Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

~Apple Cinnamon Pancakes~

Easy recipe a friend of mine inspired. Using a box (or 2 depending on how many you are making) of "Jiffy" muffin mix you can make delicious, simple pancakes. 

 Start by combining the ingredients as listed on the box. Muffin mix, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of milk.

 Then add 1/8 cup of water and whisk all ingredient together.

 Spray frying pan with cooking spray (or put a little butter in the bottom of the pan) 

and turn heat to Medium.

 Let the batter cook until it forms little bubbles that pop, then flip and cook about a minute more.

Top with your favorit pancake toppings 

(I bet some sliced apples with warm syrup would be delicious) and serve.

Yields 2 pancakes or 4 teacakes per box of muffin mix.

Summer Dress

Today I decided to get a little creative and make a dress for summer. I used the cut off part of a pair of jeans I had made into shorts and an old shirt that I didn't like how it fit. I began with the jeans. These were stretchy wide legged pants. So it worked really well for the bottom part of the dress.  

I cut each leg up one of the seams and laid it out flat.

 Next I cut the extra off the the side that I cut open. 

This made sewing the two sides together much easier. 

          I took both legs (now open and flat) and sewed them on the two sides, right sides together.

Next I took my shirt (it was an awesome shirt in the store, but I hated how it fit) and measured across the bottom. I chose to use this section of the shirt for my dress, but depending on what shirt you choose to use will depend on what section you use.  

I then basted around the top of the jean portion of the dress. Gathering just enough fabric so that the bottom part of the dress measured up with the top portion. 

With the front side of the skirt and shirt together I sewed them together. 

Because my shirt had a bottom hem I wanted to show I folded that part over before sewing. 

To sew the above seam I used a zig zag stitch, since both materials I was using were stretchy. 

Flip it right side out and it looks like this:

I cut the side of this shirt down to about 3.5" from the seam. This is my arm hole.

Then I hemmed the back and edges of the shirt. I left the top section of the shirt how it was (after I cut off the sleeves and lace of the original shirt) and tied the knots while the dress was on me to measure the size of the "sleeves".

The dress was a little loose, so I made 2 pleats in the back.

 The pleats were about 4" appart and 1.5" deep. 

                                                                         All done!

T-Shirt Tote

A friend of mine asked me to make her favorite T-shirt into a tote bag. I began working on it, but my thread kept breaking. (frustration mixed with a sudden move caused a 3 month pause on the project)

Today I re-attempted the feat. I was slightly more successfully. 

First I turned the t-shirt inside out. I cut the shirt across the top under the collar and then sewed it closed. Next I cut off the sleeves and turned it right side out. Folding the shirt in half (right side in) I sewed the two sides (making a rectangle with the top open). I made a pocket in the back and added camo handles I had picked up on sale at a craft store.

I also experimented with an old Coke T-shirt, making a chill sling bag.

I discovered during these projects that jersey knit is best sewed with a zig zag stitch. This stitch stretches with the fabric. Straight stitches are NOT good to use with jersey knit. Also, using a smaller zig zag stitch will work better as a larger stitch will stretch too much.

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Branching Out

Slowly but surely things are moving forward (or at least treading water). 

I now have my bags (Abintra Designs) displayed at 2 local stores. Yah!!! 

So now they are available online:   www.facebook.com/AbintraDesigns
                                                        www.wix.com/sls_abintra/AbintraDesigns

and in stores: The Cornerstone Coffee Shop, Van Horn, TX
                      Paradise Beauty Salon & Spa   Van Horn, TX

Broken Needles

Yesterday I was in the spirit of sewing. I had received all of my sewing equipment form Maine and some new material. I was rearing to go. I starting making an amazing vintage look purse from some material a friend had once purchase for curtains, but it never became drapery. Knowing I shouldn't push the machine, I tried anyway. I had a section of the bag that was too think and the needle shattered. I immediately freaked out, spill a glass of water everywhere. I quickly put everything away and "gave up". Later that day I finally realized a broken needle isn't the end of the world, and by trial and error I will find out what the machine can handle and what it shouldn't sew.

Today I pulled out some supplies and created this little beauty:



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Kindle Case

I had a custom order for a purse with a detachable Kindle Case. Its sounds like a handful at first, but after a few hours of working on it I have it about half done. The case I have completed and it was fairly simple.

I measured the Kindle (this one was a 3rd generation with keyboard) and added about and inch to the length and height for the fabric. I cut two of these rectangles out of the liner fabric and the outer fabric. Facing wrong sides together of each, I sewed three sides, leave one longer side open. I turned the outer piece right side out and slipped the inner piece inside of it. Cutting two pieces of sheet foam (found in the kid's craft section) that would fit in between the liner and outer fabric, I slipped them between the two "pouches". This provides cushion for the Kindle. Once the foam was in place I pinned the zipped on the open edge and sewed it in place.

For this one I added snaps on the back before sewing the zipper in place. You can also add variation like a handle, buttons, or wrist strap.  

Vintage Buttons

A friend of mine had someone give him a bunch of old, "ugly" jewelry from an auction. He didn't know what to do with it so he asked me if I could use it for my bags. Could I use it...

YES! 

My mind started swimming with ideas. 

Gaudy earrings could be turned into buttons. Over sized pins could be handbag decor. Broken chain bracelets could become purse handles. Strange could become beautiful. 

  

The first item I created with my vintage stuff was this cute "vintage look wallet". I used a fat quarter of some material that reminded me of shirts my Great Grandma used to own. 

Making a simple fold wallet with credit card and phone pockets, I added one of the old red buttons to the front and a broken bracelet as the handle. 

Simple. Cute. Useful. 

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