Hen Day - Weeding and Henna Dye Tutorial

Today was a very eventful Prairie Hen Day. We went to Vea's house. She worked really hard sewing up some great shirts for her daughter's shop.
We came over to help her clean out her flower beds.

We weeded for a couple of hours and things were greatly improved.


My kids had a short day at school so they came over and helped weed too.
Joe made a pretty great find.

It's a good thing Miyuki couldn't make it this time. Hee Hee
We also had some Good Food.

It was my turn to fix the food and I chose a South Beach Friendly recipe.
This was originally a Flank Steak recipe. I didn't have any Flank Steak so I used chicken.
Here is the Marinade.

Marinated Flank Steak Salad (only it's chicken today)
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-2 tsp. hot sauce
1 tsp thyme
Mix and put it in a bag with your meat (chicken, beef or pork).

Cook it up in a frying pan with all the sauce. Let it cool just a bit and slice it up and serve it on salad with a little ranch dressing.
It is sooooo good.

NEXT we had quite an adventure! I dyed my hair!
My fellow Hen, Jill, is a proficient Henna hair dyer.
I mixed up the dye last night and let it set to get the henna to work.

It has the consistency of a fresh cow pie. (smells like one too)
Here it the recipe I used.

Emma's Henna Hair Dye Recipe
250 g henna powder
10 black tea bags
2-3 Tbsp ground cloves
2 Tbsp paprika
1 2/3 Cup lemon juice
Olive oil (some)
Mix all the ingredients together until it is the consistency of yogurt. (that is where I add the oil till it gets that way). Leave this to sit and work for 12-24 hours. The henna needs time to activate and has to have an acid to do that.

You can get more detailed and better information at Henna for Hair.

This morning, before we started weeding, Jill put this stuff on my head. It was a bit thick so she added some water to thin it out.

Really work it in all over.

(yes it felt as nasty as it looks)
TIP You can put a thick layer of petroleum jelly around your head to keep from having an orange ring of skin around your face. I don't have any as I detest the stuff and refuse to buy it. You could also maybe use those strips of cotton that they use when you get a perm.

Next we bagged it up to let it set.

Then we had to wait. Weeding took up most of that time but we finally quit waiting after about 3 hours. (they recommend at least 4)
Then we had the chore of washing the gunk out. That was a chore! The recommended way is to use about 1/2 a bottle of cheap conditioner to help you get it out.
Well, I left that home so we had to improvise. Shampoo helped a little.
Then I had the brilliant idea to use Vea's marvelous hand-made Lye Soap. It did the charm. It really lathered up and got all the gunk out. The I rinsed my hair with about 1-2Tbsp of vinegar in about 2 quarts of water. I rinsed it with water again after that. All the gunk came out. I was very impressed.
It took an eternity to dry as I have hair that is thick enough for about 3 people.
Her is the finished result.

Inside, it just looks auburn. Outside in the sun, it is very red.
I like it. (jumping and giggling) Bryan likes it too. :o)
It has the wonderful aftereffect of making my hair smell like gingerbread.

Brave Hair Day

How brave are you?

I chopped off my braids today! I couldn't stand it one more day.

I cut off a bit more than I planned on and had to have it fixed.

I actually like how it turned out.

To celebrate, I made myself a head band.

You can get instructions here at Pink Chalk Studios, or here at KC Quilts.

October Apron Tutorial - Bandana Apron

I am so proud to be posting my October tutorial on the first of the month. Do ever expect it again. I have had this apron of sorts in my head for almost a month now and am so happy to be able to finally post it.
This is the fasted apron tutorial yet. It is for a double sided, half apron. It is cute, sturdy, and fun.

Materials
2 large bandannas in different colors.
Something for the ties - I used twill tape, but ribbon would be nice too. (remember, use what you have before going out to buy more, reduce, re-use, recycle)
(BTW the bandannas are a recycle, I use them on my head and to line my soap baskets and festivals.)

On with the tutorial ......
1. Get two bandannas.


2. Line the bandannas up.

Bandannas are irregular in size and you will have to shift them around to get them to fit at their best.

3. Square up the bandannas.

This apron is a square so for it to look it's best, you will have to have a square to begin with. The size isn't that important, just make sure all the sides are equal and that the corners and square.

