Tag Archives: Sewing

Eight Hands Around/#AtoZ

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The April A to Z Blog Challenge is an annual blogging event in which participants blog every day (except Sundays) one post for each letter of the alphabet for the entire month. My theme for the year will be “Quilts and Ozark Slang.” So gitchur coffee or sodapop, grab a pilluh, and sit a spell.

The Letter today is E.

Book Illustration
The layout that needs ironing.

Something I haven’t Explained yet is the reason to lay out the pieces as you see above. One reason, for me at least, is to make sure all the right sides are facing up. Sometimes the difference between the front and back of a fabric is pretty similar…..until you sew it together wrong. Then it sticks out like a sore thumb. And of course you’d be obligated to rip it out and sew it over. Just a pain when you are on a timeline like this A to Z Challenge. Carpenters measure twice, cut once. Quilters check the fabric by it’s right or wrong side as well as if it’s in the correct direction. We’ll leave the ‘direction’ of the fabric topic for another post, though.8HandsAround2

Eight Hands Around is a title that is supposed to be a reference to a quilting bee. And one of the words you may hear a few old-timers say at said quilt gathering is ‘Edumacated’.  It’s just saying, “They went off to college, earned a law degree, or Ph.D, or some other higher education.” In such a setting, it would be used to suggest pride in the one they’re referring to. Because of course, we want to see our friends and relatives do better. It gives us a sense of pride that they came from our region and “made it” in the world. Success gives us mothers something to brag about too. (wink wink)

There are many more wonderful blogs this year that I hope you can spend a couple minutes reading. All you have to do is click here and select something that interests you. To read about the A to Z Challenge and what we are all about, click here.

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Combination Star/#AtoZ

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The April A to Z Blog Challenge is an annual blogging event in which participants blog every day (except Sundays) one post for each letter of the alphabet for the entire month. My theme for the year will be “Quilts and Ozark Slang.” So gitchur coffee or sodapop, grab a pilluh, and sit a spell.

The Letter today is C

 

 

I’ve got to admit, there are a lot of ‘star’ quilt blocks out there. And I’m not very sure why this one is called simply “Combination Star” except for possibly the combination of diagonal squares in each corner to give it a different appearance. I will have to do a tally of just how many star blocks are in my selection for the A to Z Challenge. Til then, I’ll just  ask, Do you see the star in this block?

CombinationStar3

For the Daily Ozark slang, I present “Chester Drawers”. This is the place you’ll find a stash of my quilts. In other words, a “Dresser”. Or where you store your socks, pajamas, tshirts, etc.

My mother was good about proper grammer due, I believe, to the fact that her mother was a one-room schoolhouse teacher. Grammer was her thing. So around my home, this word wasn’t used so much. Maybe it slipped out now and then? I don’t remember if it ever did. But we all recognized its use when used by others.

There are many more wonderful blogs this year that I hope you can spend a couple minutes reading. All you have to do is click here and select something that interests you. To read about the A to Z Challenge and what we are all about, click here.

Broken Arrows/ Letter B

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The April A to Z Blog Challenge is an annual blogging event in which participants blog every day (except Sundays) one post for each letter of the alphabet for the entire month. My theme for the year will be “Quilts and Ozark Slang.” So gitchur coffee or sodapop, grab a pilluh, and sit a spell.

The letter today is B.

Templates needed for cutting fabric pieces
The Book illustration

In quilting, you have a few choices when cutting out your pieces.

  • There are rotary cut pieces that allow you to cut very quickly and efficiently with a large ruler and rotary cutter.
  • There are paper pieced blocks that you lay fabric over in a certain order to sew onto. Paper backing is then removed once the block is complete.
  • Crazy quilters lay fabric pieces at random and sew them together in a pleasing form before embellishing them with fancy stitching.
  • This quilt used templates to use as the guide to cutting each piece. And I do mean Each, And, Every, piece. It is without a doubt, the most time consuming method. But Soooooo worth the end result.
The Layout
I made a little mistake here. Time to rip out stitches.

The Finished block:

BrokenArrows4

Todays Word:

Bawl – When I recently used this word, it raised the eyebrows of my daughter. (She’s getting very good at pointing out my use of words lately.) So I explained it’s probably from farmers hearing calves and other young livestock crying for their mothers. They “bawl”. So she, being the research queen, looked it up and found this information.

The word “bawl” started in the Middle English from Medieval Latin and is also Germanic.” So with the rich German heritage in this area, it has been most likely passed down through generations.  Example: “Don’t go bawlin’ about it! You’ll have to learn sometime.” Back in the 60’s, my own babysitter was very fond of this word. Apparently, it stuck.

There are many more wonderful blogs this year that I hope you can spend a couple minutes reading. All you have to do is click here and select something that interests you. To read about the A to Z Challenge and what we are all about, click here.

A Dandy/ #AtoZChallenge

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To those who celebrate, Happy Easter! And to those who celebrate in other ways, I hope you have a wonderful day! As for me, today’s the day! I will blog every day this month (except Sundays) for the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Welcome to you if this is your first time participating. Welcome if this is your first time reading. For myself, it’s Year #5. Oh! And April Fools! We blog our first letter today, Sunday! Just the way it turned out with the calendar. So here goes……

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I’m so pleased to have you stop in and ‘sit a spell’. A little addition to my plan for the Challenge this year will be to share some Missouri Ozark slang each day (with a translation in case you’ve never heard them). I live in west central Missouri, just up the road from the hills that begin the Ozark mountains. We still have church on Sundays, pictures of our boys in their first pair of overalls, and mostly civil politicians. That’s just the beginning.

First, a little about quilting, the book I used for reference and some tools of the trade……in collage format. (Hover over pics for description) Thanks to the editors of 256 Fat Quarter Quilt Blocks,  Jeanne Stauffer and Sandra L. Hatch. This book has been in my library for some time and I rediscovered it for the Challenge this year. It has so many blocks to choose from. Hope you all enjoy them.

 

My 1993 Bernina 1080.
Using gray thread. I think this is enough.
My 10-year old iron. Still with stickers attached from the manufacturer.
My Ottlite that I’ve repaired with duct tape
These are the ‘helpers’ of a quilter. I’ll explain later.
This book is my reference and guide for all the blocks this challenge.

About the block………

 

For Letter A, you get “A Dandy”. It’s a 12 x 12 inch block once it’s trimmed/squared up. This is a term we use to cut off those ‘dog ears’ (extra points of fabric sticking out) and to make the edges nice and even. Its name reminds me of all the nicknames my grandmother had for each of her grands. She was an Ozark native.

Adandy 11

#4 Finished!

Why the Ozark Slang for the Challenge?

When my eldest daughter moved off to college, whe noticed perplexed looks on the faces of some others when she would use certain expressions or phrases.  Do not be alarmed. She is very intelligent and extremely well-spoken. And in no way do I intend to put down the intelligence of my Ozark kin. We just use some different expressions that may or may not have leaked out to the rest of you. So this April, I’m sharing with you the wonderful language of my upbringing. I hope you will let me know how far-reaching these expressions have traveled.

For Today: “Alrighty then.” This is a sentence. It is equal to meaning , “Well you just go right on ahead and do that” or “I guess you’ve made your mind up and I can’t change it.” I once had a boyfriend who used this expression quite a bit. I believe he understood I was pretty stubborn. I prefer to call it Independent. 😉

There are many more wonderful blogs this year that I hope you can spend a couple minutes reading. All you have to do is click here and select something that interests you. To read about the A to Z Challenge and what we are all about, click here.

Sweet Stripes/WPC/Sunday Sampler

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Sweet

To begin with, I like to provide pillows to the children in my home daycare. Soft spots to lay your head when you aren’t really ready to be awake yet. Getting here at 6:30 a.m. is not always on the agenda of a child under age 5. Getting up from nap can have the same outcome. They often let everyone know. Pillows offer something to clutch, hug, squeeze, sit on or even punch. There are days you don’t know what you’ll get in the realm of childhood emotions. I present an option to keep those pillows neat as a button and the children Sweet on this Sunday Sampler.IMG_0937

Now lately, some pillows have been coming undone from their protective cases. This is with the help of little hands. This new discovery of “I can pull out the pillow” is a great dexterity skill but, as the whole country knows, flu season has been relentless and not keeping pillows sanitary is not an option. So to keep pillows safeguarded, I am putting my snap tool to use. Why?

  1. Because I don’t have time to make feel like making 15 more pillow cases with envelope closures.
  2. Snaps are more secure because…..
  3. They would soon figure out the envelope opens up.
  4. Never, ever underestimate the ingenuity of a 2 year old.
  5. Or even a 1 year old.
  6. Trust me on this!
  7. I’ve even had the pleasure of seeing a child stick feet into 2 separate pillows to walk around pretending they had Big feet this winter. Who’dathunk?! (but it was cute).

Now that I’ve made my case, here’s a little slide show of my tool and the finished result.

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Have a wonderful rest of your Sunday!!

 

No Skating/ WPC/ Sunday Sampler

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More Stitching, Less Bi#$hing. My mantra for the week. I would have loved to head out on a nice neighborhood walk to participate with a lovely, picturesque view as your ‘Tour Guide” in the Weekly Photo Challenge, but the weather didn’t cooperate all weekend. We ended up with this view out my back door.

Ice covered

No skating for me.

So you’re going to get a tour through a quiet weekend at home alongside my sewing machine. Hopefully it’s not too boring for you.

Choosing the pattern first, I thought this one would be user friendly for my out-of-practice dressmaking skills. I can’t even remember the last time I made a garment — out of fabric that is. There have been plenty of hats, shawls and the like via crochet just to clarify.

New Pattern
After ‘The Cut’

I like the new look of the flared sleeves. But for myself, they are not practical. I’m the roll-up-your-sleeves kind of gal during the week. I have to wash hands, dishes, toys and wipe too many noses during the day in my line of work to bother with that style. So I decided on View D.

Drum roll………….

