Self-Binding Quilted Potholder (Lion Edition)

Do you remember the first quilted potholders I made? I sewed them 7 months ago, just after finishing my first quilt, when I was still brand new to sewing. My first potholders are very lopsided, I didn't quilt them properly (or evenly), and the binding is a mess. I was looking at them the other day and realized how far I've come with my sewing skills since then. I'm still learning and practicing the basics, but I am now a confident beginner. 

I decided to see just how far I've come by making another potholder. It's not perfect, but it is soooo much better than the others! 

To make my potholder, I layered an 8" square of lion fabric onto an 8" square of batting. I'm much more proficient at cutting fabric accurately now, so that definitely helped with the finished product. I pinned the layers in the center and added clips all the way around the outside. Overkill? Perhaps, but I was determined not to have the layers shift while I quilted them like they did last time. 

It worked! I didn't have to square up the block, as it remained perfectly square after quilting. And check out those even quilting lines! I used my ruler to measure where they go, then marked them by dragging my fingernail against the ruler. That gave me creases that were easy to follow when sewing. I should have ironed out that random crease ahead of time, but it didn't interfere with my quilting. 

I put the quilted layers right side up on an upside down 10" square of yellow fabric, then folded up the edges and pressed them. I had a heck of a time getting the corners to lay nicely; that's definitely a skill I need to work on. I sewed around the inside edge to lock the binding in place, then around the outside edge.

Here's the finished potholder on my cutting mat. The corners bow out a little bit, but compared to the others.... what a difference! 

Here's an original potholder, for comparison: 

Like I said... what a difference! I am looking forward to continuing to improve my skills. I'm having so much fun learning to quilt and am so glad to have this fun and rewarding hobby. 

Crafts for Kids Using Candy Eyeballs

I love crafting with candy eyeballs. They add so much personality and whimsy to cakes, pancakes, cupcakes, milkshakes, marshmallows, lollipops, and so much more! Below are some of my favorite edible crafts decorated with candy eyeballs. 

Edible Crafting with Candy Eyeballs

Heart Tropical Fish Cookie - Three heart cookies come together to make a cute tropical fish. Make just one or a whole ocean's worth of brightly colored fish. 

Candy Melt Witches - I had a blast making these witches. The sprinkle eyebrows and mouth add so much expression. Can you guess what I used to make the noses?

Nut Butter Bear - This cute bear is made with two types of rice cakes and two types of nut butter. It's easy to make and really tasty. I've included ideas in the tutorial for substitutions if nut allergies are a concern. 

Ho Ho Bat - I love bats. These delicious treats are made with Ho Hos, Oreos, almonds, and a few other items... including candy eyeballs, of course!

Twinkie Birds - From Ho Hos to Twinkies! Dress up these snack cakes to look like a family of birds. Each is on a stick to make it extra fun to eat. 

Dracula Smores - Ordinary smores are fun, but Dracula smores are even better. These are so fun to make for Halloween or other vampire-themed occasion. 

Nutter Butter People - It turns out that Nutter Butters are great for turning into different characters. Gather up candy eyeballs and other treats and get creative! I ended up making 7 people and it was so much fun. 

Decorated Donuts - Candy eyeballs and donuts are a match made in heaven. There are so many creative possibilities, but I'm particularly fond of this grouchy cinnamon roll. 

Graham Cracker Owls - Make one graham cracker owl or a whole family. They're quick and easy to make and are such a fun option for snack time. 

Be sure to check out all of the edible crafts I've made featuring candy eyeballs. And if you have an idea for something you'd like me to try, let me know in the comments! I'm happy to give it a go. 

North Dakota 2023

Our 2023 visit to North Dakota was memorable for so many reasons. It was our fiftieth state. We visited a bunch of interesting and unique places. And we experienced plague levels of grasshoppers. 

North Dakota (affiliate link)

I'd originally planned to put the "hello!" die cut on the grasshopper photo, but I ended up moving it to highlight Trevor. He's popped up in the prairie dog enclosure. What a fun way to let guests get a closer view! It's a great photo op too. 

Did you notice my title? I wanted to use those letters because they matched the striped paper perfectly, but I didn't have any O's left. I trimmed down a 6 to make the O in north; the circle sticker with a heart inside worked well as the O in dakota. Scrapbookers are nothing if not resourceful!

California Coast Cruise, Part 7: At Sea on the Ruby Princess

This is my seventh and final post about our California Coast cruise. I suggest reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth posts before reading this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received media passes and other benefits for many of the locations we visited throughout our trip. Some of the attractions we toured are free to everyone; we paid full price for the rest. Everything that I share is something I recommend without hesitation.

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At Sea on the Ruby Princess

We had beautiful weather, warm with blue skies, for the first 6 days of our 7-day cruise. On Wednesday, September 16 we put on long pants and light jackets for the first time. Most people crowded into indoor lounges or restaurants, so Steve and I took advantage of the outdoor amenities with no one else around. The mini golf course is really fun. It's quite challenging, with holes unlike any others I've seen. 

