Strawberry Aprons

I finished these two aprons yesterday. They are made from a tablecloth and vintage handkerchiefs.

First apron. I bought the tablecloth at a local antique and gift store but the tag said "Moda Home". The material is a cotton twill.

First apron pocket. This one is my favorite.

Apron back.

Second apron. The pattern was from a booklet I bought at Hobby Lobby called Sew Simple by Gooseberry Patch.

I'm planning on selling these but don't know the where's and when's yet. Oh, and as a side note I probably will not be posting very many, if any, more sewing or crafting projects until January because from now 'til then they will all be Christmas related. See you later!

Tea Time

" More than anything in the world he would have liked a cup of good tea."

- C. S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

Fall Flowers

Another project finished! I made this as a gift to take to a baby shower my mother and I were invited to tomorrow night.

The pattern is "Slouchy Bags" by Taylor Made Designs view A.

The fabric is "Geisha Fans" from Amy Butler's Lotus collection. I purchased it from a from a local quilt shop and it is also available from Fabric.com. The lining is a cotton broadcloth from Jo-Ann.

I am planning another, different bag from the scraps but it will probably be a while before I get around to it...

New from Old

Well, I've finally finished one of my many sewing projects. I had made a skirt for my mother a while back and a lady at church asked me to make one for her too.

I cut off the bottom of a purchased denim skirt and replaced it with six fitted, a-line panels, three each for the front and back, and two narrow, straight rectangles at each side seam. Both the fabrics are cotton prints from Jo-Ann.

The hem features a box pleated ruffle sewn down at both the bottom and top edges.

I'm going back to the sewing room now. Lots more to do!

Memory

"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered... And how could we endure to live and let time pass if we were always crying for one day or one year to come back - if we did not know that every day in a life fills the whole life with expectation and memory and that these are that day?"

C. S. Lewis, Out of the Silent Planet

An Afternoon at the Fair

We spent yesterday afternoon walking around the State Fair. It was a lovely fall day and we enjoyed our time together.

We looked at faux animals...

and live animals.

Exhibits here...

and exhibits there.

Before getting back into the car Mary Laurence decided to let her balloon go and watch it float away.

Oatmeal Anyone?

Do you ever just want something but don't know why? I wanted oatmeal cookies. I went online and found this recipe. I changed it just a little and let me tell you, they were wonderful. Please don't ask how many I ate for that is a secret that cannot be revealed... (actually, I just don't remember, but I know it was quite a few *grin*).

Ingredients
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick), softened
1 1/4 cups Oatmeal
1 Egg
3 tablespoons Milk
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° F. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and butter until well blended. Add the oatmeal, egg, and milk, stirring well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Gradually add to the oatmeal mixture, stirring well. Stir in the vanilla. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls, spaced about 1 inch apart, onto a baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Yield: About 2 Dozen

Cowboy Cookies

Hello! It seems like a long time since I posted. I've been pretty busy with school and sewing, as usual I have more projects going on than I can safely handle (do I have six or was it seven?). Anyway, I decided to bake cookies this morning so here is a recipe for you.

Cowboy Cookies

Wet and Sweet Ingredients:
1 cup Shortening

1/2 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Peanut Butter

1 Egg

Dry Ingredients:

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 cup Flour

Fun Ingredients:

Raid the pantry and see what you find!

Today I used 1/2 cup each of oatmeal, crushed bran cereal, raisins and milk chocolate chips. I have also seen them made with dried cranberries, macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the Wet and Sweet ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Add the Dry ingredients and mix well. Add your Fun ingredients and mix again. Drop by the spoonful on a baking sheet and bake for ten minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for five minutes before removing.

Yield: About 2 Dozen

Coming Up Next...

Stay tuned throughout next week for more sewing projects!

Storytelling

While visiting our grandparents Emma told Granny the story of "Hansel and Gretel". Mama had read it to the girls and Emma must have really liked it. I wish I could have captured her words as well as her expressions but alas, I have not the talent for that. Oh well, at least I can share these pictures with you. As you can see, she really got into her storytelling.

