Grocery Shrink

I haven't posted for awhile because I'm finishing up a huge custom sewing project for a dear friend's wedding.  It has been a blast but all consuming and will be quite an accomplishment when finished.  Here's a sneak peek photo:

There are 5 all together and they are all from the same gorgeous silk, but all different styles.  The girls developed their own looks from designer inspirations and I did my best with their wishes.  Measuring figures, drafting patterns, and 12 mock dresses later, I cut into the silk. 3 are finished, 1 is half done and the last one almost ready to start. 

My house is a mess and my cupboard is getting bare.  DH is wondering where his Grocery Shrink went and I'm thinking it will be awhile before I attempt a project like this again (even though it was a blast.)

So the next post will be on a nutritious, inexpensive, quick and highly adaptable food I made to keep me sane during these several weeks–tortillas.  You'll have to wait until tomorrow since I need to go and use my tortillas to make a quick dinner!

I love to sew. It saves money, provides a creative outlet, and I can make money in my own home.  Sewing a dress for myself saves about $40.  But Ana White figured out that making her own headboard saved her about $2,000!  My dress took 8 hours to sew. Her headboard?  About 3.

She became so good at creating beautiful designer look furniture that she did it for money.  Creating for money in mass wasn't as much fun as creating for loved ones, so she started www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com. Knock Off Wood is where Ana shares free instructions, building plans, and encoruagement for DIY furniture building.  It's an amazing place.

She inspired me to pick up my drill and get to work.  The hardware store even cut my lumber to size for me.  First on my project list are these shelves from Martha Stewart:

Next is this bench from Knock Off Wood: 

And after that, I'd like to try a farmhouse table and benches.

Go visit www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com and get inspired.  Happy Nailing!

Wherever we live, I need a sewing room :),  a place to cut out fabric and leave my machine up all the time.  It should be a place out of the direct path of traffic, since I am a bit of a mess.  A lot of my sewing students just don't have an extra room to dedicate to sewing, and I'm so pleased to find some alternatives.

Below is a photo from Martha Stewart.  They converted a pair of bookcases to a craft studio with a set of castors and hinges.  This could easily be adapted to a sewing studio.  Notice the use of a pegboard, painted to match the rest of the area.  Shelves were deliberately placed to allow the unit to close completely and still leave an overhang at which to work.

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/bookcase-armoire-how-to?&backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/25-bedroom-organizers#slide_19

The same idea can be adapted to use an extra closet.  The picture below is from Steven and Chris:  http://www.cbc.ca/stevenandchris/2009/06/decor_on_a_dime_home_office_1.html

I love how they used the doors for extra storage space with pegboards on the bottom half and cork board on the top. Replace the computer with a sewing machine and the office supplies with craft tools and you have an instant sewing room that you can shut the door and hide. I love how the mirror makes it feel less closed in, almost like a window.

In these photos and the photo in the post about closet curtains I noticed that I loved the look because of all the work the designer put into choosing colors and making the area feel cohesive and coordinated.  I'm going to stretch myself in this area.  I tend to use what is free and available and not worry so much on how it looks.  I can still use the free and available, but a can of spray paint would work wonders to make it all coordinate!

It's not an office closet, but this pantry photo from Martha Stewart is another example.  It's way over the top, but notice how the scissors, funnel, exacto knive, water jug, and bleach bottle all share the same tone and color as the wall and printed stripe on the tablet?  All the pictures on her site (in the organizing section) are similarly monochromatic.  It's a peaceful feeling–clean and organized.  I like it, but is it boring?  Is it possible to achieve in real life?

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/25-kitchen-organizers#slide_13

Here's a link to a jaw dropping beautiful and huge sewing room:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/athomesewing/ Lots of ideas there.

And another link to a list of over 100 different real person sewing rooms: http://www.younge.com/sewing%20rooms.htm

And a final tip: When planning your sewing space pay lots of attention to having plenty of light.

I am so blessed!  My mother in law brought me 50 Avocados today and she is coming back with that many more again.  The food pantry in her small town had too many to use and are sharing with us.  I did a little research on the internet and found that they freeze well if mashed into guacamole first.

Avocados are a rare treat for us and they are sooo good for you.  They are usually $1 each, and I wait and snag them when they are half price.  A ripe avocado is dark skinned and soft, but not gushy.  (Although a few of the ones I received were gushy and they were just fine.)

Avocados make nice facials, check out this video:

I think that just plain avocado would be great for a facial too.  I'll try it today and let you know :).

Avocados are easy to prepare and eat and are great mashed, cubed in a salad, sliced on a sandwich, or just eaten out of the shell with a spoon!

Easy Guacamole

 
1.  Step one–slice in half and remove the pit.

 2.  Step 2–Use a spoon to scoop the meat into a bowl.  Add salt and lemon juice for flavor and to prevent browning.  4 Avocados take 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.

3.  Mash with a fork or use an electric mixer.

4.  You can package in freezer containers or…

…eat right away. 

Guacamole makes a great chip dip, salad dressing, or sandwich spread.

My 2 daughters share a closet with sliding doors.  It's impossible for both of them to reach their things at the same time and the doors often come off the track causing a safety problem.  I've been dreaming of taking off the doors for awhile.  There isn't enough room for bi-fold doors or pocket doors, so I am going to hang a curtain. 

