Hello All: I use my string quilting as "filler" for quilting projects. When I do not feel like working on a UFO, I work on making string/crumb quilt patches. I work on my string quilt blocks with fabric scraps. I have about 10 blocks completed. I alternate between a male tie string patches and just fabric scrap patches. I do not have a plan for the patchwork....it is just for relaxation.
String Quilting is really easy and great for new quilters or children learning to sewing. I just finish reading Bonnie K. Hunter's Book
Bonnie K. Hunter's String Fling - Scrappy, Happy, and Loving It.
I my opinion, readability is very important in learning to do something new or to increase knowledge of something already known. I liked that the discussions of the background and theory of string quilts was understandable. I do dis-like the type face, though. It seems a little small for those with glasses. The quilt patterns and projects seem pretty challenging, but doable. The use of color and patterns did give me many ideas for quilt tops that did not utilize strings. All in all, a good book for learning a new craft.
Many of my students are asking me about the diagnosis of Robin Roberts. Here is some information for everyone.
Myelodysplastic:
The myelodysplastic
syndrome (MDS, formerly known as preleukemia) is a diverse
collection of hematological
(blood-related) medical conditions that involve ineffective production (or dysplasia) of the meyloid class of blood cells. Patients with MDS often
develop severe anemia and require
frequent blood transfusions. In most cases, the disease worsens and the patient develop cytopenias (low blood counts) caused
by progressive bone marrow
failure. In about one third of patients with MDS, the disease transforms into acute
myelogenous leukemia (AML), usually within months to a few years.
Treatment involves killing of off the cells in the patient's bone marrow and replacing them with health cells from a donor. Success is in the high percentages and the person can go on to lead a healthy life. The treatment can be overwhelming on the patient's immunity and general health. Precautions must be maintain to keep the patient away from infection and add on nutrition that increases general health and vitality.
1 Tbsp sugar • 12 slices white bread or substitute
almost stale white bread
•
.1 tsp nutmeg •
½ tsp of cinnamon
Splash/shaker
ofpowdered sugar
(optional)
Directions:
Grease 9×13-inch baking pan. In medium bowl, combine eggs,
nondairy creamer, sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, and rum extract; beat until well
blended. Arrange bread slices in greased baking pan.
Pour egg mixture over bread in pan, making sure all egg mixture is
absorbed. Cover with foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Remove
bread and mixture from refrigerator and remove foil.
Bake at 500°F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve
with syrup/low sugar syrup if desired.
Serves 6.: For each 2-slice (5 oz) serving: 252 calories, 10 g
protein, 8 g fat,33 g carbohydrate, 290 mg sodium, 219 mg potassium, and 83 mg phosphorus.
Note:To decrease Sodium intake – bake your own bread and eliminate optional
ingredients.
October is a month full of health observances. But, everyday should be a day to observe and preserve your health. Health Literacy is part of October and it is important in maintaining adequate homeostasis - (your normal health).
What is Health Literacy?
Health Literacy Month is a time
for individuals to promote the importance of understandable
and accurate health information. Only research, review, and internalize information from expert web pages on the Internet. Expert web pages are reviewed and updated by medical experts and clinicans in healthcare. For instance, research an illness or problem at the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Federal Government, and your local hospital web pages. Most of all, contact your health professional for examinations and treatment interventions.
·8
large chicken thighs s, bone-in with skin (a
large family pack will usually have about 7-8 thighs
Directions
Pour vegetable oil
in frying pan at a medium temperature.Prepare
a light coating of seasoned flour--or a roll in breadcrumbs or
crushed saltines.To get truly
golden-brown and crispy chicken, use a cast iron skillet. You can't beat cast
iron for even heat distribution and reliable frying. The fat should be about
one inch deep in the skillet, coming about halfway up the food. Get the oil hot
before adding the chicken: about 350 degrees F.
This has been a really "world wind" year. I planned a trip to Honolulu on Christmas Day 2011. It literally took over my life. I did all the planning, scheduling, and organizing of the trip for my family. Take a look at the video of the USS Arizona still underwater and leaking oil from WWII. We went in late June for nearly ten days.
While we were gone, Maryland had a terrible storm that caused a tree to fall down in front of our house. Thank goodness, no one was hurt and there was only one car in the driveway. It is missed that car by only inches. Funny, once we returned from the trip. I was "stumped". I didn't have anything to do. I really had withdrawal from the planning, worrying, and shopping for the trip. Well, this year I decide to get a jump on my Holiday handmade gifting. I started sewing patchwork like crazy. I have come up with hundreds of ideas for gifts, research ideas, and raided my holiday stash for fabric. My goal this year.....buy nothing. No new fabric.
