Pink Rhinestone Project

My husband and I took a trip to the Antique Rose Emporium 

near Independence, Texas last week.

I didn't get the name of the buxom pink beauty on the arch next to me in the photo,

but the next time I'm there, I will find out who she is.

She is most definitely on my wish list.

As most everyone knows, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. And a plethora of products which supposedly support the cause can be found just about anywhere.

My policy concerning charitable causes is usually just to make a direct donation. That way I know most of the funds will go where needed, rather than putting it in a corporation’s pocket. This year I made an exception for a Wrangler “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” western shirt. I found it at an area sporting goods store my husband likes to visit frequently. It’s black with pink paisleys (one of my favorite patterns), which made it kind of hard to pass up.

I liked the shirt a lot as it was. But every woman should have at least one Rhinestone Cowgirl shirt. Plus, there may be something in Texas’ water. I went for more than 40 years not owning a single garment with rhinestones on it. Now, there are at least 5 items with glittery glass in my closet, 4 of which I embellished.

My western shirt is one of my favorites. Due to some good coupons to one of the craft stores it gave me the opportunity to try a new tool. A link to it can be found here: http://www.michaels.com/Hot-Fix-Crystal-Tool/bd0766,default,pd.html?cgid=products-beads-collections-createyourstyle. I liked it because there are several interchangeable tips for different size stones, and it has a power cord with an on/off switch. Since it stays hot as long as it’s on, you can do a large number of stones at one time if you wish. I used to have a battery operated hot-fix applicator, but it didn’t make it thru my first project. If you read any reviews for the Create Your Style tool, here are a couple of suggestions that made it work for me. First, if using Swarovski flat back rhinestones, make sure they say hot-fix on the package. (Packaging is black.) They also make a flat back without glue. (Packaging is white.) Go ahead and use the tip for a specific size stone. The point of the tips is to pick the stones up with the tool, and use it to place them in their desired location. I did notice the stones will come back up with the tool. Look closely at the tips. You will find two slots that nearly divide the tip in half. Once the stone is in its desired location, place a straight pin thru both slots, push it down onto the stone and lift the tool. Ta-da! The stone stays where you want it. For those who don’t mind an extra step, I cut Heat n Bond iron-on adhesive into pieces that fit my stones. (Yes, they were tiny pieces.) It was placed where the stones were going on my shirt to provide a little extra glue. I wanted to make sure my hard work wasn’t ruined by the HE washing machine.

The design on my Wrangler shirt was kept relatively simple. I embellished the collar tips, then followed the seams of the front and back yokes. I do have enough stones left to put a design on the cuffs. I just haven’t come up with something that wows me. The yokes come to points, while the cuffs don’t. So it just seemed better to stop. Some of the design decisions were due to cost. Swarovski hot fix stones are more expensive, but they have more facets and offer several colors, in packages that contain up to 90 stones in 3 different sizes. After cost consideration, it came down to the amount of time I wanted to spend on the project, and the fact that the shirt’s fabric was already busy. I could have made fancy, swirly templates on my computer. I just didn’t want to take the extra time on this occasion. I did do a dry layout for each embellished area to make sure there were enough stones. It also made actual application easier since the stones were already in order. The starting point of each area was the center. From there I worked my way out in each direction.

Moral of this story? Have fun with your favorite causes. Personalize them with a bit of bling or something else that’s just a bit outside your comfort zone. Just like rhinestones used to be for me.

The Project Queen

 The back yoke of my shirt. It's mostly a single row of stones following the seam,

except for the center where a second row extends about 3" in both directions.

Patio Cushion Makeover

Before and After

Retailers and manufacturers may want society to always buy new things or replacements, but there are times it just isn’t feasible or cost effective. Not to mention the waste created.

I have a glass top table and four chairs made for outdoor use. The chair cushions that came with the set weren’t very exciting to begin with, so it was already in the back of my mind to do something with them. This past winter I didn’t get them put away fast enough. Tools and other materials required for a major electrical repair ended up on my patio set, which resulted in some dirt and rust stains on a couple of my cushions. When spring arrived, I did clean the cushions. I just couldn’t get all of the stains out.

I started searching for new cushions. My chairs need deep seat cushions which tend to start at $30 apiece and go up from there. The cushions I liked the most were $50+ apiece. I couldn’t justify spending that much money on a patio set that was purchased for $100 (including the cushions).

Fortunately, there weren’t any tears in the fabric of the original cushions. Craft paint became my cushion savior. I opted for a basic acrylic paint in a color called “Apple Tart”, instead. It does make the fabric a bit stiff, but I chose it partly to keep the cost down. Fabric paints are more expensive, and they rarely come in larger bottles. I used 2 ½ bottles, in a 16 oz. size, of the green paint. It was thinned with a bit of water before being applied to the cushions with a large sponge brush and was applied on all sides first. Even though I planned to keep the piping brown, I didn’t worry about getting the green paint on it. After a few years outside, the color had faded. I also wanted a darker brown than the original. On the first 3 cushions, I didn’t do any masking next to the piping while painting it, which did mean some touch ups. I decided to take the extra time with the last cushion. As a time saver it’s probably a bust. On the other hand, I didn’t feel like I had to be super careful only to have to cover mistakes anyway.

