Add your blog to the linky party below AND ask all your questions in the comment section! Details for each are below.
Question and Answers
Here's how it will work...
- post your question in the comment section. You can ask anything at all...from sewing, cooking, family, vacationing in other countries, crafting, blogging, photography, decorating...anything goes
- everyone will read the question
- if someone has a helpful answer, that person will click the "REPLY" button right under THAT particular question and post the answer!!
- that way everyone can read the answer too!!
- this is helpful for those who don't like to share their email address or who are "no replies" and there isn't an email address to respond to
- just come back to this post to see if your question has been answered!!
Find a Friend Linky Party
This is easy to participate in. You are just linking to your own blog. No Pressure!! No projects to sew, no furniture to paint, no cookies to bake or pictures to take. You are just sharing your site and then friends will stop by for a visit.
- at the very end of this post, click on the "click here to enter" link...way at the end, after the last blog that has been linked. See it way down there at the bottom?
- copy and paste or just type in your blog address...example: http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com
- enter title of link...your blog name or phrase to grab attention
- add a photo of you, your profile picture or your blog button or whatever you think will grab some one's attention...(I'm thinking a picture of a big piece of chocolate cake, but that's just me LOL)
That's it...super easy. Have fun checking in on all the new blogs. Come back, because more are added all the time!
Don't forget to check out the comment section too...there are ALWAYS great questions and helpful answers.
Happy Blogging,
~Karen~
I have been thinking about buying a blender. Anyone have a recommendation of which one? Also, what do you use a blender for?
ReplyDeleteI have a Ninja and I love it!! I use it to make smoothies - mostly fruit smoothies for breakfast. I've also made gazpacho and pizza dough. I make apple butter in my slow cooker and use the Ninja to chop the apples first and later, to smooth the texture. The list goes on and on. I love my Ninja. This is the one I have but there are a lot of different models. Check around for a good price. I bought mine at BJs but I've seen it at Walmart and Target as well as Amazon.
Deletehttp://www.ninjapulse.com/product.php
I second the Ninja - I make green smoothies with no problem. I put spinach and a little water then blend until smooth then add my fruits. I have also made gazpacho in it too.
DeleteWe have a Blendtec and love it! It was pricey (Costco usually has it for the best price), but they have a 7 -10 year warranty depending on which model you buy. My husband is the primary user and makes all sorts of wonderful concoctions including frozen lemonade and limeade. It makes the ice smooth and slushy. It also has a soup option that will actually puree soup and heat it at the same time. It's pretty cool. Here's their website: http://www.blendtec.com
DeleteAlso for some fun they do "Will it blend" videos where they blend things like ipads and other bizarre stuff.
They are fun to watch even if you don't buy the blender. Here's a link to their top 10 video's: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLg6me2IluOEw_kLmO54Ous7ake38VTY5c
My hubs got me a VitaMix this spring and it rocks my world, I can make Hot Soup, Smoothies from whole foods, Frozen dessets, It cleans it self by using the smoothies option. I LOVE my VitaMix and my hubs said to me "Your more excited about the VitaMix than your were your iPad!" 7 Year warrenty, Made in the USA. Both important to me....and they stand behind their product. I did about 18 months of research before we took the plunge and found it was best to purchase from Costco when there was a demo going on. Also if you purchse the dry container and register it at the same time as your VitaMix you will get a 7 year warranty on it too just ask. I can also grind coffee, make peanut butter and make flour.....which is great for people with celiacs. Best Wishes....my only regret we didn't purchse it years ago!
DeleteI looked at the VitaMix before purchasing the Ninja. The price difference was so huge that I decided on the Ninja. I haven't regretted it at all and after the fact I saw a Consumer Reports comparison of the two and they said the biggest difference in the two was .... ta dah! The Price!!
DeleteI have this blender/food processor (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Multi-Libra-FP950-Processor/dp/B000WDYRGS) which I got for less than half price on ebay because it had one part missing. I mainly bought it for the food processor, as I already had a blender, but this has a much nicer blender jug than my last one (which I have just donated to a friend) - the base come away from the blender jug so it's easy to clean (big bonus), and it's glass rather than plastic so it doesn't stain. I mainly use the blender when making soup (although sometimes I just use a stick blender for that if I can't be bothered to transfer it to the jug!) and the food processor for making certain cakes. This one has a lot of bells and whistles and it's great, but if you just want a standard jug blender, my bush one was great. I would recommend one with a removable base though - the other one was a nightmare to clean!
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry, that should have gone as a reply to Judy above!
DeleteMy question is regarding quilting. I want to make my first quilt this year. Can anyone recommend a really good quilting blog for beginners?!
ReplyDeleteI think Craftsy has some great video tutorials and some of them are free like the 2012 Block of the Month. You learn new techniques each month! It's free! And it even goes over sandwiching, quilting and binding in the final months.
DeleteI made my first quilt taking Craftsy's 2012 Block of the Month class. I learned a lot of techniques and made 20 different blocks. You can use one of the block pattern to make a whole quilt. The instructor Amy Gibson will walk you through each block step by step.
