Do you have any shirts or sweatshirts that you like but don’t wear because of a small company logo prominently displayed on the front, back or sleeve? I’m not talking about a giant picture, cartoon or saying that you chose to buy and wear. I’m talking about smaller company logos like a company or bank who sponsored an event and provided a shirt to a group of participants.
My daughter gave me the sweatshirt below, asking if I could do something to cover the company logo. I first thought of a giant white heart, but remembered my limited embroidery skills wouldn’t look very professional. I found some embroidered stars in my stash and gave them a try. They seemed to work. I sewed them down with a straight stitch.
The inside shows my stitching:
I was curious what other options there were for already-made embroidered patches. I headed to JoAnn’s and all I could find were giant letters.
Next, I wandered to the button rack. I found some clever button sets that could be sewn over a logo. They could be fun:
And then, of course, I checked out Amazon. That is a good place to find flags and stars.
Bert has several shirts from charity events that he doesn’t wear:
I don’t think he doesn’t wear them because of the logos. Bert won’t wear them because they don’t have pockets! So, I guess I won’t bother trying to cover the logos…and I don’t plan to add pockets!
However, embroidered patches and colorful buttons can extend the life of shirts that you love. Enjoy!
Duffle bags are easily the most common kind of bag to use when traveling or just the right size to transport stuff in your car. They are available with sports logos on the side or made of colorful prints; quilted cotton or waterproof fabric. For the last two weeks I’ve been making a set of three bags that will be auctioned off at a Greyhound Conference next weekend.
The request was for a large duffle bag, a small duffle bag and a small travel bag to be auctioned off as a set of luggage. The fabric needed to be prequilted before cutting out the final pieces. This is the pattern I’ve used several times:
Of course, no ordinary fabric would be appropriate, so a heavy cotton fabric printed with greyhounds was ordered from www.spoonflower.com. This site has many choices to choose from (not just greyhounds!) and the fabric is printed when ordered.
And here is the lining:
Finally, the batting I used was cotton and a twin-size package provided more than enough to make all three bags.
Making the Small Travel Bag
I will go through the steps to make the small travel bag. The same steps were followed to prep the fabric for the other two bags.
Step 1: Wash, dry and iron the fabric.
Step 2: Lay out each pattern piece but cut about 2″ larger all around of fabric, batting and lining.
Step 3: Stack each piece into a quilt sandwich with the outer fabric, batting and lining.
Step 4: Baste the “sandwich” together to stabilize it as you quilt.
Step 5: Using a chalk pencil (that will disappear over time or with water) draw diagonal quilting lines to follow.
Step 6: When lines are drawn, stitch on the lines with a coordinating color thread. You can see why it’s necessary to start with fabric cut larger than the pattern…all that quilting tends to squish the fabric one way or the other. You need wiggle room.
Step 7: Lay the pattern piece on the finished quilted piece and determine the placement on the design. Cut out the final piece.
Step 8: Prepare the zipper. Cut out 2″x2″ squares of matching fabric to encase the ends of the zipper. Fold each square in half and then in half again, tucking the ends to the center.
Step 9: Take time now to zigzag around each piece of the bag. Then, run a row of stitching 1/2″ from the top edge. This will be your fold line to stitch to the zipper. (The quilted piece ends up being very stiff and it’s hard to fold just 1/2″ neatly.)
Here’s the folded top edge:
Step 10: Stitch both sides to the zipper.
Step 11: UNZIP THE ZIPPER! Fold the bag, right sides together and stitch the sides and bottom of the bag.
Step 12: Open the bag with your hands and sew the bottom corners closed.
Step 13: Turn the bag right side out. You can see how nice the end caps on the zipper look.
Step 14: Finished Bag
The other two duffle bags follow similar instructions, with the added instruction about the handles and sewing the end pieces. I’ll write these specific instructions in a future post. At any rate, follow the directions with your pattern.
Making your own bags with a fabric of your choice makes for a very unique bag. For all you sewers out there…give it a try! Enjoy!
I spent a lovely lunchtime yesterday with a group of my high school friends yesterday. We enjoyed the small cafe at Way Fruit Farm on the north side of State College. I shared a lot of pictures of the facility in a post in the fall of 2021. You can check it out at https://marykisner.com/wonderful-lunch-with-high-school-friends/.
This time, I discovered a small display of books written by local authors hiding near the soda machine. These two books caught my attention because I had heard of the author, Debbie Marsh.
Debbie taught elementary grades in the State College Area for 30 years. She also wrote a monthly newspaper column called, “Notes From the Teacher,” for the Centre Daily Times. I remember reading her column and found her sense of humor and advice to parent of school age children very refreshing.
