Craft at Your Own Risk

This week I finally convinced myself to do a crafting project that I have been wanting to do for a long time, but never got around to. I read This Blog a few months ago and thought I would try to etch our name into our Pyrex baking dishes using the same method. So I went to Hobby Lobby (i.e. greatest store on earth) and got some Armor Etch. Glad I brought my coupon, because the stuff is not cheap! $8.99 for the little bottle.

When I got home, I read the back of the Armor Etch thinking it might tell me what to do, but it didn't. All that was written on the back was a lengthy warning about how it can cause severe burns, blindness, possible death, and that it should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. Yikes! Okay...a little scared now... but I re-read the blog about it and looked at the Armor Etch Website. I decided that I would probably survive if I followed the steps correctly. I mean, they sell the stuff at Hobby Lobby just right there on the shelf, not locked up in a safety vault! If so many people use it to make beautiful crafts, it is probably worth the risk.

I started by designing the logo in MS Word on our computer and printing it (mirror image setting) directly onto some contact paper. Then I waited awhile for the ink to dry (a few hours). Next, I began the painstaking process of cutting out the lettering, leaving the negative space in tact so as to use it as a stencil for the Armor Etch. The first time I used scissors, then stuck my cut pieces onto the Pyrex. The second one I did, I stuck the contact paper on first, then used a sharp paring knife (for lack of an exacto knife) to cut out the design right on the Pyrex. Both worked equally well. The contact paper I used was left over from lining the drawers in my nursery, so it was green and white floral print rather than clear, and I was glad. It was much easier to see the design and where I needed to cut.

Once I had it all cut out, I made sure it was just as I wanted it. Armor Etch is permanent! I also used a credit card to rub down the contact paper and make sure it was stuck very well onto the Pyrex, then I used rubbing alcohol to clean the glass within my stencil.

Now it was time for the scary part! I donned my thick rubber gloves, apron, and protective eye wear. I lined the counter with newsprint so as to protect the surface. I got out a foam craft brush that I could just toss it after use, rather than having to clean a nice brush. I shook up the bottle of Armor Etch really well. I took a deep breath, unscrewed the lid, and began to cover my design in a thick layer of the cream.

Turns out it was not so scary after all. I got it all set in place, rinsed and tossed the brush, and waited.  The Armor Etch site said to only leave it on for 1 minute, which I did at first, but when I rinsed it off there was hardly any sign of etching. So I left my stencil in place, dried off the dish, and re-applied the Armor Etch. This time I sat down and waited a good 15 minutes (and at a popsicle) before rinsing, and it was perfect. I guess Pyrex is pretty heavy duty glass, maybe it just takes longer than other things (like a wine glass or something) might take.


I took off my stencil and washed and dried my pans. Beautiful! I just love them! Now I know just what to do next time I am looking for a wedding gift. Thanks Armor Etch for being so cool!

The finished products:

New Toddler Sensory Bin Idea

I am always looking for new ideas of things to put into a sensory bin/box for my 2 year old. Some things we have already done: beans, rice, pasta, pipe cleaners and pom poms, oatmeal, shaving cream, pop corn kernels, straws, and Styrofoam peanuts. The other day on Facebook I posted some pictures of my big girl playing with shaving cream, which is one of her favorite sensory games. My good friend's mom (who now happens to be a super fun and fantastic Grandma!) posted about a new item for a sensory bin that she uses with her 3 year old granddaughter and I thought I had better give it a try. Turned out to be totally awesome and worthy of a blog post!

She called them "waterbeads" so I went with that name, but found that they actually are called many things. The name brand that I found (at Hobby Lobby) is "Deco Beads" and they are found in the floral department near the marbles and other vase filler items. They come in several colors: purple, blue, orange, clear, pink, red.  I even found them in different shapes: cubes, spheres, and gems. We bought all spheres, in orange, blue, clear, and pink. Here is a picture of the blue package so you'll know what to look for if you want to join in the fun!

These amazing little things come in what looks like a seed packet. Just a packet of tiny little beads. To make them fun, put some of them in a big bowl or tub of water and let them sit for 4-6 hours. When you come back they will be the size of marbles!

They are soft, a little squishy, they bounce just a little bit, and are SO much fun to play with! We left ours in a tub with a little bit of water, and I let my daughter play with them on a towel on the kitchen floor. She could leave them in the tub or play with them on a cookie sheet to see them bounce. We can use these things to practice sorting , making patterns, and counting.

