Over the TOP Christmas Challenge

Pattern Revolution has challenged seamstresses to create an over the top holiday garment.  So of course I must sew a dress for my daughter for Christmas.  She wanted to feel like a 'real lady' when she wears the dress, and in her eyes I've accomplished exactly that, so I'm already a winner!  So without further ado I give you Annabelle's 2014 Christmas dress!

This dress was created using 2 patterns available from FooFoo Threads.
*All photos on this blog remain the sole property of Sarah Sawatzki and may not be used by any person, business, or other entity without express written consent.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

It's June and that means strawberry season here in Eastern Washington!!  On Saturday Andrew and I braved the rain and went out to Carver Farms to pick strawberries!  We were soaked by the time we were done but it only took us 20 minutes to pick 4 buckets of berries.  One of the most favorite fruits in my household for eating fresh and making jam.  I make enough strawberry freezer jam during a week or two in June to last my family all year, it's a lot of work but totally worth it.  Want to know how I do it?

First let's talk about the ingredients.  Strawberries!  Berries should be ripe, firm, and a nice red color, I prefer to use fresh strawberries but frozen will work as well.  Sugar, granulated white sugar, whatever brand you choose.  Fruit pectin occurs naturally in fruits and is used for gelling, pectin occurs in very small amounts in strawberries, you therefore need to add some in order for your jam to set up.  You have to cook some pectin, be careful when cooking pectin it can be over cooked very easily and your jam won't set up (which is probably okay, you'll just end up with more of a chunky syrup.)  I've also found some no-cook pectin, eliminating the cooking step!  Or so I thought, turns out the no-cook pectin didn't help my jam set up very well.



You cannot double this recipe, it just doesn't work, your jam won't set up.  But that's okay, I've found a way around that, I didn't have all week to be making jam, so I made 3 batches at a time.  Using 3 separate bowls with a single recipe in each bowl, I was able to complete 3 batches of jam all at the same time.  Okay, I think that's about it, it's pretty simple.

Sarah's Strawberry Freezer Jam

4 Cups fresh, ripe, red berries, sliced in half
4 Cups Sugar
1 packet fruit pectin

Crush strawberries, I have done this 2 ways, using my potato masher and crushing them by hand or chopping them in the food processor.  The food processor is by far faster, and saves my hand from the strain.

Stir in sugar and allow to sit for about 20 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved.  Stirring every few minutes.

Prepare the fruit pectin according to package directions and slowly stir into the strawberry slurry.  

Ladle the slurry into freezer safe containers (I like to save margarine containers for things like this).  Set your jam in the fridge for a few hours to allow it to set up, then transfer to the freezer.

This method yields about 6 cups of jam.

We picked about 20lbs of berries and I did 11 batches of jam and we age quite a lot besides that!

Summer Reading List 2014

With the unofficial start of summer behind us it's time to make our summer reading list.  Annabelle turns 5 at the end of June and is already reading!  We are going to participate in some of the activities offered by our local library district through their summer reading program, this summer's theme is Fizz Boom Read.

We'll of course visit our local library several times throughout the summer and borrow early reader books and children's books to read with and to Annabelle.  Along with those I am going to start reading chapter books with Annabelle, we've just finished our first chapter book, "Ivy & Bean Break the Fossil Record" book 3 in the Ivy and Bean series by Annie Barrows.  Annabelle really liked Ivy and Bean, so I suspect we'll be reading more of the books in this series and I found one called The Never Girls that we want to read about a group of friends who accidentally end up in Neverland.

But I also want to introduce her to some old favorites:  the Ramona Series by Beverly Cleary, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, Matilda by Rolad Dahl, and Charlotte's Webb by E.B. White.  I'm also excited to start reading the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder with Annabelle, but I think that series will have to wait a little while longer.

Then I found a list of books for young girls on Imagination Soup, more books we're going to have to check out!

My personal reading list included a couple of books by Philippa Gregory, an excellent historical fiction author. I'm currently reading "The White Princess" and due out later this summer is "The King's Curse."  Each of Philippa Gregory's books follows a woman's perspective through some of the most notable events in English history.

What's on your summer reading list?

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I just made my second batch of laundry detergent this morning because I love it!  I don't know how long the first 5 gallons lasted me, but it was a long time, it's now November (I just ran out) and I believe I made my first batch in early summer.

This is a variation on the liquid laundry detergent recipe posted at www.duggarfamily.com.  I've made changes to this recipe due to the VERY hard water where I live.  You can adjust this recipe to suit your needs by adding or reducing the amount washing soda and borax that you use. 

4 Cups - hot tap water
1  bar - Ivory soap (or Fels Naptha)
1 1/4 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
3/4 Cup - Borax
1 - 5 gallon bucket with lid

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser 2/3 full with soap and then fill rest of way with hot water. Shake before each use.
-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes abiout 7 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 1/2 Cup per load
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load

*In my top load machine I also add 1/4 cup white vinegar to the fabric softener spot.  No,  my laundry does not smell of vinegar when it is finished washing and I don't need to do extra rinses either.  The vinegar just leaves my clothes and towels so soft, it also prevents/eliminates any detergent build up.

