SPARKLY LADIES!: Covered Bins

SPARKLY LADIES!: Covered Bins: So cute and so cheap!  Love this idea from Tales from a Cottage !  Just a simple bin from the dollar store  covered with a cute fabric and the beauty of it is there is NO SEWING involved!  That's right!  All tacky glued together!

hancock's house of happy: Pyrexophilia! A Vintage Pyrex Pattern Cross Stitch...

hancock's house of happy: Pyrexophilia! A Vintage Pyrex Pattern Cross Stitch...: I am so excited about this new free cross stitch chart. It is a big band sampler featuring vintage Pyrex patterns. Don't know about you but ...

Free Project - Strapless Tunic

Project provided courtesy of:JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores

Strapless Tunic Supplies

1 yd light to midweight cotton fabric     1 yd 1/2" wide elastic     1 spool coordinating thread     Scissors or rotary cutter and mat     French curve     Basic sewing supplies     Iron & ironing surface     Sewing machine Directions Note: All seam allowances 1/2" Sizing: for size Medium Bust 36: FRONT: Cut 1 piece 21"x29" (wxl) BACK: Cut 1 piece 21"x28" (wxl) BELT: 5"x36". Belt measurements are for all sizes. Optional – For more room at hip and hem, add 1"-2" to bottom edge of front and back. Draw diagonal line from top to new bottom measurement. For size 32 bust, grade down 2" in width and 1" in length For size 34 bust, grade down 1" in width and 1/2" in length For size 38 bust, grade up 1" in width and 1/2" in length For size 40 bust, grade up 2" in width and 1" in length Cut front and back following measurements and guidelines listed above. Cut out belt. To shape the front piece at top, measure down 1" from top at sides and make a mark. Make a mark at the center front at top. Using a french curve, draw a curved line from mark at side to the mark at center. Trim the fabric above curve. With right sides together, stitch the side seams to within 6" of the bottom edge. Backstitch. Clip the seam allowance at the end of stitching up to the stitching but not through it. Press seams open below cut. To create side slits, turn the seam allowance to the inside. Make a narrow 1/4" double-fold hem. Topstitch in place. Hem bottom edge with a 5/8" double hem. Trim off 1/8" of seam allowance at side seams. Zigzag stitch together to finish. To make the casing at top, place the elastic around chest above bust and under arms. Stretch it slightly until it feels comfortable. Add 2" to the measurement and cut. Press top raw edge of tunic under 1/4" and another 3/4".12. Topstitch close to the inside fold of casing. Leave a 1½" opening. Thread elastic through casing using a safety pin. Overlap the ends 1" and stitch together to secure. Stitch opening closed. For belt, fold in half lengthwise with right sides together and raw edges even. Stitch along all edges, leaving a 5" opening for turning. Trim corners and seams. Turn right side out and press. Edge stitch along all sides.

PALLET HOUSE DIY

Here's a link with actual plans on how to make a pallet house.

If not a house, how about a shed, storage room, garage or, on a smaller scale, a child's play house .

http://www.tinypallethouse.com/2008/08/add-windows-and-a-door/

Making It Well: I Made My Own Dress Form!

Found this great tutorial on making your own dress form from brown paper tape from the office or art supply store.  This is the post from Jo at her blog, Making It Well.  Estimated cost:  $17.50

Making It Well: I Made My Own Dress Form!: 

Here's a list of supplies Jo used - she provides step by step instructions and pictures on her blog.

Well, shall we get started?

Here’s what you will need:

-paper tape

-scissors
-garbage bag or thin t-shirt you don't mind cutting up
-masking/duct tape 
-newspapers/fabric scraps/stuffing
-flip flops
-sponge 
-thick cardboard
-blow dryer (optional)
-an awesome husband or helper

Click here for Jo's complete step-by-step tutorial at Making It Well

Reuse Sewing Pattern Tissue Paper

1.  Craft a pretty bouquet.  Tissue paper flowers shown are by Montclair Made.

Found a clever site - Crafting a Green World, The Home for Eco-Friendly Crafts.   This is a blog post from Jackie Hernandez  using sewing pattern tissue in several re-purposed projects. 

Here are a bunch of inspiring ideas for reusing sewing pattern tissue paper.

 

2. Wrap up a gift or use sewing pattern tissue in the gift bag.  The cute wraps here are by Lil Fish Studios.

 

 

3.  These matching gift tags also by Lil Fish Studios look stunning with stitch detail and found buttons.   Comic books and greeting cards make great gift tags, but who would of thought to use sewing patterns.  All they need is a sturdy foundation.  

