White Petal T-Shirt

 This is a simple, fun and quick project you can do WHATEVER you want,

Just Go Crazy!!!!! 

 

A couple years ago while returning from a road trip to Milwaukee we came across a boutique in Elm Grove, WI.  They had this shirt on the rack for $90.  White Tee with white petals sewn on, all knit. 

So, we went to the sale room and I found two pink Tees for $5.00 each and went home and went to town!!!!

This year I decided to do something around the neck and do the white on white.  Buy 2 T-Shirts same or different colors or use scraps of knit in your stash and buy one shirt.  First I cut 18 large petals approximately 6" x 1', see photo taper ends wider in middle, 36 or so 5"x1" and 18 or more 3"x 1".  Scoop out neck line if you wish and sew petals around the neck randomly.  Then find the center of the shirt and put down your larger petals pin in place and sew right down the middle back tacking at both ends.  If you pull the petal the long way it will curl, have the curl up when you sew then it rolls really nice after washing.  Then continue sewing on the petals till you have the look you want.  A button in the center is nice, or sew in a center piece, or sew on beads, whatever you like.

Now, you could do one large flower or a bouquet or just a fun design.  Great for kids clothing too.  Great way to cover up that annoying stain!!!!  This looks like it would take a long time but you will be pleasantly surprised!!!

It's been another busy week Stabbin Rags but I did get my stash room cleaned out.  It was the project from H, gad I couldn't open or close the door for all the crap in there.  This room is nothing but bins of fabric floor to higher than me, I threw out so much junk and fabric no one would ever use!!! Plus old clothing I just can't part with, well the part happened and I found the new Goodwill drop off in Middleton and they even unloaded my car for me!!!  Now, the rest of the house, you should see the kitchen cupboards????????

Mint Cucumber Soup!!!!

This is for Kim. She asked for the Cuke Soup,  with lots of cukes what do we do?????  This recipe is from a cookbook my Mom got me years ago called, Hollyhocks and Radishes, by Bonnie Stewart Mickelson.  These folks live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and they have some lovely recipes!!!

Mint Cucumber Soup

• 1 med. onion
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 3 T. butter
• 3 med. cukes, sliced and peeled
• 3 T. flour
• 2 cup chicken broth
• 2 T. chopped fresh mint
• 1 c. plain yogurt
• 1 c. light cream
• salt and pepper to taste

 in large skillet saute onion and garlic in butter until soft, add cukes and cook till soft 5-8 minutes.

Stir in flour, cook 1 minute.  Add broth bring to a boil and reduce to simmer 8-10 minutes.  Puree in batches, I use a hand held wand blender and leve it kind of chunky.  Pour in bowl, add mint.  Chill.

Before serving  blend in yogurt and cream add seasonings and garnish with mint.  Wonderful.

Cooking cucumbers increases their flavor. 

Some people just puree the cukes in a blender, add broth and cream, buttermilk or yogurt and add some seasonings and that is good too!!!!



                                             What to do with all of those tomatoes?

•                                       Roasted Tomato Garlic Soup
• 4 lbs. tomatoes
• 2 heads garlic- peeled
• 1-large onion
• Fresh basil
• Chicken stock- enough to thin soup to desired consistency 
•         Quarter tomatoes removing seeds
•          Place in non-aluminum baking pan
•         Scatter sliced onion, and garlic cloves over tomatoes
•          Drizzle about 6 tbls. olive oil over  ingredients, kosher salt, pepper
• Roast in a 375 oven for one hour.
• Remove skins from tomatoes.
• Puree in two batches in blender, adding fresh basil to taste. (about a lightly packed cup)
• Return to heat, and final season with salt and pepper.
• Yield will be around two quarts.

                                                           The Parmesan Crisps are made by baking a small mound of cheese in a 375 oven until golden, and cooled.   

Last Saturday four of us from Sewing Guild went to Chicago for the Tie the Knot exhibit at the Chicago History Museum.  We met the Sew Chicago neighborhood group and had a tour of the exhibit with a wonderful Docent, enjoyed  lunch with the group and then toured the Old Town shops. 

The Tie the Knot exhibit was most interesting displaying wedding attire from the late 1800"s to present day.  Famous Chicago families had dresses on display, the McCormicks for one.  The newer styles included clothing from a Hindu wedding, Steam Punk wedding and a really fun dress made from one very very long zipper.  The show cover wedding dresses, going away clothing, bridesmaid dresses, waist coats for the men a few Tuxes, corsets, jewelry, shoes and a wedding cake preserved for a very long time.

Lunch was fun with all the gals from Chicago , I didn't get many pics just can't remember to take pics!!!!  The shops in Old Town were great more food than clothes but fun to see.

Andrea, Lorel, Carolyn and I took the trip down on the train from Harvard, Il. What a great way to travel!!  Got to Chicago in 2 hours for a mere $7.00 for a weekend pass. Hopped a cab for the museum, walked around Old Town, cabbed it back to the train station and back to Harvard by 7;30 pm.  This is so much fun can't figure out why we're not doing this more often!!!

Saturday Night Delight!!!

Saturday night we had our good friends, Jo Lynn and Bob, over for a little din din and I think it turned out quite well.  Not a real gourmet dinner with all the fancy stuff just a
nice backyard grilled dinner!!!

We started off with some steamed mussels, grilled roasted garlic bread and jalapeno poppers, butter and lemon on the side, not bad!!!

 Then we had a cucumber mint soup chilled, made with our garden cukes and mint.

                        The salad was all from our garden, fresh lettuce, tomatoes and cukes.

 

For the entree we had rib eye steaks and  shrimp both grilled on the wood fire and veggies stacks grilled on the gas grill. 

We grilled zucchini, eggplant and onions and layered them hot with mozzarella and hot pepper cheese, put a stick of rosemary thru them, and let the cheese melt. 

Very good, and eye-pleasing. 

A rice dish finished off the meal.

For dessert Bob made a Lemon Blueberry tart topped with whipped cream.  He makes his own lemon curd which is outstanding!!!!  The pictures are worth a thousand words,  and now that Bob and Jo  finally got thru to me HOW to take pictures and use my camera. I just may have some decent shots!!!

Believe it or not I have a fun T-shirt tut coming up and I am going to get back to the sewing stuff.

Carolyn and I had gone to Arlington Heights to give a lesson on the naturally dyed scarves to a Neighborhood group there.  Twenty eight gals attended and it was a lot of fun.  But for that deal I made up a few new scarves and I think I'm on to another look for the scarves, more on that later.

Plus I got a big order for walking canes, so pictures of those will be coming!!!  

    Storms this a.m. so off to the sewing machines, tons of weddings to finish!!!!!