Christmas Archives - http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/tag/christmas/ Mon, 18 Jul 2022 04:04:43 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-logo-square1-32x32.jpg Christmas Archives - http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/tag/christmas/ 32 32 2016 Update – Week 52 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/2016-update-week-52/ Thu, 29 Dec 2016 13:31:45 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=6744 That’s a wrap. We are in the final week of 2016. In next week’s post I will recap the year of goods, bads, things learned & memories made. • Every few years we make gingerbread houses. It was time to do them. • My homemade soap is cured – perfect timing for gift giving • …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 2016 Update | Week 52

That’s a wrap. We are in the final week of 2016.

In next week’s post I will recap the year of goods, bads, things learned & memories made.

• Every few years we make gingerbread houses. It was time to do them.

• My homemade soap is cured – perfect timing for gift giving

• I got a silhouette cameo and heat press this year. Pretty much everyone got a personalized goodie.

• Our 2 youngest kids were in the Christmas play at church.

• Christmas Eve menu included homemade cheddar broccoli soup and clam chowder in bread bowls.

• Just for fun, I made rustic smelling fire starters.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 2016 Update | Week 52

 

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2016 Update – Week 49 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/2016-update-week-49/ Fri, 09 Dec 2016 02:00:54 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=6738 • December is here. Holiday season is upon us. And, we had our first snow fall. • This year’s holiday photo included our 3 kids, 1 dog, 1 goat, 1 chicken & 1 tilapia.

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 2016 Update | Week 49

• December is here. Holiday season is upon us. And, we had our first snow fall.

• This year’s holiday photo included our 3 kids, 1 dog, 1 goat, 1 chicken & 1 tilapia.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 2016 Update | Week 49

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Running Recap of 2015 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/running-recap-of-2015/ Thu, 31 Dec 2015 19:45:50 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=4073 I started 2015 as a runner-ish type person with the goal of finishing a half marathon. I surpassed that goal by finishing two. They are definitely personal highlights of 2015. I’m very mediocre in the running department. I’m probably even below average. So, my end of the year recap isn’t full of fast times and …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015

I started 2015 as a runner-ish type person with the goal of finishing a half marathon. I surpassed that goal by finishing two. They are definitely personal highlights of 2015.

I’m very mediocre in the running department. I’m probably even below average. So, my end of the year recap isn’t full of fast times and a kazillion training runs. What I do have are my personal accomplishments at finishing what I set out to do and my version of keeping my heart healthy.

 

RUNNING HIGHLIGHTS: MONTH BY MONTH

 

January

• After taking a month off, I started getting back at it

 

February

• Training began for my first half marathon.
• Finished a Virtual Groundhog Day 10K
• Finished Heart Breaker 10K
• Finished Mommathon 10K

 

March

• Run/Jog/Walk the furthest I’d gone until that point – 8 miles. Bonus points for making the 12 minute pace I was striving for. To be exact my pace averaged 11:58/mile

 

April

• Run/Jog/Walk the furthest I’d gone until that point – 10 miles. Average pace was 12:35/mile. Didn’t quite make my goal of a 12 minute pace.
• Took a 2 week break from running while vacationing in Europe. I had plans to run, it just didn’t end up happening. However, I did walk… a lot.

 

May

• Walked the Neverland 5K with friends at Disneyland
• The big moment arrived. I completed my first half marathon!
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015 | TInker Bell Half

 

June

• Ran 2 miles on National Running Day, averaging an 11:15 pace
• Finished Love Rocks 5K

 

July

• Finished Red, White & Blues 10K

 

August

• Finished Garlic Fest 10K
• Ran 5 miles on the beach to celebrate signing up for another half marathon
• Completed the 100 Miles of Summer challenge. But barely. I squeaked in the 100 miles by running outside, walking a number of times with my girlfriends and running on our elliptical machine at home.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 100 miles of Summer

 

September

• The kids started school, so I was able to get into a good running routine.

 

October

• Same routine as September, but had to kick it up a notch since another half was soon approaching.

