End of an Era

On our way to Daytona in '98

You see, this bike? Well that's our 18 yr old "Geezer Glide". In this picture it's packed and on it's way to Daytona for Bike Week. This was in '98 and El Nino was blowing through. Just so happened that on the morning we were to leave, it was 50-some degrees out so we canceled the trailer rental and decided to ride. So we packed up our clothes, tent, and sleeping bags and off we went. Took us two days riding about 10 hrs a day to get there. The further south we got, the warmer it got. It was a good ride.

Of course when we got to Daytona it was COLD. Low 60ºs during the day and dropping down to the 40ºs at night. Which might have been ok had we been staying in a motel. But we were camping out and sleeping on the cold ground. Needless to say, on the trip home I got so sick that I completely lost a day. We had to stop and put up in a motel so we were late by a day getting home. The morning after we got home we woke up to snow on the ground. Made it just in time.

Flat tire on way to Peoria races.

We've had quite a few good times on this old bike. Lots of road trips. Lots of great memories. We used to put 10,000 miles a year on it--mostly doing road trips. We enjoyed going to flat track bike races in Hagerstown, MD; Peoria, IL; Parkersburg ,WV; and even Indianapolis a time or two. This bike has also been to Myrtle Beach four times, Alburquerque, NM, and Memphis, TN. I wasn't there on the two latter trips, but that's no matter. This isn't about me. It's about an old, reliable friend. This old bike has gotten us there and back many a time without a hitch.

New Friend

So, when Mike brought our new V-Rod home it was a bittersweet moment. I was excited of course, but also sad that we will soon part with our old friend. You might ask why we got a V-Rod, which is a much smaller bike. Well, you see, we haven't taken a road trip in many years now so we no longer need a big bike. Plus, our old bike is, well, old. Though we've maintained it well and taken good care of it, it's still older. So it's time for a new bike.

New V-Rod

My only hope is that our old reliable friend will find a good home and that the new owner will have as many happy memories as we've had on it. I will miss it dearly.  It's truly the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.

40 Bikes, 40 Flags, 40 Heroes: Flight 93 Memorial Bike Ride

 As some of you may know, me and Mike are participating in a memorial bike run in September of this year for the Flight 93 Memorial Fund. We were so honored to be chosen to go on this ride. We will be leaving our town of Meadville, PA to be joined by other riders across the state on September 11, 2011 and will travel to the location where Flight 93 went down. There we will participate in a memorial ceremony to honor those passengers that were on the flight.

As you may not know, we are currently sponsoring ourselves on this ride. Sponsorship is $1,000, so we are looking for donations to help fund our ride. Any monies donated over the $1,000 sponsorship fee will go directly to the Flight 93 National Memorial Campaign. So, if you'd like to donate, please contact me directly for instructions at lilbit8867@gmail.com  Thank you in advance!

For the First Time

I simply must talk about something that I'm EXTREMELY excited about. Some of you may know that I normally watch Dancing with the Stars. Now, while I like this show, I usually don't get too excited about it. This season is different. I am so excited I can barely contain myself (no coffee needed to get me bouncing off the walls). The reason being: my favorite Steelers player will be competing. That's right, you all know him as Hines Ward, I on the other hand, affectionately refer to him as My Dear Hines Ward. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love this man (I don't mean in a smoochy, kissy sort of way). I respect him, admire him, and think he's an amazing player. I love how he speaks his mind no matter the consequences, and I like how he sticks up for his fellow team players.

So, you can just imagine how excited I was last night for the first show of DWTS! I could barely sit still. Thank goodness Hines was one of the first to dance or I might've had a heart attack by the end of the show if he were last. And I must say, I was very pleased with his performance. Normally the athletes seem to be the worst dancers, but Hines, well let's just say Hines has some pretty nice hip action going on (I know I didn't say I loved him in a kissy kind of way but....)!

Last night was the first time I ever voted for my favorite dancer. Guess who it was. Yes, I used all 11 votes too. And next week, I plan to do the same thing. I don't care if Hines breaks a leg doing the jive, I will still vote for him. I am after all, his biggest fan (ok, that's a bit ironic since I'm only 4'8"). Yes indeed, I do love My Dear Hines Ward.

P.S. I don't know if any other Steelers fans out there watched last night, but did you see Franco Harris in the audience holding The Terrible Towel? Yeah, that was the greatest thing EVER! 

Embroidered Sewist's Tote

So far the only thing I've made with my embroidery machine have been match games. They take quite a bit of time since each set comes with 20 game pieces plus the basket. And to think I've only made three sets! Two of the girl sets have been sold. The animal set is in my shop waiting for someone to buy it for some lucky child (hint hint).

