What Credit Card Should I Get?

Lindsay is clever. And, she is frugal. Wonderful traits to have. 

Two little boys will now be followed by one little girl and so the challenge becomes clothes and bedding and curtains and color. Color. Especially color. When she asked me to make a crib quilt I was thrilled. When she told me that she was using the navy blue and white checked bedding from Pottery Barn, which she had used for both little boys, I was impressed. What a great idea! I was so excited to make a navy blue and white quilt.  I love the mix and match of today’s fabrics.

Well, Lindsay. Here it is. Actually it is in a box, ready to be mailed.

Hope you like it !

(Hope SHE likes it !)

Teaching children to be quiet is a tough task.

Their little voices are always full of enthusiasm and enthusiasm means “volume”.  

Every mother knows how hard it is to keep little children occupied in church. So, when I recently attended the blessing of a new grandson, I tucked a little bag of lacing cards into my purse “just in case”.  Just-in-case happened and I whipped them out and passed one to each little cousin as they sat on the long bench while trying to keep their hands to themselves and their voices quiet.

I was amazed how quickly they became absorbed in the card and the lace. The girls had some order to their lacing but the boys just laced and laced “any old way” and didn’t seem to mind if things criss-crossed or knotted up.  When the children finished with one card, they traded with someone for a different card. Sometimes I had to unlace the card with my finger to my lips to remind them to whisper.

I held my breath.

So. That brings me to my newest sets of lacing cards. The set above is going to two little boys I know who are wiggle worms in church. Ten pictures of funny animals from all over the Internet, neatly tucked into a cloth bag which took just a few minutes to make on the sewing machine.

(Oh, how I love little fabric scraps !)

How about this set for girls?  It is tucked into a “birthday box” which arrived but won’t be opened by the birthday girl until Saturday. (Don’t tell !)

This set of lacing cards include a paper doll and her clothes. I found the images on the Internet, printed them out on 5×7 photo paper, cut chipboard for the back and used spray adhesive to attach the paper to the chipboard. I rounded the edges with a “corner chomper” and punched the holes with a crop-o-dile. Instead of buying shoe laces, which can be pricey, I bought bead laces at Hobby Lobby which are less expensive and easier because they aren’t as thick. Then I made a little bag to hold the cards.

I found this adorable image some time ago and used it to make a fabric label. I used double-sided fusible bond to attach it. I don’t sell anything I make. My blog is simply my journal of things I love to do.  Everything is focused on my family and with great joy and satisfaction I keep making things for them.

I remember lacing cards from my childhood. Today they are called “vintage” which just kills me. It really doesn’t seem that long ago that I was learning to pull the lace through without running out before I got through all of the holes. Vintage. Hmmmmm.

Here’s hoping that there is some magical quiet fun in each bag. Ten or fifteen minutes of quiet in church is worth its weight in laces.

It was true . . .

The leggings were so easy and so fast. I found many blogs with directions and patterns and pictures. I like pictures. Each one told me exactly how to make the pattern and cut the fabric and sew the leggings. When I was finished . . . well, I was so excited because it was true. They were easy and fast and inexpensive and comfortable and had just two pattern pieces!

I used my $10 Kohl’s Cash to buy these darling t-shirts. The pink and the white are sleeveless and the blue has little sleeves. Each one is LONG so that they cover the little you-know-what.  The shoes came from prowling around at Ross.

I wondered which outfit Afton would put on first? Do you have a guess? She chose the blue shirt and the leggings with little birds. The sandals went right on her pretty feet.

I asked her how everything felt and she said “fine”. Her mother said “fine”. I said “great”. Then I followed Afton to the playroom as she directed her mother to “go run an errand.” I have found that grandchildren like their parents to “go somewhere” when they come to play. I guess they can get me to do things their parents won’t do. Like eat chips before lunch.

 ”If you like things easy . . . you will fail. If you like things difficult . . . you will succeed.”

-Laotion Proverb-

(Obviously this person has never experienced the thrill of making easy leggings)

I bought the marshmallows and the toothpicks and hauled out the stale Easter candy which I had saved for just this purpose. The pastel bunnies which were once soft as little lambs were now almost as hard as rocks. Nevertheless, I could see that the flat bottoms on each piece of old candy might lend some stability to the emerging skyscrapers. Skyscrapers being built with great care right before my eyes.

It seemed impossible to build anything that didn’t lean. It was a true geometry lesson and set the stage for discussions about how many things in the wide world are built.

Some kids like to build out . . . not just up. This young man worked all evening and again in the morning. He got better with each try. He even said that the stale Easter candy was PERFECT for the project and he wished that I had more. I reminded him that he had eaten the rest on Easter afternoon. Oh. He remembered.

Well. Things got more complicated as time passed until it was impossible to tell where things started and where they ended.I sent the grandsons home with the rest of the marshmallows and the rest of the tooth picks, fully realizing that by nightfall they would be in the garbage.

“We’ll do it again when all of the cousins are together

and we might even let the grown-ups help.”

