Giveaways, Writing, Knitting
In other words, an update! I suppose I could break this up into a couple of different blogposts, but it’s summertime and everyone is busy, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet.
I’m continuing my monthly giveaways. I really enjoy sending out boxes of goodies. These giveaways are open to those who receive my newsletter. Sometimes they are “grab bag” giveaways, where people enter to win a prize sight unseen. Sometimes it’s a specific prize or set of prizes. Last month’s giveaway was a grab bag. The lucky winner was Nichole from Michigan and this is what was inside her box: 2 full size paperbacks, a couple of short stories, earrings and a pearl ring, magnets, bookmarks, pens, and other swag from writers.
I have August’s giveaway ready to go. It will also be a grab bag, but one thing I know
will be in it: This hand knit shawl/scarf. I’ve been working on it all summer, and now it is finished and ready to go around someone’s neck just in time for the cooler mornings ahead. See? My cat Merry stood guard over it while it dried. If you would like a chance to win this shawl plus other great prizes, you can sign up for my newsletter.
I am currently working on my contemporary novella for Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World. I am LOVING Dusty and Isabel! It comes out in mid October. Isabel owns a yarn shop with her sister, and the shop colors are fuchsia and black. Dusty, in a desperate attempt to catch Isabel’s attention, recklessly signs up for her Learn To Knit class. In 
the first class the students learn to knit a dishcloth. Dusty swaggers in to class, confident that he can master knitting without any trouble. He slinks out, convinced that knitting was invented by demons out to drive humans crazy. In the second class, he knits this hat. I am considering writing the pattern up and including it at the end of the book. I’m not sure about that, though.
Do you think it would be appreciated by readers? Would most readers even care? Maybe it would be better to include a link to my website where I could post the pattern?
What are your thoughts about that? Please leave a comment, I would really like to know.
I hope your summer is going well. Only a few weeks until the kids are back in school. I come from a large family, and on the first day of school, my mom put out the flag. She said it should be a national holiday! LOL
Happy Reading!
Maddy’s Quick and Dirty T-Shirt to Peasant Blouse Tutorial
Do you have drawers full of T-shirts that you don’t wear? I do. I don’t wear them much because A) I have scads of them (don’t even ask how many fuchsia pink T-shirts I own), and B) they’re sort of boxy and not terribly attractive. Added to that, my figure is the Apple type (you know, skinny stick legs and BIG tummy, double-no, make that triple-chins) so I don’t like to wear things that are too closely fitting with round a neckline that comes up to my throat. And plain boxy T-shirts are … well, plain and boxy. No style. Plus, I am just barely over 5 feet tall, so most T-shirts come down to mid-thigh on me. Sure, they make great sleep shirts, but I want to get more use out of them than that.
T-shirts are great though, because they are so comfy to wear, and wash easily. I could donate them, but some, like my RAGT T-shirts, have happy memories attached to them that I want to be reminded of. I don’t want to get rid of my T-shirts. I want to use them!
Do you ever see something on Pinterest or somewhere and say, “Hey, I
can do that!” Well, I do, and I can, and I did. I took a plain white T-shirt, cut off the edges, ironed on some floral appliques, added a casing for a gathered neckline, finished the raw edges, and Ta-DA! My new summer blouse. Here is how I made this:
Maddy’s Easy Peasant Blouse
Supplies:
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T-shirt in a size that is a little loose
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Any appliques, trims, or other decoration you like. I found this floral applique on clearance for $1.97.
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Approx. 1 yard 1/8-1/4 inch wide elastic, or 1.5 yards narrow ribbon to gather the neck.
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Sewing machine or serger
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Iron (if needed to iron on transfers or appliques)
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Scissors
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Thread
Directions:
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Wash and dry your Tshirt. If you are using an Iron On applique or transfer, don’t use fabric
Cutting lines. Excuse my poor drawing skills!
softener.
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Cut off the bottom of the shirt so it is 2” longer than you want it to be. When the neck is gathered, the bottom of the shirt will rise a bit. Keep the actual hem because that is what you will use to create the neckline casing.
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Mark a circle around the neck and cut. I measured 2 inches from the neck ribbing as a guide.
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Cut a slit across the top of the sleeve to create a flutter sleeve. (This is optional. You can just have a plain sleeve with a ruffled edge) Cut off arm ribbing.
