Sewing Day with Mom

Yesterday my mom came over and we had a "Sewing Day".  I had such a great time.  My mom is working on a jean quilt, decided what pattern she wanted to do and started cutting away.  I decided I would work on one of many projects: a fleece John Deere blanket.  It was my first time doing a self-binding blanket.  After watching instructions on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqwdNqMZ8Ro) and downloading instructions I found online, I was ready to begin!

A couple weeks ago I cut the fabric as needed (I did it for an adult so its MUCH bigger than the tutorial).  Can I just say that working with fleece is a bit more difficult?  However, I love the finished products every time and fleece is just so comfy.

If I were to sew another blanket like this I would do the solid color as the "backing" material and the decorative fabric in the front, basically switching the way I sewed it this time.  Also, when we (I say we because my mom was wonderful and helped for a bit) sewed the top-stitch, we used a special stitch which looks like a tractor tire mark.  I kept saying, "I just can't get over how great this looks on the blanket, this stitch is so perfect for this blanket!"

I also worked on another project that is close to being done... but I will wait to post or say anything until its completed.  Mom and I had a fun "Mother - Daughter" day as we worked on projects, talked and listened to fun country gospel music.  One of our favorites is from Alison Krauss, "I'll Fly Away", the cd "Amazing Grace III: A Country Salute to Gospel" and of course...Johnny Cash.  I can't wait to have another sewing day with mom!

Here are the pics of the tractor blanket:

~The Hated Stinging Nettle Plant~

For anyone who has came into contact with a stinging nettle plant...you will probably agree with me when we say out-loud, "ouch! stupid weed." or even "why did God create these stupid things! They are useless!" My neighbor will confirm that these grow quite rapidly around our houses and they grow...like...weeds. Argh.

I hate them.

But wait. Should I? I'm reading more and more information on my health and trying to go as "all natural" as possible. I just came across that "Nettle Tea" relieves allergies.

WHAAAAT????

Yup, that is right...it is a good plant. No longer a weed. Here is my problem. I just recently purchased weed killer to kill the dumb things and now I wonder 'how can I grow these but try to contain them?' Maybe I will plan them in in a bucket or something and put them in my garden and kill the rest because they really do hurt.

I googled the beloved plant (no...do not call it a weed anymore!) and here is a pretty cool website: http://nettle-tea.weebly.com/. I'm going to quickly quote some AMAZING qualities/benefits of this plant!

"Stinging nettle tea has anti-inflammatory properties that will help with joint pain and arthritis (both from drinking the tea or putting it on straight to the joints - the tea, never the leaves!). These properties help open nose cavities, too, providing relief from hay fever as well as other allergies."

"As nettle tea is a natural diuretic (meaning it cleans out your body), it assists in the relief of urinary tract infections and kidney stones. It may also relieve diarrhea symptoms; but just be careful, as drinking a large amount of stinging nettle tea also acts as a laxative! "

"Internally, it seems like there's no end as to what nettle tea will do to the body. To begin with, nettle tea is rich in vitamins: A; C; E; B1; B2; B3; B5; calcium; iron; folate; potassium; magnesium; manganese; phosphorous; selenium; and zinc - Why would you need daily supplements after having a pot of nettle tea?"

~Home Grown~

Has it really been over a month since I've posted??? I have been living my "Allergen-Free" lifestyle now for 2 months! I have been doing really good and have been feeling much better. I will admit though, there have been a couple of times when I've eaten things that I shouldn't have: a chocolate/candy that has nuts or dairy in it, etc. I've definitely seen a difference though because when I did slip up...I paid for it! I had a headache the next day, had trouble with sinuses and was tired. You would think I would have learned by now! There are still temptations though. However; I'm getting much better at knowing when my weak moments are and trying to stay strong during those times.

This last month has been really busy too and so its been harder to stay as focused like before. So hopefully March will be a better month as far as my eating and new lifestyle goes. I am very thankful that God gave me the strength not to "go off the deep end" once I slipped up.