*Arm & Hammer "Super Washing Soda" - in some stores in the laundry aisle or may be purchased through several online retailers. Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Stuffed Owl Tutorial

I made these stuffed owls make for a fun sewing project, I made both of them in less than 2 hours, and that included, making it up on the fly, taking photos, and a phone call!  They stand about 6" tall.

Materials:
Basic sewing supplies
1 fat quarter of quilting style cotton (you will probably be able to get 3 owls out of 1 fat quarter)
Small squares of felt in black, white, orange, and color desired for wings. (Fleece also works for the wings, you just want something that won't fray.)
Fabric Glue
Fray Check
Polyester Fiber Fill (or desired stuffing)
Scrap fabric & dry beans (optional)
Owl Template: I used this template and did some edtiting on my computer to come up with these that I used: 1 & 2.

Steps:
1. Cut out your pieces: 2 bodies, 1 beak, 2 puplis (black), 2 eyes (white), 2 wings (make sure to labels thes right and left).





2. Use your fabric glue to glue the pupils to the eyes. 








3. Use a small dot of glue to secure eyes, beak, and wings to the body.  Use only a small amount of glue for these parts since you will also sew these pieces, the glue is only to help keep them in place for sewing.  Allow glue to dry for a few minutes.











4. Stitch very close to the edge with matching thread around the eyes, beak, and outside of the wings.  You will notice that I used white thread on this beak, I will be getting orange thread the next time I go to the fabric store!








5. Pin owl bodies together, right sides together.  Fray Check both pieces around the bottom of the owl between the wings.  Stitch with a 1/8" to 1/4" seam allowance leaving a 2" gap at the bottom of the owl between the wings for turning and stuffing.  Make sure that your edges match up precisely.












6. Clip the points of the ears and the curve between ears, DO NOT clip through the seam! 




7. Turn your owl right side out!  At this point I ironed the bottom opening to make it easier to stitch closed.

8. Stuff your owl.  Here you can use scrap fabric to make a little pouch to fill with dried beans to put in the bottom of your owl.


9. This is where you would create a simple pouch, fill with bdry beans, sew the pouch closed, and insert into the bottom of your owl.

10. Sew up the opening in your owl, this works best by hand. Use a ladder stitch.  You're talking to a woman who hates sewing by hand, but this really does work better by hand.

Have fun!

If you love these owls but don't want to make your own I'm offering them for sale for $10.  Shoot me an email or check out my shop for details: AnnabellesBasket@gmail.com  http://www.facebook.com/AnnabellesBasket

*Use this tutorial however you like, all I ask is that you don't undermine my business by selling these owls in your own shop, thanks for understanding.

Holiday Shopping

It's always nice go give, or recieve a handmade gift.  I want to try to make that easier for you!  Over the next few months, I'm going to be working hard between custom orders and my toddler to get some ready to ship items made up so that you can easily give handmade gifts this holiday season.

For the most part these ready to ship items will be items that I don't normally sell and they will only be available as you see them.  There probably won't be any clothing, so if you want a special outfit please contact me using the contact tab on my facebook page.

Some of the goodies I'm planning to make: doll diaper sets, crochet purses for little girls, aprons (if I can really get my act together), checkbook covers, and anything else that seems fun to me.

As you start to think about those special holiday outfits don't forget about Annabelle's Basket.  Many of my pieces can be layered for a fun new look!  The Aliyah Pinafore can be layered over a solid tee for a super cute playdate look.  The Twirly Skirt can be paired with tights and a longsleeve top.  The Tea Party Dress can be paired with tights and a purchased cardigan style sweater, the Tea Party Dress is perfect for a special occasion and comfy too!  The Kaitlin Peasant Dress is designed perfectly for fall and winter wear.  Capris are perfect throughout the fall, and don't forget about the Emily Tier Dress, tuck the straps in and it can be worn as a skirt!

Homemade Sugar Scrub

This is not a new or original idea, I've seen it on several blogs all over the place.  This worked so well and ends up being pretty inexpensive per jar.  I'm thinking of making this as favors or prizes for a baby shower I'm throwing in a couple of weeks, I think that moms, grandmas, heck, all women would love this.

All you need is a small jar, regular granulated sugar, and liquid soap.  I used Dawn Hand Renewal with Olay because it smells good and doesn't dry out my hands like some dishsoap can, my regular sugar that I use for baking, and a small jelly jar that I found around the house.

Fill the jar about 3/4 full with sugar.

Fill the rest of the way with soap.

Stir with a butter knife.

I found that I needed to add some extra sugar and soap to fill the jar and get the consistancy I wanted.

Then I just made a label and glued it to the lid.

I used this after digging in the garden and my hands are clean and oh so soft!  You can have lots of fun with this making all kinds of different scents!  With the holidays right around the corner, this would makea great gift for mom, grandma, the neighbor, or an office gift exchange!