That's all for now!

When Roses Cease

When roses cease to bloom, dear

and violets are done,

When bumblebees in solemn flight

Have passed beyond the sun,

The hand that paused to gather

Upon this summer's day

Will idle lie, in Auburn.

--Then take my flower, pray!

-Emily Dickinson

Sugar Bomb

Today was my Dad's birthday. I made him a Hershey Bar Cake and I thought you might like the recipe.

Hershey Bar Cake

Cake Ingredients:
1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 3.4 oz. box Vanilla Instant Pudding

3 Eggs

1 1/2 cups Milk

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

Icing Ingredients:

1 8 oz. block Cream Cheese

1 box Confectioner's Sugar

1/2 cup Granulated Sugar

1 8 oz. carton Cool Whip

1 Hershey Bar (optional)

To Make Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9" cake pans. Mix together eggs, milk and oil. Add cake mix and pudding mix and mix well. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool.

To Make Icing:

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix until icing looks smooth and creamy. If icing is too thin add more confectioner's sugar. Ice cake between each layer on top and on the sides. If you would like you can crush a milk chocolate Hershey Bar and sprinkle it on top of the cake. However, doing this will turn your sugar grenade of a cake into a sugar bomb. Enjoy!

When making chocolate cake flour the pans with cocoa powder.

Doesn't the batter look good?

I bet Livy could tell you.

I think they turned out well.

And the finished cake.

I've Been Caught!

Janna from http://www.thejoyofhome.com/ tagged me on "Six Random Things About Me". The rules are as follows: link to the person who tagged you, list the rules, write six random things about yourself, tag six-ish people by leaving comments on their blogs and let the person who tagged you know that you've written the post. O.K. here I go...

1. I'm no longer allowed to post anything without my mom reading it first because even with spell check I still manage to spell things wrong.

2. I was born on Labor Day.

3. I love reading Emily Dickinson's and Emily Bronte's poems.

4. I've always wanted long, beautiful "princess" hair but I doubt I'll ever get it.

5. I enjoy reading tragedies but I cannot stand to watch sad movies.

6. I would much rather stay inside to going out, I never was much of a run around outside kind of girl and I have always prefered shopping to sports.

Whew! That was harder than I thought it would be! Now, whom should I tag? How about:

Marmee from http://marmeecraft.blogspot.com/

Olivia from http://workingwitheagerhands.blogspot.com/

Amy and Julia Marie from http://amyandjulia.blogspot.com/

and Anna from http://pleasantviewschoolhouse.blogspot.com/

My First Hats

No, I'm not a fan of Star Wars, actually, if you want to know the truth, I saw Episode One once at least five years ago and I remember thinking Queen Whats-Her-Name needed to redo her make-up. Anyway, I was asked to make three Imperial Officer hats and I must say they were really fun to sew.

Hat Front

Hat Side (my apologies, this pictures did not turn out well)

Two of the Recipients

I really enjoyed sewing these, I had never made a hat before, at least, not for a person. No, making them has not inspired me to watch Star Wars, though I did check out their costume site. But hey, what I lack in science fiction I make up for in Jane Austen.

Hansel and Gretel

I love reading fairy tales. I found a new edition of Hansel and Gretel at the library today. It was exciting but not just because I like to read fairy stories. I love it when children's book illustrators really get into the stories they are portraying. Like Jen Corace. I had never heard of her before today and I'm rather sorry I hadn't. Her painting's for Hansel and Gretel were so sweet and simple and I absolutely adored Gretel's wardrobe. Almost immediately after arriving home I was sitting with Gretel and my sketchbook.

My sketch of Gretel's dress and coat.

The book cover.

I have four little sisters and I'm certain one of them would love to have a new coat. I even have a wool blend on hand...

My Introductory Post

I am so excited to be up and blogging! This is something I have wanted to do for a while now. My blog will mostly be a chronicle of my sewing and craft projects along with book and movie reviews and a few tid-bits about my daily family activities. My goal is to write only what will be pleasing to the Lord and for readers to be encouraged by what they see here.

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." - Joshua 24:15