Birthday Present

This pillow was created for a birthday present and it was very well received!!  It is huge!  Somewhere around 24 by 24 inches. In the back there is a fun pocket to that we placed a book and stuffed bunny in.  Loved making this gift, but next time it would be easier to keep it a bit smaller. 

Still around!

Oh, again it has been awhile.  I have not stopped crafting, just posting!  What is great about blogging and why I started it in the first place is that it keeps track of all my projects.  And reminds me to take photos of all of them.  And without blogging, I have neglected to take photos of many of them!  So here we go again.....

Knitting baby hats.  I have made so many and just love them.  This one is for friends who are not finding out the sex of the baby.  If it is a boy, they can take off the flower.

My son is the designer of the font Schoolbell.

Do you see the type above font?  The one in the title.  The font is named Schoolbell and was designed by my son, Jackson.  Pretty cool uh? He was pretty excited to have Daddy help him create his very first font for Google.  The best part is the web font, along with a few others,  are free for you to use!  Down load it here.

Mr. Font Diner went to school for career day and taught Jackson's 2nd grade class how fonts are made and where his fonts are found.  Then they all got to see Jackson's font in Google.  They think Jackson is famous.  I think he is pretty famous too!  Enjoy the font!

New to Me.

Look what arrived from Australia!  Yes, my new set of Capri canisters.   Love the colors.  Love the script.

Book Sling

Yippee, another project finished!  This time it was a matter of finding the correct hardware.  It was difficult to find a double curtain rod that did to stick out from the wall several inches.  Finally, found it here.  Jenna will love her new book sling.  Hailey will also have a book sling in her room, but we need to do some fabric shopping first!  Jackson, no interest......boys.

Ticker Tape Quilt

Sometimes I forget to post things I make.  Actually, a lot of times.

This was a fun quick quilt to make.  Since I used fusible batting and quilted as I went, there was a lot of instant gratification during this quilt.  It now hangs out on Jenna's bed.

Time Flies....

Last night Jenna wore her monkey pjs.  These were originally made for Hailey in 2007, when she was three. Our current three-year-old is now the proud owner. 

And the train pjs that Jackson is wearing.....yup, he still wears them! They are a tad bit small, but he does not mind!

Paper Fun!

Jackson LOVES cut and assemble paper figures.  He loves it so much that everyday he carries a new project to school to show his class.  Last week it was a pin hole camera.  The comedy of listening to Dad answer questions was delightful.  Questions such as, "Where do I see the photo at?"  "How do I get a picture?"  "Develop film, what's that?"  "You have to advance the film, what is that?"  We will see how the project turns out once he finished taking his photos.

On Saturday we stumbled upon some free cut and assemble projects online and better yet, they were Mario.  Jackson took this to school today:

You can download the printable Mario and lots of other fun fellas right here.

New Book!

Oliver & S is one of my favorite pattern companies. I love the extra details they put into their patterns.  And they released a book chuck fill of great items.  That makes me extra super happy! :)  

Here is the first item created.   A bucket hat using Amy Butler Love fabric line.  It is constructed as a reversible hat, but the addition of the  flower and monkey was more important for Jenna!  I will also add a neck strap for those windy days.  Now....all we need is warm weather and sunshine!

Orange Coconut Cookies

Today's cookies are Orange Coconut Cookies by Vivian.  

I was very excited by the combo of orange and coconut.  Yummy.  The cookies are a very moist, soft cookie with subtle orange and coconut flavors.  Next time I make these cookies orange zest will be added along with the orange juice.

The Details:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

7 tbsp orange juice

1 1/2 cup coconut

3 cups sifted flour

1/2 tsp baking soda.

Shape into roll and chill.

My added notes:  Divide dough in half.  Roll into log on wax paper.  Place in freezer for one hour. Slice into cookies about 1/4 inch thick and bake at 350 for 12 min.  Great cookie to freeze and cut off and bake portions when desired!

Long Lists

My project list is over flowing.  New ideas, old ideas, project in the works and on and on.  It is the projects in the works that are really taking up space.  Space in my brain and in my sewing room!  So I am, once again, starting to tackle them.  I did put a huge dent in the "needs mending" pile.  This was something I was dreading.  Why???  Once I got out the needle and thread,  it was no big deal!  Putting it off and working it up in to big job in my brain took more energy then doing the work.  I will need to remember this next time I am putting a project off.

One of the items that was started last fall was a string quilt.  Contrary, to the mending pile, this project was meant to take time and will for some time to come.  For me, this project is very enjoyable.  When I just want to sew mindlessly for a few minutes this is perfect.  I love it because I get to see all the scrap fabrics and recall the project that was originally made with them, I don't have to try matching (actually trying  not to match works better) and best of all, I use whatever thread is on my machine!

