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Welcome to my blog. I hope that you enjoy it. My goal is to keep everyone posted as to my sewing and things that will be sold in my store at http://www.idahoatheart.etsy.com/.
I'll also blog about other things that interest me like my family, cooking (sharing receipes), things I learn along the way, etc. Hope you all enjoy.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Wednesdays recipe - biscuits and gravy

Sometimes we really don't have time to make a huge dinner or we are just so tired that we really don't want to.  When I was younger my dad introduced me to a very fast,cheap and easy version of biscuits and gravy.  I really like it and so does my family.

Biscuits and Gravy
1 Can Cream of Mushroom soup or Chicken soup
Grands biscuits or you can make your own drop biscuits from Bisquick mix
1 Can green beans

Cook the biscuits.
In a pot pour soup and then add green beans.
You don't want to add all the juice from the beans.  Drain some into the pot and the rest into the sink.
You decide how thick you want your gravy.
Cook the gravy and pour over the biscuits.

Quick, easy, cheap and tasty.  Give it a try.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Free Motion Stitching

I have had several people ask me about the stitching on the quilt that I did.  It is called free motion stitching and is very enjoyable...at least to me.  I thought I'd give a little information on how to do this.  I learned in my sewing/home decor class and use it all the time.  I no longer tie quilts because I prefer this method.

1st you need to drop the feed dog on your sewing machine.
2nd if your machine has the option to lesson the pressure on the foot then release the pressure on it as well.

3rd you need to sandwich some material and batting to practice on.  I just use scraps when trying something new.
4th as you start sewing just move the material in the direction that you want.  You can do anything. 
You are just drawing pictures with the sewing machine.  You can practice drawing on paper to kind of get the hang of it.  I draw when trying something new. 

You can also use those markers that disappear and draw out pictures to sew and then just follow them with the sewing machine.

Believe it or not but it is easier the faster you sew.

Get creative and have fun!

Monday, January 24, 2011

A Christmas project

Before Christmas I had been working on many projects.  Many were projects for my store and many were Christmas and birthday presents.  One that I finished in November I couldn't show you because it was a Christmas present.  However, Christmas is over and presents have been givin.

I started working on this quilt toward the end of October with the goal to have it finished by the end of November.  I hoped to finish it in 6 weeks or less.  I was using a new technique - to me.  The was a paper pieced quilt and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I saw the quilt in one of my quilting magazines that I buy and just loved it. 

For the back of the quilt I used a queen size sheet and then also gave the rest of the sheet set as part of the gift.  After piecing everything and sandwiching it all I did free motion quilting on it.


I really enjoyed doing this quilt and have many more that I would like to do.  The magazines that I buy have many really cool quilt designs that I would like to do. Maybe someday I will do some for my store. 
I hope that you all have a good week.  Thanks for reading my blog.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Class paper I felt like sharing.

Although we no longer live in Rexburg, Idaho I am still taking classes online.  This semester started earlier this month and I am taking a Family Relations class as part of my cluster.  This week we read a chapter about Family System Theories and then had to write a paper and come up with a analogy or metaphor that described our family.  I was thinking and thinking and thinking finally came up with something and I wanted to share it here on my blog.  I hope that you all enjoy the analogy that I came up with.