Butterick 6455

Butterick 6455

Thanks for dropping in on this cold, Missouri Sunday Sampler!

Tour Guide

Pulling the Plug/Sunday Sampler

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Introducing my newest model for the Etsy shop. We were just about ready for breakfast bright and early one morning last week when I took advantage of a wide awake young lady in a very happy mood. Perfect recipe for some Fun photos!

Special thanks to her parents for giving me the chance to feature this little princess!            Love That Face!!

Thanks for stopping in for this week’s Sunday Sampler!!

How’d It Go?/ Sunday Sampler

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Sunday Sampler

The season to begin Christmas shopping officially opened yesterday here in Central Missouri at the Windsor Septemberfest 2017. We were stationed at the Windsor Elementary School gymnasium in Windsor, Missouri, respectfully, along with many other crafters from around the region. Mother, my husband, and I were set up by the 8:45 am deadline.

Special thanks to our family and friends that showed up to help out, purchase or even just say hello! We loved seeing you!

Windsor September 17

Mother’s jams, jellies and salsas are a main attraction each time we attend an event. 

Kerchiefs are a great seller on Etsy and they get lots of Ooh’s and Aah’s during the day.

windsor-september-17b.jpg

Going to be in the Etsy shop by end of today.

And then I have a little collage of the ‘Sold’ items.

WindsorSept'17Sold

A common denominator to purchases at these venues seems to be the desire to find that One of a Kind item. Even the LuLaRoe seller behind our booth tended to know this little tid bit. Nothing seemed to have a duplicate.

So, Sellers of the Land, let it be known that mass produced items are not in huge demand to small-town USA (exceptions: candles and other great scented items). I hope this trend continues because buying handmade truly supports small businesses.

Pint-sized Scraps/Sunday Sampler

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Sunday Sampler

Gardening has slowed down at last and none too soon. The first craft show of the season is next Saturday. Piles of scraps from over the years are crammed into my XXL Space Bag (aka giant ziplock bag). There are also several small storage tubs with more organized scraps. But for the purpose of trying to use up this ginormous stash, I’m sticking with the bag until my supply diminishes significantly.

Snapsframed.jpg

Speaking of bags, pictured above is my portion of an order I split with my dear mother. She’s also in a sewing, frenzy mode. Her church sewing group is making cloth diapers for children in need in another country. Forgive me for not remembering which country. Note to self: Future post on this topic needed. 

bibcollage Image

Snaps and Press (top left) Snaps inserted (top right)  Yesterday’s haul and a back view (bottom left to right)

Scrap project #1 is these bibs that I use on a day to day basis in my own daycare. I can testify for their durability. I have, in the past, used sew-on metal snaps. They can leave irritation on some infants and toddlers. I also have used velcro. Same issue as well. Velcro tends to wear out with many washings. It attracts lint, strings from fabric, as well as hair. Le yuck!  I definitely find the plastic snaps are my preference! The scrappy appearance of these String-quilt-style bibs give a child visual contrast. Early childhood professionals know that this visual stimulation is a positive way to engage brain development.

For the back, no stone is left unturned. I have a stockpile of worn out jeans and work pants from over the years that simply come from this family of 4. Some black will be used this season as that is what’s on top of the pile. Plus, I like a little change from the blue denim.

scrappymeme Image

Note: Bibs should never be left on an infant or child during napping.

Personally speaking, I’d like to send prayers for my dear family and friends in the path of Hurricane Harvey. May you be kept safe!

 

Helping Out/WPC

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Satisfaction

The Big Day
Before the Big Day

Meet Evette, again. She’s my niece and there’s no doubt she’s “Sew in Love”. I’m getting pure satisfaction from seeing her use her beginning sewing skills towards gift-giving while her new husband is off at basic training. We are very proud of them both. Proud for his service to our country and to her holdin’ down the homefront while he’s away.

Last week she came to me with a preplanned embroidery project. Unfortunately, while making the project, her friend’s sewing machine bit the dust. So I was getting to do a little more than planned. Not a problem. Glad to help.

Fast forward to the embroidery…….

Evettesquilt(2)

She showed me what she needed and chose a beautiful font. I had it digitized and ready to go. The A was well on it’s way in this picture. With this design, there would be some re-hooping of the item in order to fit the project. (My hoop is pretty much ancient compared to newer ones. Mine’s circa 18 to 20 years old.) Unfortunately, the A was all that got completed before my memory card fried. Unable to fix it, we improvised, overcame and adapted. Marines out there will appreciate that last sentence. Semper Fi!

Moving on, I must let my niece know that her “Large” pins were a hit with me. I’ve always used the normal size, but after using hers, I may have to get some of these. They were so generous in size and I didn’t prick my fingers nearly as much. Who says you don’t learn from the younger generation??!! And that Minky fabric is soft! And slick to sew with. I tried the walking foot but reverted to the normal foot after about 10 inches. Any hints out there would be appreciated for future minky projects.

carrier cover

 

Above are the completed carrier cover and the baby quilt.

And just for the baby’s sake, I’ve a little message I’m sure Evette would want to pass along…..

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