"Fashionista Garment Bag" from Sara Norris' new pattern!

Blogger has been taking down posts that have hot links in them, saying they violate their standards against

Malware & Viruses.  

They required the link to be removed before they would republish the post.

That is why you are seeing this today.  They reposted it, not me!
I was recently honored to be asked to be a tester of Sara Norris'

new pattern for a child's little garment bag. It is a wonderfully written pattern & one that will work for children of many ages. The single pattern gives directions for making two sizes: Small- 12 months-3 years Or Medium-4 years -6 years Due to being hit with an attack of diverticulitis as well as a computer virus, I was not able to complete my project in time to get photos of it to Sara before the debut of the pattern. I'm sharing it with you today.

The pockets have little pleats on each side. I altered the pockets a wee bit by embellishing them with fabric yo-yos & buttons & changing them to a Velcro closure, rather than ribbon ties because Ms. C. can't tie things yet! All the kids wear Velcro strap shoes these days. I'm going to work on helping her learn that skill this weekend when she visits.

You may purchase this pattern at Sara's website, where you can see all the other tester's cute versions.

Thank you, Sara, for having faith in my sewing skills to be able to test stitch this for you. Thanks to everyone who visits the Gazebo House, too. fondly,

Christmas "Copy-Cat Challenge"

I TOOK THE CHALLENGE!

I've saved this photo from Michelle's beautiful blog, 

 "Sweet Something Designs"  

for years, intending to replicate it someday.

When Cuisine Kathleen issued her December

 "Copy-Cat Challenge" for the "Lets Dish" party,   

I knew exactly which one I would do.   

We were encouraged to find 
a tablescape either from 
a magazine or online & 
try to duplicate it, using our own dishes.

 I have several milk glass compotes to choose from as well as the burlap runner that Michelle used.  

The only hurricane cylinder I own, was from Bombay Company, years ago, so I did a single arrangement,
instead of two, like Michele used.

  My ribbon was not exactly the same, but close!

I was even able to use my very similar RED cookie platter

 (from Hallmark) 

with snowflakes around the edges.

Continuing on with the challenge, 

another little photo that I had saved was a

darling little mug rug, for Santa's cookies, 

  The pattern is by "Pleasant Home"& is available here.

 I made a PINK & GREEN version 
for Ms. C. to set out, 

with some hot chocolate & cookies at her house.

I used my embroidery machine to do the holly & lettering,

 then just created a little patchwork sample along side of it. 

 I put a narrow striped binding, cut on the straight of grain, at the top of the pocket, 

then sewed the patchwork onto it as well as the second
PINK POLKA-DOT layer. 

After adding some thin batting & a backing out
of that same PINK POLKA-DOT fabric, 
I quilted just the patchwork portion,
making sure to leave the pocket open.
 

I cut a striped fabric on the bias to make
 the binding all around.
I love that diagonal stripe effect!

Then from Cathy's cute blog, "My 1929 Charmer" 

I saved this cute display of quilts &
 stockings on a ladder with a basket at the base.

Since my thoughtful nephew painted this vintage ladder
 for me last summer, 
I tried to duplicate the her scene. 

 I hung two stockings & placed a basket 
filled with 'Sew Beautiful' magazines at the base. 

This is in my sewing room, 
near my table where I keep 
hot cocoa, tea, coffee & 
some nibbles for company.

I get more company in my sewing room 
than any other room in the house!  

I'll show you more of these cute snowman dishes 
 & how I change the scene 
on that table according to each season, 

sometime next week.

When Phyllis of Henhurst Interiors

shared her sleigh bells on a door knob, 

I remembered to pull out my leather strap of them & added them to a door, as well.

 

I love to hear them jingle every time I open this door!  

It has been opened A LOT lately, too...

don't you just love online shopping? 

 What a pleasure not to have to battle crowds & cold temperatures...
it was bitter outside the gazebo this morning! 

 Brrrrr!

Stay warm & thanks for visiting "The Gazebo House" today.

I'm not only joining Cuisine Kathleen,

 but Between Naps on the Porch, as well for 

Tablescape Thursday
& The Tablescaper for
Seasonal Sundays. 

Christmas Past at The Gazebo House

 

I'm revisiting some Christmas scenes here at

 The Gazebo House

for The Tablescaper's

 Seasonal Sundays "Christmas Past" Party

 
  

On the sewing front, I made my granddaughter a smocked Children's Corner *Mary De* pinafore & dress for Christmas of 2008.

The smocking plate is called "Charlie's Christmas Tree" from Creative Keepsakes & designed by Claudia Love.

Picture smocking is not my forté! I struggle to get better at it, though.

The fun little dress below I made from a New Look pattern & was casual enough for her to wear to pre-school.

The border print of snowmen & decorated packages made it especially cute and check out all that piping!

That's another technique that I struggle with to get just right.
Lots of twirl factor in this full skirt, too!

Like all mothers & grandmothers,

I bemoan the rapid passing of time & just want

to freeze them while they are still little! 

She is my sweetheart!!!

From our house to yours...

 

 

Wishing you the start of a very

Merry & Bright Christmas Season,

filled with maybe some fun in the snow

and perhaps the warmth of a candle's glow.

Thanks for stopping by today!

fondly,

♥♥ Mom Always Wore Aprons! ♥♥

 

This coming Wednesday is "National Tie One On Day".

You can follow this link to read all about it. 

"TIE ONE ON DAY™ Give from the heart on Wednesday – then give thanks on Thursday. This Thanksgiving Eve, Tie One On (an apron of course!) and bring joy to the life of someone in need.

