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Hello blog world :)
Most of you (as in all 5 of you) will notice that I haven’t really posted on here in awhile. I started working full time again this spring, so I’ve said goodbye to 8 hour days of sewing and house-wifehood and said hello to a new marketing position in the corporate world! Forty hours in a cubicle has a tendency to deplete my creative juices though.
But here it is… a new fun post, just for you.
I’ve been sewing on and off this spring, I made 2 pairs of ankle length pencil pants, an easter dress, and then have done some odds and ends projects, including these new wallet/phone cases for my Etsy shop:)
I will hopefully be getting more up on my Esty shop this summer, including quilts and lots of home decor items… so tell your friends!
One of my favorite experiences this spring though, was getting to serve our church by sewing some cover pieces for the set of the current sermon series. We attend Mars Hill Church in Seattle (also where my husband works), and have been so blessed by this community.
You will see in the pictures below the 3 pieces I created covers for. The cross measures about 10 ft. high and is covered with a nutmeg color duck canvas. This piece was more upholstering than sewing, but you can see here the seams where I sewed the pieces of fabric together creating a point to the center of the cross.
The pulpit and TV stand were covered in an army green twill. The TV stand and pulpit were covered by 3 different pieces to make the covers as tight as possible. On these covers I embroidered horizontal lines to give some dimension and accent. The goal of the set was to show a more rugged, traveler type of style to support what the sermon series is about.
Here is a link to the sermon series if you would like to have a listen. There are also some great resources for studying the scripture that is taught in this series as well. It would be worth your while to check it out:) http://marshill.com/the-seven
I found a fun tutorial for a purse organizer today! Here’s some pictures of my finished product and a link to the tutorial I found! http://freshcrush.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/diy-purse-organizer/
Easiest Pizza Dough Ever.
This is a recipe for the easiest pizza dough crust you could ever make. I’ve been telling a lot of friends about this awesome recipe lately, so I thought I’d share it with everyone here on my blog!
So here is the recipe with handy little photos for your visual and tastebudellic pleasure.
1. Combine the following ingredients in a small mixing bowl:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 packet active dry yeast
1 T white sugar
1 t salt
2. Add 2 T oil (we use olive but the recipe originally calls for vegetable) and 1 cup warm water (approx. 110 degrees).
3. Place on a large pizza pan (we are using a cookie sheet here). And roll flat. If you are feeling really italian here you can work on your dough tossing skills as you will see my husband doing in the pictures below:).
4. Top with the pizza toppings of your choice! On this one we did peppers, onions, tomatoes and potato with an olive oil sauce and italian blend of cheeses. (this ain’t our first pizza rodeo).
5. Then bake at 375 for 20 minutes! (Our oven heats fast so it may take between 20-25 minutes depending on your appliance).
Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we do! We try to always have the ingredients on hand and found its a great way to use up leftover veggies or meats in your fridge.
Here is a bundle I’ve created for the Mokka Quilts Bundle Giveaway!
http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2011/12/fun-competition-from-quokka-quilts.html
Homemade Egg Rolls.
My husband and I LOVE chinese food. Fortunately we’ve also had access to great chinese restaurants everywhere we lived, but tonight I decided to experiment it a little bit in our kitchen.
I found this great recipe online here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-egg-rolls/detail.aspx
We did things a little differently than what is instructed in the recipe so here is our photo documentation of our tasty egg roll dinner! We didn’t make it tonight but I think these would go great with some Egg Drop Soup!
We added green onions to the veggie mixture and used left over pork loin that already had some rosemary seasoning on it. I wasn’t sure if this would be as good as fresh pork, but next time we make them we will probably add rosemary with the garlic and ginger because it was so good!
In the recipe they recommend using a flour/water past to seal the rolls… this was a great tip, but you probably only need half of what the recipe instructs to make.
Rather than peanut oil, we used canola oil which I don’t think made a big difference. We used about a cup in a frying pan and just rotated them to cook them all the way through.
And voila! Delicious on their own or with soy sauce!
Fat Quarter Shop Bundle Giveaway!
So my sister who inspired me to start quilting tipped me off about a fun contest going from Quokka Quilts and the Fat Quarter Shop. Essentially, the instructions are to create your own fabric bundle with 12 patterns and 3 solid fabrics found at the Fat Quarter Shop and submit your selection for the chance to win all kinds of cool things! So below are the fabrics I’ve chosen for my bundle.
Here is the link to the contest instructions. Check it out and have some fun browsing all the pretty fabrics!
http://quiltstory.blogspot.com/2011/12/fun-competition-from-quokka-quilts.html
You should also check out my sissy’s blog, she’s super talented!
The Ohio Quilt
Growing up in Ohio means that I was raised to forever support the Ohio State Buckeyes through thick and thin. So when my brother asked me for something “Ohio State” for Christmas, I was excited to come up with a unique handmade something I could give as a gift. After a few minutes of brainstorming, I came up with an idea for a scarlet and gray quilt with “Ohio” written through it.
To preface, I had only finished 3 quilts in my life to this point, and with curves in the pattern, I was concerned that I was a little in over my head. I did a lot of research before starting and in the end decided that cutting curves and sewing right sides together was the best approach.
It took about a week to put together and although I almost broke my machine while I was free motion quilting, I consider this project a huge success.
I’ve been working on another “word quilt” with my sister that I will hopefully post soon with a few tips for making your own!
With Christmas around the corner, I’ve been working on some gifts for friends and family. Here’s a picture of my first free motion quilting experience for one of the gifts I’m working on. Check out the tips I used at http://quiltersreview.com/index.php/1308/whats-the-secret-to-free-motion-machine-quilting/
Inspired by the creation around me, I’ve been making flower pillows for my Etsy store.
