Cleaning your sewing machine

It is really important to clean and oil(some machines) your sewing machine.  Your sewing machine will only work as good as you take care of it.  If you don't take care of it, it won't work well.  Here is a great video I found on youtube, be sure to watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkkl9ZiYlgU&feature=uploademail

Here is a youtube video on how to clean a handcrank sewing machine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bidpJsAzc2A&feature=results_video&playnext=1&list=PL3E850285CAEF8655

I have also been told to always clean your machine after every quilt and to change your needle after every 8 hours of sewing.  Boy am I bad about both of those things!
Here are pictures of all of my sewing machines!

http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/10/hand-crank-sewing-machines.html

http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/01/birdhouse-quilt-update-2.html

I don't think the White works, I'm afraid to plug it in because the chords are so frayed.

http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/02/i-went-to-that-junk-shop-where-i-got-my.html
http://missyscakesandaprons.blogspot.com/2012/01/treadle-sewing-machine-and-winner.html
Yes, thast's right, you counted 7!  But, one is scary (White), and one is on hold for a friend.  It's brand new, I plugged it in to give it a test run, and it sewed fine for 5 minutes but the feed dogs somehow dropped down just a tiny bit.  I tried the lever to drop them, and they dropped more, but when I tried to bring them back up, they didn't come up all the way.  I've had it for a year, I'm not sure what to do.  So, I only have 5 working machines.

Have a great day ya'll!
Missy

We have a winner!

We have picked a winner for the My Memories Software giveaway!  I numbered the comments, crumpled up the pieces of paper, and since the cats refused to pick a paper, I had my husband do it!  He picked number 7 who is Denise from Count it all Joy .  She has a great blog and we have a lot in common.  She is a quilter, loves cats and is a Christian!  Stop by and check out her blog.
If you are disappointed you did not win,  don't worry, you can still buy your own software for $10 off!


Just click on the banner above and use this coupon code: STMMMS44612 ! Just copy and paste it when you check out!  By using this code, you get $10 off and I get credit also!  A win/win for both of us!
I made another page I want to share!  This one is of my niece's sixth birthday party this year!

I am having so much fun with this software!  I need to watch some of the youtube videos so I can do more with it though!
Sorry I have been kind of quiet on here.  The weather has been changing a lot here in TX, which makes my allergies act up which affects my asthma.  I have learned in the past that when my asthma is acting up that I cannot sew or I'll make lots of mistakes.  It's supposed to be back up in the 80's this week, I am hating this weather and really would like an actual autumn!  LOL
Have a great day ya'll!
Missy

Why I don't celebrate Halloween

I used to celebrate Halloween, I loved to dress up and of course I loved the candy.  That was my extent of "celebrating" it.  Then I learned a little more about Halloween.
Please read so you will know exactly what the holiday is all about!

Kids love Halloween because its both fun and scary. But they have no idea what's behind this celebration. 
To satanists and witches, Halloween is no joke.(Don't tell me they don't exist either!  When I worked in Erie, people bought books with that stuff in it and they admitted to being practicing witches) It's their most solemn ceremony of the year. As we get closer to the Second coming of Jesus... Satanism will increase. So will human sacrifice! Halloween started in the British Isles with the Druids. October 31st was a night of terror called "Sanhain", it was a night of human sacrifices. 
Satan loves Halloween because it glamorizes the powers of darkness, drawing little kids into his camp. And it's paying! Witchcraft is exploding among teens today. Halloween opens the door to Satanism. 
www.chick.com "  Why do you think there are so many deaths on Halloween?  
I saw a lot of evidence of this while I lived in Erie, PA. I worked at a bookstore and the most popular section was the witchcraft section. People I worked with thought it was normal and "fun" to have a ghost living in their house. They didn't realize that their "ghost" was a demon. It is very wicked how synthesized people are about Halloween. The animal shelters won't even adopt out black cats this time of year, and they won't adopt any animals to certain people they think are up to "mischief."
"Halloween is important to witches because this is their holy day designed for them by satan so they can provide additional sacrifices to him. Here are some techniques they use to prepare more children to worship and serve satan. In order to obtain more blood for Satan they will plant razor blades, crush glass, pins, etc. in the various "treats" they hand out during trick or treating. The total sacrifices (murder) will be obtained by injecting poisons and drugs into the treats. They say special incantations needed to place curses on the treats which will influence the children eating them. 
These witches could be your neighbors and you would never know. 
Halloween came from an ancient Druid custom set up for human sacrifices on Halloween night. Druids offered children in sacrifices. They believed that only "the fruit of the body" offered to Satan was for the "sin of the soul" 
The trick or treat custom was created by the Druids. When they went to a home and demanded a child or virgin for sacrifice, the victim was the Druids' treat. 
In exchange, they would leave a jack-o-lantern with a lighted candle made of human fat to prevent those inside from being killed by demons that night. 
When some unfortunate couldn't meet the demands of the Druids, then it was time for the trick. A symbolic hex was drawn on the front door. That night Satan and his demons would kill someone in that home. 
The children who are mutilated and murdered every Halloween are no accident. They are carefully planned sacrifices to Satan, carried out by those who serve and worship him. 
This information comes from ex-witches who have been saved. 
go to www.chick.com to read the entire booklet."

