Pinterest Picks

These are my Pinterest  Picks of the Week-

I love, love, love these little stone feet. I see a nature walk in the near future for Miss. A. and myself. I can picture these little feet lined up along the edge of my herb garden.

I wish I could give proper credit to these little guys, but the pin was “uploaded by user” and not linked to a site or blog.

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My next pick of the week is simply genius! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this years ago! Once again there is no link for this, but below the picture, the “uploader” explained the simple steps needed to complete this great project. Rather than put this next to Miss. A., I will probably attach it to the back of the head rest of the seat in front of her. Here is a pic, and the instructions.

Book holder for the car :) The pockets were cut to 8x9in. with a felt backing. It has four pockets topstitched onto a 11x30in solid panel of felt (front and back) that was sewn top and sides. The pockets overlapped about 3 inches. Inserted a piece of cardboard into the solid panel and then finished the last side. Add straps, and done!

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And last but not least, my 3^rd Pinterest pick of the week is this fabulous T-shirt recycle tutorial. I absolutely can’t wait to make some of these for my new grand-munchkin on the way. I just have to wait until next month when I get to find out if it is a boy-munchkin or a girl-munchkin! Yay I love munchkins!!!

Here is a pic and a link for the tute:

Tutorial here

Tote Tutorial

My first tutorial

TOTE BAG

I decided I needed a new tote. As it turned out, I needed a new project too. So, there ya’ go, I had a new tote project on my hands. Well really, it was in my head, but a short trip to Joanns with some handy dandy coupons, and then I had a project on my hands.

I made this a while back, and I will do my very best to remember exactly how I did this. If the measurements aren’t exact, just keep in mind that no 2 home made projects are alike, right? I tried to take pictures along the way, but I’ll admit I got caught up in the making of the tote and forgot to take pictures of every step.

Begin with 3 coordinating fabrics. I chose cotton, but denim or canvas would work too.

You will want:

1 yard each of your 2 main fabrics (A&B)

½  yard of the 3^rd fabric (C)

I went with a (A) large polka dot, (B) hounds-tooth, and (C) pindot.

Stabilizer (1/2 yard)

Matching thread (I used upholstery thread)

Coordinating bias tape (1 pkg.)

Woven belt-like material for the strap (roughly 4 yards. But I wanted mine really long so I could use it as a cross-body if I decided to).

Here is a picture of my three fabrics. Aren’t they great?!

Lets start with the SHELL

STEP S1-Fabric (A)-  cut this into two ½  yard pieces (A¹) & (A²). Iron stabilizer to the back of A¹ then fold in half lengthwise (selvage edges together). Iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge (this will help line up the outside pocket later.)

STEP S2- Now take fabric (B) and cut it into two ½ yard pieces (B¹)& (B²).

Using (B²)- while still folded and selvage edges together, trim 3 inches off of the selvage edge, set aside the 3 inch strips for another project.

STEP S3-Take this newly trimmed piece and fold it in half width-wise inside out, iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge. Sew a seam the length of the long raw edge. You now have a 9 in. wide tube. Length depends on how wide your original material was. So my tube is now 9x40. Turn this tube right side out.

STEP S4- Take the (B²) tube and line the sewn seam up with the ironed crease. Iron again. Now the seam is in the middle of the tube not at the edge. Sew a strip of bias tape over each of the two short edges of the tube.

Fabric (B²) tube with bias tape on the edge.

STEP S5-Now the fun part. Line up the seam on fabric (B²) with the crease down the center of fabric (A¹). Center (B²) evenly (from top to bottom) of fabric (A¹). Make sure the seam on B² is to the inside.

Step S6-Now carefully stitch down each long side of fabric (B²) onto A1. Do not sew across the top where the bias tape is. This will be the outside pocket opening.

Step S7-Take your strap material and cut it in half. You now have 2 straps. Fold your new (A¹-B²) piece in half from top to bottom. Iron a nice crease at the bottom of the new (A¹) piece. Place the strap over each seam where (B²) connected to (A¹) .

Once again, make your strap as long or as short as you want it to be. Remember I wanted mine to be long. And I wanted my strap ends to be hidden under the bottom piece (C). So I placed my strap ends 4 inches from the bottom fold. Yours does not have to go down as far as mine did or be as long.

Step S8-Now that you have decided where to place your strap, sew down both edges from the bottom of the strap to the edge of the outside pocket. Repeat for both sides of both straps.

Make sure to make reinforcement stitches at the pocket edge. If you are not going to put the bottom edge of the strap underneath the bottom cover, you will want to reinforce stitch there too.

Now let’s create a nice reinforcement bottom for the bag. Ideally this would be of some type of strong material. Like canvas or denim. But I couldn’t find any that I really liked, so I just used cotton. Knowing that this bag won’t suffer too much abuse, this should be sufficient.

Step S9-Take fabric (C) – Open material and cut it at 20 inches.  You now have a piece that is 20in x18in. Yes, you will have quite a bit of material left over. Use this for another project later.

STEP S10-Once cut, turn inside out and sew on the 18 inch edge. Iron a nice crisp crease on the folded edge.

STEP S11- Turn right side out and center the seam over the ironed in crease. Iron again making 2 new edge creases.

STEP S12- Place this tube over the bottom fold of (A¹). Line up the seam (and crease) of (C) with the ironed in crease at bottom of (A¹). Seam side down. Pin in place and sew at each edge of (C).

STEP S13-Turn right sides together, and sew up the sides through all layers. Turn right side out.

You have now completed the outside or shell of the bag.

Let’s work on the LINING.

STEP L1-  Using (B¹) – open up the material and fold it with right sides together and keeping selvage edges together. Sew along cut edges of material. Make this seam wider than the one you used on the Shell sides. You want this bag to be slightly smaller than the outside bag.

