Happy Birthday, Harris!

Hope it is like a Home Run!

Just 3 Things - #46

Finally, finally we are experiencing a bit of fall. The temperatures have cooled and it is nice to be outside. I think I heard the weather girl on a local news channel say that Wednesday was the first day since late May that didn't have temperatures above the 80s. That is a HOT summer!

- What I've Been Working On -

I'm still stitching away on the 'sets' I'm creating for Christmas gifts. The eldest granddaughter gave me a little feedback on what she thought she would use in the way of totes, bags, or pouches and I tried to follow her suggestions. She's not one who wants her name or monogram on everything. So, I sometimes question her true southern roots. 

She said she didn't really need a big tote bag. So, I did her something a little bit different - a small modified duffle. She also didn't really want the traditional bandana print and asked if I could use a leopard print bandana. I do love her suggestion that she passed along in regard to bandana choices. 

The duffle is about 15" x 6' x 4" and would hold curling irons, or loads of cosmetics, or any variety of items. I added handles and a decorative black strip around the top. All of this set is lined with red bandanas.

Small Quilted Duffle with Handles

I did an open-wide box pouch. It is one of my favorite medium sized zip pouches. I had done one for another granddaughter and I love the triangular shape and I think it will hold loads of stuff. 

Open-Wide Box Pouch

I also did a foam-quilted simple zip pouch. It is a traditional simple size and shape at 7 1/2" x 10" and the quilted foam gives it plenty of structure. I probably should have added a D ring so that a wristlet could be clipped onto it but it will work for a storage pouch or a clutch purse like it is.

Quilted Zip Pouch

For the smalls, I did a zip coin purse that is 4" x 5" and a pouch that is just the size to hold an ID or bank card. For the two smallest ones I added a D ring so they can be added to a wristlet, a keychain, or clipped on a larger bag. 

Coin Purse (side 1)

Zip Coin Purse (side two)

Folding Card Pouch

I like the little card pouch and will probably try that again as a gift. I need to do a bit of adjusting to suit my idea but It really did turn out cute. Since I was adapting a tutorial that left the edges raw, I didn't monogram it.  I think it would be really cute with a monogram, though. I love how each item turned out! I hope she does.

- What I've Been Loving -

I made a couple of casseroles this week that I haven't stirred up in a while and both were quite satisfying. The first is one that my Mama made when I was a young girl. So, in a way it is comfort food. 

Cheesy Mixed Vegetable Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cans mixed vegetables

1 1/2 cups cubed processed cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Topping Ingredients:

1 sleeve of Ritz crackers

4-6 tablespoons butter

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add cheese cubes. Stir till they are blended together.
• Fold together mixed vegetables and spread into a baking dish.
• Crush crackers.
• Melt 4-6 tablespoons of butter and pour over cracker crumbles. Stir to cat the cracker crumbles.
• Spread cracker mixture over vegetable mixture and bake until bubbling and heated through. Cracker topping will brown slightly and crisp.

This is tasty as a side dish or all alone! It was grocery day; so, we had fried chicken and this veggie casserole for a super easy dinner.

The other casserole is French Onion Beef Bake. It is really a tasty dish and one of the Mister's favorites. 

French Onion Beef Bake

I'm sure I have followed the recipe precisely at times but I've also done variations. For example, this time I didn't have bow tie pasta and I used simple egg noodles instead. I've also used a pouch of French Onion Soup Mix and a container of sour cream instead of the purchased dip. The dish is delicious no matter how you stir it up! I'm loving a change of pace and some delicious recipes to welcome in fall.

- What I've Been Reading -

I abandoned a book before finishing it this week. I cannot remember when I did this last. Such a rarity. However, I just wasn't keeping up with the characters and didn't see the story line going anywhere. So, I DNF (I think that is the current slang term for did not finish.) and moved on to something vastly different. I'm currently reading Pitch by Pitch by Bob Gibson. I think I selected this one because I recall Tim McCarver as a broadcast announcer and McCarver was Gibson's catcher. I think one has to be a baseball fan to enjoy this one. I also listened to an NPR author interview with Gibson that was interesting and entertaining. 

