A Taste of Christmas! Ginger Cookies

Gnomies Pincushion/Plush Pal/Ornament digital pattern HERE.

Soft GINGER Cookies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together:

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. molasses

1 egg

In a separate bowl sift together:

2 c. flour

2 t. soda

1 t. ginger

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. cloves

1/2 t. salt

Mix together well.

Roll into 1" balls, then roll in granulated sugar. 

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Yield:  48 cookies

Crispy outside, chewy inside... delicious!

For this and more fun & tasty, quick & easy, mouthwatering,

prize-winning recipes, check out our family cookbook HERE.

~ the Momma

Makers Gotta Make....

After a couple of sewing/quilting sessions with La-li, here is what her little pile of creations looked like. 

Clockwise from left to right:  Naugahyde tulip bag, Sleeve bag, Embroidery, pencil bag, OMQG nametag,
 customized notebook, hand stitched coin purse, fabric billfold purse.

Sunset was coming on, but she was Über excited to "Sew-n-Tell"!

A big, yellow Tulip Bag for Cissy!

Complete with grommets and hardware!

Assorted baggage & ebroidery:

The green zipper bag is made from the sleeves of a cute old shirt she wore in High School; found at the Thrift store, likely from the 70s.  The second is a quilted pencil bag from cute scraps lying around the sewing room, and the embroidery is her own needlework.

Re-do of a quilted nametag for the Oahu Modern Quilt Guild:

Lali removed elements from a nametag she didn't like and repositioned in a new setting.  Momma quilted and bound it with crochet-edged bias trim, then added a ribbon lanyard.  The little sewing machine is based on a pattern HERE. <<

 

New wallet!!

Perfect fabrics for a summer purse in Japan!

Ohmigosh, so cute - both the girl and her collection!

Come back for another sewing day, soon!

~the Momma

Girls' Night - Sew Fun!

It has been forever since the girls and I were able to sit down and sew together!  I usually have to bribe and beg, but this time, they all wanted to work on a project.  Makes a Momma so happy!

Chelsea found this cute fabric last year to make herself a cute Hipster bag, and wanted to use the leftover scraps for an apron.  I just happened to have a colorful dishtowel and some jumbo ric-rac in my stash that matched perfectly, along with some leftover binding strips that she could use for the ties!

A little glue stick, a few pins, a bit of stitching... Done in no time and just "sew" adorable!!  Especially for a girl who loves to cook!

Dishtowel Apron Pattern

Nicole has been trying to finish her Cuddly throw for ages - and the fur was flying!!  It's Cuddlesoft designer plush fur (Minky), with long, hairy white cuddle for the outer band.  And since it was so slippery as well as hairy - it took about a million pins to make it manageable, tucking the hair inside the seam and pinning about every inch.  Or less.

See my  Best Tips for Sewing With Plush Fur

Then the hairy trim turned out to be about 5 inches short - aargh!

So we patched in some more and it worked!  She finished sewing on the back the next day.  Here is Princess Cuddlesoft!

Lauren was finishing up her Capstone project for her Family Studies degree at BYU, a beautiful silk Kimono!

She hand-dyed the Dupioni silk, and found a Japanese pattern which she and her husband interpreted, then she made the kimono and all the accessories to go with it.  She figures it took about 180 hours in research, design, prep and construction.  In this picture, sleeves were not yet attached, but she was pretty excited it was coming together.  Can you see the ombre look she was trying to achieve with the blue dye?  Awesome.

Hanging out in the sewing room with my girls is more than just sewing!  The giggles, the fun, the sheer joy of making beautiful things together has been an enormous part of our lives.  Stitched together with love.

~the Momma

~ ~ ~

P.S.  Here are some photos of Lauren's finished project.  You can see the lotus flower design she created in the skirt.

Beautiful.

Hipster Bags!

We've had fun making up sweet little Hipster Bags!

They're the perfect size with an extra-long strap to sling over a shoulder and wear on your hip.  (Note to self: Is that why they call it a "hipster"? Ask the kids.)

Chelsea's:

So cute!  Ricky Raccoon fabric

Back, plus a little bonus cardholder/wallet (<click for tutorial)

For a trip to New York earlier this summer, I made mine with a "New York Beauty" quilt block on the front.  Because, you know.  New York!

   the Momma's:

Check out the cool Temari Ball zipper fob made by Lauren!

Next is Nicole's sweet "Cruisin'" hipster bag:  

Room for the wallet, phone, sunglasses and..... PASSPORT!!! Yeah!  Perfect for all the necessities when we head out on our Quilt Cruise to the Bahamas next Spring!

Here is the link to the FREE Hipster Bag PATTERN < designed by my friend Sharon for Riley Blake Designs.   A great beginner project for kids and adults alike.  And the zipper installation could not be more simple!  Check this out:

Press upper pocket section in half,
 slip the zipper inside and stitch along the fold,

enclosing the edge of the zipper tape.  

 Press away from the zipper. 

 Now press the lower pocket piece in half,
 slip the zipper inside and stitch along the folded edge
enclosing the other side of the zipper.

Press pocket pieces away from the zipper and edge-stitch on each side of the zipper(s).

We added an extra zipper at the top of the bag plus two more layers of lining - to hold just a little more stuff.  Absolutely perfect!  I predict more Hipster Bags in the future...

And... since I taught the girls to install zippers, we've each earned our ZIPPER merit badge from SewMamaSew!  It's their "Teach A Friend to Sew" Series, and you can find out about it here:
SewMamaSew.

Here are more quick links in case you're interested:
HIPSTER BAG
TEMARI BALLS
NY BEAUTY QUILT BLOCK

~the Momma

Chelsea's new favorite...

 Chelsea's been doodling with our new giant sewing machine...

She loves horses and the color teal - This Laurel Burch panel really fits the bill!

Perfection!

~The Momma

Thimblechaser Crafts

Lauren and Ryler had fun with a little craft booth at The Summer Flea.

Ryler did custom Japanese Kanji calligraphy.

Lauren made stuff:
     Mannequin pincushions.

    ... by the dozen...

     Wallets.  See more HERE.

    Other stuff:  Stuffed stuff, Monster Crayon Bags, Book Purses, Framed Marker Boards

Adorable crocheted jewelry.

You can find Lauren's extras on her Thimblechaser Etsy Store!  Custom orders:  801-678-3529, or email stellar.galloshes@gmail.com.  *Ü*

See more of Lauren's creative pursuits on her blog:  THIMBLECHASER.

Chelsea's Been Sewing!

 Sewing...

Smiling... (I don't blame her - look at those perfectly matched points!  She did a little happy dance too...)

Making the binding...

Quilted by Mom...

Minkee backing... yum.

Beautiful!

Star Medallion Lap Quilt << PATTERN

Remember Chelsea's prize-winning quilt?

She also received a 4th Place ribbon at the State Fair!  (Very cool, as ribbons awarded at the State Fair are only given to 5 places per category).  Even Charley is impressed.

This is the payoff for Chelsea hanging out in the sewing room for all those years - not only in $$, but in confidence.  Well done, Chelsea!

~The Momma