25lbs of Rice

That was one of my purchases today.  An industrial sized bag of white, long grain rice.  Why, you may ask, on earth would one need so much rice?  Well, I’m not going to be eating any of it (or at least not most of it).  I’m making these!

Rice foot-warming bags.  Yep, that’s right.  Like hot water bottles, only without the danger of leaking water all over your bed.  These are the brainchild of the brilliant Vanessa of V and Co.  You can find the link to this project here.

Still, 25lbs?  Yes.  The three pictured above are just some of the many I have planned (I’m already up to 6 completed).  The lovely barn print on the right is mine, the blue woven print is Sam’s, and the one on the left is destined for the company holiday bazaar.  I already have hints from several family members that these would be lovely to find under the tree.

These take longer to iron and cut out than they do to sew.  (For good measure, I also serged the inside to avoid fraying when washed.)  The inside is a muslin bag filled with rice (I use about 4 cups per bag, slightly more than recommended).  The covers can be out of whatever you want and come off for easy washing.  And they take less than a fat quarter’s worth of fabric!  Do you know how many fat quarters I have? (Don’t answer that.  If you’ve been counting them, you are a sick, sick person.)  These are fun, fast, and easy.  A great project when you want a little instant gratification sewing that’s hard to mess up.

The Knit List & Other Random Stuff

It’s sort of like a hit list, only much nicer.  For my own selfish purposes, I am writing down the gifts I need to knit for Christmas this year.  A few items will be omitted because certain people read this blog.  But for the most part, here it is.

The Knit List

• Green felted clogs for Ryan H.
• Blue felted clogs for Josh H.
• Red felted clogs for Tyler H.
• Purple felted Mary Jane’s for Melissa H.
• Felted clogs for Tyler D. (theme/color unknown)
• Felted clogs for Anthony C. (theme/color unknown)
• Felted slippers for Gavin C. (theme/color unknown)

Total = 7 pair felted clogs/slippers of varying sizes. (Luckily, those are all for children and only two of them venture into small adult sizes.)

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In other news, I have some sewing deadlines.  I’m planning on making reusable grocery bags for the company holiday bazaar on the 22nd.  I’ve completed two successful prototypes and am pretty pleased with the design.  I have my stash sorted out into color groupings and plan to begin assembly-lining it pretty quick here.  I figure I can make at least two a night, if not three.  I’d like to have at least a dozen made up, two dozen would be ideal.

I also bought fabric to make place mats and napkins for Thanksgiving.  With the purchase of my new (to me) table (I still owe you pictures, don’t I?), I want it to look as spectacular as possible.  I also have some fabric on hold at the yarn shop to do a table cloth.  Yes, the crafty is strong with this one.

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Fail: I attempted this potholder tonight and was once again foiled by binding.  Binding you are my nemesis!!!  I am going to make an attempt at sewing a plainer pot holder.  We’ll see.  I may need a binding intervention…

Arr, Matey!

May your Halloween be spooky and filled with pirates.

Pirate Tyler

Epic Pirate Battle

P.S.
His entire costume was made from remnants and recycled materials except for two pieces.  The only purchased pieces were his sword and hat.  The shirt and vest were made by my sister.  The bag I made from a pant leg of one of Sam’s old pairs of pants.  The sword sheath is made from a paper towel roll and electrical tape.  Total cost is less than $10 for a pretty dapper pirate costume.

Chocolate Bread

This was originally intended to come out as chocolate cake, but well, that didn’t work very well.  I guess I digressed too far from the Dark Chocolate cake recipe found in this book.

It’s not bad, but it’s definitely different.  I’m taking it to work tomorrow to let the guys have a go at.  Not my best work, but not a disaster.

P.S.
These are egg-free, dairy-free, sugar-free cakes/breads/whatever.  They are not, however, gluten-free.  Guess what I’m adding back first.

New Fabric

These three fabrics are destined to be something soon. Can you guess what?

(Fabric is by Moda and was purchased on sale at Fabric of Vision in Ashland.  It’s a nice little shop on the main drag.  Friendly staff and great fabric.)