Something that I've enjoyed is eating my own home-grown lettuce and spinach leaves. My brussel sprouts are also starting to bloom and I'm planting Kale, cabbage and collared greens. I can't wait to see them grow! There is nothing better (okay, I'm sure there is...but with food at least) than eating the fresh food you've grown, nurtured and prepared! Yum

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~Baptism Dress and Blanket~

I found the pattern for the dress off of the internet and made it in 2003. I made this blanket and dress for my brother and sister-in-law's family (Hans and Michelle), when Alyssa was a baby. Alyssa, Chloe and Emily have worn the dress for their baptism's and all four of the kids used the blanket when they were baptized. I was honored to make it for their special occasion.

First photo is Pierce being baptized, second and third are of Emily!

~John Deere Quilt~

Made Christmas/New Years of 2009

Pierce was my first nephew that was born and I was excited to make a John Deere Quilt! I designed this myself, did all of the cutting and the piecing up until the last couple steps.

The mistake I made in designing this quilt (the 2^nd one I’ve ever done) was in choosing the fabrics. Never again will I choose 3 different kinds of materials that are completely different in stretch and tightness. I was home on a holiday and mom was helping me finish this. We were both having a rough time with it. After realizing how hard it was going to be to sew the backing, batting and front piece together with all of the different materials on the front – and by realizing this I mean we had to rip out a large portion of the piecing – my mom decided that it would just be easier for her to finish it.

To add a bit of a personal touch, I added his name (both first and middle) with a Bible verse that correlates to the meaning of each name.

Thanks to mom…it turned out to be a beautiful quilt with different textures!

~Tractor Hat for Baby~

Here is a hat I crocheted last fall to give a friend for a baby present. She showed me a knitted tractor hat but I can't knit. So I secretly found a pattern for crochet and then surprised her with this for her baby boy! I am currently making two more for both of her boys in order to match. And I'm making another two for my neighbors boys. These are perfect for cute little country guys!

~DIY: A Froggie-Fleece Feel Good Blankey!~

I'm sure many of you know how to make a simple fleece tie blanket...but for those of you who don't, I will be showing the steps here. It is easy...anybody can do it! Recently, I was in JoAnns and saw some cute fleece material. So I got some, took it home and thought, "what am I going to make with this?" I decided on making 4 fleece blankey's for some kiddos...whoever they may be.

Step 1: Lay out the material you have (it can be whatever size). With fleece-tie blankets you want to use two fabrics. So lay them flat, on top of each other. Cut out the rectangle. The size I used for these blankets are approximately 29" x 37".

Step 2: Cut out your corners. I have put my sewing ruler on one corner to show you that I cut a 3" square on the corners.

Step 3: Cut strips across all 4 sides of the blanket, approximately an inch wide, using the square corners as a guide for how long to cut your strips. Do not worry...I didn't measure my strips, some are longer than others and that is okay! Because once you tie the blanket you won't be able to tell.

Step 4 & 5: Starting wherever you want, begin by tying the two fabric together. Remember, you have your two fabrics laying on top of each other and so each strip will match up. Just tie each strip in a knot, all the way around your blanket. Once again...do not fret. Your blanket will look all scrunched up and for those perfectionists out there you may think you tied everythin

g too tight. This is how it will look like (see below). Doesn't it look a lot smaller?

Step 6: Take hold of the blanket with both hands and stretch it out. You may hear the material snap, crackle and pop a little. Stretch it out all the way around the blanket until it lays flat. You may have to do the corners moreso than the rest of the blanket. First picture is how the blanket/your hands look before stretching. The second is while you are stretching it.

And Ta-da...you've got your comfy, frog blanket! The finished piece measured about 30.5" by 22" excluding the ties. Once I get some of my other projects finished, I'm going to design a frog beanie to go along with this cute blanket for some babies! I've made larger ones for myself and my two nieces as well...they are nice, warm and comfy for all ages!

~Hooter Hider - aka: Nursing Cover!

