What to do with the other half of the bottle?

Many of the drink bottle crafts I have received use only the bottom half of the bottle, here is a great idea for using the top half of the bottle.

Take a plastic pop bottle of any size and cut it off about 1- to 2-inches below the neck of the bottle, like a funnel. Save the bottom of the bottle for another project. You may decorate with a permanent marker. With the lid off, dip the other end (cut edge) of the bottle into bubble solution in a shallow pan and gently blow air through the neck of the bottle. Instant bubble blower.

Frayed Fabric and How to Stop it

The only thing I really dislike about prewashing my quilting fabrics is all the strings that come loose during the wash, wrapping themselves in knots around the yardage.

The threads twist and pull at the fabric when they get tangled up in the wash--and you have to remove them before they go into the dryer so that fabrics come out wrinkle-free. Neglect to lose the threads and you'll see oodles of accordion pleats when you take fabrics out of the dryer.

It's easy to eliminate nearly all of the strings. Just clip off a little triangular section from each corner of fabrics before you wash them. Try about 1/2" or a little less. You'll still see a bit of fraying, but not enough to create bunches of knots.

Give it a try the next time you pre-wash your quilting fabrics--that little snip really makes a difference.

Mmm Skinny Coconut Shrimp

Thank you to another Gina for this recipe!  Gina from Skinnytaste.com:

Golden baked coconut encrusted shrimp with a sweet and spicy apricot dipping sauce. Set these out on a platter in front of some hungry guests and I guarantee they will disappear!!

"The best coconut shrimp I ever had" to quote my husband, that's how good these are, and he didn't even touch the dipping sauce! These will absolutely be making an appearance at my Christmas Eve dinner this year.

I tried these using all egg whites but the crumbs stuck better with a whole egg, as for the flour, you will only use about 1 tbsp worth so that is what I calculated.





Skinny Coconut Shrimp
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 3 shrimp, 1 tbsp sauce • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 161.6 • Fat: 3.4 g • Protein: 10.2 g • Carb: 22.2 g • Fiber: 1.8 g • Sugar: 15.7 g
Sodium: 164.3 (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (24) large shrimp, peeled and deviened (weight after peeled)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp panko crumbs
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour (you will only use 1 tbsp)
• 1 large egg
• pinch salt
• non-stick spray (I used my misto)

For the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce:

• 1/2 cup apricot preserves (you can use sugar free if you wish)
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.

Combine coconut flakes, panko crumbs and salt in a bowl. Place the flour on a small dish. Whisk egg in another bowl.

Lightly season shrimp with salt. Dip the shrimp in the flour, shaking off excess, then into the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture.

Lay shrimp on the cookie sheet then spray the top of the shrimp with more cooking spray; bake in the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 6-7 minutes or until cooked though. Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce.

For the sauce, combine all the ingredients and place in a small bowl.

nom nom!!

Hooping Tips and Tricks

Threads magazine feature this online extra article dealing with machine embroidery tips and tricks.  Great little article to keep your knowledge on its toes as a refresher, and more than helpful if you are new to the craft!  Give it a read!

by Jill McCloy
An Online extra to Threads #98, pp. 54-57

There are new machine-embroidery stabilizers on the market every day, and my article "Making Sense of Machine-Embroidery Stabilizers" in the December 2001/January 2002 issue of Threads (#98) offers some practical counsel on navigating this maze and making sound choices. Once you've selected a stabilizer for your project, it's important to hoop the stabilizer and fabric correctly to get the best results. Below are some hooping tips for embroidery. They're aimed at users of machines with built-in hoop control for digitized embroidery with dedicated hoops like the one shown here, but can easily be adapted to third-party hoops for free-motion embroidery.

1. Baste the fabric to the stabilizer to keep the layers together. Whether basting by hand or machine, nothing works as well to keep the fabric from shifting. Some embroidery machines are capable of basting the fabric to the stabilizer while in the hoop.

2. When embroidering items too small for a hoop, first hoop the stabilizer, then attach the fabric to the stabilizer. Use a stick-on stabilizer, or adhere the fabric to the stabilizer with temporary adhesive spray. To ensure the fabric is perfectly aligned on the stabilizer, with a ruler and a black marker, draw a large, right-angled guide cross on a piece of paper that's bigger than your hoop. Place the paper under the hooped stabilizer, matching the lines to the centering marks on each side of the hoop. The lines will be visible through the stabilizer and will make it easy to accurately position the fabric and center your design on it.

3. If using a temporary adhesive spray after hooping, make a shield to protect the hoop. Cut a window about 1/2 in. smaller all around than your hoop size in the center of a rectangle of paper, lightweight cardboard, or plastic that's at least twice the size of the hoop. Hold the window firmly in place to expose the fabric while you spray.