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

The truth is terrifying.  Take an hour and a half out of your day and listen to this guy.  It’s scary. 

(Thanks to Karen H. for sharing the video.)

How to Fail at Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls in 25 Steps

1. Get the grand idea to make gluten-free, sugar-free, egg-free, dairy-free cinnamon rolls.
2. Think it’s a good idea.
3. Find a recipe that resembles what you think is cinnamon roll dough.
4. Think pizza dough is a good substitute, even after mulling it over for a bit.
5. Peel and chop 3 apples.  Bring them to a boil in water (duh) and then simmer for 10 minutes.  Add cinnamon to make them yummier.
6. Mix up the dough and realize that this may not work.
7. Try to roll out the dough anyway.
8. Put the dough back in the mixing bowl after scraping it off the parchment paper and spending two minutes getting it off your hands.
9. Add some chopped walnuts.
10. Realize you chopped way too many walnuts.
11. Add some cinnamon.
12. Take the bowl off the mixer.
13. Realize you forgot about the apples.
14. Put the bowl back on the mixer.
15. Realize you used the strainer for dinner and it’s now dirty in the sink.
16. Wash the strainer and drain the apples.
17. Add two large spoonfulls of apples to the dough and mix.
18. Realize you cooked too many apples.
19. Figure things can’t get any worse and scoop the whole mess into the muffin stone.
20. Put in the oven to bake at 425 degrees for around 20 minutes or so.
21. Eat the rest of the apples while you wait.
22. Take whatever it is out of the oven.
23. Realize it’s not coked all the way and put it back in.
24. Come to the conclusion that maybe it was a pizza dough recipe for a reason.
25. Eat your fail anyway.

(These aren’t even worthy of a decent picture.)

Purging

Yesterday was supposed to be a nice relaxing day.  But then something happened.  I found myself tearing through the craft room, purging items without remorse or a second thought.  Piles of stuff went into the truck to go to the Goodwill as well as lots of stuff into the garbage.  (My husband was also purging in his office.  Nearly a dozen old computers went bye-bye!)  Among the purged items were two very difficult ones.  The first is this.

That, my friends, is a very deformed sweater that I made several years ago.  I finished it around 2am and wove in my ends so well, that when I awoke to find how truly deformed the sleeves were… I couldn’t find my ends to take it out.  I’m finally letting go.  It went into the garbage pile, followed shortly by my bag of orphan socks that I’ve been carting around since high school, convinced as soon as I throw them out, I’ll find the mate.  Well, no more!  I’m sick of this pack rat lifestyle.  I want SPACE!  And so, the great craft room endeavor has begun.

This is the beginning (how much I was able to accomplish last night).  It’s not much, but it’s a start.  (I won’t show you the rest of the room.)  My efforts were paused while my husband’s birthday present arrived.  This desk from Ikea (plus an extension on the short side).  After nearly two hours of construction, it was together and in his office.  That thing is huge.  I mean huge. We have to work on the arrangement so Sam doesn’t have to crawl in and out of his office underneath the desk.

And this is Chloe’s version of helping.  Holding the floor down is hard work, but someone has to do it.

Tyler’s Big Boy Bed

We delivered Tyler’s big boy bed yesterday.  We were greeted, not by a little boy, but by a ferocious pirate!

After we appeased the pirate with some new books and lots of hugs, we went to work putting his new bed together.  It went together quickly and looked cute with all the matching bedding.

Of course what was really important was the jumpability factor.

I think it passed the test.

Low ‘N Slow

My Saturday has been anything but that.  So I’m just zoomin’ by to show you the latest sewing project.  A mini-sized pillowcase for Tyler’s mini-sized pillow for his big-boy-sized bed.

Pillowcase measure approx. 13″x18″ and fits a 12″x16″ pillow.

Grandma, Papa, and I are driving over tomorrow to deliver his very first big-boy bed.  His momma bought a Lightning McQueen bedding set for it and I wanted him to have a little pillow just right for him.

In other news, I bought a new-to-me table today and a brand new iron!  Details to come.