 So, while these are fun, as I said before, they are quite time consuming. I decided for my next project I would make something that wouldn't take quite as much time. I found a pattern for a thread basket that I found on Secrets of Embroidery site. When I started making the basket, it seemed rather large and the instructions were a bit confusing as I got more involved, so I decided to just turn it into a tote. It took me most of the day, but I love how it came out.

Except for the yellow striped fabric, it is made from four fat quarters I had in my stash. I think if I make it next time, I'll not make the top section quite as tall as it makes the embroidered block look a bit off center.

Here is a close-up of the embroidery design. Can you believe it was only $1?? And how true is the saying! I did have to change a few colors so they would show up on the yellow, but I think it turned out well.

This is the back of the bag. There are three 7" x 7" blocks (back and sides) with the sewing machines and 2" strips with a coordinating fabric (thread spools) connecting the blocks. The top and bottom of the bag are also the thread spool fabric. This is the first time I've ever attempted to make anything closely resembling quilt/piecework.

As an added feature, I decided to put some pockets on the inside. There are three of them. I also added a bottom to keep the bag square when standing. This was meant for a Secret Sister swap on an online sewing group I belong to, but I may just keep it for myself and use it as a "I don't need that much at JoAnn Fabrics today" bag.

Food & Wire

What artists do when you give them food and wire.

Bathing Dog

Cat Doodle

Dancing Queens

Spooning Bananas

Orphaned Egg

Old Grape

Paper Training the Dog

Peanut Zombies

Robbed at Knife Point

Brains Taste Like Cauliflower

A Modest Pear

 

Walking the Dogs

Walking the Plank

Best Macaroni Salad EVER!

 I love macaroni salad. I'll eat it in summer, fall, winter...no matter what the season (I feel the same way about soups and stews). For years I've tried to figure out how to make a flavorful salad. Through trial and error, I've finally come up with an easy, flavorful dressing for mac salad and you won't believe what the secret ingredient is! I'm not telling, you'll have to read the recipe to find out for yourself :)

Basically, you can make your mac salad the way you normally do, with this variation for the dressing:

Dressing Mix

Mayo

Ranch Dressing

Onion powder (because I don't like raw onions)

Knorr Vegetable seasoning mix (the kind you use for spinach dip)

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine ranch dressing and mayo and stir until it's blended well (I never measure so you'll have to eyeball this a bit).

Pour in the vegetable seasoning mix (for a large bowl you can use all of it--smaller portions only use about half), salt, pepper, and onion powder. 

Mix until it's well blended.

Spoon dressing mix into bowl and mix until everything is covered well.

Chill in the fridge for a couple hours and enjoy!

Sample Exchange

In the past, I have signed up for several exchanges where you make and send samples to the host, who in turn packages them up and sends them to participants in the exchange. This is a great way to get your name and items out to customers who might otherwise not know you exist.  The sellers simply put the samples in their packages when they mail them out to buyers--thus promoting your shop!

I would love to host a sample exchange. It's simple enough to get involved: just leave me a comment here if you'd like to participate, how many, and what types of samples you'd like to send. The more samples you send, the more buyers will know who you are--simple as that.  You don't necessarily have to send a sample of something you make in your shop either--just something that shows off your craftsmanship and gets buyers interested enough to go have a look at your shop. If you cannot think of samples to make, you can simply send some business cards (you will also have to send a business card or your shop address with each sample of course).

I will let you know when the boxes will be sent once all participants have sent their samples to me and I package up the boxes (I will divide samples evenly). I will then let you know when I will have to have your samples.

I Shall Overcome

Have you ever wanted to make something so badly but no matter how hard you tried you just couldn't get it right--be it crafting, cooking, or whatever? Well, last year I encountered that. I wanted to try to make wedding soup from scratch. Now, if you don't know what wedding soup is, well, you're really missing out! It's an Italian soup that has mini meatballs, chicken, spinach, small pasta, carrots, and celery. Well, of course I could figure out those ingredients, but what I couldn't figure out was the broth. This soup has such a totally different tasting broth from any soup I've ever had (and I've had a lot of soups!). Not chicken, not beef, not vegetable--just not sure what it was about that broth--but that was the part I couldn't seem to get.

UNTIL one day, I decided to do a little experimenting. I decided to mix chicken and vegetable broths. So I combined them half and half. And guess what--it turned out right!! MONTHS I spent trying to figure out that darned broth and it was something as simple as combining two broths. Well, isn't that just the way the cookie crumbles?

If you'd like to try making a big crock pot full of this wonderful soup, here's the recipe (and let me know if you've ever had this experience). Oh--and I don't measure things so you'll just have to sort of eyeball the ingredients.

Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

Equal parts chicken and vegetable broth

Frozen mini meatballs (which I usually quarter)

Chicken breast cooked and cut up

Carrots (diced)

Celery

Frozen spinach (or fresh but don't use canned--gross)

Any type of small size pasta

Parsley

Italian seasoning

Garlic

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except pasta in a large pan or crock pot and cook until 

carrots and celery are almost done.

Add pasta and cook until done. 

I also like to take sub rolls, separate the tops from bottoms, sprinkle on some olive oil, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese and toast. Dip it in the soup---Mmmm mmm good!

My 1st Embroidery Project

 If you had read my blog a few posts ago, you know that I recently purchased my aunt's White 3300 embroidery machine. I didn't get much of a chance to use it when I first got it due to orders I had to fill (definitely NOT complaining about that!), so this past weekend I was determined to make time to play with the new "toy".

Well, things were not as easy as I thought they would be. My first tries were not good to say the least. And whatever could go wrong, did. First needles were breaking. Then the thread was getting bunched up under my fabric. Then it would skip stitches. Then it would get loopy on top. I was beyond frustrated by Sunday afternoon. I thought I would never learn how to operate this "easy for the beginner embroiderer" machine.

Well, we did figure out some things we were doing wrong. First thing was I had the fabric in the hoop wrong. That could explain the broken needles. Next thing we discovered was that you have to have the pressure foot up when you thread your upper thread otherwise it won't go between the tension plates. That could explain the loopy, skipped stitches.  Next thing was you have to use a lightweight cotton/polyester thread for your bobbin. That could explain the bunching thread underneath the fabric.

Now you may ask yourself why I didn't read the manual. I did. But some of these things were not in it. They were on the video that came with the machine. The video that I had wanted to watch over the weekend but Mike didn't hook the VCR up so I could watch it. I watched the video yesterday--when he finally hooked up the VCR. Wow, that sure would've been helpful to watch BEFORE I decided to try this "easy for beginning embroiderers" machine out.

Regardless, we finally did figure it out and I am happy to say that I made my first project with it. Now mind you, I still have to figure out a few things, like how to center designs, but all in all, I think it came out ok.

 These cute little animal designs are on the machine already. I made two of each design.  The backs are the same fabric as the lining of the bag. I plan to make four different sets of these little match games. I have designs picked out (that are also on the machine) for boys, girls, and one for either/or.  The decorative stitching on the game pieces I did with my sewing machine (ahhh so nice to work with after The Beast). So, anyway, that's my first project. I am hoping that from here on out I won't have so many problems again. Crossing my fingers!

The Baby Quilt

A few months ago, Mike's mom was going through some boxes and found his old baby quilt and gave it to him. I'm not sure what relative of his made it, but when we got home I really took a close look at it and what I discovered was remarkable.

 One one side it's embroidered with cowboys, ponies, a windmill, rooster, and other boy designs and the binding is made with fabric that has old Christmas designs on it. The other side is embroidered with a pig, ducks in a pond, a little girl, calf, and girly designs and the border on that side is the same fabric as on the boy side only in pink. This makes me think that whoever made the quilt must've made it while Mike's mom was still pregnant with him so didn't know if she was having a boy or girl. I think this was a great idea!

It's a pretty heavy quilt too so I'm not sure what they have inside of it. Mike seems to think it's an old horsey quilt he had as a child, but again, with the pink on one side and blue on the other, I really believe this was made before he was born.

Now what truly amazed me, and maybe this is because I'm a sewist myself, is the detail in this simple quilt. And I use the term "simple" very loosely. You can tell by looking that this quilt was completely made by hand. Check out the detailing in this embroidery--it's PERFECT! Can you imagine how long it took? And was it done freehand or did they use some type of pattern?

 Another amazing thing is the quilting itself. The stitches are so small and perfect--I can't even sew that straight with a machine much less by hand!

The last detail is the binding. Can you see the very tiny hidden stitches? Wow.

So, the next time you see an old vintage quilt, take a good look at it. Notice the workmanship in the stitching and the way the quilt is made. Notice the tiny details. Then think of how long it took to make since most vintage quilts were stitched by hand. Now, aren't you amazed?

New Toy

Last year me and Mike had been talking about getting an embroidery machine. I thought it would be a great way to boost my sales if I could personalize some of my items. Plus I could embroider all types of things like kitchen towels, tote bags, etc. Well, we didn't get one last year. When Mike asked me a couple weeks before Christmas what I wanted, I told him a sewing chair would be fine. I don't like asking for expensive things so I didn't want to ask for that embroidery machine. But, I did decide to mention it. After discussing it he said that the finances were good enough that we could probably look into it. I was so excited!!

