Sewing in September-Tutorial for Embellishing Your Tote Bag

I've done a little bit of sewing this month and completed several projects that I've had in varying degrees of completion.  I've done a tutorial for one bag that I finished yesterday.  It's a Christmas present for my niece.  I don't know if the rest of you guys have realized it, but there are only 87 days until Christmas and I have be done with most of my gifts way before that because they are going to have to go in the mail this year!  I am making most of them and I am WAY behind schedule. 

The tricks in this tutorial are things that you could do to any tote bag or purse to give it a little touch of you.  I got the tote bag here in the dollar section at Target.  That section of the store just sucks the money right out of my purse.  I promise I hear the sound of an industrialized vacuum being switched on as soon as I walk in the door and then there I zoom right to the dollar bins!  Well here we go!

So here's my bag and the first thing I wanted to do with it was put my niece's initial on the front.  I have these large lowercase letters that I bought at a scrapbook store and they have come in handy for these types of projects where I need a pattern to trace.  I used the sewable HeatnBond .

I followed the directions on the HeatnBond package and attached it to the back of my fabric.

I put my pattern down backwards on the paper and then...

traced around it with a pen.  You want to do it backward so that it correct when you flip it over.

Then I cut out the letter and as you can see when flipped over it is facing the correct way.

Then I followed the directions again

for affixing the letter to the bag. 

Here it is and it's stuck on their pretty well but I decided to stitch around it anyway.

I was going to do it by hand but then I decided to try a zigzag stitch using my sewing machine.  I am sure it was still faster but I am slow doing this stitch as there were many turns.  I think the hardest part was the round part of the "r".

Next, I wanted to make a fabric flower. 

I used the ribbon holder to trace circles onto the fabric. 

4 circles are needed for this type of flower.

Then I folded each circle in half and then in half again. 

Right side of fabric facing out. 

Put a little stitch in the bottom to keep the fabric folded together.

That's how they should look.

I decided to place the flower on one side at the top of the bag near the handle. 

I lined up each fabric petal with a hole in the button and stitched it through the fabric and the button hole. 

So once the petals were attached to the button then I sewed the button on to the bag. 

Then I sewed on two more layers of buttons. 

Large, medium and then smallest on top. 

I think the flower turned out cute. 

I hope my niece will like it!  Caleb did!

Here are some other little purses that

I have been making for some other little girls I know.  I love this owl print! 

Wordless Wednesday - Fireplace

Linked up at Wordless Wednesday.com

Recipe of the Week - Tender Barbequed Chicken

I'm not sure where I got this recipe from.  I do know that we have used it alot in the past 10 years.  Everyone eats it and since there is only a few ingredients and it cooks in the crockpot, it's simple too. 

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken pieces, cut up
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
18 ounces barbecue sauce
3/4 cup cola

Place chicken in a crock pot.
Top with onion and lemon slices.

Combine barbecue sauce and cola; pour over all .

 Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until chicken juices run clear.

Or you can cook on high for 4-6 hours.

This chicken is so moist and yummy.  You can cut it with your fork! 

New Testament Tuesday #3

The readings this week were mostly from the book of Hebrews.  I have to admit that it was hard for me to get through the first 10 chapters and considering there are only 13 that means it was a struggle for me to read pretty much every day!  I'm not saying that it's not important stuff or that I got nothing from it.  It's just that your brain has to be functioning on a higher level than I can get mine to go in the mornings.  Anyway, I am looking forward to the book of Luke this week and have enjoyed the first chapters from that account. 

So the verses that thrilled me the most out of our reading in Hebrews was chapter 12 verses 1 and 2.
"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (NAS)

It really caused me to ask myself some questions, "What are things that keep me from running my race?"  "What are things that keep me from fixing my eyes on Jesus?" 
I don't know what those answers are for you, but for me it's SELF.  Basically I can get in my own way faster than anything or anyone.  ME.  You know what I'm saying?  As soon as I think about what I need, want or desire....I'm pretty sure that I'm off the track and I am for sure not fixing my eyes on Jesus.  I'm not saying that God does not want us to have desires or wants.  In fact I think the opposite is true.  However, when those desires and wants are all about myself or things that don't have any eternal value and if I haven't sought after God's will in that direction, and I'm just barreling along....then I'm encumbered and entangled.  I've been tripped up and I'm probably going to fall down.  But I have hope that the one who sits at the right hand of God will pick me up, dust me off and set my feet on the path again.  I have also learned that these detours can be great teaching lessons if I choose to look for the lesson. 

Lord, please help me to keep myself free from any entanglements.  Help me to keep my eyes on you and run the race you have set before me with faith.  Thank you for your forgiveness and your grace.  Amen

Saturday at Shockley's Old Timey Day

This Saturday we drove for an hour out to some folks land, who host an Old Timey Day.  We didn't really know what to expect. We had not heard about this from anyone we know but had kept a flyer that we had been given on a trip to Floyd back at the beginning of August.  I am happy to say that it was definitely worth the drive and made for a fun outing with the boys.

There were a few animals to pet. 

We saw a demonstration of log splitting to make fence rails.

The old timey way to make hay piles.

There were a lot of old tractors to pose on.

We saw how they made the square

hay bales....using horse power to work this machine.

There were lots of things to do with corn.

Here is Caleb using this machine to de-kernel the cob.

Josh is showing me all the corn kernels.

You can grind the corn kernels with this

grinder to make chicken feed.

Here is one of the 40 something baby

chicks they had for us to "Awwww!" over.

There was homemade icecream being made. 

With the use of this machine.

We had a taste of the vanilla and chocolate. 

 It was yummy!

Here is a vat of apple butter. 

MMMMMM....we bought a pint of course.

These fellows were making apple cider. 

We bought a quart of that too. 

There was lots of good fiddle music and lots of dancing.  Surprisingly most everyone who got out there and shuffled were over the age of 40.  I guess all us younger folks are just way too self conscious. 

Member One Bootcamp Week #8

I did some walking this week but no strength training exercises.  I had little to no energy this week due to lack of sleep.  Simon has been waking up 2 or 3 times a night.  Not upset or anything just awake and loud.  So most nights he has been getting in our bed at some point.  This has made me very tired in the mornings and pretty much all day long.  So, not much to report at all this week.  Not good since it is almost October and I am supposed to lose 5lbs before the end of October and I have gained a pound!  :(

Recipe of the Week-Apple Dew

This recipe is awesome!  My brother-in-law, Travis, made this for me back in 2004 and since then I make it at least once or twice a year.  It was the one highlight in a really bad series of events and an absolutely horrible day!  So that should tell you that it is a pretty good dessert. After you see the ingredients you will understand why I don't make it more than that!  I have tried to make a diet version by substituting several different things.  Once I made it with fat-free crescent rolls, just 1 stick of butter, Splenda sugar substitute and diet Mountain Dew.  It was nasty.  I would suggest picking just one diet thing to substitute...that seems to be the trick.  I usually use the Diet Mountain Dew.  Anyway, we love this dessert and I know you will too!

Ingredients:
2 peeled granny Smith apple (or other apple of your choice)
2 cans crescent roll
2 sticks butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces Mountain dew


Directions:


1.  Cut apples in 1/8 separate slices. Roll 1 slice apple in ea roll and lay in pan.


2.  Melt butter add sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour mixture over top of rolled apples. Pour Dew over top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes.