Outfitted For Softball

On the conserving side of things...I decided I would use one of Kevin's old softball shirts for Kj this summer instead of buying new ones for any of the rest of us. Kevin gets one just because he pays a fee to play, but I thought that since the image is basically the same, I could just reuse one of his old ones...he's got 3 and 2 of them are too big!


Next time, I'll have to adjust the pattern so the logo is flatter. It was great practice and I have some new ideas for making dresses for the girls. Not the pattern I used, but here is one peasant pattern.

Regular Stitch - Serger

Gathering Stitch - Serger

Leggers

Leg Warmers and Leggings

I found these posts while searching online and wanted to try to make them for a friend. Her daughter has AFOs and she wanted something to hide them a bit from stares. I have been going through my closet and drawers finding things to pass on to others and so I dug out some socks. They worked wonderfully. Well, I guess I could try to make the seam not stick out so much, but am wondering if a washing and a few wears will straighten things out...

Play Tea Bags...almost tutorial

I started with strips of muslin and calicos. I tried to choose some that were subtle and could be reminiscent of actual tea makings. Each bag takes 2 muslin pieces (1 1/2 x 2 inches) and 1 calico piece (2 x 2 inches).
I used Navy Beans to fill them and give them a little weight to drop in the tea cup. I only filled as far as the calico came up on the bag.
Then I used some textured felt (texture not necessary) and made 1 x 1 inch pieces for the tag. I bought a little cording (shown below), but also used various narrow ribbons to make the strings.
Pinned it all together to look tea bag shaped and sewed.
The finished products here, with the inspiration for it all... Family Fun Magazine's advertisement for a tea set. I thought about making some cookies as well, but...on to other projects!

Crochet Skirt

I finally followed through and found a pattern for a crocheted overskirt. I had gotten the idea from the movie, Yours, Mine, and Ours (the newer version). I can't find the exact skirt picture that I am thinking of, but here is another one: skirt.

The closest thing that I could find was this Jolimar skirt. So, I tried it and it turned out just right! I ended up finishing the skirt on Monday or Tuesday, finding a top on Wednesday or Thursday and wearing it to a wedding on Saturday.

My story about finding the top: I called my friend A and asked her if she had thought of a gift to give her niece. No, she said. So, I proceeded to ask her if her niece liked crafts and that maybe she would like a "learn to crochet" type of book with a crochet hook and yarn. The she said that it was an answer to prayer (my call). And she would have never considered that but her mother had just talked to her about her niece wanting to learn to crochet. So, as I headed out with 2 girls, I decided if I would have any success looking for a top, it would only be because God was a part of my looking/deciding. Praise God from whom all blessings flow (even little things)! I found a set for about $10. Now, I'm not saying that God is going to answer all the little or big prayers like that, He might just say, "Find something in your own closet." But this time...

Peasant Skirt

I had some fabric that I had found a year or so ago and finally found the pattern that I wanted to use to make it into something wearable. This peasant skirt had a really neat feature, you type in your waist size and the length you would like the skirt to be and it calculates your pattern pieces (4 rectangles) to your size. I'll have to look at my leftover fabric and see if I can make something for the girls. Here's an action shot of the skirt. (possibly more to come)


New skirt pattern

Peanut Butter Bites

This little treat was called "Magic" in it's un-modified form. It turned out very nice, but coats your throat a bit if you have a cold...so, bake accordingly.

Peanut Butter Bites

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 egg (I did not use one from my own chickens, as we do not have our own chickens)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup craisens

Use a small cookie scooper to plop them on a baking sheet. Smash down a bit, so they bake evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes.

These directions are after only one test run. When I make them again, I can tell you more specifically. You see, I did not smash them down and the original recipe said to bake for 10 minutes, but that clearly was not correct, so I put them back in.