 

November

• Finished the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Vegas.  I averaged a bit over a 14 min/mile. Not quite the time I was hoping for, but the weather sucked and I had horrible hip pain. Still, totally happy that I finished.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015 | Las Vegas Half

 

December

• Finished the year off with my hubby and kids. We ran/jogged/walked 4+ miles with Portland Running Company to Peacock Lane.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015 | Peacock Lane

 

I RUN FOR BLING

I will never be the first to cross the finish line or even win an age group award. I’m not being down on myself. It’s true. I’m ok with that. I don’t run to win. If I did, I would have given up a long time ago.

Instead, I run for the self satisfaction of completing what I set out to do. It’s not easy for me. I’m slow, but it’s still difficult. Completing any run is an accomplishment.

I also run for the bling. There are so many fun medals in the world of running and I enjoy collecting them. This year I earned 8. My favorite is definitely the TinkerBell. A close second, though, is the one from Vegas. It is pretty awesome.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015 | Bling

 

Badges are fun, too. These ones are from the Rock n Roll Half in Vegas
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015 | RNR Badges

 

2015 Stats

5K Events: 2
10K Events: 4
Half Marathon Events: 2
Virtual Events: 2
Other Event: 1
Total Miles Run/Jogged (training runs included): 440.47

 

I just loved this sign from Brooks at the Rock n Roll expo in Las Vegas. It’s such a good reminder.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Running Recap of 2015

 

All in all, not a bad year for running. Bring on running adventures of 2016!

 

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12 Days: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting Tutorial http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/12-days-christmas-tree-canvas-painting-tutorial/ Mon, 07 Dec 2015 19:01:38 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=3947 Our 7th Day of December is featuring a do it yourself canvas painting. It is not the fanciest painting you ever did see, but it’s festive, fun and fairly simple to create. Have you seen those places where you get to drink wine with your girlfriends while creating a fabulous painting? I’ve always wanted to …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIYOur 7th Day of December is featuring a do it yourself canvas painting.

It is not the fanciest painting you ever did see, but it’s festive, fun and fairly simple to create.

Have you seen those places where you get to drink wine with your girlfriends while creating a fabulous painting? I’ve always wanted to go. Unfortunately, I have not.

I have especially wanted to take my 10 year old son to such a place, minus the wine, of course. I don’t, however, want to spend $50+ for the 2 of us to create the same painting. So, I came up with a painting we can all do. It’s simple enough for the kids. It’s also fun enough to be part of a girls wine drinking paint party.

My goal was to create a painting that was cute and something I’d actually want to display in my home, as well as be cost effective. I also wanted it to be doable for all artist levels.

 

12 Days of December

December 7th: Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting Tutorial

 

Items You Will Need

• Canvas – I used 11″ x 14″ canvas panels. The canvas panels are slightly cheaper than the wood framed canvas. During a holiday sale, I was able to get a 3 pack at Joann’s for $4.80.
• Paint – I’ve used both tempera and acrylic paints for this project. Both work fine. I prefer acrylic, though. In the following instructional steps I list the colors I used for reference purposes only. Feel free to use whatever colors you have on hand. And, don’t be afraid to mix your own colors if you don’t have quite the variety you would like.
• Paintbrushes – As much as I like painting with the “nice” brushes, I paint a lot with the kids, so I most often use the cost effective 5 pack of Crayola paint brushes. They are usually priced around $5 and will often be on sale for less. That set of brushes works perfectly for this project. I did, however, use a wider brush for the background.
• Palette – You just need something to hold your paint. It can be an actual palette, cardboard, or a paper plate. My favorite is the cardboard from a frozen pizza. It’s silly, but I like it because of the round shape.
• Table Cover or Easel – If you have an easel, that’s fantastic. Use it. Around here, though, we don’t have enough easels for the number of painters. So, I put white butcher paper on our kitchen table and we paint away. Newspaper would work fine, too.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 1: Paint the Background

• For the kids I used tempera paints in black, purple, blue, and red. The adults used acrylic paint.
• I also mixed in glitter. This is not a necessary step. I just like glitter.
• The kids used a foam brush to paint the background. Adults used a 1″ paint brush. Again, either one works fine. Use whatever you have.
• The trick to this background is not mixing the colors before applying the paint to the canvas. I squeeze blobs of paint onto the palette. Then brush them onto the canvas, blending them here and there. But, allowing the individual color to show through as well.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 2: Outline the Tree

