Saturday, December 29, 2012

Lefse Making 2013

Our Holiday season was a little different than past years. With the start of "Remnants By Carrie" (update to come on that later) I didn't get any handmade gift making for my own gift list (although completed custom orders for a number of customers :)!) And with all the illness we have had in our house I didn't even make my traditional collection of Holiday cookies (sorry Uncle Paul!). We did get a real tree for the first time in 7 years, hung our stockings and set up our collection of Nativity scenes. We had fun shopping with the boys and anticipated the arrival of Santa. We watched Holiday movies in preparation of the season. Despite both boys having colds and coughs we spent Christmas Eve day with my family eating fabulous food, opening gifts and playing Scrabble. Because of said colds, though, the boys and I had to skip Daddy's family Christmas as Papa just had lung surgery and the last thing he needs is a cough. Daddy did go and brought home presents and great food!

One of the highlights of the season was the Little and I going to my mom and dad's and learning to make lefsa. What fun! We always have a Scandinavian feel to our Christmases reflecting our Norwegian, Swedish and Danish heritage. The little (being well over 1/2 Norwegian) is a lefsa lover so we decided it was time for he and I to get a lesson. The Norse in the both of us came out and we ROCKED! What fun! He can't wait to make some more at Easter time! Here are a few pictures of our morning...
 The Little learning how to roll the lefsa from Grandma.
 
The Little's favorite job: flouring the next pat of lefse dough for rolling.
 
 
  Learning to flip the lefsa from Grandpa.

 Grandpa and the Little with their flipping sticks (really need to look up the official name for them...)
 
 
 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Advent Traditions

One of my favorite traditions as a child the daily tradition of snapping the ornament on our advent calendar. My mom and her sister have matching homemade advent calendars so we new that our cousin's were doing the same thing...a fun tie to family who lived a ways away. As we all grew and left home we decided we all needed our own calendars so the soon-to-be grandmas could keep theirs (and siblings didn't fight over the coveted tradition :)!). One fall day we all met at my aunt's in northern Wisconsin to make a calendar for each cousin to have in their homes. Such fun! Now our calendar's have a bit of each of us in them. My boys love the tradition and strategically arrange the ornaments so they get to put up their favorites as they alternate days. Each ornament has a paper description that describes how it ties into the Christian observation of Advent. This year my little made a chain Advent calendar in school to also mark the days to Christmas. Now we have two wonderful ways to honor the season and our family traditions!











First Winter Storm Of The Season

Yeah! Even more exciting since it is falling on a Sunday and my husband doesn't need to commute in it! A lovely, snowy day all cozy at home! The perfect day to mak Christmas cookies, put together puzzles and knit...all with the fire burning in the background!







Sunday, November 25, 2012

What's Been Happening!

So sorry I have once again been absent from this place. So much going on! Here is just a bit of the last month's activities...

Fall crafting

Game playing -Wildlife Bingo is a favorite right now as is Wildlife Matching - both games found

Christmas crafting (these have been selling well at craft shows :))

LOTS of knitting!








Cyber Monday Sale!

15% off at Remnants By Carrie on Etsy!

Coupon code:

REMNANTSMONDAY15

Have a great day!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Projects From The Last Month

Just a few pics of some of the latest additions to the market booth (and my own sewing table :) ) from the last couple weeks...

A few new bags

"Bird In Basket" in my new BOHO style. Fabulous old fabrics trimmed out with a big 'ol vintage button.
Round 2 for Masco seeds...this one a little more girly then the last with vintage doilies trimming it.
 
A Mushroom Tote made from a great linen towel and an autumnal plaid. Finished with a great vintage wool button.

A few more little goodies for the purse or drawer...

Lavender sachets made from vintage hankies that had lived their past lives gloriously
but now with holes or stains needed a new calling.
Pocket kleenex protectors.
 And some fun little items for the Autumn table...
Rag Ball Acorns
Vintage Doily Luminara Pumpkins

Fabric charm pack pumpkins
And in the kitchen while I'm sewing...
Homemade chicken stock for lots of soups this winter. 

And lots of crockpot meals - this one with locally grown cabbage.



Sunday, October 7, 2012

Friends Again! (And A Market Update)

With a little research I was able to solve my no photo stand off with Blogger. Yeah! SO, hopefully this means I will be in the space regularly again.

Here are some pics of some of my recent additions to the market table at Goose Lake Winery's Artisan & Farmer's Market. Just three left (one of which - Oct. 20 - I won't be at)! The market on October 27 will be a grand affair with the Winery throwing it's annual Harvest Festival! Please come and join in the fun!

