Sewing

Hello people.

Thanks for all your positive feed back on Batterson’s book. I can’t wait to share more with you from it! I feel like this week has been one of those weeks where I’m soaking up all that I read and hear, constantly trying to take every thought captive. It’s definitely been a stretching week, one that I could categorize as a wrestling match of my flesh vs. Spirit.

My calendar tells me today is Friday, January 29th and I’m going to have to take it’s word for it because last I checked it was Monday and January 1st!

John Martin has heard word that his DaddyBoy has also been photographed in a dress. He was quite surprised by the news, seeing as how DaddyBoy is so manly and all… but the proof is in the pudding picture. {Thanks, Mimi!}

In other news, Morgan can read and write. {Notice, I didn’t say spell.} And for the most part she’s a lovely child but when I attempted to enter the playroom and saw this sign I couldn’t decide if I was proud of her for sounding out her letters or if I wanted to tear it into a million pieces. 🙂 Needless to say, it’s still hangs. I really thought this wasn’t coming until 12 or 13.

She also loves to read street signs, more specifically the ones that have the speed limit on them. I’m trying to decide if asking her to close her eyes while we’re in the car is asking too much because every SINGLE time we pass a speed limit sign she says, “20 miles an hour Momma, how fast are you going?!” Mom, if  I did this when I was 5, I’m so sorry. They keep us honest, don’t they!?!

She had a big “bear hunt” yesterday at preschool and the teachers asked that they wear monochromatic clothing or camouflage. Even though her skirt made her look like a big girl, it was more fun than I’ve ever imagined camo being! I picked it up at the Rescue Mission thrift store and after a few drastic alterations {it was about 8 sizes too big} she was good to go. Made me think: I need to think outside of the box when I thrift shop— especially if I find something I like but it’s not my size!!

Anyway, while we were there I had my little rover in tow. While we browsed he spotted this…

I’m still figuring boys out; they’re definitely a different breed. You would have thought that he literally was going to die right there if I hadn’t given in and forked over a couple dollars for it. I sent Justin a photo text of him holding it and he happily agreed that the young man could have it. I think it’s supposed to be “battery operated by remote control”, anyone have it and know? The remote control nor the man were included. But it has provided so much entertainment for the little Rover.

Someone recently asked about the “sock bunny” that I made for Sloane for Christmas. I didn’t intend to do a tutorial on it but I’ll gladly include some pictures and sources so that you can make one if you wish.

I followed this tutorial {for a sock monkey} for every step except the ears and nose and used 2 pairs of socks so that the ears could be pink on the inside. I also didn’t put any batting in the ears.

Using fuzzy yarn and this tutorial I made a “cottontail” for the bunny. My first attempt didn’t have enough “wraps” around the fingers… you really should wrap it twice as many times as you think you should wrap.

When the bunny’s body was completed I added a few freckles and a smile to it’s face. I was, at first, a little critical that they all weren’t perfect but then reminded myself of the fun of making it all by hand from a pair of socks and the point was for it to be handmade and not look like it was bought from a store! And, I kept telling myself that this is like “sewing folk art”, the more “un-perfect” the better!

Buttons are a potential choking hazard– so if your child likes to eat buttons {and can chew them off} please be careful! You could, alternatively, sew the eyes out of thread/embroidery floss.

Have wonderful weekends!!!

PS- I’m a ways behind on my emails. {A good ways.} Can I just take a quick second and let y’all know that I love each and every one of them? I mean that, really! Each one is such an blessing and I’m trying to figure out how to systematically answer them. I also am trying to do a little housekeeping in the ‘ole in-box. I’m changing a few things up and if you’ve emailed me about advertising and didn’t get an email yesterday from ads@flythroughourwindow.com please email me there and I’ll provide the details!! Thanks!!

I hope it’s better than mine. Mine hurts. Bad. Not in a disabling, can’t function way. Just hurts bad enough to take a lot of Advil and use a heating pad all day long. Do you know how I hurt it? Lifting furniture… no. Lifting rovers…. no. Exercising…. no. Doing yard work…. no. Doing house work…. no. Doing laundry…. no. I hurt my back in a very spectacular way…. ready…. I hurt my back sneezing.  Justin’s asked me a couple times how I hurt it, I tried to beat around the bush a little then I fessed up that I hurt my back sneezing. I mean, seriously, how ridiculous is that? I laugh at myself for reasons such as these regularly.

I tell you all of this because I want you to meet my back’s new best friend.

You can call it a cordless heating pad, you can call it a rice bag or you can call it a bed warmer. Whatever you want to call it, it’s totally fabulous and easy to make. These have been around for a while and I’m pretty certain most of you know about them but just incase you don’t I thought I’d introduce you to your new best friend.

My mom has one that I used every night at the farm… she’s had it for 10+ years and it’s still good as gold. I like to put it in the bed where my feet go a few minutes before I climb in and then its all warm and toasty. I’ve been watching the weather lately and chances are it’s cold where you live. So, if you have a sewing machine and don’t have one of these I think you should make one… just trust me. THIS IS A BEGINNERS project and very fool proof.

Here’s what I used:

• a piece of 100% cotton fabric 9″ x 36″
• 100% cotton thread
• rice {I used medium grain white rice}
• a couple tea bags or lavender would be nice too… I was fresh out

I folded the fabric in half with right sides together and sewed a straight stitch {with 1/2″ seam allowance} on the two long sides. And turned it right side out {below}.

Then I marked 4 equal sections on the front. Starting with the section closest to the closed end I stitched a straight stitch {top stitch} about 3/4 of the way down the marked line. Then I filled it with rice {I used about a cup and half of rice}.