Even Jack-o-lanterns have a bad beginning.

Halloween started in the British Isles with the Druids. Oct. 31 was a night of terror called "Samhain". The Druids went house to house collecting human sacrifices. In exchange for for the victim they left a jack-o-lantern which was supposed to protect the home from death demons that night. 
Info from Chick tracts 
http://www.chick.com/seasonal/halloween/tractsuggestions.asp 
go here to read the full article.

I believe from what you have read and according to what the Bible says you will understand why I do not think any Christian should have anything to do with Halloween.

"10  There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11  Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12  For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
Deuteronomy 18:10-12

Deuteronomy 32:17  "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not."

God says not to have anything to do with any of that stuff.

God holds us accountable for what we do here on earth.

2Corinthians 5:10  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."

I do not judge other people for celebrating Halloween, that is between you and God.  But if I did not tell you what I know, God will hold me accountable for keeping silent.

Monday we will be back to our normal posts of all things homemaking!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Missy

Feline Friday

Ever since Tiger was a baby, I have liked to call him "Fuzzy, Wuzzy, Booger Bear", Well he doesn't like it!  LOL  Yes, he did (gently) have his claws in my hair, saying "Seriously?  Again?  Mom you know I don't like that!"
Notice in the picture, Muffin is in the back and you can see his reflection in the window?  I still have not replaced my curtain rod from when the fur babies broke it.  We're planning on moving and I hate to buy a new one if we are moving, ya know what I mean?

 When we first got Tiger, I had named him Butterball because he was such a fat kitten, but as he got older, Chris said he needed a bigger name and named him Tiger. (Please excuse my carpets, I rent)

Now we call him Tiger, the cowardly lion because he is scared of everything.  When Chris got a new water bowl for the bathroom, Tiger knocked it over and it scared him so bad he wouldn't go in the bathroom for two months!  It was hilarious!

I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner, but I can also use the My Memories scrapbook suite for my photos on my posts!  If you would like to win your own My Memories Digital Scrapbook software, go here!  Monday is the last day to enter!

Baby Shower Cake

I went to a baby shower on Saturday.  She told me I could do any cake I wanted and I wanted to make this Noah's ark cake.

 I was not very happy with the way it turned out, my giraffes are terrible!

 I had like 5 minutes to decorate the cupcakes so I made them look like water (I ran out of blue and used green on two of them!)  By the time I got there 30 minutes away, the top of the cake had been in the sun and melted.  My friend was looking at the cake upside down and thought it was a crazy woman with curly blue hair!  LOL  The cake was delicious though!  I used this recipe.

 I've been playing with My Memories some more think I am going to make a calendar.  I took pictures of mine and my husband's Christmas and combined them with my sister's Christmas to make one page!  I found a picture of my sister opening up the quilt I made her last year.

Don't forget about my awesome giveaway!  Just click here  if you would like to win your own software to make your own scrapbook pages!
I need to go sew some capes for a friend, have a great day ya'll!
Missy

More Handcranks and Treadles

The lady I bought my hand cranks from has quite a collection of machines, I didn't even get to see all of them!

 This one is a Princess circa 1885 with a fiddle shaped base and mother of pearl inlays.

 I love the case top!

 This one is a Singer 27K circa 1896

 Davis Manhattan Circa 1900

 Frister and Rossman "K" circa 1925

 I love the trademark with the pretty flowers!

