Last Christmas of the Decade

WOW!!!  It is so hard to believe 10 years ago we hit 2000, and now ten more years down!!!  I never really thought about getting out the the 90's, amazing how time flies so fast!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas, we spent Christmas Eve at home with no fanfare, usually our older son arrives and a load of friends, kids and dogs, this year it was just the 3 of us.  I have to admit I miss all the activity but it was still lots of fun and great gifts and good food!!!

On Christmas Day we were invited to my cousin John and Kim's for dinner.  They have their family over so it was very nice to include us.  They prepared a fabulous pork loin, mashed potatoes, green beans and a great cherry jello salad, very festive.  Kim made homemade rolls that melted in your mouth. The crowning glory was the Yuletide Log.  We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and meeting new folks, a very enjoyable afternoon.



Now to get back to Stabbin Rags, had a few days off so really need to get back to work.  Enough of this fooling around cooking, reading and lounging.  Oh I did get a new book for Christmas, it's called Skinny Bitch, and what a book.  It's a no frills book on you are what you eat.  It covers the whole farming, food industry and what we have done and not done to make it a huge mess.  Basically eat only organic fruits and veggies, get rid of all dairy and meat, chicken and fish, eat more beans and nuts too!!!  Not sure I can go the whole way I do like my steak etc. but after reading on how these animals are slaughtered it gives one pause!!!!  Not to mention what they feed them and the drugs and hormones.  It's a rather interesting read if you have never thought about all the government involvement and beef and pork producers it's very scarey!!  So I'll make a ham today!!!!

CHRISTMAS DINNER PARTY!!!!

Saturday night we had a Christmas Dinner Party and it was such fun!!!  I love all the cooking and cleaning and prepping, tons of fun.  This dinner we started off with marinated shrimp with lots of lemon served in martini glasses, love that!!!  Dates stuffed with cream cheese, roasted pecans and wrapped in bacon and fried, can't eat too many soooo rich, yum!!!  Then I fixed radishes with a sliver cut out stuffed with butter and dipped in sea salt, very fun and festive,savory basil/pesto crackers topped it off.  And last but not least were mushroom tarts. these are the ones where you cut the cheap white bread into 4 pieces dip in butter and put in a mini muffin tin, then you make a mushroom, onion, garlic and cheese mixture and bake they were the keepers of the appetizer portion!!!!

Then we headed into a creamy turnip and leek soup, topped with turnip greens and a gremolta, (a mixture of orange rind, fresh garlic and flat leaf parsley all chopped up together and sprinkled on the soup,) very good, a keeper!!! 
Salad was organic greens with pear, toasted pecans, onion, black olives and a balsamic vinegar with honey and olive oil, not bad!!!

For the entree I tried something new called a panade, it was rather blah, needs a revamp, it was made with roasted garlic bread, torn in pieces and toasted, layers in a pan with a mixture of onion, garlic, mushroom and spinach, cheese and covered with broth and baked.  It sounded so good, I served it with baked salmon, but it was missing alot, needs much more spice and something???

Dessert was a chocolate truffle cake with candy cane whipped cream, very rich and delish but alot after that heavy meal!!!  All in all it was a successful dinner, that's the fun trying new recipes and figuring out what went well or not.

My youngest son Brandon is flying in tonight from Missouri and we're off to pick him up soon.  We are excited for him to be home for the holidays, our just married son and wife are staying home for Xmas, we hope they change their mind , we'll see!!!???

Only a few more days before Christmas and I have some serious sewing to do, an apron for a 4 year old and a walker bag and cell phone necklace.  My Dad was telling me about the radiation that comes off the cell phone, not sure how much but he thinks I should find some fabric that blocks it, I haven't googled this idea but if anyone has any thoughts please let me know what you know or think!!!

Have a fun week, such a fun time of year enjoy it!~!!!

Happy Holidays!!!!

Just got the cards started and a few mailed, even wrote a letter telling all the wonderful things of 2009.  Generally those letters give me  much to chuckle about year round, almost can't wait for the next one to come!!!  The longer the better, it's like once they get going they can't possibly fit in all the good crap their kids did that year, amazing how wonderful, smart, talented, beautiful and on and on they can be!!!  So I kept mine to one page!!!!???!!!

Now I am just starting on these little pouches, purses, what ever they might become..  I had a request from an elderly customer who wanted a little bag to wear around her neck to house her cell phone, paper, pencil, glasses etc.  It had to be flat enough to go inside her blouse and close.  So two samples evolved. 