I want to use everything up from prior years. Ask me how that is really working for me. Actually, I am keeping to my goal about the fabric (for the most part). I only bought threads.... an embroidery sewing machine....stablizers....holiday digital designs for the embroidery sewing machine. I guess I should have gotten more fabric....It would have been cheaper.
I have to make a very real confession. I am a gadget, toy, and new tool person. I think it is a slight addiction. I had to have a computer when people started using this tech at home. My first computer was a Commodore 64. I proceed to a IBM PC then to HPs. I have now become a Apple Girl. I have started with IPod and it keeps getting worst.
I am the same way with sewing machines. I really can not help myself. I started with a Sears Kenmore many years ago. I thought that people were to keep the same machine for years. I thought it was rule. But, since I began to sew again, I found it is not a rule. I have talked to many people that have many sewing machines and use them in rotation order. Right now, I am into Singers. I have wanted a vintage Singer for some time. My sister and I have been trolling on Ebay for months looking for the right machine Singer featherweight. Here is a link for more information about Singer Featherweight.
The Featherweight Model 221 was manufactured in various forms between
1933 and 1964 in both the US at Elizabethport, New Jersey and Kilbowie,
Scotland. Machines for the Canadian market made in Scotland were exported to St.
Johns, Quebec, Canada to be fitted with 110-120 volts AC motors to work on this
side of the Atlantic Ocean.
Most Featherweights were painted a shiny black with gold decals, though there
have been models manufactured in a beige color and a very pale green, actually a
white color with a green tinge. These machines have a smaller fold-down shelf
than the black ones. I have seen Featherweights for sale on eBay that have been
repainted in metallic teal, red, orange, purple, and a bright pink. Recently, I saw one that had been re-painted in burgundy. It looked swell, but I prefer the original black and gold decal modals.
Well, my sister and I won bids on EBay for featherweight Singers. They just arrived and Wow....I am in love. We have taken them to be cleaned and serviced. I cannot wait to start doing patchwork on this little baby CHOW.
Enjoy a picture of the statue of King Kamehameha I taken on June 24, 2012 during my grand tour of Hawaii.
FYI:
The statue of Kamehameha I (original cast) is an outdoor sculpture
by American artist Thomas Ridgeway Gould, cast in 1880 and
installed in 1883. The Kamehameha I
sculpture is an over-sized painted brass casting of King Kamehameha I, the ruler
credited with unifying the Hawaiian islands in the early nineteenth
century and establishing the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. Though the
surface of the sculpture was originally finished with a brown chemical patina and gold leaf, it has become local tradition to paint the
statue with lifelike colors, and it appears as such to this day. Originally
commissioned to celebrate the centennial of Captain Cook’s arrival to the Hawaiian
Islands and to stand in front of the Ali'iolani Hale government building in Honolulu, extenuating circumstances during its
delivery to HawaiiŹ»i delayed its arrival, and
resulted in its being placed instead in KapaŹ»au, near
Kamehameha I’s birthplace. The statue represents an important cultural
and spiritual object for the local community.
I am mad about crumb quilting. It is a real stash buster and uses all the those little strippy segments of fabric. Waste not Want not.....or......use it up and buy some more. Enjoy:
Crumb Quilts - View these photos of crumb quilts.....
In 1991, I created a Family Cookbook on a Commodore 64 and a dot-matrix printer. I had it copied and bound in school presentation folder. I was always coming up with something handmade for Christmas. In 1991, my mother was still with us and we were all living in the same city. In the twenty-two years that have followed there has been many changes. My daughter is an adult (I can not even believe this statement), Mom is gone, and I no longer live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Last Christmas, my daughter was staying with my younger sister after her knee surgery. She stayed at night and I came during the day. It was a good arrangement because my sister had a major complication. She had a TIA - Trans Ischemic attack (mini stroke). It was a real game changer for her rehabilitation and recovery.
Anyway, my daughter found my sister's copy of the old family cookbook and made one of the recipes for whiskey cake. It was really good. I found my copy and decided to re-do the book for this year's holiday. With all the technology advances in the last twenty years, this book will be very close to a professional job. I can take book to Sam's or use an online publisher to have it bound for gifting. I am going to use Photo Editing software to include pictures and even some videos for the interactive version. Oh, did I forget to mention that I am going to really go high tech and publish it as an IBook with Apple. Yes, indeed, times have really changed from that old "dot-matrix" printer days.
