Rag Quilt

I love making rag quilts! They are sooo easy and make a quick baby gift.

To make the quilt pictured here. I used 1 1/2 yards of a printed flannel and 1 1/2 yards of a solid. For the back of the quilt I used old blue jeans(2 pair). I do get more fabric than what the pattern calls for because I usually make matching pillow and several burp rags, bibs. I cut my fabric in either 3", 4" or 5" squares. I think I used 4" on this quilt(remember the bigger the square the more fabric you need). Cut 18 out of your print, solid and blue jeans. After you have all your squares cut then your ready to sew. take one print and one blue jean square. put the print side up on top and the back of the blue jean to the back of the print. Repeat with the sold fabric. Your next step is to make your blocks like the picture. Remember seams on top. You want it to Frey when you wash and dry it. Once you have the quilt made all you have to do is wash and dry it. I wash and dry mine with towels it help Frey it better. I also because it is for a child put binding around the edge for safety.

here is the quilt after being sewn, washed and dried. I now need to trim the long threads and put binding around the edges. Will post the finished picture soon!

homemade by jill: Diaper Cake Tutorial

homemade by jill: Diaper Cake Tutorial

Chicken Spaghetti

Chicken spaghetti

Ingredients
2 cups cooked chicken
3 cups dry spaghetti, broken into 2 inch pieces
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese


1/4 cup bell pepper (I used 2 Jalapenos finely chopped)
1/4 cup onion(I used 1 whole onion)
1 Jar pimentos(used 1 can rotel mild)
2 cups chicken broth from pot
1 teaspoon salt(used sea salt)
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (left out)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar

Cook 1 cut up fryer chicken and pick out the meat to make 2 cups. Cook spaghetti in same broth until dente. Do not over cook. When spaghetti is cooked combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup cheese. Place mixture in casserole dish top with cheese. cook at 350 for 45 minutes

Sticky Notes Dealing With Dementia

Has anyone ever had a loved one with dementia? Dementia can effect anyone. It has twisted and wormed its way into our lives recently. This past year my mother in law was diagnosed with it. This wicked disease robs your memory slowly . Yes we are dealing with this beast. The medicine the doctor has given her helps. But we still deal with forgetting medicine, forgetting dad's work schedule, forgetting to pay bills, forgetting to lock doors and the list goes on. We are also dealing with a mild case of sun downers which is when you get your days and night mixed up.  I thought and with my husbands permission I would journal our experience with dealing with aging parents.  And so this post was born! Hopefully our experience will be helpful to others and we journal our experiences.

What is Dementia?


Dementia is not a specific disease. It is a descriptive term for a collection of symptoms that can be caused by a number of disorders that affect the brain. People with dementia have significantly impaired intellectual functioning that interferes with normal activities and relationships. They also lose their ability to solve problems and maintain emotional control, and they may experience personality changes and behavioral problems such as agitation, delusions, and hallucinations
While memory loss is a common symptom of dementia, memory loss by itself does not mean that a person has dementia. Doctors diagnose dementia only if two or more brain functions - such as memory, language skills, perception, or cognitive skills including reasoning and judgment - are significantly impaired without loss of consciousness.
How are we dealing with it at the moment?. Well for one she is not driving anymore. She also writes everything down she need to remember on sticky notes. Yes we have sticky notes posted everywhere! Also someone is home most of the time encase she has a problem. That is all we all we are doing at the moment. We have looking into getting hired help when the time comes. We are taking care of ourselves until we need help.
We keep a positive note and keep plugging along!

Sandra