• Using a light green acrylic paint, I painted an outline of the tree. You could draw it in pencil first, if you would like. But, I didn’t.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 3: Fill in the Tree

• Using the same light green paint, fill in the entire tree area.
• I used mostly downward strokes, resembling tree branches. No moving my brush horizontally.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 4: Adding Snow to the Background

• I mixed together white acrylic paint and pearl it medium from Crayola for the snow. The mixing medium isn’t necessary. I just have it, so I used it.
• Painting circles is super simple. Flip your brush over. The end of your paintbrush is now the brush you are using. Dip the end in white paint and dab onto the canvas for snow. Using different brushes will give you a variety of circle sizes.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 5: Adding Detail to the Tree

• Using a variety of paints (Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow, Light Green, Deep Green, & Phthalo Blue) I created depth to the tree. I used mostly a dry brush technique, but also blended colors right on the canvas.
• Again, I used vertical or sweeping strokes. No horizontal painting.
• The deep green, phthalo blue, and cadmium red were used where I wanted shadows. The cadmium yellow was painted where I wanted a highlight.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 6: Outline the Tree

• Using black acrylic paint, I outlined the tree.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 7: Painting the Star Glow

• I used lemon yellow acrylic paint and pearl it medium for the glow effect. White paint mixed with a dab of yellow would work as well.
• I used a dry brush technique. Each stroke began in the center and then pulled out.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 8: Adding Lights to the Tree

• Using the same technique as the snow, paint the lights using the end of the paintbrush.
• My paint colors were: Deep Magenta, Cadmium Yellow, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue, and Cadmium Red
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 9: Painting the Star

• Using Cadmium Yellow paint a star at the top of the tree.
• Allow the yellow paint to dry a smidge, then outline the star in black paint.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Step 10: Enjoy your Festive Painting

 

For a quickie version of the steps, print the jpg below.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Easy Christmas Tree Canvas Painting | Tutorial | DIY

 

Please enjoy this tutorial! However, do not sell or share the images as your own. Please link back to this original post.

 

All 12 Days of December:

December 1st: Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit • Printable
December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas • DIY
December 3rd: Photo Booth Backdrop • DIY
December 4th: Snowman Photo Booth Props • Printable
December 5th: Let it Snow Gift Card Holders • Printable
December 6th: Christmas Gift Box • Printable
December 7th: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting • Tutorial {you’re already here}
December 8th: Hot Drink Pouch • Printable
December 9th: Build Your Own Snowman Gift Tags • Printable
December 10th: Let it Snow Gift Tags • Printable
December 11th: Christmas Word Search • Printable
December 12th: Let it Snow • Printable

 

I would love to see how you used these 12 Days projects. Please share your creation(s) with us here.

 

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12 Days: Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/12-days-warm-up-here-burlap-and-canvas/ Wed, 02 Dec 2015 20:56:24 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=3786 Day 2 of our 12 Days of December series is an addition to yesterday’s Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit. We are making a burlap sign to hang in the Bar area.   12 Days of December December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas Sign   Materials 16″ x 20″ Canvas Burlap – at least …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and CanvasDay 2 of our 12 Days of December series is an addition to yesterday’s Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit. We are making a burlap sign to hang in the Bar area.

 

12 Days of December

December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas Sign

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas

 

Materials

16″ x 20″ Canvas
Burlap – at least 20″ x 24″
Red Acrylic Paint and Paint Spouncer
Exacto Knife and Cutting Mat
Scissors, Stapler, Paper, and Tape
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas

 

Attaching Burlap to the Canvas

Top Left: Center canvas right side down on burlap
Top Right, and Middle Photos: Fold burlap over edge of canvas, pulling slightly so it has a snug fit. Staple in place.
Bottom Left: Trim burlap edges
Bottom Right: Flip over and enjoy how easy it was to add burlap to your canvas.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas

 

Creating and Painting the Stencil

I’ll admit this is a little tedious. Not difficult, just not all that fun.

Click here to download the 4 pages for the stencil.

Using an exacto knife and cutting mat, cut out the letters. This is a stencil, so the actual letter piece is not being used. Don’t forget to keep the insides of the A, R’s and P. Tape the stencil together, then tape the stencil to your burlap canvas.

