Red Thread Stash Busting

 I am notorious for not changing thread.
Not because it's hard to do.
I'm an amazingly lazy person. I will sew Red until I am out of red projects. It's quite amazing how nice red looks on yellow.

My serger is threaded with neutral thread cones. Most of the time - Black or White. And it's an easy machine to thread too.

 However, I made a New Year's resolution to completely use the fashion fabric before I moved on so chickens were hatched.

The remains of that yellow chickie material are in tiny pieces in the scrap basket.

 Do you know what I dislike even more than changing my thread? Making flocks multiples. I can easily cut out ten but by the time I get to the fourth one, I am done. D-O-N-E. Time to move on.

I have little enough time to sew, and way too many projects percolating in my head. Sewing the same project over and over leads  to . . .

Can you sew in multiples or do you like unique projects more?

  There is a particularly difficult place to sew on these chickies. I wasn't getting my bias tape just right here. I must have sewed over it four times before I realized I had emptied another spool. I was just making needle tracks.

Underneath shot where the eggs come out. lol    Looks like a baseball mitt here.

The Chicken Pot Holder giveaway is still open through the end of the month. All you have to do is send me a postcard or a letter. My address is on the original post. I've already got some really cute postcards, including an embroidered airplane.  I'll post those in a couple of days.


This morning dawned bright and sunny - no fog!  I went out with the dog as he started on his morning patrol. As I came around the kitchen window hedge, I got dive bombed by some snarky hummingbirds and the wrens and finches were making angry chirping songs. Their feeders were empty.
While I waited for the sugar syrup to cool, I lucked out on making this video of the poor staving hummingbird.

Do you make your own hummingbird syrup? It's easy: One part sugar to four parts water. Red food coloring optional for most.

In my household, I have to add red coloring because, helpful hubby sees the 'water' in the pan and dumps it, scours the pan, and then throws it into the dishwasher. Coloring it red means I don't have to re-make it.

Spring Flowers 2015

Christmas Cheer Rhododendron

Winter Heather

Snowdrops - from my aunt ruby's

Camellia

Crocuses

Mini Iris's

Ugh! Artillery Weed

Christmas Cheer Rhody - I can them from my kitchen window.

Christmas Cheer Rhody - 24 years now.

I took these two days ago on a momentarily sunny day. 
We're back to uber thick fog that may or may not burn off.
I love that springs lasts three months here in the Willamette Valley.

Dog Bone Valentines

 

 I saw something like this in my facebook feed and I thought immediately of my nephews who got a new dog last year.

For Valentine's Day, I filled it with better treats.

These are my packages going out today - including the Valentine Bone above. My rural carrier gets counted for picking up these packages, and the number of packages. Also for dismounting from her vehicle to come to my front door.

 My giveaway of the Hot Chicken is going on all month. All you need to do is send me a postcard or a letter. My address is  on the main giveaway post.

Cluck Cluck - WIN ME.

 The lining is a thin laminate I bought in Helsinki. I finally cut into it after three years. It sewed like a dream. Doggy treats are kinda greasy so this will be washable and containable.

Back side

I found one dog print in dark colors (stash)  - a hunting scene and it did not quite fit Rose. I used some great airplane fabric instead - after all, it's from the airplane auntie.

Have A Cup Of Tea With Me

 Chicken, Chicken,  who wants a cool pot holder??
Got a giveaway going on here through the month of February.
All you need to do is send me a postcard/letter.
International peeps too.

 A customer recently sent me a surprise package with some insulbright for me. I sewed up some hot pads right away and then recalled that she had bought a couple of hot pads already so I went with my patented "Have a cup of tea with me" idea instead as a thank you.

 And then, that same week, Pencil Girl sent me a happy package as well. She's famous because she helped sew the giant lion that appeared in the super bowl half time show. I almost watched the game for her. Almost.

Still figuring out what to make her. I caught a head cold that is very drippy.
Did you notice how well the zips matched the fabric -- maybe not -  as the color on the computer twisted them. But they match the pretty green (yes) of the fabric plus some extras in my colors of aqua/turquoise.

I love getting mail. I hope you will enter my giveaway and send me a postcard or a letter this month.

Chicken Giveaway

I dumped my tea kettle for this very efficient water kettle. It boils water, like in 2 seconds (lol). My chickie doesn't really care for being perched so high.

Much better on my Desert Rose teapot.

I came up with a giveaway for everyone who reads this blog - you can tell your friends too.
To win this chicken pot holder, all you have to do is send me a postcard (or a letter). It must be postmarked between Feb 7 - 24, 2015).

