Home Ec.

We had a very productive week-end and we all felt it was a success. So many week-ends, at least over here, we have" gotten through." And when it was over, you weren't really sure what you did. Well, this last week end was better and though some of the goals were last minute, we at least had some and things got done. My first endeavor was trying to replicate Trader Joe's Vegetable Bird Nests. They are so tasty but we were out, and I wanted to see what I could do. It wasn't until after I made them I found the box, read the ingredients, and formulated a better recipe to try next time. These ones were ok, but not as light an airy. I did use potatoes in mine so that made it more like a potato pancake. But the flavor was good and we had left over dipping sauce from the previous night, I'm telling you they are very addictive. Our next few projects were inspired by a dress I bought last week. It needed some "tweaking" so Tiri and I went to the fabric store to get some thread. I only have one bobbin, so every time I did a new project I would have to wind over, or unwind the previous color thread. It sounds stupid, but I couldn't find the right size bobbin and had several "wrong sized" ones floating around. Well, this time I got it right and was so excited I came home and wound several bobbins. Just so they would be ready.

The girls were excited about sewing and I was excited to teach them. As happens often, I found an old sheet and found some new uses for it. Audrey made her first sewing machine project- a pillow. She is very interested in going back to the fabric store and picking out a pattern to make herself some clothes. I will be very careful to teach her the patient, thoughtful method of sewing. Which is not my style. I usually look for the short cut and end up paying for it. Once I pinned the seam from the wrong side and was too lazy to re pin it. And in reaching across to pull the pins out, ended up with half a sewing machine needle sticking out my index finger. I've had zippers in backwards, large quantities of satin eaten by feed dogs, bodice pieces accidentally caught in seams they didn't belong. And that was all the same dress. So I will be diligent in teaching the girls to sew thoughtfully. And hopefully I'll learn some new habits too.

I was very careful about this dress because I really didn't want to ruin it. I found it at Target getting things for Kateri's party. I didn't want to take four kids to the dressing room so I just got the smallest size and planned on returning it if it didn't work out. It was very strangely fit, with small shoulders and arms, but really loose around the rib cage. It had a sewn in band around the waist and I knew if I took it off, that would be the end of it. After two days of basting it various ways I finally settled on adding darts all the way through the waist band. It actually worked. And it fits.

As does Kateri's new skirt. Its amazing how many projects you can get our of one king sized sheet. I really do like sheets. I've made curtains, valances, quilts, dresses, and now pillows and skirts using sheets. But don't tell the Home Owners Association. We've already gotten pinged on not watering our tiny patch of grass in front. They don't need to know our front window coverings are courtesy some old bedding.

Shane's projects were finishing the front gate. No one had complained about the baby gates I had roped together there, but we figured it was time anyway. He also worked on the garage, which means I have lots of kids shoes and clothes to go through. Later.

I really like the gate and the next day had some help from Super Man putting on the stain. So all in all it was a good week-end. The weather has been cloudy and very fallish and just right for indoor projects. It has been a long time, but I think I do feel a rash of sewing projects coming. I still have a lot of windows to cover.