-Grandma-

Lacing Cards are easy to make and VERY inexpensive.  They are a mainstay of quiet children’s games and have been for several generations. While the cards themselves keep changing, they can actually be anything you want them to be. I wanted mine to be old-fashioned. I found the images I wanted to use and printed them out as 4×6 prints. I cut some lightweight chipboard in the same size and glued the image to the chipboard. I cut pieces of 4×6 card stock in a fun pattern and glued it to the back of each card. Then I used my heavy-duty hole puncher to punch around the image on each card.

I bought the laces at the dollar store, which seemed a little pricey to me but it proved to be half the price of Wal-Mart for shoelaces.( Really, it’s true.) I made the little drawstring bags out of scraps, threaded ribbon through and secured the ends of the ribbon with wooden spools. Just for fun.

 ”We used to give our children lacing cards so that they could learn to tie their shoes.

Now shoes have Velcro. Hummmm.”

-Grandma-

Garden Aprons. Easy, fun and economical to make. I like to make them out of “duck” (which, when overheard caused a child to ask why I would use a duck and what happened to the feathers?) . . . also known as outdoor fabric. I have found that some of the most beautiful and vibrant patterns are found in this family of fabrics.

I made my own pattern which requires one third of a yard of fabric per adult apron. I cut the piece of fabric into two pieces. One for the apron itself and one which I fold in half for the pockets.   The aprons above are cut, pressed and ready to be sown. It takes about 45 minutes start- to- finish to make an adult apron.

My daughter chose this apron out of several I had finished. She said she liked the colors and the beads along the pockets. I made the ties out of ribbon long enough to wrap from the back to the front to tie. It is easier to tie something in front of you than behind you.

I love the current trend of mixing and matching prints and colors. Used to be that you NEVER put a stripe and a print together. Not any more. This was the first apron I made and it is a little fancier than those which followed. That is because I figured out the shortcuts along the way. I am so glad that in December, American Crafts held a month-long warehouse sale not far from where I live. They offered 25-yard spools of ribbon for $3.  Needless to say I bought several. That is why I have felt NO anxiety about using long lengths of ribbon to wrap around the waists of the gardeners who will wear these aprons !

A pattern for every taste and an apron for every waist.  That became my motto as I sewed merrily along. Since the aprons can wrap around anyone’s hips, by leaving the ribbon long, the aprons truly become “one-size-fits-all”.  (I have always loved patterns and colors like the apron above)

What about the “princess gardener” who has no intention of getting dirty?  I even made an apron for her . . . whomever she turns out to be. We will know when she chooses the apron with the completely impractical lace!

We can’t forget the children. They love to help in the garden. Here are three aprons for little girls. One third of a yard of duck fabric makes two child-sized aprons.( I love the ribbon on the green apron.) These aprons also have generous ties so that aprons will stay on little children who have no hips to speak of.

BUT, WAIT !!!!!

What if a little boy wants to help in the garden and needs some pockets to put things in?  How about this apron for a 3-year-old? The fabric is cotton instead of duck so I used a lightweight fusible interfacing to make the apron a little stiff.  Even if the gardening gets old, playing in the dirt with little cars never does and a snack will fit nicely in the pockets.

You will need: fabric, bias tape, ribbon, trim like rick rack (optional) and thread.

“God made rainy days so that gardeners could get the housework done.”

-Unknown-

Wee Winnie the Pig

I am on a roll.

I have always love paper dolls. I have vivid memories of playing with them as a child and making clothes for them out of scraps of paper using crayons. I remember that my prized dolls were kept in a large graham cracker box. It wasn’t the same as “walking to school in the snow without shoes” but is was pretty rudimentary.

Folders of paper dolls were only 10 cents at the store, but in my childhood we only got things like that on Christmas and on our birthdays. So, when my friends called to say that they had new paper dolls, I was envious and asked if I could come over and help them cut out the clothes.

If the new paper dolls belonged to someone who knew I was a “good cutter”, then the answer would be YES.  If  the new paper dolls belonged to someone who was really possessive about things, then she wouldn’t take a chance that I or someone else might cut off a tab or cut outside of the lines or wrinkle something.

That said, I have been having fun making magnetic paper dolls for my grandchildren.

Most of the images came from the Internet as free down-loadable files but several are PDF files for which I paid. (minimal amount) and downloaded from Etsy. Wee Winnie the PIG ( above ) is one of the doll files I bought from Etsy. Shown are only half of her clothes. She is WONDERFUL !

 Mr. Rabbit

Mr. Rabbit was also a PDF download from Etsy.  Look at his little clothes !  Who said that little boys don’t like paper dolls ? Could you resist dressing this little guy?

 Mabel

This PDF download was from Sarah Jane Studios.  She might look familiar. Wonderful clothing, colors and styles.

How about an old fashioned dog?  The Internet is full of ready- to- print old-fashioned paper dolls.

I have to admit that as I made these, I took the time to try on the clothes. Not on me, but on the dolls. The old-fashioned styles really catch my eye and always have !

I found the dolls above on the Internet under Paper Dolls for Boys. This is only one sheet of the available clothing. I also printed out a fireman  and a policeman uniform for them to wear.