Using red acrylic paint, dab the spouncer into the blank parts of the stencil, paying attention not to get paint under the stencil. You are dabbing, not brushing on the paint.

Carefully lift off the stencil and your cold weather sign is complete.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas

 

You will notice on this pdf printable little dots inside the letters. Those are in case you want to forgo the burlap and instead would like to add lights to your canvas. You will stencil the letters on in the same way as the burlap canvas instructions. Then, poke holes where indicated through the canvas. Attach small Christmas lights behind the canvas and push one light through each hole. I love this idea. However, I was going for a rustic look so I went with the burlap version.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | 12 Days of December | Warm Up Here Burlap and Canvas

 

Have fun with this Warm Up Here Printable! However, do not sell or share the file as your own. Also, do not post the pdf on your social media page, please link back to this original post.

 

All 12 Days of December:

December 1st: Hot Drinks Bar Party Kit • Printable
December 2nd: Warm Up Here Burlap & Canvas • DIY {you’re already here}
December 3rd: Photo Booth Backdrop • DIY
December 4th: Snowman Photo Booth Props • Printable
December 5th: Let it Snow Gift Card Holders • Printable
December 6th: Christmas Gift Box • Printable
December 7th: Christmas Tree Canvas Painting • Tutorial
December 8th: Hot Drink Pouch • Printable
December 9th: Build Your Own Snowman Gift Tags • Printable
December 10th: Let it Snow Gift Tags • Printable
December 11th: Christmas Word Search • Printable
December 12th: Let it Snow • Printable

 

I would love to see how you used these 12 Days projects. Please share your creation(s) with us here.

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Christmas Sewing Projects http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/christmas-sewing-projects/ Sat, 20 Dec 2014 14:12:50 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=650 The few weeks leading up to Christmas were cold and/or rainy making it perfect weather to work on inside crafty projects. I got out the sewing machine and made a few Christmas presents. My sewing skills would be considered novice & I typically tend to get in over my head. I have a horrible time …

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Christmas Sewing Title

The few weeks leading up to Christmas were cold and/or rainy making it perfect weather to work on inside crafty projects. I got out the sewing machine and made a few Christmas presents.

My sewing skills would be considered novice & I typically tend to get in over my head. I have a horrible time understanding the printed directions in a pattern and spend way too much time with my seam ripper. Thankfully, my skills must be improving. I didn’t have TOO much trouble with these projects.

UNIFORM BAGS

I made these String Bags for the boys taekwondo uniforms. I was impressed with myself that I had little trouble making the front zipper pockets. I also had a fairly easy time appliqueing the symbols on the pocket. But, I think I did the straps wrong.
Christmas Sewing3
Pattern: The Green Pepper F865

 

APRONS

I made aprons in coordinating fabric for me, my mom, my daughter, sister, niece, & 2 baby dolls. I much preferred the pattern I used for the adult aprons. I hated the bias tape needed on the little girl aprons. Although, in this pic the little girl aprons look cuter. So, maybe the bias tape was worth it.
Christmas Sewing6
Adult Apron Pattern: Butterick B4945 Little Girl & Doll Apron Pattern: Simplicity 1936

 

CHRISTMAS EVE PAJAMAS

These didn’t turn out as well as I had hoped. The pajama pants I made for the boys are way too big in the butt area. Maybe I sewed them wrong? My kids just don’t have that much junk in the trunk. The nightgown, though, turned out ok.

Christmas Sewing2
Pattern: Simplicity J0473

 

FUN HATS

I made hat/mitten combos for our two youngest children using fleece and faux fur. They were easy to make and fit the kids well.
I thought our oldest son may be a little old for the hat/mitten combo, so I opted for a monster hat instead. It was easy enough to make, but it’s too big on him.
Christmas Sewing5
Monster Hat Pattern: Simplicity 1337. Animal Hat Pattern: Simplicity 1795

 

PILLOWCASE

I found “I ♥ Bacon” fabric at Joann’s and knew I had to make something with it for my oldest son. He really does love bacon & he’s currently raising pigs. I decided on a pillowcase. It’s not my best work. But, he doesn’t seem to mind.
I used the burrito style of pillowcase making similar to this tutorial at The Twiddletails Blog.