The really neat part about Deco Beads is that you can lay them out on a cookie sheet for a few days and they will eventually dry out and return to their original seed-like shape. You can save them to re-use over and over again. They are non-toxic, have no odor, don't make a mess, and are super fun for toddlers. I even have a hard time resisting the urge to grab a handful while walking past the bin!

I hope you'll help me spread the word about Deco Beads, they are so worth the $3!

Ribbons and Bows

As soon as I found out that my first baby was a girl, I set right to work making hair bows for her. Mostly because, I am in Texas, and little girls in Texas just wear bows. It's part of the culture. Also because I took one look at "boutique bow" prices and ran away as fast as I could! Buying bows hat run between $4 and $12 each was going to get very expensive. After all, this girl had a lot of outfits in her closet and we needed a bow to match perfectly with each and every one! (Sounds just like a first time mom, eh?)

So I started to make bows, but in all truthfulness, they didn't look that great. It took me a lot of time and practice before I finally made a bow that I actually liked enough to put on her in public. When I say a lot of time, I am talking about 6 months to a year here, not a few hours. I made about 50 ugly bows before I finally got the hang of it. I say this because every time someone asks me about making bows, they are frustrated that theirs are not turning out very well. Take heart girls! You are not alone! Keep practicing, you'll get it eventually.

No, I am not going to leave it at those choice words of encouragement. I know, you really would rather I just explain to you step by step how to make a good looking bow today, and not after 6 months of practice. So, here is the link to the best video tutorial that I have been able to find on the step by step of a basic bow (thanks again Pinterest...did I mention that I love Pinterest?). This is the first of many bow making tutorials that this blogger has. So wonderful!

Now, the point of this whole post is to show you how to make cute, curly, corker ribbons to use in hair bows and pony-o's. They can also be used to sew onto a dress (like on an applique) to add some fun. If you use the right ribbon and follow these steps, they will not come uncurled when washed! Bows are also rain/sprinkler safe, no ribbons uncurled!

Before you begin, you will need: wooden dowel rods cut to fit the length of a baking sheet (I got mine pre-cut in a package in the cake decorating isle at my Hobby Lobby), wooden clothespins, spray starch, a spray bottle of tap water, baking sheet lined with foil, your oven, and ribbon. I have found that the best ribbon for this is 3/8" grosgrain. It seems to hold up better than satin or organza and is a really good size for curling. I have also seen 1/4" grosgrain and it works too, but personally, I like the look of the 3/8" better.

First, preheat your oven to 300 degrees and line your baking sheet with foil. Then, clip the loose end of your ribbon (still on the spool, don't cut a length of it) to the very top of a dowel rod with a clothespin.

Begin twisting the dowel rod around so that the ribbon spirals down the dowel. Be sure not to overlap the ribbon or leave large gaps between rows. Wrap it all the way to the bottom of the dowel rod, then cut the ribbon and secure the end with another clothespin.

Repeat this with as many colors as you want and lay your dowel rods on the baking sheet. Don't let them overlap, usually I can fit about 6 dowels at the most on my baking sheet.

Spray them until they are damp on both sides with the water, then lightly coat both sides with a spray of starch. You don't have to load it on, just a little bit works well. Put your baking sheet in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, then take them out and let them cool on the tray.

When they are cooled, remove the clothespins and gently slide the curled ribbons off of the dowels. Now they are ready to make into bows or use in sewing projects! You can cut them apart into little pieces or leave them long, but be sure to heat seal the ends of the ribbons (like usual) along each raw edge. They should stay nice and curly! 

I used corker ribbons to make this cute flip flop dress and matching bow for my little girl! Easy applique on a cotton tank dress (from Hobby Lobby for $7). I'd love to see what you make!

Low Sugar Strawberry Jam Recipe

Over the last few summers, I have been learning about and attempting to can our own jam and pickles. I had mostly been following the pectin package directions for cherry, raspberry, blackberry, and strawberry jam and getting good results. The only issue I had was the extreme amount of sugar in there! Often times, the recipe called for as much sugar as fruit! I use the jam mostly for making PB&J's for my 2 year old throughout the year, and I didn't like the idea of pouring out fruit flavored sugar on her sandwich everyday. So, I started looking into "low sugar" or "no sugar" jam recipes. Much to my surprise, there was not a whole lot out there. Most low or no sugar recipes call for an artificial sugar substitute, like Splenda, which just won't work for me. We don't do artificial sweeteners in our home at all, but that is a whole different story! A few recipes that I found called for apple juice rather than sugar, but the recipes that I could find stated that they would have a "soft set," which in my world means runny jam. No thanks. So, I started pulling bits of recipes together and experimenting to try and find a solution. Raspberries and strawberries are in season now here in TX and the prices are unbeatable, so I bought a ton of each. After a week of nap times in the kitchen putting up different jam "testers," I think I finally found the best recipe. It is a "low sugar" strawberry jam that is sweetened with mostly apple juice, but also with a little bit of sugar. It set up perfectly and tastes just like better than full sugar jam. Now our family can enjoy the unbeatable flavor of fresh strawberry jam without worrying about the sugar high.