My Dream Machine

Let me introduce to you my new favorite sewing machine.  Out of my 4 machines, this one is my favorite - and it barely works!  All it needs is a little TLC.  While searching online one evening, I found a photo of a similar machine with an Eau Claire logo on it and LOVED it. A couple weeks ago, while shopping at an antique shop I found this one.  Oh, was I thrilled!!  It is a Precision De Luxe.  After a little research, it seems this machine was made in Japan.  Companies, or in this case, town names were printed on the fronts.  Now I will be searching for a cabinet for it and then give it the TLC it needs to get working again.  After that it will be on display in our living room.

Ummm....what to do today????

Ann's Drop Cookies

Next recipe card, Ann's Drop Cookies. How could I resist? If we have our names in common, and the corner of the card reads "extra good" so they must be good. Right?

Today is a snow day, so I had two helpers assisting with the crisscross patterns.

One helper had a pretty nice apron, I don't think I ever showed you.

And the baking experiment begins. These cookies have two sticks on butter in them. Oh, yes, TWO sticks.

Here is pan #1. 350 degrees, 10 min, no parchment paper. Result: very flat and lost shape.....and I put too many cookies on the pan.

Pan #2. Baked at 350 degrees with parchment paper for 12 min. Result: kept shape much better and not as flat.

Pan #3. Baked at convection bake at 350 degrees (which my oven automatically reduces down to 325) for 9 min. Result: cookies are nice like pan #2 but not as evenly baked.

So, I would say Pan #2 wins!

Overall, these cookies are okay. They are good (but a lot of calories!) and would make and excellent cookie to serve with coffee. They remind me of a spritz cookie recipe I have and love.

The details.

Ann's Drop Cookies

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 t tsp cream tartar

1 tsp soda

3 egg yolks

vanilla (I used 1 t)

2 cups flour

Make into balls, put in pans & flatten real thin, flatten with fork then bake at 350 to 375 for 10 to 12 min.

Upcycling

A "new-to-me" trend in sewing is recycling, or upcycling. I had a couple shirts of Hailey's that were in my repair or recycle pile. They were beyond repair with holes and stains. So I faced two new challenges in one project, sewing knits and upcycling. My inspiration came from this very, very awesome blog. And WOW, they were easy peasy. Sewing knits is not has hard as I thought it would be. So hear are the results of a rough-and-ready dress in about 15 mins. Please ignore the little girls hair and cheesy attitude :)

Raspberry Dessert from Elnora

I learned something about Elnora while making her Raspberry Dessert. Elnora is not really a fan of details. She is probably one of those cooks that makes a fantastic meal without ever touching a measuring spoon or cup. I am jealous of them.

Here is my completed dessert with graham crackers on top, just as the recipe called for.

Here it is in all its goodness.

And the true test....

Well, Elnora, your dessert passed. With a very good score from the kids. I think it was the marshmallow cream that won their hearts.

So here are the details if you wish to delight your family with this dish....

Raspberry Dessert

2 package or raspberry Jello. (I used one large 6 oz box)

2 cups hot water

1 package frozen raspberries

Graham crackers crushed in the bottom of the pan. (Elnora did not give measurements, so I used 2 cups)

Pour above filling over crackers. (I let sit for 5 min so the Jello would get a little firm before pouring.)

14 oz marshmallows and 1 cup milk. Dissolve in double boiler (I used a pan) and allow to cool.

Add 1 cup cream whipped (which Stuart informed me was Cool-Whip) to Milk and Marshmallow mixture.

Pour over Jello mixture. Sprinkle graham crackers on top.

*****

Side notes from yours truly. Use a 9x13 pan. Let chill in fridge for about 2 hours before serving. And if I were to make this again, which I probably will, I would have melted butter and made the graham crackers into a crust rather then the loose crackers. If you are wondering about the marshmallow part, I would describe it most like meringue. In a sweet marshmallow creamy sort of way.

Mug Rug

Fun project to create. This was for a swap, so it is off to its new home.

Fun Valentines

Creating the kiddos Valentines for school this year was lots of fun. We went all out and it seems each Valentine shows their personality perfectly. Here are our results:

Jackson, who will be giving play mustaches instead of candy.

Hailey. Cause she really would love to hand you the candy personally!

Jenna, with kisses and little bit of silly.

And before you think I am a creative genius, I must give credit were credit is due...the ideas came from here, here and here.

New to Me...

Lately Ebay and I are like this (imagine me holding my fingers up crossed). I like treasures and my treasures like their new home. Here is my latest and greatest find...

Pretty spiffy uh?

And there is a rooster who, as of yet, is still in need of a name. He is your own personal assistant that holds your recipe card.

Oh, it gets better. A whole stack of recipes!!! Each recipe has the name of the person that provided it to the previous owner of this cool box. Now these recipes are what I call vintage. What makes them vintage? Can you read the top recipe? The first ingredient -- 1 cup fat. Whoa!

Stuart and I have gone though and selected some recipes that might just be worth trying.

Here is recipe #1. Elnora's Raspberry Dessert. I will let you know how it goes.

There and Back.....

To the Dominican Republic that is. A family vacation of beach, swimming and R&R.

Bad coffee and really bad food, but I won't there. I just won't.....

Here are some photos of fun in the sun....