THE FABRIC CHALLENGE

Well good morning kiddies! How are you doing this humid day of days? I am alright… my brain is going a thousand miles a minute about lots of different things today! My back is a little sore, but I will just throw on my brace and I will be fine LOL! Yesterday was an incredible day for comments. Thanks everyone! Keep them coming cause you rock!! I love when my readers interact with me!

Ok tell me, have you ever have any super weird dreams that woke you up going WTF? LOL… that was me last night! It involved an old boyfriend (I’m talking like 20 years ago!), my DD and DS18 and HIS supposed 10yr old daughters, a baby (I can’t have any more kids), and me being a High School Teacher! Yea I know CRAZY! And I woke up really feeling like a pretzel, so I guess I really tossed and turned everywhere!



Well, after the kids were at school yesterday, I went outside and spent 3 hours planting seedlings into 4 inch pots in preparation for my plant sale. I am hoping to have about 100 plants for sale at $1 a piece. I think that would be reasonable. So if you are in the neighborhood, come on by and get yourself some healthy, pesticide-free, home grown plants! LOL! If all goes well, I am thinking about making this an annual event! Who knows, it might just turn into something! Now do you think I should try some flowers, or just stick with veggies?



Speaking of veggies, look at this! My first red and ready cherry tomato of the season!! Isn’t he the cutest thing!? I had the honor and privilege of bringing him inside off the vine today. I stuck him in the fridge and when the few others that are already turning red complete, they will become beautiful additions to a fresh tossed salad! YAY!



You know what else is cool? I have blooms and or the beginnings of food on almost all my plants! The peas you see pictured were started from seeds and they have their first blooms… so do the berries and a lot of the veggies! OMG don’t even get me started on tomatoes! This year I think will be a crazy crop of tomatoes! I have 5 very large Romas already and cherry tomatoes as far as the eye can see! My Husky Cherry plants are covered top to bottom literally with blooms and or tomatoes! Its so incredibly awesome!

Ok, yesterday I told you about the Fabric Challenge. I have 6 bolts and 2 crates/boxes to empty by sewing different things by the first day of school in August 2010. This year (the 2010-2011 school year) starts August 23rd, so that gives me approximately 139 days, or roughly 4 1/2 months to accomplish this goal. NOW… if I do as good as I did with the storage goal, we might be done way before then. The problem lies here… sometimes I am just not in the mood to sew. And if I try to sew during those times, I mess things up, get upset, and mess up even more. SO… I have to keep up the momentum and desire and use it wisely when it hits me! LOL… not to mention, I will be making tons of new things for my stockpile of crafts for sale. Cool huh? The more inventory I have, the better I think!



Now this month I am doing a lot of crafts with the Autism Fabric (in honor of Autism Awareness month), but I will be doing other fabrics as well. I don’t want to sabotage myself with just using one fabric, getting bored and stopping and losing my sewing mojo! That would not be cool. SO, yesterday, which was day 1 of the challenge, after I was done with my plants, I made can wraps in all kinds of fabrics. I made some breast cancer support and military ones from the cause box, and a bunch of others from the green crate. Don’t they look pretty cool? I set a goal yesterday morning that I wanted to do 20 of them and by golly that’s what I got done! I even made one in the scraps of fabric I had left from the watermelon print I love so much (remember the fabric I searched for and found for $9 a yard? Yea that’s the one!) LOL that one might just have to stay with me! LMAO!



I also managed to squeeze out a couple of other visors and another music note luggage tag before it was time to shut down both the sewing machine and the seamstress body. LOL! Watching Dancing With The Stars really makes it hard to concentrate sometimes LOL! Is anyone else following that silly show but me?

OK, so are ya feeling crafty? As I begin Day 2 of the Fabric Challenge, I ponder what to make. I might do some pillow cases, shopping bags, or purses… not sure yet. I will just sit at the table and see what strikes me to make. I might make some of these cute Fingertip Mitts for using on microwaved yummies! I found these on Savvy Seams once and they are really cool!



Fingertip Mitts

Downloadable Pattern (PDF)
less than 1/4 yard of outer fabric, lining, cotton batting and mylar/poly batting.
1 pkg. double fold bias tape
thread to match the bias tape

Step 1a: For piece 2, cut two of fabric, two of cotton batting, and two of lining. Assemble each half as shown.

Step 1b: Bind the straight edge with double-fold bias tape. Use a zip-zag stitch to attach the binding.

Step 2: For piece 1, cut one of fabric, one of lining, one of cotton batting and one of metallized poly batting ( or an additional cotton batting layer). Assemble in the order as shown. Zig-zag stitch the layer together. Be sure no to let your stitches drift too far in that they might be seen after you attach the binding. (You can always rip them out at the end if they do, but it's easier not to have to do that)

Step 3: Line up the top pieces with the bottom, matching the curves. Baste them together.



Step 4: Using an iron with lots of steam, shape bias tape around the whole mitt. This is very important if you want to have a nice smooth curve, instead of a bunchy, pulled sort of curve.

Step 5: Sew on the binding using a zig-zag stitch. Try to keep the ends even and tucked under, unlike my example picture.

Now are you already asking “What’s for supper?” Well guess what I am bringing back out today? Yep the old slow cooker! Me and my lovely crock pots are going to make some of the most Amazing Ribs I know how to make! As a matter of fact, you can’t call them anything other than…



Amazing Ribs

Ingredients
6 pounds pork baby back ribs
1 pinch black pepper
1 pinch salt
1 pinch crushed red pepper
4 cups barbecue sauce
2 (12 ounce) bottles porter beer, room temperature
Directions
Cut ribs into small portions of 2 or 3 bones each. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water a pinch each of salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to the water. Boil ribs in seasoned water for 20 minutes. Drain, and let the ribs sit for about a half an hour.

