Carpet Bag

This is a wonderful bag. It is huge and would carry some great projects around for needling while attending an event that would allow you the time to ply the needles. It is time consuming to make because there are a lot of pieces to the pattern, a lot of steps. I have made this bag before for display in the store but the fabrics are no longer available. So we decided, since it is a good seller, to re-make it using Moda Home fabric which is very heavy and a bit difficult to work with. I used the iron on batting in the outer fabric instead of the lining because I wanted the outer fabric to be really heavy in this application. There is no information on how to handle the bottom of the bag as far as making it sturdy, so I went into the warehouse and had the boys cut me a piece of board that the fabrics are wound around, the same dimention as the bottom of the bag. Then I made a sleeve for it the same as the lining. This makes the bottom of the bag totally solid so that you can put anything into it. If I were to change anything in the pattern it would be the strap. There is only one. When you put this over your shoulder, it causes the two sticks to distort. What was the pattern maker thinking?

Copy Cat - Copy Owl

This is the picture I was given, taken in NY on a buyer's trip. I think this was a display item at Lord & Taylor's and selling for $50. Julie thought we could make it for less.

I love creating fringe. I could have pressed the yarn so that it was flat, straight, but I kind of liked the way it was rather wavy. It increased the detail of the knotting, which is not too visible in this picture, but quite lovely in real life.


The picture didn't show the detail of how the owl was stitched on to the scarf so I blanket stitched it. As small as I could get it, making sure to catch the yarn of the scarf. I cocked the ear of the owl a little to make it unique. never good to copy something exactly, although anyone could see that this is a copy of the original.


Julie and Georgia went to NY on another buying/expo trip. Of course they shopped too and came back with lots of pictures and ideas of things to make and sell. This scarf is knitted as a tube on circular needles. It took 4 skeins of yarn to include the fringing. I simply made a template for the owl and now everything will be turned into a free hand out with a list of materials. I think it would be great if it was kitted up. Maybe I will suggest that. That would be a great addition to the notebook I should be carrying around in the fabulous cover I made for it in the next post....

From a Book

This is another "four bolt project". There is no piecing involved. It is just a printed fabric. I was browsing our book section when I came across "Skinny Quilts & Table Runners" and saw the quilt on the cover with the swirls. It is a very complicated piece. And way beyond my abilities. Of course everyone would tell me I am mistaken. But I was inspired by the swirls on the table runner. You make very narrow bias and apply it to the finished quilt. So I am thinking, I can cut a yard and a third of this bolt fabric, layer batting very carefully matching the print top and bottom and then apply a binding. Then, using the Clover bias tape which already has the iron on fusible web, I first marked the spirals then applied the tape. There are 11 yards of tape to each package of Clover tape. And it comes in a varied range of colors. The one I chose for this runner was in earth tones which exactly matched the colors of the fabric and it came out really wonderful. I think it took me maybe four hours to make. I didn't have to match a backing because the cut piece provided its own backing. I cut 3/8'ths of a yard for binding. The only real cost was the Clover tape which was $17. It's a beautiful runner for the money and time.

A Nice Way

I really enjoyed this project. This is the "One of four bolt - projects given to me. I tried to pick out four projects that were entirely different from anything seen in the store before. This is a journal cover. You know how we are always carrying around notebooks for note-taking even when we are shopping. I do, because I don't often buy. I will take notes for ideas of things I can make. Now that I think of it, I should make one for work. I am always making notes on scraps of paper and then I lose them or I will need to go back to the notes sometimes months later and I no longer have the notes. And you can make them in any size. It is easy to figure out. I kept a copy of the pattern. It makes up on about an hour and a half. Simple. Hummm

Full Bloom

I know this is difficult to see, but this beauty is in full bloom. What a treat to see. My indoor garden is very lush and a beauty to behold when the outside temperatures are in the teens. I have neglected to cover the air conditioner which I finally got to today. I think it will make quite the difference in here. You know how that is. Oh, I have got to get this done and then the next day, you think, I have to do this today, and then the next day, and the next. It is not a big draft coming in as the wind does not penetrate much due to the solid railing on the porch. Never the less, there is a very cold air out there and anything I can do to ward it out...

Thanksgiving dress

I thought I would never get this done. It is really a simple dress. It didn't really take long. But every time I set time aside to make it, something came along and took its place. Finally, Friday before Thanksgiving came and I got it into shipping and Stacy, little Zoey's mom tells me she got it on Monday. Yeah. Now Christmas. It looks like this dress JUST fits her. Maybe I should make the Christmas dress a little bit bigger? Or the arms at least. I want long sleeves. I am thinking a taffeta with some great lace. This was a fun dress as you can see from a previous post. But I want the Christmas dress to be more serious I think.

And do those look like little satin shoes? How adorable. I wish I could hold her. So far away.....

Thanksgiving table

It was a simple table. I love the table cloth. It is my sister Denise's. Embroidered cotton. I still have it on the table. So pretty to look at. Denise made the muffins. Fan tail muffins. So much butter goes in to making these, that you don't need to butter them to eat them. They were spectacular. Behind that, is the beautiful bundt cake that my niece Caroline made. Huge pieces of dates and nuts and Bourbon. Dense and delicious. Paired with it, she brought a salt caramel ice cream which she also made herself. I have wanted to make my own ice cream for years. Now I am determined to save my pennies and get an ice cream maker and do this. She even made the ice cream with some lactaid cream seeing I am lactose intolerant. However, as the story goes, I will gladly suffer the pain if the ice cream is good enough to be worthy of the pain.

As you can see, my kitchen is small. really a one-person kitchen and I had it all under control. Neither Denise nor Caroline have a Television, so they plunked themselves down on the sofa and entertained themselves with remote controls while I cooked, set the table and made sure they were comfortable.

I did serve an appetizer of soup. Two of them served in four little bowls. One was a roasted squash soup with a lovely roast flavor smoothed out with cream and a few herbs. The other was a creamed turnip and parsnip soup which was mild and smoothed with cream and broth.

I cooked the 14 lb turkey in a bag. I made an herbed butter the previous weekend and smeared this under the skin. Denise thought a corn bread stuffing might be nice. I had never had that before. So I added my dried cranberries and raisins and caramelized onions to that with a bit of broth. Not bad really. Leftovers are great.

I found a recipe for basil and parmesan creamed mashed potatoes. Wow. Denise brought the basil having an abundance of it growing on her boat. Delicioso. Different from the plain mashed potatoes I have grown up with forever.

Vegetables were root. Carrots, parsnips, turnip, shallot, sweet potato, maple syrup, brown sugar, olive oil, garam masala. Cooked in my dutch oven, in the oven.

And the gravy. Made entirely from the juices that collected in the bag from the turkey. I know that some people think cooking in the bag is not good or not "cool". But the moistness and the taste. It is all there completely contained. The meat just falls off the bones. I went to cut it and I couldn't help myself. I just had to tear off a piece to taste since it was just hanging there begging to be eaten.

And let's not forget the cranberry sauce straight from the can with those wonderful ridges.

What a soup that carcass will make when I finally cook it up. Yum yum yum.

It was a wonderful day. I worked in the kitchen keeping all the pots and dishes clean as I went along. Listening to the girls talk. It reminded me of the days with my husband George. He would entertain the guests while I cooked. I always loved being in the kitchen. It is very satisfying knowing that your home makes people happy and you don't even have to be in the room. Denise and Caroline were comfortable. The house was peaceful. It was the perfect day. The family to be with.