The blue/green one is a double pouch with flaps and velcro on each side, the pouch is bound in bias and makes a nice glass holder in between the pouches.  The red and black is one sided with a pocket on the front, thus being able to house a cell phone and have velcro hold it all together, button for decoration.  I'm not sure where these are going but I think they could be useful, any ideas out there???!!!!

I like the idea of having the cell phone around my neck as I can never find it otherwise and it can fall off the clip.  This is working well for dog walking too I can put my phone, drivers license, money etc in this pouch and have it right on me, then stuff it all in my purse if need be after the walk.   Also when traveling it can be worn under your top and not be noticable.  And it could be embellished and worn out all the time.  Let me know what YOU think!!????

Well our snow is not gone, we had a nice weekend with warmer temps, which was nice but made the roads slushy.  As we all know there is no money in the budget to do lots of snowplowing so we're on our own!!!!  Now we are heading for a deep freeze for a few days then back to the 20's.  My poor dogs, they love to be out and I just can't risk slipping and breaking a wrist!!!

This last weekned my friend and I went back to the Legacy Tea Room, on Madisons east side, we had a delightful lunch and tea then went to Willy Street to shop around.  Our favorite shop the had changed hands and not what we had hoped for, the kitchen shop is always great and of course St. Vinnies!!!  I hit the big time, brand new looking pair of black cords by Not Your Daughters Jeans regular price $6.70 on sale for half price, $3.35, WOW!!! these pants sell in the $90.+ range.  So I felt good about that bargain!!!

Hope you are all getting ready for the Holiday Season, our youngest son is coming home Sunday and we have Dinner Party on Saturday so lots to do!!!  Got some cookies under way and hope to get some more shopping in this week, packages to send and decor to put up!!!  Have fun!!!!!

LET THERE BE SNOW!!!!

WOW Madison made national headlines with our snow dump of 18".  Everything closed from the State offices to the University and the MALLS!!!  Now that takes the cake, they never close???  My poor husband had a horrid ride to Sun Praire to find few emplyees showed up or called ion plus the snow plow company didn't show up, so that was quite the deal,no place for shoppers to parks nor trucks to deliever.  He made it both ways with no trama so all is good here!!!

I had a slow day but got lots of sewing done.  Love these days they go fast and so much accomplished plus yakking on the phone!!!  Talked to Florida they had much better weather, ha ha!!!  Arkansas had sun cooler but nice.  Missouri still was cold and too cold to roof.  And my daughter in law Melissa had her surgery and it is successful to this point, she should be home in a day or two.  And my cousin John had a successful kidney transplant a week ago will find out more this weekend.  Whew, lots going on!!!!  Minnesota doesn't have as much snow as us but windy and cold.  And Northern Wisconsin had a foot of snow, my father in law had to make a path for Bert (the dog) so he couild go potty.  Actually we have to do this for our big dogs, they are wussies!!!!  Love that free long distance!!!!!

Well another work day, sun is out colder than you know what and lots to do.  Thinking about some last minute Xmas pressies, maybe a few aprons, maybe a pincushion or two and my new necklace to hold a cell phone etc.  Off to stabbin' rags!!!!

The Pincushion Exchange!!!!

Our sewing guild has it's annual Christmas Party this next Tuesday and our gift exchange is PINCUSHIONS.  Last year it was aprons, toe bags , scarves etc.  So it's a ton of fun to see what everyone comes up with.  Mine is not original, it's a commercial pattern but I think its cute  a cupcake pincushion.  I am making 2 because my friend Carrie is conimg and she doesn't sew.  Everyone needs a pincushion for your dressing table to hold straight pins, safety pins etc.  and for us sewers we need them all the time!!!

So here's my pink cupcake, now it needs a little stand, maybe later!!!!

The recycling bug bit again!!!!!

