My sewing projects

So I think I have sewed more this year, than in all my previous years put together. Not sure I am getting any better, but I certainly am getting quicker! Ha! Ha! I think having my "craft room" actually accessible helps ALOT, not to mention having to sit in there at my desk while Gracie does homeschool, gives me more time on my hands. SOOO I have taken on the task of trying to "cuten up" my room, so it's more enjoyable to be in. I decided to go with the "vintage retro" theme and have had alot of fun so far. But more on that later. THIS post is about the projects I have done this year......

One of the things I did was make my own handkerchiefs. The ones I had were pretty old, and between my allergies and colds in this house, we were going through kleenex like it was water. Not to mention those stupid things after they go through the washing machine. So I went and found some cute material and made up some new hankies.

THEN I got to looking and decided Flannel would be softer on the nose, especially when one has a cold and raw nose, so got some cute flannel material and made some flankies!! Those are our favorite by far! Not to mention how much money we have saved on Kleenex and trash bags from all the dirty ones! haha!

Next, when I decided to move this nice LOONG table into the kitchen, I still wanted to be able to store stuff underneath, but did not want everyone to see my pots and pans under there! So I made up this cute little curtain and used velcro to attatch it to the table!

Another thing I have to do sometimes is come up with quick solutions to problems like, when your daughter needs to look like a pirate for theme night at church. Well, then an eye patch and sash (not pictured) made out of scrap material, is just what this mission called for.

Sometimes, a gift is needed, sometimes said gift is a gag gift, such as an oversized bib for someone who drops food on their shirts alot! haha!

It also has been nice to be able to recover some swing cushions my mom gave me to go on a swing we almost threw out, but was able to make look nice again!

This is what I call a no sew project, but it uses fabric so I included it anyway, I needed a lampshade to work in my "vintage retro" craftroom, and Loved this material for it, plus it was scraps I had from making some shorts for Gracie!

So finding cute clothes that are modest and look nice on a LITTLE girl (even though she doesn't seem so little any more, she still is ONLY 10!) can be challenging. I found a really cute pattern at JoAnn's and got some material on sale.... PLUS I could cutomize it to fit HER shape and to close up the back, which on the pattern was a bit more open. LOVE customizing!

 I had found some really cute material at JoAnn's. At the time, I was not sure what I was going to do with it until I came up with my "vintage retro" (are you tired of hearing that?) theme. Then it was obvious this material was perfect for curtains! And I just got them  hung up today!  yea!

This is the material closer up, sooo cute! It's supposed to be sewing patterns on the bottom curtain, and girls wearing dresses from the 50's on top! 

Lastly, the blue pillows are a pair I recovered with some soft flannel material. The pillowcases behind the blue pillows I made for a Christmas present last year, as well as the blanket.

I have also made lots of shorts, hemmed lots of pants, made more curtains, and many more things I can't think of right now. But safe to say, I have def made good use of the sewing machine I bought years ago!  

Crockpot meals

I am so excited about "the crockpot girls" new facebook page. It has brought a resurgence of crockpot users out into the open and along with them, tried and true recipes! AND it's free, I do not have to go buy yet another recipe book, I can pick and choose which recipe I want to copy and paste and make my own book! It also has brought along other crockpot pages which I have been enjoying. The crockpot works well for me, as I am able to plan ahead and once I get things going in the morning, no matter how the rest of my day goes (never as planned that is the ONE for sure thing) I know I have a homecooked meal ready for supper. Over the next few weeks I am going to be trying several new recipes I have picked out (hoping to adopt some new favorites) and am going to post on here to share and so if I ever loose the recipe, it's on here!

Tonite's new meal was : Slow Cooker pork chops, it was very good. I was concerned about how tender these really thick porkchops would get. But they did become very tender. I ended up using 6 because we only came across packs of 3 at our store. Also, the liquid was not very deep, so I had to keep turning them over, but next time I think I would double the liquid ingredients to avoid that problem. Another thing, the red pepper did NOT make this spicy at all, you didn't even know it was there, but it did add to the flavor, DO NOT omitt it. And last but not least, being the scatter brained person I am, I did forget to add the cornstarch and water mixture at the end, but it was still very good! I think I will try it next time. But my family def requested I make this again! Yea, we can add one more recipe to help make more variety to our weekly menu!!!  Next time I make it, I will hopefully think to take a picture and add to this post.

