Reusable sandwich bags...

So, the kiddo had a friend over a couple of weeks ago and the friend brought lunch.  All of the goodies in the lunch were wrapped in reusable sandwich and snack bags.  I thought, "What a great idea! I bet I can make those!"  We go through way too many plastic sandwich bags around here and these seemed like a perfect solution.

I started out using other people's directions from various websites and blogs but realized that I wanted something a little different than what was out there.  Here is what I came up with...

To make this, you need decorative fabric (I used quilt cotton), waterproof lining fabric (I used ProCare fabric which you can get here), and some sew on Velcro.

Cut one piece of the decorative fabric that is 18" x 7".

Cut one piece of the lining fabric that is 14" x 7".

You will also need a 5" piece of Velcro.

Once you have all of the pieces cut, put the decorative fabric and the lining together with right sides facing and sew one of the 7" edges with a 1/4" seam allowance.  You will have a very long piece with decorative fabric on one end and lining on the other end when you open it up.

Now you do the same thing with the other 7" edge to make a tube.  Just line up the edges and don't worry about the fact that the pieces don't really line up.  The excess decorative fabric becomes the flap of the sandwich bag.

When you are done, it should look like this:

Now, squash everything out flat.  You can't iron it because of the waterproof fabric that will melt.  Get it nice and flat and sew along the long edges just like you did with the short edges.  On one side, leave an opening about 2" long so you can turn it right side out to finish it.



Clip the corners close to the seams and then turn the entire thing right side out.  You will end up with a bag with no side seams.







Now it is time to put on the Velcro.  Lay out the hook side of the Velcro on the flap part of the bag and pin it in place.  Sew around it to attach.

Do the same thing with the fuzzy side on the other end of the bag.  I fold the bag into shape to figure out where the Velcro should go.  Sew the Velcro down (make sure that you open the piece back up so you aren't sewing your bag shut though!)





Now you are ready to do the side seams.  Carefully make sure that the area that you left open so you could flip the bag right side out is lined up and that the seam allowances are tucked in. Then, fold the bag so that the top edge sits just below the beginning of the flap. I pin the part that has the opening along the seam allowance just to be sure.  Then starting at one of the bottom corners, sew very close to the edges (about 1/8") to form the sides of the bag.  About 1/2" from the top edge, I switched to a very tight zigzag stitch to form a bar tack at the corner of the bag.  Then continue around the edge of the flap and down the other side, creating a matching bar tack.






Now your bag is ready to use!

It is easy to clean, just rinse it out and let it air dry.  If it gets really dirty, you can through the whole thing in the washing machine!

Spring is here!

This weekend was so nice.  It really is spring.  The trees are all blooming in the neighborhood.  There are a ton of Bradford Pear trees in our neighborhood and they all look like they are covered with snow!  The cherry trees are starting to bloom as well.  You can just begin to see the pink haze of blooms on the trees.  They are supposed to be in full glory in a week or two.  

I just sent off my first pattern that is going to get published.  It is going to be in Cast On Magazine's winter issue this year.  It is a really lovely Christmas stocking that is done in simple fair isle.  For more than that you will have to buy the magazine!

Exhaustion.

Today is a full moon and it was in full effect at school today.  The kids were crazy!  Even the ones that are usually calm.  One of the kids in question in a kindergartner with Down's Syndrome.  She is usually pretty good, but today she was in a serious funk.  About the only thing that she would say all day was "NO!"  The kids were all clingy today as well.  I got more hugs today than I normally do in a week!  Oh well...  

I managed to get the baby sweater that I made for the kiddo's teacher to her today.  She is due near the end of next month, but she looks like she is about to pop.  I hope the sweater fits at some point.  It looks a little big for new born, but the baby is due in the spring.  Maybe it will fit this fall.  

Time to get the kiddo off to bed and then my hot water bottle and I are going to spend some quality time with the TV.

Winter in March

Well, it finally happened.  We got real snow here in Virginia.  The kind you can sled in.  The kind that makes decent snowballs and is beautiful in the trees.  It started Sunday night and there was no school on Monday or Tuesday.  We spent most of the day on Monday shoveling, sledding, and playing.  A great time was had by all.  

On the knitting side of things, the recent cold snap made Ben ask for slipper socks.  Those are on the needles right now.  I am making them out of Cleckheaton Country 8-ply in tan and some hand dyed stuff that I got at Springwater Fiber Workshop the first or second time they went out of business.  They are nice and thick.  Should keep the toes nice and toasty!  

