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Friday, November 30, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 45
Cajun Corner – Vol.
4, No. 45 – November 25, 2012
Bon
Jour! Welcome to Cajun
Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
ΘΘΘΘΘ
Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often. We are also on Twitter and Facebook.
Visit
our on-line catalogs at:
Ah, Thanksgiving week. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.
We planned on spending Thanksgiving Day with
friends. George is funny about Thanksgiving
and Christmas. No matter where we go or
what we do, he has to have that turkey smell in the house. Wednesday was our Thanksgiving with each
other. I baked the turkey, sweet potato
soufflé, bread and cornbread dressing.
Yes, I used real recipes and it all turned out wonderfully
delicious. We cleaned off our kitchen
table, which is usually used as our desk/office and piled with stuff. Rather than a buffet at the stove, the food
was all set out on the table. It was a
delightful time. Wednesday evening we
watched Polar Express.
On Thursday morning I prepared the green bean
casserole and we went to our friends’ home for the day. There was lots of wine and food. We actually intended to leave around 4:00 but
I think it was more like 6:00 before we left.
That’s a real testament to how much we enjoyed the day with our friends.
We had arranged that some of our neighbors would
drop by Thanksgiving evening just to get together. They arrived around 8:30. It was a bit cool outside, so, we all
gathered around the table and enjoyed our time together. Finally, we did end up sitting on the deck
after Evie got a bit irritated with Sam under the table.
By Friday morning I decided that I was never
eating another bite of food. Famous last
words, huh? Today is Sunday and we still
have leftovers.
Friday evening we were invited next door to an
evening in front of the fire pit with our neighbors. Oh my gosh, that was fun. George was pooped and left earlier than I
did. I guess we stayed out there until
about 10:00. The beauty of getting
together with the neighbors is that you don’t have to drive home. In fact, my neighbors walked me home. We must do that more often.
My favorite radio station has been playing
Christmas music for a couple of weeks now.
What’s with that? I love the idea
that they play Christmas music from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas, but to start
a week earlier is too much; it is still the Thanksgiving season. Nevertheless, the Christmas music is playing
everyday over here.
The Etsy store has been busy lately. There are a lot of items listed. The other day I noticed that several Etsy
stores are selling embroidery designs.
There is nothing wrong with that.
I just had not noticed it before.
Ever since I first purchased Doris ,
I’ve looked at all of the beautiful embroidery designs on the internet. Doris came
with a disk of Singer designs. There
were lots of free designs online, as well, especially at the various embroidery
machine websites, like Singer, Baruden and Husqvarna. As I learned to use the embroidery machine, I
found more and more embroidery design websites.
Some designs I purchased, some were free, and some came with the various
machines and programs that I’ve purchased.
Eventually, I began learning to digitize some designs with my
programs. It wasn’t until this year that
I began digitizing more intricate designs.
I still think that I’m a novice at the digitizing thing, but I have come
a long way.
All of that said I started wondering if my
designs were good enough to sell online.
I did have the Classy Cajun monogram set that was recently digitized,
and several other designs that I’ve done.
There is now an Embroidery Design section in our Cajun Stitchery Etsy
store. There aren’t a lot of designs in
there right now but there are a few.
We’ll see if anyone wants to purchase them. The beauty is that after the design is
created, it is offered for sale and is emailed to whoever wishes to purchase
them. Unlike other tangible items in the
store, the designs can be sold over and over; therefore, the price is pretty
low, usually $5 or less. A lot of the
wording was taken from perusing other shops and their terms, conditions,
warnings, etc. Time will tell if this is
an avenue worth pursuing for Cajun Stitchery.
Why don’t you go check it out?
Right now we are busy embroidering names and
designs on bags and satin jackets, as well as some heirloom embroidery.
Ever since the purchase of our professional
grommet machine, I’ve wanted a similar machine for snaps. This week the machine was purchased and
should arrive next week. These machines
are so much better than hammering those little metal pieces.
We did have some sad news recently. A friend’s mother passed away on Friday. It wasn’t a surprise. Her mother had been ailing for sometime. The funeral is scheduled for Monday in Mobile
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would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me
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* * *
Tip of
the Day:
Keep matches in a mason jar - with a strikeable sandpaper
lid!
* * *
Found this at: http://www.marthastewart.com/276321/gift-wrapping-tips-and-techniques
Start Wrapping Earlier
Say goodbye to Christmas chaos this year. Follow these simple gift-wrapping
strategies to give family and friends one-of-a-kind packages this holiday.
