I found these cute little reproduction 1930's tin boxes at Joann's Fabric today when I stopped in to pick up the Pellon Fusible Fleece. They came with 4 spool of Gutermann's Thread. I put my red straight pins in one. The antiquity of the tins goes with the machine.
I did not get my tote bag finished tonight, although I junked up my sewing room working on it. I used the Bernina 200/730 with the BSR for quilting the lining, the walking foot for quilting the front of the tote, the Singer for piecing the inside pockets and outside envelope pocket. I'm pleased with the results so far, but not pleased with the amount of time it's taking me to finish. I seriously doubt if I finish it tomorrow night. I'll be working late and by the time I cook dinner and wash clothes, my stitching time is limited. The pocket is only pinned to the front section of the tote but all the quilting is finished except for the handles that are not even cut out.

I have the fabric out and ready to make my dog's scarves, as soon as the tote is finished. They're tired of being naked. The neighbors are asking about their scarves, they usually have a different scarf every month.

I have Baby Lima beans soaking tonight. We'll have beans cooked in the pressure cooker tomorrow evening. I have beef brisket to cook one night this week but I marinate it over night first, so it will have to wait until the Thursday. I'm tore between smoking it or slow baking in the oven. I want to make the Pioneer Woman's Brisket Recipe so I'll probably opt for the oven. If you don't like Beef Brisket ( I don't) you'll love it prepared the Pioneer way.

I just looked at the clock and it's Wednesday already, so HAPPY HUMP DAY, especially to all those who work a 40 hour week outside their homes. We're half way up the hump and ready to come down the back side so we can play on the weekend. Enjoy your Wednesday.

Shop 'Til You Drop

We returned last night (actually this AM) around midnight from SC and left around 10:30 AM headed to Pulaski VA to my uncle's funeral. When it rains it pours. We have been busy and on the road a lot in the past month, Columbus, OH, to a wedding, Greenville, SC, to visit family, Pulaski, VA, to a funeral, and celebrated Christmas and New Years at home.

I shopped the entire two days I was in SC, with my sister-in-law. We started with Long Creek Mill in Gastonia and then to Mary Jo's and ended up at the Bernian Sewing Center in Greenville. Then Don and stopped at the Prime Outlets in Gafney on our way home. That's why were so late getting home this morning and then turning around and left again.

I bought serger thread, embroidery thread, and lots of stabilizer by the yard at Long Creek Mill.

I bought bug fabric at Mary Jo's to make place mats picnic table at the campground, Breast Cancer Awareness fabric to make a tote, and lots of dog fabric for various projects and scarves for the dogs. I found some silk fabric (pink and brown polka dots) that will be perfect for summer pajama bottoms.

The gals at the Bernina Sewing Center in Greenville were very helpful with helping me match up Christmas fabric (50% off) to make a Christmas Tree Skirt. I found this cardinal fabric, matches my cardinal tree perfectly. Also found holly fabric for place mats and the cutest flannel for Christmas Pajamas.

I can't wait to get started on my projects.

Don't Bug Me...

All good made plans change, at least at our house, but sometimes for the better. I decided after I got home from work that the Mexican Meat was too much work. I wanted to use my pressure cooker......I cooked a frozen beef tenderloin with Lipton Onion soup, 1 cup of water, and a slice red onion, for 40 minutes, cooled the cooker normally, removed the lid, added two cans of cream of mushroom soup and a little sour cream. Set the cooker on keep warm until Don got home from work...about 2 hours later. The roast was delicious. And we have leftovers for tomorrow night.

The meal went so quickly I had time to wash three loads of clothes and finish my "don't bug me" pajamas that I've be blogging about for a month.

Tomorrow evening after work I'm going to try and find time to make a few more can koozies. If I'm not in the koozie making mood then I'll start on my other pajama bottoms. I have this coffee cup flannel and black bear flannel for pajama bottoms. I have several coffee embroidery designs from Embroidery Library that will go with the coffee flannel. I'll embroidery them on a t-shirt, probably hot pink to match the coffee cups. I'll embroider a saying "don't mess with me until I'm on my second cup." I'll embroider a black bear on a tan t-shirt to go with the red flannel and embroider "Be nice, I growl after a long winter nap". Do you get the idea....I'm not much of a morning person but I'll pick you up in the evening and late at night.

