Tea Swap Items

I recently participated in an online tea swap. It was an Autumn Tea Swap, but I used pink to wrap everything up in b/c I like pink!

Now that my swap partner has her package, I thought I would share was was in the wrapped packages. :-)

Oh yum!!! I shopped a little early for these. They were a little hard to find. I do not care what brand they are, they are always good. Don't eat too many at once!

I received a container of these in a swap one time and loved them! When I can find them, it is always the last box. I guess everyone else loves them too!

Of course, an assortment of bagged teas...

A pretty mug to drink tea, hot chocolate or coffee in.

A mouse pad calendar!

And assortment of flavored black lose teas!

A tin of Miss Rose Marie's Special Blend Teas from Miss Rose Marie's Tea Room.
She sells them under the label Mrs. Teas. This is a delicious tea served hot or cold.


A Tea Pot lid holder ....

...w/drip collector. I have one and love it.

This tea swap was much much fun to participate in and put together. :-D

A Wonderful GiveAWay

Linda at Blue Gate Blog is having a fabulous Thankful Giveaway! Go over to her site and look at the beautiful things that she makes. She has a store, she also takes commission orders. To register for her giveaway, click here and then come back to my site and tell me what you think of her Creations!

I've Been Boo'd!

I've been Boo'ed!!!! Sally over at Smiling Sally Boo'ed me. Now I am supposed to pass this along to others who have not yet been Boo'ed and display it in my side bar so y'all will know that I have been Boo'ed! Those who I have passed it along to link back to my blog, select to a few more friends to pass it along to and so on and so forth. :-)

Anni over at Hootin' Anni's gave me this nice sweet treat just to decorate my blog with. Thanks Anni!

Dinner Time!

Yum yum! Family favorite!

You will need a half a bag of Navy Beans (whole bag if you have a big pot and
like it heavy on the beans. ;-))

Some baking Soda. 2007! I hope this box still works!

A bowl of hot tap water.
Pour about 1/4 cup of the baking soda
into the bowl. Stir it around. Add the Navy Beans and let them soak 4-8 hours.

Beans will look plump and round. Pour them into a colander.

Rinse thoroughly.

Next you will need Apple Cider Vinegar.

I cook my beans in my grandma & grandpa's old 2 qt iron pot.
Beans taste so good when cooked in this pot. Yum!

Add about 2 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Vinegar to the Beans.
Between the Baking Soda Soak and the Apple Cider Vinegar, much of gas is removed from the beans. In other words, you will not have any indegistion and no
'Beano' needed after eating this chili.


I do like to add some chili powder to my beans. I cook them until they are tender.


Eeewwwuuuu! This photo is out of focus! This is a pot with about
5-6 chicken breasts. I add a few seasonings to them. Chilli powder, black pepper, garlic, dried minced onion. Little sea salt.


After the chicken is through cooking. Chop or shred the chicken and set aside. Strain the broth through a sieve and add back to the large pot. Discard sieve contents.


You will need a few more ingredients. I like Ro-Tel (and the really hot stuff, but my family likes the mild so I just add tobacco to my bowl...) cilantro (fresh, dried or in a tube), more garlic, I really love fresh bell or sweet pepper, or hot pepper, but my family does not, so I leave it out.


I also include a quart of tomatoes. I either used fresh or fresh frozen.
Can should be fine if that is what you have on hand.

Oh, and cannot forget! A blend of Cinnamon & Sugar! 1-2 Tablespoons. Sometimes I just add 1 tablespoon of Cinnimon. I do not want it all that sweet.

Add the Chicken back to the pot and cook for 2-4 hours.
(Chili can cook forever!) In a crock pot, it can cook all day.


And corn bread? Can't beat a box of Jiffy!


Garnish with cheese, onions, corn chips, whatever you like. Oh yum! This can last a few days. Great for a busy week. Always tastes better the next day.


And always great with a salad on the side.

Enjoy!

Sunday Video

Fine Machine Sewing (at Smocking Convention)

Since I am getting my artisianship in Fine Machine Sewing, I thought I would take a class in Fine Machine Sewing.
I chose a class taught by Gail Doan, Pin Tucked Bonnet, Fine Machine Sewing. A really nice class.

I have known Gail for many years on the internet. Seems like my DD and her youngest are about the same in age. We met briefly years ago at a Martha Pullen School of Art and Fashion. Maybe at of couple of those. (I have only gone to two.) And now Gail is a teacher! Actually, she has been teaching for a while. Seems like she was teaching at the last SAGA Convention that I went to.

Gail is a wonderful designer and had been featured in Sew Beautiful, Australian Smocking and Embroidery and other publications as well.

Here are some nice pintucks in our piece.

Gail is assisting a student.

These two bonnets have their ruffles, and some of their lace and ribbon. They are almost finished.The will be finished off with blue silk ribbon.

Here are some samples of Gails other bonnet designs and bonnet classes that she teaches.

Gail shows us how to make the silk ribbon Rosette.


Isn't it just beautiful!

A lovely bonnet for a baby to wear with a pretty day gown, Easter Dress or to wear to church on Sunday Morning. It will make a nice gift that any mother will just love.

If Gail is ever in your area teaching classes, it will be well worth your time to sign up. She is an excellent teacher. Just wonderful. A great class and a great project.

This is also my Friday Show and Tell for this week hosted by Kelli of "There's No Place Like Home". To see more Show and Tell's click here.

More Smocking Convention Tibits

It has been years since I have taken a class from Keri Mecca of Kari Me Away. A wonderful Heirloom Sewer, Artisan, Teacher and Designer with a 'Whimsical' touch. That is sometimes funky. If Kari is ever in your area teaching a class or if you are ever in the LA, CA area, it would be well worth your time to take a class from her. She is a wonderful teacher.