Deletehttp://www.quiltingboard.com/
Deleteis my favorite
I also recommend Craftsy's 2012 block of the month class with Amy Gibson. I didn't do the entire quilt but it got me started and she has some really great tips!
DeleteThanks everyone! I will take a look at craftsy :-)
DeleteMy grandmother recently passed away and I have inherited a lot of her clothes. I asked for them because I was hoping to make a memorial quilt. Most of her clothes were a polyester/cotton blend. I've never quilted with anything other than cotton. Any tips or guidance for piecing and quilting with poly/cotton blends? Or should I just run for the hills and consider using them for something else? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMy condolences on your loss. Just lost my mother-in-law (which I loved very dearly!) myself and I know what a gap these wonderful woman can leave...
DeleteI'm making a Memory Quilt for a friend of my sister, who lost her husband. I'm making some paperpiecing stars from the shirts and will be making some crazy-quilt blocks from fleece sweaters and jackets. Paperpiecing or more specific foundation-piecing is a good way to deal with different kind of materials together. You make up for the strechy qualities this way. You can mail me any time for more help if you need. Good luck! biancavdwiel@upcmail.nl
My question is not quilt-related, but truck and big rig related.... I hope some of you'll know a trucker or big rig fan....
ReplyDeleteWe are planning our vacation for next year, traveling the route 89 from Calgary to Phoenix. We'll be traveling from june 16th untill july 7th. (itinerary is link #17) Because we live in the Netherlands, I always try to plan ahead as good as possible.
We would really love to vist a big truckshow or something like that!!! I can't find any though. Can anyone help me to a good site or organisation where I can find these??? This is our 4th time in the US, but never been to one. My hubby and I are both truckers (although I'm an ex-trucker, now full time quilter) and love trucks, big rigs, off roading and anything car-related.
Would love to get some tips and hints!
Thanks so much.
Bianca here is a site for Monster Truck Shows, but they only have the scheduled through June 14, 2014...so you might need to save this link and check back when they add more shows and where: http://www.monsterjam.com/events/
DeleteAnother site is: http://www.monsternationals.com/events but they only have one listing this August.
Not sure if this is the type of truck show you wanted, but you can check the sites and perhaps email them about what you want?
THANKS!!!
DeleteHi Bianca...There is a blog I pop into...
Deletehttp://www.memoriesbythemile.com/
Both her and her husband are over the road truckers.
Her blog has some great recipes, but it also talks about their life "on the road". She might have some great insights for you !
Rose
Does anyone have an inexpensive DIY solution for making an ironing cradle? Here's a picture of one. Terrific for keeping your fabric off the floor when ironing.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nancysnotions.com/product/ironing+cradle.do
Would it work to put a couple of chairs (like kitchen chairs) behind the ironing board? It would save having to store another item, just put the chairs back at the table when done. Maybe prop the front legs on something so fabric would be less likely to slid off the front? Otherwise, the link looks like a couple of small pieces of wood hinged in the middle with a bolt, dowels, and a fabric sling.
DeleteI'm thinking PVC pipes...1/2 inch - 3/4 inch size. It comes in 10 foot lengths. The 1/2 inch size is $1.80 for a 10 foot pieces. You can make it with four short pvc pipe legs instead of the crossed legs in the picture. The pvc corner connector pieces can attach all the pieces, yet it can still be disconnected and stored away if you are short on space. Looks like a Tool Time Tuesday project!! Lol
DeleteSewing question!- I have my cutting mat for about 2 years, and it's got cuts in the center (where I usually cut)
ReplyDeleteHow often should a cutting mat be replaced? Maybe mine is just cheap? Is a self healing cutting mat really that good and "heal" itself?
Thanks!
Chanina, the short version is you shouldn't have to replace your mat in just 2 years.
DeleteTwo ways to avoid this. One, don't always cut on the same lines. If you're cutting 6½" strips, move the fabric over an inch or half inch each time you make a cut.
Better yet, don't use the lines on your mat. You probably have a long ruler that has a 6½" line on it - lay the 6½" ruler mark on a straightened edge of your fabric and cut the fabric that way. (When I'm teaching rotary cutting, I "make" all my students flip their mats over and cut on the back side so there are no lines to tempt them!) Because I use the lines on the ruler and not the mat I can cut at any angle on the mat, lessening the chance of hitting one spot over and over.
The second thing is to replace your blades more often. A sharp blade makes a very thin cut into the mat. The mat can 'self-heal', a bit like slicing into a stick of butter with a thin knife. If your blade is dull, instead of cutting cleanly it pushes fibers from the fabric into the mat, not allowing it to heal itself. Now you've got toast crumbs on your knife and they embed into the butter...
I have two cutting mats that are each over 10 years old. I was sure to purchase mats with cutting surfaces on both sides (the green Olfa mats - I know Fiskars has reversible mats, too). My June Tailor mat (the grey one) is shiny on the back so I can only cut on the front side of that one.
