A Little Sewing Lesson for Vanessa

As I have mention before, my sweet granddaughter Vanessa is learning to sew. She continues to work on her 9 patch quilt and also started her first clothing project yesterday!

This is the pattern that Vanessa chose to be her first sewing project. It is a poncho made using fleece fabric. It will have a front zipper, pockets, and a hood.

First I showed her how to open up the actual pattern and find which pieces she needed for her particular poncho. I had her cut each paper pattern piece out that was needed. In this case is was three pieces.

She then learned how to lay the pattern pieces out on the fabric. She learned what the grain, fold, and selvage of the fabric was. She laid each piece out on her fabric.

After carefully laying out the pattern pieces, she then pinned them to her fabric and was ready to start cutting.



 

Next we decided she was ready to start sewing. Vanessa learned to wind the bobbin with thread and then threaded the machine with a color matching thread.

She made her shoulder seams and then hemmed the poncho according to the directions. On her next visit she will put the zipper in!

This grandma is very proud of her nine year old granddaughter!! She is so easy to work with and teach. So willing and eager to learn.

Fresh Raspberry Pie...recipe included

I tried a brand new recipe yesterday using my fresh raspberries from our own raspberry patch! Oh my, the pie was delishous! I love making fresh pies for my son and his family. So, I made two. One for him and one for me. I thought I would share the recipe I used in case you have some raspberries you want to use!

Ingredients:

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust 2 eggs 1 1/3 cups sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup white sugar 1 pinch salt 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups raspberries 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup butter, chilled

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and lemon colored. Whisk in sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour and salt together. Stir into egg mixture. Gently fold in raspberries. Pour into crust.
3.	Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the center begins to set. Sprinkle with topping and return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.
4.	To make the topping: In a medium bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and chopped nuts. Cut in butter until crumbly.

A Spring Picnic

I enjoyed having my three youngest grandchildren over for a picnic lunch. The older ones were in school so they weren't able to join us. It is amazing how much more fun it is to eat your meal in the midst of fresh air and plenty of sunshine.

After a lunch of chicken nuggets, mac "n cheese, and fresh strawberries the children romped around in the fresh air. Running and jumping and offering plenty of giggles and laughter.

I am so very thankful for children and grandchildren!! God is so good!

I Was Tagged!

Yesterday my blog friend Chandeen from "Designed by Chance" tagged me in a cute little play along game! I enjoyed reading all about her...so looks like it is my turn!

First I gotta share share something about Chandeen...she was always mentioning "Pinterest" in her blog posts. I finally had to google the word Pinterest and find out what she was talking about. It was love at first sight! Chandeen is also very crafty and shares lots of her created items in her blog posts. Be sure and visit her blog if you haven't done that yet!

Here were the rules....

1.Post a photo and eleven things about yourself in a blog post.
2.Answer the questions the person who tagged you asked.
3.Create eleven new questions for the people you tag.
4.Contact them and let them know they have been tagged.

So, here goes!

This is a picture of my family in 2010. We have since added a beautiful grandson that just celebrated his first birthday this past week. In this picture I am the "Grandma" along with Grandpa,our three children, their spouses, and four grandchildren.

Eleven Random Things About Myself......

1. I am 54 years old....I used to think that was old, really old, but not any more!!
2. I will celebrate my 37th wedding anniversary this summer.
3. I love to cook and sew.
4. I love softer colors...pink, lavender, baby blue, mint green.
5. My husband and I are both pretty quiet people.
6. I was born in Medina County, Ohio.
7. I am a born again Christian.
8. I have been a Sunday School teacher for 25 years.
9. I have a small sewing business in my home.
10. I LOVE fabric.
11. The greatest joys in my live are my husband, children, and grandchildren. They mean the world to me.

Questions From My Tagger...Chandeen


1. What is your favorite city to visit and why?

I am not a traveller so I can't really think of any city to list! I love being at home.

2. Do you blog about craft fails?

No, not usually. I have told of a few cooking blunders I have made though.

3. What do you use to clean you bathtub?

I sometimes fill the tub half full and then add a couple cups of bleach. Let it set over night. I also like Scrubbing Bubbles and also Mr Clean eraser does a great job.

4. Tell me something about your childhood.

My childhood playhouse was a funeral hearse!!! I am serious! My dad owned a junkyard so my sister and I had a velvet lined funeral hearse to use as a playhouse.