I love her style. She takes Smocking, Goldwork, Stumpwork, Jacobean, Whitework, Silk Ribbon and Lace and makes them all her own.

In her class we made the Silk Sewing Companion. It is a lovely Silk lined Linen Hussif that has several layers of wool Dr's. flannel used to hold needles.

There are a good bit of supplies in our kit.

I had to trace all of my designs onto the linen.

Just a little sample of the inside of the hussif.
The class involved stumpwork, silk ribbon, gold couching and beading.

And see the layers of the wool? Very nice.

The back of Keri's stitching looks as good as her front!

Fun Fun Class!

Another little thing about Kari, she saved Maja and me (or at least me) from starvation on Friday night. Market at Maja's Heirlooms got busy before supper time and stayed that way. We did not get any supper or even think to send anyone to get anything until it was too late and I was beginning to feel sick. (All that chocolate.) Kari had a salad that she had not eaten (meals are way too big and after ordering it, shared someone else's meal.) and she gave it to me. Maja was not hungry. I was starving, but this was a huge salad and I only ate 1/2. When Maja realized that it was the Chicken Ceasar from the Lounge, she ate part of the other 1/2. It was good. Thanks Kari!

More Smocking Convention Tibits

Smocking for Adults!

If my history serves me correctly, smocking started out as embellishment for the common workman's clothing. Mainly the over clothes used to protect his better clothing underneath and it was smocked to give it an ease. Then ladies began to smock their aprons and pinafores. Then children's, and so on. A master or wealthier shepherd, might have a smock to work in and a fancier smock for formal attire. Then smocking became more of a leisure art and a way to make a living. Worn by those who could afford it, or children who have talented mothers or grandmothers. Or, again, someone in the family who could afford it.

Well now it is becoming popular with adults again!

As I shared with you on my blog yesterday, my roommate at convention was Maja Clayton of Maja's Heirlooms. She designs beautiful children's clothing patterns of both classic and modern styles for the Heirloom and Smocking world. Below is a photo of her first adult pattern!

This is the adult version of the Elsa. It is an empire (are we still using that term?) bodice with smocking pleats across the bustline. Maja only smocked above and below the bustline. She added swiss embrodiered lace on the trim below the waste. It is a very nice pattern. My guild plans on making it as a program. I believe Maja used Amy Butler fabric in this piece, but someone, please feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

The Elsa can be made as a top, a dress or a tunic to be worn over leggings.

Here is a close up of the band between the smocking and the bottom of the top.


Maja Modeling the Adult Elsa.
This blouse is back smocked just above and just below the bustline

Back view. (You can tell I did not think this out well.....)
An elastic casing is in the back to give ease.

Another view of the adult Elsa top worn by Maja, in a PortabellaPixie (Sandi Henderson) print marketed by Micheal Miller. This is one of the sleeve treatments Maja likes to use on the blouse. It has 'give' without being so full.

Here are several of Maja's outfits for children. The Pink and Brown is one of my favorites. It has an insert with a Frances Masina (sp?) Jones design smocked on it. I have that plate. Later on I will go look it up and correct this and give the name of the plate. I know some readers will ask.

The outfit worn by the maniquin in the back is Christi. Cute cute cute! And yes, Maja knows she needs to come out with an Adult version. This version of the Christi is the "winter/Christmas version". Change out the pants and you have a spring summer version. Cool huh?!? Hey make the most of the smocking while they can wear it.

"My Hope is Not in This World... or in thread or fabric or in..."

On Friday we have Market. Maja goes out to her van to take to the loading dock and find herself one of those 'Trolly Guys' (our term for Bell Hop) and this is what she finds.

Yes, her van has been broken into.

And though at first, she seemed a little stressed, she ate lunch. She has a really sweet spirit, b/c she took it a lot better than I would have. A true testimony to her Savior. Most people would have called it quits. But not Maja. She got her police report. Knew God had a plan for all of this. Stayed calm. Stated several times that (and I am sure we all would agree with her) she would not want to trade places with the person/people who broke into her van and stold her Ready to Smocks.

The bugurlars had really dirty hands. They left smudgy prints everywhere. Probably nothing that the sweet police officer could use. He said the prints were pretty smudgy. I felt like a CSI. He posed for me.

Isn't he cute? So nice, and sweet. No visible tatoos or body percings either. Very respectful to both Maja and me. The kind of guy your would want your DD to meet. ;-) Maja has a DD old enough... My only DD is only 10. I would have to wait a few years before I bring home a guy like that for her to meet. Since I did not get his permission to publish his photo.... it is a tad dark and a bit cut off.... on purpose. But you can tell he is a cutie.

All the burgulars took were about 2/3's of the 'Ready to Smocks' that Maja had made. They were out of Amy Butler and Sandi Henderson fabrics. Really fun today funky fabrics.

If they needed them and had asked her for them, she would have given the clothing to them. Smocked first of course. The officer believes the clothing will show up in the homeless district. Perhaps on a child, unsmocked with all the pleater threads showing and tied off.

Because of the way the van was positioned, etc, they did not have time to get inside to get much. They were either scared off or something. And we knew they had to be men b/c they left several bags of chocolates sitting right there.

There was messy glass everywhere.

They did leave the Maniquins! The left the Chocolate (that's how Maja and I know it was a man/men), they left patterns, store fixtures, Ginger Blousom Snippits kits, etc. Just took some ready to smocks and really messed up a window. And FABRIC! She had plenty to sell at market.

But as Maja testified "We live in a fallen world and my hope is not here, but in my Savior."
What a lady!