I'm probably going to work on some of my go-tos for a few days - wreath sashes and bag tags. I may stitch up a few more Christmas ornaments. They are just so fun and satisfying to complete because the embroidery looks so beautiful on that felt. The Mister laughed at me when a new packet of felt was delivered and I told him what I was planning to do with it. He seems to think some of my frivolous ideas are not worthy, I think. We shall be enjoying the cooler temperatures and hoping that your weekend is nice, too!

Just 3 Things | #45

I've had sort of a slow week in regard to having completed projects. I had a doctor checkup appointment and I was called into volunteer duty for the cemetery a couple of times. Then, I waited on a zipper shipment only to discover that I had ordered the wrong size. Then, waited again. I am also waiting on a new kind of heat erasable fabric marker. I found that the white ones from the set I had before just don't do as well as I'd like. Maybe I am old with failing eyesight but I know I'm not the only one. So, I am trying a new kind. I'll report later on how I like it.

- What I've Been Working On -

One thing I did work on this week, though, is some more Christmas ornaments. I found that I absolutely love the way so many of my designs look when stitched on that stiff felt. I was joking last week with the concept that everybody on my list will get an embroidered ornament for Christmas, but I think that will be an actuality. 

I am personalizing each one on the back side and adding the year. I don't know if I will make this a tradition or not but it never hurts to put a year on an ornament because we all loose track of time as we age.

I've looked into getting an ornament bundle or two but for now, I'm just using the bag tag options I have and adapting them in different ways. I've expanded the size a bit so that the ornament is a little larger than the typical bag tag. I've chosen a couple of designs and adapted them by leaving parts off and adding parts of a different design. I am just experimenting and having fun creating.

I think if somebody came in and gave a look at my sewing machine screen during my creation process they might be really confused at what I'm layering. A couple of good examples are the saxophone ornament and the lamb ornament. 

I pulled the saxophone from a design that included music notes. Since the design has easy stops to change thread color, that made it easy for me to skip colors and move to get just the sax. Then, I added a bow from a a design for monogram wreath frames. The machine lets me rotate the design a bit as well as skip colors. Next, I added a large bag tag outline as a final layer to finish the edges and stitch around the hole. So, the sax now looks like a cute little gift all wrapped up for Christmas.

I centered up the smallest sized lamb inside a monogram frame with a different scalloped edge. Then, I layered the volleyball bag tag design and skipped to the white stitching to get the outline for the hole. So, three different designs all layered atop one another and used the machine features to get just the look I wanted. For the back side, I just floated a different piece of the felt on another hoop and used the built-in fonts to spell out the name and year. Stitched those, and pinned or 'floated' the finished piece on the bottom of the hoop. Once the placement stitch for the outline was stitched, I just cut away the top layer with the 'picture' design and cut away the bottom layer with the name/year stitching. Then, ran the last finishing stitch. The two pieces of felt are stitched together back to back that way and there is no messy unfinished side. Plus, the two layers of stiff felt are such a good thickness that will hold up well year after year. The stitching really does take some time but that is part of the gift, in my opinion. My time and love are included in each unique one. I have seven completed, making me almost half done!

- What I've Been Loving -

We went to a local county fair this past weekend. A couple of our grands were exhibiting heifers in the livestock show. We saw a lot of old friends around the showring and made some new acquaintances as well. The boys did a really good job of showing the heifers - probably the best that they have done so far this year. This experience really seemed to showcase how much work and dedication they have invested into a project and how it has expanded their horizons.

What I think I liked best is that we could see their growth as showmen, participants, and competitors grow with each lap around the ring. The judge for the junior show was a special kind of person. She took time to visit with the youngsters and give them pointers. Then, when the guys returned to the ring for subsequent classes, she commented on how she saw that they had improved. Positive encouragement!

