Work It Wednesday
This week I am working on basting my quilt together with my backing and batting, and I am also making a coordinating pillow out of one of my extra squares.
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| I have already cut and pieced the backing, next stop the batting! |
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Tutorial Tuesday – Bounce Back Strap
I don’t know about your toddler, but mine…well she has one heck of a throwing arm. She throws pretty much anything she can get her hands on, including, but not limited to: balls, mega blocks, her stuffed best friend giraffe, and her sippy cup. I don’t really concern myself with the balls or the mega blocks, but when we are out in the stroller or a shopping cart having her throw her sippy cup or, god forbid, her giraffe, could potentially result in disaster. After all, the giraffe is a discontinued toy that is now only available on ebay!
You may be asking yourself, what does that have to do with Tutorial Tuesday? Well, I have made a tutorial for a bounce back strap (12 easy steps!) that can be used on both toys and sippy cups! No more lost cups on outings. Woohoo!!!
The Supplies
You will need:
One Link – can be any brand, I’m using one of the “Lots of Links” I bought when Anne was born
Three large hole plastic beads – Sunni and I found these at Shipwreck Beads in Lacey, WA
One strip from a Jelly Roll (or a 2.5 in thick, width of fabric strip)
2 Large Safety Pins
One 20 inch length of 3/8″ braided elastic
Seam Ripper
Pins
Grab your Janome and let’s get sewing!
Step 1
Sew your jelly roll strip into a tube – I used a 1/8″ seam. The smaller the seam the easier it will be to turn the tube later.
Step 2
Rip out the last 2 inches of your tube, and attach one end of you elastic. This can be done before you make your tube, but for some reason I am so itching to get sewing that I always forget and end up having to do it after.
Use a zigzag stitch and go over the elastic at least two times.
Resew the end of your tube.
Step 3 – Before
Attach a safety pin to both ends of the elastic and turn your tube right side out. The longer your safety pin the easier it will be to turn the tube. If you have a hemostat handy that would make this process even easier (I will be purchasing one as soon as my craft budget allows!)
Step 3 – After Turning
Steps 4 & 5
Step 4: Fold over the edge with the elastic already attached 2 times, about 1/4 of an inch and sew closed with a zigzag stitch, I did mine 2 times.
Step 5: Bring the elastic all the way to the open end of the tube and secure with a straight stitch across.
Step 6
Tie a knot at the end of the tube that you turned and zigzagged in step 4 and slip first bead all the way down to the knot. Make sure you tie your knot to hide your stitches!
Step 7
Slide your second bead down towards your first bead
Step 8
Slip the end back through the first bead again to make a loop. It will be somewhat difficult to slide the fabric through the bead a second time, feel free to get creative with your method but be careful not to tear your fabric.
Step 9 – Before
With the end that we did the straight stitch on loop back over approximately 2.5 inches open the loop and sew on the inside of the loop, securing with a zigzag stitch.
Step 9 – After
Step 10
Tie a knot, remember you are trying to hide your stitching so be deliberate with your knot tying skills!
Steps 11 & 12
Add your final bead and your link and you are finished!
Take that, babies! Now trying to ditch your sippy will be a real challenge for your gross and fine motor skills!
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| Try as she might Anne just couldn’t get rid of her sippy! VICTORY! |
We will be giving away a kit to make your very own bounce back strap, comment on this post telling us the most interesting thing your baby has lost by tossing it out of the stroller! (For more chances to win, comment on any post this week!)
Cookies for my Valentine
My honey is from New Mexico and I am from California. His all time favorite cookies are Bizcochitos. Prior to meeting him, I had never heard of a Bizcochito.
When we were engaged and he was stationed in Germany he asked me to make him a batch and send them to him. His comment to me upon receipt was “They don’t taste like my mom’s.” Now I love my mother-in-law, but I love her even more for one reason, when I told her this story she scolded him and told him to not EVER say that to me again!
For Christmas 3 years ago she gave us a dozen Bizcochitos and her recipe. Thank Heaven!
My hubby, mom and dad loved these cookies.
Ingredients:
1 lb. – Lard
1 cup – Sugar
2 – Eggs
1 tsp. – Anise Seed
6 cups – Flour
3 tsp – Baking Powder
1/2 tsp – Salt
2 or 3 oz – water
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon
Food color – I added some red food color to make them slightly pink for Valentine’s Day
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream sugar and lard until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and anise and mix well.