A few weeks ago, I found "Moda Scrap Bags" on Ebay. I was looking for something else and some how I ended up with scap bags. I had never heard of these little gems. Let me tell what I found out. Moda's scrap bags are:
Each bag contains varying
width of strips, most are from 2" to 4" in width (some have selvage edge
imprints on them). Strips vary in length, most are 32" or longer. Each bag of
strips is color coordinated. Approximately 1/2 pound of scraps.
I read many reviews about the scap bags online and many people complained that the selvages are problem. I decided to get one just see what I could with them. The cost rangers from $9.99 to 14.99. I found the ones on Ebay to be better choice for getting what you need instead of what is left over from the company.
I have started to string and crumb quilt. These strips within the scrap bags are great for this type of quilting. I did not find the selvages inclusion a problem since I used the AccuQuilt Go strip cutter to eliminate them as a problem. So, try a scrap bag if you have time and money to do specialize quilting. Enjoy a picture from Hawaii - June 24, 2012 - Island Tour
I am not a person that "crushes" about people or celebrities. But, I have to Rave about two really outstanding bloggers in the universe Bonnie K. Hunt and Jo of Jo's Country Junction. These are two very different bloggers that really go out their way to inspire quilters and sewist in the crafting universe. I found Jo online through her YouTube videos for the AcuuQuilt Go. I, recently, was linked to her through Bonnie's blog.
First, Bonnie has changed my whole world about completing UFOs. Check out her blog about "Leaders and Enders". She has also written a book that explains the whole process. What I like about Bonnie is that you can find the information on her blog. She just does not save it for the book.
The sky and ocean of Honolulu, HI
After reading her blog, I purchased the book for the quilt patterns and additional information. And, her vintage sewing machine information on her blog is priceless. If you can, you need to check out Bonnie's Quilt Cam's. Bonnie's is a traveling quilt teacher and she is literally going around the world teaching and showing quilts. She went to Bali (hope I spelled it right) and sent back pictures and narratives of the trip along with blog entries that were pre-blogged. Just read those entries to get a good fell for this region near Asia ( my lack of geography knowledge is showing). She invites everyone that is viewing to join in on Quilt Cam nights and get their projects done while she is working on her own projects. Bonnie gives you great information about many various quilting/ sewing subjects and takes questions from her comment section for the evening Quilt Cam.
Second, Jo's Country Junctions review crafting books, links to many relevant quilting and crafting events. She also has food recipes that anyone can make. Her joy of crafting, cooking, and passing on the information to others really comes through on her blog. Jo has an intelligent list of other bloggers on her blog that you can click on and get more information. I enjoy just reading thoughts of many interesting people in the crafting universe. It was Jo's videos that inspired me to get the AccuQuilt Go and the Go Baby with dies. I love it. With my time being taken up with getting holiday gifts off the ground, the AccuQuilt Go and Go Baby are really helping to stream line my cutting. These ladies and many others have inspired me to be a better blogger and crafter.
Long time no see....I have been taking a sewing class and I have been so busy that I couldn't think about sewing unless I was sewing. Today, let's talk about fabric selection. As the summer is fast approaching, we need to think about including a few new pieces into our style closets. Are you going on vacation? Challenge yourself and make at least 50% of your items for the trip.
We will talk about patterns next time. Fabric is the basic foundation for my sewing project. I must have fabric to inspire me to choose a pattern. At this point, I go on a fabric expedition to my main fabric haunts. I even surf the Internet and order swatches from online fabric houses.
Fabrics are made of fibers....natural and/or synthetic. I must physically handle fabric with my hands. Your eyes know what appeals, but your hands feel each fiber. Handling your fabric gives you the idea of it characteristic. Natural fibers --wool, cotton, linen, and silk (come from nature) . Synthetic fibers, such as nylon, polyester, and acrylic are products created in a chemical laboratory. The character of a fabric decides the appropriateness of the fabric for its use. For instance, wool is poor conductor of heat - retains warmth. Cotton diffuses heat and is great for summer garments.
Fabric fibers are spun into yarns and then converted to fabric, by weaving, knitting , or felting.
There are hundreds of different fabrics available today, but many are sewn using similar and time tested techniques. First, research the your fabric choices. Create a fabric Encyclopedia of swatches of various types of fabric that you like. Do not worry about color at this point. You can start a color encyclopedia/data bases from these choices. Cut a 4 x4 swatch. The swatch needs to be big enough for you handle and audition it with other fabrics and embellishments. Label your watches and keep the swatches handy when purchasing or day-dreaming about the next big sewing project. Chow
In September of 2011, I decided to take a fashion sewing class. I have been asked hundreds of times why? Basically, people ask me what do I think I will do with this information? Fashion and Style is really a big change for me because I always had more academic pursuits in the way of education. My answer was very simple.....I just wanted to see what it was like in the fashion curriculum. Maybe it was watching Project Runway that got me thinking about it. I have sewn in the past. My mother taught me to sew. We took sewing classes together at a local church and at John Wanamaker's Department (JW) in Philadelphia. JW had a sewing class on weekend in the tower of the store. My mother believed in education and modeled that behavior for her family.