5. What is your favorite thing you have made?

That one is just too hard!! I am a seamstress that loves to create. A good portion of the things I create are done so without a pattern. I love to cook and bake. I just love to create!

6. Tell me about the best day of your life.

My wedding day was a great day, as were the births of my children and grandchildren. I enjoyed my children's graduation days, and their wedding days. I quess I don't have one certin day, just a lot of days that make me smile to think back on them.

7. What is your favorite color right now?

Soft pink

8. How often do you clean your house? (be truthful)

I generally clean everyday. My house is not spotless by any means. I hate clutter. I love doing laundry! LOL

9. Are you an organized person? Give an example.

I think I would have to say yes. I like to be clutter free and organized. All clothes have to be hung in the same direction. Picures have to hang correctly. Closet doors need to be closed.

10. If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, (go with me on this one) what would you do today?

Let my family and friends and other people I have met along the way know that they have touched my life.

11. Do you think a facebook page for your blog is a good idea or just more work?

It's so easy to spend way too much time, so no, I probably don't think a FaceBook page for my blog would be a good idea! LOL


Whew, I am done! Now I get to pick some blog friends to be "IT"!

1. Ruby Jean
2. Little Emma English Home
3. The Better Baker
4. All In My Cottage
5. Rose Chintz Cottage
6. The Gazebo House

Here are my questions for the six ladies above!

1. Where were you born?
2. Do you prefer bold or soft colors?
3. What are your very favorite things to create?
4. What was your favorite subject in school?
5. What is your all time favorite meal?
6. Do you have children/ grandchildren?
7. Do you use Pinterest.com?
8. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
9. How did you meet your spouse (or special someone)?
10.Do you have a favorite "comfort" food?
11. What are a few of your special joys in life?

My Favorite Designer

I simply adore beautiful fabric, don't you? I can't really remember my first Tanya Whelan fabric, but let me tell you her lovely prints just take my breath away. Have you visited Tanya's blog?

There is an interesting interview with Tanya here.

Tanya will be having a brand new book released in December. It is available from Amazon and also Barnes and Noble has it for pre-order!!

Who is your favorite fabric designer?

Homemade Noodles

It has turned quite cold already in Ohio. We heat with wood so we already have the furnace running. We heat intirely with wood so my husband cuts a lot of firewood on our property. Thankfully we have 20 acres of woods. My granddaughter came over this morning for another sewing session. Doesn't it make teaching someone so much easier when they are so eager to learn?

In getting the morning started, Vanessa sewed two more nine patch blocks for the quilt she is making. I was thrilled to see that she remember each step that she learned last week. After sewing for an hour or so she had completed the two blocks. She now has four blocks finished. Next we worked on making a delightful fabric covered bulletin board for my sewing room.

Now I think she would like one for her room!!

Next we enjoyed a little lunch of mac 'n cheese...can't go wrong with that!! We decided to make some homemade noodles so she could take them home and prepare dinner for her family. Now this little eight year old girl can sew and she can cook and even clean her mess up!! Gotta love that kind of a girl!

Vanessa is mixing  3 eggs up first. She then added 1 1/2 cups of flour.

Vanessa hand cutting her noodles!

Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

~Mary Ann~

Vanessa Is Learning To Sew

My lovely little granddaughter, Vanessa started her first sewing lesson with me last evening. She had her eighth birthday last month and I gave her a sewing box with all kinds of sewing goodies in it. I also gave her some 4 inch quilting squares in her box too.

She came up to our farm after dinner last night with her sewing box in tow. I decided to let her begin with the quilting squares, sewing them into a nine patch blocks. She completed two blocks last evening. She seems to have a good mind for remembering the correct steps of operating a sewing machine. She also got to iron each piece as she was putting the blocks together.

In this last picture she is holding her sewing box and showing the two blocks she completed. I'm pretty sure she was thrilled with her two blocks and I was sure proud of her efforts!

Sewing on Saturday!

It's been such a lovely day today. I have been busy in the sewing room. I am always cleaning and rearranging to keep everything looking nice. It seems to me it is so much fun sewing in a tidy room. What to do think? I am working on a sweet little ruffled prairie skirt. I am also working on a small quilt. I thought I would share some pictures of the skirt I have been working on.