Christmas Sewing1

 

FELT FUN

The kids & I made felt chicken ornaments for our Poultry 4H gift exchange. I made the rooster at the lower right. It took me a couple hours to sew him together. He’s cute, but I don’t think he’s cute enough for the time I spent on it.
I didn’t use a pattern for the penguins. I found a couple photos and then winged it. It’s not quite as cute of a display as I was hoping, but the penguins turned out ok. And, most importantly, the kids loved it.

Christmas Sewing4

 

CHRISTMAS QUILT

I have been wanting to sew a quilt for years. This was my year to go for it. I took part in an Instagram Sew Along with Bee in my Bonnet. Most of the finished quilt I really like, but there are a few things I wish I would have done differently. I didn’t do a very good job on the quilting part & messed up the back. Hopefully I learned a few things, though, and my next quilt will be better.

Christmas Sewing7
It’s been a long time since I have had much time to dedicate to sewing. It was nice.

I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season!

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Three Kings Day http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/three-kings-day/ Wed, 08 Jan 2014 21:39:42 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=4986 To go along with our study of Mexico, we spent January 6th learning about Three Kings Day. It is 12 days after Christmas & celebrates the three wise men bringing their gifts to baby Jesus. We don’t typically celebrate this day in our family, but many Latin Americans do so we explored it.   Kings …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

To go along with our study of Mexico, we spent January 6th learning about Three Kings Day. It is 12 days after Christmas & celebrates the three wise men bringing their gifts to baby Jesus. We don’t typically celebrate this day in our family, but many Latin Americans do so we explored it.

 

Kings Bread

We started the morning with our version of Rosca de Reyes, or Kings’ Bread.

Making bread is easy, but I needed something even easier that day. So, I used cinnamon rolls from a tube. I placed them in a crown shape & hid an almond in one of the rolls. The almond represented baby Jesus.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

 

Traditionally the person who finds baby Jesus in the bread is supposed to host a party on February 2nd. Instead, I gave the kid who found the almond a 3 Kings Day Bar.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

 

Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh

Representing the gifts of frankincense & myrrh I used a scented warmer in the school room. I don’t typically use a warmer and the kids enjoyed the new smell that day.

Representing gold were chocolate coins.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

 

Spanish Word Bingo

Just for fun we played Spanish Bingo. The template is from the Scholastic Monthly Idea books.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

 

Silhouette Craft

The kids made a craft I found at Crayola. It is very similar to a silhouette craft we made a couple years ago.

They began by painting their background with watered down paint, then adding salt to the wet paint. The salt soaks up the color and leaves “stars” in the sky.

While the paint was drying they cut out wise men & camel shapes out of black construction paper.

Next, they painted a simple foreground. And finally, they glued their silhouette shapes to the painted paper.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Studying Mexico | Three Kings Day

 

This was a fun day expanding our knowledge about both Christmas & Mexico. These hands-on days are my favorite way to school my children.

 

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Patchwork Stockings http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/patchwork-stockings/ Sun, 02 Dec 2012 20:39:51 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=612 A number of years ago I bought myself a used sewing machine. One of the first projects I made were stockings for the 5 of us. I have always wanted to make us stockings. Woo hoo! I finally made them & years later I still love them. The pattern I used was Joann’s Debbie Mumm …

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Patchwork Stockings Title

A number of years ago I bought myself a used sewing machine. One of the first projects I made were stockings for the 5 of us. I have always wanted to make us stockings. Woo hoo! I finally made them & years later I still love them.

The pattern I used was Joann’s Debbie Mumm Stocking. Overall, the stockings were fairly easy to make. My two biggest problems were reading the directions correctly & the applique snowmen. For some reason I have a hard time understanding pattern directions. There is always some part that throws me off & I end up undoing what I’ve just sewn together. I have never appliqued, but I decided to give it a try. There was a little bit of a learning curve, but I got it figured out.

CUTTING FABRIC & PATCHWORK

The first step in creating the 5 stockings was to cut 660 2.5″ squares, using 15 different fabrics.

Then I sewed 6 squares into a strip, continuing with all the squares. Next, I sewed 11 of the strips together to make one big rectangle shaped piece of fabric. I then cut the stocking pattern out of that rectangle. I also did this for the back of the stockings.

Next, I cut the stocking pattern out of my lining fabric & batting. I also cut the pieces for the cuff out of lining fabric & batting.

