A Comment on Comments...

I Got The Guilts...

I know it should be I "Have" the Guilts, but it sounds better with the 2 "Gs"...Got and Guilt! I digress...

Sew Many Ways is just my little blog where I love to share all my thoughts and ideas about crafting, sewing, recycling, organizing and turning uncommon items into something cute for your home.

I want to say a GREAT BIG thank you to each and every person who has stopped by, even for just a moment, to read something I've posted. Some leave comments, some just stop by and some even email me personally. I read every single comment and email that you send and love them all.

Here's where the guilt comes in :(

I try so hard to respond to all the comments and email. I get up early and send a few before I go to work, then I do a few more when I come home, but then life gets in the way and I never seem to finish that day's comments. Then I do another post the next day and more comments and emails come in.

PLEASE keep leaving comments, I absolutely LOVE reading them. However, please forgive me if I don't get to it right away or lose track all together.

I'm still trying to go back and find some emails that have specific questions. I've also noticed that a lot of comments are set to No Reply or if you are Anonymous (which is fine), but both of those have no email address attached to the comment, so I can't reply back. If you have a question, just leave your email address in the comment.

I hope you all know I love blogging and sharing everything with all of you, but still love me if I don't reply right away...or in a little bit...or at all, Lol!!!  Ahhh, the guilt...lol

Ok, please leave a comment on this comment post, so I know you're still with me...this was a boring post! lol
~Karen~

Friends on Fridays...

I haven't done a "Friends on Fridays" post in a long time. Friends on Fridays is where I share a fabulous idea from a blogging friend!

Linda, from the blog Razzle Dazzle Quilter in New Zealand, sent me a reverse Tool Time Tuesday. Some of you know my Tool Time Tuesday posts takes something ordinary and use it for something you wouldn't even think of. Some posts I've done, turn crazy things into something "for" your sewing room.

Well, Linda has taken something "from" the sewing room and used it in the kitchen.

This idea is BRILLIANT!!!

Linda has used "T" pins from her sewing room and used them...

to hold bacon on the Fillet Mignon! Ok, there are 2 "oh my goshes" with this...

1. the pins to hold the bacon on and
2. how delicious does that Fillet Mignon look!! (wish I lived in New Zealand!)

Thanks so much Linda for sharing this great idea with me. I just love blogging and all the wonderful people I've met all over the world!! Click here to visit the "T" pin post and click here to visit the rest of Linda's wonderful blog...lots of beautiful quilts, recipes and more!

Take care,
~Karen~

Thoughts on Thursday...

I had a nasty cold a couple of weeks ago...no big deal, just lasted a few days. My head felt like it weighed 50 pounds all by itself! Lol !!

My thought for today...why do they make the cold medicine packets so darn hard to get into when you feel your absolute worst? They're like Fort Knox.

Seriously...that little plastic tab on the corner breaks off, you can't pierce the foil with your nail so you end up taking a pointy knife to it, which can be another whole story all on it's own.

Am I the only one?

Hope you have a happy Thursday,
~Karen~

Tool Time Tuesday...Mini Christmas Wreath

Happy Tuesday! I know...Christmas? It's not even Halloween yet. However, this is a quick and easy project and you're recycling too!

Today's project is this mini wreath.

Remember this candle recycling project? Click here to read all about it. That post is about using the glass tops from jar candles. Lots of great ideas!

To use the glass tops, you have to remove the plastic ring. Easy, but you are left with...

All these rings. What to do with them...make a Christmas wreath, of course!

If you don't have plastic rings, you can also use old canning jar rings.

If you've been reading Sew Many Ways for a while, you know I save a lot of crap (hence the plastic rings). Here's where I keep it all. Boxes and boxes of stuff I save...just in case.

Here's one of those boxes. I cut up an old, artificial evergreen garland that had seen better days.

Lots of little branches waiting for a project. Each branch is about 8 inches long.

Loop it through the ring...

and twist to secure. That's it!

Keep adding until the ring is full.

Add as many branches as you'd like.

You might have to trim the inside evergreen to show the shape a little more.

Add a pretty bow!

Perfect to hang any where.

Or add a glass votive and candle to the center.

This would be so pretty with several down the center of the table.

or because they are so small...add one to each place setting.

Cute, cute!

You can also use fabric strips or ribbon and tie that onto the rings.

Have a great Tuesday and remember...always look twice at something before you through it out!
~Karen~

Quilt Show...Congratulations Tina!!!

Had a great weekend...did a lot around the house and had some fun tucked in there too! We cleared out some things that we just don't use any more and brought a car load of things to a family who could really use some help.

Moved some furniture around again...when I finish painting some things, I'll share some befores and afters!

I also went to the Ninigret Qulit show too. Fabulous event and my quilt partner in crime, Tina, stole the show!! Click here to visit Tina over at Seaside Stitches. Peek in her Etsy shop too...she has the cutest, littlest pins ever. I should know I have 2 of them!!

Here she is next to her 2 ribbon winners!! Congratulations, Tina!!

This one on the left is just fantastic and my favorite!

Won for Best Mixed Technique.

The bottom one to the right is the Blue Ribbon Winner and my favorite too...you know I love my hexagons!!

Woo Hoo...Best Piecing!!

The next three are all hers too...I'm hanging my head in quilter's shame :(   I haven't quilted in months.

This is her daughter Julia's quilt...she is a senior in high school and is an awesome person! Great quilt, Julia..I love it!!

The rest of the quilts are random shots of quilts that caught my eye...I was definitely inspired this weekend!!

Hope you enjoyed the show,
~Karen~

Sew Darn Crafty Party...Week 36 Halloween Theme

Woo Hoo...it's another theme week at Sew Darn Crafty!! This week is anything to do with Halloween...costumes, decorating, sewing projects, food ideas, tips, tricks or treats. Anything for Halloween this week, that way it gives us enough time to try out the projects for the holiday!

Link up all week long.

You can also use older Halloween posts too, if you don't have anything ready now.

Don't forget to look at the post following this one to see last week's MVPs

Here are the weeks and the theme for the weeks to come...so start putting all your great posts together!

October 30th...Apple or Pumpkin Recipes
November 6th...Anything Autumn
November 13th...Pie Recipes
December 4th...Christmas/Holiday Decor
December 11th...Cookie Recipes
December 18th...Last Minute gift ideas

If you want to add the button to your blog...Click HERE for a tutorial for adding a button


If you're NEW to Sew Darn Crafty, then grab a cup of something tasty, sit back and join in on the fun (starts Sunday and lasts all week long at Sew Many Ways).

WHAT IS SEW DARN CRAFTY...

• "Sew" for anything to do with sewing,
• "Darn" for anything to do with knitting. I always think of darning to do with knitting, but in my case "darn" usually is similar to the word I say when I mess up crafting!!
• Let's not forget the word "crafty"...that can mean just about anything we do to create.

WHAT IS A LINKING PARTY...

So now we all know what Sew Darn Crafty means, let's explain a linking party again. I subscribe to a linking service, which provides the ability to link thumbnail pictures on my blog. The picture is a link that other bloggers provide to share their projects.

Two things can happen at a linking party...looking and/or linking

• you can be greatly inspired by wonderful projects, ideas or vacation pictures (looking) and/or
• you can share what you've been up to (linking)

If you want to be inspired by all the great ideas...just click on a picture and it will take you to that post from a wonderful blogger willing to share her thoughts and ideas.


HOW AND WHAT TO LINK TO THE PARTY...

Sew Darn Crafty is all about YOU!! Show off your projects, share a tutorial, show us your vacation pictures, share a family favorite recipe...share anything. Not only does linking inspire us all, it also brings lots of new people to your blog for a visit. Click here for past parties and lots of inspiration

Easy steps to join in on the fun...

• link up to the specific project post, not your whole blog. Makes it easier to link right to that post and not  search through all your entire blog. To find the http address to a specific post, just click on the Title of your post.
• link as many projects as you'd like...old or new
• anything goes...cooking, sewing, knitting, crafts, organizing, remodeling projects, vacations, parties etc...
• visit other links to share some blogging love! You know we all love comments!
• grab a Sew Darn Crafty button for your blog (on my right side bar) or just link to the party in your post.
• the more we share, the more people will join and then there's more inspiration to look at!
• linking is open til Saturday night, so plenty of time to join in
• just click the "click here to enter" button and follow the easy steps

Have fun linking up! Don't forget to come back and take a look at all the great projects during the week,

~Karen~

Sew Darn Crafty Party #35 MVPs...

Thanks to everyone again for making last week's Sew Darn Crafty Party so much fun!!

According to the linking service I uses for the party, the three post below had the most hits for viewing!!

That's why they are this week's MVPs...Most Viewed Posts!

First is this beautiful hexagon bag from Hafza. Click here to go to her wonderful blog Hook 'n Needle Creations. She has lots a great projects and pictures too!! Thanks Hafza for sharing!

Definitely visit Diane to see the before and after of this bookshelf. Isn't this the cutest thing ever. Click here to visit her blog Patterns of Life and see the before! Thanks so much Diane...I love it!

You must visit Deb for this fantastic video tutorial of this tissue case. It is awesome! These will make great Christmas gifts too. Click here to visit Deb at Debz Days and see lots of other great tutorials. Thanks so much Deb for sharing!

A BIG thanks to everyone who links up each week,
~Karen~