When my friend Jo and I returned from our Missouri trip we stopped in Historic Hannibal, MO.  I believe I mentioned that earlier.  While we were shopping I spotted a really cute jacket in chenille with yo-yo's and ruffled trims.  so on the thrift store shopping weekend I found this green wool blend sweater, not chenille but close enough, dug thru my stash and found an old black rayon skirt and some hot pink fabric and here were are!!!   First I found the center or the sweater and cut it then bound in bias pink.  I cut strips of the black and pink and finished them with the serger rolled hem and sewed them together, gathered them up for the cuffs and hem.  Sewed then on, serged them off and topped stitched the sweater side to hold the seam upwards and not showing.  Then I made the yo-yos 8" for the big ones and 5" for the smaller, topped off with 3 vintage silver buttons.  I used 5 coat snaps to fasten the jacket but now that I've worn it I need to tack the whole thing shut as it pulls, hummmm wonder what that means.  I guess I'll just use it as a pull over the head jacket???!!!  Always a solution. 

This jacket can be made from a sweat shirt or sweater or whatever trips your trigger!!!!!.  For this project I washed the sweater first but will have to dry clean from now on as the pink is silk.  The jacket I got my idea from cost $125.00 I made this for $4.00 sweater, stash fabric maybe $3.00, snaps that I will take off so no cost and time around 2 hours.  So for $7.00 and a bit of time I have a very fun holioday jacket to wear!!!

For me this is so much fun and I get such a kick out coming up with different, just makes me smile!!!!

December and cold have come!!!!!!

To my friends Bob and Jo (the lucky dogs) you left for Florida just in time the cold has come!!!  We have had such a beautiful fall and early winter, gad it was 50' on Dec. 1st. hard to believe for Wisconsin!!!!

So with that I decided to make some quick breads over the weekend and a cut up turkey roasted in white wine.  I'm going to share the breads because they are so easy and tasty and I plan to make them for holiday gifts for the neighbors!!!

First is a family tradition Dutch Bran Bread, my Dad's family has been making this forever probably over 125 years.  It is firm, moist and heavy and especially delish with butter and cheddar cheese, or cheese spread or cream cheese, yes have to have health and lots of calories!!!

Dutch Bran Bread


pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. molasses
1 t. soda
2 1/2 cups bran  (not cereal)
1 cup white flour
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Mix all ingredients well.  Bake one hour at 350' in greased loaf pan.  Makes one large loaf.  Cool and wrap in plastic, I store in the refrigerator.  to heat in microwave only a few seconds.  Enjoy!!!!



My other favorite qquick bread dates back to the seventies when I was first married and learning to cook.  Someone came up with Beer Bread, now it is back and you can buy the mixes in stores and home parties for way too much money!!!  Like fashion cooking just keeps getting reinvented and rolls around again!!!

Beer Bread

1  12 oz. can of beer any kind will work, heavy dark beers give a more nutty flavor.
2 1/2 cups self rising flour  (this is important, regular flour will not work!!!)
2 T. sugar

Mix well and pour in greased loaf pan bake at 350 for 55 minutes.  Pour 1/4 cup melted butter over top and put back in oven for 10 minutes.  Reheat in toaster the next day if any is left!!!


Now you can add Italian herbs Tbls. or so or any other dried or fresh herbs to change the flavor.  My folks make this and dip in flavored olive oil for an appetizer.  You can do whatever you like but fun and easy to make and very good to chow on!!!  Happy Baking!!!


Am having another busy sewing week lots of alterations before the holiday season really gears up!!!  Tonight I'm working on a repurposed jacket for me.  It's a sweater that will have ruffles and yo yo buttons will show you the before and after soon.  Also finally found my lost patterns and make some cupcake pincushions, they are really cute!!!  More pics and info coming   Stay warm!!!

The weeks fly by.................

Well, last weekend I shopped till I dropped, my friend came from Minnesota and we hit dang near every resale, thrift shop, the malls and the Shoe Box!!!  She is an expert resale shopper and can she find the deals!!!  I didn't do too badly got some really nice jackets, pants and the shoes were the real deal almost 300. shoes for 69.00 not bad.  I used to think resales, garage sales and thrift shops were no fun but boy you can save a ton of money, dress like a million bucks and no one is the wiser.  For my son's wedding I hit the jack pot with a 2 pc pink outfit, reversible to boot, found online for 200. bought at  a resale for 24.00 and the shoes brand new pink floral print 2.00 at a thrift store.  I paid more for the junk jewelry!!!I am a firm believer in recycling andshopping resales and donating to thrift stores or to resell is the trick.

Today we went tthe Craftacular craft sale in Madison, 80 artists that focus on repurposing, recyling and reusing anything and everything.  fabulous items, lots of buttons jewelry, books made into purses, skirts made from sweaters and t-shirts, felted, sewn, you name it, it was grand.  So much fun to see all the amazing talent.  I wore my black jacket with ?Grannies buttons and I got many compliments and like I said in that blog a 5.00 Savers jacket and a box of Grannies buttons and you have a one of a kind garment that everyone wants!!!!

