Something a little different...

Do you see this rather strange item?  It was an experiment.  When I got it done, and showed it to friends, they would ask, "What is it for?  What will you do with it?"  I didn't know...  It sat around here for a number of days and then I thought it might make an acceptable "doily" under this picture:

That is an old photograph of my father and his father.  Although the frame looks old, it isn't.  I bought it on sale at Kohl's a few years ago.  It is perfect for this old photo, which would have been taken about 1912.  I really like how it looks here.  It just looks old and tattered and somehow... well, there's no accounting for tastes, as they say.  Now I will sort of tell you how I made it.  Aren't you excited??  ;)

I started out with a piece of white muslin.  See, here is the back of it.  I randomly placed several (maybe 4)  overlapping layers of differently-sized pieces of cotton print scraps of fabric on top of the muslin.  Then, on top of that I put the olive colored print that you can see in the top picture better if you "click" on it.  Next, I pinned it all together in several places and took it to the sewing machine where I stitched it around and around beginning in the center and using the side of the pressure foot as a guide.

When that was done, I used a sharp pair of scissors to cut in between the stitching round and round.  That was a little fiddly, but my scissors were a bit large for the task.  I have since purchased a smaller pair for my next project of this nature.  (I have ideas.:)  Finally, I put it through the washer and dryer, so it would fray.

Here is a close-up view.  You can see the small amount of embroidery I did on it.

At the center, you can see the white muslin peaking through and the layers of fabrics.

Well, anyway, I like it, and on this snowy winter day, enjoyed showing you.

God bless!

This post is linked to WIP Wednesday and Simple Lives Thursday

Happy New Year !!!

I never ring in the New Year.  I go to bed on time.  I think maybe it's a good way to welcome in 2013.  I hope this year will be kind to all of you, my Gentle Readers, and your loved ones!  Happy New Year!!!

Corn cob dolls :)

In Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, she wrote, "Mary was bigger than Laura, and she had a rag doll named Nettie.  Laura had only a corncob wrapped in a handkerchief, but it was a good doll.  It was named Susan.  It wasn't Susan's fault that she was only a corncob.  Sometimes Mary let Laura hold Nettie, but she did it only when Susan couldn't see."

This passage came to mind when I was trying to decide what to do with my corn cobs left from raising the flour corn.  I looked online for how to make a corn cob doll.  "Susan" apparently didn't have any proper clothing, but I'm sure she was content with her handkerchief.

My dollies got some real garments.  Here they are.  What do you think?

Linked to ~

Clever Chicks Blog Hop #15

How could I not be happy?

For Christmas, my sweet daughter-in-law sent me this sweet little solar powered daisy.

I am not sure why, but every time I see it, I smile "ear to ear."

Thanks, Amie.

:D

A slightly unusual supper...

My husband spent 3 or 4 hours this afternoon clearing snow from our driveway and the neighbors' driveways.  When he finally came in, he didn't want a "proper" supper at all, and asked for a smoothie, so that is what I made for him. That left me with the question of what I should have, so, this is what I did:

I have quite a lot of dehydrated, sliced zucchini squash.  

 I put some of them in water for a couple of hours and then drained them and

cooked them in butter and added salt and pepper.

We also have quite a few apples that have gotten rather shriveled and are not much fun to eat.

So, I peeled some, cut them into small pieces and put them in a saucepan with a little water.

They were cooked, with a lid on, on "low" until they were tender.

Here is my dinner plate.  I sprinkled ground cinnamon on the applesauce.

It was all surprisingly good! :)

I really enjoy "eking out" with what we have on hand!

This is linked to Simple Lives Thursday #127.

Merry Christmas

In recent years, our Christmas Eve Tradition is to eat my "World Famous" donuts and then watch Mr. Krueger's Christmas together with whatever family or friends care to come. 

I hope each one of you will have a Very Merry Christmas,

and that you are all with loved ones at this wondrous

and sacred time of year.

Thank you for being a part of my life!

EASY way to separate eggs!

Please go watch this video!  It's amazing!

http://www.halleethehomemaker.com/2012/12/a-quick-easy-fool-proof-trick-to-separate-eggs/