In A Jiffy

I made this quick and easy potholder hand towel combo as a little gift for a dear friend of mine. I got the idea from a crafty website. I like that you can make the combo seasonal, match someone's decor or choose a fun theme like cupcakes or Hello Kitty!

   

Select a hand towel and coordinating pot holder for this project. Make sure the pot holder has a side loop - 

not a corner loop. 

Find the center of the hand towel and sew a gathering stitch (or you can hand sew a loose running stitch) on either side of this imaginary line. In the photo above, I photographed the back side of the towel so you could see the gathering stitches more easily.

Fold the pot holder in half with the loop facing up. When selecting a pot holder remember that it will be folded in half in the finished product, and choose a pattern that won't be upside down in this position.

Place the center of the pot holder against the center of the hand towel, right sides together. Gather the hand towel so that it is the same width as the pot holder. The sides of the hand towel should align with the sides of the pot holder. Open the pot holder, pin it to the hand towel with sides aligned, and sew down it's center to attach it to the towel. Here is a video tutorial I found on YouTube:

Once you have sewn the two pieces together, you can go ahead and remove the gathering stitches. 

The last step is to sew a button onto 

the upper front of the pot holder.

Once you adhere a button, your pot holder towel is ready for gift giving - or display it in your own kitchen!

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What To Do Weekends

Freedom Fridays

WeekEnd ReTreat

Strut Your Stuff

Sunday's Best My 1929 Charmer

Snowmen Fall from Heaven Unassembled~

Brrrr! It is getting chilly outside. Perfect time to stay indoors and create some handmade gifts. 

Want to see what I made with socks, rice and buttons?

I used mens socks for the body of a snowman and womens socks for the clothing. A glue gun is helpful and buttons add charm.

The first thing I did was cut off the foot of the sock. Discard the foot section, or use in another project. Next, I turned the sock inside out & gathered it at one end. I started running a threaded needle back and forth through the bunch to close it.

Picturing a clock, I inserted the needle at each hour around the bunch to insure the end was securely stitched. You could also just tightly tie the end or use a rubber band on it. Turn the sock so the stitched part is inside. The bottom will look like this~ 

Stand the sock vertically and fill with dry rice. I bought inexpensive rice at Big Lots. You could also use dry beans.

As you pour in the rice, occasionally push the rice down; this will give the snowman more stability as it widens him.

You can see where I pushed the rice down at the bottom then poured more rice in...there is a little bulge where I flattened the rice, so I would push again to get the upper sock as wide as the bottom.

I used about one pound of rice for my snowgirl, then tied off the top securely. Now I got to dress her! I cut the heel/ankle as well as the toe tip from the decorative sock. I used the straight piece that resulted for her sweater. Pull the straight piece over her head to where she would wear a sweater. I tied a ribbon tightly around her 'neck' to form a head and body.

I used the heel part of the same sock for her cap. I used Distress Ink Broken China to color the ribbon roses.

A great tip for coloring flowers or ribbon to coordinate with your project; I smeared some Distress Ink on my craft sheet, spritzed it with water and rubbed the roses into the water-ink solution. Let dry.
She has a snowflake at her neckline~

 I made a family of snowmen and snow girls! I can't share the others because they are going to be a surprise for friends and family. You can use smooth knitted socks for the clothing or the fuzzy kind so easily found at this time of year. You can also make pointy-ended hats if you use the toe end of the sock as the hat tip. If you tie the snowman in two places he will have 3 bulges instead of two like my little Rosy, above. I enjoy giving handcrafted gifts...I put love into each one.

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Terri's Deck The Halls

Lovely Lavender~

I have been fond of Lavender for years and try to grow a variety in our yard year-round. I especially enjoy being able to walk outdoors with a pair of clippers and return to the house with a fresh bouquet from our garden. What a treat to have cuttings from the yard! At this time of year a number of places have Lavender Fairs. This weekend there is a lot for lavender lovers to see and do in Sequim, Washington.
Did you know Lavender has anti-septic and anti-viral properties? It also promotes relaxation and relieves headaches. Last year we took a drive up the coast and visited a lavender farm in California.

As soon as we parked and stepped from the car you could hear the low hum of bees buzzing! And, oh, what a scene~

         Row upon row of sweet lavender. The owners had chairs dotting the edges of the lavender rows, so we sat without speaking and just soaked up the sunshine and listened to the bees at work.

It smelled fantastic....and got me to thinking that I wanted to make a lavender wand when I returned home.

If you do not have lavender in your yard, buy a bunch at your local Farmers Market and try making a lavender wand for yourself or a friend. I have wands I made years ago and they still smell nice. You can always freshen a wand with a few drops of Lavender essential oil too. Place a wand near your bed for a relaxing scent at night.

Let me know if you try your hand at making a lavender wand :)

Tea and Cookies~

I saw fabric  fortune cookies years ago and always wanted to try my hand at them. The other day I remembered how cute they were and looked online for a pattern. There are not many patterns or directions available, but Martha Stewart's' version popped up, and her site actually has a short tutorial. I experimented with a variety of materials and methods, starting with Fun Foam. Cut a 4 inch circle from the Fun Foam. Martha instructs you to use a piece of wire inside. Place a 3.5" piece of wire down the center of the circle. Fold the circle in half (wire sitting in the fold, straight), then bend wire in 'U' shape, bring corners toward each other. Insert a printed 'fortune'. It was cute, easy and quick to make!

Next I tried felt as Martha directs. She says to glue ribbon over the wire, to conceal it, but this was difficult to do and is not really neccessary. The nice thing about foam and felt is that no hemming or finishing is neccessary, and you need only cut one round per cookie! Fun Foam or felt would be nice if you don't mind the texture and look of each, and you want to make a bunch of cookies fast. Next, I got out my fabric scraps  and cut two 4" circles, placed them right sides together and sewed around the edges. I did not leave an opening to turn because I did not want to have to close the gap later. I used an old quilting technique of separating the layers and snipping a cut/slit in the center of one side.

After I cut the slit, I turned the cookie circle and pressed it. The floral wire I was using was green and heavy, so I decided to try white pipe cleaner. Lay it on the circle, fold fabric over like making a taco, wire is sitting along the fold and is straight inside. Then bend the wire into a "U" shape, bringing the fabric points/corners toward each other. A peak will form on one side of the cookie. At this point, you can use a small dab of hot glue at the curve of the "U" to keep it secure, if desired.  

The red and cream cookies were made with felt. The gingham, red stripe and tan cookies are fabric. I discovered that you can dispense with using wire if you use a bit of hot glue inside the cookie before folding.  This takes practice and is a bit more tricky than the wire method. This project, in felt or foam, would be a great thing for Scout Troops to make! Yesterday, at Big Lots, I saw adorable Chinese style food-to-go containers ~~ wouldn't these look adorable in one of those?  "Bake" up a batch for your Valentine and have fun writing you own 'fortunes' or love notes~