RANT! Strollers are NOT necessary! Neither are infant carseats!

Evidently, Sam's Club has banned strollers due to people using the strollers to steal merchandise. On my favorite message board of all times, a woman is urging stroller-loving moms to "unit" (she means "unite") and "campgain" (she means "campaign") for a reversal of this policy.

Here's what I wrote in response, but then deleted because I don't want anyone to get their panties in a wad over me having an opinion (this message board has a LOT of rules to protect pansies).  

I don't understand the problem. Why shop with a stroller anyway? It's not like you can fit much of Sam's merchandise on it, so do you push a stroller AND one of their carts? The carts have 2 spots for kids in them. There aren't many of us that have 3 kids needing to use a stroller at the same time. I have 3 under 4 years, and with a sling can shop just fine. Dragging carseats around isn't necessary if you have a sling or other baby carrier.

If container-izing your monkey of a toddler with a 5-point harness is really what's necessary, then urge Sam's club to install 5-point harnesses on their giant carts. I often wish carts had 5-point harnesses, but instead, I either get the kids to listen or leave the store.

I know I'm in the minority, but I don't see a need for strollers other than jogging strollers for jogging/walking, when for the sake of the workout, you need the kids to keep up. I don't have an infant carseat for Wyatt. I see them as one of those things that our culture has convinced people they need to spend a pretty penny on when it's just not necessary (except maybe for people with multiples).

An old military saying that I love is "Adapt and Overcome."

This particular member generally annoys me, so I would have just ignored her pleas for support but people are actually agreeing with her!!

I Opened The BOX!

My parents got me a Serger for my Birthday, and I got the guts to open the box tonight. I'm impressed that it came with some spools of thread and a little scrap of practice fabric! My parents also gave me 4 big cones of thread, but I guess I won't have to waste that while learning! Also cool is that it has SUCTION CUPS on the bottom!!!  It's not going anywhere while I sew. For some reason, I find that hilarious. 

I took pics, but the easy upload computer is in Wyoming or South Dakota or someplace for the next few days so you'll just have to wait for pics.  My first project on this new machine is going to be a snuggie for Kaila and then one for Tyler. In my head they are AWESOME. We'll see how they turn out...

The 30% off everything sale at Special Stitches is what moved a fleece project to the front. 

oh, yeah, that um, bean bag toss is on hold. I'm too excited about trying out the new spaceship they call a serger.

Now I'm going to watch the instructional video!!

NEW IDEA

OK, finally decided my highest priority: a Beanbag toss that can attach to my stairway. now to design and sew...

YIKES!

So, we're on a freakishly long 2-day 26-hour drive, and yesterday I made a list of all the projects I've been wanting to work on. I really had no idea that this  many things are on my list!! 

Here's what you should be seeing in the coming days/weeks (in no particular order). 

SEWING:
SitSupport for Wyatt
Finish Renee's DreamBag
Kids' room curtain?valance?
Playroom curtain?valance?
Hat from pattern
Dress from pattern
Doll Diapers from www.mamasamess.blogspot.com
Super Hero Cape (maybe on amanda's blog?)
Snuggie (surely there's a blog out there somewhere with how to)

GARDENING:
Inventory old seeds
Order/buy new seeds
plant seeds indoors
WORM BIN

COOKING:
Butter Mochi
Sponge Candy
Decorated Brownies (Thanks Shell!)

HOUSE:
Stickers on kids' walls


OTHER:
Fix necklace clasp
make OSU Necklace or Bracelet?
make corkscrew ribbon
corkscrew ribbon hairbows
critter hairbows

Scarf and T-shirt dress experiment --with applique!!!

So, Kaila has a dress that's just a cheap white toddler girl wifebeater (camisole?)with a skirt sewn on. She LOVES it, and wears it ALL THE TIME!  So, I bought a 4-pack of t-shirts and intended to use some of my DreamSlings fabrics to put cute skirts on them, hence the ruffle research that led to the last dress attempt.

But then....Kaila got into my bag of scarves that I've collected for future creations, and I decided to try to make a dress from one.  Here's what happened:

 

The Scarf

Fold scarf in quarters,  cut off point:

Cut apart, line up, fold down twice:

 iron, sew with straight stitch, then do the ruffle technique from the last post:

Sew to the bottom of the t-shirt:

Ok, here's where I messed up:

First I put right sides together  and sewed, but it made a strange poufy skirt. Poufy could be good, but this was NOT GOOD. So, I took it apart, and sewed it back together, with the skirt on the outside.  That's how it is in the picture below, and I haven't taken it apart to try again, but if I do, I will sew it back together with the skirt on the inside and t-shirt on the outside, using a zig-zag stitch, so it stretches a little with the shirt.  

If I make another one (not likely), I'll use 2 coordinating scarves, so there's not so much open space between the triangles and it's a little more modest. Then, I'll use elastic to ruffle it, instead of the loose-long stitch  ruffle system that doesn't stretch.

Then, I decided to spice up the plain white t-shirt with some applique. Using a Creative Memories Custom Cutting System template, I cut a heart out of the leftover center of the scarf. Then I cut out a smaller heart freehand, and zig-zag stitched them onto the shirt.

As if that weren't enough experimental creating, I decided some ribbon flowers would be just perfect. So, thanks to Google, I found out how to do it from Make It Do.

I wound up not using the flowers on the dress, but I'll do another blog entry on them. and maybe I'll make a hairclip to go with the dress. But why? Since she'll probably never wear it outside the house

Here it is:

I really like the skirt part, but the top doesn't really work with it. 

Back to the drawing board, or in my case, ironing board.

Peanut Butter - Oatmeal - Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why make just one kind of cookie? Make all your favorites at once!!

Here's my Favorite Cookie Recipe!!!

This time, I used all Whole Wheat flour and 1 Tbs of Vital Wheat Gluten in place of regular flour.   They came out crispier than usual.

From Recipezaar of course!!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe #145478

Very yummy! A nice moist, chewy cookie. No heavy baking soda aftertaste! Forgot to say these were my friend, Deb's cookies! Don't want to take credit for her delicious recipe.

by nsomniak6

22 min | 10 min prep

SERVES 4 , 24 cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla (or more)
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Cream butter and sugars together. Add peanut butter, egg, and vanilla. And mix well.
3. In another bowl mix dry ingredients together and add to butter mixture.
4. Add chips and mix well.
5. Either drop onto pan or roll into small balls.--I like to use a scoop.
7. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.
8. Cool for 5 minutes on sheet.

The Dress Project--Adult shirt transformed into little girl's outfit.

So, there are all these other blogs out there with tutorials for making men's dress shirts into dresses. Here's the one that convinced me I should at least take a stab at it: Dana Made It I couldn't find a shirt I liked in the men's section at the thrift store, but the ladies' section had lots. I feel like there are enough awesome tutorials already out there that I'm just going to go over the basics here.

The Shirt:

 

Then I took a dress of Lavagirl's and  traced it to make a pattern.

Then, Luvinthemotherhood showed me the idea of how to use the sleeves to make pants, and I figured why not?

Since this was a 3/4 length sleeve shirt, the sleeves weren't long enough for pants without some patching. That was some great experimental sewing!

I fought and won the battle of the sleeves.  They are kind of big and poofy, but now that I've done it once, I can make better sleeves on future dresses, and believe me, there will be more!!!!

Here's the finished dress. I took off the breast pocket, added some ruffles, and put it back on lower. I learned how to make ruffles here, and used them on the sleeves and pocket.

 

and the dress with pants: