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!

Smocking Arts Guild Convention Tidbits

Our National Convention was held in Atlanta, GA at the Westin Peachtree. It is the tall round building to the right. It used to be the tallest hotel in the world!

I am a little turned around in Atlanta, but I am heading in the right direction....

A better view up ahead on the left. It is missing a few windows. A tornado (the same one that hit the SuperDome a few blocks away) blew out many of the windows at the Westin and not all have been replaced. I have my trusty point and shoot camera in the front seat of the car and I am just shooting thru the window!

My first class on Wed is with Wendy Schoen. She is one of the best fine hand embroidery teachers I know.

We are learning 'Jacobean' Embroidery with 'Goldwork'. This is her sample piece in which she calls us up in groups to watch her demonstrate.

Her stitching is perfect. And she is fast! Her designs are beautiful. The class included a pincushin and embroidery scissors case. The needle case in the background is a different class.

If Wendy is ever in your area teaching a class or if you are ever in the Greater New Orleans area, check out her teaching/school schedule. You will not regret taking a class from Wendy.

Our convention planner takes very good care of us food wise. Look at this marvolous Ceaser Salad! And yes, it was as good as it looks.

And desserts!!!!!! Yum Yum!!!! Too much goodness!

And what do you do when you get too much goodness?

Enjoy a few bites then cover it with salt and pepper! Just in case you fall into temptation....
Now who was it that gave us that advice???? {tapping chin softly....}

Table decorations one day were the sweet smocked Wee Care/Preemie Gowns. Hundreds were made by members attending from all over the states and Canada, Australia (and I cannot remember if there were other countries represented or not.) The gowns were made by hand and donated to be given to the Greater Atlanta Hospitals and I think they were also going to be divided (one of you gals correct me if I am wrong with this statement) amongst the guilds represented to be taken back home and given to their local hospitals.

I have lots more to share. Tons more photos to download, etc. I have to share my roommate's (Maja Clayton of Maja's Heirlooms) adventure and her testimony that came out of it.

Sunday Video

Word of God Speak by: Mercy Me.