A Canning Mat

 I've mentioned already that I really love the oversized hot pads that I've made. I didn't realize how handy they would be.

While looking through another canning site, I noticed that the site owner uses and sells canning mats. They are essentially a larger, more square version of the oversized hot pad. You use them to place your hot processed jars on so they can cool. The danger of just setting them on your counter is basically HOT jars on a COOL counter = thermal shock and jar breakage (sometimes violently).

So, I plan to make myself one pretty soon. However, I recently got some John Deere fabric from someone. And I had an idea.

My mom's husband is a jam maker. And also a fan of John Deere.

 Seems like these two things might 'jam' together pretty well. (See what I did there.) (Don't groan.)

And so, I went to work. 

I cut everything to size and made my fabric "sandwich". I realized, while opening up the smaller fabric I intended to use to make the binding, I actually had three different prints rather than the two I thought. 

His canning mat is going to be reversible. Hey, hey!

I was a little put out when I realized that I just made a bigger rectangle though. I really wanted a nice square. But he won't care. In fact, it will probably work better with their counters. And I can just make mine more square later.

Instead of using the masking tape method from the original post this time though, I used an iron off pen and a ruler to make some diagonal lines. After using my walking foot to machine quilt directly on the lines I drew, it was easy peasy to run an iron over it and make those lines disappear. 

I really like the diagonal quilting on the print on this side. The other one looks good too but I especially like it with this print. I was pretty pleased with how the quilting turned out all around.

A little binding made from the third fabric (which is a random mish mash of John Deere hats) and all done. 

I think it turned out pretty well. It does lay flat but I had rolled it up to tuck into the goody box we place things to take to Arkansas when I realized I had not taken a picture of the final product.

I seriously recommend making one of these mats. It is so handy to have and super cute too. The link to my first post about them is here.

Happy sewing! And canning! And baking too! 

A JOB!!!

 Little Miss has some special needs that I have on occasion mentioned. We weren't real sure how the whole getting a job thing might go one day but we have never really pushed it.

But, recently, her OT sent me an application for a special program a local shop does. They specifically look for special needs kids old enough to work (with an age cap of 21) who would like to try a job out. They give them shifts of no more than 4 hours a time and call it an internship that only lasts for a total of 120 hours.

That sounded like the ticket for us. Rugrat was a little nervous about the idea but really wanted to try, particularly for the possibility of getting a paycheck.

So she did. I helped her apply (which basically means I started it and then read it to her and explained it so she could finish it). She had an online interview with the person over the program and then interviewed at the store with the manager.

Shortly thereafter, she had a her first day with her first shift of two hours (a typical shift while training). 

To say she loves working there is an understatement. She anxiously awaits her next shift each time.

And, when she received her first paycheck last week, she decided working was awesome. 

It's been great for us because we have seen that she can handle the pressure of customers and the expectations of her co-workers and boss (even if they are somewhat understanding and probably more patient with her). 

And it's given her a taste of the experience of working. Previously, when we would talk about what she might like to do, she would be generally dismissive because "she didn't know how to" do this or that or run a register or whatever else. It didn't seem to matter that we kept explaining that they would train her. Now, however, she seems to understand all of that.

So, when she graduates next year, she may just be ready for the world of work after all. I don't think we were so sure before.

Cheers!

  Our congregation has something they occasionally do to encourage members who might be going through a trying time. They call them cheer baskets -- "because everyone needs a little cheer" from time to time.

I usually intend to bake something for them but almost never manage to. Items are collected for a few weeks and added to the baskets.  So, I didn't want to bake something and let it sit there and mold. 

Which invariably means I'm waiting until the last minute and then, well, life along with forgetfulness, and the next thing I know, the deadline has passed.

But, I just finished making samples for my visitor bag idea. And our next meeting for our sewing group was still over a month away. So I decided that instead of baking something, I would sew something.

We have a large congregation and many of the baskets were for people I didn't know well so I wasn't sure what to make for them. The journal covers I had tried earlier seemed to fit the bill. 

One of them was for someone I did know well enough. And as it happened, I had a piece of fabric I had accidentally cut too small to use on the journal. But with a little trimming, I was able to make it into yet another pocket tissue holder.

I'm actually beginning to wonder if I should get a piece of plastic cut to the pattern size for these things.  I seem to be making them by the truckload.

Our congregation has a school in the building as well as a Mother's Day Out program. One of the cheer baskets was for a young lady who was ill from that arena. 

So she needed something a little more child friendly. I came across this Hello Kitty fat quarter that worked nicely for another art pouch.

I thought it turned out quite nicely,  particularly after it was filled with colored pencils.

Not too shabby for a couple of days work.

Another Baby Gift bag

Fat quarters are the bomb when you want to have lots to choose from but are only making small projects.

