Stitches | July

I really like the way this dress fits and flows. 

You can see I am having a little fun with the pose.

I have only worn it twice since I acquired it, because I had a couple issues.

The first problem I ran into was the buttons slipping out of the button holes. That wouldn't do.

I stitched each of the 14 button holes a little smaller.

Next I restitched all the buttons on the dress because they were egregiously machine stitched and threatening to pop off at any moment.

I wore the dress for a day. The buttons stayed buttoned the whole time. 

I was feeling quite successful until I took it off. That's when I noticed a slight problem. 

The lowest button had put enough stress on the dress to rip the fabric that it was attached to. Having strengthened the button hole and the button to the point that they were stronger than the particular fabric I guess I was to blame. Not to mention my movements are what caused the stress. 

The dress went back in the mending basket.

Now, hopefully, I can keep my stride in check enough not to rip the button off again. I hate having my stride bridled, but I like this dress enough to try. 

Pumpkin Madness!

These pumpkins are a big blessing from Thanksgiving week. I have been admiring a neighbor's decorative pumpkins on their porch all fall. On Thanksgiving I wrote a Happy Thanksgiving note and politely mentioned that if they didn't have any plans for their pumpkins after the harvest season I would enjoy cooking them. Of course, I offered to bring them a pie or pumpkin bars in return.

Our neighbor messaged me replying that she would be happy to give me the pumpkins and would be glad that they wouldn't go to waste. I was so excited!

The next morning I used our wagon to transport the pumpkins home. I think there were 9 pumpkins total. It took me two trips.

Then I set to cutting them open and scooping out the seeds. 

My preferred method for processing pumpkin is to cut them in half, place the halves face down on a baking sheet and roast in the oven and 350°F. for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until soft. I don't add any water to the pan or foil or anything. Just pumpkin halves face down on a pan for an hour, give or take. Do use a baking sheet with sides because the pumpkin will release a fair amount of water. 

Once the pumpkin is soft I let it cool until it is cool enough to handle. Then I scoop out all the flesh and scrape the skin clean. I puree the pulp in a blender. Then package the pureed pumpkin into labeled bags and freeze them.

I couldn't get them all cooked in one day so I had to fill my fridge with pumpkin halves for a couple days. The smell was unexpectedly poignant. I had not been aware that raw pumpkin smelled spicy. The scent is faint enough that I have never noticed it with just a few pumpkins but it adds up the more pumpkins you have cut open. The best way to describe the spicy smell is like pickles fermented in a crock. Crazy, I know! 

I had so many different varieties of pumpkin to experiment with with; blue, orange, white and squatty. I wanted to keep the flesh separated and taste test them and judge the texture and flavor. Blue pumpkin is my all time favorite. The white pumpkin was my least favorite.

Here is how I would describe the different varieties:

Blue: Very Good! The flesh is dense and creamy in texture and the flavor is sweet and nutty. 

White: (white) Uck! The flesh was quite loose and watery in texture and the flavor was very vegetal and earthy.

Jack-o'-lantern: Good. The flesh was loose and watery in texture and the flavor was typical grocery store pumpkin flavor; a little perfume-y and a little squash-y.

Cinderella Style: Quite Good. The flesh held together and blended smoothly and the flavor was pumpkin forward with barely a hint of the spiciness.

Tan: Quite Good! The flesh was open and and loose in texture and the flavor was typical pumpkin with very strong floral notes.

I have over 40 pounds of pumpkin in my freezer now.  We will be eating a lot of pumpkin bars, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin oatmeal, and pumpkin pie in the future.

In the upcoming posts I hope to share my delicious Pumpkin Bar recipe (it comes from my mom) and how I roast all the seeds.

Do you have a favorite way to eat pumpkin?

Stitches | November

 We are already at the end of November and here is my sewing project report.

I altered this skirt to fit my daughter by adding an elastic waist band.

This skirt used to be a miniskirt for 10/12 year olds with a side zipper closer. I used the zipper opening to make a concealed pocket.

This is what my pocket looks like from the inside.

This is what the pocket looks like in use.

This month I finished the blue pinafore that I was working on back in April. HERE is the blog post about April Stitches.

I made this needle book for a spur of the moment gift exchange on Thanksgiving day. I started it Sunday and finished it Monday.

I wanted to my design on the front to look like wheat stalks. I got this far and realized that the lazy daisy stitches would look more like grains if they were turned around. So I picked all the lazy daisy stitches out and restitched them in the opposite direction.

I gave the needle book 4 pages; one for needles, one for pins, one for safety pins, and one that I turned into a pocket for a needle threader tool.

Stitches | October

These are my sewing projects from October.

I did some hemming and a few repairs.