Avoid a gift-wrapping time crunch and start wrapping gifts as you buy them.
Add ribbons, bows, and tags later. Label presents with sticky notes so that you
don't forget who gets what.
Ideas for Paying it Forward
(This is also a pretty good blog article)
- put a quarter in a meter, any meter, that’s about to expire
- leave a copy of a really great book you’ve read in a cafe for someone else to enjoy
- be nice to the customer service people who are trying to help you with your technological difficulties
- tip your restaurant server generously
- thank the cooks, waitstaff and bussers personally
- say something nice or funny or goofy to the toll booth attendant (like, “Don’t drive too fast, now” or “Glad to have encountered you today”, or something less hokey)
- forgive a driver directing road rage at you
- buy or pack a meal for a homeless person (or give him/her your to-go box from a restaurant)
- give a warm coat to a homeless person
- offer to do pro bono work on a project where your skills are needed
- mentor someone
- make a donation
- say a prayer or whisper a kind wish for someone
- compliment a stranger
- send a box of donuts or bagels or muffins to a construction site
- next time you leave a foreign country, give all or some of what’s left of your currency to someone who resides in that country
- next time you’re at the airport, offer to pull the bags belonging to a woman or a mother with child out of the conveyor belt
- praise generously
- give local tips (re: restaurants, sights, etc.) to a tourist
- show respect equally to all human beings
- put a tip in a street musician’s jar
- let someone cut in front of you at the grocery store
- tell a funny joke to a stranger
- give someone a chance to prove him or herself
- encourage someone to pursue their dream
- allow someone to let his or her light shine
- show support to an artist or writer or musician
- hold the door open for someone
- tip a cab driver generously
- teach a child something you wish you knew at that age
- smile at someone who’s sad
- smile at strangers
- offer sincere, kind words to someone who’s hurting
- visit a hospice and spend some time with a terminally ill patient
- volunteer at a battered women’s shelter
- spend some time with a senior citizen living alone
- give up your seat on a crowded bus or train or ferry
- inspire someone to be the best that they can be
- give someone the benefit of the doubt
- offer to babysit for a single mother
- offer the FedEx, UPS or DHL delivery person something to drink especially on a warm day
- help a pregnant lady
- sit and talk with a homeless person and learn their story
- loan something to someone and forget about it
- loan money on Kiva
- contribute to a friend’s child’s education fund
- give blood
- show respect to a soldier regardless of your pacifism
- donate to or volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation
- replace an angry or bitter thought toward someone with a loving thought (or at least try)
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at
all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 44
Cajun Corner – Vol.
4, No. 44 – November 18, 2012
Bon
Jour! Welcome to Cajun
Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
ΘΘΘΘΘ
Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often. We are also on Twitter and Facebook.
Visit
our on-line catalogs at:
This week we had the pleasure of entertaining our
friend and embroidery technician from Central Florida . She planned this trip to Pensacola
There were a few new embroidery techniques that
she taught me. One was using scrap
thread in the embroidery. It is pretty
cool. The center fill of the design
needs to be changed to about a 20 point density. An outline of the design is
run; then stop the machine and place enough scrap thread to cover the inside of
the design. Then you cover the thread
with Solvy or Aqua Magic (any water soluble topping will do). Next you let the fill stitch run. Stop the machine and trim the threads outside
of the outline. Then let the machine
finish the embroidery. Once the
stitching is completed, wash away the topping.
The light fill holds in the threads.
The threads are very colorful and make a unique and pretty appearance.
The other technique was a spin on the fringe
technique. We did not try this but she
did digitize a sample for me which I will try out later. Using a satin stitch, you create a small,
simple design, let’s say an oval.
Digitize the oval very small. Then
digitize another oval over the first one but slightly larger than the
first. You can do this as many times as
you like. The important thing is that it
is a satin stitch and there are no center stitches. Use a different color for each round of
stitches. When you have finished
stitching, take your scissors and cut straight down the middle. The satin stitches fluff up in all of the
colors that you used.
As we discussed puff embroidery, I asked how to
use a hair dryer to shrink the puff that sticks out. She explained that it is not a hair dryer but
a heat gun. It looks like a hair dryer
but gets much hotter. George bought us a
heat gun and is going to try it out today on some practice puff embroidery.
