This Week in Wichita

I hope you all had a great week.  I hade a very productive week.  This week I made a quilt top, a jar carrier, and two pot holders.  I am also sorting through my scrap stash which includes 1/2 yard or less fabric.  This size does not wrap around my comic boards for sorting fabrics.  I do cut strips and squares from new stash so I have more variety.  Scrappy quilts are not always made by me with scraps only.  I do use some of my stash, but I seldom buy new fabric, unless it is for the back of the quilt.  I need to iron my quilt top and drop it off at the long arm quilters.  (The Master's Quilt Shop in Downs, Kansas) 

Have you noticd that Melissa Gilbert from Little House on the Prarie has an on-line store that sells home goods and clothing.  I saw a jar carrier on that site.  I have a pattern like this for a casseroe carrier made the same way.  I don't know where it is, but I will eventually find it.  In the mean time, I made one and it turned out fine.  I may want to increase the square by another inch.  I made some apple butter and other goodies around Christmas.  It would be handy to carry a jar to someone for safe passage.  It would make a great gift, but many people do not can or place goodies in jars.  

Thank you for viewing!

Dawnie

The top is acyually here on the left.  

I had a little help with the display.  This pattern is Brick Roads.

This is the backs of the new potholders.  Don't you love this fabric!  Since these are vintage potholders depicted on the fabric, I felt the need to make potholders.

I like the freedom in crumb quilting.

This is the jar carrier.  I have a pint jar in it.  It is reversible.  I crumb quilted the exterior of this also.

Valentine's Day

It is almost Valentine's Dayl.  I haven't made any crafts for the holiday until today.  I normally do very little.  I put out a couple of heart pillows or placemats.  Recently, I saw a video where a lady made pin cushions or little pillows in heart shapes.  They were very easily made with sewing on the right side and no turning after stuffing it.  I used fabric and thread scraps for stuffing.  She used 3 layers of fabric.  I used 4 layers of fabric.  They are reversible.  Here are pictures.  I added netting on one of them.  It really didn't show up.  I also used a sponge made to remove threads off your clothes and quilts for fraying the edges.  

Thanks for viewing!

Dawnie

 

What is new with you?

 

I canned coleslaw.  It can be eaten just out of the jar, or drained and mayonnaise added.  

English paper piecing.  After making a hexagon for front and back, I blanket stitched around the outer edge.  I used the blanket stitch for crocheting a lace edging.  

Knots Quilt

I finished a small quilt top.  The quilt pattern name is knots.  I watched a a YouTube video from Brenda at Conquering Mount Scrapmore for the pattern.  I used my stash fabric for everything except the border.  The border fabric I purchased from The Sew yeah Brothers.  The design has children doing chores and playing, along with chickens.  This will be perfect for my younger grandchild.  I have a another quilt  made for her sister. I will be quilting this by tying. The border and backing will be the same fabric.  I would love for them to put back the quilts and use them for a child they may have.  The last time I gave them a quilt, I told them to save them for their children. I basically got the comment of screw them, I am using it now.  😂  I think she really liked it.

I hope you have a great day!  Cool weather is coming!!!  It is still canning season.  Preserve some good eats for later.  🍒🍅🍉🍓🍑Dawnie

Life

When you spend a lot of time out of town and you come home, you get hugs and "I missed you," from the grandkids.  Adult kids on the other hand tell me that we are out of laundry soap.  Of course, a few days before my trip back, the refrigerator went out.  This time, it was the compressor.  My dog missed me too.  

Do you remember how to turn baking soda into washing soda?  We are out of washing soda and I need it to make laundry soap (laundry butter, laundry cream, laundry whip...).   I will spread baking soda thinly onto a baking sheet and heat for about an hour at 400 degrees.  I understand that washing soda is much better to clean with than baking soda.  One reason is due to the PH level being higher.  Even if you are not a soap maker, it may be worth a try to make some.

This will be the first time in 7 years that we won't be celebrating my youngest granddaughter and my mother's birthday at the same time.  Mom passed away in April.  Their birthdays were on 9/11.  My granddaughter told me she wanted to celebrate Mom's birthday too, even though Mom won't be present.  I am not sure what her plans are.  

The older I become, the more I realize that many people out there do not have family or are estranged from them.  My brother is a senior citizen with no kids or spouse.  Since Mom passed away, the only one that will remember him on his birthday is me, unless I remind my sister. When managing property, I found many people far away from family and needing friendship.  Thanksgiving is not that far away.  Think about inviting others to your table.  My late brother invited an older single man, Fuzz,  and his male cousin to Thanksgiving dinner.  My brother was in his early teens.  I think he told my Mom the day of Thanksgiving.  This was in the 70's; the cousin even dressed up and wore hippie beads. 

Maybe Thanksgiving is on my mind because I am slowly sorting 30+ years of accumulated junk and I found a tub of Thanksgiving decorations.  You would think that all of the decorations would be stored together.  

What is on your weekend agenda?  

I hope you have a great weekend!  Dawnie

Laundry soap

 

For those that make his or her laundry soap, what do you use do store it in?

I have used a plastic jug-like container.  It was OK, but soap got stuck in the handle since it was hollow.  I have used mostly quart jars with wide mouths.  I was gone for two weeks and I came back to numerous jars mostly empty still on top of the dryer making music every time the dryer went on.  I really can't figure out why the complete amount of soap can't be used and the jars rinced out and put away.  I was able to pick up 3 big gallon pickle jars at an estate sale about a week ago.  I think these will be my new storage containers.  The jars are heavier but they contain much more laundry soap.  

What do you think?

I found another picture of my Mom holding a fresh baked cherry pie in her vintage kitchen!  

Would you like to have Mom's great pie crust recipe?  

Have a great day!

Dawnie

It has been a long time.

It has been so long since I made a blog post.  Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, then years.  I think the birth of my second grandchild limited most of my blogging.   I continued to create, but I didn't display my creations often and my "how-to" blog posts ended.  My home life has changed somewhat. My house is still full of family and friends.  Unfortunately, it isn't quiet most of the time.  The old dogs have passed away and a new rescue chiwennie has taken their place.  He is adorable, but he takes his job as a guard dog very seriously. Cage-free chickens still roam the backyard.  I am retired now and I no longer need to answer the telephone after the first ring.  I may not answer it at all.  LOL 

Knitting, spinning, crocheting, sewing, quilting, cooking, and soap-making still happen, but a little less of my time is devoted to them.  

Recently I've had the loss of my mother.  She was such a wonderful lady.  A trip to visit her still meant that she would cook your favorite meals and, of course, it would include homemade pie.  It is now my turn to make the pies.  I will be making them in her vintage kitchen and sharing the recipes with you soon.  

Today I completed a baby quilt top.  I photographed it outside on the fence.  It is not ironed yet, but it looks good enough to view.  I purchased pre-cut 30's reproduction prints from a store on Etsy.  I asked if they used Accuquilt because I have an Accuquilt die to cut out fabric in the same Tumbler style.  They use an Accuquilt professional cutting die.  I planned to make a larger quilt where every other piece would be one of the delicate pink pieces I cut.  However, I hadn't considered the size difference.  I have 200 delicate pink tumbler pieces ready for me to use, but no print fabric pieces since the purchased pre-cut printed tumblers were about an inch smaller.  I will be cutting prints from my stash and making another quilt.

  

BBQ MEATBALLS  

Grandma Elizabeth's Recipe

This is a lot of work, but worth it!

Thanks for viewing!  Dawnie