 Slow Cooker PorkChops
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil


4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick

Salt and pepper for seasoning

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Mashed Potatoes or Hot Cooked Rice (for serving)


In a large 12-inch skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is simmering and hot. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the pork chops for 1-2 minutes on each side in the hot oil until golden. Transfer the chops to the slow cooker. Add the garlic to the drippings in the skillet and stir constantly over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic and golden (but not burned or it will turn bitter!). Stir in the soy sauce, broth, brown sugar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over chops.

Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours until the meat is tender. If using bone-in pork chops, fish out the bones from the slow cooker. Remove the chops from the slow cooker to a shallow pan or plate – they will most likely be falling apart in tenderness at this point. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce in the slow cooker. Return the chops to the slow cooker. Turn the slow cooker heat to high and cook for 30 minutes to an hour longer, until the sauce is slightly thickened. If you want a super duper thick sauce, once you remove the chops from the slow cooker, pour the sauce into a pan and place it over medium heat on the stove. Add the cornstarch slurry and bring the sauce to a boil. Boil for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick. Add the pork and heat through.
Serve the tender chops over potatoes or rice and garnish with green onions, if desired.

Vintage Aprons

I am a fanatic about vintage aprons, so you can imagine my excitement when I saw this book at JoAnn Fabric! While I stil haven't found "the one" apron pattern I am always searching for, the ones in this book were pretty darn cute! Just one more of my finds I wanted to share and encourage you to check out! Below I have shared just some of the aprons in the book, they also have detailed instruction on how to make them alng with an envelope in the back of the book with the patterns in it. They also have patterns for some cute oven mitts (two different kinds) as well as a table runner and placemats! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Homestead Blessings

In my never ending effort to learn more homemaking skills, I read on someone else's blog (can't remember who now) about the video series Homestead Blessings. Again, back to the library for me and low and behold, they had several and what they didn't have, they did at another library so I could put them on hold and get all of them! I was not disappointed. There was one on cooking, gardening, sewing, canning, herbs, etc.... I put them in the player, took out a little notepad, watched, took my notes and applied them all! I had the basic knowledge of all of the above, but there was something new in all of them that I did NOT know.

For instance in the sewing one, I read about the idea to look for fabric in different places, such as a bed skirt for a bed at a rummage sale, could be used to make a new skirt, with the ruffle already done for you! or using some cute sheet sets to make curtains or a tablecloth out of!

The canning one, was really nice to be able to actually SEE someone do the canning! I had read and read, but really wanted to see someone DO it. It helped boost my confidence in that alot! Plus it gave me some quick, easy recipes for canning.

The gardening one, showed me how I can use just straw to grow potatoes in instead of having to plant them!

The cooking one, showed me about browning a roast on all sides in the pan before roasting it, because it helps lock in the juices! PLUS it showed me how to make the gravy I had yet to figure out, atleast an edible version of some!

So I definetly would HIGHLY recommend checking out the series at a library near you!

Make Ahead Mixes

So, in order to try to save money and be more aware/careful of what is in the food we eat, I found some books at the library on making my own "mixes". So far I have been really pleased! I started out kinda small, I made three mixes and there is a long list of recipes I can make with those mixes. Plus, I know EXACTLY what has gone into the food, I can buy the ingredients in bulk and have them on hand and so far, the quality of taste is sooo much better! Below I have the first book I checked out at the library and the first mix I made up and used. I have to say, my family all agreed, it was way better than any boxed mix I have made in the past. But I will say, when making your mixes, DO NOT get distracted! I made the mix up, and went to make the brownies and they were not very moist in the mixing bowl, so i added some oil and another egg in order to even get it to slightly resemble a regular mix. I tasted the batter and it was bitter! I thought, "oh well maybe it will be better once it's baked".....NO it wasn't! I kept rereading the recipe, I had followed it completely, then I went back to the mix recipe.......ya, I really did NOT remember adding the sugar in that mix! So I recalculated due to already making one batch out of it, and added the sugar, and remade them......Let me tell you how much better brownies with sugar taste than ones without!!! Anyway, I am super excited to try out some of the other recipes and to make up some cute Mason jar mixes to give out at Christmas!