Patchwork Stockings1

 

APPLIQUE

Right or wrong, this is how I sewed my appliques. I began by cutting out my shapes from fabric and the heat & bond. Then I placed the heat & bond on top of the patchwork stocking and placed the snowman fabric on top of the heat & bond. I had never used heat & bond. But, it was amazingly simple – literally, the iron heated the material up & it bonded to my fabric. After the snowman was fused on, I sewed around the edges. It took me a few practice tries on scrap fabric to get the stitch just right. Also, the inner corners were tricky but I faked my way through it.

Next, I used the heat & bond to fuse on the hat and scarf. Then, sewed around them. The outside corners were the tricky parts for me this time. And finally, I sewed on buttons & beads for the detail. After finishing the snowman, I placed the front and back of the patchwork stocking right sides together and sewed them to make the outside of the stocking.

Patchwork Stockings2

 

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

Putting all these pieces together was the hardest thing for me to figure out. One day I’m hoping I can get through a project without any mistakes.

The Lining ~ Here was my biggest mistake: The directions said “Sew the lining with right sides together leaving an opening for turning.” So, my thought process told me – Duh! there’s a huge opening at the top of the stocking. I was smart enough to realize I didn’t want to sew together the top of the stocking. But, what I didn’t realize was that it actually meant to leave another opening near the bottom.

The Cuff ~ Again, I didn’t understand the directions. So, I just did what worked for me. Which, in the end, is what I think the directions might have been saying anyway – it’s just not the way I read them. I think the main difference between what I did and what the directions say is that I sewed my fabric loop together before placing the batting on the fabric. That way it was out of my way while I was sewing. I wish I would have taken a pic of this stage because it was really simple, but the directions through me off.

The Hanging Tab ~ Directions say: “Cut out 2″ x 8″ fabric piece for the hanging tab. Fold in half lengthwise and sew a  1/4″, turn” This one I actually figured out on the first try.

Putting it all Together ~ This is where the fact that I hadn’t left an opening at the bottom of my lining messed me up. I read & actually understood the directions. But, when it came time to turn my stocking I obviously couldn’t turn it because there wasn’t an opening to turn it through. So, I took it apart, reread the directions, & after lots of frustration I finally figured out that I had it together right in the first place. I just hadn’t left the opening in the bottom of the lining. After making the first one, the others were easy to finish.
Patchwork Stockings3

 

FINISHED STOCKINGS

I am pleased with the way they turned out even with the couple of small problems. One day maybe I’ll make a matching tree skirt.

Patchwork Stockings4

 

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DIY Dollhouse http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/diy-dollhouse/ Wed, 18 Apr 2012 16:08:35 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=661 As a kid one of my favorite past times was playing with Barbie’s. I am lucky enough that my mom saved most of my Barbie’s & their stuff. Now that I have a daughter, I wanted to give her those things. I also had a Barbie dream house, but mom didn’t keep that. I enjoyed …

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Dollhouse title

As a kid one of my favorite past times was playing with Barbie’s. I am lucky enough that my mom saved most of my Barbie’s & their stuff. Now that I have a daughter, I wanted to give her those things.

I also had a Barbie dream house, but mom didn’t keep that. I enjoyed that house so much that I wanted my daughter to have one as well. I looked at various brands & types of dollhouses, but none of them would work for holding my old stuff (at least not at an acceptable price). So, I figured if Farmer John can build himself a Man Shack, he could surely help me build our daughter a dollhouse. Between the two of us we built her a fantastic Christmas present.

It took us about 3 weeks to construct the dollhouse. The first thing I did was search the web for ideas. Then I made the house plans, keeping a few things in mind. Barbie is roughly 11″ tall, my walls are 14″ high. The rooms had to be deep enough to hold all the accessories, so I made the house 14″ deep. The rooms vary in width and are based on what needed to fit. This house had to have a deck because I had an old Barbie hot tub. I don’t have a good reason for the garage, I just felt like it needed one. The total length is 55″.