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Add any trim you like now. Red and Blue ribbon in rows around the hem would be fun for 4th of July. Maybe a scatter of those iron on rhinestones? How abut a strip of lace down the center front? Or no trim to make it even easier and cheaper.
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Take the bottom hem that you cut off in step 2 and trim close to the stitching. On the wrong side of T-shirt, make a casing
by stitching down the hem an inch or so away from the cut neck edge. Leave an opening to thread the elastic thru. Do not put the elastic in now. NOTE: if you want to use ribbon to gather the neck instead of elastic, you can stitch the hem on the right side of the shirt. The ribbon can be tied in a bow. -
Create the lettuce edge to the bottom, the neckline and the sleeves. If you have a serger, you can use that to do a beautiful lettuce rolled hem. If not, a regular sewing machine works fine. Set your sewing machine up with a zigzag stitch. Stitch length should be like for a button hole, so .3 or 4, and width should be a 5 or 6. Be sure to hold your fabric very taut while you do this. If you don’t know how to do this curly edge, there are several YouTube tutorials like This One
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Thread elastic (or ribbon) through neck casing. Fasten off.
DONE!!
These directions are pretty barebones, so it you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll try to help you out.
Imagine how many fun things you could do with all your T-shirts! How about a tied dyed T-shirt? What if you added some lace at the hem instead of doing the lettuce edge? Wouldn’t this be adorable for a little girl too?
Another one! Black T-shirt with lace down the center.
I hope I’ve given you some good ideas for making some cheap summer
tops, but I have got to stop now. I have a book to write! I won’t be doing regular Tuesday Teasers for Brave Hearts, but stay tuned. I want to drop you a few tidbits here and there. Dusty is turning out to be a more complex hero than I thought he’d be. And Isa has depths beyond just a somewhat embittered woman wounded in war. I can’t wait to introduce you to them.
Happy Reading!
Catch Up Post
It’s been quite a while since I made a post, so I thought it was time I let everyone know what I’ve been up to!
Warning! Pictures ahead!
WRITING:
Olivia’s Mate-I got the edits back from Athena at Wandering Minstrel Press. I’m taking a break right now from editing to write this post. I have a wedding to go to this afternoon, but I plan to finish the edits before bed. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll read through it one more time before sending the manuscript to the proof readers.
I’ll be sending out a newsletter in a few days with instructions on how to win an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) . The release date is April 28, 2016.
My next project is Brave Hearts, part of Paige Tyler’s Dallas Fire & Rescue Kindle World. This will be a contemporary romance between a Latina yarn store owner who lost her lower leg in Iraq and the medic who saved her life. When they meet again a decade later, can she embrace a future with him or will she stay in the safety of the past?
Crafting:
You know I love to spin and knit and sew. So far this year I’ve finished a few little knitting projects like this sweet summer cotton cowl. It’s made with cotton yarn with strips of shiny rayon. This will show up in a future Mystery Giveaway.
I’ve also been busy sewing and repairing costumes for the Fashion
Show at Lori 
Foster’s Reader & Author Get Together. (More about RAGT16 later). One of them is this steampunk. I bought the corset, but the skirt and blouse and hat I made myself. What do you think?
I am looking forward to #RAGT16 SOOOOO much! It’s the only author event I go to. I can’t wait to see some of my author friends again, and every year I get to meet some of you. If you are at RAGT in June, please come find me! And bid on my raffle basket! My friend Jessica Pease and I always try to put together a fun and unique basket. This year our theme is Sci-Fi Fun. I have a Firefly Monopoly game to put in, and I’m making a Star Wars quilt, and Jessica is adding a season of Dr. Who dvds and a gift card to either Barnes & Noble or Amazon. The quilt is ready to sew together. I have completed the blocks and squared them up. I plan to add some narrow sashing to sort of break it up. What do you think? Is that the sort of raffle basket you would be willing to bid on?
Well, that’s what I’ve been up to lately! I better get back to Olivia’s Mate and get those edits done. Have a great day, and
Happy Reading!
Tuesday Truth 5/26/15: Updates!