Low Sugar Strawberry Jam
Yields 4-5 cups

Ingredients: Large carton of strawberries, double the normal sized one, one box of Sure Jell's No Sugar Needed Pectin (pink box, don't get yellow, it doesn't work), 1/2 C sugar, 12oz. can of frozen 100% apple juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter, juice from half a lemon.

Tools: Ball, Kerr, or Mason jars with rings and lids (you need NEW lids, so if you have old jars, you can purchase a box of just the lids), canning funnel, magnetic lid wand, canning tongs, ladle, and a potato masher. I got my canning supplies from Walmart at a good price, probably no more than $15 for the lot.

Step 1: Wash your jars, lids, and rings in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher.

Step 2: Put clean jars without lids into a large stock pot or canning pot and fill with just enough water to cover the tops of your jars. Put it on the stove over high heat to bring water to a boil.

Step 3: Put your lids in a small saucepan with a few inches of water and bring to a to a simmer. Once it is simmering, reduce heat to low and let it sit. You won't need this until the end, so you may want it on  back burner, out of the way.

Step 4: Wash the strawberries and cut off the greens. Place them in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher until they are broken down into little pieces and are mostly liquid.

Step 5: In a small bowl, stir together the pectin powder and the sugar until well blended.  Put your strawberries, apple juice concentrate, lemon juice, butter, and pectin mixture on the stove in another large pot over high heat.

Continue stirring until the jam comes to a full rolling boil, so that even when you stir, it continues to boil. Maintain a full rolling boil for 1 minute, then remove it from heat. Careful! This stuff is SO hot and sticky!

Step 6: Use canning tongs to remove your mason jars from the hot or boiling water and set them face up on a clean dish towel on the counter. Jars are hot! Don't touch them with your hands, use a hot pad! Using the canning funnel, ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4" of space at the top of each jar. If you have a little extra, put it in a tupperware in the fridge, it'll set up like processed jam and keep for up to 3 weeks.

Step 7: Use a clean dish towel or paper towel, wipe off any excess jam that may have gotten along the rims or edges of the jars. Then, one by one, use your magnetic lid wand to remove lids from the simmering water pot, dry on a clean or paper towel, press onto the jars and screw on lids to finger tight.

Step 8: Use canning tongs to put the lidded jam jars into the big stock pot of boiling water. Set the timer, and let them boil for:
* 10 minutes: if you live at 0 to 1000 ft above sea level
* 15 minutes: if you live 1000 to 2000 ft above sea level
* 20 minutes: if you live above 2000 ft above sea level

Step 9: Carefully remove the jars from the boiling water using your canning tongs and let them rest, undisturbed, for 24 hours. If you processed them correctly, you should start hearing the lids "pop"  after a few minutes, indicating that they are sealed. After 24 hours, all the lids should be indented and you should not be able to make them pop by pressing on the middle. If any of your jars did not seal correctly, place it in the refrigerator to use immediately. It will be good for about 3 weeks. You can also freeze the jam for later.



I like to store my finished jam in the box that my jars came in, nice and tidy. Keep them in a cool dark place and use them within a year. Some people say you can keep them for several years, but they start to discolor and loose the fresh fruit taste after a year. Plus, don't you want to do this again next June?!

Sweet Springtime: Day 4 (Last Day!)

Okay, wow, I am officially the worst EVER at keeping up with this blog! My apologies! Really, I didn't think anyone was reading it, so why keep spending so much time posting? Then I decided today to take a peek, and it turns out over 100 people have looked at it! Apparently it made it onto Pinterest! Who knew? They are all probably wondering where on earth the rest of this dress is! I decided to finally break the suspense and add the skirt part of this dress. Once again, sorry for the delay. Now that I know people care, I'll try to be better about posting! First step, gather up your remaining pieces, 4 strips for the ruffle and one large rectangle for the main part of the skirt.

You are going to sew each of the 4 strips, right sides together, end to end. Then zig zag stitch them also so that they don't fray. When you are finished, you should have a really long strip.

