The Return of the Ghastlies

I realize it's nearly May but I'm just now getting around to posting pics of some things I made for Christmas gifts. I made these for my mother-in-law.

Ghastlies Table Runner

Ghastlies Oven Mit (front & back)

Four Ghastlies Placemats 

What made me finally remember to post these? I bought several yards of the newest Ghastlies family print, Family Reunion, when I was on vacation earlier this month! YAY! I can't wait to get reacquainted with the family with some new projects!

Chevron (zig zag) quilt

I actually finished this quilt a while ago but hadn't been out to take photos. December and January were nearly snow-free and unseasonably warm. So of course I waited until February when it's cold and there's 6 inches of snow on the ground to take pictures.

This quilt was SO simple. Sew a bunch of strips together, cut into squares, twist and sew back together! What? That's not enough for you to make one too? Check out Bee Square's tutorial.

I even made giant chevrons on the back using vintage sheets.

Instead of traditional binding, I used giant ric rac from Pick Your Plum. Have you signed up for PYP yet? It's 1 deal per day, all super affordable crafting/sewing/creative supplies. I love it!

For fabric, I used 11 different prints from Ruby Heirloom by Joel Dewberry.

Cheater French Onion Soup

This French onion soup is ridiculously easy and fast - there are only 5 ingredients! And you make it right in the bowl so there's less dishes which is always a plus in my book.

I am going to give amounts that make 2 dinner servings or 4 servings if it's with a meal, but since you are making it right in the serving bowls, you can easily make more or less depending on how many people you're feeding.

3 cups beef broth
2 T. cooking sherry
1 sm canister French fried onions (like you put on green bean casserole)
1 sm baguette (day old works best)
2-4 cheese slices (I've used swiss, muenster, provolone and mozzarella - use whatever you like)

Divide broth and sherry equally between oven safe bowls. Split the canister of French onions equally between bowls. Top each with a thick (about 1") slice of bread and a slice of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Done! It's delicious and so simple.

The cheese in the red and yellow bowls is mozzarella and the cheese in the orange and blue bowls is swiss. Any of the cheese will brown up nicely - just in different amounts of time. I could have left the swiss ones in a bit longer, but I'm impatient!

One last tip: don't skip the sherry. Even though it's a very small amount, it adds a complexity to the soup that you really do miss without it.

Mind blowing cake decorating tip.

I cannot believe I forgot to include the amazing tip I used in frosting my ninja bread men in the last post. Do you know how to use a piping bag and not make a mess? The tip is from Karens Cookies but I found the video at Dollar Store Crafts. It made me dig my piping bag out of the back of the drawer. I never use it because it's a hassle to clean. Go watch the 2 minute video. You will think, "Why did I never thing of that? It's brilliant!"

Place your frosting or whatever you are going to pipe in a pile in the center of a piece of saran wrap. Roll it up like a Tootsie Roll. Put the whole thing in your piping bag with one end sticking out the bottom. Snip that off, pipe away, no messy bag or hands to clean up afterward. That didn't help did it? Go watch the video. It makes it clear and easy to understand.

My ninja bread men will kick your gingerbread men's butts

As I noted here this summer, I am a Pinterest addict. I am up to almost 1,000 pins. Ridiculous, I know, but I LOVE it and it is so inspiring. Anyway, last Christmas friends gave us ninja bread men cookie cutters. They are hilarious. We don't really like gingerbread cookies or sugar cookies but I knew I needed to make ninja bread men. Then I remembered making gingerbread ornaments when I was a kid that smelled wonderful but lasted from year to year, but I needed a recipe. Pinterest to the rescue!

The "dough" recipe is from Martha Stewart via Pinterest. It's just 1 c. cinnamon, 1/4 c. applesauce and 1/2 c. white glue. Poke holes with the end of a straw so you can string a ribbon through. Then either let it dry for 24 hours or put it in the oven at 200 degrees for around 2 hours or until it's dried out. I did have to use a bit more glue and applesauce than her recipe called for. 

The "frosting" is homemade puff paint, recipe courtesy Delaware County Moms via Pinterest. It's just equal parts flour, salt and water. You can add food coloring or paint if you want it to be colored.

I know you are jealous of my ninja bread men cookie cutters, but you can make ornaments with any cookie cutters or just shape the dough with your hands. We used the last little bit to make ninja stars to go on the tree too! Hilarious!

My legs are WARM!

I am obsessed with tall boots with long socks or leg warmers. Yes, leg warmers. No, I'm not confused about what decade it is. I'm not talking about 80s leg warmers over spandex in neon colors. These leg warmers are worn under boots so no one will ever know that they aren't really socks. I've seen them all over at stores and online. Some for as high as $80!!

I'm on a budget and even if I wasn't, I could never spend $80 on a pair of socks. So I decided to make my own. $12 at Salvation Army got me 6 fairly ugly sweaters in random sizes - and now I have 6 new pairs of leg warmers to wear as boot socks!

Like them? Do you want to make some too? Here's how:

( I used a serger, but I think you could zigzag stitch all the places I serged and still end up with the same effect.)

Step 1: Acquire some ugly sweaters at a thrift store. Make sure the knit has some stretch to it because, in all likelihood, your legs are bigger around than the sleeves of most tops.

Step 2: Measure from your heel to the back of your knee and add 1 inch. Measure that length from the cuff of your sweater.

Step 3: Cut both sleeves off. Stay perpendicular to the sleeve - don't follow the shoulder seam.

*At this point, slip the sleeve on your leg. If it is loose at the top (3 of my 6 pairs were), turn them inside out and serge up the underarm seam to make them smaller. 

Step 4: Cut a small (1/2 inch) slit at the underarm seam and serge all the way around the raw edge.

Step 5: Flip the edge in and ZIGZAG stitch with about 1/2 inch seam allowance.

And you're done!

Unless you're not done. I thought I was, but then went a bit embellishment crazy.

I sewed buttons on 5 pairs and trim on 3.

Learn from my mistakes: Decide from the beginning which will get trim and buttons - then put the trim on BEFORE the buttons. I sewed the buttons on first and they were constantly in the way when I was trying to put the trim on. Also, don't forget to zigzag trim on and stretch the knit a bit as you sew. You need to be able to get them over the widest part of your calf, even if the trim doesn't have any stretch.

I left the argyle ones unadorned, but they are super long so I can put them up high above my knees or slouch them down a bit for knee high length.

Good thing I have seven pairs of tall boots because I want to wear a pair of these every day!

Update: Here's a really bad picture I took with my cell phone this morning but you can see the cream lace pair with brown riding boots.

Produce pouches

It seems silly to use plastic produce bags when I make the effort to use fabric totes at the checkout lane. I have purchased several sets of mesh bags that work wonderful for fruits and veggies at the grocery store or at the farmers market. Somehow they always seem to wander off. I'm not sure if I'm accidentally throwing them out occasionally, if they're blowing away when I'm not looking or if some of the friends, family and strangers who are always so impressed with them "borrow" a few here and there. At one point in time, I had 20 in 4 different sizes. The last time I took count, I was down to six!

Simple solution? How about $3 for 12 in two sizes! 1 yard of mesh on sale for $1 plus one spool of ribbon for $2. Less than two hours later, I had 8 small bags and 4 large ones!

I just serged around 3 sides and around the opening at the top. Flipped the top down about 1/2 an inch and zigzagged that all the way around. Snip two little slits on one side and use a safety pin to slide the ribbon through. Tie a knot and viola! They're cute, they're cheap and they are environmentally friendly. Never a reason to use plastic bags for produce again!