I'm Baaack!

I've gotten everybody moved. I think I've moved every piece of furniture in the house. It's all clean and as soon as I get my room reorganized I can begin again.
I have been pondering about the last piece in the kitchen room box. The table and chairs. I cannot put the patterns on the blog, you can't print them to the exact size. I can talk you through making them, what I did and the materials I used. This project is more complicated than the other things. The best thing I had to help me was the full sized version in my own kitchen. I used it for all of my measurements. If you have access to any full sized version of anything you want to make, that's your best tool. Talk to you later. Kris

Old Pictures

We celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary this past July 17th. I've started scanning old photos since the originals are all we have. I'd hate to have them get damaged. These were too sweet not to share! My hubby is just as cute as ever! We had been camping all week on our honeymoon, in the picture below.

Moonstones from start to finish!

Meet Rebekah's New Horse....Tex!

Finally, after many years, Rebekah's dream has come true. She just purchased Tex from a neighbor. He is 11 yrs. old and 16 hands tall. He was a 'school' horse and is very good natured. Even though he has been trained for western riding, she says he is very quick to learn and responsive. Riding bareback, he seemed to respond very quickly to leg reining cues.

She has been saving her money from working for Bed, Bath and Biscuit, a dog boarding place in Willis, and was able to buy her first horse this week.

Moonstones Won!

I'm so excited and pleased that Moonstones won the 3-dimensional division of the 2009 GCC artshow. Andrew's artwork is so amazing and unique. When I saw the watercolor that this one is based off of, I begged him to let me try to replicate it in cloth. I promised Andrew that if I made a hash of it, I wouldn't enter it. I'm glad the judges and my artsy friends liked it as much as I did!

Using the Kuna Indian's mola techniques and traditional reverse applique, I was able to do it. It has over 96 pieces and I limited the project to 32 colors. (Oh my!) Thank goodness for Batiks!! They are the only kind of cloth that will give the depth that a watercolor painting has. Normal cloth would have looked very plain and boring. The cigar lines has the Kuna Indians call them, are slits in the cloth pulled apart, turned under at the very edge and stitched down with teeny tiny applique stitches. It was actually intended to be flat...but I just can't resist making it three dimensional. It's like I crave the look and feel of depth and texture. I couldn't really quilt it in the traditional sense because it was too thick. I sort of 'stab' quilted it, but I needed to stitch down both sides of the white lines to keep the definition. It really helped the shapes to stand out.

Thanks to Margie Lawrence, who taught me needle-turn applique, I was able to tackle this project and do a barely creditable job of sewing. I kept hearing her voice saying..."Smaller stitches, Donna!". That was eight years ago! When I look close I feel so anxious about not having done a good enough job. Sigh...perfectionism rearing it's head. Next time, I'll work through the summer so I can go slower!

Even if I had not won, I would have been thoroughly happy...I knew that my artsy friends loved it and that was plenty enough reward for me! I feel like I know Andrew's painting inside and out after analyzing every color, shape, and nuance. Someday the world will appreciate his style as much as I do! Thanks Andrew--this would not have happened without you.

And thank you so much Shona, Shannon, Marcus, and Colleen for your encouragement and inspiration. Shona and Shannon especially have been assuring me that what I do is 'art'...after two winning entries...maybe I will begin to believe that I really am my 'father's daughter'. He is a wonderful artist and sculptor and I think I'm beginning to realize that I did inherit some of his talent. :o)

I can't wait for next year's show! Without the art show, I'd never have a deadline, or judges to give that feedback.


I also entered my Sunbonnet Sue quilt which is a gift for Lena and Elisabeth, my daughter-in-law. It didn't win, but that's ok...they like it and that's all that matters. Really, the wonderful thing about entering things like that, knowing they aren't particularly 'artsy' is the enjoyment they bring to others. We like to see each others work even if everything can't win! Everyone likes to ooh and aah over each other's creations. I'm always so amazed at the art our church turns out...even the kids' work is astonishing!

Whole-Wheat Cinammon Rolls

My whole-wheat cinnamon rolls are made with the same ingredients as my bread but are brushed with real butter and sprinkled with brown sugar and cinnamon. Then they are dribbled with vanilla icing made from milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla as soon as they are removed from the oven to preserve moistness.

We have Winners!

Congratulations to the Winners of this first Saturday's Drawing!

First Prize goes to Shannon Mucha!  You will want to visit her blog.. Art in the Every Day.  Shannon is a very talented graphic artist, photographer and though she doesn't think so, a very good seamstress when she really wants to sew something!  She made the cutest Christmas stockings I have ever seen!  Her pictures have a "zing" that will make you want to look at more and more!

