Beyond Comprehension

It has been a long time since my last post and there are a lot of reasons for that. It seems like we have been on a roller-coaster for a month.  I had cleared up all of my projects because I was leaving town to take two courses in BC.  Advanced Paediatric Massage Therapy for Autism one weekend and then the corresponding course for Cerebral Palsy.  This was a big stretch for us financially because I was bringing the kids as well so they could see their Dad while we were there.  We had figured a way to make it work and were getting set to go.  Then my Step-daughter had some complications with her pregnancy and was induced early.  Things did not go as planned with that intervention and she had a C-Section to successfully deliver our grand daughter.  So very quickly from a very scary low to a very excited high!  Thank God everyone is healthy and safe.  That was Thursday.

Tuesday my husband went in for a colonoscopy and I was called up to the doctors office, I thought to pick him up because he was ready to go.  When I arrived however, we were told that the doctor had found a very large mass and had done some biopsies.  He felt this was a mass to be concerned about and was 95% positive it was cancerous.  We were in shock. We were sent for blood work immediately.  I was supposed to leave for my courses on Friday morning.  Of course I didn't want to go and leave my husband with this news and no one to lean on.  After much discussion we decided that I should still go and bring the kids. This was probably the quietest week we would have for a long time.  It was very hard to go, but I did and it was a good idea.  I have family and good friends in BC.  I could cry sob and vent and not have my husband see me in a mess.  My family and friends "glue gunned" me back together and sent me back home in one piece ready to be the support my husband is going to need.  He has since had an X-ray and a Cat scan.  We meet the surgeon tomorrow and the cardiologist Thursday  (he has had a heart attack before so we need extra surgical support).

This is going to be a difficult journey that neither one of us wants to take.  I know that God has a plan for us and that we are in His hands.  This gives me peace.  I also believe that God never gives you more than you can handle, I just wish I had the same confidence in me that He has.

Thanks for letting me share, I just needed to get that out incase my blogging is sporadic for a while.  For a long time now I have just had NO words to write this down with.  Trying to keep life semi-normal for the kids has been our focus but meeting with the surgeons tomorrow is starting to shake my resolve.  If you pray, please say a word or two for my husband.  I am not proud, I will take all the help I can get.

Penny

My First Tutorial!!

Last week I promised to make a tutorial for the Apron I created for the Valentine's Day Swap.

Well, that has been an interesting journey!  Let's just say Blogger and Word via Mac don't see eye to eye!  Anyway I managed to get it into a Google document and it is here.  Please be aware that the pictures take some time to load.
I had originally copied and pasted the whole thing into a post and downloaded all the images one by one to the proper spot, but alas, Blogger wouldn't save and Post it.  So, I am sorry for the inconvenience of the extra step but I hope that you enjoy the tutorial anyway!  If you make one I would love to see it.
Have an excellent Tuesday!

Penny

Heidi Bag Pattern Review

Hi Everyone!  In case you missed my last post and don't know, I am participating in hand made version of "Pay it Forward".  I still have one more spot available, if you are interested go here for details!

I volunteered to do a pattern testing for Julie of Vibrant Designs new Heidi Bag Pattern.  It is a very cute bag and easy to construct even for the beginners.  She is hoping to get it in her shop for purchase in late February.  I wanted to show you some pictures of my final product using her pattern.  There is very little that I did differently than she instructed and that is just because I am a little "OCD" when it comes to purses!  I neeeeed a pen spot, and I neeeeeed a loop to clip spare keys to!  (I have a real habit of locking myself out if the car, house office....you get the idea!)  You can click on the pictures for a closer view...most were taken in my basement sewing room somewhere after midnight!

This is the lining side with one pocket (which fits my black berry in its case) where I added the loops for keys.

This is the lining side that has multiple pockets where I added a pen slot.
The mid section is big enough to fit 4 passports in it.

This is not a great photo but it shows the handle which you can make to suit your size.

This is a close up of the body of the bag, empty, so you can see the pleats...which I adore!

All in all I am very happy with this pattern and my daughter is already begging for this bag to be hers!

The other project that I completed recently and am very happy with is the apron I made for the Valentine's Day swap at Country Pleasures.  I designed it myself and am working on a tutorial that I hope will be done in time to post so you all have time to make on for Valentines Day if you want to!

This is my first half apron and there were a few "issues!" that I had to work my way around.  Mostly because my brain works faster than my hands and I did one step before I had done the pre-requisite step.... just once..... or twice!  Nothing insurmountable, just taxed my creativity a little lot!

Any way, I really like the final product and I plan to make one for myself and my daughter soon.  There is a pocket under that lace ruffle and a towel loop from the waist (I just tucked a piece of flannel in to it for the picture).  I like that loop feature because I don't like to wipe my hands on my apron (I know...that is the point..but...)  I usually have a towel slung over my shoulder and I thought that having a place to hang a little hand towel would be a great idea, so I put it in the pattern.  I hope that Sue likes her new apron assuming Canada Post gets it to her in time!

Well, it is time to tuck in the little ones so I hope that you all have a great weekend! Thanks for stopping by.

Time to Play....Pay It Forwards!!

I was visiting over at Lucky Duck Dreams and found out that she was playing a round of Pay It Forwards!
I am so excited to join her and Pay It Forward with some of you.