On Wednesday and Thursday we took a jaunt up to Cornell, Wi for my father-in-laws 80th birthday.  Had a great time and saw the rellies.  Here's Elmer with Bert his Jack Russell and his best friend in one of my dog scarves with cupcakes for the big birthday!!!!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day and have fun getting ready for Christmas!!!!!

Missouri Trip

This last weekend my good friend Jo and I took off for Missouri to meet my folks and see the kids for an early Thanksgiving.  We left Thursday morning and went down thru Iowa.  Our first stop was Swedesberg, a darling little community with a Swedish Museum and store.  We had a Swedish volunteer give us the tour and we purchased some Korv, Swedish potato sausage, cheese and Lingonberries.  The Museum is all set up showing life when the immigrants arrived and is a popular destination for Swedes traveling in the U.S.A..  A very fun and interesting spot to stop!!!  We arrived at the Lake late afternoon, great weather.

Friday we got up and the weather was grand almost 72' that day, love it!!!  Went to lunch at J.B. Hooks for great food and superb Bloody Mary's and a fantastic view of Lake Ozark.  Spent the rest of the day dinking around seeing the sites.  Then Saturday we went to our favorite meat market, Tom's and bought all kinds of goodies, they have great jerky and sticks and steaks and on and on!!!!  Then we picked up Tacoma, Ben and Melissa's dog who had surgery, she's hanging in there!!!  And on to Brooks Brother's so Ben could buy a suit, first one and Grandpa helped, had to tie the tie!!!!  Saturday night we had a few people over for my gumbo so we ended the day with a nice meal with good friends!!

Sunday it rained cats and dogs, we went to breakfast at the Cozy and went to visit the neighbors.  After our ham dinner Jo and I went to Brandon's to spend the night in his new digs.  Monday on the road again.  We headed out and again rain and more rain.  By the time we got to Hannibal we decided we had no fire to go to so we headed downtown and hit some wonderful shops and had a fabulous lunch at a great tea room.  Wow we were pleasantly surprised.  We got back to Madison before 7 pm and felt we'd had a fun trip!!!  Jo is the best travel companion one could have and I appreciate her coming along!!!

At the neat quilt shop I got a pattern for a cool tote bag and cupcake pincushions.  So that will be coming up soon.  I really want to make a quilt but the time factor, too much sewing to do right now!!!  Plus after seeing some cute jackets I need to get to Goodwill so I can make my version, more on that later.

Have a great Holiday Season it's here and will be gone before we know it!!!   ENJOY!!!!

Going Green!!!

 Just survived another very busy week!!! 
And to put the icing on the cake our Madison Area Sewing Guild  took a table at a local hospital bazaar.  It turned out to be a wonderful day and we sold alot of stuff.
  We had made 100 silk scarves like I show on my blog, plus the gals made lots of neat wine/bottle bags out of recycled prom dresses, pot holders, shopping bags, potato bakers,  etc.  The hot seller was the bottle/wine bags, they are so fun and for $5. they make the perfect gift bag for wine, olive oil, etc.  So drag out those old prom dresses and start cutting.  We found some of these patterns online or make up your own, tack on a ribbon and decorate to your liking and you have a green one of a kind gift bag.

Today we are having some laminate flooring installed it looks so nice.  We have some friends doing it but they have their own business and if you ever need something done they are the guys to have do it!!!  NEXTGEN, Rick and Tim Heuer, here in Middleton 843-NEXT or http://nextgenconstruction.com.  They are the best!!!!  I love this flooring with all the dogs, makes life so much easier.

On Thursday I'm off to Missouri for early Thanksgiving with my folks, who live in Arkansas.  We will meet at our oldest son, Ben and Melissa 's home in Lake Ozark.  Plus will get to see the younger son Brandon too.  We love the Lake area, wish we could move there tomorrow!!!

Happy sewing!!!!

Halloween and Daylight Savings!!!!!

I'm sure glad the time is changing, dark mornings are not very motivating, rather sleep in!!!!!  I'm going to be a dink this weekend and hide in the back room and not pass out candy for the trick or treaters!!!  I decided Dave has to work late and I do not want to deal with the dogs and candy and kids so I am hiding!!!  I always loved Halloween when the kids were young , we had tons of fun but now,not so much!!!