I just love how this baby gift bag turned out. It's so soft and sweet looking. And the recipients were very impressed with it too.

 

Visitor Bags

I hope you and yours had a lovely holiday and a fabulous beginning to the new year.

After doing all the 'things' in December and throwing everything and everybody into a completely different schedule, life tends to be a little chaotic. Everyone is off. There's all this extra stuff in the house. You're eating things you don't normally eat and allowing a lot more sugar in your diet. Not everyone is getting to bed on time. And there's always, always something else to do. 

As much as I love all of it, it's always nice to come back to the norm. And it seems like January is all about getting back into your routine and getting your house and your family back in order. So that's what I've been doing.

Now that things are settling down, I thought I'd share a little of what I've been doing.

I had an idea for some additions to our congregation's visitor bags so I've been working on some samples of those. 

First up was coffee sleeves. I don't drink coffee or soda much either so I didn't really look twice at these every time I've seen them. But they are apparently quite popular.

They are the same as the little cardboard sleeves you get from the coffee shop but these are better. They are thicker so they protect your hands better and they are reusable so you are using something that won't be thrown in a landfill. On top of that, you can make them in any fun print you want which personalizes your drink making it easy to identify from other similar cups.

I got the pattern from here.

The next thing I wanted to try out was a journal cover. It uses these little inexpensive ones (this one was at Walmart for just over a dollar).

I picked out two coordinating fabrics. These came from that bumblebee fat quarter bundle I mentioned before.

Cut out my pieces and started putting them together.

And it turned out pretty cute too.

I had initially intended to put this hexagon fabric as the lining and the other as the outer fabric but when I turned it, I liked this so much better I left it. I ended up putting a ribbon in the hole for turning because I liked this side better for the front too.

I guess there's a little room to play with in this pattern. If you want to see the tutorial for these, it's here. 

I also plan to add to my list for us to consider:

Pocket tissue covers (By the way, they were a hit and everyone loved them.)

Bible pen holders

A zipper bag

A mug rug or coaster (to go with the coffee cup that's usually in there)

Or some other thing I come up with.

A New Guy

 I love my nutcracker collection. Every year, it goes on the buffet. I am to the point that I am going to have to either stop getting them or find another place for them. They are already in two rows and three just isn't going to work. I can't really see all of them now. 

I used to place them on a nutcracker table runner I picked up in a thrift store but, this year, I decided to use it as a table runner on our breakfast nook table. Which I like much better.

Nonetheless, I have quite simply run out of room on the buffet. But I have a feeling we'll just be moving them. Finding a new one that is a little different than the others has become a Christmas tradition of sorts.

So when I came across this pattern recently on one of my new favorite sewing channels, I just had to make him. 

And that's exactly what I did.

The fun part about this guy is that you don't NEED Christmas themed fabric. You can use pretty much any kind that you think looks right.

He has a squared bottom so he can sit but, if you plan to do this, you might want to put a weight of some sort in the bottom before sewing it up. I didn't and he just isn't up to sitting on his own. That's okay, though. He's awfully cute under the tree.

Bag It Up!

 I may have mentioned that I have been making a lot of drawstring gift bags lately for all the showers at our congregation. 

Oh, here. And here. And a few other places too. 

Recently I had a couple more baby shower gift bags to make. And instead of using my standard gift tag that I made up

I decided to make a baby version.

Most of them are the same kind of idea as the standard one was. But what really tickled me is when each mother sat there and looked through the ideas before even opening the bag. I had really just figured they would be a way to say, "hey, don't throw this away, you can reuse it." They each seemed to almost be checking off ways they were planning to use it though. It made me giggle (silently, to myself, cause, you know, I was at a baby shower). 

I am still on the gift bag thing however. It's just so much better than some piece of thin cardboard that will barely make it home to be thrown in the trash.

Chick bought a Christmas gift for a friend's little one recently and then asked if I might sew one for it. She intends to secretly transfer the gift to her friend to be saved for Christmas morning but Christmas paper might be too noticeable in her trunk. A nice sturdy bag, however, not so much something he would notice. 

Sturdy because all the bags I've made recently have also been lined and I've decided that I prefer that. Especially when I know the person is going to keep it.

I think it turned out really cute. And so did Chick. 

Since I was already at it, I just went ahead and made gift bags for mine and Chick's Bunco Christmas party. They turned out really cute too.

Now, I'm looking forward to that party as well. Can't wait to see the reaction of whomever gets them. 

I'm finding myself wanting to go buy more Christmas fabric. I have to keep reminding myself that the idea is to use some of what I have up. But these are pretty cute! So if you see me shopping Christmas fabrics, remind me of that. 

Or not. You know, whatever.

I may be a little obsessed.