4. Cut off the top corner.

This is the top of the apron now. I measured in about 10 1/2 inches from the top corner on each side to make a triangle.

5. Make some pockets.

I took the leftover triangle, folded it in half, placed on old pocket pattern piece on it and cut out 4 picket pieces.


6. Sew up the pockets.

Sew around the pocket, leaving an opening to turn it.
Turn and press the pocket.
Top stitch the pocket top.

Place them on the apron fronts,

and stitch in place on each side of your apron.

7. Stitch the apron together.

Lay the front and back of the apron right sides together.
The stitching is important, so pay attention.
Stitch across the top and stop.
Now come down about 1 1/2" from the top and stitch around the rest of the apron stopping about 1 1/2" from the top on the other side.

(leave an opening for turning somewhere along there. I forgot to and it was a booger to turn.)

8. Add the ties.

I thought this was rather clever. I wanted the ties to be inside the apron so that both sides could be the front.
Take your ties and thread them through the two holes you left at the top of your apron. Pin it in place.

Now top stitch the top of the apron and all around the sides.
Then come back and sew a second line about 1/2" from the first on the top only to secure the ties in place so there won't be any shifting when you wash it.

Your done!

Tag You're It

I just got tagged by Jessica on her blog (Zakka Life) and it's my turn to return the favor.

This is a fun Internet Tag game.

The rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

7 Facts About Me
1. I am the 12th of 13 children.
2. I have a BA in Early Childhood Education.
3. I am a very part time Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at our health department.
4. I live on a small farm next door to my parents and raise chickens and goats.
5. My dream was to live on a farm in Missouri, raise exotic poultry, run a berry farm, and raise Welsh corgis.
6. I teach Sunday school.
7. I am terrified of heights and can't climb stairs that have open backs.

(That was really hard! Either I am really boring or I talk too much and have already given you too many details about my life.)

Tagging 7 People
1. Alisa of Iron Springs Art is about the coolest school art teacher ever! I wish my kids were in her classes. Her new blog is filled with the projects she is doing with her new job.

2. Angelic at No one listens to wise old me has a great outlook on life and just makes me smile. She also takes the most beautiful pictures. She also makes some pretty tasty food at Tasty Temptations.

3. Deanna of Domestic Chicky does wonderful graphics design. She also happens to be one of the Apronistas.

4. Alice of Future Girl has wonderful information on sewing with felt.

5. Michelle of Greeting Arts has all kinds of marvelous crafting information.

6. Kathy of Pink Chalk Studios has very exciting quilting related projects for you to check out.

7. Jeanne of Jeanne-b has a very new blog. It is wonderful though, full of quilting, brownie, and family goodness. (she is also my big sister)

Fall Doll Quilt DONE!

I am so happy to say that this is done!


I was so excited at first. Then I was overwhelmed with coming up with an idea. Then I had a hard time choosing from all the ideas I found. Next I was seriously concerned about my ability. Scary. I saw what the other quilter's were doing and realized I just might be out of my league.
Finally I was pressed for time with all the demands of a busy household and multiple, self-inflicted deadlines.
All in all though, I have to say that I loved doing it and am so happy that I am done!
I can't wait until the next one is announced.

Here is the back.

My dear friend, Vea quilted it for me while I visited with her. She did a really great job.

Hen Day - Laundry Closet

This weeks Prairie Hen Day was held at my house. After a lot of thought I decided to tackle my laundry closet. Jill was the only hen able to come so the two of us, and our trusty helpers, set out to tackle the closet.

I need storage!
Soooo..... We decided to build shelf for my closet. We learned some very important lessons along the way.

Lesson #1. Make a plan and assemble your tools.

We drew our plan; you need a top, bottom, sides, and shelves. Easy enough. With two brains there we made less mistakes with the math.
Can you see our "woman tool" we used ...... the rotary cutting ruler??!! Hee Hee. We couldn't find the proper tool and knew that one would work too. (we also learned that a table saw would have been a better tool for us to use than the circular saw, our cuts weren't exactly strait.)

Lesson #2. Make sure you have Good Help.

Jeddie was a big help. He used up all the battery power in the cordless drill so we were able to use our muscles and drive the screws in my hand. He did a good job of distressing the wood for us.

Lesson #3. Make sure you Good Help doesn't Bail on you.