As is the tradition with Pay It Forwards, it is now my turn, so here is how it works.

1. I will make a little something of the first 3 people who comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive when you least expect it.

2. I will have 365 days to do it in. What's the catch? To get a handmade present from me, you have to play too! This means YOU pledge to send a little handmade something for 3 readers of your blog. It doesn't have to be quilty - just handmade!

3. You must have a blog.

4. Once you comment here, you must post about your Pay It Forward on your blog to keep the fun going - with the Pay It Forward badge.

I love making things and I think that sometimes a little pick me up in the mail is just what we need. It is a "mail hug" from a blog friend! Won't you play along with me?

Time spent sewing

This week has been a good one for getting things sewn, finally!

I finished the apron for the swap I joined at Country Pleasures.  Sue is my partner this time so I wanted to try a half apron for her.  I won't post the pictures yet because I am making the tutorial for it and she has not seen it yet.  I struggle with putting my sewing actions into words but I think this apron tutorial should make sense!

I also whipped up this blanket for our grand daughter who is due at the end of February.  I have many things in the works for her but alas....time is always such an issue.

These snack bags and sandwich wraps made me very happy this morning while packing lunches (which is a task I do NOT love!) Now that they are made and in use, mornings are just that much happier.  Which makes life good, because my fridge magnet says, "If Mamma ain't Happy, ain't NOBODY happy". Then at lunch the kids have a little bit of tangible Mamma love to help get them through the rest of their day.

I am also setting out today to start on a pattern testing project for the Heidi Bag over at Vibrant Designs. She has some great bags and accessories you should go have a little look see!  

Have a super great Monday!

So today, I putter...

I am off today, officially that is.  Wednesday is my real day off, but I have been home sick all week.  I almost never take time off, I have to be almost dead....and I was!  Even my kids were suggesting that I should stay home, that is just too strange!
I am feeling better today thankfully so I am puttering.  Which is also strange because I am so driven usually (to a fault!) but I seem to have no focus.  I am just reading the blog roll and realizing just how much I have to be thankful for.  Some big things, some little...

Like this little gem:  

Which makes packing bananas in lunch bags so simple!

I want to share a recipe that I am making for dinner tonight.  Nothing spectacular but yummy all the same.  It is the reason that I have the recipe that makes me smile today.  It is Mrs. Bell.  A lady I met five years ago, when I move here to take care of my parents and had to put my kids in day care.  My daughter did not do well in day care she was a stay at home Mamma's girl.  (literally kicked out of 13, yes thirteen, daycares in seven months for uncontrollable crying, aka separation anxiety!) But I really had very little choice, if I wanted to feed these little lovies, I had to work.  So to day care twice a week she went while her brother was in school.  Mrs. Bell was our saving grace.  Each time we arrived with Moo in tears, she would snuggle her up in her lap and talk to her and encourage her and say things to make her feel safe until Mamma came back.  She did this everytime.  She never got frustrated or upset with her or made her feel like she should not cry as I left.  She just held her and chatted and distracted and whatever else was needed.  She also noticed that my little Moo did not eat much.  So she took it upon herself to find something that she would eat.  Brought in her own recipe and had it passed through the day care administration hoops.  And incorporated it into the menu.  And guess what...Moo likes it!  So dear sweet Mrs. Bell gave me the recipe!
It is just a sauce that you cook on a ham that is like a glaze.  (Which surprises me because Moo doesn't eat sauce or dip of any kind...not even Ketchup!) 
So here you go:

                                      
  add your brown sugar

and then the honey

2 TBSP orange juice









and (SHHH!!) mustard

pour over ham and cook as usual!

Enjoy!

Getting Back at it!

 I guess I have been sharing the "after the season slump"  that some bloggers have been speaking of.  Not that I am in a funk or anything but this last year the ideas of what to make for whom did not come easily.  My brain hurt!  So for a week or so I have not sewn anything, which kind of makes me a little sad.  I do however want to share my favourite thing that I made last year. 

This is a journal cover that I made for one of my sisters for Christmas.  I just love how it turned out!  So much so that she almost didn't get her gift!  I used a pattern in  The New Handmade book.  I love this book and have made many items from it but this is my favourite so far.

This sheet was a thrift store find that I just had to have!  I had these exact sheets when I was little and they hold so many memories.  I really didn't like them when I was little though because the green was not my favourite colour.  I used pieces of the original sheets in a baby quilt for the sister who used to share the bed (and these sheets) with me when we were little.  Her oldest son still has that quilt!

I thought that I should show this little treasure that was given to me by Hazel as well as her stash of fabric!  It is a 1948 Singer Featherweight.  It is beautiful and it runs like a dream!  I have oiled it and cleaned it and stitched just a few lines on it.  My son loves it because the control of the foot pedal is exquisite!  When you push softly...it goes slowly, when you push harder....it goes faster!  Hopefully no more stitching through fingers for him!



In between everyone being sick through the Holidays we found a little time for comfort food! This is our favourite Monkey Bread recipe.  It goes really fast!  I had a hard time getting a picture as those tongs are in motion going in for the last few bites!                                          

Hope you have a fabulous 2011!