STEP L2- Do not turn this bag inside out. Take it just as it is and set it inside the Shell of the bag. The insides should be facing. Line up side seams. And sew a stay stitch around top through all thicknesses. Make sure that the straps don’t get caught up in the upper seam.

STEP L3- Sew the bias tape around the top of the bag, once again making sure you don’t catch the straps as you sew.

Confessions: 1-I made my bag with a flat bottom. I don’t really know how to explain it, and I didn’t take any pictures. And, I wish I would have just left it with the regular-pointy corner- bottom. 2- I used (A²) to make pockets around the inside of the tote. But once again, I forgot the pics and wasn’t sure how to explain it. So, I left both of these out of the tutorial.

Well, I hope this makes since, and that you enjoy your new bag. I know I have. BTW this is a good size tote for a full size lap top. Plus accessories.

Here it is- the finished project. (The measurements are approximate)

Lets take this slow! & NTW activities

Several months ago, I set up this blog not knowing how or what to do exactly, but I just felt like I needed to do it. And there it ended! As it usually happens, schedules got hectic, and life got in the way of living.

A few days ago a friend of mine started her blog. And I decided that if she can do it, so can I (Thank you Kayti R. for inspiring me). I am not going to stress myself out over committing to daily posts, or even trying to script or plan posts. I will commit to posting as life gives me the material to do so, and as time allows.

Now on to today's post.

This has been a crazy fun week especially at work. This week is dedicated to my profession (911 dispatcher) by a 1994 proclamation from President Clinton. Then it was called National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, now it is more commonly known as NTW.  Yearly, the local Mayor makes a similar proclamation. Reminding our citizens of the vital role that emergency dispatchers play in connecting those in need to those who can help them. This is what President Clinton's proclamation said:

America’s public safety telecommunicators serve our citizens daily in countless ways. The work of these “unseen first responders” is invaluable in emergency situations, and each of these dedicated men and women deserves our heartfelt appreciation. . . . This week is a time for a grateful Nation to show its appreciation and to recognize that our health, safety, and well-being are often dependent on the commitment and steadfast devotion of public safety telecommunicators. (From the National Public Safety Telecommunications website.)


At our agency, the inside of our office has been turned to a "circus". Each day has had a different circus theme and activity. If I  can figure out how to post pictures I will. It was a hoot.

Monday- Clown day complete with costumes.I went in full face make up and costume. I didn't really have the makings for a circus clown so I went for the Rodeo clown look. I think I nailed it!! There was also a balloon making contest. I didn't win (insert sad clown face) and I forgot to take a picture of my giraffe and his little palm tree. Do they have palm trees where giraffes live? Well they do now!! But I do have pictures of some of the other amazing balloons that were created.

             

Me heading off to work

Me at my console

little camel

Bad alligator eating the sweet bunny

Tuesday- Favorite Circus animal-  I went as a lioness. I opted for simple face make up with only key components. I learned my limitations, and that 12 hours in a bulky costume and full face make up makes for a long day! Plus no one takes you seriously when you ask them questions and you look like... a clown or a lion! Luckily, citizens and responders couldn't see me. Just fellow dispatchers.
We also had a popcorn machine and a cotton candy machine to play with all day. (Guess who got covered in cotton candy)

never get volunteered to
run the cotton candy
machine

Me- The lioness

These are some of the fun faces I painted

Seal

Pretty Bird

Dragonfly

Wednesday- Dress your best- Wednesday was our yearly awards banquet so we forewent the crazy make up and costumes on this day. I'm so glad this was the case, as a news crew showed up and the supervisors elected me for the on camera interview. Can you imagine having to do that in clown make up? Yikes!!! I'm proud to say that I won 2 awards this night. I won National Trainer of the year, and I aparently had the highest overall yearly Quality Assurance scores. Baiscally, each week they take a sample of all the calls that were handled, then critique and score them based on national and local standards. They then take those scores and average them out for the year, and I won! Who knew?

Beautiful edible center piece

Here I am getting cheesy with the boss

Thursday- Carnie day and make your own trash day (chex mix)-I confess that I didn't dress for this day. The idea was that we could really dress down (you know kind of trashy). I was shooting more for the old time Barker days. You know, the white long sleeve shirt, garter on the arm, vest,and those hats that are flat brimmed and flat on the top ( my dad calls them campaign hats), and a cane. Well I only procured about 1/2 of the costume, so I dressed as me and made my best chex mix, and called it a day. I won the contest ( I had the only entry). Heres the recipe:

Mix together in a large bowl:
9 C. mixed chex cereals (I use store brand wheat, corn and rice)
1 C. nuts
1 C. pretzels
1 C. garlic flovored bagel chips

Melt together:
6 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp Worshteshire
2 tsp liquid smoke
1 1/2 tsp season salt
1 tsp garlic salt or powder
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/8-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Drizzle melted ingredients over cereal mixture. Stirring often, until well coated.
Place on a cookie sheet or 9X13 cake pan. Place in 250 degree oven for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let it cool.

Just for fun, I added about 1/2 of a large bag of mini M&M's after it was completely cool, and it was delish!!

Friday-  (today) Game day- We are supose to wear jerseys to support our favorite team and then we are setting up carival games throught the office. Ring toss, bean bag toss, and who knows what else. This is my day off, so I am excited to get to set it and help run the games. Pictures later.

Saturday- (tomorrow) Side show day- everyone is to dress as their favorite side show act. I can't wait for this one. I already have my costume planned out. I don't even work tomorrow, but I am dressing up and going any way! (pictures later)

I have to say, I love being a 911 dispatcher. It is the most stressful, crazy, fun, sad and rewarding job one could ever have, and I'm glad I have it.