 

THE WALLS

The house is built from 2 – 4’x8′ sheets of hardboard. I used 1/2″ board for the walls & floors. The back & roof are 1/4″. I got mine at Home Depot & asked them to cut the boards at 55″, so they would fit in my car. I should have been more patient and had Farmer John pick the boards up for me next time he went to Home Depot with the truck. But, I wanted the boards the day I went, so I was going to get them, darn it! I barely squeezed them in my car, but they did fit.

Next, I marked the cut lines for the walls & Farmer John cut the boards.I layed tape where the walls & floors were going to come together & also where the supports were to go. Farmer John told me it would be better to have the wood stick to more wood, than to paint. We had leftover white paint from painting our real house, so that’s what I used for a primer layer. Next I used a metallic pink & metallic silver acrylic paint to paint the walls. I put on two coats. The “wallpaper” is scrapbook paper that I decoupaged to the wall. I probably should have practiced a bit. There’s a number of places that have bubbles. But, I decided Barbie wouldn’t mind, so I didn’t worry about it too much.

Dollhouse Walls

 

THE FLOOR

Originally I had planned to use scrapbook paper in the places I wanted a “tile” floor & fabric & felt where I wanted “carpet.” But after attempting the tile floor 3 times & never liking the results I decided I needed to try something different. I ended up going back to Home Depot & buying a chunk of their rolled linoleum. This “wood” floor was placed on all 3 levels of the house. I used gorilla glue to secure it.

Dollhouse Floor

 

PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Farmer John & I seem to make a good building team. He’s always worried about function & I want it to look good. Somewhere we compromise & things usually work out. Farmer John was concerned that the house wasn’t going to be strong enough so we added supports at the ceilings of the 1st & 2nd floors. I used 1/4 round trim, painted it white & predrilled nail holes. I don’t know if the house really needed these or not, but I can say that the house is nice & sturdy. After I decorated all the interior walls & layed down the flooring it was time to put it together. Piece by piece Farmer John & I got it done. We used gorilla wood glue & small nails.

Dollhouse Supports

 

SIDING, ROOF & DETAILS

For the siding, I painted the hardboard white & bought some trim, which I painted pink. Originally I wanted windows in the house. But, to purchase real dollhouse windows would have cost more than I spent on the rest of the house. So, that was a no. Then I decided I would make faux windows. I did do this for the inside & I don’t care for them much. They look like pictures hanging on the wall as opposed to windows. I didn’t feel like tearing them off, so I left them. But, I didn’t want it to look like there were pictures hanging outside on the siding, so I didn’t try to incorporate windows. I actually like the way the siding turned out. I think it’s simple, cute & goes with Barbie’s style.

A couple years ago we put faux wood blinds in our real house. Farmer John had to trim some of the blinds so they would fit our windows. Those trimmed off chunks looked too good to throw away. I knew I would use them for something. Barbie’s roof is where we ended up using them. Farmer John trimmed them to size, I used gorilla glue to secure them & they worked out perfectly.

I bought a couple Barbie items so I could take them apart & use the pieces. I’m sure Farmer John wanted to kill me for that because it was his job to figure out how to attach those silly plastic pieces.

I painted chipboard white to use as trim around doors & windows. The views looking out the “windows” are pics I took on our cruise to Mexico. In various places I decorated with stickers. I glued on a gold bead to act as a doorknob on the 1st floor fake door. All the fronts of the floors & walls are covered in a melamine edging. That edging went on easily enough & looks good, but I’m afraid it’s not going to last. It’s already starting to peel off in a few places. I painted a piece of decorative wood trim, though, for the edging along the roof line.

Dollhouse Details

 

UPDATING MY OLD STUFF

I peeled off the old stickers & washed it. Then, cut scrapbook paper to fit. I decoupaged the paper and various stickers to the hot tub hoping that if it ever did have water in it that the decorations won’t fall off.

Dollhouse Hot Tub
Left: Original hot tub from the ’80’s. Right: Updated 2010 hot tub.

 

THE ROOMS

Jam Room
I was contemplating how to utilize the top floor. When I found my old Barbie & The Rockers stuff, I new it would be perfect. Anybody else remember those guitars & keyboards? They were super 80’s and super awesome!

Deck
The deck was a must since I had the old hot tub. I was thrilled that it can still bubble the water. The funky plant is old, too. The bar, stools, drinks & light are new.

Bathroom
The toilet is new. I sewed the shower curtain. The salon was mine & has updated stickers along the mirror.