My Family System
My family is very much like my sewing room.  I would say that I am the sewing machine and my husband is the serger.  Our children are the beautiful creations that we make together.  As in the family systems theory everything that happens in the sewing room affects everything else.  The sewing machine and the serger compliment each other on every item that they sew together but they can also sew entire items without the assistance of the other machine.  However, each machine does affect every piece of material that goes passed the needle.  They cannot go through unchanged.
            My family is actually very close.  We move a lot and because of this we stay very close together.  In my sewing room I have an L shaped table and the sewing machine is on one side and the serger on the other side.  They are equals at that table.  They work hard together but both are better at certain things than others.  Both machines are used for different tasks, and depending on what type of seam or stitch is required will determine which machine will be used more or less.  This is much like my husband and I in our home.  He works to provide for our family and I stay home with our children.  Our daughters spend the majority of their time in my company, as do most of the things that I sew.  However, when my husband gets home from work he plays and spends time teaching and just plain spending time with our daughters before they go to bed.  The time spent with each piece of material will determine how it turns out in the end as is how our children are.
            The other things in my sewing room are tools.  I have oodles of thread and needles, rulers, seam rippers, measuring tapes, instructional books, patterns, etc.  Each of these items could be considered something in our life.  The instructional books and patterns are like our parents.  We learned from them as we grew up and we can still ask them for ideas and instructions for our marriage and how to be better parents.  The thread, needles and other tools that are used are our friends, members of the community and our other family members.  All the tools are there to be used to not only create beautifully sewn items but to help the sewing machine and serger run smoothly.
            As you look at our family you might consider us very enmeshed, upon first glance.  We spend most of our time together.  This is because we move around a lot and have to make new friends every time we move, which we do.  Both of us feel very close to each other and our children but we also enjoy spending time with other people.  We both feel that we need to spend good quality time with each other and our children, often.  My husband spends all day at work and just likes to come home and spend time with family.  When we spend time with others it is generally as a family.  I feel that we are flexibly cohesive because although we spend a lot of time as a family we are very flexible when things come up or we as a family or individuals are invited to go do things with other people.
            One of the things that we both work very hard to do is communicate to each other.  My sewing machine has an LED screen that communicates very well what stitch I’m on and when I have problems.  Although my serger doesn’t have an LED screen it doesn’t hesitate to tell me when there are problems.  My husband and I are both return missionaries and spent time doing companion inventories every week and although we no longer do that weekly with each other we try very hard to communicate anything and everything.  We spend a lot of time together driving from one place to the next which leaves lots of time for talking. 
            My family is so much like my sewing room and I had never thought of it that way.  My husband and I are trying very hard to create beautifully sewn items by loving and respecting each other and trying to be the best examples we can to our children.  We have wonderful examples from our parents and we have discussed what we want to integrate into our family from our childhoods.  My serger and sewing machine can either work together to create beautifully or work against each other and create a mess.  We know what we are striving for and that is a balanced family where we can be who we are and feel comfortable with one another as we grown.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Wednesdays Recipe - Soft Sugar Cookies

Periodically I like to make sugar cookies and I love this recipe for when I do.  The sour cream in it helps keep them nice and soft.

Soft Sugar Cookies
1 C Butter
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 C Sugar
4 tsp Baking Powder
2 Eggs
4 1/2 C Flour
1 C Sour Cream
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla

Cream butter and sugar and then add the eggs and beat well.
Add the sour cream and vanilla.
Sift together dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture.
Roll on floured surface to 1/2" thickness.  Cut w/cookie cutters
Bake at 350 for 14-17 minutes or until very light brown.

I never sift ingredients together.  I'm too lazy to do so and they turn out great.  If you like to sift please feel free but don't turn away from this recipe just because it says to sift.  I like to eat them plain but my husband really likes frosting on them.  They are good either way.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.  If you have any requests for certain types of recipes feel free to let me know.  If you have a recipe that you would like to share you can let me know as well.  Have a wonderful day.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Getting into the swing of things...

Well, last week I only  blogged twice and I was aiming for 3 times.  I am still trying to get into the swing of things.  Things have changed so much.  I am still trying to balance everything and still get enough sleep.  I am slower in the morning because I no longer get up with my husband and stay up getting things done.  I was awake today when he got up only because my daughter needed to be fed and that is when she woke up.
Luckily she went back to sleep and I slept until almost 9.

I feel sometimes that I could and should be doing more but I know myself well enough to know that I need the sleep or I get quite cranky.  Sarah is still a wonderful help.  We have our moments as everyone does but she loves to help and is always ready to do so. 

Yana is growing and filling out and getting cuter and cuter.  She is fitting better into her clothes so we aren't losing her feet in her pajamas as often. 

Grandma spent three weeks here with us which was such a great help and we were sad to see her go home but realize that we can't keep her all to ourselves. 

Today is the first official day where it is just myself and the girls and so far things are going well.  I have a whole list of things to do and am slowly working my way down the list getting things done.

I have been sewing and although I don't have the Valentine Day table runner completely done it is getting close to being finished.  I am hoping to spend an hour or two working on it while my daughters are napping this afternoon.

I am also, so far, able to keep up with my homework....however, it is only week 3 of the semester.  Things are going good.  I know that there will be days ahead where I wont get much done so thanks in advance for having patience with me. 

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wednesdays Recipe - Sweet Cornbread

I love cornbread.  I grew up with my mom's cornbread in a specific pan and cooked perfectly in that pan.  I, however, do not have that wonderful pan.  She always used Jiffy cornbread mix and I still really like this cornbread but I also have this recipe which I have changed a little over time to help make it more healthy.  I will put the original ingredients down and then tell you how I changed it.  Both recipes are good just one is a bit healthier than the other.

Sweet Cornbread
1/2 C melted butter
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 C cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C milk

I use 1/2 cup applesauce and 1/2 cup less sugar as well as only 1/4 c butter and 1 1/4 c milk.

