of foam that came with the ironing board as the pattern for the batting. However, I cut mine about 1-2" wider so they would wrap around the edges of the board. I guess I really didn't replace the foam. I laid it down first then the two layers of batting then covered it with my new cover.





My new ironing board complete with custom cover.

 For the cover, I used the one that came with the board as a pattern, again cutting it 1-2" wider so it would completely wrap around the edges. I used biased binding around the edges and thread a skinny 1/8" wide ribbon through it to gather and tighten it around the ironing board. So there you have it my new ironing board.

I also managed to empty out one of my "to do" project boxes. They were framed ornaments in the shape of stockings. I've had about four of these cut out and ready to make from years and years ago. I had made a bunch for my mother-in-law for pictures of all her grandchildren to go on her tree. She liked them very much. My sister-in-law informed me that she needed a few more for the now great-grandchildren that have arrived.

So I made up the last four I had. Three for my nieces children and her stepson. The extra is for when my nephew, who is finally getting married next summer, starts his family. I wonder how long we'll have to wait for that event? He's 30 years old and the oldest of the grandchildren and we thought he'd never get married. Anyway, gramma loved them and I got to clear out an old "to do" project box. Yay for me!

 I'm not one to make new year resolutions because I can't keep them anyway. However, I do have plans for some major organizing this year. I got started with my sewing area last night and was up until 2 a.m. organizing buttons and zippers. Today I finished that process and cleaned up my tables so I had room to get back to work on sewing for customers tomorrow. I still have some other parts in that area to organize but with the stress of holidays gone I can take some evenings to mess around with doing that. I'll share some photos and some neat storage ideas that I came up with. (Again with the brain always going.)

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are looking forward to a new and fresh year. God Bless!

Next blog . . . my top favorite projects completed in 2011.