Over the Kitchen Counter: Angie's Place for Cooking and Crafts

Oven Fries

I made these oven fries using a Weight Watchers recipe and they turned out great. The recipe is more inspirational than technical because it's a pretty standard way to make healthy French fries at home. I weighed up a pound of potatoes using the new, funky kitchen scale my daughter gave me for Christmas. It is perfect for larger items because of the big bowl and weight capacity.

After slicing the taters into fry-sized sticks, I sprayed them with some olive oil and baked at 425 for about 40 minutes. Then I tossed them with herbs and spices (rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, s&p) and a bit of real olive oil. After another 5 minutes they are surprisingly crispy looking, golden, and delicious. We loved them and I can't wait to make them again. Of course, for the 4 'points' you have to stop at about 10 fries but it really is enough when you're eating a real potato. We thought they were fabulous and far superior to frozen oven fries. Yum!

Machine Bobbin Cheat Sheet

I was getting really tired of having to pull out the manual for each of my sewing machines every time I was using one and had to change the bobbin. With so many different models in my stable, I couldn't remember how to load each version's bobbin case properly. It's really important to get the bobbin in the case going the right direction and having the thread feed off in the correct way to achieve a stitch. Also, the bobbin cases go into the machines differently and I never want to take a chance putting it in backwards and jamming the machine.

Even though I have the manuals arranged on a shelf close by, I finally got wise and created a machine bobbin cheat sheet. I copied the appropriate instructions from each machine's manual at 50% size and then pasted them all on one paper. I laminated the sheet and now keep it right at my sewing table for quick reference. I've already used it twice and love it! No more searching for the manual (I have so many that I've copied and bound with the same black spiral so they all look the same) and trying to find the right page; all the info is right at my fingertips. 

First Featherweight & April 1930's Scrapbook Page

I have been wanting to do this page layout for a long time but I've been sewing up a storm and scrapbooking has been put on the back burner for a while. While I was getting things organized for a night of cropping with my friends tomorrow, I couldn't resist doing just one page in advance and I love how it turned out.

My vintage machine collecting spurt only lasted a month or two but I acquired quite a few models in that amount of time. I haven't even had a chance to really photograph all of them (or at least have the pics printed) so I know I can do better than these couple I'm starting with. This is my first Featherweight, Annie, and she will always be special because of that. I will write the story of how she came to be mine and also how I found April 1930's. I decorated the journal box and page with rick rack that April ties around every item in an order and also included their business card (front and back) because it's so charming.

I added a rubber stamp image of the Singer 221 to a punched out tag and a couple old stickers I had in my stash. The title sticker says it all: that little things make life beautiful and that includes my tiny portable sewing machine and its black suitcase and accessories. It also refers to the wonderful extras that April and Carmon Henry do for their customers, from hosting a wonderful group of aficionados to embellishing their orders with pretty ribbon.

I'm so looking forward to my scrapbooking evening and chatting with friends. I always catch the creative bug again after a night working on my albums and I hope to be much more caught up with my photos after the weekend.

Featherweight Sterling Silver Earrings & Pendants

Are these not the cutest little vintage Featherweights you've ever seen??? They are the delightful Sterling silver creations offered by my favourite April 1930's Featherweight Specialty Shoppe. The darling miniature machine is available as a pendant or a pair of dangling earrings and the detail is exquisite. (They are hard to see in a selfie so go to the website to see them close up!) They are even more amazing in person and are exact replicas of the 221 Singer sewing machine - right down to the wee stitch length lever, hand wheel, tension knob, and even the scroll faceplate!!!

As a Featherweight collector it is just fun and special to be able to wear tiny versions of a truly remarkable machine and show my passion for sewing and Singers. April's also offers a pendant, post earrings, or danglers that look like the wonderful 221 bobbins. They are so charming as well and are being snapped up. 

I'm so excited to have a beautiful pair of these small sculptures commissioned by April and Carmon, owners of the Featherweight Shoppe. They found a very talented silversmith and he created the lovely pieces just for us. I know that everyone who loves Featherweight machines and shares that obsession with our group appreciates having this specialty jewelry available. April 1930's has always provided us with exactly what we need to maintain our treasured vintage machines and now they have something special we can wear with joy to showcase our hobby. Thank you so much, April and Carmon!!!

If you'd like to own your own silver Featherweight jewelry, head over to April's soon. Some items are already out of stock so definitely let them know if you want to order and I know they will do their best to get it to you. They are seriously the most gracious and accommodating company I've ever dealt with and I am so thankful to have their store to order from!

Bendy Bag

This is the last bag from the Zip It Up: Easy Techniques for Zippered Bags Craftsy class. This one was slightly more challenging but I got it done and it turned out perfectly! The shape is supposed to be a little odd (thus the name 'Bendy') but the bag actually can hold quite a bit of stuff, like a rotary cutter and binding or sewing supplies, makeup or anything else you want. I am going to use it for stashing all my Apple charging stuff and headphones. They always get thrown in my duffel and I worry about them getting crushed or lost. This Bendy bag will offer a bit of cushion and keep them tidy in one place; much easier to find too.