I have these two pieces for flannel pajamas bottoms for Don. I'll get around to making these before we start camping in March. He needs new flannel for the camper and the cool nights.

We're going to SC to visit Don's brother this weekend. We are never home on weekends unless we have guest visiting. All this running around is cutting into my creative sewing time and the stash keeps growing. I'm going to have to buy a storage building or add a room onto my house just to store my fabric. But I'm not complaining too loud, I've been wanting to go to SC for quite some time now. We pass through Gastonia and I love to stop (and shop of course) at Mary Jo's Fabric Shop.

Busy

My family left today and the house feels so empty with just Don and I. I cleaned up the left over remnants from Christmas, washed the towels, sheets, and clothes, and cleaned out the refrigerator. Then I took a short nap while Don went to Mt Nebo to check on our house.
I've been so busy with Christmas preparations that I've neglected my blogging for the past few weeks. Most things happening around here were family events except a couple of weeks ago Don went to an auction in Beckley and came home with a couple of vintage items.
This 16/66 Singer with a cabinet is in excellent condition. Don paid $40.00 at the auction. I've not had time to play with the machine yet. Now, that the holidays are over maybe I'll have time. The machine came with the ruffler, buttonhole attachment, seam guide, straight stitch foot, binding attachment, zipper foot, overlock foot, hem stitch foot, gathering foot, edge stitching foot, the darning or embroidery foot, and bobbin winder.
He also managed to win a bid on a 1999 Cadillac, like we really need another car. Don is so proud of his Cadillac. When I get a chance I'll take and post a few pictures of his treasure. Right now the car is stored in his shop about 3 miles from the house. The next time he brings it to the house I'll snap a few shots.

HELP................

I spent most of my evening trying to design a new template for my blog and gave up using Corel Paintshop Pro. Every time I try using this program I end up pulling my hair out. I'm almost bald. I used Corel Draw for years and at some point (probably when XP Pro hit the market) my Corel Draw became obsolete. I replaced the Corel Suite with the Microsoft Office Professional. When the time came, years later, to purchase a photoshop program I purchased Corel Paintshop, big mistake. This program is not very user friendly. I’m shopping for new photo software but haven’t decided on one yet.

After giving up on my new template, I’ll just post some pictures of my sewing projects.

Towels with Nautical Theme for the camper

West Virginia tote bag

I love my Bernina 200/730 machine. The embrodery is high quality and the results are very professional for a home embroidery machine. I have projects lined up to stitch and an abundance of ideas swimming in my head. Now that winter is here, I plan on stitching and stitching and stitching......wish I was retired from the home health business. But I doubt if my sewing would pay my bills or for the fabric and pattern stash I've accumulated over the past 5 years, so I'll just keep working.

Ring Pillows for my son's wedding and the back of ring pillows with inscription.

I have this flannel ladybug fabric, white t-shirt and green and pink lady bug ribbon ready to start my next project, pajamas and T-shirt with trim. I love Flannel World. They always enclose a thank-you card with the fabric and the fabric is folded neatly and not wrinkled. I wonder if they press it before packaging. These three pieces of flannel are for my pajama bottoms. I'm using a pattern from Taylor Made Designs by Cindy Taylor Oats for Sew Easy Pajama Pants. I'm making the capri length. I hate long PJ's even in the winter months. Capri length keeps me warm enough without feeling trapped. Now I know I really need to quit my day job..... "Sew many projects and sew little time."

Rainy Day Cooking

It's a cloudy day and cooking is in order. I made Upside French Toast for Breakfast. It's one of those overnight recipes that I love. I prepared it last night around 2 AM....couldn't sleep, put it in the refrigerator and sleeply put it in the oven this morning.

Prep Time 15 Minutes
Cook Time 40 Minutes

Ingredients:
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
4 Medium Apples, Sliced, Pealed, and Cored (Granny Smith)
12 Slices day old bread (white, wheat, French, it's your choice)
4 eggs
2 Cup milk or cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat cook and stir brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup until slightly thick. Pour mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 11"X9" casserole dish. Arrange apple slices on top of brown sugar mixture. Mix together the eggs milk and vanilla. Arrange 6 slices of the bread on top of apples and pour 1/2 of egg mixture over the bread coating evenly. Arrange the other 6 slices of bread directly on top of the first layer. Pour remaining egg mixture on top of second layer of bread slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat over to 350. Cook French toast on middle rack in over covered for 20 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes until toast is lightly brown on top and crispy.
Serve with syrup of your choice, we like pecan syrup.