Meanwhile, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly coat the ribs with barbecue sauce. Cook the ribs over high heat for a 5 to 10 minutes on each side to get a nice grilled look to them.

Place grilled ribs in a slow cooker. Pour remaining barbecue sauce and one bottle of beer over the ribs; this should cover at least half of the ribs. Cover, and cook on High for 3 hours. Check ribs every hour or so, and add more beer if needed to dilute sauce. Stir to get the ribs on top into the sauce. The ribs are done when the meat is falling off the bone. The ribs were cooked completely in the first process, the rest is about flavor and texture.

Now as for me, I am off to begin the rat race of the FC- Day 2. Curious to see what I crank out today LOL! I would love to hear about some of your projects you might be working on. Leave those comments as I love hearing from you… Okie dokie… see you all tomorrow… this is the Frugal Mom signing off… HUGS!

HAPPY EASTER!

Well Happy Easter to all my faithful friends! How are you doing this fine morning? I am fairing decent… expecting my usual bunch for some delicious hams, sides, breads, and fun!



I did a lot of sewing yesterday as I was feeling the love so I had to utilize it! I started the day by making this huge shopping bag. Roomy and bright and colorful and sure to turn heads. Tell me what you think and how much would you pay for something like this?



Then I made 3 makeup bags with different colored zippers. They just happen to be the first ones I pulled out of my zipper box and it’s a good thing they match too, huh? LOL!



Then I did some luggage tags. The first one came out a little smaller than normal, but the rest were just fine.



I also did a couple of visors covered in the autism fabric. I love these things really! Light weight and you can customize them with any fabric you want and they come out cute every time! They are those little foam visors you can pick up at Hobby Lobby for like a buck and then decorate them however you want. It doesn't take much fabric either. And from what I have learned the kids (even high schoolers around here) love them, as well as the adults! So go on... make some summer lovin' visors! LOL!



I only got 1 of these done today as these take a little bit of time. But as you can see when its folded and ready to carry, open and empty, and then open with goodies in it. I think I am going to make one of these for each of the kids in Alex’s class for a gift the last day of school. I think they would enjoy it really and maybe could use them this summer. Still debating that… what do you think?

When you clean up from a picnic or party do you find dozens of half empty cans? This quick project will help guests identify their can... and hopefully finish their can before getting another. These are SOOO quick and easy that you could whip out a ton of these in a very short time! I whipped out 3 yesterday in the cute autism fabric.



Craft Idea of the Day: Insulated Can Wrap

Materials:

Fabric Scraps - 20" by 4 1/2"
Batting or fleece - 10" by 4 1/2"
4" strip of 1" wide Velcro® or Hook and Loop tape
Thread

Directions:

1. Fold fabric, right sides together, to make it 10" by 4 1/2". Place batting under the fabric, lining up all the edges.

2. Using 1/4" seams, stitch the long edges and 1" in from each corner on the 4 1/2" edge. Leave the center of the end open to turn through.

3. Clip the corners to eliminate bulk. Turn right sides out.

4. Turn in the un-sewn seam allowance 1/4" on each side. Press the seam allowance closed.

5. Place one part of the Velcro® along the 4" edge and stitch the long edges in to place, closing the seam at the same time. Turn the fabric over, and place the other part of the hook and loop tape on the other end, on the opposite side of the fabric.

Optional:
- Top stitch 1/4" from the edge along the long edges.
- Quilt the wrap.
- Embroider names on the wrap to use them as party favors.

Well mom asked a question yesterday, that I feel I should answer. YES, Lasagna IS considered a casserole. A casserole, from the French for "saucepan", is a large, deep pot used both in the oven and as a serving vessel. The word casserole is also used for the food cooked and served in such a vessel, with the cookware itself called a "casserole dish". Casseroles usually consist of pieces of meat (such as chicken) or fish (such as tuna), various chopped vegetables, a starchy binder such as flour, potato or pasta, and, often, a crunchy topping. Liquids are released from the meat and vegetables during cooking, and further liquid in the form of stock, wine (for example coq au vin), beer (for example lapin à la Gueuze), gin, cider, or vegetable juice may be added when the dish is assembled. Casseroles are cooked slowly in the oven, often uncovered. They may be served as a main course or a side dish, and may be served in the vessel in which they were cooked.

So, to finish out Casserole week, I figured I would give you a unique concoction that is a sure tummy pleaser to kids young and old… but SHHHH! Don’t mention the veggies LOL! The best part about this casserole is that you can customize it to fit your family’s tastes too!



Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rotini pasta
1 pound ground Italian sausage
2 (16 ounce) jar pasta sauce
2 (12 ounce) containers cottage or ricotta cheese
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced black olives or mushrooms
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 (3 ounce) packages sliced pepperoni
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) spinach, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage until evenly brown.

In the prepared casserole dish, mix the cooked pasta, sausage, and pasta sauce. In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, olives, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Spoon the cheese mixture over the sausage and pasta mixture. Top with pepperoni slices.

Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until bubbly and lightly browned.

Ok ladies and gents… the Easter Bunny has made his presence known and I have chocolate fiending kids yelling for my attention LOL. So I am going to sign off for today. I bid you a Happy Easter Day and have fun and eat good food and be safe in your journeys today! Until tomorrow… HUGS!