Wow, only 8 days before I leave for the Annual Reader & Author Get Together in Cincinnati OH! Actually, it’s at the Marriott in West Chester. Even if you’re not going to the event, the book signings are free and open to the public. One is on Friday at 3:00pm, and the other is on Saturday at 3:00 to 5:00. I’ll be signing on Saturday. You can find out all about it by clicking the link above. Please come see me!
I’ll also be showing off some of my historical costumes at RAGT. Most I made years ago, but I’m making one from the skin out, a walking dress from 1885. I have completed the chemise, the drawers, the bustle petticoat, the underskirt, the overskirt and was 2/3 done with the bodice when my sewing machine died. That’s right, died. Last night it gave up the ghost. I called to make a service appointment, but they can’t get to it until next week, and I need it NOW. So my sister, bless her, is bringing her machine over to me tonight. Here is what I have so far.
And here what is happening with Wolf’s Princess: I have completed the final round of content edits with my editor Tami Lund (she’s also an author) She was easy to work with and the book is tons better now. I’m still waiting to hear a release date, but it could be as early as mid July. I’ll be having an ARC giveaway through my newsletter in a few weeks. And then I’ll be having another giveaway on Facebook a week or so later. More about that coming up. AS soon as I get cover art and a release date I’ll post right away. I’m very excited about Wolf’s Princess. I believe it is the best book I’ve written. I can’t wait for all of yo uto read it!
Tuesday Truth 5/12/15
The chemise! The neck is adjustable by tying the ribbon tighter or looser.
No teaser this week! I had a minor surgery in the ENT’s office on Friday and the time I’d planned to spend writing I spent sleeping and sewing instead. Would you like to see what I’ve been sewing?
I’ll be holding a historical fashion show at Lori Foster’s Annual Reader & Author Get Together next month. Most of the costumes are ones I made years ago. But there is one that I’ll be making from scratch, and it is the most elaborate and tricky thing I’ve ever made: a Victorian bustle dress from the skin out. Chemise, drawers, corset, petticoat, bustle, polonaise, skirt and hat all have to be completed within the month. It’s a challenge, but I’ll do it. So far I’ve completed the chemise and split crotch drawers, and the under skirt. Next up is the bustle and petticoat.
Chemise and drawers (nowadays we call them bloomers)
I actually broke down and had the corset made for me by a Facebook friend, Minx. I simply don’t have enough time to make it myself. You can find her work in her Etsy
I love this pretty corset! I just wish I had a waist.
Shop. She does marvelous work, with great attention to detail, out of quality materials. The corset in the pics below is the one she made me.
And here is the yellow underskirt that will go over the bustle and under the polonaise.
I can’t wait for this to be finished! It will be elegant and beautiful, and just my size. Will you be going to RAGT15? I need models for the costumes! Contact me if you might be interested in being a model!
DIY Advent Calendar
I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, so if you don’t, you might not find this post interesting. Please feel free to skip over it. 🙂
For me, Christmas is my very favorite time of the year. It’s only 39 days away! That means you still have time to put together an advent calendar. For me, an advent calendar is a way to prepare for Christmas. We had an advent calendar only once when I was growing up, the paper kind with the little perforated windows you tore open to reveal something. In a family of 8, there’s only so many little windows to be opened by each kid, and my mom got tired of our fighting over who got the honor. But I love the idea of an Advent Calendar. I saw that some tea companies put out tea advent calendars. I love that idea!! Too bad the prices are so high. But I’m creative, right? I decided I can make my own, so I did. So can you. I’ll show you how.
You should think ahead about what theme or look you want. Rustic, like the one I made? Something cute for kids? At this time of the year all kinds of Christmas decorations are on sale at craft stores.
You will need:
- 24 small goodies/gifts. I’m a tea lover, so I used individual tea bags. You could use small chocolates, or a mix of small gifts like earrings, lip balms, candy, mini ornaments, gift cards, etc. If you’d like to make this a religious themed advent calendar, you could write or print out Bible verses to include with each gift. Cost could be anywhere from $10.00 for a couple of variety packs of tea to whatever you choose to spend on gifts. Diamond earrings, for instance, might run a bit more.
- 24 small containers. I used envelopes like gift cards come in that I ordered online. Maybe they are available locally in craft stores or stationary stores? You could use mini gift bags, or opaque candy bags or even wrap each little gift individually. My cost for 100 envelopes was $14.00 including shipping and handling.
