A Perfect Last Minute Gift

When a quick gift is needed this is a fun idea.

Cookie Monster and homemade chocolate chip cookies!

Upholstery Work on a Vintage Stool

Well over a year ago I found this amazing swivel stool at a thrift store for $5 and just had to have it for the house.

The top of the stool had a very large stain, so the plan was to upholster it using the old fabric as a pattern, but that didn't work since I have very little knowledge when it comes to doing upholstery work.

 I dug out some very thick batting used for cushions; I actually bought this batting, there are two packages taped together, at the thrift store a couple years ago for $3.99.

It's very thick and very sturdy and was perfect for this small project.

Next I took leftover pieces of quilt batting and wrapped it around the coils,

And I stuffed it in between them as well.

For the fabric I used some light weight upholstery fabric purchased at Walmart on clearance for $2 a yard about a year ago.

I layered the fabric with thin strips of quilt batting and ticking and then I machine quilted it using my walking foot.

The top of the stool felt wonderful and very sturdy.

I doubled the fabric used for the sides, but I didn't quilt this area.

Using a heady duty stapler I secured the fabric in place and then attached the legs.

The end result was amazing.

I really love how the stool turned out, even though it looks nothing like the original stool.

There is a lot I need to learn when it comes to upholstery work, but like all things I just need to keep practicing.

A Gift That Keeps Giving

Last year Pat made me a clothesline for my birthday and it's had quite a workout.

I love hanging out laundry; I love how stiff towels get and how quickly they dry you compared to towels coming out of the dryer.

I love how nice my tablecloths are after being out in the sun for a couple of hours. Truly my clothesline is a gift that keeps giving and I love it just as much today as I did when Pat set it up for me.

A Dress for Elizabeth

It's amazing just how a sewing machine can make  you "want" to sew; this has been the case since getting my other computerized machine.

Elizabeth loves dresses and she especially loves vintage style dresses. I've been buying vintage reproduction patterns when the store runs them on sale.

This dress is Simplicity 8591; a vintage reproduction style from the 1960's. It has a very full skirt and zips up the back. I made the dress using a fabric that was purchased at Walmart; on clearance $1.50 yard. I bought this fabric over a year ago with the intention of using it for a muslin and am so glad my muslin was good enough to keep.

 I love how the dress turned out, but there were a few problems along the way. The first problem was the bust darts. The pattern has four on the front of the bodice; two on the sides and two at the waist. I ended up removing the waist darts because the pattern is designed for a full bust.

The bodice of the dress was too long on Elizabeth, so I ended up having to remove the skirt, cut down the bodice by 2-inches and then reattaching the skirt. What a difference that change made.

The final problem was the size; according to the pattern envelope and the measurements I took of Elizabeth I chose size 14, but the dress turned out too big. A simple belt that ties around the waist solved this problem. (The pattern calls for a belt, but it's more for an accent than to help the dress fit).

I really love how the dress turned out and am anxious to make a second one in the future; after I try out a few more vintage patterns first!

My Beloved Bernina Virtuosa 153

I have had my Bernina Virtuosa 153 for over 10-years and love it dearly. Last year, out of the blue, it started to turn off and on for no reason. 

After numerous trips to the repair shop, and forking out money here and there, I decided to just give up on this machine. 

 During my sewing machine ordeal I started using my Bernina Minimatic 707 machine; I bought it used in January of this year. While this machine is nice and did the job as needed, I was still missing my computerized machine.

 After giving up on the Bernina Virtuosa 153 I started looking for another Bernina. At this time I discovered that Bernina is no longer Swiss made; what a big disappointment this was to me.

I was also looking for a used Bernina at this time with little luck. Then one day I decided to check ebay and found a Bernina Virtuosa 150 and made an offer of $200; plus the seller was asking $50 for shipping. They accepted my offer and I was super excited to finally find another Bernina.

When the machine arrived it made a horrible noise and I was greatly disappointed. Back to the repair shop I went with the second machine; thankfully the repair man said this machine was in good shape. The noise turned out to be bushings in the motor so I had a new motor put in. My repair bill was just under $200 so all together this second machine cost me $500.

