A Sweet Project...U and I Sugar Sack Pillows!

 

U and I Sugar...Home Grown Sweetness!

Utah and Idaho...the sugar I grew up with!

C & H Sugar...just a sweet little imposter!

 

This lovely saltine tin was our sugar canister...often found on our breakfast table.

Too lazy to use a spoon...the sugar was poured directly from the tin.

Every bowl of cereal had a half inch of sugar on the bottom...lol!

 

Lehi Sugar Mill....

Postcard from my collection...Lehi Sugar Mill.

 

As a child we often drove by the old sugar factory in Lehi.  It was located near the dreaded "Mill Pond"...a body of water rumored to have no bottom, that would suck down any child who swam there.  My mother's cautionary tales were often exaggerated all out of proportion, but I wasn't going to test her theory.  She once told me that it swallowed a train...the "Orem" I believe. 

See all the spooky smoke over the creepy Mill Pond...all for the love of sugar!

The factory was built in 1891 during the height of  Utah sugar production.  American Fork was also competing for the factory.  In the American Fork library there is a copy of a pamphlet put out by American Fork to show all the wonderful amenities our city had to offer prospective industries.  What they should have offered was a building site and land for a beet farm.  Lehi did just that...40 acres for the factory and 1,500 acres of land.  They also built a road to the location, bought stock in the company and gave perpetual water rights.  Also a plus...two railroads passed nearby...The Rio Grande and the Western Pacific. 

American Fork offered photos of lovely homes and a picture of the Postmaster...who was famous for his mustache and cape.  Who would pass over sedately boring American Fork in favor of  boisterous "shoot 'em up" cowboy town Lehi?   Lehi celebrated their victory with bonfires of looted property and free barrels of beer.  Well done, Lehi...well done! 

 

Sweet Pinterest-Inspired Pillows...

 

Cute pillow I found on Pinterest.

 Sold by Maggie Jane's Vintage Etsy Shop

 

 

I found two bags on ebay...5 lbs and 10 lbs.

Sadly neither one was made in Lehi...and one is from South Dakota!

But they had the brightest printing.

Fun use for milk caps...almost like a prize ribbon!

I love the instructions printed on the backs of the bags.

 

 

Vintage Sheet Jammie Pants...

I am pretty late to the home-sewn pajama pants party...but not too late!  I have been collecting vintage sheets and pillow cases when I find them in the thrifts.  I can't believe how cheap they are sometimes.  I thought it would be fun to make PJ pants from one of the sheets.  I love the cool feel of sheets in summer.

 

Pretty violets...full sheet was $4 at Savers and was enough fabric for two pairs.

I trimmed the pants with vintage rick-rack and found a comfy tee-shirt to match.

They are soooo cool and comfortable, I think I will make a few more.

 

Have a sweet week!

 

 

A Sweet Nest Swap!

For Love of Nests...
Before the leaves unfurled on their branches, one could count the nests left empty when summer called it a day.  I never realized just how many little birds had made their homes in my yard.  There is something so hopeful about a nest...new beginnings and promises in little speckled eggs.  Easter came and went too quickly this spring...almost before we could count our colored eggs...leaving April out of the festivities.  Easter should always be in April...in my humble opinion.  There is more blue in an April sky...more hope for flowering things. 

So April became a month of nests.  We fuss about like mother birds...fluffling, arranging, and organizing our nests.  And we place nests in cozy corners....filled with eggs...or baby dolls...or fairies.  Then we exchange nests with others!  Vivian of viv out on a whim organized a large number of women suffering from Spring Fever...and we had it bad...into partners for a Nest Swap.  Each would make her partner the most "stinkin' cute" nest and send it winging on its way...but only when it was "too cute to give away."  That was the rule.  I am learning to make two of everything because I have a hard time parting with some of my creations.  I am sure I'm not the only one.  I have seen some beautiful examples of "thinking outside the box."  This community not only sparks creativity...it sets it ablaze.  Isn't it wonderful!

My Nest from Holly...

The Garland says "Happy" which is how this darling nest makes me feel!

The tiny pennants are only 1/2 inch in size.

Little Figaro patiently waits for the eggs to hatch...lol!

Cute Holly from Damita's Pretty Wrap was my partner in this sweet swap.

Peat Pot sweetly wrapped in burlap.

And she had another surprise in store for me...

 Beautiful silver nest with pearl eggs.
I have seen these on Pinterest and wished for one.
Holly made it herself...I could hardly believe it!
Thank you, Holly.  I love it so much!

My Supply Swap Pillow...

I told you I would be making something from this vintage card.

Dorothy of HensRule was my partner...who simply spoiled me.

Postcard printed on fabric.

Sewn to white burlap...I left the polkadot fabric's edges raw.

Colors are brighter than the picture shows.

Jo-Ann has some fabric that is supposed to take the ink better,

but I am pleased with how it turned out.

 

And I like how it looks on my comfy office chair.

Thanks, Dorothy!

 

Have a lovely evening!

 

 

Lehi Roller Mills...Flour Sack Pillows!

 
 Lehi Roller Mills...
 Lehi Roller Mills is one of my favorite historical structures.  It was built in 1905 by a co-op of Lehi, Utah farmers who wanted a closer place than neighboring American Fork to mill their wheat.  George Robinson bought the mill in 1910 and his family has run it ever since.  You may not be familiar with this mill...but it is an American cultural icon...a movie star of sorts.  Do you remember the original "Footloose" starring Kevin Bacon?

One Degree of Kevin Bacon...

This is how the mill looked in 1984 when the movie was filmed.

That grassy corner is now a McDonalds.

 

Kevin Bacon's character worked at the mill.

The joyful, climactic dance scene was set at the mill,

but mostly filmed at Osmond Studios...and later, re-takes in Los Angeles.

It has been a local tourist attraction since the movie come out.

 

The Mill as a Dowdle Folk Art Puzzle.

 

Lehi Roller Mills Flour Sack Pillows...

 

18" sq. pillows made from flour sacks.

 

The mill has an attached store where they sell baking mixes. The muffin and pancake mixes come in calico bags, popular neighbor gifts at Christmas.  I bought the flour sacks there a few years ago to make curtains like they had in their windows.  I meant them for my workshop attached to the garage, but they didn't work out like I planned.  So now these pillows are going out on the porch this summer.

 

Wow! Two posts in two days...I'm on fire!

 

 

 

 

Midsummer Moonlight!


A Midsummer Night's Dream...
Yesterday was Summer Solstice...the first day of summer.  It seemed like a good time to redecorate my front door...I was getting a little tired of the Spring Birds theme I had going.  But what was I going to replace it with?  One summer I hung vintage kitchen utensils and crocheted potholders around the door...but that was soooo 2008!  I started thinking about my favorite thing about a summer's night...moonlight! 

The Full (moon) Treatment...



Using a variety of moon images...some I found at Graphics Fairy ...I made some friendly wooden moon plaques. I added one to the wreath, with glittery silver letters...and of course...there must be a snowy owl.  I've added white flowers to glow in the moonlight.  Usually I am decorating with sunflowers by midsummer...so this is a fun change.

Garland Detail...

The moon-like globes  are actually small earth globes I found in the fun Michaels bins.  They had classic blue earths and pale versions.  It would be cool if they were really the moon...but hey...beggars can't be choosers.  Close enough!

To hang them, I painted some old spools and beads and glued them to the tops of the globes.  I wasn't sure how everything would work out...but I was pleased with the result.  Later this summer I may switch to Olde Crows and Sunflowers. 

A Few Miscellaneous Projects...

Pillow covers made from barkcloth remnants.  The bird fabric has been in my stash for years.

Kenzie's Pillow...shhh! It's a surprise.

My granddaughters change their room decor about as often as I change my front door. =D This month the theme is "Under the Sea."  Kenzie's comforter will have swimming Clown Fish along with a variety of colorful fishes...so I thought she might like a Nemo pillow.  Of course this means I have to make 7 more pillows...one must be fair to the other Grands.

The darling tiny doll I got from Laurie of Magpie Ethel.