Her first book, The Book of Frank, is a series of stories based on her experiences with young children in the kindergarten classroom. The student named Frank in the stories represents a number of children she remembered. Absolutely spot on! The second book, The Book of Stella, continues her stories with more insights about the teacher’s role in the classroom.
The stories reminded me of my first two years of teaching, which were in kindergarten in the State College Area Schools! Almost every example she shared, I had had a similar experience. The whole book reminded me of the Art Linkletter television show from years past, Kids Say the Darndest Things (I think that was the name).
I know that classrooms today might have a totally different feel than when I started teaching in 1968, but many of Debbie’s challenges are still challenging today because 5-year-olds are FIVE YEARS OLD!
If you have folks in your life that are considering being a teacher of young children; or you are just starting to teach; or you have retired from teaching… you will love this book. I wish I had read it at the beginning of my career. But now, 45 years after I left elementary teaching it still gave me a chuckle and a shiver of memories from the 8 years I taught elementary school. I highly recommend both of these books.
Both books are available from Amazon. As of today, The Book of Frank by Debbie Marsh (published in 2014) is available as a Kindle and Kindle Unlimited book (free) or as a paperback ($3.46). The Book of Stella by Debbie Marsh (published in 2018) is also available as a Kindle and Kindle Unlimited book (free) and as a paperback ($10.99).
April weather is tricky. We’ve had temperatures up in the 70’s and blossoms are bursting out all over. That’s great…except Mother Nature is unpredictable and all those beautiful blossoms could be hit with cold temperatures, frost and even snow in April. Here are a few things we’re working on to get ready for garden season 2023.
The lavender has struggled for two years. I really wanted a row of beautiful lavender (like the pictures of lavender fields in France) that I could dry for my skin care projects. We’ve decided I didn’t get the right variety. Bert has researched our choices and begun getting the row in the garden prepped for new plants. Step one was to dig out the old lavender:
Now when he rototills the garden that row will get turned over well and amended to meet the requirements of the new plants.
The echinacea doesn’t look very exciting yet…but up close we can see the potential!
Bert has the small raised planter ready for my radishes. He added the other two raised planters (up on blocks) for my lettuce and spinach. It’s high enough the roving bunnies won’t find it for lunch.
I’m trying two kinds of radishes. Each section has been planted with exactly 10 seeds so I shouldn’t have to thin them out.
I now have enough planter space to try 5 kinds of lettuce and spinach. The markers aren’t fancy but they should last until the seeds come up.
Our Super Sauce tomato seeds (from Burpee) are now in pots in the shop under grow lights.
While it’s still too early to do much in the garden, the forsythia we planted last summer is surprising us with color. They make me smile! Enjoy!
Just wanted to share the finished memory dogs and tiny bears that I finally got in the mail last week. They turned out fine, even with shirt fabric that was not stretchy but should satisfy anyone that has a memory of the loved one in those shirts. You can read about how I made them in the previous post, https://marykisner.com/making-a-memory-dog/. I started with three long sleeved shirts and one short sleeved shirt. I hope they bring hugs and smiles to a family in Fort Worth, Texas.
Yesterday was a beautiful day to meet my brother and his wife for lunch. He lives in Wellsboro so we try to meet half way for both of us. This time we headed to a small local restaurant in Salladasburg, Pennsylvania…about 60 miles east of Boalsburg. The restaurant is named Waltz Creamery & Farm House Cafe.
Salladasburg is the smallest borough in Lycoming County. It had a population of 252 at the 2020 census. Salladasburg was laid out by Jacob P. Sallada in 1837. In the 1890 census it had a number of stores and shops, one hotel, a gristmill and a tannery. Today, the population is now set at just 238 residents. Obviously, many folks living here now commute to Williamsport and Lock Haven for work and shopping. The building housing the restaurant is in the former Cohick’s Trading Post.
Great view of Mt. Nittany as we head out of town.By the time we were 15 miles down the road, the sky was letting us know that it could rain.We followed Rt. 64 from Pleasant Gap to Mill Hall.We transitioned to Rt. 220 to get around Lock Haven.We went past the restaurant, Restless Oaks, where we often meet for lunch. You can read details about this restaurant at https://marykisner.com/lunch-with-my-big-brother/After Lock Haven and Jersey Shore we headed North on Rt. 287 for a few miles.Salladasburg United Methodist Church and Cohick’s Trading Post (from Wikipedia).
Salladasburg is located at the intersection of PA Route 287 and PA Route 973. I managed to miss the tiny sign that said, Welcome to Salladasburg, but we went by the Church that was mentioned in the Wikipedia entry (see photo above).
Beautiful stained-glass windows.The restaurant is in this building.Local fresh roasted coffee and maple syrup were available.Other local products for sale like pickles and jam.
The restaurant had great food, a varied menu and was busy on a Monday. Seemed like several local “groups” of folks were out to lunch also. We had a nice visit with my brother and his wife! It’s a great place to meet…about halfway for both of us!