Sift together baking powder, salt and flour.
Add to egg mixture, a little at a time and kneed until well mixed.
Add enough water to hold mixture together (I added the food color to the water).
Roll out onto floured board to 1/2 inch thick and cut into desired shapes.
Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mix.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
My honey now has yummy treats to eat during his long days at work!
Depending on the shapes you decide to make, this recipe can make up to 6 dozen cookies.
I hope you enjoy them as much as my honey will!
P.S. These are a budget recipe too! I only spent $3.00, because with the exception of the lard and anise seed, I already had ALL the ingredients! WOOT!
Valentine Dinner on a Budget
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| photo courtesy of hostels247.com |
Let me start this post by saying we are buying a house. The next thought that comes to mind is…BUDGET!
I would love to be able to go out with my husband for a nice romantic dinner. Get a babysitter for Anne, go to our favorite Sushi place in Tacoma, WA, maybe even buy a new dress to wear, but let’s get serious…it is NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
Cost of Babysitter: $15.00/hour – $45.00
Cost of Dinner: $75.00
Cost of New Dress: 75.00
Total: $195.00
Instead I am planning a nice quiet night in for our Valentine’s Day dinner on a tight tight budget!
Keep in mind that Anne is only 15 months and still goes to bed around 6:45. We are going to eat very light with her and then have our dinner after she heads to bed.
Our menu:
Cheese-Baked Chicken
Homemade Rice Stuffing
Marinated Green Bean Salad
Homemade petite lemon souffles
Doesn’t that sound yummy!
I am going to post the ingredients and cost here and if you want the recipes leave a comment and I will email them to you!
P.S. If something is listed at $0.00 it is because it is a common ingredient that is most likely already in your fridge or pantry.
Cheese-Baked Chicken
2 small chicken breasts – $2.50
1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, melted – $0.00
1/3 cup grated Parmesan Cheese -$0.95
2 tablespoons butter or margarine – $0.00
Homemade Rice Stuffing
2 tablespoon slivered almonds – $1.50
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion – $0.49
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice – $1.00
3 tablespoon of butter or margarine – $0.00
1 cup water – $0.00
1 chicken bouillon cube (this is always in my pantry) – $0.00
1 teaspoon lemon juice (also always in my pantry) – $0.00
1/2 teaspoon salt – $0.00
1 4-ounce can chopped mushrooms, drained – $0.79
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion – $0.49
1/3 cup uncooked long-grain rice – $1.00
3 tablespoon of butter or margarine – $0.00
1 cup water – $0.00
1 chicken bouillon cube (this is always in my pantry) – $0.00
1 teaspoon lemon juice (also always in my pantry) – $0.00
1/2 teaspoon salt – $0.00
1 4-ounce can chopped mushrooms, drained – $0.79
Marinated Green Bean Salad
1/4 dairy sour cream – $0.21
2 tablespoons Italian dressing (always in my fridge) – $0.00
1 8-ounce can cut green beans, drained – $1.29
1 tomato, peeled, cubed, and drained – $0.50
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion – $0.49
Homemade Petite Lemon Souffles
2 slightly beaten egg yolks – $0.22
2 tablespoon butter or margarine – softened – $0.00
2 tablespoon sugar – $0.00
Dash of Salt – $0.00
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest – $0.79
2 tablespoon lemon juice (also always in my pantry) – $0.00
2 egg whites (see cost of eggs above)
2 tablespoons sugar $0.00
Grand Total for Staying In: $10.73
Yes, I think we will stay in this year and have a nice quiet dinner at home. Maybe I will even splurge on a couple of candles to put in the candlesticks that someone so generously gave us as a wedding gift.
Happy menu planning!
Let me start this post by saying we are buying a house. The next thought that comes to mind is…BUDGET!
I would love to be able to go out with my husband for a nice romantic dinner. Get a babysitter for Anne, go to our favorite Sushi place in Tacoma, WA, maybe even buy a new dress to wear, but let’s get serious…it is NOT GONNA HAPPEN!
Cost of Babysitter: $15.00/hour – $45.00
Cost of Dinner: $75.00
Cost of New Dress: 75.00
Total: $195.00
Instead I am planning a nice quiet night in for our Valentine’s Day dinner on a tight tight budget!
Our menu after the jump!
Work It Wednesday
Are you working it? I am!
Melissa:
Here is an updated picture of my work on my butterfly quilt. I have started adding the sashing.