I really love the fabric I picked and the vibrant zipper. I've had the print in my stash for a while, it was one of the clearance end-of-roll yardage purchases I made intending one day to make something for my m-i-l (who loves butterflies). The Bendy bag doesn't require much fabric so I still have a lot left to make that gift project some day! One of the best parts of these quick-to-make items is choosing the fabric and embellishments (in this case, the zipper colour and thread). One cool feature is the scrap zipper end is used as the handle tab on the bag.

Sadly, that is the last bag pattern from the Zip It Up class. I have to say this has been one of my favourite Craftsy classes and Joan explains everything so well. I don't think I could install a zipper on my own in some random bag but to make her versions, it was a very easy process. I hope she does another class soon - maybe with a larger tote or another one of the great bags she has on her website. If you'd like to make any one of the 3 bags I shared, definitely take Joan's class!

Moonshine Runaround Bag

Here is the next delightful bag I made for the Craftsy Zip It Up: Easy Techniques for Zippered Bags class. This is actually the first project shared by Joan Hawley in the lessons and it was even simpler to put together than the Nickita. There was no quilting involved and even though there is a zipper, lining, and back pocket is was easy to do using Joan's instructions.

I chose these great fabrics designed by Tula Pink I had bought a long time ago. They are my two favourites and once again, I'm glad the bag turned out so well because I will totally use it. It looks awesome as a cross-body and holds the essentials for a quick trip out. I made the strap about 46" long (with an extra inch or so for seam allowance when attaching it to the body of the purse) and it is perfect for my height. I really love it!

This class is just so fun and a great way to use up your favourite extra fat quarters. I even pulled out my Janome 3160 to make this bag as it can be sewn together with a regular presser foot. It was great to be able to give my first 'fancy' machine some exercise. I think for the next bag, The Bendy Bag, I'm going to try the vintage Bernina.

Check out this class if you want to learn how to install zippers in such an easy way, perfectly every time. The free patterns are user friendly and the bags make super gifts and useful items. I can't wait to make a few more and maybe decorate or customize them further. I am thinking about using my embroidery machine for a monogram and maybe adding some decorative stitching here and there. Fun, fun!

Nickita Bag & NEW CLASSES ON SALE AT CRAFTSY!

I'm so happy with how my cute Nickita Bag turned out! This is one of the great projects from the Zip It Up: Easy Techniques for Zippered Bags Craftsy class. It's a winner and like I wrote last week, Joan Hawley makes working with zippers so easy. I whipped up the bag on Sunday afternoon, following the video each step of the way. Even though I'm a novice at this type of project, it all made sense and turned out pretty much like Joan said it would. I really love the structure of the bag and using the fusible fleece made all the difference.

I chose two fat quarters from the Miss Kate collection. I picked my favourite one of all for the outside fabric (and a solid blue for the lining) so I'm really glad the bag turned out well so it didn't get wasted. I quilted intersecting lines using my walking foot and the most amazing lime Aurifil thread to co-ordinate with the print. I think it looks awesome and it was fun to work with a more exciting colour than I usually would.

I would have liked to use a surprising zipper colour as well but the only one I had in my stash that worked was the white. It looks fresh and goes great with the Miss Kate anyway. This project was a lot of fun to make and I can't wait to put together another. In the class Projects Page someone made a few bags with Downton Abbey fabric and they look great. I happen to have a bunch of that left over from my Downton Abbey Double Wedding Ring quilt so I think I'll use that line of fabric next.

By the way, there are only a few hours left in the Craftsy New Classes for 50% off SALE! Use THIS LINK to go directly there and save on any new class, including the Zip It Up: Easy Techniques for Zippered Bags one. It's a great deal!

 

Broiling Flank Steak

As part of our January healthy eating plan we are trying to eat very lean cuts of meat. Flank steak is one of those options but I haven't often prepared it; all I knew was to not over cook it and to slice it on the diagonal. I even had to go to two stores to find it since the butcher at the first said he didn't carry it any more because he couldn't sell it. Interestingly, the person at the meat counter at the second store said that although she couldn't tell me how to cook it, people had been buying it a lot lately.

I quickly found a recipe in my favourite Anne Lindsay cook book and she said to grill or broil the steak for about 5 minutes per side. Unfortunately, after marinating the meat in a teriyaki mix all day, our bar-b-que refused to light. I decided to give broiling a try. A broil pan is usually included with every range and even though there has been one sitting in the oven of each house we've lived in, they never looked like they have ever been used, mine included.

I fished out the manual for my Whirlpool and found a good explanatory section on broiling. It's always a good idea to check the instructions because there was detailed information about the rack position (use #4, second from the top), preparing the pan itself (don't add foil to top part but feel free to line the drip pan), setting for the burner (high or low, in my case, and when to use which), and even whether the door should be left ajar (as my old range used to require) or closed (as this model suggests).

I followed everything accordingly and in about 12 minutes my broiled, marinated flank steak was done. I sliced it against the grain on the diagonal in very thin portions and it looked perfectly cooked. I did put the slices back in the oven for a minute while I served the vegetables and even for that amount of time with the oven off it cooked just a wee bit more. The flavour was very great and the meat wasn't tough at all. I think the key tips are not over cooking and the thin, even slicing. I only prepared half the steak (the butcher wouldn't cut it in two for me so I had to buy the whole thing) and put the other half in a zip lock with a dash of marinade and into the freezer for another meal.

Broiling was a quick and easy way to cook the meat and I might just experiment more with this method. I'll have to do a bit of research and see what I come up with. I'll share any good results.

Christmas Fabrics & Holiday Projects

Now that the holidays are over it's time to start thinking about...the holidays! I already shared the pretty Aurifil thread set I bought in mid-December HERE, and that I'd ordered its companion book, A Merry Christmas with Kim Schaefer. It arrived and while there are a couple craft projects I probably will never make (an ornament tree or banners, for example), there are many that I do want to try, like the adorable fabric gift tags, a pretty table runner and place mat, and maybe if I'm feeling ambitious one year, a quilted tree skirt.

I am definitely going to make the Squares Pillow because funny enough, it calls for pinking the edges of fused applique squares. As you may have read, I got the vintage Singer pinking attachment for Christmas and even though I did test it out, haven't had a reason to use it on an actual project. I'm excited to give it a try and see how the squares turn out.

I did order some Christmas fabric after the holiday. The first is a layer cake by Moda that I got from Craftsy (along with some more scrumptious cuts I'll share later). Under the Mistletoe is by 3 Sisters and the pre-cut pack contains 42 10" squares of really lovely prints. While there is a poinsettia design the rest are actually quite non-holiday specific and anything made from them wouldn't be glaringly obvious as a December only decor item.

Connecting Threads is where I purchased a fat quarter bundle called Christmas Sparkle. I haven't ordered from them since I fell in love with Moda fabric but because I wanted to buy both the book and another Foot Pedal Get a Grip pad (the most amazing non-skid pedal mat that I love, love, love. I've had my first one for a year and now that I have more sewing machine 'stations' I wanted another so I didn't have to move it so often. It's the only one I've found that truly works to keep those machine pedals in place), I added in the fabric to my order. This bundle is very Christmas-y and has a lot of sparkle. I had to search my own blog to find my How to Fold Fat Quarters post because I couldn't remember how to do it and Connecting Threads always ships them flat. I agree with myself in that it is much easier to see what prints are included and it's a great way to display the fat quarters in a container. I really enjoy ironing them flat and then folding them into tidy rectangles. The designs are quite pretty and since the projects I make from the book are only going to be used occasionally, the quality of this fabric is adequate. I can just play and have fun making the gift tags and runners and not worry about using up expensive 'quilt shop' pre-cuts.

 Here are some closer pics of the prints. I'm going to be spending the next few months putting some Christmas crafts together and I'll be way ahead of schedule for December 2016!

 

Frivols Pillow & Zip It Up Class

I shared my Moda Frivols tin in THIS POST and here is the finished project. I wasn't happy with how the Album blocks were finishing up for the whole Kindred quilt so I turned the 4 I had finished into a pillow instead. I adore the hello darling fabric from Bonnie & Camille so I certainly wasn't about to waste the completed blocks. Now I have a sweet pillow for my bed and a bunch of extra fabric to use in a quilt somewhere.

Once the album blocks were joined and sashed I layered them with some batting and scrap backing. I quilted the pillow sandwich using my Sweet 16 and Aurifil thread. I just did a simple loop-de-loop all-over pattern; the curves of the free-motion quilting balance all those straight lines in the piecing design. It was absolutely blissful getting back on my Sweet; free motion quilting while some music is playing is probably the most relaxing thing I can do for myself. I love it!

The Aurifil thread looks amazing for the quilting and my machines just love it. While I was quilting away I had to stop and place an order for a few more spools to add to my display. I bought some purples and pinks, which were glaringly missing, an orange, and another black so I never run out! Mari Lyn at ByTowne Threads always answers so quickly and indulges me by sending out my order right away. I may not need those colours imminently but I'm happy knowing I will have them there should they be required and in the meantime, they'll look so beautiful added to my stand. I love that Aurifil works on all my babies - from the vintage old gals to my uber modern Sweet 16!

After the pillow was quilted I added the back panels (which I already had ready to go, thank goodness), and stitched around the perimeter. For good measure, I also serged the edges for a nice, clean finish. I added the 20" pillow form and voila! The pillow is done and on my bed. I wish I had remembered to round out the corners to avoid that pointy-corner look but it's ok, I'll do it next time.

That's one more UFO off my counter. I only have the quilt to sandwich and spray baste when the weather is warmer and the garage is cleaner. I have to set my tables out there with the doors open to spray the 505. I'll work on some more piecing until then and I want to start some cute bags using zippers from the incredible Craftsy class Zip It Up: Easy Techniques for Zippered Bags. Joan Hawley is an awesome instructor and she has great techniques for working with scary zippers. I already bought a bunch of 12" zippers in every colour (because I wasn't yet sure what fabric I'd be using) and some fusible fleece to stabilize the bags and give them some structure (which was lacking a bit in my Serger Exposed Zipper Bag). I can't wait to make Joan's version!

Here are some close-ups of the pretty fabric and my free-motion stitches...