We spent time walking around the decks with virtually no one else around. 

This pool wasn't quite empty, but there were plenty of lounge chairs to be had. 

We watched part of a concert on deck, then watched a movie in our stateroom. 

I wanted to do a puzzle (one of my favorite ways of relaxing), but it was too cold on deck and too crowded in the lounges with large enough tables. So I did a puzzle on the floor of our stateroom. It was actually really nice. I turned on a podcast and looked up often to enjoy the ocean view. 

This puzzle has a lot of fun whimsy pieces. 

I brought this puzzle from home, but there are almost always puzzles on board. On the Ruby, there were at least 15 puzzles available in the library for whoever wanted to do them. Rather than taking it back home, I left this one in the library for someone else to enjoy. I got it at a puzzle exchange from the library, so I'd be passing it along anyway. 

We played cards with the boys, went to trivia, and ate great food. I really enjoy sea days, particuarly after four days in a row of jam-packed activities in port. 

In the evening, we enjoyed the production show, the third of the voyage. It was excellent. 

The cruise director introduced the senior officers, leading to the obvious joke of "Who's steering the ship right now?!"

The next morning, we docked in San Francisco. We were disappointed that the cruise had come to an end. We had a great time. Disembarkation was smooth and we had a nice walk to the Ferry Building.  

The ride back to Vallejo was pleasant, but what we discovered when we got there was not. Someone stole our catalytic converter. 

Instead of heading home, I called the police while Steve called a tow truck. What I thought would be a day of unpacking and laundry turned into a day of phone calls to the insurance company and mechanic. What a bummer of a way for a great trip to end. 

California Coast Cruise, Part 6: Ensenada

This is my sixth post about our California Coast cruise. I suggest that you read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth posts before reading this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received media passes and other benefits for many of the locations we visited throughout our trip. Some of the attractions we toured are free to everyone; we paid full price for the rest. Everything that I share is something I recommend without hesitation.

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Ensenada, California

On Tuesday, September 15 the Ruby Princess docked in Ensenada, in Baja California, Mexico. We didn't have a lot of time in port (sailaway was 3:00 pm), so Steve and I decided to spend our time in town, exploring the city on foot. He and I have been to Ensenada before and seen the most popular attraction, La Bufadora. Trevor was in Ensenada when he was 3 and CJ had never been, but they both opted to join us rather than take an excursion out to the blowhole. 

When talking about Ensenada, the first thing I have to mention is the enormous flag. It's the first thing you'll see, no matter where you are. The flagpole is 338 feet fall and towers above everything. It serves as an outstanding navigational aid -  if you ever get turned around, look for the flag!

Ensenada is known as "The Cinderella of the Pacific" because of its natural beauty and how it has transformed from a small fishing village into such a popular tourist destination. 

Here we are, walking along the Malecón toward the flagpole. 

Here's a small portion of the flagpole, with people for scale. The fountains operate at night, along with a light show. That's part of the performing arts theater to the left. 

  

This artwork is called "Historic Symbols of Ensenada." As you walk up the curving path, different things become visible. It's really impressive. 

There is a lot of public art in Ensenada. 

  

Most of the businesses in this area are geared toward tourists, with plenty of signs in English.  

But it is Mexico, so of course the street signs, stop signs, and signs on the garbage cans are all in Spanish. 

We were very surprised to discover this gorgeous mural dedicated to Vallejo, California! That's where we boarded the ferry five days earlier to get to our cruise ship in San Francisco. It turns out that Vallejo and Ensenada have recently become Sister Cities!

Ensenada is also a Sister City to San Juan Capistrano, California. 

This is the Plaza of the Three Heads. 

The heads belong to Miguel Hidalgo (leader of the Mexican War of Independence), Benito Juárez (former President and reformer), and Venustiano Carranza (revolutionary leader and President). 

    

This is the Regional History Museum of Ensenada. 

It's a small museum, free to enter. It covers the history of Baja California. The signs are all in both English and Spanish. 

  

The building was originally constructed as military barracks. It has also served as government offices, a hospital, and school, and a prison. And now, a museum. 

  

This would have been a highly unpleasant place to be in prison. The cells are tiny, with just a slab of concrete as a bed. 

After the museum, we headed back to the Mercado Negro, the large fish market. Ensenada is famous for its fish. In fact, it is the birthplace of fish tacos and (possibly) margaritas. It is well-known for its culinary offerings and is also home to the best and most famous wine region in Mexico.

This sign stopped me in my tracks. "If you are going to cross into the United States of America, do it legally and avoid putting yourself at risk. Many people have lost their lives trying to cross by sea." Devastating. It brought me right back to the exhibit we'd seen the day before in San Diego. 

We had a great time exploring Ensenada on foot and would highly recommend that to anyone arriving by cruise ship. It's a neat city. I wish we'd had even more time to look around and visit more of the attractions. Next time!

We had one more day aboard the Ruby Princess before returning to San Francisco. I'll tell you about that tomorrow.