A picture blog

I want you guys to see what I've been up to, so this is a blog full of pictures!

This is a quilted fabric diamond. I made one for each of the diamond-shaped windows in the doors of our home. They help keep out the heat during these scorching summer months. I'm not a great sewer, so I was surprised how fast and easy these were to make. Also, I'm going to brag a bit - I made my own bias tape for the edges. I know all there is to it is cutting and creasing, but I was pretty proud of myself for having done it. That's project number one.

The second project I've completed recently is my living room curtains. I sewed them myself and added the design myself. I wish they had a little more gather to them, but once I get some better light/heat blocking fabric up behind the blinds, I'll be able to open them up and give them the slightly more full look I was hoping for. I've been toying with the idea of making some burlap shades to go with them to complete the rustic/handmade/import look. Take a closer look at the stamping:

This was done with a set of stamps called "Alfresco" that I got from a friend a few years ago. She sells Close to My Heart scrapbooking supplies, and this was one of the stamp designs they offered. I like this so much I've been mulling over how else I can use my stamps to dress up fabrics around my house.

Now for the gardening section of this blog. I have PINK tomatoes. The German Johnson variety tomato that I got this year is giving me a deep, rosy colored tomato crop. I gotta say, I'm not a fan of pink, but I like these tomatoes because they're unique.

I've also been learning to can my own food. Just recently I canned a few small jars of apple butter. In this situation, it was a case of "waste not, want not" because I had some apples that were going to go bad if I didn't do something with them. So I diced them up, threw them in the crock pot with some sugar and spices, and left them overnight. In the morning, the whole house smelled heavenly, and I had enough apple butter for five half-pint jars. I've also made some salsa since then, but that's another blog.

The one other project I've been working on, I finished last night. My mom recently gave me some of her old cast iron skillets. She can't use them anymore because her wrists are too weak from carpal tunnel syndrome and the subsequent surgery, so she gave them to me, and I happily accepted. In with those skillets was an old, rusty pizza tin. I knew that I didn't care to use it for pizza (I have wonderful stoneware for that), so I spray painted it blue, and hand painted a sun with some bright acrylic paints. I then took a paint pen and wrote a quote by Walt Whitman: "Keep your face always toward the sunshine and shadows will fall behind." I like it. It's bright, cheery, primitive and fun. I was going to use it as a wall hanging outside until I had a stroke of genius.

Instead, I'm going to attach it to a wooden spool my mom gave me (she works as a seamstress at a flag-making factory, so she gets to bring home all kinds of cool stuff that would otherwise be thrown out). I'll then put it outside between my two Adirondack chairs to use as a table for drinks or whatever. I just need some heavy-duty sealer for the spool, since it is thin, unfinished plywood.

So that's what I've been up to. Be sure to check back later for my salsa blog!