Old JW did their own alterations for their customers and had several industrial sewing machines. I enjoyed those classes because I spent quality time with my mother. We had to travel downtown to 13th and Market Streets on bus and elevated train. I learned to travel around the city from these weekend trips with my mother. Mom passed away a few years ago and I had stopped sewing long before she died. I had to work, advance my education with graduate work, take care of a family, and participate in church activities. I just did not have time in those days. Over the summer of 2011, Mom had been on my mind (we all know how memories can just crop up) and it just seem right to take the first level sewing class at the local community college.... Baltimore City Community College.
My teacher, Miss Jean, is a fashion industry professional and graduate educator in fashion. She taught us so many wonderful stitches and how to fit a garment. She took us on field trips to the fabric store and a textile trade show. The class average age was 18 to 60 years. I gave away fabric and it helped to decrease my stash. Many young people do not have jobs and they were hard press to buy fabric for the samples. Times are really hard on our young. One young lady said "I can not wait to get a job and be rich like you". To her I seem rich because I could afford the tools for the class. It was really nice to take a class with young people. It opened my eyes to the fact that advertisers have it wrong. It is not the young that have the money in this economy. Young people have the potential to make money, but it is the mature folks(like me) that spend their money.
Anyway, I completed a muslin sloper (a sloper is any pattern without seam
allowance) and a fashion fabric dress with interfacing, elastic waist, and matching cape. All the little things Mom and I learned at our classes many moons ago, kept coming back. I remembered how to baste a zipper into a skirt. If you had asked me in August, I would have had a glazed look on my face.
I now know, now, why I took the class.....it was as if I had Mom back every Monday and Wednesday from 9 to 12 noon. It has started me on a new journey in fabric, fashion, and sewing.
Miss Jean started us on basic hand sewing as it is the basis for High Fashion Sewing. She would show us a stitch and we would practice it. Once she approved of our use and construction then we added the stitch to our fashion sewing scrapbook - portfolio. I completed a portfolio of over 30 stitches (hand and machine) with elements of basic garments (sleeves, zippers - all types, neck line interfacing, and embellishments. I would find a video from YouTube that showed me the hand stitch and watched it to help me do it correctly. I will post many of ones that I found helpful. Just a few of my thoughts on Purple Friday!
Common Stitches
Back stitch - Hand Sewing
Backstitch
Back-stitch, whipstitch, hemming
stitch, and inside blind- stitch are the four most commonly used hand stitches
for sewing, joining edges or hemming.
When was the last time your visited a museum? Did you know that museums have fabric exhibits and fashion collections? For instance, you do not have to leave home and you can visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York via the Internet. You can spend many happy hours visiting the fashion collections or looking at vintage fabric. Enjoy an online tour the next time your need a new muse.
The blue-and yellow-feathered textiles were made of macaw feathers, and it is
presumed that they were used to decorate the walls of large compounds or courts
on special occasions. A group of feathered hangings, to which this one belongs,
were accidentally discovered in the early 1940s, when a large cache of
ninety-six of them was reported in a find near the OcoƱa River in southern Peru.
The textiles had been rolled and placed in large decorated ceramic jars that
were more than three feet high.
The feathered textiles of Peru are among the most luxurious textile products of
the ancient world. Each feather is individually sewn to a cotton base-fabric,
and the surfaces are thus built up to a soft, downy skin of radiant color. The
feathers of tropical birds, from the Amazon jungles in eastern Peru, made the
most brilliantly colored textiles, and the intense blues, greens, reds, and
yellows were highly prized.
Reference: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, (2012) - Textile Collection, http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/50005258 retrieved 1/16/2012
According to Pantone, the fashion industry color experts, Tangerine/Orange is the color of the year 2012. So everyone get ready for more orange color fashions in the Spring and Fall of 2012. Look for cruise wear to highlight this color as well.
Let me say this really fast.....I am not a sports watcher. Sports (no matter which one) makes me sleepy. Sport programs are the best sleeping pill I know. To look at me, you would know that sports does not figure highly in my life. So, for me to wish the Baltimore Ravens good luck is something really special. I join the fun and fan community spirit because it is inspirational to see everyone dressed in their Raven shirts, jackets, and hats. Love for the Baltimore Ravens ----knows no boundaries. Everyone is a buddy and a fan when you are wearing your Ravens gear on Purple Friday. Truthfully, I think I have a love affair with the color Purple. Purple was the first color that a male said looked good on me. My mother was in a club that was known as the Purple House. I own a Purple Coach purse ( I don't see many people with that purse). I actually have a love affair with Coach purses, but we will discuss that little addiction on another day.