The show staff was all so helpful and friendly to us and to the children. The facilities are new and improved and so clean and welcoming. Most importantly, though, the children had a fun time and really seemed to learn and engage with the activity while they were there. 

It is fun to watch the next generation learning and getting similar experiences that we had as youngsters and their parents had as youngsters, too. As adults, we sometimes don't realize all the things we know and skills we developed over the years and when we watch our children and grandchildren it reminds us of what it was like to try to incorporate all the things into the experience.

I find that I often need to remind myself that these kinds of opportunities are what made up the whole package of who I became. These experiences also make me hope that these children will build on them and eventually look back to see that it was a wonderful opportunity that most folks miss out on or never have offered to them. I've loved watching the children grow.

- What I've Been Reading -

I read Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner this week. It is about a family in the spotlight that is shattered for a time by a poor choice. More importantly, it focuses on how each member of the family moves forward afterward. 

I think what I liked about it most is that each and every character has foibles and faults but still moves forward in a positive direction after reflection and the way they have an influence over one another. After all, whether we like it or not, our family does tend to influence us.

I can't let the week go by without mentioning the weather. My Daddy would be so proud! It is still so very hot here. We are a bit past half-way through September and still experiencing high ninety degree temperatures. Never in my life do I remember having this before. Yep, I am starting to sound like a little old man sitting around at the country store! I hope your weekend is filled with cool fun and relaxation. See you next week!

Just 3 Things | #44

The Mister spent some time indoors this week and I was thankful. It is still so very hot outside that I am concerned that he will overheat when he is out there for long stretches. I do sometimes sort of like it when he acts like an old guy and kicks back in the recliner to watch seventy year old westerns! (Gunsmoke premiered on television on September 10, 1955, and ran for twenty years. It is one of the Mister's favorites.)

- What I've Been Working On -

I decided this week to try something a little different with my sewing and embroidering. I was awaiting the arrival of a supply shipment of foam stabilizer for stitching up another tote bag and some zippers in colors and sizes that I ran out of. So, I cruised through the interwebs and noticed that some folks were stitching up Christmas ornaments. Eureka! What a great idea! I have been gifting an ornament to the grandchildren each year for a while. So, I decided I might give a go at stitching one up. In my mind that would be similar to creating a bag tag. 

I have been reading where folks are using a stiff felt for bag tags and decided I would put that knowledge to work for creating an ornament or two. 

Let me just say, I am thrilled! Like a bag tag, making an ornament that is decorated on both sides is a bit of a thought process and takes some wiggling. The thing is, though, the stitching on that stiff felt turns out absolutely beautifully. 

I used the baseball bag tag design I had purchased. I started by stitching out the recipient's name and the year on a piece of felt. In this case, I used orange because he was a part of Team Tennessee this summer for the World Series. That became the back side of the ornament.

On the front side I stitched out the bag tag as it was designed and added my favorite baseball player's number.

Where the split ring would generally go for a key ring or bag tag, I just ran a piece of cording and tied a bit of coordinating ribbon onto it. Each ornament is somewhere between four and five inches in diameter. 

I'm already dreaming of more ideas for ornaments and perusing what designs are available! Here are some I am considering or maybe these or these. I'm thinking I could applique fabrics onto the felt to change things up. Of course, the perfect, preciseness of the stitching might not be there with another fabric appliqued onto the felt but it is just the right thickness and stiffness to make pretty ornaments!

This may be the year of the ornaments. You get a hand-stitched ornament! And YOU get an ornament! And YOU get an ornament!

- What I've Been Reading -

I just finished reading Carol Burnett's book about her relationship with her daughter who was lost to cancer. In some ways it was heart-wrenching and in some ways it was enlightening. Burnett shares the painful struggle her family and daughter, Carrie, experienced through her teenage drug addiction. She also shares stories of Carrie's successes as an adult and hard-fought battle with cancer ending with death at the young age of thirty-eight. 