This old-fashioned doll with her wonderful, complicated clothing was free on the Internet. I especially love the detail and the layering.

This is one of my favorite Etsy downloads. It comes with four little dolls and tons of clothes. Everything fits perfectly in a 4″ tin. I simply popped one of the dolls on the lid to identify what is inside.  Inside the lid of the tin I added my little “grandma” card with the back showing so the kids would remember where the little dolls came from.

What I Have Learned Making Magnetic Paper Dolls

1. I use adhesive magnet sheets NOT computer-printable magnet sheets.
2.  I buy the sheets in packages of a dozen through Oriental Trading Company online.
3. The non-printable magnet sheets are a FRACTION of the cost of the printable magnet sheets.
4. I print the dolls and clothes on glossy photo paper first.
5. I quickly cut around the dolls and clothes, leaving lots of white.
6. I fit the dolls and clothes onto the sticky side of the magnet sheet and rub until everything is firmly stuck.
7. By doing this, I DON’T WASTE ANY PART OF THE MAGNET SHEET.
8. I use my little scissors to cut around each piece, leaving an even white border.

Easter Sunday. The most wonderful day.

I cooked the ham and made the rolls. My daughters brought the rest of the meal. We ate and talked and tried to keep the children inside until everyone was finished. The boys kept looking out of the windows so that they could get a quick start when the Easter Egg Hunt started.

 Holden made this “chick holder” a few days before. { That’s what he called it }  He glued the moss inside of each egg cup and then added the fuzzy chicks. He has always had a thing for “fuzzy chicks” and checks with me every year to see if I have bought them yet.

Afton picked out her own dress. And, much to our surprise, she seemed to actually enjoy having her picture taken. Afton has to be in the mood, you know.

Because it was a beautiful day, no one needed a jacket. In fact, the children needed sunscreen.

I wasn’t going to take a chance that I might miss some nice photographs so I used my telephoto lens. Getting good photographs of children seems to be more pleasant for everyone concerned that way. Most of the time the children don’t even know that the camera is looking at them. If Afton knew, she didn’t mind. Holden and Talmage knew but they didn’t mind either.

The little cousins ran and ran and filled their baskets with plastic eggs.

When they stopped to breathe . . . so did we.

There were eggs in the trees ( hummmmm) and curious birds.

There were noisy little finches, cooing doves and a squawking magpie.

The Easter Bunny had come to each of their houses while they were sleeping. We talked about what he brought and where they found it. The little boys followed written clues to find their Easter Baskets. Afton’s basket had a little mermaid tucked in it.  Everyone went to church with bellies full of sugar. Wonder how that worked out?

I am grateful for the celebration of Easter

and for the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for me and everyone I love.

“She was the life of the Tupperware Party.”

-Goofy Retro Saying-

Retro is a funny word. Retro things often give me a “funny” feeling. I have to admit that I have had fun recently making some “retro” kitchen towels to share with family and friends and to hang in my own kitchen.

My plan is to make two different kinds of towels. This kind is number one. I bought the “Big One” towels at Kohl’s in a package of five. One package had yellow towels and white towels with yellow lines. The other package had red towels and white towels with red lines.

I bought 1/4 yard pieces of fabric at the Quilt Shop ( you can make two towels from 1/4 yd with a square left over ) and scrounged through my rick-rack and other trims for the finishing touches. I ironed the edges under each piece of fabric on four sides, after cutting each piece to fit in the middle of the bottom half of each towel.  Then I simply sewed VERY closely around the edges, slipping the trim in as I went merrily along.

Quilt shops and fabric stores have an abundance of “retro” fabric just now.  When I finished these towels I began to think about more. So, I bought some bright green and bright blue towels at Ross for almost nothing and plan to start on them very soon. This time I plan to go for the bottom ruffles !

What a bright and cheery gift for someone who is in need of a lift !  Tied with a wide ribbon and given with a card . . . I imagine that these simple kitchen towels just might be a silly but useful “retro” hit !

“And, I do remember going to and hosting Tupperware Parties

when I was a young bride.

 It was the only way I could get the “egg separator”

and the “thing” you poked into the orange to drink the juice.”

-Grandma-

Sunday is Easter and the ham is in my refrigerator. But how will people know where to sit?

What a silly question.

They will know because I will give them a hint. A peat pot hint.

SO, SO quick and easy. Here are the parts:

• 4′ peat pots (12 for $2.69 at Smith’s Marketplace)
• Natural-colored coffee filters ($1 per package at Dollar Tree)
• Moss (In a bag from Michael’s)
• Chipboard chicks (From Craft Warehouse )
• Yarn, flower, glitter and twine
• Wire

I pushed the coffee filter into the pot and added the moss. ( Doesn’t the ruffle look cute?)

I punched a hole in the little chick, added the name with stickers and tied it onto the wire handle. (Pink 20 gauge wire from Michael’s)

I tied the yarn onto the handle and added the flower and an egg.

I sprayed the peat pot lightly with adhesive and quickly poured some glitter on it.

Ready. I am Ready !

 HAPPY EASTER !