Saturday, September 6, 2014

I LOVE easy peasy microwave fabric bowls

Yes, I said I love these. They're easy to make, easy to use, and easy to clean. Does anything kitchen related get any better than that?

How often are we disappointed by kitchen gadgets that seem awesome? More often than we'd care to admit, I'd wager.

I've not been this excited about a kitchen item since Crock Pot Liners were introduced. They will always be the #1 of kitchen sexy...

Tired of burning your hands and dipping hot pads into the contents of microwaved bowls? Make an easy peasy microwave fabric bowl!

These lovely little quilted fabric bowls are made with 100% cotton fabric and sewn with 100% cotton thread, quilted with 100% cotton batting. (No poly or metallic anything, please. They'll burn or arc, or both.)

Fill your bowl with whatever you're reheating/cooking/eating, put the bowl of food into the fabric bowl. Toss it all in the microwave or eat - voila! No burnt hands, ma!




I just have to share the love... Link to one of many tutorials to make these great little gadgets below:

http://tamarackshack.blogspot.com/2012/11/microwaveable-fabric-bowl-tutorial.html

I'll quote one of my favorite comics, Bill Engvall: Yes ma'am, you are welcome.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Biomechanics + Wedding Prep + Technology = Life caught me by the short hairs

It's been a little over two months now since I checked in with y'all. Here goes:

To Count or Not to Count Update

I did resolve my inability to count beyond two, however I haven't got much knitting done.  A carpal tunnel diagnosis pretty much put the kibosh on knitting until I can have surgery to fix it. After the wedding, that is.

%$!* Wrist

Which lead to not only no knitting these past two months, but little to no typing. A splinted wrist can only do so much, and no more.  I can type right now because a cortisone injection in my wrist has finally kicked in enough to remove the splint for a very little while. But I did sew a great deal during the blog interregnum for myself, the holidays, my daughter and her wedding, because it's one of the few things I could do with my good hand in a wrist splint. 

Gift for a Friend
First of two Christmas gifts











45" x 45" 9 Patch for grandbaby

45" x 60" Simple Strips quilt for my daughter

Wedding Prep

I never assume others think like I do, but I do assume the world would be a better and more financially solvent place if more people thought like me. But, for the moment, lets assume you do think like me and have no problems with a DIY wedding.

Dear Daughter chose burlap and lace for her decorating scheme. Being an odd combination of Depression Era "If you can make it cheaper than you can buy it, always make it," and a recovering southern belle of the Emily Post variety, nonplussed is a polite way to describe my opinion of burlap at a wedding. That said, it's not my wedding and we all know what is said about opinions. As much as I hate to admit it, I am not exempt from the opinion rule. Mine stink too. But I will give her selection a substantial plus: burlap and lace can be reused in the newlywed's home as part of a shabby chic decor.

Anyway, in discussions of "burlap this," "burlap that, " and "burlap the other," I realized there were substantial pecuniary savings to be had in making some of the burlap decorations for the wedding and reception instead of purchasing everything. Neither Emily Post nor my Depression Era grandparents were opposed to saving money. Nor am I. 

Rule number 1: Preferentially buy everything but the food on clearance where you can. Shop around to do this, and start early.You may love a particular item or look, but if you can get something really close to it on clearance, do it. For fellow cheapskates this is preaching to the choir. For you newbies to getting the best bang for your buck, it works if and only if you do it.

Rule number 2: If it's cheaper to make it than it is to buy it, always make it. Yes, factor in your time to make it against the cost, and start early. Your time matters. For instance, I was going to make the favor bags, until I found a lower cost supplier at which to buy them. The time I'm saving will go towards cooking the food for the reception and making other decorations.

Many bemoan the early Christmas store layouts, but not I. We crafter cheapskates know the number one rule of crafting for Christmas: Start early.  A crafter cannot start early if there is no seasonal merchandise to be had. Enough said.

And there are other benefits to early seasonal displays. In the Christmas section of a national hobby and craft store, I saw adorable burlap bows edged with cheapie lace, perfect for the wedding & reception decorations, save for the cost. $10 each, for cheap lace & burlap, of all things? Cheeky little retailers! 

With a little thought (I made my own bow pattern) and prescient purchasing decisions (yards of burlap bought on sale, yards & yards of lace bought on clearance), my dear daughter now has beautiful bows with nice lace at a material cost of $1 each.   Good for the wedding, reception, Christmas, Thanksgiving...  useful in the future and a gift to carry forward for the new couple. I could make more like this in the same manner, add my time and sell them on etsy for half of what the retailers charge and still make bank.  (Future enterprise for me! )
Burlap Bow (The first of many)

24" x 60" Burlap and Lace Table Runner
(to have a 12" diameter centerpiece)





















Burlap and organza wired ribbon floral arrangements for the reception tables can be reused in the home as desired. They're much less expensive than real flowers. See parenthetical ending of previous paragraph.
Guestbook Table arrangement


Consider fancying up the food service at the reception with carefully purchased pieces of white serving plate. The newlyweds can have it for their new home. Give it to them after the honeymoon of course! No pics yet, still in the pick up as I find it stage.

Technology

Other sewing & quilting or wedding projects are either completed or underway, but until I figure out how to get the pics from the new phone to the 'puter they're photos non grata. It'll wait. Not like I don't have anything else to do. 

Are you the make it yourself, if it's cheaper type too? Chime in a comment and let me know...

Back to bow making...