Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 25

Happy Sunday...Sunday at Sew Many Ways is sharing day on the Sew Darn Crafty Linking Party. This week for sewing all I did was mending. I sewed a hole in my husband's brand new shorts. He caught the pocket on something and ripped it like a piece of tissue! I also sewed a seam in my daughters work pants, a shirt and also sewed on a button. A friend at worked asked me to sew a window valence out of a dust ruffle that came in one of the bed in a bag sets. Came out cute, but didn't take any pictures before I gave it back.

What was on your "to do" list this week? If you want to share it with us...you are in the right place!!

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~

Copyright Question...

I know copyright is a very complicated and touchy area to address. My question is copyright issues with quilting and quilt blocks to be specific.

I want to start a section of my blog with little tutorials on how to make certain quilt blocks. I want to show how to make the simple older blocks that are not copyrighted. I read some where on the Internet that anything over 95 years old is not copyrighted. Then I read some where on the web that anything before 1978 is ok...such a confusing topic.

Does any one know the best source, book or website for dating and copyrighting quilt blocks. I know Barbara Brackman has a book and a site, but I need a site with dates of the blocks, so I know that I can use it without any copyright infringements.

I also wanted to know how current designers copyright quilt patterns using certain blocks. Seems like you see the same block or pattern and it's just arranged differently in the quilt. Does that little change of sashing, borders, fabric, placement, size etc constitute enough of a change to call it a "different pattern"

Any help would be appreciated,
~Karen~

Before and After Spray Painting...

Thought I would share some before and afters of more spray painting adventures. You know I love consignment shops, thrift stores and yard sales too, but you have to look beyond what something looks like to see the gem inside.

This was an old letter holder with broken hooks...I think it was 50 cents.

The magic of black spray paint...what else but black spray paint for me!! Great spot for the kids' car keys and their incoming mail.

I couldn't find small enough hooks for this, so I used brass picture hangers and spray painted them with a galvanized metal paint.

Our sad mailbox was all rusted. Can't spend money on a new one when something still works, but just looks bad.

Hubby sanded down the rusted areas...

and then I used a metal primer...

Looks a lot better even with the primer.

but even better with a final coat of tan paint to match the house. I also sprayed the flag a nice new red.

An ok looking thermometer...

Much better with a coat of black spray paint. I used a plate rack instead of mounting it on the wall.

See that little topiary over there on the left? I personalized it a little with an old tie clip...

It has my husbands first name initial on it.

just clips to one of the leaves.

Adds a special touch...

Look around your house, attic or basement, I know there must be something that can be spray painted for a whole new look.

Happy spray painting,
~Karen~

Make A Gift On The 25th Club...Show and Tell

Hi All My Christmas Crafters...hope you've been busy this week making one or a few gifts. If you are new to Make a Gift on the25th Club, we are a group of crafters who are usually making gifts on Christmas Eve!!

Well, we are not proCRAFTinating any more. On the 25th of each month we will make a gift for someone and tuck it away until the holidays. Click HERE to read the original post and all other posts pertaining to the club.

You can join in on the fun any time.

If you would like to share what you've made this week with all of us, I've put together a linking party below. Make sure when you're sharing on your blog to link it here...the receiver of your gift won't be checking in to see it too!!

Sharing what you've done each week accomplishes a few things...

• forces you to keep up with the club promise
• shares your ideas with every one
• if you don't have a blog, but want to share...send me a picture, your name and email address and I'll link it for you

So let's see what you've been up to...

Happy Crafting,
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

I hate PMS and everything about it.

That's it...

Oh wait...I do love the lime tortilla chips and the guacamole I ate at midnight last night!! Need my salt.

Pray for my husband this week,   LOL
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Recycled Six Pack

It's Tool Time Tuesday again. The place where we always think outside the box...a box of bottles actually. This is a box carrier from a four pack of root beer, but a six pack of whatever would work great too. It would hold more!

A little side note about this week's Tool Time. I found this root beer carrier on my desk in my sewing room with a little note attached. The note said..."Tool Time idea?"  The note was from my daughter Kelsie. I guess the "save the trash disease" is spreading in our house. Thanks Kelsie for leaving me some inspiration to think about!!

The carrier is great. It's small, light weight and has a handle...

and has 4 or 6 compartments to hold lots of things.

Now to make it pretty...paint it, glue on fabric or scrap booking paper.

I went for the speedy dry paint idea! I did this an hour before leaving for work Monday morning. If you plan this correctly, you can coordinate the color or design to match any occasion!!

Now for the ideas...

Picnic utensils

Condiment carrier...ketchup, mustard, relish, hot sauce, bbq sauce etc...

A place to hold all your glues...

Office supplies...

Mini toolbox...

Hot glue gun supply carrier...

Scissors and rotary cutters...

Remote control caddy...



I'm sure there are so many more ideas for these. If you can think of any, share them in the comments. We always love to hear from you!!

Remember...save a lot of these and then decorate them to the occasion.

• Birthday parties...each guest gets one filled with party favors and candy
• Fourth of July party...each guest gets one filled with their own picnic utensils, napkin and a package of sparklers
• Valentine's Day...each compartment filled with a tall thin goody bag of candies and love notes

 Have fun with them...they're easy to work with and they're FREE!

