daily yarns 'n more

a peak at what i've been working on

I can't stop to post right now, I've been working on a quilt that I started many moons ago.  When it's done I will reveal all.  But, for right now you just have to be satisfied with this.

a vintage sewing machine and chemo hats

My daughter Elaine got this old machine awhile back.  It has been in her basement and not being used.  So I thought that if she wasn't using it maybe I could.  She still has to give me the manual so I can thread it.  I've been messing with it and just can't get it right.  I did sew with it when she first got it and I loved it.  I told her if she ever gets rid of it that I would take it.  I also told her that if she ever wants it back she can have it back.

For our ASG July challenge we are to make chemo hats for cancer patients.
I made 3 already and have 2 more cut out.  I just used my scrap fabric for these hats. 

I thought that this fabric would be nice for the summer months.  Some of the ladies talked about making hats out of fleece but I thought that with the summer months coming up, that ones made out of cotton fabric would be nicer.

I have a lot of fabric for kids, mostly from when we were making pillow cases.  I'm guessing boys would wear a baseball hat and that a girl would wear a chemo hat.  So I thought of this fabric with smiley faces on it.

The smiley faces make me smile every time I look at them.  I hope it will brighten up the one who will wear them.  I want to make a couple of really girly-girl ones too.

Our June challenge is Red, White and Blue.  I have an idea, I just hope I can get it done in time.

homestead happenings

Hey, that sounds like a catchy name for a blog or even a newspaper column.

With all the color going on last week I haven't been able to show you what has been happening around the homestead.

I went to a pajama party.  Well, not really a pajama party just my ASG meeting and we had our March challenge which was a "pajama" theme.  We had to make something that we would bring to a pajama party....hmmm...what would I bring. 

You know I had a month to think about this, and last Wednesday which was the day before my ASG meeting I finally made my challenge...I work great under pressure.  On my list of projects for the year is a pillow for my bed.  You know the kind you decorate your bed with.  Well, I thought hey, I can get a twofer out of it...my March challenge and get something checked off my project list.

Remember this fabric?

 

It just about did me in to cut it up, but I did and I lived.

 

note: this is the bed in our guest room...the lighting is much better in there to take a picture.

  

You need a pillow to sleep on, only who sleeps at pajama party's right?  But, you definitely need it for those pillow fights...memories.

I have never done a collage that you could actually see without squinting your eyes, so here is a bit more that has been happening around the homestead.

Starting at the top left and going clockwise, you will find an Asparagus Parmesan Pasta Toss...Yum!!  With all the rain we have been having, Jim went to check the drain by the basement door and found what we think is a baby snapping turtle.  It looks like it's not among the living anymore but it really is.  I think it was just really cold and when it was in the house it started to wake up and move around a bit.  For lunch on Sunday I made a Buttermilk dressing and served it over a wedge of lettuce...another Yum!!  Last but definitely not least, a cradle in the makings...son Philip is making a cradle for the new baby he and Clare are expecting.  He's done all the work but has needed an occasional help from his dad.

That's it, not much else to really speak of.

You all have a wonderful day today.

a couple of awards and i need your help

I bought a tulip plant the other day and it's starting to open up.  Just a bit of Spring to have around the house.

I was given a couple of Awards and I want to share them with you. 

Kar over at Kar's Down Home Bliss gave me this award.  Thank you Kar.

 

~~~~~~

Joyce over at Home Again-Vintage Treasures gave me this award.  Thank you Joyce.

I have to post 6 things I'm thankful for.

I'm Thankful for...

1. My Faith

2. My Husband, Children and Grandchildren

3. My Health

4. My freedom, and that I'm able to write this post.

I know I only have 4 things that I'm thankful for...anything else I thought of sounded corny and these 4 were the ones that popped into my mind right away so I went with these.

Now, I'm supposed to pass these 2 awards along but I always have such a hard time deciding who to give them to...so I'm giving them to all who are on my blog list, because you are all deserving of both of these awards.

Now for the help.  Last night at my ASG meeting we were all given a wrapped gift.  Inside each gift there were 2 pieces of fabric one measuring 1/2 yard and the other measuring just over 1/4 yard.  This is our challenge fabric for the year.  Now, I have done it every time since joining but there are many who don't.  This year no one was given the chance to say NO.  I think that's great...no more party poopers.  Now here is the fabric were were given.

  

Any ideas for what to make would be great.  I do have a few...a bag/purse, a pillow, cover a small foot stool, line a basket.   We have to use at least 75% of each fabric piece.  I would love more ideas if anyone has any.

I'm making a 3 Button Wrap out of this delicious, yummy yarn.

 

So far, I am about 25% done on it.

 

Enough chit~chatting for today.

You all have an awesome day and I'll see you on Monday. 

sew busy

I've been doing some sewing the past couple of days.  My ASG neighborhood group challenge for February is pillowcases for The Ronald McDonald House, the ASG National Community Service Project.  So far I have made 4 and have 2 more cut out ready to be sewed together and I bought more fabric to make some more.  The pattern I use is called the "hot dog" pillow case, it's very easy and simple to make.  Here is a link to one I found that is very similar to the one I use.

  

The pillowcases fit a standard size pillow. 

 

 I have 40 of the 60 Siggy Blocks made, only 20 to go...then I have to personalize each block.

It's still cold here but at least the sun is shinning.  DH is slowly on the mend...Thanks so much for the well wishes.  I'm crossing my fingers that I"m not next.  I believe in sharing but that I'll pass on.

The other day I arose before the sun came up and this is what I saw when it appeared.  The picture really doesn't do it justice. 

 

Lots of giveaways in blogland and I've entered quite a few.  I've got some purchases coming in the mail and I can't wait to share them with you.

disaster plan

I saw this over at Turkey Feathers and knew that was something I needed to help me straighten, organize and take control of my sewing room.  Which by the way right now is a complete disaster.  It's not going to solve the whole problem but it's a start.  So, after my ASG meeting last night, I hurried on over to Michaels before they closed and bought the second to last one.  They were 50% off...I was too pumped.  After I kind of took the summer and fall off from sewing I am all fired up to do some sewing now...but, after I get my mess cleaned up and organized.

I have a couple of projects on the needles.  One I can't show right now, but this one is almost done.  It's called a Neck Cozy and I'm using that leftover yarn that I had to buy to finish that last little bit of my scarf.

Almost everyone made the "Go Green" challenge this month.  Next months challenge is to make the 2009 National Community Service Project...creating pillowcases for the Ronald McDonald House that is located in the host city for the 2009 ASG National Conference.  That's one way for our challenge committee to get everyone to participate.

I'm off to get my day going.

You all have a wonderful day today.

go green and my strawberry & vintage apron collections

I have done some redecorating in the house.  You know how I love aprons and I have some vintage aprons tucked away in my China cabinet drawer just waiting to come out of hiding.  As I was taking my Christmas decorations down I decided I wasn't going to put the things I had back up but decided to do something different.  I have quite a few vintage aprons and so I hung four of them on my shelf that is in my hallway by the kitchen.  I also decided to display some of the little pitchers I have instead of hiding them in the China cabinet too.

 

I had a hard time deciding which ones to put out so I will change the aprons once in awhile so they don't all hide in the drawer.  I also put out all the strawberry items that I have.  The jar was my Grandma M's and the scoop that she used is still in the jar.

 