This weekend we decided that since it was snowing out, why not make some bread to go with our dinner.  The kiddo and I made some lovely herb focaccia bread shaped like a leaf.  As soon as it came out of the oven, he was ready to eat it!  It was pretty tasty!

Knitting at Cub Scout meetings...

It has been an exciting week here at home.  We had 2, count em, 2 cub scout meetings this week.  We also had a long anticipated play date with the kiddo's good friend Dora for a Wii tennis tournament.  We also had a violin lesson with grandpa in tow.  I am really glad that we have no real commitments this weekend.  We even get to have dinner, all together, at one time, eating the same food!  I could get used to that!  

In knitting news, I just sent off my first pattern submission to knitty.com.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will be accepted.  It is a lovely fair isle stocking.  We will have to see if the folks at knitty.com like it as much as I do!  Now it is back to the design drawing board to do something for the next issue of Cast On magazine.  

I made mittens a couple of weeks ago.  They are stunningly lovely mittens.  I got them finished a couple of days before my oldest friend in the world's birthday.  They whispered in my ear that they really belonged to her.  They are made out of Lumpy Bumpy yarn in greens, yellows and browns.  They look like a Monet painting from up way too close.  Of course, I listened to that little whisper and mailed them off to my lovely friend, Jen.  She is an intrepid mitten wearer in a world that seems to love gloves.  Now I am making a matching pair for myself since I bought way too much Lumpy Bumpy a few years back!

Long time gone...

I actually can't remember the last time that I posted here.  I am such a bad blogger! 

Oh well.  Life seems to intervene in strange and time consuming ways.  The helmet liner project is still rolling along.  On President's Day, I hosted 4 lovely ladies who usually knit with us at the museum.  We spent a couple of hours opening packages and checking and tagging helmet liners. We also spent a good amount of time noshing on yummy food.  Kay brought the best Caramel Popcorn I have ever eaten!  We managed to get 457 liners tagged and bagged!!!  

After the tagging and bagging, we all sat down at the dining room table and I taught a workshop on Entrelac knitting.  There had been many requests for a class on this since it has gotten to be so popular lately.  It seems like every knitting magazine has featured an entrelac pattern in the past couple of months!  We had a ball and I think everyone learned something new.

I started knitting a giant aran sweater for myself right after Christmas.  This is a sweater that has been waiting a long time to get made.  The yarn for it was a gift from my dear friend Cindy when we left Oregon.  It is her homespun from her own sheep in a lovely natural brown color. The pattern, as I wimped out on designing something of my own, is Alice Starmore's Na Craga from Aran Knitting.  So far, the front is done and the back is started.  I might get it done in time for spring.  Maybe!  

I have also been working on finally writing the pattern for Henry's stocking.  It is almost ready to submit, but I haven't gotten done proofing it or taking pictures.  The final sample is still on the needles, in need of  a toe.  As soon as it is finished and blocked, it will have a photo shoot and then off it goes!  

Otherwise, life around here goes on.  The kiddo is doing great in school and continues to play the violin (almost 4 years now!)  He even practices almost every day without too many complaints.  I am so amazed by his focus and the effort that he will put into violin.  I know that it is hard work and I am constantly surprised by his willingness to keep on working.  He is a good soul!

This weekend we are off to the Army-Navy Basketball game at the Naval Academy with the in-laws.  It should be a treat.  I haven't been to a basketball game in probably 25 years!  I think the last one I went to was one I played in in high school!  Go Navy!

The blast of summer

Well, it has been a long time since I posted. It has been a blur this summer. The kiddo finished first grade with flying colors, we spent 2 weeks in the pacific northwest, did football camp and CSI camp, spent a week at the beach in Rhode Island, and now we are getting ready for school to start back up!


The trip to the northwest was wonderful. We got to reconnect with some old friends and make some new ones at Oregon Suzuki Institute. The kiddo had a great time playing and learning with a ton of other Suzuki violin kids. When Institute was over, we went to Mt. Rainier for a couple of days and got to do some hiking and exploring. It was really fun.

We just got back from a week at my aunt and uncle's beach house in Little Compton, Rhode Island. We had a fantastic time. The entire Kelsey family was there... My sister, Aunt Caroline, Uncle Peter, his wife and 2 teenagers, and the 3 of us. We ate good food, swam in the ocean, played bocce on the lawn and collected a lot of rocks on the beach. A good time was had by all.













This week was a momentous week for me. I won first prize at the county fair for my kauni sweater and second prize for a shawl that I made for Ben's mom for Christmas. The prizes were $6 and $4 respectively! Oh, what will I do with my $10?