Now time to fire up the iron. Fold down and press 1" along one of the edges of your long strip, and then fold it under and press again. Essentially, you are making a double fold for a hem, just as you pressed the neck and sleeves of the bodice. This time though, you don't have to worry about making it wide enough for elastic, it is only a hem, not a casing. Since your ruffle strip is so very long, you might want to consider using pins to keep it in place as you work your way down the fabric.

Next, you are going to sew the ric rac along the bottom border while sewing up the hem you just pressed. So turn your fabric right side up and lay your ric rac along the edge (which is the outer side of the folds you pressed for that hem) and line up your needle so that you will be sewing through both the ric rac and the folded hem. Sew down the length of the strip.

Now we are going to learn how to make a "gathering stitch" better known in my world as a ruffle. They sell some different feet for sewing machines that will gather or ruffle the fabric for you so that this step is much faster, but they are most certainly not needed. First thing you will need to do is change the setting on your sewing machine to the longest straight stitch setting. Mine is a "5" but all machines are different. Now adjust your tread tension dial to the highest number, mine is a "9." The most important thing to remember when sewing a ruffle is NOT to backstitch at EITHER end! These stitches are NOT meant to be permanent and you do NOT want them to be stuck in place with a backstitch.

Now that we cleared that up, turn your long strip around (still right side facing up)to sew along the edge opposite the hem you just finished. Remember, DO NOT BACKSTITCH! Line up your presser foot with the edge of the fabric and sew straight down the line, when you get to the end DO NOT BACKSTITCH! But pull out the thread nice and long before you cut it free. Don't panic if your fabric bunches or "ruffles" just a bit as you sew, that is what we are going for! But also, don't panic if it doesn't ruffle, we are just warming up for the real ruffles!

After you have sewn the length of the strip, carefully separate the top thread from the bobbin thread and take hold of the top thread. If you sewed your fabric strip with the right side facing up, then your top thread is coming up out of the right side of the fabric. To make your ruffles, you are going to gently tug on the top thread in one hand, while pushing the fabric down the thread with the other hand. Be careful not to pull too hard and break the thread, or to tug on the bobbin thread, which will tighten it up and make it hard to pull the fabric down. You can work from both sides of the strip, pushing your fabric ruffles towards the middle. Try to make them evenly spaced.

 

When your strip is totally ruffled, you will want it to be the same length as the fabric that will make up the main part of the skirt (mine is the floral fabric). Here, pins are essential. Pin the ruffled strip right along the edge of the main skirt fabric, right sides together. Make sure your ruffled strip goes right from end to end of the main skirt and that your ruffles are pretty evenly spaced.

Before moving on, you'll need to change back the settings of your sewing machine to a normal stitch length and a normal thread tension. Now, with the ruffled fabric facing up, you are going to sew these two pieces together, right over the top of the bunched up ruffled fabric. Now it is appropriate to use a backstitch again, this seam is a keeper. Be sure to go slowly, keeping a nice straight line along the edge of the fabric with your presser foot and checking that your presser foot is going OVER the top of the ruffles rather than trying to flatten them out as it glides along. After you sew a straight stitch, go back and trim any stray strings, then zig zag along the seam to finish the edge. 

Unpin, lay it flat and check out your super cute little ruffle! Press the back so that it hangs down flat.

Next, fold the skirt in half aligning the raw edges, right sides together. You are basically sewing a straight  piece of fabric into a circle (or a skirt!). If your fabric does not line up just right, keep in mind that is more important to line up the bottom of the dress because you still have time to fix the top part before attaching it to the bodice. Make sure to zig zag stitch this seam too.

Almost done! Just in case you were wanting or needing more practice, we are going to do a repeat of the gathering stitch to ruffle the skirt a bit too. If you want to go back and read the details again, go for it, I am just going to do a quick refresher. Change the settings on your sewing machine: longest stitch, highest number thread tension. Sew along the top, unfinished edge, of your skirt starting as close to the seam you just finished. Follow all along the circle until you get back to the seam again. Remember, DO NOT backstitch! Also, don't let your ending stitches cross over your beginning stitches; you will want both ends loose to tug your ruffles. For this step, I kept the wrong side of the fabric face up, so my top thread was actually coming up from the wrong side this time. Gather up your ruffles and space them evenly along your skirt.

Grab your bodice that has been waiting in the wings. This part can be a little tricky, just take your time and you'll be fine. Keeping your skirt inside out, push your bodice down into the skirt part, neck and shoulders facing the bottom of the dress so that the right sides are together. That is just about as clear as mud, I know, so try and figure it out from the picture. Align the seam on the skirt with the center of the back of the bodice and pin along the raw edges where they meet. Then, use the top threads from your gathering stitches to tighten or loosen the skirt ruffles enough to fit the bodice and pin all around into place.