She solved many of my embroidery issues and
answered my questions. When we get
together, we usually create designs and techniques of our own. It was a wonderful visit.
On Thursday, she decided to check out Clothilde
and make sure she was running up to par.
Poor Clothilde blew her Z Motor.
We had a new Z Motor overnighted and installed on Friday. That was unexpected but it could not have
happened at a better time – when my technician just happened to be here. We are up and running and purring like a
kitten now. Clothilde is a pretty
fabulous and amazing machine.
Our embroidery technician departed Saturday
morning. We fully intended to attend the
Wooly Booger Bawl at 3 p.m. However, we
were exhausted. Three o’clock came and
went and we just could not seem to get up and going. Nevertheless, a hearty congratulation to our
new Queen Sugah, Jayne Drees, who was apparently very surprised at her
selection as Queen Sugah.
This morning George decided to make pancakes for
breakfast. I usually don’t eat breakfast
at all but George makes some good pancakes.
He served me first and then, to my surprise, served the dogs
pancakes. He served himself last. My mother would be appalled. I was pretty amazed, myself. Those dogs are so spoiled.
The lap scarves were finished, embroidered and
mailed to the customer this week. I
haven’t heard from her since. I asked
that she let me know when they arrive.
Considering they were mailed, she may not have received them yet. I think they turned out lovely.
This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. At 5 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, 2008, my Mama
passed away, peacefully, in our living room.
Thanksgiving hasn’t been the same since.
I am thankful for so much. In
fact, it is because of Mama that Cajun Stitchery even exists.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
If you are not a subscriber and
would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me
know to put you on our email list.
No
time to read Cajun Corner? Visit our
blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the
Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
* * *
Check
out this website for 100 Christmas gifts to make.
* * *
Found this at: http://frugalliving.about.com/od/clothingcare/ht/Laundry_Deterge.htm
Learn how to make your own laundry
detergent, and enjoy clean clothes for less.
Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 10-15 minutes
Here's How:
1.
Mix together two parts Borax, two
parts Washing Soda and one part grated Fels-Naptha soap to create your own
laundry detergent (You can make as much or as little as you'd like).
2.
Use up to three level tablespoons
per wash load.
3.
Store the rest in a lidded
container, out of the reach of children and pets.
- Recipe Courtesy of James77777
Tips:
1.
Be sure to label your detergent
container, so others will know what's inside. Include a list of the ingredients
as an added safety measure.
2.
Borax sells under the name 20 Mule
Team, and can be found on the laundry aisle. You should be able to find Washing
Soda and Fels-Naptha soap there too.
3.
Having trouble locating Fels-Naptha
soap on the laundry aisle? Check to see if it's in with the bar soap.
4.
If the grocery store or discount
store that you shop at doesn't stock these ingredients, try an international
grocery store.
5.
Zote, Ivory or castile soap can be
used in place of Fels-Naptha.
What You Need
·
Borax
·
Washing Soda
·
Fels Naptha Soap
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at
all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 43
Cajun Corner – Vol.
4, No. 43 – November 11, 2012
Bon
Jour! Welcome to Cajun
Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
ΘΘΘΘΘ
Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often. We are also on Twitter and Facebook.
Visit
our on-line catalogs at:
George and I were sitting in the living room late
Saturday afternoon, watching a little television, when the door bell rang. There were two little girls who looked to be
between the ages of 8 and 11 asking if we had any left over candy. They said they were “re-trick or
treating. They were turned away – George
ate all of the candy. And what’s this
re-trick or treating?
Saturday afternoon I traveled to Navarre
This week I noticed my niece selling her soaps on
Facebook. She wasn’t just advertising
but selling, as well. She has a Facebook
store. Once I looked into it, there is a
new feature on Facebook where you can connect to your Etsy store and sell those
items directly on Facebook. You know I
did this. So, now if you want to
purchase items, you have a choice of purchasing at Facebook or Etsy.
As I continue to practice my digitizing skills,
this week I digitized a complete, A to Z, monogram alphabet. It is pretty boxy, but it is my first attempt
at digitizing monogram sets.
Nevertheless, it looks pretty cool.
George named it “Classy Cajun”.
Last Wednesday the girls gave me a birthday party. The bling that came out of those packages was
simply blinding but delightful. I felt
like a princess with all of the shiny presents.
It was a wonderful evening.