Yes, there are many popular names to describe my most recent "project": hooter hiders, udder covers or nursing covers. My sister-in-law is pregnant and a week ago Saturday I helped host a baby shower for her. The gender of the little baby is a surprise. Often I hear her talking to the baby as "my little monkey", so when I saw the fabric with monkey's on it, I knew I had to use it to make a hooter hider.

The pic is Ashley modeling the nursing cover...and me peeking out :)

Hopefully, when I have enough items to sell, I will be opening up an Etsy account. Until then I will post projects on here, DIY projects and more.

Projects, projects, projects...

I will hopefully be posting pictures soon of projects I am working on and will be completing! Here is a list of things I am currently working on:

-3 dinosaur hats

-4 tractor hats

-baby quilt (for my nephew/niece) with a monkey on it. I'm super excited about this and am going to by sister-in-law's tonight to work on it with her!!!

-soon to be working on: baby quilt for my baby niece with a ladybug theme

-a twin-sized quilt for my 8 year old niece, Alyssa, which is almost completed

-Crochet baptism blanket (and possible dress)

-Quilt for myself

-And about 20 nursing covers/hooter hiders!

**This pic is a sneak-peak of the fabric I'm using for some of my hooter-hiders!

So what the heck am I even eating?

A lot of people say to me, "so basically you eat air then" when I tell them what I am allergic to. There are quite a lot of things I actually CAN eat! Here is a yummy recipe (remember the 1 pound of Cruciferous Veggies A DAY that I need to eat?) for a Gluten/Dairy-free Coleslaw:

http://www.wholeliving.com/132454/sweet-and-spicy-coleslaw

*I did not include the jalapeno nor the apple which would make it spicy. I wanted the salad to last several days as I was doubling the recipe. I ate it one night with shrimp, another with salmon, another with chicken...and it always tasted good!

**19.5 days of being "allergen-free". Praise the Lord!!!

***This is a shout out to all my friends at the Young Adults group in Fresno...you know who you are!! :). After being busy or gone for the last 2 months, trying to get a hold on what I CAN eat, etc, I haven't been able to go but once. It was SO AMAZING to see all of you last night, to worship, laugh, and talk.

~2 whole weeks!~

It has been 2 whole weeks and 2 days of being "allergen-free" and let me tell you...it has not been easy. However; I feel a lot better. Whenever I feel a moment of weakness coming on, I just tell myself, "this is a new way of life - not a diet - this is something I'm choosing to do so that I feel better and can better glorify God." And it helps.

This is the longest I've gone "allergen-free" and I'm so thankful! I just take 'one day at a time' as the ol' saying goes and regularly pray for God's courage to get me through. Hopefully, one day soon, it won't be such a struggle and it will come as second nature to me; because (as I'm sure you all know) changing things in life are always hard at first but having good discipline always pays off in the end. The verse, Philippians 4:13, is one that I have been clinging to, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Something that has been super helpful is the full version Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; That I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever in the next. Amen. --Reinhold Niebuhr

~The Great and Mighty Juno~

My 6th month old puppy, Juno, was finally able to get back home with me on Sunday after being at my parents house for a month and a half. She was too big to fit through my "doggy-door" and I wasn't finished building my fence (with the help of some buff guys I know) for her. After playing with Juno in my backyard I knew she needed to burn off some energy.

"Let's go for a bike-ride," I said to Juno. Off I go to get my bike out of the barn, pump up the tires while Juno is getting excited right on the other side of the fence. I grab the leash, open the gate, clip Juno onto the leash and we walk through a small field to a dirt road. My neighbor, Kara, was also by the barn and was giving her two boys a ride on their pony.

Kara hollers, "have fun on your bike ride!"

"I'm sure we will!" I respond back.

So off we go. Once we reach the dirt road I get on my bike and starting pedaling at a slow speed. I make sure to train Juno to stay on the right side of my bike while the leash is on and she definitely learned fast! "You are such a smart girl!" I say to Juno.