This helps out my amazing mail carrier with more mail volume. My address is below.
I will draw randomly - seriously- the best postcard photo, the best joke, the best drawing, it will be my favorite card.

International peoples are welcome, I will post this chicken hot pad to the winner at the end of February.
Rural mail count goes from February 7 - 28, but I chose to end this giveaway on the 24th so I can receive your entry during mail count.

You might get extra points if you state on your postcard or in your letter how many other stamped pieces of mail you sent out during this time.
Or maybe you know some good chicken jokes.
Or, you can sketch flying airplanes, with chickie pilots.

I told you it would be a random pick.














***For the next three weeks, my rural postal route is being counted (Feb 7 - 28).
 
I have the best carrier and I like to support her so I will be posting extra letters and packages this month from my home to help her out.
Counting rural routes determines a carriers salary - an evaluation.
Mail volume has re-bounded since the recession with first class mail up over 1.5%.

Her route has not been counted in four years so she should see a huge boost in salary for the long days she has been putting in. She starts her day at 6:30/7am and ends it around 5/6pm. She generally works five days a week with a sub on Saturdays.

I've written about mail count before:
1. How your rural carrier gets paid.

2. Letter Writing.

3. Who to write to.

A lot of rural routes are being counted this month, not just mine. Whether you live on a rural route or know someone who does, I would like to encourage you to write more snail mail, especially this month.

Hot Pad Thank You

At work Monday morning, I received  a surprise package. 
Once home, I opened it to find some Insulbright from a customer who had ordered a couple of handmade items off my etsy site.

 I immediately cut and sewed four hot pads with this cool postcard fabric so I can send two her way as a lovely thank you for the supplies and acknowledging that I can always use Insulbright.

For those that don't know what Insulbright is, it's a foil punched batting that withstands heat making it great to insert into hot pads or anything that gets near the heat.


***For the next three weeks, my rural postal route is being counted (Feb 7 - 28).
 
I have the best carrier and I like to support her so I will be posting extra letters and packages this month from my home to help her out.
Counting rural routes determines a carriers salary - an evaluation.
Mail volume has re-bounded since the recession with first class mail up over 1.5%.

Her route has not been counted in four years so she should see a huge boost in salary for the long days she has been putting in. She starts her day at 6:30/7am and ends it around 5/6pm. She generally works five days a week with a sub on Saturdays.

I've written about mail count before:
1. How your rural carrier gets paid.

2. Letter Writing.
3. Who to write to.

A lot of rural routes are being counted this month, not just mine. Whether you live on a rural route or know someone who does, I would like to encourage you to write more snail mail.

Postcrossing has talked about going off-line in February and committing to just writing letters.
They have a Month of Letters Challenge up right now for February.
I have noticed when I conscientiously turn off my laptop for longer periods, I get more done on the sewing front.

I love getting mail - above post - surprise package in my mail. Who doesn't like finding something beyond circulars in their mail box?
Here's an easy way to post more letters. Add a teabag to your card and ask the recipient to have a cup of tea with you. I swear I could hear smiles while my friends opened up that envelope. It will cost  a bit extra for that tea bag - as long as it's under a quarter-inch in thickness, it should be 70 cents (49 cent regular forever stamp plus 21 cent non-machinable stamp).

I would love it if you would send me a postcard (February 7 - 28, 2015):
Kathy
24463 S. Skylane Dr
Canby, OR 97013

Chicken Hot Pads

I had a productive rainy day Sunday sewing time.
And I needed to change my blog post photo from the last one. Eewww.

Everyone I know was watching the super bowl but me. I've never been into football that much, can't drink the beer {Glutens, barley, hops :'( }. I almost watched it because Pencil Girl helped make the giant lion who made an appearance at the half time show.

   

I have a friend who is dire need of replacing her chicky hot pad so I dug out the box from where it had been stored for a few years and found that I already had some chickens cut out and ready to sew. I used to make these for holiday bazaars.

The wings are pockets for your hands. She keeps hers sitting/nesting over the teapot handle.

My zips came in so I was able to finish using up my laminate and I also used this free 'suede'  sample swatch from Spoonflower. Just the right size to make this Dumd Valentine Pouch.

This one might be my favorite. Soft airplanes.

I tried top-stitching on the vinyl laminate with a dull sewing machine needle and the backside is cruddy with skipped stitches. I am contemplating tossing this one or doing a giveaway. I spent about two seconds thinking about ripping out the top stitching and hand stitching around the heart instead with a thicker thread (the holes in the laminate are permanent). It might have to go into the time-out closet.