She won the tote bag with earth-toned Yo-Yo flowers.

 Second Prize goes to Shona Cole!  Well...I think most of you already know who she is!  Shona is an amazing artist, photographer, crafty person, and poet.  I love reading her blog!! She is so encouraging to mothers everywhere and has a new book out on how to work art into your children's lives.  Check out her blog at An Artful Life.  She won a homemade scented candle.



and Third Prize goes to Angela Frye!   You will enjoy visiting Angela's cooking blog...the cooking is done by her kids!  Her oldest son who is maybe 11 or 12 is one of the most amazing cake decorators I have ever seen. For kid friendly recipes and cooking ideas, check out this sweet blog. (The pictures are wonderful!)
The Three Dough Boys  Did I tell you the children cooking are all BOYS?!  Angela won homemade soap!


And for those of you who are following my blog or subscribing and have left a comment with a vote on a topic, you will all be entered in next week's contest, including anyone who didn't win first prize. :o

Until next week...

New Winners for our Third Week's Drawing!

Angela Frye won 1st prize for this week's drawing..and I think I  know just what she'd like...matching aprons for her twin daughters! Congratulations Angela!  You can check out her cooking blog at Order of Fryes.  Her boys are the main cooks and the sweetest little gentlemen I've ever seen. The pictures of her cute and talented children are just darling!! Her recipes are also very easy--great for those in a hurry--or beginners at cooking.

Second Prize goes to Melissa. She gets a homemade candle. I'll send her an Apple spice candle.  I think her little girl Wednesday, will like the pretty layers of colors.  Her blog, Until Wednesday Calls is really a very good homemaking blog! I've enjoyed visiting it and you will want to check it out too.  Her little girl Wednesday is the namesake of her blog.  What a great example of truly balanced priorities!  Do your fun and projects..but children come first..regardless of age.

Third Prize goes to DJ's Storeroom! Diana makes the most awesome stuff--very professional and super cute!! I love everything she makes and sells.  She also sells the patterns with great .pdf printable patterns. Check out her site--you will love her great ideas! I'll be sending her some 100% pure olive oil soap--castile soap in the shape of shells.

 If DJ and Wednesday's mom will email me at homemaking@eastex.net, with their addresses..I'll send them their prizes.

Starting in February I will start a weekly on-going drawing..but it will only be one prize per week.  Some of the prizes I'd like to send are...a fabric covered journal, a Bach musical tote bag, another scented candle, a yo-yo flower totebag making kit, hand-crocheted washcloth, and a baby-size Colonial style crocheted hat.  The second set of drawings will start on February 1st--so join my blog and vote on a topic! I'd love to hear from you. :o)

Announcing! My One World, One Heart Giveaway Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS !!

1st Place.... Laura of  Buttons and Ribbons  Laura picked the Fanny Tote Bag kit   Second Place - Gloria of  Gloria's Blog Vivalavida Gloria picked the Bach Tote Bag Kit Third Place - Amy of  Atypical Musings   Fourth Place - Antmee of ANTMEE She won the mother-daughter apron kit...although, she can make just one 'Cottage Style Apron' with it.

Don't forget, you can still enter my Followers are Special Giveaway on March 1st.  I will be awarding page a day calendars. See my side bar for more details.

Nativity Costumes.....Cutting Cloth

Now I know how Rapunzel felt! 

My fun project today is to cut all of this into the proper yardage and arrange it into packets for wonderful seamstresses at our church to sew into costumes for our church's Live Nativity which Kristy Bailey is organzing.

I had to use a spreadsheet to figure out how much yardage and of what types of cloth and trims would be needed to make an adult and teen size costume for nine different characters.  Kristy wondered why we needed a spreadsheet..but when we started trying to pull out cloth from my stash and cut it into head covers, sashes, and belts...she understood!  I finally decided to use butcher paper to make copies of all the pieces x 9 so that everyone could have the pattern pieces needed.
 

I'll post my efforts later, since Rebekah has my camera at Mock Trial in Brenham today.  Kristy Bailey bought most of the linen and it's all at her house since she wanted to get started right away. She is the one coordinating this huge project.  She has such a heart for outreach in her community!  I'm glad she asked me to help.

I kind of 'guessed' at what was needed of the upholstry fabric since it was so much wider than what the pattern uses for yardage requirements.  I may have to finagle a little to get sleeves for the kings coats out of it.  We are going to use the red side of the fabric above with the little gold balls for two of the kings and then the inside which is bright yellow with red circles for the other set. At $7.00/ a yard, it was too good of a price to resist!