Bedroom
The bedroom has all new decor. I’m thinking about sewing a blanket for the bed and maybe a rug for the floor.

Kitchen
I’m quite pleased with how my old stuff works so well with Barbie’s new furniture. I used to play with the kitchen island when I was a kid. The only updating I did was reglue some of the original stickers. The oven timer sound still works. Yay! The faucet is broken off. Bummer, but no biggie. One day maybe I will get around to finding a trinket to work as a faucet. The table & chairs were also mine. The refrigerator, food, cups, plates, etc are new.

Living Room
Everything in the living room is new. The door is fake & made from two layers of chipboard.

Garage
The little pink convertible car was on sale at Target & fits perfectly in the garage. The other things are some of my old goodies.

Dollhouse Finished Rooms

 

READY FOR PLAY

Dollhouse1

This was such a fun project for me. It makes my heart very happy to share this stuff with my own daughter. My grandparents used to have a wood dollhouse (not Barbie sized, but still a dollhouse). My favorite thing to do with that dollhouse was to make decorations for the walls. Now, I’ve been doing the adult version of that. I’ve had so much fun reliving my childhood!

 

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Christmas Around the World – Week 3 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/christmas-around-the-world-week-3/ Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:05:08 +0000 http://www.ridgetopfarmandgarden.com/?p=5769 Unfortunately, the Christmas hub-bub is catching up with me now. These last few countries didn’t get near the exploration as the first ones we studied.   England Merry Christmas It seems many of the traditions in the U.S are quite similar to those in England. Since they also send Christmas cards to friends & family …

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Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

Unfortunately, the Christmas hub-bub is catching up with me now. These last few countries didn’t get near the exploration as the first ones we studied.

Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

 

England
Merry Christmas

It seems many of the traditions in the U.S are quite similar to those in England. Since they also send Christmas cards to friends & family I had Farm Kid1 make cards for 3 different people. They also do advent calendars, so we talked about those & the various ones we have in our house. I have one I made for me, one I made for the kids to do each day & my mom got them each a chocolate advent calendar this year. We also watched the episode of 19 Kids & Counting when they traveled to England. Farm Kid1 says he really wants to go to London so he can ride a red double decker bus. I hope he gets to do that some day.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

 

LONDON CANVAS COLLAGE
I was able to pull in real life experiences for Great Britain. Years ago, the hubby & I spent a week in England. So we talked about this collage I made. And, Farm Kid1 has a friend who was born in Wales & his mom speaks with a British accent. They made it into our conversation that day.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

 

Italy
Buon Natale

Italy is a place on my really-gonna-go-to-someday list. We talked about why I would like to go there – which is that I’m a huge fan of the Renaissance time period. I’ve just gotta see those masterpieces in person. And the rolling hills, the Venetian canals & real Italian pasta are calling my name. And, Rome. I want to walk the streets of Rome. Many of the countries we studied were primarily Catholic, so we also talked about the Vatican. It actually was a great way to pull all the countries together. Farm Kid1 learned to play the Italian song, Carol of the Bagpipes, on the piano. Something I didn’t know is that bagpipes are a big part of Christmas in Italy.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

 

 

Israel
Mo’adim Lesimkha

We ended this unit with the Holy Land. We talked about Bethlehem & Jerusalem & how many people attend the Christmas service right at the spot where Jesus was born. We also watched the episode of 19 Kids & Counting when the Duggar family traveled to Israel. Farm Kid1 loved the camels, of course. He practiced playing Little Town of Bethlehem on the piano. I would like to study this country again & explore Hanukkah.
Ridgetop Farm and Garden | Home School | Christmas Around the World

 

This was such a fun unit of study. I feel like I learned just as much as Farm Kid1. Now how do I pick which countries to study next year? We already discussed the ones that have meaning to our family in some way. I will have to pick a country in South America & Africa since we didn’t visit those continents this year. And, wouldn’t it be fun if I could come up with a whole unit study on Christmas Around the World incorporating math, spelling, reading & grammar. I’ve got a whole year, maybe I can come up with something.

 

Our Christmas Around the World Links:
Week 1 – Finland, France & Australia
Week 2 – Mexico, Philippines & Switzerland
Week 3 – England, Italy & Israel

 

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