2012 Owl Calendar--Free and Fun

(Jo James)

See that little button right across on the sidebar with the cute owls?  It will take you to Shivani's site where she has once again put together something that allows you to create your own personal 2012 owl calendar.  She gathered the work of forty-five international artists this year--all creating pieces depicting owls.  The set-up allows you to choose which piece of art you want for each month and print out the pages.

I did it last year, too.  The hardest part was, once again, choosing.  I wanted MOST of them, but could only have twelve.  Take a look!

Ongoing Apron and Art Smock Link Party!

Threading My Way has just started an ongoing apron/art smock link party.  It would be great if you would add any of your posts on these items to it.  I so like the idea of having one place to go that will have lots of information and inspiration on a given subject.

http://threadingmyway.blogspot.com/2012/02/
threading-your-way-aprons-and-art.html

Pam of Threading My Way already has a number of these ongoing parties on right now including these:   

• Bags and Totes 
• Girls' Dresses 
• Women's Dresses
• Hair Accessories 
• Pillows and Cushions 
• Boys Clothes
• Skirts for Girls 

If there is another party you'd like to see, you can email her or leave a suggestion in Pam's comments area. I'm looking forward to seeing all your creations over there!

February's Blocks from Craftsy's BOM class

As you may recall, I am doing the "block of the  month" lessons from Craftsy in both browns/blues and orange/blues.  Here are the browns/blues  for February:

The first one is a Balkan Puzzle also know by numbers of other names as is true of many quilt blocks.  I LOVE this one.  The second is a Chunky Chevron.  By itself,  I'm not so fond of it.  I'll bet it's cool when these are put together as a whole quilt, though.

Here are the orange/blues:

One of the reasons I'm not too fond of the Chunky Chevron blocks may be that I don't like my choice for the predominant pieces--that blue/yellow fabric--in this one.  It's a beautiful fabric when not cut into pieces and repieced (Repieced comes out with a red line under it.  I, however, am using it because I think it should be a word in quilting!)  This fabric would require some incredible fussy cutting to make it work well.  I'm hoping that it will blend in well once the whole quilt is together.

Here are all the January and February browns/blues together,

and the orange/blues

All in all, I am quite happy.  Of course, I've been cutting these down to make them uniform rather than redoing them.  If I absolutely HAVE to, I'll redo one to make it fit. For the most part, I'm not that fussy with quilting.  As I have said before, I go with the , "if it can't be seen by a man riding by on horseback, it's okay" rule.  I quilt for fun and to have something on the bed rather than for show.  That may be because were I quilting for show, I'd still be on my first quilt;-O

Confession: I Am a Potter Head

For our last day in Florida, we went to:

The lovely Mr. Easton posing before the Universal Studio globe.

Universal Studio's theme park.  Mostly because I wanted to see:

I am somewhat addicted.  I reread the books and/or watch the movies almost yearly.  I really, really wanted to taste:

Butterbeer!   I had two.  The resulting sugar high is probably why I'm still up at one in the morning blogging.  I know it's just cream soda with some creamy flavored foam on top, but it is so good.

The castle ride has to be the most awesome one in the park, and you get to see all kinds of cool stuff while moving through the ride line including the sorting hat,

 and walls of talking pictures.

The best part of the ride was flying over the quidditch field.  Never thought I'd get to do that. Flying down toward the lake was a close second.  It was so like the scene in one of the movies.   You honestly feel as though you are flying.  I actually moved my leg at one point 'cuz I thought it was going to hit something!  I dragged my husband on this ride twice.

Olivander's wand shop proved too tempting.  I am now the proud owner of what they tell me is an exact replica of Professor McGonagall's wand.

Too bad it's not real.  It would be so nice if it would do all my laundry when I get home.

I Finally Got the Signature Line to Work in My Blog!

I saw a post at Serendipity and Spice with some suggestions for spicing up your blog.  I've tried to do the signature line before without success.  I get to the part about making sure you save your original html code or you will mess everything up and panic. Melissa at Serendipity suggested going to Mylivesignature.com to create the signature which I did.  I copied the code I made there.  Then I could not figure out WHERE to put the code.  I finally emailed Melissa at Serendipity.  Here was her response:
 
"In your blogger dashboard (main page) go to Settings, then Posts and Comments.  On the right there will  be a box labeled Post Template.  Just insert the html code in this box.  Then your signature will automatically load every time you make a post."

I went to the dashboard, then to Settings.  There wasn't an exact "Posts and Comment."  Maybe I have an old version or something.  In any case, this is what I did.  I finally tried going to "Settings."  Then under that there is a tab for "Formatting."  At Formatting, I scrolled down to "Post Template."  I pasted it in there, saved the settings, and voila!  There it was.

I know there is a way to get it to be on the old posts, too. With my lack of knowledge in this area and fear of messing up everything,  I'm gonna stick with this. Here it is

Now if I can just figure out how to get the signature out of the little white box, I'll be all set.  It's a start!