What with the change of season the tailor shop has been buzzing, lots of new customers thanks to my friend Bob and his work on getting me on the web and the blog and website, sure has made a difference.  Thank you Bob!!!!  The telephone book is nearly passe, I don't ever hear anyone say I found you in the phone book??!!!  So in this new age of computers one has to go where the action is!!!

I've been on a button kick and have done up some cute cuffs or bracelets.  I used grossgrain and  ultrasuede, cut the band 1" x 8" or to fit your wrist plus the overlap.  I interfaced the pieces and sewed together flat, no turning inside out too bulky.  Then I sewed on a large snap or  set a snap which ever you prefer.  Now to sew on your buttons, old or new, one color, rhinestones, etc  These make fun gifts and stocking stuffers.  Have fun!!!

Another warm day, what a crazy fall for Wisconsin, once winter hits I'm sure it will be bad, which means very cold!!!  We've had a ton of rain so my doggies are not happy campers, they promise sun the aft so we will be walking!!!

Many of you who know me, know we are Dog Lovers!!!!

Here we have Dakota on the "paw print floor" can't beat em,  join 'em.

And Mr Dakota agin on the back opf the pontoon boat at Lake Ozark.

And my daughter in law Melissa with Abbey and Sadie  at Hot Springs,
All three Dakota,
Abbey and  Cody  and Abbey solo

My Dogs!!!!

  Ten years ago after the kids were gone to some degree we got our first dog Cody, she's a Black Lab/Springer Spaniel.
Cody has been the sweetest dog, a tad spoiled but a good hunter and companion.
 Also she got to be a very big dog almost 120 pounds and having a hard time getting around, hmmmm wonder why?????
 Then 3 years later we got a puppy Dakota, he was a mutt also, Black Lab/ Aussie Shepard, with lots of ticking and color.  Cody wasn't too charmed but she got over it and likes him.  Then along came Abbey a year or so after Dakota, a Golden Retriever, she was 18 months old and had a very hard life so we call her our rescue, very thin and scared.
I thought I had a home for her but of course that fell thru so she's ours!!!!  So she took some work but she is a wonderful addition to our pack.  Cody is not that fond of her so Dakota has to play with both of them, separately of course.

So all has gone well till the 2 youngest ones turned 5 years old and boy were we in trouble, that could be a book, but we hired a behaviorist and got things in order, they have no idea how close all three were headed for the pound!!!!  And by this time they were all very heavy dogs and needed a diet!!!

After a trip to the vet she told me dogs really need  a protein based diet so I started cooking for them.
 I fill up a crock pot once a week with pork or chicken or some meat that is around $1.00 a pound 2 to 5 lbs., 5 or 6 big carrots, any left over veggies or stuff from the frig and cook that up all day or overnight, add some rice and they are set to go
  Each dog gets cup of dry food and a cup of Hot Lunch twice a day.

The results.... very little begging, no more trying to eat the dry wall or  cruising the counters on our back legs, the shedding is reduced  and all three 100 lb. plus dogs are between 75 and 95 lbs.  And the old girl is not limping.  So for not much effort these guys are in the best health so far!!!!

And to make our walks alot easier for me, as I walk all three of them, I use gentle leaders and they work great.
We have to walk in areas with no squirrels and rabbits as then I am not upright.  This is hard to find in our neighborhood so thank goodness for the gentle leaders!!!

Happy Tails!!!!!

The Blazer!!!

I did this a few years ago, took an old blazer and sewed on some old buttons then I got tired of that and made a purse and sewed the buttons on the flap and now I'm back to a basic black blazer with the lapels covered in Granny's old buttons!!!  I just love it and I get so many comments!!

It's a great way to use your family button jar.  I purchased this wool jacket at Savers for $4.99, had it dry cleaned and started sewing.  I use waxed, 4 strands of threads and away we go...just start and cover the lapel.  If you have fewer buttons place in a nice pattern.  You could just go around the edges or do groupings.  Remember odd numbers are much more pleasing to the eye, so do groups of three, five , etc. use large and small together.  I did not photograph the back but in the center back is a large rhinestone button and under that is my Dad's dog tags from his stint in the CCC's many moons ago, bling and reality.

