Finally on the mend and a new huge tote bag

This bag is a huge tote made from a felted sweater vest and a pair of jeans. They were both thrifted from TTQ. The inside is lined with a celestial print in blue and gold. This was fun but very tough to sew on my machines....very heavy denim. Finally had to get my daughter's heavy duty quilter machine out to get through that denim. I really love this tote, but it is already spoken for and will be going to its new home tomorrow. My family thought I was making a skirt out of a pair of jeans. LOL...I know it looks a bit like a skirt, but I just love the unique jeans that I found to go with this one. They are Paris Blues that lace up the front and had the two nice pockets on the back. It is a little bit lopsided, but I just let the fabric do what it wanted. It is just a utility tote, so perfection is not necessary, and besides I wanted it to have a bit of a rough, ragged and gypsy feel to it.

Later, and thanks for blogging with me today.

NoroVirus

ARGH......avoid it at all costs!! I have had my head in the toilet all night and all day. What a way to lose weight! More when I'm feeling better.

Altered Denim

Here's a little ditty:
before









After:

The Muslin of Kim's Gown is ready to go in the mail!

This is the muslin for Kim's Wedding Gown. It is very raw, but that is what I want at this stage. I'm going to send it to her with a handful of safety pins so that she can pin it where she wants the adjustments. Then I shall mark those and adjust the paper pattern according to her marks so that hopefully, the end product will fit just right. I didn't want to cut straight into the good fabric! The muslin looks a bit baggy on Andrea, but Andrea is about a size 4 to 6 so I always have to cinch in anything that I put on her. Kim is not big by any means...don't think she is! LOL Kim I know this looks very unfinished right now, don't be alarmed...It is supposed to look unfinished at this stage! This way I'll know just where to adjust so it is perfect on you. I'll send a list of instructions on how and what to do. This garment is very easily adjustable...there are so many seams in it. It is going to be soooo pretty in that white on white! Oh, the back of it is laced with black cording, B for Back, The muslin cording is in the front...that is so you can tell which is which when putting it on. Oh, btw....that black spots on the floor are just lint balls. I was cutting out dark fabric earlier today....just haven't vacuumed yet. I did shampoo carpets downstairs today though! LOL...

Swine in Space

Found the cutest screen saver....not going to order it, just looked at it on a german site...it is called: Swine in Space. It costs 9.9 euros and I don't really keep euros in my pocketbook! But if you have a moment to click on the link, I promise it is really cute! I don't know if the link will work. I hope it does. Anyway, browse through this guys site, it is really cute...I'm assuming he is an illustrator.

Been a really rough two days. My youngest daughter and I were up all night last night. She was vomiting and really sick. She has been much better tonight. Slept all day though, so now she is being a little reading night owl.

Well too tired to write much more at the moment,
So until tomorrow at noon when the drawing will be held for that violet and purple floral apron that I made during my all nighter.

Kim...I have started alterations to the paper pattern!
G

Fabric Finds at the Thrifty Quaker today

Here are some beautiful fabrics that I found at my favorite thrift store! The peach colored one is true vintage. My guess by the print is 30's or 40's. It is less than 36" wide. It has a crisp cotton feel to it.....do I hear APRON??!!

The purple is going to be trim, waistband and ruffle on an apron that I have planned. Will be using lots of vintage rick rack and lace on it too!! I'm going to sew it up tonight. I have the need to sew something quick and pretty....lots of stress right now.

The blue paisly is 3 1/2 yards of yummy Cranston cotton. The other blue floral is Cranston and it is the softest, floatiest fabric. I thought it was Rayon, but it is a soft cotton. The blue floral is a crisp probably 60's fabric....another APRON!!

This next photo is a king size white and lavender floral pillowcase. This is going to be the base of the apron with the purple calico. I think it will be yummy!! Very pretty and springlike!!

Love thrifting!!
G

Update: Here is the finished apron. Used a kings size pillow and thrifted calico. It looks like blackberry jam and violets!

Kim's fabric and trim....just the start! Be sure to click on the photos for a close up!!

This is the fabric for the main part of the dress.