Hair Clips for Ipod and Other Techie Wires

Traveling with my computer, two Kindles, an Ipod, and two cell phones means a lot of cords. I've been using this method to keep things from tangling for a while now.  It has worked particularly well while traveling.

Nice and neat.  Headphones, charging cords, and simple hair clips.  The clips work great.  They won't damage the cords, but firmly hold everything in place.  When you are using the cords, just leave the clip around the cord.   Give it a try.

I'm still enjoying the beautiful Florida weather.  Thought you might enjoy a few pics.

The sun setting on our first night

This White Ibis and I were hunting together.  I was so busy looking for
shells that I was next to this guy before I even realized it

Great Blue Heron.   He sat on the dock
oblivious to the passersby.

Gopher tortoise!  

Is this guy not the coolest?  He was just hangin'
out on the side of a building.  I think it is an  Black Anole.

Amazing how close you can get to the birds!  I think this is a
Snowy Egret.

My Front Load Washer Died, But I'm Not Too Unhappy About It

First, look where I am.  Yeah, in the air, on the way to Florida.  Left the twenty-somethings in charge of the house.  How cool is it that you can blog on top of clouds?  Way cool.

It

Back to the washer.  I had the front load washer for about seven years.  It died for the second time last week.  The first repair was so expensive, we knew the next time it broke we would just replace it.   I liked that our water bill dropped dramatically when we got the front loader, but otherwise I wasn't really happy with it.  I never had to wash my washing machine before getting the front loader.  I also didn't needed to leave the door open on a washer before.  I found out I needed to clean and air the machine the hard way--once the smell became awful!  I would have gotten another front load one, though, if the water-saving top loaders were not around. BUT they are!  Take a look at my new favorite appliance.

It's an LG with the largest tub possible.  My kids do their own laundry, and  even their "saved up forever" piles fit in.  Love that it saves water, fits more stuff than I ever dreamed possible aside from a laundry mat machine, and has a seemingly infinite number of settings to accommodate all situations.   Look at all those choices:

The part that I really love though, is that it plays music--literally.  Instead of that annoying, jarring buzzer to let you know the wash is finished, it plays a little ditty.  Okay, it does sound like a piece Mr. Rogers would have chosen for the kids, but it is so much better than a buzzer.

I've finally stopped staring at the laundry through the window.   But look at that glass top.  Who wouldn't want to stare in.  Is this what they mean when they say,  "Don't be showing your dirty laundry"?  If so, I apologize. 

The January Blocks are Finished!

I started them in February--not a good idea.  Fortunately Craftsy keeps the old lessons up.  These are FREE block of the month lessons.  I've been meaning to get back to quilting.  These lessons are just the kick in the butt encouragement I needed.  I wanted to work with these fabrics:

but these fabrics actually match something in my house:

Do not judge me on color choices.  I'm not color blind, I'm color confused.  If you have read my post on the ugliest quilt ever, you would understand that this is a step in the right direction.  Even with several books on choosing colors, I struggle with this.  I decided to do both colors. Who says I'm indecisive?

There are two blocks for each month.  January's block are "the asterisk" and "the wonky block."  This slashing of previous pieced fabric is new for me. I like it! Here are my yellow/orange:

The one on the right is cut to size.  The other looks a bit off because the
edges have only been tucked under.  Okay, so they are a bit off, too.
I go by the "if it can't be seen by a man riding by on horseback" rule.

These fabrics are much prettier close up:

(Maybe I should start buying fabric view from a distance.  I'm a sucker for juvenile, colorful fabric.)  

Here are the brown/blue blocks:

Excuse the edges.  These are obviously not cut down to size yet.

My goal for this month is to get the February block done IN February.  I'm pretty sure you can still join in the fun.  Check on Craftsy.  It's streaming across the bottom where they show all the videos.  It's the free one--that should be easy for all you professional shoppers to find.  Catching up with four block shouldn't be difficult.  

Do you sing your orders at the drive-through?

Check out Giorgio singing his Sonic order.  

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RzBpTSNLG8&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Not only funny, but an cool voice.

He has a few of his songs for sale on his Facebook page. You can get there here: 

www.theinterstatelife.com 

You can even use PayPal.  I know that 'cuz I bought them.  (And no, I don't know him, just appreciate a funny guy with a great voice and cheap songs;-})

Doesn't everyone keep their plastic ziploc bags in the sewing/craft room?

I was at the tail end of cleaning up my accumulation of patterns and such when I had an epiphany.  I was about to make my fourth trip downstairs to get another ziploc bag to hold bits and pieces of cut patterns, directions, or fabric when I decided a box of bags should be IN the sewing room.

Now, there's only one box of these bags in the house which was in the kitchen where other people keep them.  However, I only occasionally use them there to store leftovers.  For that I can just say, "Honey, run upstairs and get me a ziploc bag, will ya."  To the inevitable whining that will ensue about keeping the bags where normal people do, I intend to respond with, "I get enough exercise shopping for fabric and running it through the machine.  What are you trying to do kill me?  Isn't there some sport on television that you should be watching when we're finished cleaning up here?"  The sports line is what will do it.  This man has been known to watch curling even before Stephen Colbert made it hip--well, as hip as curling can be.