After cataract surgery, I’ll be so glad to get my glasses back so I don’t have to hunt for the reading glasses around the house.Somehow, we don’t seem to be getting any younger as time goes on. He’ll always be 6 years older than me! Haha!
By the way, we did have a few raindrops on the way home. Guess the clouds were telling the truth!
Spring seems to be sliding quietly into our awareness here in central Pennsylvania. I thought I’d show you a few tiny signs that let me know it’s almost time to celebrate SPRING!
One of the most obvious signs is the green grass and dwindling wood piles. The wood for the shop and the house is visibly reduced. There would have been even less, except Bert had knee surgery a month ago and we’ve depended on electric heat.
Shop wood pile.Wood for the house…half gone.
The raised planter needed some repair work after the wind blew it over and cracked the top section. Bert reinforced the corners and sealed it again. Now it’s ready for the containers of dirt that sit inside.
Up in the garden, the echinacea look pretty dormant…
But up close you can see the new plants venturing out!
Tiny echinacea plants!This row of forsythia doesn’t look very exciting but……it won’t be long until they’ll look really pretty!I cut a few branches and brought them inside a few days ago.They were ready to pop!
These tiny signs give me hope that Spring can’t be far behind!
Yesterday, I spent a few hours at the local Ramada Inn attending the “For the Love of Fiber” Conference. This day-long conference was organized by four local “fiber” guilds: Center Knitters Guild, Centre Spinners, Nittany Valley Embroiderers Guild and the State College Weavers Guild.
What an explosion of color and beautiful samples of knitted, embroidered and woven projects. Here are some photos of the displays and demonstrations:
Just a small sampling of the 19 merchants who had beautiful items to sell.Spinning Demonstrations.Weavers working on the Sheep-to-Shawl demonstration.Another weaving in progress.The Weavers Guild had beautiful samples too!The Embroiderers Guild members must have the best eyesight for all the tiny stitches.I was able to track down one of the few yarns available in silk. Of course, the same dye lot produced two different colors determined by where they were in the vat. I hope it will make a lovely scarf but I’ll need to learn how to alternate skeins so they blend together.
There were many samples of knitted and woven items, from scarves to sweaters. NONE of them were for sale…only the yarn. Then I found the shawl below that blew me away!
I would have bought this shawl on the spot but…NO…I could only buy the kit and pattern!The Pattern.The Kit.
Geez…like I needed another project, but this really seemed like a fun challenge. Luckily, the vendor selling the kit has a shop just up the road and is available to answer questions! Maybe I’ll be able to wear the finished product for next Christmas!
When I got home I remembered I got rid of all my mother’s knitting needles and no longer had any reference books about knitting on my shelf! Amazon saved the day!
A basic book to remind me of the few things I know.All the little do-dads that I don’t know if I need.Of course, needles now look like this!
If any of you out there are knitters, I’ll try to share how it goes…but I suspect it will a long slog!
Making a memory pillow, stuffed bear or dog is more about the clothing it is made from than the actual item. The item is soft and huggable and the clothing is familiar. I have made pillows and bears but recently was asked to make stuffed dogs. In the past, the dogs I’ve made were made of fleece or fake fur…not from clothing so I didn’t know if I could make one dog out of one shirt. If you’d like to read about making a memory bear, see https://marykisner.com/making-a-memory-bear/.
For this special order, I was sent four men’s shirts made of standard cotton and polyester. One was short-sleeved. The request was for three dogs and a bunch of little bears. I think the short-sleeved shirt will be helpful making the tiny bears but it won’t work for the larger dogs. So, I needed to figure out how to make a dog out of one shirt. The first stuffed dog turned out OK, but it wasn’t until I was done, I realized I had forgotten to take an pictures of the process. I did take a picture of the finished dog:
I will include a wide ribbon tied in a bow around the neck…probably navy or green.
For the second dog, I tried to document the process so next time I won’t have to figure out how to do it again. Here was the second stuffed dog and the shirt it was made from:
I think these dogs will be great keepsake for the family. They are soft and huggable and would feel like hugging Dad.
How to Make a Memory Dog
To make a stuffed memory animal, start with any pattern you are comfortable with. Here are two that could work for you:
My pattern started like one of these, but it has been modified over the years to have a longer nose and different ears to represent the greyhounds I work with:
Don’t be afraid to experiment with ear shape to one you like. I made quite a few dogs until I was happy with the ears! I have another modification to represent ordinary dog ears like this:
If you are interested to try making a stuffed animal out of a loved ones shirt, here are the steps below. If you don’t sew, don’t feel obligated to read about it!
Steps to Making the Memory Dog
First, deconstruct the shirt. Cut the shirt apart close to the seams. Discard the collar, yoke, cuffs and front plackets. If you want to recycle the buttons into another project, remove them now.