This is the same Granny I got the Stabbin'Rags from, I'll also share another saying she used often...this is something alteration/tailoring folks will appreciate.  Often time people want their clothes let out and when you say there's not enough fabric they give you the oddest look, so she'd say " I guess they want me to chew rags and shit goods!!!"  And for those that don't know what   'goods' are  that is fabric!!!!

Now find that button jar and have some fun!!!!

Another BUSY week!!!!

This has been quite the week, it was my husband, Dave's birthday and we went to see Arlo Guthrie perform with his family, 4 generations, at the Barrymore in Madison.  The tour is called the Family Rides Again and it was wonderful, can they sing!!  Then the next night we were on the phone with the family putting it all together.  Dave's mom was a Guthrie and after chatting with Aunt Barbara, also a Guthrie, Dave's grandfather and Woody Guthrie were first cousins, so we're way down on the food chain but none the less fun to chat about.  Woody's father had started out in Northern Wisconsin but moved to Oklahoma where Woody was born and raised.  But he searched out the family riding the rails therefore finding the rest of the clan here in Northern Wisconsin.  So, he told about Woodstock and what he couldn't remember, just arriving and topped off the first half with Mr Customs Man and later Flying into L.A. which were all great hits for my era!!!!  His kids are great singers and story tellers and the grand and great grandkids were wonderful, a must see if they come to your town!!!!

I made 5 more scarves with the natural dying and they are grand, have to figure out a better way to photograph them so they show better.  I think this is a pretty cool process and what with scarves the number one accessory this season it works!!!  I'm wearing mine everyday!!!

Another  busy week stabbin rags, so much work to do and so many wonderful customers.  I'm very lucky to have such a nice group of people to work for!!!  It's another rainy day so I should be stabbin away but instead I' making apple bread and pea soup and washing the kitchen floor, multitasking with Jackie!!!

Have a wonderful weekend

another new project!!!!

Last spring some gals from Sewing Guild, Carolyn and Lorel and myself visited a gentleman by the name of Larry and his wife.  He introduced us to Stew Pot Dyeing.  This method has been around forever but like all good things it comes back around every 30 years or so.  Some call it compost dyeing and they actually stick the items in a compost pile, yuck!!!  So in May we had our first class.  We took silk scarf blanks, available online, and started our scarves with all natural dyes, like green tea, coffee grounds, regular tea, dirt, black beans, etc.  The colors were very natural as expected.  Lots of brown, taupe, etc, very pretty.  So now we started looking for more color and as the garden produced we got into red cabbage, beets, mustard, spinach, basil, marigolds and assorted flowers and the colors are wild.   It's amazing what ground up carrots produce, often times the colors are totally opposite of what you would suspect.  Thus I call this Crap Shoot dyeing!!!!! For the mordant we used deodorant, copper and steel wire and rusty nails etc.  Then you marinate your item in a ziploc with vinegar for several days to weeks depending on what you want.  Then the items are air dried, washed and pressed and you are ready to show off your work of art.

We have had several fun dyeing days at different homes, pounding really helps embed the color and figure such as a fern leaf so we have hours of pounding out our frustrations, actually this is very good therapy!!!  We have had a ton of fun.  All the scarves the Sewing Guild made will be for sale at the St. Mary's Xmas Bazaar Nov. 6 from 7:30 to 3:30 at the Hospital in Madison.  Probably more about that at their website.

We're having a great weekend Dave got the yard cleaned up and the garden pulled and I've had lunch out Friday and off to dinner on Saturday and off to Milwaukee for a luncheon fashion show on Sunday.  Back to stabbin rags on Monday.

Have a great day!!!

The week is over!!!

Well my work week is over so to speak, lots of work to complete but the doors are locked!!!
 Everyone thinks I can get all this work done in 3 days, no way!!!
 But it's been a good week and my friends Jolynn and Carolyn have been over and are the best rippers in the world!!!!
Thanks ladies you make the time fly!!!

Tonight  we saw the new Michael Moore movie, Capitalism a love story, a very interesting and thought provoking film.
  It's amazing how this country has ended up with the help of both parties,  makes one wonder which way to turn!!!!