I filled it with rice and some tea Chamomile tea  that I sprinkled out of a tea bag and into the rice bag {I used 2 tea bags for the entire bag}. The rice has a smell… not an odor, just a rice-y smell and I figured a little dry Chamomile would be helpful. I don’t want to deter you from making one, it’s not a BAD smell, but if you put this hot rice bag in your bed at night your husband will likely know its there because he will smell it before he sees it or feels it… so a little dried lavender or tea can’t hurt. I’ve even read of people using essential oils but I was afraid that adding oil to rice and then microwaving it would cook or burn the rice… anyone ever tried it with essential oils?

Ok…  After I filled it with rice I tried to maneuver all the rice away from the small section that had not been sewn shut and then sewed it closed… then moved on to the next section doing the same thing. At the end I turned the ends under and top stitched the bag closed.

Voila!

I nuke it for three minutes. WARNING— it’s PIPING hot when it comes out. Hot enough to not put against bare skin! Consider yourself warned. It’s not too hot against clothing but don’t microwave it for 3 minutes and then lay it on bare skin… or you’ll cook yourself. Maybe you should start with 2 and 1/2 minutes. It stays hot for a long time and there are no cords attached. You may want to make a few while you’re at it! It’d be a great gift for a girl friend or a hostess gift.

Totally unrelated to the rice bag…

Do you see PWs cookbook above my microwave?! I followed her recipe for pot roast today and I must say she knows what she’s doing… slow and low is a must for a pot roast and the rosemary made the entire house smell so good. The roast & veggies were soo good… and I added fingerlings too! The entire cookbook is fabulous… but there’s one thing that Erika and I can’t quite figure out… why her smaller recipe pictures aren’t numbered and read LEFT to RIGHT… have you noticed? They’re all read top to bottom and I never learned to read that way so I found myself going from step 3 to step 7 because I read left to right instead of top to bottom. Am I totally nuts? Please tell me no.

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I also have two things I’d love for y’all to pray for… one being my friend Christina. She’s 25-26 weeks pregnant with her first baby {Austin} and is currently on critical bed-rest at UAB for HELLP syndrome. She was transported to Birmingham by ambulance yesterday and they plan to take Austin sometime tomorrow. This is very early and I would love for y’all to pray for both Christina and baby Austin. The ultrasound today revealed that he weighs around 1 and 1/2 pounds. From what I understand, HELLP is of greater danger to Christina right now than it is to Austin. But he has to be born in order for her body to recover from it. Please just pray for both of them. From what I’ve heard she has received 3 steroid shots to develop his lungs and 24 hours from her last shot they will deliver him by emergency c-section. The second request is for my grandfather {my mom’s dad} he had a biopsy today on a tumor and is awaiting pathology reports. My mother and aunt took him to Indianapolis today to meet with a oncologist… we are prayerful for a benign report.

Thanks friends! I’ll keep you posted on both!!!

From Oreos to Cinnamon Rolls & cookie dough… please forgive me for the temptations!

Life has been busy this week. Lots of Christmas programs/parties, cookie baking, present making {not wrapping}, and fellowshiping going on. My poor sewing machine has heard several “unglorifying” words this week. I tried to whip something up early this morning before coffee… it was a nightmare. I should really not do anything before I have a cup of coffee. I really know better, but I thought I’d try anyway, it was not pretty.

I love my sewing machine {a LOT!} but the little rabbit doesn’t go fast enough for me, nor does it have “autopilot”, which is really what I need it to have. Especially RIGHT NOW because I should be sewing not blogging! Actually I should be cleaning out my cabinets… but that’s another story. 

I love to sew but doing so under pressure is not my forte. I’d show you what I’ve been making, but it’s a **top secret** operation. One that I feel certain will keep me up into the early morning hours because I’m not anywhere near done, I’m not even close to halfway. Good thing there’s Target nearby in case I jump ship on this endeavor.

The children are not getting handmade gifts, I tried that last year and they were less than impressed. They would rather have junk from Big Lots… it’s sad, I know, but it’s a reality. Maybe one day I can convince them that a doll sling is way better than a Little Pet Shop animal.

Stephanie, at Eloise & Henry {in Decatur, AL} sent us a Christmas Happy that made allof us very happy. Three sets of the cutest, softest Christmas jammies I’ve ever seen. I’m tempted to start Round 2 of the Christmas card pictures in Christmas PJs… maybe this weekend! I have a feeling by the time I get it all figured out Christmas will be long over!

Let’s talk about dinner for a second. I usually don’t have the presence of mind to be prepare for dinner long before Justin gets home from work. Usually he calls and says, “I’m on my way!” And I think, “Oh my goodness, what can I make in 5 minutes?” The answer: quesadiLas. {that’s for all the Napoleon fans}. We eat twice as many tortillas as we do slices of bread. Anyway, this is one little creation that can be whipped up in about 5 minutes. Refried black beans & cheddar cheese quesadillas. Yum-o! I also love to make quesadillas with brown sugar ham and cheddar cheese and serve with honey mustard and sour cream!

You can’t really make out the image behind the quesadilla so let me help, our children look like him, at least two for sure, the jury’s still out on the third.

You can serve them with rice, or in our case, I served them with crumbs from the bag of Doritos and sour cream. Here, let me show you my tablescape.

If that doesn’t make you want to come and have dinner with us, I don’t know what will!

 Ok, I better get my nose back to the grindstone. I keep telling myself not to stress about Christmas, that this is about Jesus Christ coming to earth for us… not about presents. I’ll be honest, it’s a battle because as I preach the truth of Christmas to myself, I still have to face the reality of fact that I have a long list of people that I WANT to provide gifts for!