While the French Toast was baking I made some brownies. I sorta threw some ingredients together and they turned out pretty tastie.
Ingredients
2 Boxes Ghirardelli Ultimate Fudge Brownie Mix
1 Package Hazelnuts
2 eggs
1/2 Cup Water
2/3 Cup Oil
3/4 Teaspoon Coffee Flavoring
1 Jar Amaretto Cheesecake in a Jar
2 Fudge Toppings included in Brownie Mix

Mix Brownie mix, eggs, water, oil, nuts, and coffee flavoring until incorporated very well. Spread in a greased 10"X15" jelly roll pan. Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from over and spread the jar of Cheesecake thinly over the top of brownies while hot. Place packages of chocolate sauce topping in hot tap water bath for 5 minutes. Cut corner of package and squeeze both packages of chocolate over top of cheesecake. Spread if desired. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.
Yields about 24 brownies.

I found the Amaretto Cheesecake in a Jar this past summer at the outlets in Williamsburg, VA. I used this to top the brownies.

I have cheater's cabbage rolls in the oven slow cooking. I like them much better slow cooked in a dutch oven than the crock pot. We have errands to run and dinner will be ready when I get home.

I made this handbag for the holidays this weekend.

The Blog Begins

I've read blogs for several years now, considered blogging myself, but felt a little intimidated by the process. Recently I reconsidered the idea and decided that not only could I share my life’s experiences with others, the blog would serve as a diary of my life’s experiences and expectations.

I love my business of Home Health, caring for the elderly and disabled and giving West Virginia’s children a healthy start in life but I am most content sitting in my sewing room creating projects with fabric and thread. I sew and machine embroider on my Bernina Artista 200/730E. I digitize and tweak my embroidery designs with Bernina Artista Designer Plus V5 software. My fabric stash and thread collection is huge. I have more projects and ideas (in my head) than I will ever have time to complete.

Cooking is another hobby of mine and I should say, "it's not very good for the figure." I love baking, especially breads and sweets and trying new recipes. I spend a lot of time during the winter months watching the FOOD channel while I sew. I recently tried this different recipe for chicken salad. I used left over homemade rotisserie chicken. The couscous was different.

Couscous Salad with Chicken and Chopped Vegetables

The yogurt dressing has a hint of sweetness from the honey and an extra zing from the vinegar.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup uncooked couscous
1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 1/2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup (1/8-inch-thick) diagonally cut carrot
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 tablespoons dried currants
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salad Preparation
To prepare salad, bring water, 1 teaspoon oil, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place in a large bowl; cool to room temperature.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil to pan. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Add bell pepper mixture, chicken, carrot, onions, currants, mint, and black pepper to couscous; toss gently to combine.

To prepare dressing, combine yogurt and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over couscous mixture, tossing gently to combine.
Carla Fitzgerald Williams
Cooking Light, JUNE 2004

Don and I spend 8 months a year camping in Summersville. Our home's about 24 miles away and 1 of my 3 offices is only 10 miles from the campground. We have a 30 foot Terry Camper with slide outs and it sits on a seasonal campsite from March 1 until November 30. We spend about half of our time at the campground and the other half at our home every year. My office is a converted lake home in a wooded area about 1 mile from the lake. Don and I own the home and rent it to my business for use as an office. It is a peacefully place and I love working from this remote office. Even though we converted it to an office we kept the lake house character and someday when we retire we can use the home as a second home or rent it on a weekly basis to lake vacationers.

The picture at the top of my page is Summersville Lake in the fall after the Core of Engineers starts letting the water out of the lake. White water rafting seasons begins. The boaters start complaining about the rafters taking our water. Our fall season was long and warm. What a shame that our lake water was drained into the Gauley River. Oh well, it brings millions of dollars and white water enthusiasts from all over the world to our state every year. But we hate to give up boating especially when the fall weather is warm and dry.

I will post pictures of my sewing projects in a day or two after I figure out this blogging thing. Right now I'm doing good getting everything set up to post.