~Mary Ann~

Lavender in a canning jar????

Several months ago I found a blog post that captured my interest. The posting was about making homemade lavender laundry soap. Ms Chandeen of Designed by Chance showed a nice tutorial about making lavender laundry soap. I decided then and there that I wanted to try this. I gathered up the supplies but decided to wait a little. I happened to have an ample supply of laundry detergent on hand. Today I decided to attempt the recipe! Oh wow, did my kitchen ever smell nice!

This is the ingredients that I used:

(3) four ounce bars of Castile soap
(1) 55 ounce box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
(1) 76 ounce box of 20 Mule Team Borax
(1) half ounce bottle NOW 100% pure lavender oil

I grated the bars of soap in my food processor. I then mixed all ingredients in a large pan. I filled quart canning jars with the mixture. I had the jars on hand, so instead of buying a large jar, I just used the canning jars and divided it up.

I have read various amonts to use per load. I have read anywhere between one tablespoon to one fourth cup per load. Maybe I will start with one eigth cup per load and see how that does.

My next recipe to try is homemade lavender fabric softner. I have found the recipe. Just need to gather the supplies.

Anyone else out there tried their own laundry recipes?

I have been Missing In Action!

Dear Freinds,

I have been missing for way too long! Hope everyone is doing well. I have been sick with a sinus / lung infection for way too long. I still have it and it is wearing on me. I have had it almost a month.

I am working on a baby quilt that I started months ago. I am hand sewing the binding on today, so it should be done very soon. I will be glad to have that project checked off my "to do" list.

Here is a new picture of all my sweet little grandchildren!

Fresh pie.....

Yesterday afternoon I stepped out my kitchen door and picked some oh-so sweet and juicy strawberries. I wanted to make a fresh pie for my dear son and his family who love fresh berries! An hour or so later I delivered this pie to my son's farm just down the road.

Helping Joplin, MO

The sweet Long ladies over at marie-madeline studio are putting together a nice way of helping the folks in Joplin, MO. They have invited us to help in this endevour. You can get all the details over at their website.

Strawberries

I picked my first fresh strawberries this morning! My grandchildren are going to want to come to Grandma's today for sure!

How do you like to serve fresh strawberries? Here is one of my family's favorites!!

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL JELLO SALAD

2 c. crushed pretzel sticks
3/4 c. melted butter
3 tbsp. sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip
1 (6 oz.) pkg. strawberry Jello
2 c. boiling water
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen strawberries, partially thawed or 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Mix first three ingredients and press in bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350 degrees (metal pan) or 325 degrees (glass pan) 8 minutes. Let cool completely. Beat 1 cup sugar and cream cheese. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over pretzels. Mix Jello and water until dissolved. Add strawberries. Stir into Jello, then set aside for 10 minutes. Pour over cheese mixture. Chill.

(Hint) make sure you spread the cream cheese mixture completely over the pretzels so no jello can seep through...you don't want soggy pretzels!

Sewing is in the bag!

Today has turned into a beautiful day. The weather did not look good this morning....it was raining, like it has been a lot lately! The sun is shining brightly now...brightens things up a bit...well, quite a bit.

I have been busy in the sewing room. I have been cleaning up and tidying things up a bit. I must confess, I do not like a mess, so I am always orgainizing things and trying to make things look neater.

I also have just completed a new bag. The largest one I have made to date. It is just perfect for a beach bag or a weekend getaway. I was expermenting when I made it so wasn't sure just how it would turn out. I really do like it!! I have listed it for sale on ebay. I am adding a few pictures for you to see. I have orders for three more bags, so I better get busy.

Have a nice day,

Mary Ann

Blossoms around the farm

Sunshine and blue skies are on the forecast for today!! It is so pretty outdoors. I thought I would share some of my lovely blossoms that I have enjoyed this spring.

This is a lovely azalea bush that is right outside my bedroom window.

Some sweet begonias.

My favorite lilac bush!

More of the purple lilac.

Another azalea.

Lilac bush.

The white lilac bush.

I hope you all have a nice weekend.

Mary Ann

They make my heart pitter patter...

Is there anything as sweet as grandchildren? I really don't think so. Three of mine were here tonight to play in the warm sunshine. They enjoyed themselves...running,jumping, and simply enjoying life.