It's been working just fine and I sure am happy to have another computerized machine to sew with. The Virtuosa 150 is an older model, which means it's Swiss made, and is pretty much identical to my Virtuosa 153.

Oatmeal Cake

Years ago, when I first married, I made this cake on a regular basis and then for some reason I stopped and forgot all about the recipe.

 Last night I remembered the cake and dug through my cookbooks.

 It's just as good as I remember.

Not sure how I ever forgot about this cake; maybe I just made it too much and we got tired of eating it? So glad I remembered to make it once again!

A Fun Birthday Gift

One of Elizabeth's friends had a Sweet 16 party, so Elizabeth asked me to make a stuffed puppy as the gift.

The puppy turned out super cute, but it needed something extra for a "wow" effect.

 

 I thought it might be fun to make bone shape sugar cookies to go with the dog.

 We didn't have a cookie cutter in the shape of a bone, so I printed off an outline  from the internet. Each cookie was then cut by hand using the tip of a sharp knife.

Elizabeth and I had so much fun making the cookies.

The cookies were then put in a jar and wrapped with the dog. The birthday girl was happy with her gift.

A Bernina Minimatic 707 Sewing Machine

Last year I found a Bernina Minimatic 707 sewing machine for $20 at one of the Goodwill stores in town. It didn't have a power cord or a foot pedal, but I thought finding one would be easy. Boy was I ever wrong!

The only place I was able to find a cord with pedal was on ebay and it's not even an original. The regular price was just under $50, but thankfully the seller had a "make an offer" option and I was able to buy one for $35 with free shipping.

My combined total for this machine was $55. I've tested the machine and it works very well and will be just fine as a backup.

My New Clothesline

For several years I used a clothesline that was strung between three trees; two that were dead, but still stood strong. This setup worked well until one of the dead tree trunks began to lean and I was afraid it might fall and hurt someone. I made the decision to push the dead trunks over and not use my clothesline anymore.

 Going without a clothesline was hard, so when I saw an umbrella clothesline at the thrift store, I bought it right away.

 Not wanting to sink the umbrella clothesline in the ground, I attached it to our tether pole pipe.

 

This set up worked fine, but I really missed having my laundry stretched out so the air could flow more freely.

 So in September, for my birthday, I requested a new clothesline; a traditional style.

  

Pat built one for me with four lines to hold lots of laundry.

I absolutely love  my new clothesline and especially love the fresh smell of my laundry. Standing outside hanging clothes is great fun!

My New Fabric Cabinet

Recently I decided to start looking for an armoire to hold my fabric stash. My search netting this beauty.

 I paid a whopping $36 and it was worth every penny.

 

The back has a large opening that was used for a T.V. and cables, but the old back will be replaced with a new back.

 At the bottom of the armoire there are four shelves for storage.

 I used Mrs. Meyer's Honeysuckle to dust and clean the armoire and it sure smells wonderful.

I love how much fabric the armoire is holding and I'm so pleased with my newest bargain!

Sugar Cookies

My favorite sugar cookie recipe comes from a vintage Crisco cookbook I bought years ago for maybe 25-cents?

 I prefer to substitute margarine for the Crisco as it adds a better flavor.

 

The icing is just margarine, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.

 

I love homemade cookies!

Peach Jelly

I love making jelly, so when a friend gave me some peaches, jelly was on my mind.

After letting the peaches sit on the counter for several day, they weren't ripe enough in the beginning, I started peeling and cutting the fruit into small pieces.

 

Sadly, the jelly didn't set up properly; even after I put it into the fridge.

 After reading on-line about how to save my jelly, I decided to give it a try. The directions I read about called for pectin powder that wasn't Sure-Jell.

For each quart (4 cups) of jam or jelly, mix  1/4 cup granulated sugar,  1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice and 4 teaspoons powdered pectin in a large kettle. Bring to a boil while stirring. Add jam or jelly and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, quickly skim foam and fill clean jars, leaving a  1/4-inch head space. Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid; process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes.

After following the directions, I could tell right away that my jelly was going to set up and I'm very pleased with the results.