Participation is easy and uplifting. Simply wrap a loaf of bread or baked good in an apron and tuck an encouraging note or prayer into the pocket; then present your offering to a neighbor, friend or person in your community who could benefit from your gesture of kindness. Tie One On – and put the “give” back into Thanksgiving.
“Women clad in aprons have traditionally prepared the Thanksgiving meal, and it is within our historical linkage to share our bounty.” EllynAnne Geisel
Tie One On Day™ is a win-win, for the participant and the receiver. And by embracing TOOD, you will make someone else’s day brighter."

As we all bustle about the kitchen, baking cookies (see recipe at the end of this post) and getting ready for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, 

I thought I'd share some aprons that I've made for family & friends over the years.  I'm taking one to my new neighbors, along with a loaf of bread, to welcome them to the development.  She is a quilter & I just know we are going to become good friends!!

The wild purple one, above, was made from the pattern 

 

 

"Flirty Skirty" by The Apron Lady.

It was for my oldest sister, Mary Jane, who lives in CO.  

She likes the poem by Jenny Joseph,

"When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple."

 I'm reminded of my Mom, always working in the kitchen, wearing an apron, 

similar in style to this apple themed one that I made for my next-in-line sister, Fritzie. 

 It criss-crosses in the back...no ties to bother with.

  Border fabrics are so much fun to work with & it matches her cute kitchen, which has apples all over!

 

The next apron was made for my younger sister, Weeziebug, 

(whose real name is Louise, but we seldom call her that)

 who LOVES her coffee!

  She was called 'Weeziebug' while growing up & I was 'Rettabug'.  

We are less than two years apart in age.

 

She is no longer BIG after successfully doing Weight Watchers!
I should ask for it back so I can take out those stitches & make it say "Little Lou's".

 

 The colorful "veggie" apron (Flirty Skirty pattern again) & matching pot holder, 

were gifts for my youngest sister, Ruth E.,

who used to live in AZ but is now enjoying life

                                     to the fullest in Maui. 

 
  I embroidered a Sam's Club white apron for my younger brother's wife, as a Christmas gift, a few years ago.

 

I embroidered pots of rosemary, sage & camomile herbs onto this cute little gardening apron as a gift for a friend.

 

The Easter Basket Bunny apron, with his embroidered half-eaten ears & colorful eggs, was a huge hit with Ms. C., especially the fluffy yarns used to replicate grass.

  Kids love any 3-D textural touches like that.

  I thought I was being very clever with this play on words when I did this "Hail to the CHEF" apron for my nephew, who loves to cook.  The chef's face is actually a pocket made from a fabric panel of cooking motifs.

The "Wines Constantly" was done for a good friend who is a wonderful tennis player as well as an avid Oenophile.

Another clever play on words!

 

 This pretty RED Sam's Club apron was embroidered for another tennis player, as a hostess gift, when we went to their lovely home for a dinner party.

These cute kids aprons as well as the GREEN adult sized ones, below, were Christmas gifts for friends of my daughter.

I Love that fun Grinch alphabet!

 

This colorful play apron was made for Ms. C. out of a placemat! 

        Look at how little she was back then!  *sniff*

  I just trimmed, turned inward & stitched down two sides to make casings to thread an extra long shoelace through for easy tying.

I made the little Snowgirl & Snowman from basic white aprons available at Joanns.  

Fluffy pompoms were used for the "buttons" on the Snowpeople as well as trim along the bottoms.

 

The little "apron dress" that drapes over the oven door handle was made from two towels from Walmart. 

 I wish they still carried that style of towels...I would make tons of these for gifts!  I still have a few towels saved in the *resource center*, AKA my stash area in my sewing room.

My husband refers to it as "the dry goods store"!  LOL

They came as a coordinated set & the ruffles & trim were already on them.  I added the machine embroidered RED cherries after constructing the dress with ties to keep it in place.

 

I deconstructed a new scrub shirt that had this cute 'coffee & donut' print on it, to make this little shortie hostess apron (Flirty Skirty pattern again) with ruffled pockets for my sister in law.

Wouldn't this be cute for waitresses in a diner?

 

And, finally, last but not least, I made my daughter this pretty RED teapot themed set with lace & polka-dot trimmed pockets & a matching tea cozy, too.

 

I'm sure you've read the following description of "Grandma's Apron" before, but it is fitting to repeat it here, as we prepare to feed our loved ones another holiday feast.

"The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few & because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses & also, aprons required less material.  But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

 From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

When the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.In the autumn, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.The government would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron- but love...”

So go put on a pretty apron & get busy cooking!

 I'll be making these cookies today:

David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Chip Cookies (excerpt from Ready for Dessert, page 188. Published with permission.)
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup  unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups  nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, or macadamia nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
14 ounces  bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/2-to 1-inchchunks or 3 cups  chocolate drops (see Tip)
Preparation:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and vanilla on medium speed just until smooth. Beat in the eggs on at a time until thoroughly incorporated, then stir in the flour mixer followed by the nuts and chocolate chunks.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough into quarters. Shape each quarter into a log about 9 inches long. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, preferably for 24 hours.
4. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat the oven to 350ºF . Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
5. Slice logs into disks 3/4 inch  thick and place the disks 3 inches  apart on the prepared baking sheets. If the nuts or chips crumble out, simply push them back in.
6. Bake, rotating the baking sheets midway through the baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned in the centers, about 10 minutes. If you like soft cookies, as I do, err on the side of under baking.
7. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets until firm enough to handle, then use a spatula to transfer them to a wire rack.
Storage: The dough logs can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. The baked cookies will keep well in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Tip: Many chocolate makers now produce chocolate “drops” or “chunks” that are suitable for use in this recipe.


Wishing everyone a "Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving"!

Thanks for stopping by The Gazebo House today.

 Won't you follow me over to Marty's Holiday Baking Party?

I'll also join Yvonne's StoneGable for The Scoop on Thursday & The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.