The thing I walked away with most from the pages of that book is an affirmation that parenting is never easy. Burnett's family had far fewer financial worries than ours but they still had the difficult parts of growing up and becoming independent. It also drives home how a parent's job of being the guide for their children is never an easy one. Finally, it also emphasized to me that even though our roles evolve over the years as parents and children, we still have a strong bond of love and hope. 

Even though I finished reading the book a day or so ago, I thought about it again today when I was reading The Good List for the week from The New York Times. The author shares one more thing at the end of the list about how a woman wrote her husband a letter each year for their anniversary. The woman claimed that she learned of a father who wrote to his child each year on her birthday. Wouldn't that be a beautiful gift? What a keepsake to have throughout ones life. 

- What I've Been Loving -

A friend or two has stopped by during the past few days and we always welcome a friendly face around here! One was the Mister's cousin who is an entrepreneur with a lighting business who worked for years at the local electric company and he had stopped to pick up sausage from the Mister. I was working on my own bandana tote and he peeked over my shoulder and said, "What are you working on? It really looks interesting." I explained that I was creating a tote that I had seen online and he wanted to know what I would charge to make one for his wife. I jokingly told him that I didn't think anybody would be able to afford a bag made by me because it was slow going and lots of thinking and sewing. Remember, it was my first tote and I was still deep into the learning phase. Yet, I loved his reaction to what I was creating.

I've progressed and made a couple more totes as gifts for the granddaughters and then used the leftover bandanas to make them a 'set' for Christmas. One of the granddaughters was snooping on her mom's phone and saw one of the sets and told her mother that she really liked it. I loved hearing that reaction. So, at least I am on the right track for gifts for one member of the family anyway.

Then, another friend stopped by a couple of days ago and she noticed all of the totes, zip pouches, and wreath sashes that I've got laid out in the basement bedroom. She was amazed and immediately gravitated toward the totes. I loved her reaction to the things I had fun creating! She asked me if I was going to sell them and I gave her the same reply - I would have to charge more than I think folks would be willing to pay. I did ponder about how I could make the creation process simpler and tried my ideas by creating a tote for one of the granddaughters. After all, we have seven granddaughters. 

I realized the process was still pretty labor intensive and thought some more before creating a tote for another granddaughter. I've been thinking and watching videos and reading since then. I've got an idea or two for improving my method and plan to start the fourth tote next week. Ironically, the Mister had another friend stop in yesterday and he noticed my tote hanging on a dining room chair. He asked the Mister if I might be interested in making one for his wife. Here is the thing. We have ten grandchildren and I have set a goal for myself to create gifts for all of them for Christmas. Then, we also gift their parents. So, that makes a total of eighteen family gifts and that doesn't include gifts for extended family and friends and so on. Plus, I have only been retired for a couple of years. I have a variety of things I like to do with my time and, yes, one is sewing and machine embroidery. I worked hard for most of my life and am enjoying the days where I choose what I do and whether I complete a task or not. If I go into the business of creating these totes, I will be back at it full time, I fear. Even if I only took a few orders, I would be working on a daily basis and I'm not sure that there is a large enough profit margin that could be made for the work input. Unlike when I was younger, I am not looking for a way to earn extra money and stay at home with my children. Oh, we could use the extra money, don't get me wrong. However, we are making ends meet right now and I am enjoying the opportunity to just play and putter and create gifts for family. I love my time spent with my new sewing and embroidery machine. It keeps me learning and doing and trying things. So, am I being selfish to just say no to folks who would like to pay for my creations?

I hope it is cooler wherever you are than it is right here. We are off this weekend to a local fair to watch some of the grandchildren exhibit their cattle.

Creating a Set

I saw on social media where a woman my age had purchased a set of bags, totes, and pouches for traveling. She mentioned that she had never had a matching set before and it really made her happy. So, I decided that creating a set of bags, pouches, and a tote for family members is one of my challenges. I have one completed. 