Most mats do get cutting grooves in them when you cut a lot. I have replaced several until I found June Tailor mats. They seem to be made out of a tougher material and do not get those cutting grooves. The printed numbers have worn away over time on the sides though. I have heard others mention some other brand that they love, but when I looked at the sit (can't even remember the name) they were hundreds of $$. June Tailor mats can be found at JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, Hancock Fabric, Walmart, etc. Use a coupon or wait for a sale.
DeleteI have an email question ~ I have an Etsy shop and I send out newsletters from time to time letting people know of sales, etc. My question is ~ how do I go about sending them to everyone on my list w/out showing all of their names/email addresses to each person I send to?
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!!
Tanya
Make use of the BCC line in your compose window. It should be below To and CC. If it doesn't show up as an option, often there's a place to click to "add" BCC.
DeleteBCC stands for Blind Carbon Copy.
You put YOUR email in the "To" box and everyone elses into the "BCC" box. They all get it, but no one's email is compromised.
A side benefit of this is that if someone replies to your email accidentally hits "Reply All" it will only come to you, not your whole mailing list.
Send the email to yourself, and in the BCC (which means blind carbon copy in case you didn't know that) paste all your email addresses. Each person will receive an email, but the other email addresses do not show up because it's "blind" to them.
DeleteThanks so much ladies!! I really appreciate your input!!
DeleteTanya
You don't even have to send it to your self on the to line. You can send the email with a valid email address in any one of the three options....TO, CC, or BCC.
DeleteHi Karen
ReplyDeleteI have been folowing for a while and I love your blogging tips. You have answered so many of my questions without me having to even ask them. Just wanted to say thanks.
I recently added a new background to my blog now everything looks strange :( I am not sure if I need to get rid of the cute background or if I need to work on formatting.
I am looking for suggestions along with a few new friends. Please come over and take a look. If any of you are intrested in checking out my little corner of the blogging world please come over to the garner girl and check it out. http://www.garnergirl-loree.blogspot.com
I think your font needs to be smaller. Looks like the left and right columns run into the center main post area. Maybe even choose a different font.
DeleteHi Loree,
DeleteYour blog looks great, but I agree with Eilleen...the font might be too big. You also might want to change the widths of the main body or your side bars to spread them out.
Just go to your dashboard, click "Template", then click "Customize" and then in the upper left corner click "Adjust Width".
If the widths or font size don't change, it might not be you...it might be Blogger. I have been trying to change the fonts in that template form for weeks and it won't save and change it for me. I've looked it up in Blogger Help section and they are trying to fix it. I'm not sure if its all aspects of the Template form or just the fonts.
Good luck,
Karen
Thank you Eileen. I tried left justification and that didnt work. I will try changing to another smaller font.
DeleteThanks Karen
DeleteYour post are always so helpful.
Loree
I've got a travel question for ya'll. We are planning a trip to Hawaii sometime in the next 12 - 14 months. This will be our first trip. 1 - if we have 10 days to vaction there, should we visit one island or split our time between a few? Which island(s)?
ReplyDelete2 - What 3 places should be definitely visit while we are there?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI deleted my first post because it was way too long. First know that every island is very different, from topography, to population, to weather, to the "feel" of the island. In fact each part of an island is different from the other parts. I've been all over Oahu, Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui. My favorite Island is Kauai, with Maui a close second. Top 3 things--can't narrow it down because it depends on the island, and how you like to vacation (relax, or recreate, do a foodcation, or a little of everything). Don't do more than 2 islands, I strongly suggest only one. Ten days was too short for Kauai, and we spent 10 days in Maui this spring, and felt like we really didn't have enough time to do everything we wanted there either. Also, you lose most of a day when you move from one place to another, plus arrival and departure day, so you really will only have 7 full days if you change islands. I recommend going to the Tripadvisor Hawaii Forum and start reading.
Deletehttp://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28932-i36-Hawaii.html
There is more information both on the sidebar, and through the forum than you will be able to absorb, but it will help you decide what piques your interest, and you can do more research from there. Also, whatever you do, make sure you rent a car and get out and explore and experience the island(s). Don't just hang at a big resort the whole time--you'll miss all of the amazing things that make Hawaii so unique and special. Also, make sure you have a good camera and know how to use it before you go--the scenery is spectacular, and wonderful.
I've been to the big island and got to explore the volcanos and Kauai - I'd recommend both. I definitely agree with Missynme - don't do more than 2 islands and get a car. That's the only way to really see all the neat things.
DeleteDoes anyone have trouble reading posts that use a pink font? I think sometimes people try to highlight a word in red and it turns pink on the screen. This is so difficult to read. Thanks for listening.
ReplyDeleteHappy Sewing!
Nancy
For me, it depends on the background color. There's a blog that's a list of blogs and I can't read the names of the blogs or the titles of the blog entries - hot pink on mauve is Not Good. Hot pink on black or other dark color is tolerable.
DeleteHow long did it take you to get so many followers? Any tips for new bloggers to get a good audience and following? Thanks for hosting the link party!
ReplyDelete