Posts Tagged ‘make it do’

There’s a little cold going around our family.  It’s nothing major, it just leaves you feeling a bit mucky.  The worst part is the congestion and sinus headache.

Several years back, my son had a sinus infection.  I finally took him to the pediatrician, and he prescribed antibiotics.  After five days on the antibiotics, he wasn’t improving at all.  I called the doctor again and he suggested switching to a stronger antibiotic.  Sinus infections can be hard to treat he said.

That same day, I spoke with my mother-in-law, Kit.  She suggested trying a Neti Pot for Ben.  I was skeptical.  I didn’t think a 6 year old could do it… or that it would help even if he could.

But we picked one up at the Natural Foods Market and gave it a try.

It was a little tricky to use it on a young child, but Ben was a trooper and with my help we made it work.

And much to my surprise, after the first time using it, Ben said his head felt a little better.

We used it 3 times that first day and each time it brought him more relief from the headache and congestion.  After 3 days, his sinus infection was gone.  Ben did complete the antibiotics we had already started,  but I’m sure it was the Neti pot that really helped him get better.

For those who aren’t familiar with a Neti Pot, I hope I don’t gross you out too much.  It is a little pot designed to flush your sinuses with a saline solution.  It clears out the muck and helps moisturize the nasal passages.  To use a Neti pot, you mix ¼ teaspoon of finely ground non-iodized salt in one cup of warm water until dissolved.  We use Sea Salt.  You lean over a sink and pour the solution into one nostril.  The saline solution moves through the sinuses and comes out the other side.  It feels funny, but not painful in any way.  You repeat the process going the other direction.  It pretty much clears out the stuffiness and allergens.  When done, I put the pot in the dishwasher to clean and sanitize.

Since buying our pot, we use it any time someone has a cold or congestion.  I love using it in the Spring for my allergies.

The Neti pot is a little life saver at our house.  It never fails to help us feel better.  It just goes to show, sometimes the oldest and simplest solutions are best.

I wanted a quick easy, dish towel for February- a “keep it simple” project.  This little dish towel took me 20 minutes to make.  A few months ago I ran across this fabric at a quilt shop and bought enough for one towel, thinking to make a towel for Christmas.  But  that didn’t happen.  And luckily too, because I really need a dishtowel for Valentine’s.

The cool thing about this fabric is the edges are already finished.  It is designed for making dish towels.  If my memory serves, it is made by Moda.

Here’s how I made this little towel:

Start by finishing the edges of the top and bottom of the cloth.  First I made sure the edges were straight with a rotary cutter.  Turn and press 1/4″ along the bottom.  Turn and press 1/4″ again.  Repeat for the top seam.

Using a 1/4″ seam stitch along bottom and then top.  Now the towel is essentially done.  Unless you want to embellish it a bit.  Which I do.

Trace your pattern onto a piece of Wonder Under or your favorite fusible web.  I used a heart shape cookie cutter, but you can easily place a template under the fusible web and trace.

Place your piece of fusible web onto the back side of your fabric.  Press according to the directions.

Carefully cut out your heart.

Peel the paper from the back.

Center your heart on the towel.  I used a ruler to check my placement.  Press into place.

Using a decorative stitch, stitch into place.  I used a blanket stitch, but you could use a small tight zigzag, or you could stitch a blanket stitch by hand.

Now for some pom pom trim along the bottom.  Clip off the last pom pom on the end of the trim, to tuck around the end.  (I unpicked a few stitches so I could tuck it around and under my seam. Pin the trim along the bottom seam.  Stitch into place, making sure to tuck the end around and under your seam (trim off a pom pom at the end if needed.)  See below.

That was fast and easy.  And so cute for Valentine’s Day.  It has been so drab, gray and smoggy around here, I think I will be putting up Valentine’s decorations this week.