So, Mike being the researcher, started reading reviews and things online and decided that a Janome 300E or 350E would fit my needs. Well, it just so happened that I mentioned we were looking into embroidery machines when my aunt mentioned she had one she was willing to sell. So, after a couple weeks of talking (online), I mulled it over and decided hers was a pretty good deal--especially with all the supplies she was including with it.

 The machine is a White 3300. It's six years old but she only used it at Christmas and it still has four years left on the warranty. She paid $500 for it new. She sold me the machine and all these goodies for $850 (including shipping)! I think I got a pretty good deal considering all the supplies.  I don't have to worry about having to buy threads or stabilizers or anything to get started--I'm ready to go!

 Here is a list of all the goodies:
4 1/2 cases of thread (148 spools of 1,000 meter Madeira)
2 cone threads (black and white)
4 larger spools of thread
5 packs of needles
2 packs of spool caps
3 hoops (different sizes)
2 thread color cards
5 rolls of sulky (every kind possible)
5 designer discs (including the Disney and font disc that came with the machine)
Design reader for transferring designs from the computer to the machine
Pre-filled white bobbins
3 embroidery templates (3 sizes)
5 catalogs (for wholesale supplies and designs)
Embird binder (program manual for digitizing)
She also threw in some sample designs she stitched up:

After waiting ALL day in anticipation, my machine finally arrived yesterday at 5:00 (what a long day that was!). I haven't had time to play with it yet but I hope to this weekend. I have SO many ideas I want to try out!

Doll Blankets

Back in early December I had a little contest where participants gave me ideas of new items I could make for my shop. I had two winners: Tiffany and Jan. Tiffany suggested doll blankets and Jan suggested a doll sling. I am happy to say that I made both and my winners liked their prizes.  I will have to tweak the doll sling a bit, but overall I think it turned out well and I did get the gist of what Jan was looking for.

Tiffany said that her daughter just loved the doll blanket--which makes me very happy. There's nothing more satisfying than making a little one happy with something handmade.  She's going to have a giveaway on her blog and the winner will receive a doll blanket that I will make especially for the contest. I will post the link when she gets it up on her blog.

I am happy to say that if you don't win the blanket or would like one now, you can purchase one in my etsy shop! I made a variety of them from pink camo to baby designs.  They measure 24" square with rounded corners and are also reversible! They will wrap an 18" doll (that would include American Girl dolls) nice and snug!  So, hop on over to my Sassy shop and get your little girl a one of a kind blanket for her baby!

New Ideas for the New Year

So now that it's another new year, my resolution is to focus, focus, focus on how I make items for my shops.  I have a bad habit of making only one or two of a new item instead of several at one time--so this year I am going to try to make one new item at a time--and several of that item rather than one or two. I also want to give myself a week to make as many of a new item as possible. This may help me to achieve my goal better. We shall see.

I did make a list for both of my stores of new items I definitely want to make this year, and I tried not to make it an unrealistic amount. Are you curious to see what I have in mind?

For my Lil' Bit Sassy shop I want to make:
  Children's aprons
  Doll Slings ( I have already made a prototype)
  Doll Blankets (also made one of these already)
  Pacifier/Teething Toy bibs (bibs that a pacifier or toy can be attached to)
  Baby/Toddler Bowl/Utensil holders (keep dishes clean in a diaper bag)
  Doll Diaper Bag Sets: bibs, diapers, changing pad, and wipes.

For my Schoolhouse Designs shop:
  Kitchen Sets: matching pot holders/hanging dish towels
  Potato Bags: use these to cook baked potatoes in the microwave
  Crochet/Knitting Needle cases
  Make-up Organizer: a small open bag with several pockets
  Book-style Kindle/iPad Covers

I don't believe that list is too unreasonable. I do have 12 months to complete it after all. On another note: I am getting an embroidery machine this spring!! I am SO excited about this. Along with this, I plan to make embroidered shirts and other items. I can also personalize items already available! I am hoping this feature will boost my sales somewhat. I've had several requests to personalize my art aprons and now I will be able to do it in a more professional way.

Christmas Idea

I'm the type of person who mulls over what to make family (and friends) for Christmas. I think about this for MONTHS before I actually decide on what to do.  I do like to make useful items rather than decorative things that will only be used once a year, however; this year I came upon an idea that could be both useful and decorative--hanging dish towels with matching pot holders! Now we all know that you can NEVER have too many kitchen towels or pot holders, so I think these will be wonderful gifts! And I can make them in either Christmas, kitchen, or novelty fabrics.