- 24 (approx. 2″ long) mini clothes pins. Bought in a package of 24 from Hobby Lobby for $3.49
- 3-5 feet of some kind of string to hang the gifts on. I used jute for my rustic theme. You could use holiday ribbon, or even that fake evergreen garland. No cost as I already had a spool of jute.
- A pen to write numbers on your containers. No cost as I already had pens.
- A few decorations to add to your string, like Christmas bows, Christmas picks, small ornaments, etc. No cost, as I used leftovers from last year.
Directions:
1. Write a number on each container, 1 through 24.
2. Fill each container with a gift. I licked all 24 of my envelopes closed at one time. Yuck. I suggest using a damp wash cloth. I swear, I can still taste that glue in my mouth.
3. Tack the string to the wall in the formation you want. You could also string this on the Christmas tree like garland. I never put my tree up so early, but I know a lot of people do.
4. Take each individual container and use the clothespins to clip them to your string in numerical order, #1 first and #24 last.
5. Add some ribbon or bows or whatever decorations you like to the ends.
Then wait until December 1 to open the first gift. Open one gift a day until Christmas Eve. Wasn’t that easy? The great thing is you can use this idea again next year, and change up the colors and decorations for a whole new look. I almost can’t wait for the after Christmas sales on decorations at Joann’s and Michael’s so I can do another Advent Calendar next year. Maybe I should get one of those inexpensive bare wreathes to clip the envelopes on?
If you decide to try to make one of these, please tell me about it. I hope you have fun getting ready for Christmas!!
Maddalena’s Retainer Bag
For anyone who is looking to sew a handy over the shoulder bag, here is a very rough, barebones sort of pattern.
MADDALENA’S RETAINER BAG PATTERN
How To Make Win Win Magnets
I have some old business cards left over, and I’m too darned stingy to just throw them away. My sister and my niece made me some fridge magnets, and while I was admiring them, a thought popped into my head. Hey! I could make some cute magnets out of my business cards! It took me almost no time to make a dozen of them, and didn’t cost very much, and now I’ve gotten rid of some old business cards that were just taking up space. That’s what I call a Win Win! And then I thought: Wow! What a great thing to do with lots of the swag that I’ve gotten. I mean, I hardly read paperbacks anymore, so I could recycle all those great bookmarks I’ve picked up at conventions that are too nice to throw away. Oh, and maybe my mom would like some magnets with the grandkids’ pictures! Or those Christmas cards I keep saving but never do anything with could be great seasonal magnets! And the more I thought, the more hooked I became on this quick and easy craft. And, being a nice, generous person, I thought I’d share how I did it.
Gather supplies. I used the following:
Glass bubbles.
I don’t actually know what these are called, but they are glass round things flat on one side and rounded on the other. You can get them in the floral section in the craft store, or in the mosaic making section. Mine are about 1 inch in diameter and about a quarter of an inch tall. Mine cost $2.99 for a 2 pound bag. You can get something like them for a buck at the dollar store. Or you can buy square glass tiles for a bit more.
A clear adhesive to glue the picture onto the bubble.
I looked at my glue supplies at home, and considered the Mod Podge, but it was pretty thick and old. I picked up some “Glossy Accents” at the craft store for $5.99. I couldn’t find Diamond Glaze, which is what others have used.
Magnets
I bought a 48 count pack of 3/4 inch round magnets for $7.99.
Glue
A good, strong glue is what you want here. I already had some E6000, but Goop would be fine, or whatever you like.
Pictures
Anything you want. Scan and print photographs. Cut out pieces of pretty wrapping paper, old Christmas cards, Valentine’s cards, paper swag from Romance Conventions like bookmarks, trading cards, and postcards, or whatever you want.
Hole Punch
This actually optional. I already had a 1 inch round hole punch from my scrap booking days. A pair of scissors would work just fine. If you decide to buy one it would cost under $10.00.
Directions:
1. Clean the glass bubbles to be sure there’s no lint or dust on them.
2. Cut out your paper. Should be a hair smaller than the flat side of the glass bubble. Doesn’t have to be exact. The glass isn’t always a perfect circle.
3. Smear a small amount of adhesive to the flat side of the bubble.
4. Place the paper on flat side of bubble, picture side to glass, and gently move it around to be sure the adhesive coats all parts of the paper. Smooth it flat to get any air bubble out. Let dry an hour or so, until it is completely dry.
