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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Creative expression

Well, I'm back with another crazy project! I have some funky material I wanted to use, but wasn't sure what to make! Ever been there? So I decided to make a purse organizer (after being embarrassed about carrying certain things in plain view in my homemade purse). I came up with the pattern in my head and then set about sewing it together. Midway through I had to think about how I encourage my daughters when they are doing difficult projects. 1. Persevere, it will be worth it. 2. If it makes you soooooo angry, leave it and cool off for a while. Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE BINDING! It's bugger stuff made to un-nerve the best of seamstresses. I had already committed to doing the seams on the outside, and thus, committed to binding. Lord , help me! It's done and quite useful, but no claims are made in the professional department!
I did experiment with using craft foam in the center pocket for reinforcement. I like! You can sew through the foam and still keep the shape.

So I want to know what you tell your kids when a projects brings them to frustration and tears. Comments please!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

More projects

Hey! It seems as though the fall is an extremely busy time for us. Even though we homeschool, our schedule is packed. There is a lot going on at our church in October. We have a pumpkin patch, the profits of which go to pay for a Fall Harvest Festival. Each year they give away free food and have free games and activities with the goal of reaching some of the near 5,000 visitors with the Gospel. It's pretty awesome. They have a puppet show which runs several times during the day and my oldest is a puppeteer this year. She practices at home every day and then at church once a week. Big deal for her! She says, "It's a lot of work, but so much fun!" Anyway, included in my exercise regimen for the month is pumpkin tossing and carrying!

We are still pushing toward our goal to raise 5,000 dollars for a planning/goundwork trip to Bolivia in November. Click on the link if you wish to help!
http://www.adventive.ca/



On to my project last week. My oldest loves fabric with froggies! So, when I found a small remnant at the store, I had to get it. The trick was to make a shirt with this tiny piece of fabric. It turned out a little short, even with the lace on the bottom, but she just layers it with other shirts and it's adorable. 


Next project was a lady bug princess costume; which I will have to post pictures of another day. Said lady bug princess got her costume dirty upon it's first fitting. 

Today I shall bake a huge pumpkin for my freezer. Never done it? It's easy and great to have in the freezer for every "oh, I need some pumpkin to make that" emergency. Joking, of course. I don't think average people have pumpkin emergencies, however, I've been seeing lots of recipes for homemade pumpkin lattes, pumpkin cupcakes, breads, whoopie pies, and much more on Pinterest.com. So, I will tell you how I do it. Cut the top off around the stem and scoop out all the guts. (I know, I had to go there). Cut the pumpkin in wedges. I usually make sure that my wedges are no wider than 5" in the middle. Place the wedges skin side down on a cookie sheet and bake the whole thing at 350* for about an hour. You will know when it gets that dark orange color and is nice and soft. Scoop the soft meat out of the skin right into your baggies. I put 2 or 3 cups of mush in each bag so that I'll have the right amount for my recipes.
Well, that's all for today! Hope you have a blessed week!