I've seen this done well and I've seen it done poorly.  Done well, it's elegant and fresh. Done poorly it looks half finished and cheap.  If you do a google image search for "closet curtain" you will see a lot of photos of closet curtains.  I'm not a designer, but I know what I like. 

Photo Credit:  http://keloconnell.wordpress.com/2008/09/22/office-in-a-closet/

Visit Kelo Connell for great inexpensive decorating ideas

I like curtains hung from the inside of the closet so all hardware and top of the curtain is completely concealed. This gives a feeling of mystery and keeps the curtain from taking over the room. I also prefer curtains that are very full, at least 2-3 times the width of the opening.  Curtains that are too sparse feel cheap.  Length is another consideration.  Curtains that are very long, at least grazing the floor if not pooling a little, feel elegant and extravagant but don't have to be expensive.  Short curtains look a little like someone wearing high water pants.  I love the look of wide constrasting bands at the bottom of the curtain.  They are a fun way to add beautiful prints and also give weight to the curtain to help it hang well.

I plan to add metal tie backs to the inside of the closet so the girls can tuck the fabric out of their way when they are dressing in the morning.  I wish I had room to hang sturdy robe hooks on the wall to hang out an outfit in the evening for the next day.  I'm still thinking about a place.

Photo Credit:  http://www.hgtv.com/decorating/pictures-of-kids-rooms/page9.html

I love how this curtain is hung on the outside of the closet but the top is concealed with a decorative cornice.

To make it look the way I want it, I'm going to need to paint all their wood work white–aak!  It's on my schedule, but may have to wait until after our kitchen remodel which will start next week!  (More on that later.)  Perhaps I can hang the curtain now and paint when I have more time.

DIY Dish has just launched their new online television show.  The first project features a cute no sew (or little sew) cake pincushion.  You can watch it right here and then visit their blog to enter the giveaways for a free Janome embroidery machine and pincushion patterns and kits from my favorite designer, Heather Bailey.

She's finally here and ready for shipping!  The Jillian Tunic pattern by my sister company, Blessed Designs was designed for American Hand Smocking and cut for maternity.  After hearing the demands of my customers, I added a non-maternity cut and 2 options for machine smocking.  The results are beautiful and easy to wear.  You can order this pattern at a discount through the end of March.  To order visit:  www.blesseddesigns.net/store  It is a full size pattern printed on heavy white paper.  All sizes from XS to XXL are printed in one pattern.

You may recognize my model as the beautiful Kelly Marshall, the owner of Designs by KM which was featured in an earlier post.  She is four months pregnant in these photos.

The first photos show the maternity cut sewn with a machine shirring technique and is made from a Heather Bailey print in blue ice from her Bijoux line.

This set of photos is made from pink dotted cotton and sewn with faux machine smocking. 

The slightly puffed sleeves feature 3 delicate pleats that echo the design of the back.

The next few photos show a Jillian tunic sewn from vintage dotted swiss that was handsmocked in Aqua using the American smocking technique.  Instructions for all 3 smocking techniques shown here are included in the pattern.  

www.blesseddesigns.net/store

I've been giving my children ginger baths for many years to relieve discomfort from flu, congestion, and colds. I didn't know why it worked, just that it did.  I recently came across an interesting article on why ginger baths are so theraputic.

http://www.pureinsideout.com/ginger-bath.html

Ginger baths are easy to give.  Simply sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of dried ginger into running bath water as hot as you can take it and slip in for a soak.  With a little rinsing the ginger will drain with the bath water.  We've never had problem with clogged drains. 

Epsom salts are also theraputic and you can combine the benefits by mixing 1 cup of epsom salts, the zest from 1/2 an orange, and 2 Tablespoons of dried ginger.  Mix in a bowl and store in a half pint jar.  Use the entire container for one bath.

Ginger is stuch a nice spice.  Hot and sweet and lemony all at the same time.  I decided to try to grow it this year.  It takes a lot of heat but prefers shade to sun and will die in temperatures below 40 degrees.  The midwest is an unlikely place to grow it well since it takes 10-12 months to mature, but in a pot I may have success.  I'll try anything once.  Here's a link to instructions:  http://www.tropicalpermaculture.com/growing-ginger.html and http://www.ehow.com/how_4576842_grow-ginger-indoors.html

I'm off to prepare a ginger soak for sweet Heidi.  I hope she feels better soon!

The children are not feeling well.  Brandon slept all day yesterday and Heidi is the snoozer today.  They have been well exposed to strep throat so I am watching them closely and staying home.   I like to fight these things off naturally if at all possible.  It helps to strengthen their immune systems and prevent reoccuring illness.  Garlic and oregano are wonderful antibiotics, but my children refuse them in pill form.  So today I made a variation of my easy biscuits–Garlic Cheese.

Garlic Cheese Biscuits

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons soured raw milk cream (Or buttermilk)

Mix all dry ingredients.  Stir in cream.  Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut with biscuit cutters.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Serve with butter.  I made 8 JUMBO biscuits

These are VERY flavorful, but even my picky eaters loved them.