LATEST ARTICLE FOR "CHEAP EATS &THRIFTY CRAFTS"- Before American Girl and Barbie, There Was Church Baby

This is the link to my latest article for Cheap Eats & Thrifty Crafts:

http://www.cheapeatsthriftycrafts.com/vintage-doll-craft-before-american-girl-and-barbie-there-was-church-baby/

A few months ago I received an email from Jesse, the editor of Cheap Eats & Thrifty Crafts asking if this was the Carolyn Wainscott who had written tutorials for Fave Crafts and other online craft sites under Prime Publishing a few years ago. [Cheap Eats is another site for Prime Publishing along with several other sites that are geared towards different crafts: cooking, crochet, sewing, knitting, etc] Yep, I responded, you found me. Would I be interested in writing articles for her? Well, now, what did she have in mind-and my relationship with Prime Publishing is on again. 

I don't know if Jesse gets in a pinch or is just desparate but she messages me asking if I could come up with specific crafts for her special weeks. I send her what are possibilities from my long bucket list that I made at the beginning of this year and keep adding to it and she chooses what she thinks would be suitable. The last time she wanted something vintage and something angels and picked the Church Baby as one. 

My good friend, Val, told me about a online craft site called FaveCraft several years ago-late 2010- and I have been hooked ever since. I downloaded so many crochet patterns I will have to live to 300 to get them all done not to mention all the other crafts ideas there. 

This morning before starting this post I looked back to check when I wrote my very first post and found that www.carolynscanvas.blogspot.com was born on August 31, 2010. I had been planning on starting one for quite a while and finally got it going. No clear picture of what it could or would be. I had just gotten through with canning season and even included a recipe that I would be using the peaches in that had just been put up:

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2010/08/hallelujah-cannings-done.html

Then in early 2011 FaveCrafts put out a call for craft tutorials and videos and I sent in the application to see what was going on. The editor said nothing spectacular, no big production company so my great experience of writing 3 or 4 blog posts with recipes and poems by then and my vast love of crafting with my little video camera would do. My first Favecraft tutorial was uploaded and online April, 2011. 

Several months later when Prime Publishing launched another site, FaveQuilts, I was asked since I am a quilter by the editor if I could submit tutorials for that site also. 

I have enjoyed working with the craft sites. I love sharing crafting with others and have worked with many groups but I had to step back for a while due to my husband's health and other circumstances. I kept somewhat busy with my own crafting-it is my therapy. Now, here I am again sharing on other craft sites besides my own, I guess it keeps me busy and out of trouble. 

And a shout out to Jesse Carpenter, editor of Cheap Eats, to thank her for allowing me to share my love of crafting.

May the joy of crafting be upon you

Carolyn Wainscott

HANNAH MEETS BRYCE THE WONDER BOY

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about prayer quilts my great, granddaughter, Hannah, and I were making:

http://carolynscanvas.blogspot.com/2015/10/prayer-quilts-for-loved-ones-cancer.html

Pockets are put on the quilts for several reasons. Gifts of books and other things can be included with the quilt and cold little feet can be warmed in those pockets. 

Not only did Hannah want to make the quilt for Bryce, she wanted to give it to him personally and to read his book to him so arrangements were made to do just that. Bryce has need for more surgeries in the future so the quilt will come in handy. I forgot to take photos of the quilt[s] folded up into the pocket but it becomes a pillow or treasure keeper. Bryce has a twin brother, Cohen, so a quilt was made for him, too. Can't leave him out. 

Earlier in the day the family had been to a soccer game-both boys love sports and both get to participate. Bryce loves to watch all sports on tv, Cohen, maybe not so much.

It surely was a sweet, sweet thing to be a part of-to see Bryce's smile-he has such a wonderful personality-as does Cohen and Bryce was sitting on his mother's lap waiting for Hannah. I'll just let the pictures tell the story.

Oh, and Bryce really likes the girls but Cohen-not

Then yesterday I was sent these photos of the boys with their quilts. They had a sleepover at Grandma's house that night-it had been a long day:

Bryce's Momma, Casey, filled us in on some of the struggles they have all been through. He has Cystic Fibrosis. there have been some very scary moments since before they were born and there will be many trying times in the future. Please keep them and other families like this in your prayers whose daily lives are centered around the 24/7 care of a loved one. 

Thank you for stopping by and may the joy of crafting be upon you

Carolyn Wainscott

PRAYER QUILTS FOR LOVED ONES-A CANCER PATIENT, ONE WITH MANY HEALTH PROBLEMS, ONE HANDICAPPED

When I come out of my workroom, I don't want to have to think about cooking or getting something to eat together and I like good food so I try to have it ready for when I get done soooo I have become a kind of crock pot queen-throw it in, let it cook.

 This week I was craving good ol' pinto beans with cornbread and my homemade potato/broccoli/cheese soup [will share my revised recipe here at the end of this post]. Well, beans don't do well for me in a crock pot so Tuesday morning the bean pot came out and beans put on the stove to cook, I just have to keep remembering to come back in and stir them up and remembering anything is a chore any more for me but great balls of fire, I didn't burn them this time and they didn't stick. That's the reason I love a crock pot, don't have to worry about that. 