5. Squirt a pea sized dollop of the strong glue to back of picture. Press magnet firmly into the glue. Set aside to dry.
Done! See how easy that is? Unique and fun gifts that take very little time and very little money. Even if you have to buy every item needed, including the hole punch, and pay to have old photos printed out, I think the magnets come out to about $0.49 each. But watch for sales and clip coupons, and it’s more like $0.28 each. A set of 6 would be a great stocking stuffer gift and could be tailored to the recipient. Know a quilter? Know a cat lover? This is a perfect, easy gift with a quirky, personal touch that won’t take weeks to make or break your budget. That’s why I call these Win Win Magnets.
The Tale of the RAGT Afghan
For the past four years I have attended the Annual Reader & Author Get Together in Ohio. One of the fun things about the event is the raffle baskets the attendees put together. The proceeds of the raffle go to www.OneWayFarm.org, an organization that helps neglected, abandoned and abused children. This year my raffle basket will contain a nice lap afghan that I crocheted out of a washable wool/acrylic yarn. But there is a story behind this afghan.
My newest kitty is named Dixie. She was rescued a couple of years ago from a hoarding house along with many, many other kitties. CATS Cradle Shelter in Fargo, ND does great work saving cats and finding them homes. You might have heard of them from my author bio. They are the shelter I donate a portion of my royalties to. They do amazing things to save kitties, and that takes money. You can learn more about them at www.catscradleshelter.org.
From the first I wanted Dixie. She is exactly the kind of cat I am drawn to: needy, frightened of people, and sweet-natured. However, I already had three cats when she first came to the shelter, and that is my personal limit. My landlord readily agreed that I could have four, but I have to look at the cost of food, litter and vet visits realistically. If I can’t afford to take care of four cats, I wouldn’t be doing me or them any good. Three was the most I could comfortably support.
Fast forward almost two years. I was down to two cats after Magic had to be put to sleep after her stroke. In a happy set of circumstances, I was able to bring Dixie home with me back in December. I was so excited! I had to control myself so I didn’t scare her. She came out of her shy shell slowly but surely. She sits in my lap about once a week. She loves demands to be petted. She’s not a cuddly kitty most of the time–when she’s in a mood, she tends to sit as far from me as she can get– but she’s happy and healthy, and I adore her. I think she’s coming to love me too, as more than just a set of hands that will stroke her on demand.
What, you ask, does that have to do with the afghan? Well, I’m always careful about yarn and cats. If they eat it, it could cause serious trouble, so I keep it shut up in project bags to be sure it’s out of reach. But Dixie has never shown much interest in my yarn until I began putting the blocks together. Then she seemed to become fixated on the afghan. When I was sitting in my chair working on it, she would sit inches away and carefully watch me.
If I had to get up for a minute, Dixie
would be curled up on the afghan when I came back.
When I’d put the afghan away in its bag, Dixie would drag it out and lay on a corner of it.
Dixie LOOOOOOVES this afghan! I was afraid it would break her heart when I’d have to pack it up to send for the raffle. So I began a new mini Dixie-ghan, just for her, hoping she would tranfer her attachment to it. And look! She likes it. Now I just need to get it away from her long enough to make it bigger. 🙂
One Way Farm Wrap
I designed (if a very simple knitted wrap can be called a design!) a shawl for the raffle basket my friend Jessica and I donated to Lori Foster’s Reader & Author Get Together last weekend. I received a number of complimentary comments on the shawl, and so I typed up the pattern. This is so easy that a pattern isn’t needed, but a lot of knitters prefer something written down as opposed to vague verbal directions. See the link below for the pattern (such as it is!)
ONE WAY FARM WRAP
I designed and knit this super easy shawl for a raffle basket at Lori Foster’s Annual Reader & Author Get Together. The proceeds from the raffle go to One Way Farm, so I named it after them. That non profit organization helps abused and abandoned kids and those with disabilities. They do good work. Learn more about them here: www.OneWayFarm.org.
The shawl is light enough to wear around your neck like a scarf, but it can be draped around the shoulders to keep you warm in an overly air conditioned restaurant or theater.
You can click the link for a printable pdf file of the pattern. One Way Farm Wrap
Hope you enjoy knitting it!