Mix all the ingredients together.  Should be thin like cake batter.
Bake in a 9 x 13 greased pan for 25 mins at 375.
A toothpick or butter knife should come out clean when done.
I would check periodically before the 25 minutes just to make sure it is done.  Sometimes it takes longer to cook.

We really like this cornbread with the Chicken Taco soup that I make.  The cornbread can be eaten plain but we like it with a little butter and honey.  It also goes really well with chili.

ENJOY!!!

Monday, January 10, 2011

Valentine's day Table runners

I'm not sure if I should show you these pictures but I am going to anyways.  This is the material that I have chosen for the Valentine's Day table runner.  I have two of them that I am working on at the same time.  The pattern will be the same but the pink material will be different from one to the other.  They will have three panels.  The big hearts will be on the end panels.  The panel you see is the center panel.  It will be very cute.


This panel will have the red heart in the center of the white heart.  I am hoping to have at least one done Wednesday or Thursday so I'll post pictures as soon as they are done.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Finished projects!

I know it has taken a while but I finally took some pictures of the projects that I finished right before Christmas.  I already showed you the Christmas dress that I made my daughter.  It turned out rather cute I think.  She really likes it which is the good thing.

When I first blogged about these projects all I showed you was the material and the pattern.  So here are the pictures of the finished products.

The above pictures are of the bath robe that I made for my daughter.  Yes it is a little big but I didn't want her growing out of it any time soon.  It was fun to make and I thought it turned out rather cute.  I am thinking about making some and selling them in my store.  My daughter picked out the material herself and we bought some ducky slippers to go with it.  She loves the slippers but as of yet hasn't decided what she thinks about the finished robe.  We think it is very cute.


The pattern calls this a bunting but I just call them sleepers.  However, this one is made out of fleece so it is really warm and it is more for outdoors than indoors.  She hasn't used it yet as we haven't really taken her outside a lot.  The hat is really cute but is way to big for her at this time.  As she grows she should be able to wear them.

I really enjoy working with fleece and had a lot of fun with these outfits.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Recipe day moving to Wednesdays!

Sorry that I didn't share a recipe yesterday.  I have decided to move the recipe day to Wednesdays to help spread out my blogging now that I have two children and classes start today as well.  I will blog Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the occasional weekend blog.  That way you know when to check for new posts.

Banana Bread
2 C Flour
1 Tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Sift above ingredients together.

Mix and cream together:
1 Stick (1/2 C) Butter
1 C Sugar

Add to Flour mixture and add 2 beaten eggs.
Add 1 tsp Vanilla
3-4 Mashed Banana's
1 C chopped Walnuts (opt)
Chocolate chips

I like to let my banana's sit until I wouldn't eat them anymore and then I mash them for the bread.
You can make two bread pan loaves or several muffins or both.
You bake at 325-350 for 45 mins in bread pans or roughly 15 mins if in muffin pans.

Just check on them until toothpick or knife comes out clean.

I love this recipe and we rarely eat all of our banana's so we make banana bread alot.  I like to add the walnuts and the chocolate chips and we just love them.  They do not last long.

I hope that you try this recipe and love it.  Please share your feedback if you do try this recipe.

Monday, January 3, 2011

The newest addition to our family!


Thank you all for being patient with me as I have not taken the time to post for the last 2 weeks.  Life has been busy with the addition of our daughter.  I was supposed to be induced on the 22nd of December and my water broke the night of the 21st.  She was born at 4:14 am on the 22nd.  She weighed 7 lbs 14 ounces.  At the hospital they have her height at 21 inches but at the doctor's office at almost 19 inches.  She is a healthy beautiful little girl.  We named her Yana Lue.
She lives the life of a typical baby...sleeps and eats and that is all that she does at this point.  Her sister Sarah just loves her.  She is always helping.  Whenever Yana cries she comes running saying "I'm coming Yana Lue, I'm coming!"  She helps put her clothes in the laundry basket and dirty diapers in the trash.  She loves to give her kisses and hugs and is always very gentle.  She is such a wonderful big sister.

My mother in law has been here for the last week and has been helping out with everything and it has been wonderful to have her.  She will be here for 2 more weeks and we are enjoying every minute of it.

Things are slowly starting to find a routine as we are figuring things out and settling into life again.  My husband is back at work and my daughter is back to taking naps.  This should allow me to get back to my sewing.

I bought some cute material to make Valentine's Day table runners with and will post pictures of them when they are finished - hopefully sometime next week.

I will also be posting pictures of the projects I was working on right before Christmas.  I will post them in on Friday.

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Enjoy 2011.
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