Anyhoo--

Beans on, finished putting binding on the two prayer quilts I had quilted a few days before, had taken to Bible study and we prayed for healing for my niece, Pattie, who is being treated for cancer right now and for my sister-in-law, Delores who has several health problems. She had a hysterectomy last week, is diabetic, is still recouping from knee surgery and had breast cancer last year. Pattie's was sent to her in Florida as soon as I finished binding and packaging that morning. 

Both quilts were from one of the fabrics that I keep for these special pieces. When I find something I want to use, I get all I can afford that day. This one has Psalm 23 and is of a tranquil scene. I have found it on sale several times and bought it each time I find it. There are only a couple of more panels left in my stash so will be looking out for more fabrics I think I want to use. 

Here is my great, grandduaghter's, Hannah, first sewing project on her own sewing machine-a prayer quilt for a little handicapped boy named Bryce.

This is the video I took of her as she worked.

I get more of a blessing for being able to make these prayer quilts than the ones who receive them.

God bless you and may the joy of crafting be upon you
Carolyn Wainscott
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BIG OOPS
Almost forgot I was going to give you my recipe for my soup-mind you, I usually don't measure much of anything so you may want to adjust some of the ingredients to suit yourself and I don't seem to be able to make just a little of anything after cooking for years for a family and guests.
so here goes:
On Wednesday, before I went into sewing room to hem a bunch of jeans for great, grandson, Blake, I started the soup in the crock pot-remember, I don't like to have to cook when I get done working

[2] 32 oz. cartons of chicken stock
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped onions [I know, I am getting to be a really a lazy cook]
a bag of frozen shredded hash browns [I used over 1/2 of a 2 lb. bag]
2-3 cups left over mashed potatoes [I made lots of extra for dinner a couple of days before just for this soup]
-cooked on high for 4-5 hours-
added a couple of cups of chopped frozen broccoli
then when the broccoli was cooked added:
50 ozs. mild cheddar cheese sauce
[I usually use Velveeta but it seems to be getting rather pricey-was looking for a large can of cheese sauce I had used before but found Gehl's Nacho cheese sauce-it came in a box with 2 -50 oz. bags for about $8 so there is another bag left for nachos or pretzels]

Hope you like the soup, I sure do
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Please check out my designs on 

CRAFTSY.COM 

 @

http://www.craftsy.com/user/pattern/store/43851

ETSY

@

https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltingCarolyn

THE CRAFT STAR

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http://carolynscanvasquiltingcraftingsewingpatterns.thecraftstar.com/

Available only in my Etsy shop "Carolyn's Canvas"

13" by 24" boy or girl panel silk screened on 100% Kona PFD [prepared for dying] cotton ready for hand painting with your own fabric paints or markers or to be thread painted by hand or machine. Instructions included for adding borders to make baby quilt. 

MY ORIGINAL "JESUS LOVES ME" QUILT-Designed And Made Over 30 Years Ago

The original "Jesus Loves Me" quilt was made over 30 years ago for my first grandchild, Robert. He was in Hawaii where his father was stationed in the Army. 

I was heartbroken that he was there, it was my first Christmas without him since he had been born.  

Right after Christmas I sketched my pattern onto the largest paper I had which was the back of left over wrapping paper. gathered up what fabrics I had including my stash of old blue jeans from family members and went to work so I could get the quilt to him as soon as possible. It was all hand applique and embroidery. The denim squares  were machine sewn. The back is a flannel blanket. The background panel is very fragile and thin now-I had to use what I had on hand. Hair is scraps of velvet, I still like velvet for texture. 

Here it is, kind of pitiful, isn't it? Still my favorite pattern I have done but it has evolved. I have just completed 2 baby quilts and 2 more in process in the newer pattern.  

Can you make out the embroidered "Mamaw & Papaw love you too?"

the black embroidery threads are showing through the very thin background and I do not draw well.

blanket stitching is still my fave applique stitch

As you can see the quilt is well worn and tattered, it has been through a lot. 

Rob loved little cars so pockets from some of the jeans were included in the squares for them. 

I was doing what I could at the time with what I had.

Then here is a whole cloth version, probably my first try at free motion quilting for Rob's younger brother made several years later. It was damaged when we had a fire in our home.

The quilting has Travis' genealogy quilted in the tree

Nope-no great pieces of art here but I'm in no way ashamed of them even with the wavy bindings, crude drawings, odd fabrics. There is lots of love in those quilts for those boys and that's what counts. 

Now, 32 years later, here are "Jesus Loves Me" panels in progress. These have been traced onto cotton then hand painted. Panels will be available in pattern form to be traced or transferred onto muslin or other cotton in a choice of 2 panel sizes -16" by 27" or

11" by 18" with complete instructions for making a baby quilt.   

The panels will also be available printed on PFD [prepared for dying] Kona cotton for the quilt maker to paint. 
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The above was written several months ago and there has been even more new thoughts and developments for the pattern/print that will be available soon. I hope to have it all in the works within the next couple of weeks. 

The panels are available in my Etsy shop in very limited quantity till I see how they may do 

@

https://www.etsy.com/shop/QuiltingCarolyn.

All of this came about when I pulled out my "Jesus Loves Me" pattern to make 5 baby quilts for the new additions to our family and decided to  put them into pattern form months ago. It has been a long process for me but I think well worth it in the long run. I have worked almost exclusively on samples, changing, rearranging, redoing, etc.

Anyway

Thank you for stopping by and may the joy of crafting be upon you

Carolyn Wainscott