Reversible Cup Cozies in loads of different prints! There is one to match everyone on your  stocking stuffer list!

Stuffed handmade pumpkins being guarded by a couple "Tweedy Birds" and a "Mourning Crow".

T-shirt arm bands are proving to be a nice thing to have on the table. I am selling one or two sets a week.

One of my new BOHO design bags - this one in an orange and yellow iris print.
A patchwork BOHO bag - this is one of my favorites!
Another BOHO bag in a cheery orange and yellow flower print.


Monday, September 17, 2012

So Sorry...

...for the long delay here. Apparently, I have reached my maximum number of photos allowed by Blogspot and now need to start paying a monthly fee... would rather not do that so am looking into alternative options. In the meantime, please visit me at my Facebook page which I am trying to update a little more regularly.

facebook.com/remnantsbycarrie

Thank you!

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Flekkefest 2012

Every year we try and make it back to my mother-in-law's home town for their annual town festival - Flekkefest. It is a strong Norwegian community and it is always found tasting the foods I grew up with (I am Norwegian and grew up in a strong Norwegian community too) and enjoying the other flavors of small town life. The boys enjoyed the blow up amusements and we had a blast at the parade (nothing like bringing home a plastic grocery bag 3/4 full of candy...). We also had a very nice visit with Grandma and Grandpa as well as Grandma's best friend from high school who was in town for the all-school reunion.

Enjoying the amusements!

Waiting for the parade to start! I may be biased but they sure are darn cute boys!

The approaching of the flag. The boys learned at an early age to stand,
remove their hat and cover their heart when the flag goes past. And if someone forgets the head of the color guard will remind them.

The Historical Society's addition to the parade.

A Norwegian festival isn't complete without a Norwegian longboat and a couple of Viking's!

Hope there aren't any fires in any of the neighboring in town! All the fire trucks for miles around are in the parade!

My Little's favorite! The troll on the toilet! (It is actually a stump but he like to think it's a toilet - more funny that way!)

Last Weeks Thrifting Adventures

Between all the activities last week (including a guest, Vacation Bible Camp, 18 innings of baseball and camping) I did fit in a few garage sales and an estate sale. Between these visits and some great finds from my Mom, I did end up with some nice things.

The week's finds, overall.


A vintage ice cube tray my mom found (soon to be listed on Ebay), a great vintage baby bib (already on Etsy) and a fabulous match holder (heading to Clear Lake) among other things.

A vintage butter mold, a Haeger Mary and Child (1 of 3 I found at one sale) and some great Mary Poppins Melmac dishes (not sure if I will list those on Ebay or Etsy).

Some great vintage books and all three of the Mary and Child Haeger pieces.


Saturday, July 28, 2012

Market Day!


Today was another good day at the Goose Lake Winery Artisan & Farmer's Market! I have such fun going there!

I had a whirlwind sewing day on Friday so that I would have some new bags to bring and here they are...
A Western King flour bag with a blue and white gingham lining. My friend Zane (another vendor at the market) requested that I make some bags that would appeal to men so I did! Zane liked this one so much that he bought it! Thank you Zane!  I made three for the market two weeks ago and they all sold too (scroll to end of post for a few pictures of those)! 

A great bag aimed at the younger set. Features a vintage dresser linen with a horse and colt fabric-markered one half of the linen is on the front and the other half is the inside pocket. The striped fabric was once a pillowcase and the inside lining is a great piece of blue and pink remnant calico.








The embroidery on this one was one of four embroidered corners on an old tablecloth. Their were stains and holes all over but I was able to salvage all four  corners to use in my bags. The first is the lemon corner, complimented by a great gray and yellow vintage feedsack. The inside is some black and white gingham and a plain white flour sack.
  

Another Hubbard bag - this one featuring a menagerie of farm animals. The colors are nice and bright. What I love about these Hubbard bags is that the front and back are identical so I can get two bags from one sack. The inside of this one is a great bright yellow and white gingham. The outside is decorated with a vintage doily (covering a spot that was faded).



The last bag from one of my favorite tableclothes of all time! The bright pink poppies and olive green foliage are a fabulous color combination! I kept this one simple and didn't add any lace or doilies. I wanted the poppies to speak for themselves. The lining is my favorite olive green and white vintage gingham. I am at the tale end of this fabulous fabric and hope I find some more again someday!


And two bags from my previous batch...
A great bag using ultra-suede and an old banker's bag. The lining is a great ethnic inspired vintage print.
This one sold today! (Thanks Todd!)

One of the bags from two weeks ago. An Oneida feed sack with a red and white gingham lining. It sold it's first day out too! (Thanks Zane :) -!)