We turn the corner by the edge of the field and Juno does even good with that. There are not as many distractions now and Juno was doing so well so I gain speed, saying, "Let's Go, Juno...come on!" We are going at top speed for about thirty seconds when all of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I see Juno take off into the field. Its too late...I can't react in time. As I'm yelling, "Noooooo....Juuuuunnnnnnoooooo" (in slow motion for effect), my right hand which is holding the leash and the handle bar yanks to the side, jolting my bike along with it. I somehow managed to let go of it all as my body flew forward, hitting the hard dirt ground with a thud. I roll over, sit up and am greeted my Juno who is sitting right next to me and licking my face.

I begin laughing. I look up to try to see if Kara and her boys are watching me but I can't tell. I laugh even harder imagining that they are probably laughing while wondering if I was okay.

So I slowly stand up, stand my bike up, grab the leash and hop back on as I'm thinking, "you've got to get right back on the horse". This time I keep the slow speed. Juno did great...even better than before!

Once I got back home, I walked over to my neighbors and as she was sitting on the couch with a friend I asked, "Did you just see me eat loads of crap on my bike?" She just started busting up laughing while trying to say, "no." So I explained what happened.

So...now that I know what not to do, I'm gonna let you know what to do when training a dog to run with you while on a leash for the first time:

1.) Make sure he/she is fully used to the leash.

2.) While riding a bike, I recommend not using a leash that can expand in length - that way they know they can't go very far.

3.) Stay at a slow pace the whole bike ride for the first time.

4.) I recommend biking gloves (which I had on, thankfully), so if you do happen to fall...you won't get as scraped up.

The END

Sidenote: It has been 9 full days of being "allergen-free"! Woo hoo!

ROAAAAAAAR!!!

Does anyone like Dinosaur's? Well, my nephew does and so for his birthday I made him a little Dinosaur hat. I gave it to him right after he took a nap so you can see he gave me the "eye" when I was taking a picture of him. But it didn't take him very long to be running around, "roar-ing" and I was later told that evening he wore it (yes, even in the house) for a huge chunk of the rest of the day.

I got the pattern from: "Baby Bird Patterns" on Etsy while I was in the checkout getting another pattern from her. As I started crocheting, I made

many changes due to personal preferences. However, I love the spikes and they are not flimsy...they stay up!

1.) My nephew has a large (and may I say a darn cute) head, so I had to change the pattern and make it MUCH longer than what the original pattern called for. I also made one extra row of expanding the width of the hat.

2.) I prefer not to have ear-flaps on hats I make, which is another reason why I made hat longer.

3.) Because I didn't make ear-flaps, I also didn't make the "teeth".

4.) As I was sewing the spikes on top, I was explaining to some friends that I'm not sure about what "eyes" I want to make. We all agreed that it would look better without eyes -just because if you are taking pictures, etc, then you get a double-eye effect which may look odd. Also...this way the child wearing the hat can be the dinosaur.

I'm already working on 2 similar hats for twin boys! I will post pictures as soon as I'm done.

I have a couple other super cute patterns from "Baby Bird Patterns" which includes a 'sleeping owl hat' and cowboy boots to crochet. I can't wait to get started on them!

"And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good." ~ Genesis 1:25.

I've made it FIVE days! And let me tell ya...today was definitely the hardest one of all!!!

Here is a tip for anyone who is trying to change their eating habits:

There will always be a time when temptation is at its finest. You need to be a detective as to when those times are. A lot of people will just try to use "self-will" in order to not cheat when they are around friends, in a stressful situation or out shopping.

The key is, to have a SUBSTITUTE. I'm sure all of you have heard that at some point in your life, "when you are trying to change a bad habit, replace it with a good one." Well, how can you have a 'good habit' of eating a sweet with friends, craving a chocolate in the check out line or you want to get your hands on whatever food is closest during a crisis?

Since I'm not on a "diet" where I have to count calories, I'm able to bring along some chocolate I have found that I can actually eat. There are also some recipes for "baked goods" also. I also bring rice cakes with honey or caramel flavor, etc. This takes away the temptation for me while satisfying my sweet tooth!