I hemmed a couple more of the new skirts that I got for my daughter. She wanted one to be extra long. They were brand new, with tags, LullaRoe skirts that I found at the thrift store. I added an elastic to the waist bands. The material was high quality. I was surprised by that because I had seen someone trash talking LullaRoe on YouTube.

Anyway, the directions for care said,"Hang dry or you'll be sorry." What does that mean? I accidentally did put one through the dryer and I wasn't sorry. I didn't melt or shrink or anything.

This next project was a repair. My daughter wore this new dress for one single day and ripped part of the ruffle off. I fixed it, but told her to wear it only to church and keep it nice for a while.

I finished the patches on my son's overalls.

Lastly, I did a hemming job for hire on these Levi's.

I used a binding tape to finish the raw edge. Doing it this way reduced the bulk and made it easier to sew.

Stitches | September

We went shopping for my little girl this month. She needed some new outfits. Here are two combos. Next month I should have two more ready to show you. The skirts we found all needed alterations to work. 

I had/have to tighten elastic waist bands, add elastic waist bands, and shorten hems.

I also sewed two buttons: one for a pair of little boy pants and one for my dress that I have replaced buttons on before (you may recognize it.)

I have also been sewing patches on my son's overalls that he has worn to death. He has pleaded for me to patch them so I am working on it.

Stitches | August Sewing Report

 

In August I shortened a skirt for a lady from church. I have done sewing jobs for her in the past. You may remember.

I hemmed my husband's suit pants while we were driving to my brother's wedding. These were the pants that he needed to wear to the wedding. Doing things at he last minute. That's me.

I fixed these pants, also for my husband. He had burst the seat seam. I wasn't sure that I would take the time to sew it back together. Then I noticed how well the pants are made. Check out the binding on the inseam. That made me decide that these pants were worth the time.

Last of all, I stitched this rend in my favorite silk scarf to keep it from getting bigger and ruining the whole thing.

July Sewing Report

Good news, I finished the pioneer doll!

I sewed and stuffed her arms and legs. Then I sewed the arms and body together, stuffed the body, and then attached the legs.

Before I made the arms I embroidered my newborn niece's  name on the back of the arm piece.

I sewed the yarn hair on her head and finished the look with braids. (I have a tutorial HERE.)

I had a dress ready and waiting for her that I had made back in December.

She turned out just right!

Sewing in June

 

My son needed this button sewn to his shorts.

These shoes that are new to me needed a little stitch where the thread had unraveled.

You may have noticed that I had no sewing updates for May. That is because I had a baby on April 28th. I took the month of May off from sewing projects. Due to baby gifts and people bringing us meals I have a lot of thank you cards to send.

I made this design, copied off a bunch, and then added the color with crayons. It's not a sewing project but it is a creative endeavor.

I have also started another pioneer doll. So far the face is embroidered and the seam allowances are marked.

By the way, our baby is a girl. Delivery was a very uncomplicated, routine affair. Baby girl has been blessed with good health and is growing like a bean. We love her very much!

April Stitches

 

I cut out the pieces for the pinafore.

I stitched the bodice pieces and facing together along the neck/front opening and the arm holes.

Then I turned it right side out.

Then I put the pinafore project on hold and moved onto a gauze baby carrier.

My sister in law was so kind to pick up the gauze material for me then she offered to stitch the hems and give me the whole as a baby gift. I am so grateful! 

She wasn't sure how a baby wrap was made so I helped by cutting the fabric into the right shape and I folded and  basted most of the hems just to make the stitching go a little easier. At least I hope it helped.

The color of the material is a mossy olive green. My phone camera refuses to pick this color up correctly. Just so you can imagine it correctly, it is not this puky bland color instead it is an inviting mossy olive green.

To come up with a way to mark the center of the wrap I had to put my thinking cap on. I don't have any ribbon with me at home. (Plenty in storage but no way to fetch it.) I rummaged through my project basket. I had a mouse eaten fleece sweater in there that I am saving in case I need to use the salvaged fleece. I spotted the tag on the sweater and decided it would be the perfect thing. I ripped it off and tacked it at the center of my wrap. It looks great and the colors are much closer it person.

I had to do some more patching of my compression hose. Not a fun project but very practical. 

I rigged up a make shift curtain for our bathroom doorway out of a table cloth and some leftover pink fabric. Again the colors look so awful through my phone camera. It person the table cloth is the faintest of pink with a pretty brocade flower design. I had to gather the table cloth and stitch it to the pink fabric. The pink fabric was something I had to add to make the curtain long enough.

I found the table cloth and matching set of napkins at a garage sale last spring. I haven't had a good opportunity to use it until now. I am glad that I found a use for it and that I can see it on display everyday. I know it has some staining but I still think it is pretty.