The vertical design down the center of the cushions is on the front side only. It’s a Moroccan tile pattern that’s easy to find on the internet. I scaled it to 4” wide by 4 ¼” tall before printing it. I made 1 and ½ of the template. I did an initial measurement to find the center of the cushions. Starting at the top, the ½ template was placed in the center and traced with a dark brown Sharpie. Then the full template was lined up with it and traced. Just keep moving the template down one full repeat until the design reaches the bottom edge of the seat cushion. To keep the design centered, use a pencil to mark the cushion with occasional tick marks from top to bottom. If you’re filling in the design with paint, no one will see them. Depending on the design and its size, it’s easiest to paint it with a brush called an angular shader. The paints I used in the center were metallic sapphire blue and emerald green.

I opted to do a top coat of iridescent glaze on the cushions to take a bit of the rough feel off the acrylic paint. Plus I like the bit of added sparkle. The glaze color is called “Gold Satin Opal”, made by Valspar. (The product may not be available anymore. I got my last bottle off the “oops” paint shelf with a clearance price more than a year ago. However, there may a similar product that comes in a can. I haven’t investigated it yet.) Since I didn’t want the metallic colors in the center design muted, they were done after the glaze was applied.

By this point some may be wondering why this project is being posted now. I didn’t get the opportunity to start working with my cushions until summer arrived. (Curtains for my gazebo were made during the spring.) Like many projects it took me longer than I planned. I’m just now finishing up the last cushion. (Plenty of other things have been done in between.) Since I live in Texas, there will be a bit of time this fall to enjoy my handiwork before the cushions need to be put away. My recommendation for anyone considering a makeover is to do it during the winter. When the outdoor living merchandise starts showing up in stores again, you won’t feel the need to replace those chair cushions that are now uniquely yours.

The Project Queen

 

My supplies

 The templates

Green Beans with Spaetzle

This may not be the kind of dish served during Octoberfest, except by someone like me who’s crazy about fresh green beans. I do know spaetzle is an eggy pasta from Germany and Austria. It’s very likely my German great-grandmother made it, so I’m offering my version of this side dish in honor of everyone’s favorite beer-drinking and polka dancing month.

(Green Beans and Spaetzle was one of my favorite Birds Eye sides. In fact, I discovered spaetzle in that product after I got married. It seemed quite daring to try something I never heard of before. I haven’t seen it in stores for a while now, but that’s OK. It’s better to make your own.)

The amount you prepare is totally up to you. This is an eyeball recipe. Base proportions of ingredients based on what you like the most. Here’s what you need: Butter, fresh or frozen green beans, cooked spaetzle, diced onion, and real bacon bits, or some crumbled, cooked bacon. Melt the butter in a skillet or sauté pan. I used my ceramic coated non-stick. You can use an oil of your choice instead of butter, if you prefer. When your butter is melted add the green beans and onions. After they are coated with butter, place a lid on the pan and let the veggies steam for a few minutes. Remove the lid, add the spaetzle , bacon bits and some fresh ground pepper. (Bacon makes up for adding salt, but feel free to add it if you desire.) I like my beans and spaetzle to have a little golden brown color. You can make yours however you like. In fact, since the spaetzle is already cooked this dish might have the potential to become a cold salad.

In case you’re wondering, spaetzle can be found as a dried pasta in stores. Take a stab at making it yourself at least once. Homemade is far tastier and has chewy texture than dried noodles. Spaetzle is actually one of the easier pastas to make in terms of skills required. Unlike Italian style pastas, it’s mixed in a bowl and there is no kneading. However, it does require a sturdy wooden spoon and a bit of muscle. The batter should resemble a smooth paste when you finish stirring. You may find you need to add more water than the recipe calls for. The last batch I made needed more water. I didn’t measure how much extra I added. I just kept stirring in a bit at a time until I got the consistency I wanted. Now, if you think you would rather use mechanical means to mix your batter, I do not recommend a hand-mixer. The motor will not be strong enough and will burn-out, literally. You can try a stand mixer with a heavier motor, but you may not enjoy clearing the batter out of the paddle beater. Since spaetzle is mostly flour with several eggs, it’s sticky and stringy with protein. (But that’s what makes it so delightful to eat after it’s cooked.) If your mixer has one, a dough hook may accomplish the task with less clean-up. I just haven’t tried it with my stand mixer yet.

A link to a spaetzle recipe isn’t included here because the recipe I used wasn’t found on the internet. Like most things these days I’m sure they’re out there. My recipe comes from the book pictured below. I consider it a good investment. It has lots of recipes for making pastas, as well as finished dishes. It also has pastas made of such flours as buckwheat (a seed, not a grain) and chestnuts. If you want a gluten-free option for home-made pasta this book may give you some options. My husband was diagnosed with MS a few months ago. There are a lot of things he may have to eliminate from his diet, including gluten, so I will be taking a closer look at those recipes.

The Project Queen

Tropical Seas Wind Chime

One of the nice things about grown children is their ability to remember important dates. And their capacity to not only create, but finish, projects on their own. It also turns out that they can be observant occasionally.

My older daughter and her fiancé made this wind chime for my birthday. They used a palette of my favorite colors along with an assortment of glass beads and sea shells. In the event I may want to display it outside, they also sealed the top wood disk to protect from moisture. Right now it’s hanging up in my studio (where I’ve been spending most of my time recently) allowing me to admire it more.

The Project Queen