***The chocolate I have found can be found online or at Whole Foods. I always look for a sale as they aren't the cheapest. For anyone who has loads of food allergies, make sure to look for the ones you can't and can eat (ie: they also make milk chocolate products, so I can't eat those). They have an amazing dark chocolate with real mint! For those who also love mint chocolate.

~A New Way of Life~

If you know me personally, you may know that recently I've found out I'm allergic to several different foods. I am actually quite thankful for my doctor...who is AMAZING and is getting to the root of my problems.

Let me give you a small background: For the last 4-6 years I've been struggling with 'not feeling well'. Being dizzy, my vision changing, not sleeping well, being fatigued, getting migraines and having sinus problems for the first time in my life.

I went to a doctor in Chicago, not a super great one because of my insurance at the time, and was told that I "probably" have hypoglycemia. So I tried implementing all of the literature (and friends with hypoglycemia) said for me to do. But the problems persisted and got worse: lack of focus...which any graduate school student needs!...and muscle pain and more.

I moved to California in the summer of 2010. I went to see an endocrinologist who had a really good pedigree, because my physical symptoms just keep getting worse. He told me I AM NOT hypoglycemic, I don't have any thyroid issues...that I have some hormone imbalances which can be treated by medication for the rest of my life. At this point I was willing to try anything, so I went on the meds he prescribed, but the symptoms DID NOT go away. So I did my research, found a naturopathic doctor up in Washington who worked with people with weird physical problems, but does it in a natural way. And, yes, he is a Christian. So I went up to Washington in December for a week and then January of 2011 for 3 weeks in order to try to figure this thing out. He began seeing different issues but I would have to continue to see him (or someone like him) to really figure it out.

However, my insurance didn't think my "problems" were bad enough and so I went back to California...but WITH a recommendation of another Doctor, who is a friend of the one up in Washington. So I made a couple trips to L.A., where the doctor is located, got more labs done and then found out that my "hormone imbalances" are due to the fact my body is not liking what I'm putting into it! So now there are about 5 different issues that I am trying to work o

ut with the doctor but we are doing it in a natural way, with natural supplements, foods and different regimens. I'm already feeling better than before, I've seen progress. But the true "getting better" begins with my "Allergen-free living" - and the courage that can only come from my Father God.

So when I say I'm allergic to several different foods...I am NOT exaggerating! Let me name just a few: nuts (mainly almonds and peanuts but I need to take all of them out of my diet for awhile), eggs and oh...here is the big one: gluten. Gluten is found in all wheat products as well as MANY others. I told my doctor, please...if you tell me all other food products, I will be fine...just please, please tell me I'm not allergic to dairy. I grew up on a dairy-farm, I love milk, cheese, etc. Sure enough...I'm allergic to dairy and massively allergic to cheese products.

On top of all of these "major food groups" that I'm allergic to, there are other minor ones: peaches, oranges, pepper, etc. But for now, I'm putting most of my focus on the "big guys". I'm also going to eat A-POUND-A-DAY of cruciferous vegetables to help with detoxifying my body.

After trying to take all of the above out of my diet. I succeeded. For a week. Then the next time...two weeks. Then another week. But travels, being busy and not being disciplined enough got the best of me.

So here I go again. And this time, I hope to update a little more on amazing recipes that anyone can eat, how I'm feeling and...yes...each week of progress! I have my recipe's planned for the entire week, my grocery list made of items I don't have and I'm about to hit the road!

Here is a link to one of the recipes I'm going to make this week: http://www.godairyfree.org/Recipes/Soup/Creamy-Broccoli-Soup-II-Egg-Free-Gluten-Free-Soy-Free.html.

Are any of you fans of the San Francisco Giants?

Well, a couple months back I was asked to make 2 beanies and diaper covers for a woman who was pregnant with twins! Her and her husband are HUGE fans of the Giants...thankfully they had two adorable baby boys.

Hello to everyone!  This is my NEW blog and I'm super excited.  It is going to a be a mixture of a whole bunch of things:  things I design, make, random thoughts, happenings, etc.  Basically...a day in the life of ME!  So I hope you sit back and enjoy!