You now have a back section, two front sections and two sleeves. Each sleeve was cut in half and used to extend the front and back pieces so the pattern will fit. That means each arm/leg has a seam about halfway, but it doesn’t really show with the print.
One sleeve cut in half, ready to sew on the sides of the back of the shirt.The other sleeve, cut in half, ready to sew on the sides of the front of the shirt.
Next, lay out the pattern pieces on the shirt sections to see how it will fit. I needed to use the space where the shirt pocket was, so I laid the pattern so the double layers of fabric would end up on the animal’s bottom.
I cut each sleeve in half and used the fabric to extend the back and front, as shown below:I wanted to get at least one or two small bears out of the shirt fabric too.Can’t forget about the tail pattern! It fit beside the dog front pieces.To make the fabric sturdier for stuffing, I lined each piece with muslin.I stitched around the muslin and then treated it as one piece of fabric.The tail was stuffed very lightly and my tag was sewn into the seam.The two fronts and two backs were sewn together. Then the front was sewn to the back. I did the top half first and then pinned and sewed the bottom half…making sure the tail was tucked inside.Didn’t want the tail to get in the way so it needed to be tucked inside.Tail is tucked inside.Clip all seams before turning right side out.When sewing the tip of the nose, leave a few stitches open so the plastic nose can be easily pushed through from the front.Each leg and arm had a cross dart that gave them shape.
Although I prefer the look of buttons for the nose and eyes, I’ve learned they are hazards for little children. Since these dogs will be hugged by unknown persons (including children) I used the commercial eyes and plastic noses. They get pressed through a hole in the fabric (or through the missing stitches at the nose) and a plastic piece is secured on the back…inside the head.
Commercial eyes and nose.
The ears are not stuffed but have stitching around the edge and along the side of the head. Stuff the head first, then the arms and legs, with the body last. A little less stuffing where the arms and legs join the body will keep them more movable.
Stitch up the opening in the back by hand.
To get the ears to hang right, see how they look when the dog is sitting up. I needed to tack a few stitches at the back of the ear so they would not hang so far forward.
Finally, I add a heart button to the foot of each bear or dog I make, letting the family I had their loved one in my thoughts as I was creating their memory bear or dog.I think I’ll add a white ribbon to this one!
Find a pattern you like and try it with one of your shirts for practice! Enjoy!
Last year I made a salve with arnica-infused olive oil. Arnica is an ingredient that is added to salves to help relieve aches and pains, bumps and bruises! Look for it in your over-the-counter salves. You can read about making the oil here: https://marykisner.com/making-arnica-infused-oil-for-tropical-salves/.
I shared the salve with just a few people because I didn’t know how effective it was; I wanted to give it a try first. I’ve used it for the last 6 months with some success in reducing small bruises, if used right after they appear.
About Arnica
Arnica is not as well-known as lavender and calendula and is sometimes included in over-the-counter ointments and creams sold to soothe occasional aching knees, joints and muscles. It is often used in homeopathic remedies, which means the products contain very small amounts of the active ingredients. Making infused oil with dried arnica plant material is a great way to incorporate these ingredients into body care products. I purchased a bag of the dried flowers on Amazon.
The dried flowers aren’t as pretty as the fresh ones!
Arnica comes from the perennial herb Arnica Montana. It is a yellow-orangish flower that grows in the mountains of Europe and Siberia and the mountains of northwestern North America. It is sometimes called the “mountain daisy,” because its color and petals look like the familiar flower. It yields an essential oil that is appreciated for its ability to reduce pain in osteoarthritis joints and reduce bruise discoloration.
NOTE: This plant does have some drawbacks or cautions for people that are allergic to certain plants of the Asteraceae family…like ragweed, marigolds, chrysanthemums and daisies, or are using blood thinning medications.
Please do your own research about any plant material you might work with, but this process of infusing oil with any plant material would be the same.
I still had some infused oil left from my first project; it kept well in the back of the refrigerator.
The ingredients in this Bruise Balm
I scooped out 1 cup of infused oil and weighed out 32 gm of beeswax into my 4-cup heat-safe measuring cup. The cup is placed in a saucepan of water. I brought the water just to a boil and turned the burner down so the water stayed simmering.
When melted and removed from the stove, I stirred in 1/4 tsp of Vitamin E Oil and 20 drops each of Vanilla and Manuka Essential Oil.
Using a disposable pipette, I filled 36 small tubes and 6 larger ones.
I decided to just hand write the label…nothing fancy. I don’t want folks to get them mixed up with lip balm!I try to label everything I make so the ingredients are clear.
I hope to share these with my high school friends at our monthly luncheon… built in guinea pigs! Try it yourself! Enjoy!
