SewThankful Blog – Page 3 – There's sew much to be thankful for…

Got leftover cans of pumpkin? Make DELICIOUS Brunch Pumpkin Pancakes from Scratch

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, placed into small bowl and loosened with fork until no clumps remain
2 1/4 cups pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups whole milk + 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup real butter, melted
Optional: 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
First, combine milk with lemon juice in a glass measuring cup or glass bowl. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes or so (while you are preparing the other ingredients).

Next, in a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Mix until all ingredients are well evenly distributed. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using a whisk or fork, combine pumpkin with beaten eggs. Mix until smooth. Sprinkle the loose brown sugar evenly over the pumpkin/egg mixture and stir in, mixing well. Add the milk/lemon juice mixture (it should be thick and clumpy as you pour it in). Add vanilla and melted butter.

Add the dry ingredients (previously set aside) to the wet ingredients in 3 separate additions, stirring lightly and mixing well but not over-mixing. The batter should remain slightly lumpy. If chocolate chips are desired, add them now and mix until evenly distributed. Hint: I pour about 1/3 of plain batter into small bowl then add chocolate chips to the large bowl so we can both have plain and chocolate chip versions. Set batter aside to rest for approximately 5-10 minutes or so.

Prepare your griddle, preheating it to approximately 350 to 375 degrees. You will know your griddle is hot enough when you finger drip water over the griddle and it immediately sizzles up. I use a cast iron griddle and butter as my lubricant, but you may choose to use your favorite griddle or pan and lubricant (butter, coconut oil, or cooking spray, etc.).

Depending on how large you like your pancakes, pour 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (or whatever size/amount you prefer) into puddles on the griddle. Allow to cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and allow the other side to cook until golden brown.

The number of pancakes you get will depend on how big you make them. This recipe feeds our family of 2 large and hungry teenage boys + 2 adults and leaves quite a bit of leftovers.

The leftover pancakes freeze beautifully. Simply let them cool then place in freezer bag(s). I use quart size freezer bags and put 4-6 pancakes in each bag so the boys can pull out a bag and finish it the same day. Be sure to remove as much air as possible when you close the bag. Place in freezer. Reheat pancakes in toaster.

How to make & add a hanging loop to your project in 3 easy steps!

Do you have a small project–like the Double-sided Button Rick Rack Flower used here as a decorative zipper pull–that you’d like to hang as a decorative zipper pull or wall ornament or tree ornament or attach to something like a gift/package, etc. but you need a way to do so?

Adding a hanging loop is a super simple way to solve that problem and here’s how to do it in 3 easy steps:

1. CUT a length of string, yarn, narrow ribbon, bakers twine, etc. I usually go with about a 6 – 8 inch length unless I need a longer dangle. If longer dangle is necessary, then cut a longer piece.

Remember, the length of dangle will be 1/2 the length you cut MINUS about 1 inch give or take depending on how close to the end you tie your knot AND whether you are looping around a button (or similar) or through a hole.

2. KNOT the ends. Make the knot as close to the ends as possible.

3. ATTACH to your project. Loop the string around (or through–if there is a hole to insert through), then insert the “folded” end of your loop through the strings of the knotted end.

Click image to enlarge picture and view detail. Pull the “folded” end so that the knot disappears behind the button (or on the back side of your flat item if inserting through a hole.)

If you have a small fabric item that you need to add a hanging hole to, you could use an awl to pierce a hole.

Want the pattern for how to make the Double-sided Button Rick Rack Flower shown here? It’s included as a bonus in my StandZa Zip Bags sewing pattern.

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POPCORN AWESOMENESS–make your own microwave popcorn!

Mind blowing…that’s what this was for me.

Made in the microwave…no fuss…no muss…no nasty preservatives. You control the salt and all your favorite toppings!

I have a weakness. Yes, quilts, fabric, threads, sewing and bicycles. But no, that’s not what I’m talking about now. I have a major weakness for popcorn. I always have. Salty, crunchy, (sometimes spicy) and always delicious. POPCORN. Make it sweet. Make it spicy. Make it buttery. Make it any way you want.

I. LOVE. POPCORN.

Air popped popcorn just doesn’t cut it for me and who wants to clean up that funky machine?

I love microwave popcorn…ummmmm. Have you ever checked out the ingredients for that stuff? Uggggh.

Stove-top popcorn is awesome, but the cleanup is a hassle.

I need something fast, easy, inexpensive, relatively healthy (and OK…sometimes not so healthy if that’s what I choose) and inexpensive.

So, when I discovered I can make my own microwave popcorn I was…BLOWN AWAY!

Here’s what you need:

Microwave
1 brown paper bag (lunch sack size)
1/4 cup popcorn kernels
OPTIONAL toppings: salt, butter, coconut oil, pepper, spices, caramel or any topping of your choice

THAT’S IT! Can you believe it?

Here’s HOW you do it…OMG it’s too easy:

Place 1/4 cup popcorn kernels (I prefer organic of any brand, but use your favorite type and brand) in a brown paper lunch bag.
Fold the bag down about 3 times with approx. 1 inch each fold; creasing firmly with each fold.
Place in the center of the microwave and close the door.
Press the “popcorn” button if your microwave has one. If your microwave doesn’t have a “popcorn” button, set it for 4 minutes and LISTEN CLOSELY. After your popcorn has started popping, it will be done when it goes approximately 3 – 5 seconds without making a pop. If you get to the end of 4 minutes and your popcorn hasn’t even started popping you either need fresh popcorn or a new microwave.
Once popped, pour the popcorn into your favorite bowl and add your favorite toppings.

Enjoy…amazing popcorn. Healthier. Tastier. And at a fraction of the cost.

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Quilted Sea Turtle Pillow — July 2017

Scrappy Sea Turtle Pillow — original design and copyright Tracy Lee Chapman

This is the Scrappy Sea Turtle Pillow I designed and made as a gift for a very dear friend. She listens without being judgmental, she encourages without being critical, but she also tells it like it is. She is the best kind of friend and she’s made a wonderful difference in my life so I wanted her to have something special to know that she’s important and cared for. She adores Sea Turtles–and purple & blue are her favorite colors.

At first I was going to make this as a wall hanging. Then I decided to make it into a pillow instead so my friend can display it easily wherever she wants and it’s hug-able. Making the quilted turtle as a pillow sham (with a custom shredded gel-foam pillow insert) also keeps the quilted turtle sham easy to wash and dry.

This is my own original design, entirely from scratch. Where did I get the turtle image? I looked at many sea turtle images and sketched my own. Then I challenged myself to use only fabrics, threads and items from my own personal stash–no buying anything new.

First the turtle was outlined with a hand sewn big stitch using rayon perle from my personal stash.

I used raw edge fusible applique (using Sew Lazy Fusi-Bond http://www.sewthankful.com/Sew_Lazy_Fusi_Bond_Lite_Sew_Lazy_SLG101.html) to place the pieces of the turtle body & shell.

Each piece is freemotion quilted using Superior Microquilter thread (http://www.sewthankful.com/superior-sewing-threads-microquilter.html).

Then I added wavy quilting lines (to give the feel of water) using Superior Rainbows Thread (I used #831 Mediterranean – http://www.sewthankful.com/Superior-Thread-Rainbows.html ).

The scrappy binding was made from random small scraps of fabric used to make the turtle.

The finished dimensions of the pillow are approximately 27 inches x 20 inches.

I love how this sea turtle turned out. Even better, my friend was thrilled and loves it too.

Yes, a pattern is being developed…stay tuned.

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