 I did some sewing yesterday...YEAH!!!  It felt really good even tho my sewing room is a total disaster.  I enjoyed the afternoon sewing.  Tonight is my ASG meeting and this months challenge is "Go Green".  We had to make a bag that we would bring to the grocery store and use to bring our groceries home in.  The only stipulation was we had to use things from our stash.  What I didn't have I made my own.  I bought some fabric last year to make the duffel bags for the Allendale kids but didn't use these two fabrics.  I didn't have any webbing for the straps so I made my own straps.

 

I put a pocket on the front for carrying those magazines or cards that you don't want to get wrinkled or ripped up on the way home. 

 

To make the bottom a bit more sturdy I used some heavy weight double sided stiff fusible interfacing that I just knew someday I would use.  I put the contrasting fabric over it and serged the edges.

 

Now, the colors are not your typical colors that you would find these bags are made out of.  But, who knows maybe if I do use it to carry my groceries home in I might be starting some new trend.

i won, not once but twice

I am so pumped I can hardly believe it.  I actually won something twice yesterday.  I won this snowman at my ASG Christmas party last night.  Which BTW was very nice.  The dinner was delicious and we had a lot of fun.  There were a lot of drawings to raise money for our group.  Not a lot of money just enough to still buy the small gifts that are given out every month to the person who's number gets drawn.  One of the gals who was helping plan the party made these and donated them for the party there were 4 of them and on each table as a centerpiece.  Since I love and collect snowmen my fingers were crossed that my name got pulled for one of the 4 snowmen given away and my name was the third one picked and I almost jumped out of my seat to go pick my prize.  But, I contained myself and graciously stood up and walked calmly to pick out which snowman I wanted from the last two sitting on the table.

 

Then I came home and Jim was out in the garage working, so I thought that I would pop on the computer and check out the blogs I didn't get to during the day and saw that I won over at Turkey Feathers.  I love Vicki's blog and her book is wonderful if you haven't already seen it.  I went to bed dreaming about that pattern.  My mother had given me a FolkWear Pattern years ago and can you believe I can't find it.  Not surprising with my memory and how it is these days.  When I started to move my sewing room upstairs and then having to move it back down again my sewing area is in total disarray.

Day 4

Okay, now I'm thinking that this is going to be a scarf.  I'm glad I went with the creme color vs the mustard yellow yarn that I got on clearance at the yarn shop.

 

Enough chit~chatting, you all have a wonderful day today.

eta: ever have one of those days when you re-read your post and see all the typo's and it sounds pretty dumb?  I found a ton of them in this post.

3 strikes and i didn't strike out

Well, it took me 3 attempts to make a homemade ornament.  I searched the web this afternoon and found a quilted ornament that I thought was fitting being it was going to a member of the American Sewing Guild.  But, and I mean but....it wasn't a pattern it was for sale and boy was it for sale.  It sold on E-bay for $63.00, I couldn't believe it.  Every one she sold on E-bay sold this high.  Did she make them out of Gold or what?  So, I searched some more and hey, hey, hey I found that pattern that Ornament Girl was selling at least similar to the ones she was selling.  Only this pattern was FREE!!!!

Here is my quilted ornament.  But don't look too close.  Believe it or not I don't have any Christmas fabric.  Who can have fabric and not have any Christmas fabric.  I hang my head in shame.  This is a no sew ornament.  I was too pumped.  I just may go out tomorrow and get some Christmas fabric to make another one for myself.  Now I won't feel left out going to my ASG Christmas party tomorrow.

Wednesday Chit~Chat

I found out the results from my hair analysis that I had done.  I have to do some changes to my diet....which I knew.  One of the items that I have to eliminate totally is Diet Coke, well maybe not totally, but any soda that is from an Aluminum can.  I also found out that even though I'm not a diabetic, I am showing signs of heading in that direction.  I had a loooooooooooooong talk with the Nutrionalist and found out a lot of things.  One thing is I have an under active Thyroid.  I know once I get everything taken care of I'll be feeling like a million bucks.

Tomorrow night is my ASG meeting.  I haven't been all summer.  Every year we get what is called Challenge Fabric.  You just never know what kind of texture or color you are going to get with this.  Most of the ladies will do this challenge but some won't.

This fabric went from this.....

to this. 

I can't wait to unveil mine and see what the others have done with this "beautiful" fabric.

I'm off to start my day.

You all have a great one.

Judy