Jeddie found some water and a bucket and "worked" very hard at "bailing out" his dad's wagon.

Lesson #4. Done is better than perfect!

The corners aren't square, the shelves might need a little support, but it is done, and most likely won't fall down.
Biggest Bonus, I didn't have to wait for someone to have the time to do it for me. We also had a lot of fun and nearly died laughing.

Lesson #5. Make sure everyone has a good time.

What could be more fun than power tools and fresh mud puddles?

I still need to add some casters to the shelf so I can roll it in and out of my closet. When I am done, I will post the finished project.

We also ate good food! Jill brought the fixings for some delicious chicken wraps, very tasty, and very carb friendly.

I will post the recipe as soon as I get it from her.

Sexy Apron Day is Open for Business

Sexy Apron Day is finally up and functional as my new Etsy Store.
My new Banner was made by the very talented Deanna at Domestic Chicky Designs.
What is Sexy Apron Day?
Have you ever had one of those days when you just needed something extra to get up and do what had to be done? or one of those days when you are feeling spicy and sassy and need something to express it?

Sexy Apron Day aprons are short and sweet and sassy. Some are also are soft and sweet and sugary. They express your mood and give you a lift when doing the things you have to get done around your house.
Your apron is your uniform you wear when you serve and protect your family (what ever size that is from 1 to 20). Why not make a statement about your personality with it.

Our apron right now is my own design based on antique aprons I have had in the past. This apron is double sided. This offers you two sides of expression and and emergency clean apron. My friend also pointed out that they often off a flour side and a tomato paste side for the messy cook. :o)
All the aprons right now also come with a ruffle. This is just a necessity for a Sexy Apron Day apron. A bit of frill always makes me happy. :o) I find myself grinning to myself and I go around my house wearing mine. An instant pick-me-up.

I just bought several new fabrics and as I have time will be posting the new aprons.
Go check them out!

Shadow Applique With Silk Flowers - Quilting Tutorial

My Fabulous sister Jeanne came for the weekend. She was our program at our quilt guild.

She taught us some really great quilting tips that I just might blog later.

One thing she showed us was Shadow Applique with silk flowers. It was gorgeous.

Here is a quick tutorial for how to do it.



Materials:

silk flowers

backing fabric

batting (something dense like cotton)

background fabric

rainbow organza

safety pins

daring foot on your sewing machine



Getting started:

1. Layer your quilt back, batting, and background fabric. Make sure that the backing and batting are slightly larger than the background piece.

2. Tear your silk flowers apart removing all plastic parts. Audition the flowers on your background. You can use leaves and fern bits, but be sure to remove and peel off any plastic.

(here is a larger one I did)

3. Now take a short break and rock your baby to sleep.

(I quilt in the real world which requires MANY interruptions from little ones and requires an occasional snuggle. You must be forgiving of my quilting later as my little prince charming was sitting on my lap as I quilting and we got a bit wobbly with the stitching.)

4. Now audition your organza and find the exact color pattern you want.

5. Now pin the layers in place, through the flower centers. Use safety pins. (the curved quilting pins are great).

6. Now you need to machine quilt your piece. Some tips here are to match the thread to the flower part you are quilting. Use a matching bobbin thread. This prevents any pop-ups from showing. Use a nondescript thread color for the background. I use a mossy green. Also, start in the center of your flower and work your way out. Do the centers of all your flowers first to help anchor your piece.

7. When machine quilting, you need a darning foot and you need to drop your feed dogs. To get started with a color, take one stitch and draw the thread to the top. This way you can be sure not to bunch up or bobbin thread on the back. When you are done you can neatly clip the threads. Remember to secure your stitching before ending too.

8. Free motion quilt around your flowers to add detail.

Here is the front and back of the small block. I don't' think it need more quilting as it is so small.

9. Fill in the background as you see fit. This adds great detail and texture to your piece. A safe way is to echo stitch around your flowers. This isn't too hard not too creative and it is easy to pull off without looking too bad.

I am going to have to practice more quilting. That was so much more fun then I though it would be. Hard but fun.

Fall Doll Quilt Begins

Here is the beginning of my fall doll quilt for the four seasons quilt swap.
I used the perfect circles applique technique from Stitch Rip Repeat.
I was time consuming but really easy. I am cooking up other ways I can apply this cool technique. Go check out her blog. It is fabulous!