 Another Frister and Rossman, this one has a Sphinx instead of flowers.

 Here is a Singer Treadle with more Egyptian decals.

 This one is pretty neat.  Jones made in England to commemorate the Queen.

 It says Queen Alexandra.

 Jones original hand crank "Eclipse" circa 1850

I think the next one is a toy sewing machine, you would not believe how heavy these machines are!

 Another Handcrank.

 Wilcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company

 An original handcrank, but a "newer" model.  I want one of these!

 An Elna Junior.  Don't you love the color?

I don't know why they don't make pretty sewing machines anymore.  I would love a sewing machine with flowers or that is pink or green!

That's all for today, but don't forget to enter my giveaway for an easy to use My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software.  The deadline is October 29!

My Memories Digital Scrapbook Giveaway!

Do you like scrapbooking?  I love to scrapbook and usually do it the old fashioned way so when Liz from My Memories contacted me about testing out her digital scrapbooking suite, I jumped at the chance!  Here is some information about it:  

"My Memories is an award winning digital scrapbook software that is extremely easy and fun to use. My Memories Suite is rated #1 by Amazon and TopTen Reviews. Using this software, anyone can create digital scrapbooks, photobooks, cards, calendars and gifts without having to buy expensive and complicated software programs."

She gave me two programs, one to keep and one to give to one of ya'll!  I am not very technically minded, but did not find it difficult to understand how to use it!  Here are some pages I made:

This is me, my sister, Thresia, and my neice Johnna having a tea party.
And our purple shoes!

Some Fall pictures from when I went to visit my mom for my birthday.
My mom and I in the corn field and my niece in I in a tree.

Here are some pictures from Carlsbad Caverns.  My husband took the family picture. Noone told me my slip was showing in every picture I took that day!  

My mom and I when she came to visit me, we went to the butterfly house at TX Discovery Gardens in Dallas.

These pictures would make a great calendar  which I can do with My Memories, I even made one of them my desktop background!  I am going to be using this a lot!  You can even buy more packages to go with them if you want more backgrounds and stuff.  Be sure to watch this video, it explains how to use the program, I'm going to go back and tweak these pages after watching the video!


The good news is that you can win a package for yourself!   have a few ways you can enter, please leave a separate comment for each entry because I'll be counting the number of comments for the drawing.
First entry:  Go to http://www.mymemories.com/ and come back here and tell me what your favorite digital pack or layout is.
Second entry: you can follow My Memories either through Facebook or their blog and leave me a comment letting me know how you follow!
Third entry:  If you share about this blog, whether it be on FB, your blog, Twitter, Google+, or whatever; just let me know how you shared in a separate comment!
Please be sure to leave me an email address so that I can contact you if you win!

If you want to buy one for yourself, you can get $10 off!  Just click on the banner below and use this coupon code: STMMMS44612 ! Just copy and paste it when you check out!



Again, please use this coupon code, STMMMS44612 , when you check out so I will get credit, Just copy and paste it when you check out!  Thanks!
I will draw a winner on October 30, so your last day to enter will be Monday, October 29!
Happy scrapbooking!
Missy

Feline Friday

Happy Friday everyone!  I had to share the above picture of Pippi - she's a hoot!
The picture below is my neice, Johnna-6, to the right my sister, Thresia - 42, and the bottom, me-39.  I just thought it was funny we all had on purple shoes!  I went to visit my family last week in Lubbock, TX.

 We all went to the corn maize, a big corn field with a maze cut in it - it was a blast.  Here's me and my mom.

 Gorgeous sunset!  It got pretty dark in that maze!

 This week I went to the Dallas World aquarium with the homeschooler's field trip.  They let me go even though I don't have kids, an extra pair of hands is always helpful with the little ones!  Of course my favorite exhibit was the penguins!

 I thought this sword fish was hilarious!  He looks mean!  There was a tunnel and the big fish were swimming above us!

 Here's another one, those are some big lips!

I hope ya'll don't mind this totally useless blog post today but I had to share those funny pictures!!  Have a great weekend!
Missy
P.S.  I have a big giveaway coming up!
I'm linking up to Feline Friday at Sarah Did It!  Since I was gone last week I only have the one cat picture though!  Be sure to stop by!  http://sarahdidit.blogspot.com/