Yesterday, I worked on the second set. I'd already completed the tote. So, I worked on crafting three smaller bags and a wristlet to go with it. I love that I can personalize them with my new sewing/embroidery machine. 

The first pouch I completed this morning was a coin purse. I didn't add a magnetic snap to this one because I wanted to try out a new technique. First, I made a long, narrow lined pouch with a zipper closure at the top. Then, I gave it a good pressing. I embroidered a granddaughter's initial onto the bottom and turned it up and stitched the sides. So, there is an outside pocket and a zip-closure at the top. I added a tab with a swivel clip on the side so that it could be clipped to a keychain if desired. It measures about 3 1/2" x 4" and is a perfect little size for coins, lip gloss, or gift cards.

The second one is an open-wide boxy triangular pouch. It measures about 10" x 5" and was fairly simple to construct. I followed this tutorial but changed the dimensions just a wee bit to suit the supplies I had on hand. I had already begun constructing and decided to add a name to the pouch. So, that slowed things down a little bit. I really like how it turned out even though it took me a little finagling and rewinding and replaying and scrolling through the tutorial to figure out the different steps.

I think it will hold lots of treasures for the teenager who will be the recipient but I like how it forms sort of a triangle when it is zipped up . 

Then, when it is completely unzipped, it will open wide and forms sort of a square trough. Pretty versatile! I used leftover bandana scraps I had after making her tote bag to construct all three of the pouches I worked on today. 

For the third one, I needed a zipper that would coordinate but didn't have the size I wanted. So, it is still in pieces but will go together quickly once I get the right size and color coordinating zipper. It is a variation of the color-blocked zip pouches I have made before. I will probably add a tab and a D ring to it as well. The finished dimensions are about 8" x 5" and I've found that is a pretty handy size.

I think these pouches will be good for most anything the girls might want to use them to catch and carry round. Plus, they will coordinate with their tote that I've made them and they will have a matching set!

Happy Birthday, Linley!

Make the most of this last single digit year!

Just 3 Things | #41

I'm trying to get back on track for a Friday post of J3T this week. When I started writing this sort of post, I was adapting an idea by Marian Parsons of Miss Mustard Seed fame. I knew that I had a hodge podge of ideas from time to time that I could just throw together as a post, none of which were really important enough to garner their own individual post but just ideas I wanted to capture. I liked Marian's categories and figured I could adapt to make them work for me if I kept it to a good old 1,2,3 format. Some weeks it is easy and some weeks I have to think about it. But, by and large, three things seems to work for me.

- What I've Been Working On-

This week I was a bit tired from galivanting round to watch the grandchildren exhibit their sheep and weathering through the unbelievably hot temperatures during the Tennessee State Fair. So, I didn't tackle a big project. I'd had a little bit of a hiccup last week when my sewing machine was bunching up the thread making a huge mess of a project that I was working on. So, I knew I was going to have to do some troubleshooting. I'd spent some time reading up to find out what might be causing the problem and I'd watched a few short tutorials and figured out that I might need to look for some sort of dust gathering in the machine and change out the needle again. I learned that some people change to a new needle with every single new project. I don't really believe that is necessary but maybe I could be wrong. I feel like I am alright to make three or four little zip pouches before changing out the needle. I did think it was time for a new needle and changed that out. 

Following the instructions from another source, I decided to really examine my machine and look for where dust might have gathered. I noticed a teeny tiny little bit of lint in my bobbin case.  I took a cotton swab with some machine oil on it and gathered up a teeny tiny little ball of lint that was about the size of a small piece of broken pencil lead. I had a hard time even finding that and had my reading glasses on as I was peering into the innards of my machine. That must have been the problem because I had no issues with the first item I stitched. I guess the mechanics that allows for clean, precise stitching also causes it to mis-stitch at times. I don't like having to troubleshoot but I do like the work the machine does. So, I'm trying not to get frustrated when each attempt I make doesn't turn out perfectly. In addition to completing and sending off some bag tags for one of the granddaughters, I worked on making some other gifts for holiday giving.

Embroidery for a Fall Wreath Sash

This week I have stitched up several gifts. I'm making wreath sashes for some of my relatives. I think the gals will appreciate them and it will be a different sort of gift than what they might get from anybody else. I tried out some new purchases - a new font, a new generic leaves and bow, a new turkey. I started with the closest match I could get to the colors described by the creator on the turkey. Then, I tweaked him a little bit. I didn't really like the green colors used in the fan and wings of the bird. So, I changed it up a little bit when I changed fabrics for the next gift. Then, I'll change it just a bit more for the next time. I don't think I will be making loads of things with this turkey, though because it takes quite a while to stitch out and uses lots of color changes. He does stitch out beautifully, though, in any color!

More Embroidery for a Fall Wreath Sash

One thing is for certain, I really like the new font I tried. It was part of a combination that I purchased from Blue Willow Embroidery. My next attempt at a wreath sash is definitely going to include the pumpkin that the font came alongside. I can see it looking pretty in several different colors as well. I look forward to having it on a wreath sash but I think it would be pretty on napkins, placemats, and more. 

In addition to the fall themed wreath sashes, I did a few with summer patriotic themes. I think a reversible wreath sash with a summer concept on one side and a fall or winter one would be a gift I'd really feel good about getting and that is the sort of gift I like to give.

- What I've Been Loving -

Thursday morning of this week we awoke to a thunderstorm. It was rattling the windows and we even had a lightning strike somewhere near enough to us to knock the power out briefly. In addition to the thunder rolling through and the downpour of rain, we also had some marble-sized hail bouncing around on the roof and the porch. It was quite the alarm clock. 

The best thing about the rain moving through - well, besides the fact that we got some moisture that was much-needed - is that the temperature cooled off. That meant it was not sweltering and for the second time this month the Mister has put chicken on the smoker to prepare us a delicious meal. 

Oh, we don't eat the entire chicken in a meal. We have leftovers and that is the best part. One day we have the chicken fresh off the grill and I add a few vegetables to the mix and it is a wonderful meat and three sort of meal. Then, the Mister will debone the chicken and we've enjoyed pulled chicken bar-b-que sandwiches. I've made a little batch of chicken salad. We've eaten some of the cut up chicken on a salad. It really is fabulous. I love that it is delicious, clean eating but I also love the fact that we have a good ingredient for another meal or two and that means less thinking and effort on my part. Win! Win! So, does that mean that this 'loving' section is sharing that I'm loving the Mister or that I'm loving the smoked chicken? Both! For sure!

- What I've Been Reading -

As I mentioned in my post about writing letters yesterday, I'm currently reading The Letter by Kathryn Hughes. I love the concept of this idea. A letter was written in one era but didn't get to the intended recipient. Instead it was opened and read by another person during a later era. I like that we get information about why and how and when the letter was originally written. I like that somebody else winds up reading the letter and it impacts their life. I guess I just like to think about how a letter really does make an impact even when it reaches the intended recipient. 

In the classroom, I often had students write letters as part of an assignment. Sometimes I would have them write to a character in a book or to the author. At other times I would have them write a letter to another student sharing information about a book they were reading. We would write letters at the beginning of the year where they were telling me things I needed to know about themselves so that I could be a better teacher for them. We would write letters to our future selves as a way to think about the future and make goals and plans for later in the year or for the next year. We would write letters later in the year to future students telling them what to expect in the class and I would share those letters at the beginning of the following year to new students. 

I guess I just like the idea of capturing ideas and thoughts and expressions and revisiting them and a letter is really a good way to do that. I'm enjoying this book and by reading it and some of the other things that relate to letter writing that I've stumbled across this week, I am inspired to write more letters!

___

Summer is hanging on around here and we are not rushing it away. We wouldn't mind if the temperatures stay out of the ninety degree realm though. I guess that when it gets that hot, I'll just have to stay inside and do a bit of letter writing. What about you?

Today I noticed...Letter writing really is a thing.

I just started a new book. The title is The Letter and it is written by Katheryn Hughes. The letter is written in one era and the reader is in another. The book is telling the story of how the letter came to be and the impact it had on the people involved. I'm just about a third of the way into it but I'm already engaged and looking forward to getting to know more about these characters. I'm sharing this because I kind of thought letter writing was pretty much a thing of the past.

When I was a young girl, letter writing really was a popular means of communication. We wrote letters to relatives who lived in another state, for example. I remember corresponding with my Great Aunt Mae, who lived in Mobile, Alabama. She would send us a package and we would write a thank you note. She would write us a letter and we would write her back. Now, I realize that was a way for my mother to keep us writing and practicing what we learned in school. It was a way for her to keep us occupied and not making messes or fussing with one another. It was a way of showing respect to her aunt, who lived alone and far away. Plus, it gave us something to look forward to - our own mail arriving in the mailbox. 

I continued my letter writing habits up until both of my children were involved in dance lessons, baseball practices, student council, and other school activities that required me to be a taxi. The busy days and quick communication by phone seemed to replace letter writing. 

Then, a few weeks ago I learned about Postcrossing. The school teacher in me comes to the surface and I think of loads of ways for students to write a short message and send a postcard. If I was in the classroom these days, I'd probably have students do that as a warm up activity or use the exercise as a quick way to fill that last few minutes of class if a lesson wrapped up early. (Does that even happen? I always ran out of time to do the things I'd planned in class!) It would be a low stakes way for students to practice their writing skills and they would have an authentic audience for their work.

Then, just this week I was reading through ideas shared through a list I'm on related to The New York Times. It is called The Good List. It is just a collection of good things that are happening in the world. Who doesn't need to know about some of the good things around us? There is a short list of "six good things to add some joy to your day." Anyway, I learned about an online game that is sort of fun and addictive to play each week - Clues by Sam. I completed all of the Clues by Sam games for this week and it really challenged my thinking skills! I highly recommend giving it a try. The puzzles get harder as the week goes by. I found I had to rely on the hints - a lot. 

There was an interesting link to an article and information about Baseball Walk-up Songs. We think about that sort of thing already since we have had several ball players in our family. (Don't mention walk-up songs to my son, Bryan, though. He dislikes anything that might be distracting to his players.) There was also an interesting link to an essay about a couple's third thing. It really set me to thinking about what the third thing is for the Mister and me. It also made me pause and wonder what might be the third thing for other couples we know. Plus, it made me want to ask my grandchildren what the third thing might be for them as they navigate dating. Curious minds want to know.

At any rate, I really enjoyed reading the offerings of this week's Good List and each item on the list certainly made me pause and ponder - as usual. Added as a sort of afterthought to the list this week was a mention of someone from New Orleans who found a new calling. Boy, did I find her new calling inspirational. It makes me want to write letters again. I went down the rabbit hole of this site: The World Needs More Love Letters. It might not be the type of love letter that you first think of, though. I tend to agree that it inspired me to write more letters. I will give a try to writing letters to those who I love as well as those who might need a little more love in their lives. First to come forward in my mind is my hairdresser who shared a bit of personal information that really tugged at my heartstrings and made me keep her in my thoughts for days after my hairdo appointment. I'd also like to make sure my grandchildren get a bit of mail from time to time and I will probably stray from the prescribed hand-written and snail mail letter and send some positive text messages and emails to them, too. 

I know I'm a writer at heart but I would be remiss if I didn't encourage others to be writers as well. A letter is an easy way to do that. Why not write a letter to somebody this week just so that they can feel a little extra love? Letter writing really is a thing and I think it is a good thing.

Gift Making - Bag Tag Style

Well, I've made a little something for all the girls in my daughter, Bridgette's family with the exception of Lydia. Bridgette got one of my first projects as I was testing out my machine. I made her a reversible wreath sash. One side was patriotic and one side was floral. I still like it and I hope she does as well. 

Then, I made a couple of pouches for Lillie for her birthday. One was a cute makeup pouch that is lined in a really cute clock fabric and the other was a simple stand up zip pouch with nail polish embroidered on one side and her name on the other. It is lined with a cute nail polish print fabric. 

I used scraps of fabric for the outside of both pouches. I just love how they turned out and I think they will be useful for our aesthetically minded Lillie.

Next came Luci's birthday gifts. I made her just a simple zip pouch using scrap fabrics. Embroidered on one side of the pouch is her name in her current favorite color - purple. On the other side is the name of her school mascot - Tigers. Since she recently earned a spot on the middle school volleyball team, I thought she might use the pouch for things to take to matches or practice. 

This is such a versatile little pouch that it could gather up all sorts of things and be dropped down into a tote of backpack. 

I'd also done some practice work making some cute bag tags. Bridgette got a couple of them.

I even threw in a multi-colored ribbon tassel for her as I was learning to make those at the time as well. Middle school Luci also needed a bag tag, I thought. So, I put a couple together for her as well. 

Again, her volleyball interest became an easy theme for those bag tags. I later added another bag tag for her that I mailed in her birthday card.

The birthday bag tag is one of my favorites that I've made so far. The designs and fabrics just seem to be a perfect fit. Those little tags are really cute. I can see why they are trendy but they also are quite a bit of trouble, especially since I seem to think they should have something on both sides whenever possible.

So, three of the girls in Bridgette's family have gotten treats from my new embroidery machine. However, Lydia was a bit left out. Her birthday is in the spring. So, she didn't get a birthday gift. I didn't use her as a practice project. So, she had no little cute treats from me. I decided I'd better remedy that shortfall this week.

I did a little head scratching to decide what I needed to stitch up for her. As a senior in high school who is taking college classes as well as high school courses, I knew she probably didn't wag a book bag or back pack full of books around. However, she does play in the band. So, she has a saxophone case. Plus, she just recently got her driver's license. So, she would need a keychain. I decided bag tags would be just the thing. 

I adapted one of the designs that I had purchased to use for decorating a zip pouch for her for Christmas and featured the sax on the center of a bag tag.

I tried out a new font I had gotten as a bonus with another purchase and put her first initial on the opposite side. 

On another bag tag, I tried out a music note design that I had purchased. One of the reviews says that the machine stops after stitching the heart and would allow for changing colors. I must not have been paying close enough attention to do that. But I do like it all in one color. It stitched up smoothly and beautifully. 

On the back side I used a scrap of fabric and added a bit of a LaVergne and Shirley touch with the swirly L. I'm sure Lydia won't know about LaVergne and Shirley but I have fond memories of all her monogrammed items.

As I was stitching up those two, I got a brainstorm to create one for her as a senior year sort of thing. I've been wanting to make a long narrow bag tag and this Bengal Tiger design was perfect for it. I got it free with another purchase. So, I decided to give it a whirl. As sometimes happens, the colors did not translate well for this design. The first one I stitched had the tiger body in a brown color. While I know that tigers do look sort of brown, I wanted that true orange look for this tag. So, I stitched it out a second time using a true orange. (That's one thing I wish these sellers would do - tell what thread brand they use. Giving the number of the thread is just not enough for me sometimes.)

Then, on the back side, I combined a couple of fonts to commemorate her graduating class year. One came with my machine and the other is one I purchased. I kind of like the long, narrow bag tag. I strung them on a carabiner and added some ribbon to a key ring to finish them all off.

Now Miss Lydia will be all gaudy with her keys or her instrument case or something and all four girls in the family will have a stitched up something from me!