Pay It Forward 2011 Blog-style!

I promise to send something handmade to the first 3 people who leave a comment here. To be eligible, you must also post this in your blog, offering the same thing to 3 other people. The rules are that it must be handmade by you and it must be sent to your 3 people in 2011.  If you're game, leave a comment and sometime this year, I will surprise you with something handmade.

I know I'm doing something similar on facebook. So if I'm doing something for you on there, you don't need to respond here. However, for the first three who do respond here, I'll make you something and send it/give it to you sometime this year. :) Don't forget, put this on your blog and continue paying it forward. :)  

Monday Musings...

So I've been mulling over this ever since the shooting in Tucson. You have people on the left saying that Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh and others of their political radicalism (and being too conservative is just as radical as being too liberal) are responsible for the shooter having pulled the trigger because of their rhetoric. The people on the right are saying that they couldn't possibly be responsible for the actions of others because they're speaking figuratively. And while there is truth to both stances, it really boils down to that words can and do hurt. Add those with "innocuous" symbols or actions, and you can really do damage. Look at a child. They are just learning language, and so they take literal meanings. If you tell them that you stole their nose, they'll believe you. Add that to the thumb between the fingers and instinctively they'll bring their hands to their face with gasps. With Lil' Mr. V, I will act like he "has a tickle" that we have to get out. And I'll tickle him from hip to rib "chasing" the tickle. Once I "catch" it, I'll tickle like we're wrestling it, then I'll pull my hand away and flick my hand as though I threw it away. He immediately pulls up his shirt looking for where the tickle was. And he asks where it went bye bye to. Also, if you don't think that words aren't powerful, go into a church. Watch the congregation. As the pastor/priest moves you through the sermon of the day, as he gets worked up the crowd gets worked up. Words have the ability to create relationships and destroy them. Simply by the power that they contain. Tell a man that he's worthless enough times, he will begin to believe it. So though there are many who claim that words have no power and while they are correct in some sterile sense. Words describe our thoughts, our wishes, our feelings. Every one of these things are powerful. Especially to someone who's weak or given to suggestion. Some people can't hear nuance, and only understand literal translation. So speaking violent rhetoric with cross hairs as markers can have a frightening impact on someone. I'm not placing blame on Palin or any of those others for that man's actions. They are his own. However, there is blame to be had on their parts for their use and abuse of language. Because Sticks and Stones DO break bones, but words definitely wound too.

A little something...

Can you guess what it is going to be from this picture?

This is the only picture of it that I'll post. Because I don't want the person who's getting it to see it too soon. So after it's given I'll post the finished picture. :) The whole thing took about a day (after ripping out half of the stitches because it was based on a photo and not a pattern). One thing I will offer up, it's completely geeky.

:)

Oh, and on not so great news. :( I am so nervous about cutting fabric. I'm always so afraid I'll mess up. And I have. I was given fabric for my BotM and I was given enough to get the cuts I needed with extra in case I screw up. Danna is very generous with her kits. Well, I screwed up cutting my sash material. So I was able to get three of the strips and not the fourth. So I'm going to have to go back into her shop and get some more fabric. I hope she has some in a fat eighth or something smaller so I don't have to cut off the bolt. *sigh* I'm such a dunce sometimes....Oh well, she says EVERYONE does it.

Crafty works.......1 complete/2WIP

My niece's Mom is having a baby in a few weeks. And Da Goob wanted to make something special for her sister. Since I needed to go to my LQS, I took her along and we checked out the fabric while we were there. She decided to make her a fleece tie blanket.

This is the front that she chose. She is a fan of rubber duckies. And the back was this pretty cream color. Here's the hand embroidery.

It was a simple project that we were able to finish the same day. She went home to her Mom yesterday. I hope she enjoys it. :) I know Da Goob worked awful hard on it. :) 

As for my WIP, I am still working on that afghan. It's grown considerably. 

Here's a closeup of the colors. 

I joined in a Beginners Block of the Month class at my LQS. I am such a beginner, it's not even funny. The only thing I've ever sewn by my sewing machine has been a test patch just to practice my straight stitches. However, for my first block I think I did ok. I had to keep my seam ripper really close by because I did all of my pieces at least twice because my machine wanted to pull my top layer to the left so it would veer off. But I'm working on that. But for my second time at trying to match my seams I think I did ok. 

And here's for my block minus sashing. 

Not bad for my first ever quilt block sewn by machine. :) 

This is Tuesday and my hands are like fine grain sand paper...

So today it's been around 10 months since I started to use my own laundry soap. This is my post about it. I spent almost 11$ that day on my Borax, Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda and Fels Naptha. Total in that amount of time I've spent around 17& on laundry detergent. That's less than one whole month's worth. Wow. Cassie made a believer out of me! :) The reason I'm writing up this post is because as of today, I'm out of the A&H. I don't just use it for my laundry either. I use it to wash out my washing machine bin and keep it fresh. I use it to scour my bathtub and sinks. I've also found that it will get all the gunky grease off of the stove's overhead hood/fan/filters. What that stuff won't do, I have no idea, but really it is one of the best all around cleaners I've ever used. And I've used almost EVERYTHING that can be bought. It is just simply amazing. Now I need to put it on the grocery list to buy more of. That and vinegar. Oh my goodness, I love vinegar almost as much as the sodium bicarbonate...but that's another post for another day.

Day in the life of a Mom

Today I had to take Lil' Mr. V in for his 2 year well baby (toddler?) visit. And while we were there waiting to be called back, he decided that he wanted to tinker with the water fountain. I say tinker because he didn't really want to play (he did but I wasn't worried because he was too short to do much), and he didn't want a drink. He tried to figure out how you got water to come out of it. And after a little "figurin'" (as my Grandpa would say) he figured if you push in this bar, water came out. So he wanted to put his hand in it. So he'd push the bar, water would come out, he would say "Yeah!", let go of the bar to touch the water and say "Oh no!" because there was no more water. *LOL* I had to cover my mouth because it was so funny. He did this over and over again. By the end, he learned to push it with one hand and try to touch with the other. That's when I stepped in to distract him. :)

A WIP this is one of many

This is one of my Christmas presents that I'll be giving away this year. Since this one will take longer than most of the others, this is the one I'm starting first. That's right folks, I'm getting a jump start on Christmas! I will not be caught unawares again this year! (Like I am EVERY year.)

A giveaway ....

over on We Love Quilting. It's a destashing giveaway. So if you're in need of some scrappy goodness, head on over and sign yourself up! :)

And so starts a new year...

I had mentioned my reso-don'ts in my last post. I think it will be easier to accomplish the don'ts than the do's. Today is Sunday, crazy because it feels like Monday. I think that is because Mr. V was scheduled to work today. Anyone that knows factory work, KNOWS that you do not work on a Sunday. Especially one surrounding a holiday. Well, they had a special list at work on Friday for a certain number of people to work today and his name was on the list. He was none too pleased about it. But what can you do. So that has my day all messed up. Lil Mr. V is still sleeping. He's learning new words every day and being a typical 2 year old. So we're having meltdowns the size of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl combined frequently. However, they are followed up with lots of hugs and kisses and "I oooo YOOO!" But that's par for the course when you are involved with a 2 year old. (Or so my Mom tells me.)

On crafty goodness, I'm still working on that afghan. It seems to be moving faster now for some reason. At least the ball of yarn is getting consistently smaller, though the piece itself doesn't seem to be getting much bigger. But that's alright. I have around a third of a pound left of this skein and I have one more pound to go. I'll have to take pictures of it when I'm finished before Lil Mr. V decides it needs to be his. :)

Anyways, I'm off to drink my tea now.