Sarong Swimsuit Cover

After the panty purse, it was time to do something I will actually use.  With my vacation around the corner, I finally made this sarong I found in a Sew Stylish magazine a while back.

It can be worn several ways.  Here are a couple more pics from the magazine:

The article also mentioned folding down the top edge before tying if you want it shorter which is nice with the contrasting fabrics or using it as a shawl.

Here's mine.  My usual victim model, Melissa, wasn't available, so this will have to do.

It looks much better on.  Unfortunately, I've not figured out how to take pics of myself in an outfit!  The photo doesn't do the material justice either, so I'm including a couple of close-ups.  It is a Simply Silky design from Joann's.

The sarong is made from two 40x64" rectangles of lightweight, drapable fabric.  You can see how the fabric is folded to 32 inches to cut the curve in the second pic above.  Then you just sew the two pieces right sides together around the edges leaving an opening to turn.  The seams on the one in the magazine seemed to fall better than mine.  You can see the slight puff that material has at the seams better in this photo:

My material didn't hang as well.  I decided to do a 1/4" top stitch all the way around which I like much better.  While I like the fabric, I wish I had more choices available locally.  I really need to get down to New York City to check out some of the garment district stores I've read about.  I'm a couple of hours away and have never made a fabric run. Anyone with fabric store suggestions please feel free to share with us in the comments!

Update:  For a change using snaps, check out this post

Yeah, It's a Panty Purse

My husband's first reaction:  "Are you really gonna be whipping that out
of your purse?"  

How does one go from posting the elegant little Japanese knot bag to a panty bag in a matter of days?  It's Sandra of SuddenlySandra.blogspot.com 's fault because she made some of these that were so freakin' cute I had to give it a try, too.

Look--all lined and everything!

Sandra also nicely directed me to the free pattern and tutorial.  It's in Chinese, but Google Translator translates well enough to get the idea.  If you've not done a lined, zippered bag before, check out a YouTube video tutorial or two.  That should be enough for anyone to give this a try.  I enlarged it to use with the 7" zipper on hand.

Before you get started, stop here to see Sandra's versions.  She has all kinds of little extras that make these even more special.

Do You Use Dryer Sheets to Clean Your Shower Doors??

I saw this idea on a blog and thought, "Yeah, maybe your shower doors, but my water is beyond hard.  No way that will work for me."  I usually have to use cleaners that require rubber gloves, bleach the color out of any clothes or towels within splatter-shot, and smell as though one should be advised to wear a gas mask and have the windows open.  I was desperate enough to give this dryer sheet thing a try.  On my first attempt I didn't even bother to take before pictures.  I was that sure it would not work.  It worked.

I took pics the second time I used them.  Here's the before:

And after:

Oh, no, that is not with the shower door open.

Look at this shine:

 This is what that area looked like before:

I have a certain amount of guilt because of the disposable factor with the the dryer sheets. I try not to use things that are disposable if I can avoid it.  I don't use dryer sheet for the laundry!  I had to "borrow" some of them from Melissa for my first try.  However, those strong chemicals can't be good for the environment either.  Another great reason to use the dryer sheets is that I don't have to worry about the strong cleansers corroding the caulk around the tub and the metal fixtures as the labels threaten will happen.  Avoiding leaks from worn caulk and extending the life of the fixtures is good for the environment, too.

The sheets work great on the sink and tub area easily cleaning off the tub ring, too.  One sheet goes a long way.  Melissa's were Bounce.  I bought Target's brand which worked just as well.

While I still don't like cleaning the bathrooms,  I don't  dread cleaning them anymore.  Try the dryer sheets if you haven't already.

Very Berry Handmade Giveaway

I've been doing a weekly sewing challenge this month with Sew Much 2 Luv which is about to come to an end.  It has been wonderful to have the encouragement to actually get some sewing projects completed, comments from other sewers about my projects, and, most of all, seeing all the projects of the other participants.  No housework getting done, but I'm so happy to be checking off  a few things on my long list of projects.

In search of more sewing encouragement, I stumbled upon the Very Berry Handmade Giveaway:  Resolved to Sew 2012.  The fabric for the giveaway is so beautiful, bright, and cheery!   There's even some crushed walnut shells for stuffing pin cushions.  I've steered away from making pin cushions because I like the rough grains in the manufactured ones.  Who knew you could get crushed walnut shells to stuff them?

Check it out and join in!  Just click on the link above or here.

Newest Member of the Crew

That's Kelsey, Kiefer's girlfriend holding one of her Christmas presents.  His name is Cooper.  Doesn't he look sweet there?  Actually he is a little devil who runs around so much it has taken me this long to get a picture of him that doesn't look like this:

or this:

How does he move so fast that he looks like a ghost dog?

Here's the real Cooper:

So, how long does this puppy stage last???

He does sleep sometimes--kind of:

Oh, don't let that sweet little face fool you.  He's just worn out from attacking everyone and everything.