I hope this shows up. This is one of the fabrics for Kim's handfasting dress and the trim...well that is if she likes it! I love the little bit of sparkle in the trim. I think it will catch the sunlight beautifully without being overly dramatic. The cape will be a reproduction 15th century cape of white chiffon with pink roses scattered about the whole cape. I will be handbeading crystals to the dress and cape to catch bits of sunlight too. Not an overly large amount of them, just scattered in key areas to catch the sunlight and hopefully look like fairies flitting about her as she stands in the warm sun with her beloved!

The pattern will be modified with short sleeves or possibly sleeveless. It has a very, very full skirt that drapes so well over the hips. The front and back lace up to make it fully adjustable. This is not the cape that I will be using for the dress.


The cape is this lovely white chiffon with pink roses all over it. It is so light weight that it will capture even the slightest breeze and will billow out behind her when she walks. It will be hand beaded here and there with clear cut crystal beads that will capture the sunlight.

Oh, I saw the kickiest pair of white brazilian leather short cowgirl boots at The Thrifty Quaker Saturday. They would be so, so cute with this ensemble, but didn't know what size Kim's feet were, but the more I thought of it, thought that simple white ballet shoes would be best with this.

Oh, I will be handbeading a tiara for Kim too. It will be done with wire twisting, Swarovski crystals, moonstone and pink quartz. Similar to this one, but with more bling! LOL

Hope you like these plans Kim! Everything is subject to your approval of course!

Thanks for blogging with me and I hope you like the peek at Kim's June wedding!! Hope you don't mind Kim!!!

G

Whole Wheat Pancakes

When I was a much younger woman, I had an organic garden plot in my back yard. I dug the whole garden by myself...20ftx30ft with a spade and a rake. It was the most grounding wonderful experience a 25 year old farmgirl in the city could ask for. I raised beans, peas, pumpkins, corn, tomatoes and watched my toddler son walk between the rows of plump veggies and pluck sweet peas right off of the vine, pop them open and gobble the sweet little nuggets right there in the garden. (never could get him to eat them cooked at his highchair). We had early spring lettuce soup, steamed sweet peas, lucious buttery corn on the cob. I even dug a hole in the back yard and made a cooking pit. I squatted over it like I imagined my native american ancestors did. Over the years I look back at that time in my life as an earthy, nature girl time. Me with my Rodale Organic Gardening book in hand, a babe on my hip and my long hair in braids, feeling in tune with the earth and the wind and the sun and all parts of nature around me. There was no better feeling than my spade slicing through the moist earth, the feel of soil in my hand, the sound of the morning doves in the distance and children laughing in my yard...where did it all go?

I went to college and learned how to function in the "real" world. I chased after some societal dream of having more and buying more and doing less for myself. Along with that, I left that Earth girl behind. I never mourned her passing in my 30's and early 40's. As I near 50, I am looking back in retrospect and wanting to regain a little of that part of who I really am, deep inside of me. I want to regain the whole foods, the whole life the joy of earth between my toes and fingers.

Anyway, I digress.....if you are still here with me, Wow, you are pretty tough....the point of my blogging today is to share a recipe with you that I got from a dear LDS friend of mine. She gave me a bag of whole wheat and a card with this recipe. I made them years ago and loved them and then lost the card. My DH found this recipe online for me on the Utah Wheat Board site. I had purchased a small bag of whole wheat kernels this week and wanted to make these pancakes this weekend....so here is a photo of the results. They are delicious and are easy to make. So if you would like to capture a little bit of the whole foods foodie, I highly recommend these. I guess the making of these and the taste of them brough back my memories of my organic garden and that feeling of wholeness in my life. I hope you enjoy them:
Whole Wheat Kernel Blender Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat kernels
1 egg
2 T. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Place 1 cup wheat kernels and 1 cup milk in blender. Blend for 3 minutes. Then add rest of milk and blend for another 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. Bake on hot griddle until bubbles begin to pop, turn and bake other side until golden brown. Serve hot with butter and honey or maple syrup.

Enjoy.....thanks for blogging with me today.
G