Switch your sewing machine back to it's normal settings, then sew the skirt and bodice together, over the face-up ruffles, beginning and ending at the seam on the skirt. Just before you make a full circle back to the seam, you can tighten or loosen your ruffles again to ensure a perfect fit to the bodice. Make sure the whole thing gets sewn on without any gaps or holes. Go back and finish this seam with a zig zag stitch.

Lastly, fold down the ruffled skirt and press the seam to keep it from flying up, and you are done! Go grab that little one and let her twirl around in her new ruffled dress, hand made with love, just for her.

Sweet Springtime: Day 3

Day 3! Today we will finish the bodice part of the dress, making it ready to add the skirt part on tomorrow. If you have been following these posts in real time, waiting expectantly for day 3, sorry about the delay! Both my girls are battling RSV, one needs breathing treatments every 4 hours, and the other is potty training too. So, I have had my hands full! I am realizing now that it takes longer for me to write the blog posts than it does to sew the dress! Hopefully it is just because I am a beginner, I'll get it all figured out in no time(hopefully!). Anyway, let's move right along to day 3.

First, we are going to press a hem into the sleeves. We will be putting 3/8" elastic through these, so leave enough room. If you have a serger, you can serge the edges, and press it up. If you, like me, do not have a serger, you will need to press it up , fold under, and press again (a traditional hem). Just make sure you leave enough room to fit your elastic through! About 1/2" clearance is great.



Now, while your iron is hot, go ahead and press the same type of hem, also leaving room for elastic, around the neck hole of your bodice. Keep in mind that you will be turning under part of your ruffle on the front of our bodice, which will be thick and difficult to press, but it will turn out fine when it gets sewn in place. If you are big on pins, go ahead and pin it as you press. I am a bigger fan of starch, but for new cotton fabric, you can get away with nothing but a hot iron to keep your hem in place.
When you finish your pressing, your bodice should look something like this:



Okay, now that you have a beautifully pressed bodice, we are going to go ahead and completely ignore those beautiful seams that you just made as we sew shut the sleeves. You will want to open the hem up and sew the fabric flat. That way it will be shaped to fold back up when you actually do hem it, but it will make a continuous space for your elastic to pass through. Use the picture below as a reference for what I am talking about. After you sew shut the arm holes, go back and serge the raw edges. If you are like me and do not have a serger, this is when you rub your lucky penny and wish for one as you zig zag stitch the raw edge... okay, maybe not the penny part, you'll need both hands to operate your sewing machine ;) If you missed the day 2 post about zig zag stitching to seal the raw edges, read it here.



Now that the sleeves are sewn shut, go ahead and sew around the neck hole and arm holes that you already hemmed. Make sure you sew right up on the edge of your hem to allow room for your elastic to pass through. Also, leave a small opening, about a half inch, to insert the elastic. I like to start near a seam (ie the underarm area of the sleeve, the shoulder area of the neckline) and sew in a continuous seam until I see where I began, then stop short about 1/2 inch from there...does that make sense?





When you finish sewing up the hem around the neck and sleeves, your bodice should look something like this:



Now you will need to get out that 3/8 inch elastic that I keep talking about. Measure around your child's arms (or a shirt that fits well) and add 2 inches to that measurement, then cut. You will need 2 pieces that length, one for each arm. Then measure about how wide you want the neck hole to be, this measurement can vary. Some people like their peasant dresses really cinched up tight, while others leave them looser. You can always cut a long piece of elastic (for a loose neckline) and cinch it in more later when you see how it looks altogether. Okay, moving on. Fasten a small/medium sized safety pin to the end of one of your elastic pieces.



Push the end of your safety pin into the hole that you left open in the hem of your bodice, and start feeding it through, pulling the fabric down the elastic as you go. Make sure to hold onto the opposite end of your elastic so that it doesn't get lost inside the hem.



Your fabric should start bunching up around the elastic as you pull it through. When you come full circle, lead the safety pin out of the same hole that you started in. Pull both ends of elastic and tie them in a square knot, leaving about 1" on each tail to help pull it tightly.



Last step for the day! Once you have your knots tied tightly you can trim the tails, then go back and stitch up the small holes in your hem.



Now you have finished the top half, and more difficult part, of your peasant dress! It should look something like this, however, yours should have the ric rac covering the ruffle on the front. I had forgotten to add that part when I made my bodice and had to go back and put it on later.