Creative Contest

Oh my have I been remiss on blogging!! Shame on me! I wish I could say it was because I've been SO busy filling orders, but alas that is not the case :( As a matter of fact, this is the slowest season I've had since my first year selling online. I'm not sure whether it's the economy or if I need to revamp my Sassy store.

I think after the New Year, I may try a little revamping and see what happens. Maybe more aprons for little girls (other than my art aprons). Maybe I'll even try my hand at making baby booties. I think I also might need to make more items for older children since other than my art aprons and monster dolls, most of my items are for babies and toddlers.

That being said, I have decided to have a little contest. Let's see how creative you can be! Here's how it'll work. You give me an idea of what new item(s) I can make and carry in my Sassy store and if I like the idea(s) enough, I'll make the item and give you the first one! Who knows--if I like several of the ideas, there could either be several winners or you can win more than one item! Sound like fun? Just post each idea separately (so I don't get confused or miss any ideas in the shuffle). I'll choose a winner(s) on Dec. 17th. That gives you a little over a week to come up with some ideas. So--get your thinking caps on moms and let 'er rip!

Schoolhouse Designs

After much debating for months, I've finally done it. I've taken the plunge. I've opened up a second etsy store. I decided to do this because after opening stores on Zibbet, Artfire, Craft is Art, and Bonanza--nothing was moving. At all. so, I closed all but the  Bonanza store and decided to just stick with etsy and eCrater (where I sell everything from books, to craft supplies, to handmade items). I wanted to get back into making bags, purses, totes, wallets, and the like but wanted to keep them separate from my Sassy store since that is more focused on baby and children's items.  So, I opened the new store and called it Schoolhouse Designs (3). I had to add the 3 since there was already a Schoolhouse Designs and Schoolhouse Designs 2. So far I only have iPad cases and a couple of purses but I'll be stocking it gradually. I also would like to make Kindle cases, wallets, etc. So please, check it out and let me know what other items you'd like to see there! Schoolhouse Designs

Modge Podge Caddy

 I found this plastic caddy on clearance for $2 at a local department store and thought to myself, "What a perfect way to keep all my scissors, fabric markers, etc. handy and within reach on my cutting table!". So, I bought it. After bringing it home and looking at it, I thought it was a bit boring looking so I decided to spruce it up a bit. Well, I have PLENTY of scrapbook paper so I found some I liked and walla! here is my new cutting table caddy! If you'd like to make one of your own, here's how:

 First, gather your supplies. All you need is your caddy of course, scissors, a paint brush, paper, Modge Podge, and trim if you'd like to use that.

Begin by laying your caddy onto your paper with the bottom even with the bottom edge of your paper, and while rolling it, trace the shape of the top of your caddy in pencil.

Cut along the pencil mark you just made.

 Apply a thin layer of Modge Podge all the way around your caddy using your brush.

If your caddy is uneven shaped at the top like this one, start at the front and carefully wrap your paper around it making sure you smooth it as you go. If your caddy is even around the top, you can start in the back and work your way around it. When you are finished, apply two to three coats of Modge Podge, letting it dry between coats. When last coat of Modge Podge is completely dry, apply your trim. I used braided trim and applied it with a hot glue gun. You can use Modge Podge if using paper trim, but if using any other trim, I would suggest using glue to apply it.

Now, put whatever you'd like in your caddy and enjoy! These would work well anywhere: home, office, school, craft room, etc. They would also make great, inexpensive gifts if you're on a budge.

'Tis the Season

I know for some it's a little too early to be thinking about Christmas yet, but for we sellers and crafters, this is the time of year when we need to get our holiday items made and listed in our stores. I usually don't make a lot of Christmas items since I have never had much luck in selling them, but I think it was due to the fact that I listed them too late in the year (in November). So this year I decided to get a head start to see if I could perhaps make some holiday sales.

  To start off with, I have made some adorable (if I do say so myself) stockings that are made to resemble pajama bottoms--complete with a button flap pocket on the back! I think these would make unique first stockings for baby--as well as for children.  I have made some in baby flannel fabrics and will make others in traditional Christmas fabrics as well. I have already listed a few in my Lil' Bit Sassy store and some in my Lil' Bit of This 'n That store. I will be working on more this coming week and get those listed.

Those are just items I'll be selling. Now for some items you might also find great for Christmas. Comyc Gyrl has lots of cute items in her eCrater shop. Brooches and pins, ornaments, cards, decorations, kitchen items and more--so be sure to check out all her goodies! 

 Another great store to check out for Christmas goodies is Your What Not Shop  also on eCrater. You will find tins, ornaments, home decor and more in her Christmas section.