Purple -
Purple is the color of good judgment. It is the color of people seeking
spiritual fulfillment. It is said if you surround yourself with purple you will
have peace of mind. Purple is a good color to use in meditation.
Purple has been used to symbolize magic and mystery, as well as royalty.
Being the combination of red and blue, the warmest and coolest colors, purple is
believed to be the ideal color. Most children love the color purple. Purple is
the color most favored by artists. Friday's color is purple.
Reference: Emily Gems -
Blog. (2011). Color Purple Meaning.
Retrieved January 13, 2012, from Emily Gems - Joyful crystals and gemstones Web
Site: http:/crystal-cure.com/purple.html
My daughter is a serious Lady Raven. She has Raven hats, gloves, purses, shirts, earrings, and etc. Her serious interest in the team has inspired me to go along for the ride. Our city goes mad for the Ravens. There is a little story behind why the Ravens are so supported. I will not take up your time with the story, but "Google or Wikipedia" the Baltimore Colts and Baltimore Ravens to find out the back story. Everyone is happily anticipating the game on Sunday. The whole city seems happier! I wish we could have this type of community spirit every day. Just a few of my thoughts! Have a Happy Purple Friday!
Working from home is not a easy thing to do. A person that works from home must be disciplined in getting their tasks done, doing the laundry, and --- well dusting the furniture. Working from home does not mean that you have large amount of downtime. One must still complete all activities of daily living like dinner, time for hobbies, and family time. My days past so fast since I started working from home. My days never went this fast when I had to take public transportation to and from work. I have worked from home for about 3 years. I no longer work for others at home. I work for myself. It is a risk, but so far it has been paying off.
I have developed a routine in the mornings. I refuse to get up early. I hated getting up early when I had to go out to work so I treat myself to a daily "lie in" until 9:00 am. Then in my PJs I warm up the computer, brush my teeth, drink a 1/2 cup of juice, and get started on what every task I have to do online work. I finish my online work by 12 noon and I wash up for the day. I get out the food that needs to defrosted for dinner and run any errands outside the house. I return between 2 and 3 pm on most days then I return to my computer for email checks and any research that I need to conduct. I have described a typical day. On days that I have attend a class, meeting, workshop, or have a doctor's appointment --things are different, but the goal is that I must get my online work done no matter what.
I have dabbled in many hobbies while at home. These hobbies have turned into profit making ventures. Recently, I took a couple of fashion classes. In one class, I learned how to make hand stitches. Funny, I thought hand stitching would be very easy, but I was wrong. Hand stitching takes a time to master. But, one is very happy with the result. One of the first seams we learned on the sewing machine was the "French Seam". The teacher showed us in class, but I needed more help so I found this video on "YouTube" it is pretty good. The first hand stitch we learned was the blind hem. Again, I had to find a video to help me with this stitch. I began to use class instruction and the online videos as my tools for learning in the fashion classes. The fashion classes have been a real boost to my sewing and crafting confidence. I hope the new found confidence will result in a more financially secure future working for myself at home. Just a few of my thoughts for the day!
My goal is to start the New Year like it is the first day of school. I want to keep the excitement of re-shaping my days and weeks. I stopped making resolutions ages ago. I set a few goals each year and try to get them done before December 31. In 2011, my goal was to re-learn how to sew. I had a Mother's Day weekend sewing circle sponsored by Singer. It was a hit, but I felt something was missing in my own skills. I signed up for fashion classes at local community college. I went to two family reunions over the summer.
I kept all of my doctor's appointments and kept my weight down. I lost weight, but gain two pounds, but I lost those by December 31st. So, no extreme weight lost or weight gain in 2011. I would say that 2011 was slow for the first half of the year, but the last half was crazy fast. I was taking two Fashion classes, my sister had surgery with a complication, and the holidays were rolling in fast.
My last goal for the year was to make a dress and create 13 gifts for an assistant living facility. I got concern that I would not get everything done by December 31st, but I did. I have posted the dress for you to see. I was able to make fleece lap blankets for the assistant living facility.
I was so rushed that I forgot to take a picture. Everyone loved the lap blankets. My goals for 2012 are very simple. I want to take a vacation with my family. Last year, we took separate vacations. I want to continue taking Fashion classes. I really enjoyed those classes. I want to create a new gift for next year to give to the assistant living facility. I working on options now. Just a few of my thoughts!
