Marvelous Mondays

In my search for order and design for my blog, I have decided to call Monday Marvelous. The plan is to post something marvelous going on. This is the time when I can just talk about the blessings that God has given to me.

You know that God Has Smiled on Me and I have a great church family and biological family and husband and children. And I know you are already tired of hearing about my grandson, but you will probably hear a lot on Mondays because he is truly MARVELOUS!

When I reviewed the year, I posted some of the things I had made for AEB (that's what I will call him on Marvelous Mondays). That has truly been fun. He loved his Christmas presents.

He loved the red chair but was a little frustrated with the wrapping paper.

He dragged the step stool all over my house. He helped wash dishes. He helped cook. He even helped (?) me make him a new nap mat.

He also really liked the box that I used to pack the stool.

He was not real sure about my mother, but he LOVED her wheelchair.

Grandchildren really are God's reward for not killing their parents when they were teenagers.

 

 

Featured

I am so excited! AEB's Christmas chair was featured on Better After. I love that site. I really like the stools that she featured before me.

Fabric Friday Nap Mat Tutorial

My new blog really needs followers. Please join!

 Last fall I had a post about the Nap Mat Success I had with my grandson. On my first Fabric Friday, I decided to give a tutorial. The first mat was from an online tutorial, but, as is my habit, I had to improve on the pattern. These mats are completely washable and dryer safe.

I really like to make the nap mats out of flannel, especially the blanket. On Black Friday my sister and I braved JoAnn's Fabrics to get flannel for $1.29 a yard. It is normally $4.99 a yard. We got our number when we got to the store at 8:00 am and then began to shop. We finally got to START cutting 3 hours later. It was a madhouse. My sister decided to buy me fabric for Christmas. We bought 100 yards of flannel!

For each mat you need:

• 1 and 1/2 yards of one fabric. I like the print for this. 
• 2 yards of a coordinating fabric. 
• a piece of 1" washable foam at least 19"x38". I usually buy the king size piece from Hobby Lobby with the 40% off coupon. Cut this in fourths and you will have the exact size you need. 
• 2 buttons
• 20" of 1" elastic 
• polyester fiberfill.

To begin cut 4" off of one end of the print fabric and then cut 2 -4"x8" pieces from this.

Fold the pieces in half and sew up the sides making 2 -4" squares. Turn, top stitch and put a buttonhole in the sewn end of each square.

Take the larger piece of the patterned fabric and cut it in half length wise. You will have 2 pieces about 22"x50". Measure 4" in from each edge of the short side and pin then sew on the button hole tabs.

Now take the coordinating fabric and cut 2 -36" squares. With the left over fabric, cut a piece 4"x 36" and make a casing for the elastic. I put the seam down the middle and place it on the right side of the pattern material. Measure up 10" from the corner nearest the tabs and sew the elastic handle.

Sew 3 sides of the 36" square together, turn and top stitch to make the blanket.

Pin the open side of the blanket 4" up from the tab corner all the way up the long side of the same piece that has the elastic strap.

Put the other printed piece on top, right sides together, and sew leaving the short side without the tabs open. Turn right side out but do not top stitch.

Put the piece of 1" foam into the pocket, making sure it is all the way down into the corners by the tabs. Sew across the mat close to the top of the foam to hold it in place. This will be about 10" from the open end. Make another stabilizing stitch across the mat under the strap or about 10" up from the tabs. Make one more stitch across in the middle or about 15" in from the other lines. These stitch lines will keep the foam from twisting in the washing machine. My son found this out the hard way. That's what happens when you get the prototype. They have since gotten a new and improved model.

Top stitch the open end together, leaving a small opening in the middle to stuff the pillow. After the pillow is full of fiber fill, sew it together. Fold the blanket  on the mat and start rolling from the pillow end.

Measure where the buttons should be placed and sew them on. Now you mat is finished.

Your toddler will love it, just like AEB.

We are going to see him tomorrow, Friday. I will have pictures of his new nap mat.

We were featured!

 

Check it out!!!

Wood Wednesday High Chair

I have been so busy trying to move my blog, I have not been creating. There is one project that I completed before Christmas, but did not post.
When we lived in Bridge City, I had a space at Vintage Things. It was like a baby Antiques and Crafts Mall of Pasadena. There was an antique high chair in someone else's space that I really wanted. At the time I had no grandchildren and therefore no use for the chair. In 2008 Hurricane Ike flooded the entire town. When I went to clean up my space, I found that highchair in the trash. Can you believe it? Someone threw it away. Well, of course, I rescued it.

 Isn't my studio/garage great?

It stayed in storage until beautiful AEB, my grandson, was born. I took it out and cleaned it up but he was too young to sit in it.
Before they came to visit for Christmas, I decided to give it an update. I really cleaned it and sanded it and painted it red. I really like red furniture. As I was painting the chair, I had a flashback. When I was a child, my grandmother had a very similar chair that was also red.
After the bright red, I toned it down with a wash of black and several coats of sealer.

AEB and his momma both loved it. She likes anything painted red.

God Has Smiled on Me!

 This is a repost from wordpress.com. It is still very applicable for this new year.

This week, I have been thinking a lot about God's love, grace, generosity and especially His patience. Anyone who knows Brad and I, knows that our life is crazy. On the Family Feud scale, we would definitely be a "10" on the excitement scale. We bring most of it on ourselves because of poor choices. We like to blame it on ADHD, procrastination, illness or just bad luck, but poor choices sum it up.
Through all of this God continues to shower us with blessings. I cannot and will not list all of these blessings, because they are many. I do want to tell you that we have discovered the most loving and caring church family here in Friendswood.
Now I am a charter member of this church. My parents were instrumental in starting the church in Friendswood when I was 13 years old. I believe that the vibe or attitude of this family is largely because of my parents' love for Christ. The "descendents" of those founding fathers have continued to focus on the love of Christ. When we moved back after hurricane Ike, they welcomed us and put us right to work. We enjoy singing on the Praise team. "Mr. Brad" loves greeting and teaching the children. I work with the women's ministry. We help with Meals on Wheels.
This church family encourages us. They have invited us to join in many fellowship activities. When we are down, they build us up. When we struggle, they comfort. They laugh at Brad's stories and show interest in my creative endeavors. They even bring me their trash. But it is their true, real and Christ-like love that makes me sing:

God has smiled on me

He has set me free.

God has smiled on me.

He's been good to me.

Joining the Blogger Parade

I have made a resolution to improve my blogs in 2011. In order to do this, I have to come up with a plan. That is the way I work. I have REALLY BAD ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Right now I left the TV to look up something on the internet. I can't even remember what is was. I have a mess in the dining room, collecting things to sell at the Antiques and Crafts Mall in Pasadena. The Christmas containers are out and I am putting things away. There are 3 projects going in the garage. Well, you get the picture.

So back to the plan. In order to make this blog work, I must organize it. The first step will be to move everything to blogspot.com. I have discovered that most of the people I follow use blogspot. I think that once I finally figure it out, I will like it better. To see my old posts, go to http://mmbcreations.wordpress.com/.

Wish me luck. I hope that I don't end up behind the horses in this parade.