Friday we were scheduled to attend a neighbor’s
retirement ceremony. He retired from the
Air Force. I’ve never been to a military
retirement ceremony and really looked forward to this event. George and I got ourselves all pretty. Another friend was picking us up. We got to the entrance of NAS and the
military lady that checked us in said, “Go straight down this road until you
reach the T. It is next to the Officers
Club, I think.” The “I think,” concerned
us. We went down the road until we came
to a dead end with an intersecting road.
We didn’t see any signs for “Officer’s Club”, so we turned right. We traveled for awhile and didn’t see any
gathering of cars or people. We turned
around and drove that way until we reached an “Authorized Personnel Only” sign.
We passed a whole group of guys jogging
in orange shirts. We stopped a red truck
containing another military fellow, but he didn’t know where the pavilion was
located. Then we went the other way,
again. By this time, the ceremony should
have been nearly over. We never found the ceremony, so, we left. After talking with our neighbor later, we
apparently were right there and didn’t see it.
In fact, the young fellows jogging were right in front of the pavilion.
A lady contacted me via our blog page to inquire
about the lap scarves that I made awhile back.
She wants me to make two of them.
This is the third time I’ve been contacted about making lap scarves. I ought to make some and put them back on
Etsy.
It is now evident that Mardi Gras is not too far
away. The first krewe order of the
season arrived last week for a Bananimals logo on a white tux jacket. Clothilde did a beautiful job on the
jacket.
This week our Amaya technician and friend plans
to visit. We are going to take her out
to eat. Every times she visits, we just
stay at the house drinking wine and playing with the embroidery machine. Although there is nothing wrong with that
agenda, this time we want to take her someplace. I think we’ll dine on the beach if the
weather permits. Then she and I can play
with the embroidery machine. In the
meantime, I do need to clean up that messy room, the studio, because that is
where she sleeps when she visits.
Thanksgiving is coming. Can you believe it is just a week and a half
away?
Have a wonderful week.
If you are not a subscriber and
would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me
know to put you on our email list.
No
time to read Cajun Corner? Visit our
blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the
Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
* * *
HOMEMADE FURNITURE DUSTING SPRAY
2 teaspoons
olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1-3/4 cups water
Spray bottle (16 oz size or larger)
1/2 teaspoon lemon essential oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
1-3/4 cups water
Spray bottle (16 oz size or larger)
Mix the
ingredients in the order listed into your clean spray bottle. Shake well to
mix. Spray onto wooden furniture and wipe off with a soft cloth to dust and
clean the surface.
You may be
wondering if the oil and water actually mix. The olive oil does want to rise to
the top. I found it helpful to shake the spray bottle often while I was
cleaning which was no big deal. A light olive oil might be even better in this
recipe.
Be sure to
label any homemade cleaners that you make because otherwise they just look like
some kind of watery mixture. Don’t rely on your memory. You need to make it
clear to yourself and others what’s in the bottle. You can make your label with
your computer printer, or with a label making machine, or just use a Sharpie
marker. It’s also helpful to list the recipe right on the label and then you’ve
made it super easy the next time you need to mix up a batch. I would also
recommend you buy a new spray bottle rather than recycling one from a purchased
cleaner so that you don’t have to worry about any residual chemicals getting
into the mix.
* * *
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at
all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 42
Cajun Corner – Vol.
4, No. 42 – November 4, 2012
Bon
Jour! Welcome to Cajun
Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
ΘΘΘΘΘ
Don’t forget to visit us at www.cajunstitchery.com, www.flickr.com/photos/cajunstitchery, and, www.cajunstitchery.etsy.com often. We are also on Twitter and Facebook.
Visit
our on-line catalogs at:
Usually George dresses in costume to hand out
candy to trick or treater’s. This year
he really didn’t feel like doing that until a neighbor asked if he was going to
use the same costume as last year. He
got out his old black poncho and hat from last year and found a really scary
foam mask at Wal-Mart. He even scared
me. Then he sat outside by the bushes
with his cauldron of candy.
It was still light outside and there were a
couple of women strolling a baby around the park. I had my witch’s hat on and was setting
George up. Apparently the ladies didn’t
see George moving around and thought that he was something that I constructed
and put in the yard. About their third
time around, the ladies and baby strolled over to tell me that they had been
watching me set up for Halloween. They
thought the monster/creature was really cool and we all laughed – until George
moved and scared the bejeebers out of the ladies and child. We had fun that night. There were more than the usual number of
children but not a lot. Our neighbors
were handing out candy and it was nice mingling with them. All in all, we were inside by 8 p.m.
Our usual tradition is afterwards we stoke up a
fire in the chiminea and enjoy a glass of wine.
This year was no different.
The following day, of course, was my
birthday. By the end of the day, I had
over 400 birthday wishes on Facebook. I
love my Facebook friends. One friend
later told me that she was late getting on FB to send me a Happy Birthday
wish. When she did, she got a message
that my Facebook page was full and she couldn’t place the message. I didn’t know they did that.
The day was pretty quiet and peaceful. I had some embroidery work to do. George gave me a great present. I walked into my studio to find a new,
adjustable, swivel, and rolling chair, with a back on it, placed at my
embroidery machine. Very nice.
I told George that I would like a steak
dinner. He cooked a wonderful meal and
afterwards we relaxed, with wine, in front of the chiminea. Obviously, the chiminea is one of my favorite
places.
This may not seem like a very exciting birthday,
but George understands that I don’t celebrate a birthDAY. Oh no, my celebration entails a
birthMONTH. We have to pace ourselves.
Saturday we attended the memorial services for
our friend who passed away recently. It
really was a lovely service. Tears were
flowing. A good friend will be
missed. The memorial was at the Elks
Lodge on the beach. After the service
everyone went to the food and bar. We
visited with many friends. Many thanks
go out to our wonderful SOB ladies who planned, prepared, hosted, and cleaned
for this memorial to a wonderful man.
Hurricane Sandy killed
11 people in Cuba and
proceeded along its path north until it collided into 2 additional storms and
hit New York Sandy closed
down New York City
A friend of mine posted a question on Facebook
today: “How long would you survive where you live
if utilities and transportation STOPPED? No water, sewer, electricity or food
coming to the stores?” Interesting
questions. I don’t think we would have
too hard a time. In Florida
This week I have spent hours surfing the web and
scouring Pinterest for handmade Christmas gift ideas. Good gosh, the internet has tutorials on
everything. If you don’t like to read a
tutorial, there are plenty of tutorial videos available. There is no need to ever throw away fabric or
paper. The internet is littered with
uses for these. Aluminum cans have a
million recycled purposes, as well.
There are all kinds of craft projects using plastic of every kind. If that’s not good enough, there are crafts
projects for organizing all of these craft supplies. It is just so amazing what the internet has
done for everyone.
With that said, it is time to be thinking of
Christmas presents. What to make? What to purchase?
·
Cookies, cakes, fudge, bread, etc., are always
wonderful gifts. Print out the recipe on
pretty cardstock and tie with a nice bow.
·
Do a theme present such as kitchenware. Buy or make a potholder mitt and fill it with
wooden spoons, whisk, spatula, etc. Tie
a pretty bow around the middle.
·
A set of napkins with pretty napkin rings. These are easily made and there are many
tutorials online with a wealth of design ideas.
·
I recently saw a cute idea. Place settings for the table included a
burlap pocket with a flower on top. The
silverware was inserted into the burlap pocket and all was placed on top of the
napkin.
·
Burlap, muslin and linen with their earth tones
are very popular right now.
·
Cool looking spice dispensers.
·
Garden apron with packets of seeds in the
pockets.
·
A basket for the garden with a handle, insert
seeds or plants, gloves, potting soil, fertilizer, seedling pots, small hoes or
rakes and garden utensils. Even an outdoor
thermometer or rain gauge.
·
Soaps, bath salts, scrub cloth, towel, lotions,
etc.
Yesterday a lady contacted me for heirloom
looking handkerchiefs for her Nana’s birthday.
Of course, they were made and initialed in the corner using a small
diamond shaped monogram. They looked
very nice and the customer was please with the results and that we could get
this done so fast.
Have a wonderful week.
If you are not a subscriber and
would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me
know to put you on our email list.
No
time to read Cajun Corner? Visit our
blog at www.cajunstitchery.blogspot.com and click the
Odiogo button to hear the computer read the blog.
* * *
Taken from Pinterest: Homemade toothpaste! Here's a cheap and
much better alternative to commercial toothpaste. Supplies: -5 Tbs baking soda
-4 Tbs coconut oil -About 10 drops of essential oil. (I used peppermint)
-Container (Make sure it has a lid. Baking soda will absorb smells if left to
open air.) -*You can also add a bit of stevia or other natural sweetener if
you're used to a sweeter toothpaste.
* * *
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at
all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
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