4. Use a double-stick tape to keep the top hoop and fabric together during hooping. I use 1/4-in., double-sided, transparent Collins Wonder Tape (available from Nancy's Notions) on the under side of my top hoop so that after I've positioned the top hoop accurately over the fabric, I can easily lift everything into the bottom hoop without the fabric shifting. The tape holds the fabric just enough to keep it from slipping around while I'm trying to hoop it. After several uses, Wonder Tape can be rinsed off easily when it's no long sticky.

5. Insert the hoop edge nearest the hoop's tightening screw last. This makes it easier to get the top hoop in place and easier to loosen the hoop if necessary. Also, position the corner or edge with the screw off the edge of the table so you can adjust the screw without raising the hoop away from the work surface.

Jill McCloy sews on Whidbey Island, Washington, and teaches around the country.

Insanity Sale!!!

It's HERE! Yes, Part 3 of Gina's Annual Insanity Sale! On now, thru
Sunday, Dec 18th 2011 Only! AND for every $10 spent, your name will
go 'in the hat' for the drawing of an AccuQuilt GO!Baby with a
carrying case! Drawing Dec 19th! Top quality sets in these
categories at irresistible prices! Don't miss it! Just $5 per set:
http://www.splintersandthreads.com/special

* Linework Designs
* Quotes
* Alphabets
* Filled Designs
* uHOOPit
* Vintage Designs

Christmas Chair Covers

These covers are perfect Christmas camouflage for the folding chairs that come out for the big family dinner! Take a look at this pattern brought to us by FavCrafts!

This chair cover fits over a typical metal folding chair. The canvas cover can be found through catalog companies or in fabric and craft stores. Also available are covers to go over certain styles of dining chairs. In doing this project, I found that you could stop painting at various points for several different versions of the pattern. If you are doing a whole set of chair covers, you might consider this for a variety of coordinating patterns.

Materials:

• Canvas chair cover
• Jacquard Lumiere: #572 Pearlescent Emerald and #566 Metallic Russet
• Jacquard Textile Paint: #106 True Red
• 3/4” masking tape
• 1 1/2” masking tape
• Paint brush
• Sponge brush
• Auto fade pen
• Empty jar for mixing color
• Cardstock or manila folder to cut stencil from
• Large trash bag

Steps:

1. Iron the chair cover and place on chair. To protect the chair put a large trash bag over the chair underneath the cover.
    
2. Cut the leaves out of the cardstock or manila folder. Use an auto fade pen to trace around the leaves placing your pattern all over the chair.
    
3. Using the Lumiere Pearlescent Emerald for the holly leaves and the Textile Colors True Red for the berries, paint in your design.
    
4. You can leave the chair just like this by jumping to step 14 and setting the paint, or go on to step 5.
    
5. With the 1 1/2" wide masking tape, lay down vertical stripes on the chair seat and seat back leaving about 1/4" between the tape lines. Don't worry about making it absolutely perfect. Irregularities will give it some character.
    
6. In the empty jar, pour the remaining True Red and the full bottle of Lumiere Metallic Russet. Stir well. This will be the color you use for all of the stripes on the chair.
    
7. With a sponge brush, paint the red paint mixture along the tape lines. Be sure to leave about a 1/4" space between your stripe and the holly and not paint over the holly.
    
8. When the paint is dry, pull off the masking tape.
    
9. You can leave the chair just like this by jumping to step 14 and setting the paint, or go on to step 10.
    
10. With the 3/4" masking tape, lay out vertical stripes around the rest of the chair. This will take a little time. Leave about 3/4" to 1" between the tape lines.
     
11. Paint the stripes as before. Let dry and remove tape. You can leave the chair just like this by jumping to step 14 and setting the paint, or go on to step 12.
     
12. For the checks on seat and seat back, again use the 1 1/2" masking tape to make stripes about 1/4" wide. You will have to be a little creative where the seat and the back come together. Start laying the tape from the front of the seat to the back and on the seat back, from the top down. If you follow the cut fabric pattern of the chair it will be a little easier.
     
13. Paint the stripes as before. Let dry and remove tape.
     
14. After painting is completed, heatset the chair cover as directed on the bottle or by putting in a clothes dryer on high for 35 to 45 minutes.

Quilt Care Tips

People everywhere have started quilting! With so many joining the fun I thought they might like to know some tips and tricks on caring for their new treasures! I found a great group of tips over at Block Central!

I store my many wall hangings by wrapping them around the paper tubes from wrapping paper (right side out). Then I place them in a pillow case and that keeps them from rolling off the shelf. - Carol in Michigan

How to get blood out of your quilts: Dip a cotton ball in hydrogen peroxide and rub it in to stain and it will vanish." - Lora in Oklahoma

Roll your quilts on wrapping paper tubes covered with acid free tissue paper to make them safe for your quilt. - Rhonda in Washington

Save your empty cardboard tubes from Christmas wrapping paper and roll your quilts onto the tubes to store them. The quilts will not wrinkle on the closet shelf. - Anne in California

Don't fold quilts in half and then in quarters--the dent in the middle shows quickly.  Fold it in thirds horizontially and then vertically.  There is less less wrinkling if the pieced side is out. - Nancy in Florida