Happy Tuesday,

~Karen~

Make A Gift On The 25th Club...Scarf Tutorial

Happy Christmas in July!! A little while ago I did a post explaining the "Make a Gift on the 25th Club". Click HERE to read all about it. In short, for the next five month on the 25th day of each month, anyone who joins the club will make a gift for someone on your Christmas list.

If you have a blog, you can post about it, but the person you're making the gift for might see it, so at some point during the week of the 25th, I will have a linking party so you can share your picture of the gift you are making. A linking party is the same as my Sew Darn Crafty party I have on Sundays...great inspiration.  

I know there are a lot of proCRAFTinators out there like me who wait until the last minute to make gifts, this club will help put that habit to an end.

Join the club, put this button on your blog as a reminder and just have fun in the process. I know timing is everything, so if you can't do it exactly on the 25th...we're giving ourselves the week of the 25th. Try to get it done and put it away. We all have those UFOs hiding in the closet...a UFO is an Un Finished Object. Maybe on the 25th we can finish some of those!!

Put on some Christmas music, get out your sewing machine, glue gun, beads, bobbles and patterns...WE'RE MAKING SOME GIFTS!!

To help you get started, here is a tutorial for an endless scarf. I shared this pattern for a guest post I did on Stash Manicure. This is made of cotton, but any fabric would work...fashion fabric would be more flowey.

Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 24

Sew Darn Crafty Sunday is here again!! We all start and finish projects at our own pace. Some people are fast and fire off projects as quickly as possible and others take the time they need to get the job done. 

I'm a little of both, but mostly I love quick and easy projects...nice feeling of satisfaction. If you've been working on anything lately, why don't you share it here with us. It can be anything at all! It can also be a work in progress too. Sometimes if we share something that is partially finished, it sparks us to get it done to show it off completed.



Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~

Sour Cream Coffee Cake Recipe...

A tried and true recipe for a yummy sour cream coffe cake. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. There is a crumble topping and also a layer in the middle. The brown sugar crumble mixture makes it seem like bits of gooey caramel through out.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

coffee cake ingredients

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 ounces (or 1 cup) sour cream

topping crumble mixture

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1/4 cup (or half stick) butter, room temperature

For the coffee cake...

Pre heat oven to 350* and grease 10 inch bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

In another bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix well. Add half the flour mixture, then add sour cream and mix well. Add remaining flour mixture and mix until combined

Prepare the topping mixture. Blend all crumble ingredients with fork or mix with hands until crumbly.

Spread half of the cake batter into the bundt pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumble mixture. Top with remaining cake batter and spread evenly. Top again with remaining crumble.

Bake at 350* for 40-45 minutes. Cool and remove from pan.

Enjoy,

~Karen~  

Thoughts on Thursdays...

Movies...I don't go to the movie theater very often. I should, because our daughter works there and it's free for us. Well, we went last night to see the last Harry Potter movie. We have been fans of the books since the beginning when our girls were younger. I won't spoil it for you, but if you follow Harry...go see it!!!

Adding this series of movies to my favorites list...

Sound of Music
Star Wars
Harry Potter

I know odd mix.

How about you...any favorite movies?

Have a happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Paint Craft Bucket

Hi everyone! So glad you could drop by for  visit. Tool Time Tuesday is where I try to find items that can be used in different ways. I find things in hardware stores, automotive stores, office supply stores, my recycling bin etc...the motto for Tool Time is to "think outside the box"! Always look twice at something and make your brain think beyond the norm...like this item below.

I love this Tool Time...Why? It was $2.39 and it's red! After I show you what you can use it for, you'll love it too.

This is a Handy Paint Cup.

A mini hand bucket. It's great for when you are painting or cutting in trim work. Just pour a little paint in and your hand fits comfortably under the handle. Wow...that sounded like a commercial ( I really have no connection to this product...just caught my eye in the paint aisle.)

See that black rectangle? It's a magnet.

 Holds your paint brush out of the paint when not in use. Great for craft painting, not just wall painting.

The metal on the brush sticks to the magnet.

Well, it's Tool Time at Sew Many Ways, so needles and pins stick to this magnet too!!

Great handy bucket to hold hand sewing projects.

I'm sure the handle will fit on some chair arms or hang some where in the car when sewing on long trips.

Holds your hand sewing, scissors, glasses, thread etc. The needles and pins are always there on the magnet and won't get lost.



Great for...

• hand sewn hexagon projects
• cross stitching projects
• jewelry or bead work with the little metal tools
• the obvious craft paint

Take a trip down the paint aisle...great ideas in there!

Have a great Tuesday,

~Karen~

My Little Girlies...

Not so little any more...all grown up and we love them to pieces. We went to a seafood shack for 4th of July and we had a greatest time. Fooled around with our cameras waiting for the food. These were some of the least craziest!!

Kelsie and Courtney...

Hubby waiting for the food...

This will be our Christmas card this year...so cute!

This will NOT be our Christmas card this year...bug on the tree!! Can you hear the screams? Lol!!



Thought I'd share the girls today. They're leaving for school at the end of August, so we are enjoying every second with them!

Have a great day,

~Karen~