Only a few inches tall, I was amazed at the detail of Laurie's work.

You should visit her Etsy shop for even more red, white and blue fun.

Have a productive day, dear friends. 

I'm trying to keep busy so I don't snack so much!



Miscellany...Summer Projects!

Summer Crafting Fun!

First off...isn't this the cutest tin ever?

As the weather gets warmer...I've been feeling even craftier than usual.  I have a few fun miscellaneous projects that I keep forgetting to post...so I thought I would do a quickie post and let you see a few things I've made lately.

Pretty Pillows...

A Pillow for Amber.

Old vintage cottage embroidered doily...too small for a runner.

Closer look at stitching...I found this at a thrift shop years ago.  I've always loved cottages.

The crochet edging was so pretty, I just stitched it onto the chintz floral fabric.

I made a simple overlapping opening to insert a pillow form.

An Alice Pillow for Sascha.

Sascha collects Alice in Wonderland dolls and memorabilia

A closer look at "Alice."

I used eyelet for the ruffle like on Alice's pinafores.

The backing is pink with white rabbits...same envelope closure as Amber's

Patriotic Candy Boxes....

Paper Mache and Modge Podged Images.

My sister asked me if I would make something for a fund raiser auction to help an Associate at the Walmart where she works.  I love making candy boxes and filling them with treats...so I made large one for the auction and a smaller one for myself...why not?

A closer look at the lid graphics.  I found a lot of fun patriotic images online.

The Graphics Fairy is a fun place to get free vintage images.

All wrapped up and ready to go.  I hope someone likes it enough to bid on it.

Have a lovely evening, dear friends,

Halloween Table Runner...and a Giveaway!

Rag Quilt Runner Tutorial

Finished Size 14" x 55"

Yesterday I showed you the rag quilt I made from bandannas.  Today I will give you the instructions on how to make a Halloween table runner like the one in the picture.  If you stay 'til the end of class, I will tell you how you can win the finished runner or a kit to make your own!

Seven coordinating fat quarters or 1/4 " yard cuts.

Warm and Natural quilt batting.  I always buy remnants for projects.

It comes in different widths, but I would buy 2/3 yrd of 44-45" width.

Cut four 8"x 9" blocks from each fabric for a total of 14 double-sided blocks.

Cut fourteen 7"x 8"  blocks of batting.

Sandwich the batting between the fabric blocks.

Pin across the corners, rather than diagonally.

Quilt each block by sewing an "X" diagonally from corner to corner.

Lay out your 14 finished blocks in two rows and arrange them in a way that pleases you.

The blocks will be sewn so the seam is on the top of the quilt.  The back will be smooth.

1/2" Seam Allowance

This is how the front of the runner looks when it is all pieced together.

In this photo I am sewing all around the outside edge of the runner 1/2" from the edge.

With a pair of sharp scissors clip all the seams about 1/2" apart, taking care not to cut the stitches.

The clipping may (will) make your hand tired, so take your time!

When the runner is washed and dried, the seams will fray and fluff.

I gave the runner a good shake, then put it in the washer for a rinse and spin.

Then it was put in the dryer for a tumble with a bath towel.

The Finished Runner!

Now for the goodies.  I have two prizes for the giveaway.  The first lucky winner will receive the Halloween Runner.  The second...even luckier...winner will receive the blocks and batting and instructions to make your own!  In each prize the fabrics are identical.  I love Halloween fabric...especially the vintage styles.

How to Enter

• Drawing is open to Zetta's Aprons followers.  If you are not yet a follower, click on the link on the right of the page (or at the very top) and follow the easy instructions.
• Leave a comment in "Comments" saying you follow Zetta's Aprons.
• Winners will be randomly picked from those leaving comments.
• Two winners will be chosen.  1st for the runner, 2nd for the kit.
• Drawing ends midnight, Sunday September 25.
• Winners will be posted sometime Monday morning.
•  Be sure to check back to see if you've won.

Good luck, friends!  I am having so much fun this Fall!  I hope you all will make the most of living today.

Bedspring Jack-o'-Lantern