I'm getting re-excited about working with men's ties again!!!
 I want to do some more purses and skirts and whatever else comes to mind.
 Ties are really fun and colorful and they can be made into so many cool things.
 I prefer to keep the interfacing because when I make the duffle style bag I sew the tie pieces onto a piece of old denim or muslin and then assemble with zipper and lining, thus making a very sturdy bag.
This can be a problem with a regular home sewing machine as the seams get very heavy and thick.
For some of the bags I just zig zag the ties together and same for the skirts.  This way the skirt or bag lays very nicely and no lumps.  Ties are easy to come by at garage sales and thrift stores.
 I'm lucky to have friends who are on the lookout, so I have a steady supply.

Happy sewing and have a great weekend.

Another week!!!

Time just flies by and it seems like one week runs into another!!! 
This is the busy season in the alteration/tailoring world, once the weather changes everyone is shopping and needs something done!!!  Not complaining just wish I had another set of hands!!!

This month for sewing guild we had the Green challenge, sewing green, repurposing, recycling etc.
 I made this men's tie apron, cute but not that practical as it will have to be dry cleaned.
 I love men's ties and have done lots of different thing with the ties, purse, belts, decorated jackets skirts, etc.  I don't take the tie apart I like leaving the interfacing, gives the project more substance, but it does make it dry clean only, as the interfacing will shrink up.

Also I'm still playing with the natural dyed scarves and am doing some for myself.
We have been doing these for Sewing Guild. We sell them at the Christmas bazaar at St. Mary hospital in Madison.  These really turned out nice.

     Take a look at; http://stabbinrags.com/PatchesandPieces.aspx

Off to the mechanic.
My engine light is on and I can't be without the shaggin' wagon to haul my doggies around!!!!

Finally the weekend!!!

It's been a busy week lot of sewing and alterations!!!!
I'm grateful for the business and grateful for such nice friends who help me rip. Jo and Carolyn, they are the BEST!!!!

Today I was sewing on buttons and thought these might be some good tips and hints.
When sewing on a button, always use 4 threads instead of 2, thus making your button stonger and less likely to come off.
Use beeswax to strengthen the thread, plus it  helps keep it  from tangling and knotting!!
Run the single thread thru the beeswax and then iron it and you have the smoothest, strongest thread around.
These are simple but helpful techniques.
I use beeswax all the time.  I purrchase it from local  fairs where they have honey for sale, very reasonable.

We're having a colder weekend so I'll be sewing away on my newly repaired machines!!!!

Madison Area Sewing Guild Retreat

Just returned from a fun filled weekend in Cashton, WI. the heart of Amish country.  We stayed at my friends Country Pleasure B and B, which is a huge 5 bedroom, 4 bath older Amish farmhouse.  The original owners, Amish, had 19 children, with no amenities YIKES!!!  So my friends Mary Lou and her husband Jim have renovated and updated this 5,000 sq. ft home into a lovely, well appointed place for groups, clubs, families to meet for a week or weekend etc.  She had us all set up for our sewing machines and tables, plenty of chairs and outlets, great food and beautiful  rooms with comfy beds.  They also have a very cool barn with a one lane bowling alley!!!

We had a great time shopping at the local Amish stores, sewing,  relaxing and gabbing.  Some of us went into town to eat and the Badger Crossing in Cashton. It was excellent.  Great fish fry, prime rib and a very nice soup and salad bar.

I think we all enjoyed the retreat a great time to hang out and get to know our members.  Check it out  Country Pleasures B and B Cashton Wi.  http://www.countrypleasuresbandb.com/

No great sewing tips today I have to get back to my machines and finish stabbin' rags tonight!!!!

My First Blog Entry. I hemmed 25 pairs of pants and jeans .

I'm Jackie, and  decided to start a blog about my sewing business and crafty things I do. 

My Grandmother was a seamstress/tailor thus, the name.
When she went to work, she referred to it as, "stabbin' rags!!!

Today was a full day of hemming.  I hemmed 25 pairs of pants and jeans . 
I do alot of original hems for jeans, which is a neat way to keep the original stitching in place!!! 
It's really easy.
Take the amount of the hem say 2" and fold the hem up right side to right side.
Take the amount of the hem and divide in half pin that amount next to the original sewing line.
So you would have folded the hem up and pinned on the double 1" plus the hem.
Sew right next to the original stitching and you have just hemmed the jeans to the correct length.
Now you may want to serge off the excess
Be sure to leave at least a 1/2" seam. Tack at the seams,  glue down the front and back with stitch witchery.

I'm heading off to a sewing retreat with the Madison Sewing Guild chapter in Cashton, Wi.
                            Should be tons of fun!!!