 

4.  Make flower tissue twinkle lights with this how-to from Everyday Beauty.

 5.  Decoupage letters.  These paper pulp letters with sewing pattern decoupage are by Copabananas.  You could get a similar effect with paper mache letters found at most craft stores.

6.  You can never have enough craft storage.  Decoupage a box with the tissue and cutouts from the pattern envelope.  The adorable sewing button box here are by Sewing Geek.

 7.  Junque Art Studio and Crab Apple Design makes really cool magnets using both the sewing pattern tissue and the pattern instruction sheets.  

Reading a Sewing Pattern

Whether you have been sewing for awhile or just learning, this book offers comprehensive, easy to understand instruction for successful garment construction.

Here's a quick excerpt from the book on Reading a Sewing Pattern.

By Jan Saunders Maresh

Even though a sewing pattern might be labeled "easy" or "quick," the pattern instruction writers sometimes assume that you have a certain amount of general sewing knowledge. Nothing can be more intimidating than trying to figure out what all the hieroglyphics are on the various parts of a pattern. Don't have a pattern panic attack! Take a look at each of the standard pattern parts one at a time, and you'll be shopping for patterns like a pro in no time.

Reading the front of the pattern envelope

On the front of the pattern envelope, you often see several style variations of the same project. In the world of sewing, these style variations are called views. One view may have a collar, long sleeves, and cuffs. Another view may have a V-neck and short sleeves.

In home decor patterns, you may have several views in one pattern for a basic window treatment. Another pattern may have several pillow views. A third has several options for slipcovers. Views simply give you style options on creating the same basic project.

Reading the back of the pattern envelope

The back of a pattern envelope contains the following information about your project:

• The back of the project in detail: The front of the pattern usually just shows the front of your project.

• A description of the project by view: Always read the description of a project on the back of the pattern envelope. Drawings and photographs can be deceiving, but this written description tells you exactly what you're getting.

• How much fabric to buy: This information is based on the width of the fabric you choose, the view you're making, your size, and whether your fabric has nap or not.

If your fabric has nap, the pattern requires you to buy a little more fabric. Your fabric has nap if it falls contains any of these qualities:

• One-way design: For example, your fabric shows dancing elephants printed in the same direction. If you cut out some of the pattern pieces in one direction and other pattern pieces in the opposite direction, you'll find elephants dancing right side up on part of the project and upside down on another part of the same project. You need extra fabric so that you can get all your elephants going in the right direction.

• Fuzzy texture:Such as velvet, corduroy, Polarfleece, and some sweatshirt fleeces. When brushed in one direction, the fabric is smooth; when brushed in the other direction, it's rough. This texture difference translates into a color difference. You need more fabric to cut out the pattern pieces in the same direction.

• Uneven stripe: For example, the fabric has three colored stripes — red, blue, and yellow. To match the stripes at the seams, you need extra fabric because the pattern must be laid out in the same direction. If the front and back pattern pieces are laid out in opposite directions, the stripes are cut on the front, going from red, to blue, to yellow. The stripes on the back would be cut so that they go from yellow, to blue, to red. When you sew the seam together, the stripes won't match at the side seams.

• Even or uneven plaid: The color bars in a plaid must match both vertically and horizontally. If the plaid is not symmetrical in one or both directions, you need to lay out the pattern pieces all going in the same direction. This technique requires more fabric — for making the plaid match.

• List of notions needed for specific views: These notions include items such as the number and size of buttons, the zipper length and type, elastic width and length, shoulder pad style and size, hooks and eyes, and so on.

It's what's inside that counts

Inside your pattern envelope, you find the following items necessary for your project:

• Pattern pieces: Some pattern pieces are printed on large pieces of tissue paper. Others are printed on sturdy pieces of white paper called master patterns.

To preserve the master pattern for reuse, simply trace the size you need onto a piece of pattern tracing material. (This material is available through sewing mail-order catalogs and specialty fabric stores. Look for Trace-A-Pattern and Do-Sew brands.)

This way, you can trace off another view or cut out a project for someone else who is a different size without destroying the master pattern.

• Key and glossary: These references help you decipher the markings on the pattern pieces.

• Pattern layout: The layout shows you how to lay out the pattern pieces on the fabric yardage for each view.

• Step-by-step instructions on how to put the project together: Instructions are written in various degrees of clarity depending on your knowledge of sewing.

The project instructions may run more than one page. If they do, staple the pages together in the upper-left corner and post them in front of you as you sew. Then you can easily check off each step as you finish it. If you don't have a place to post the sheet, set it next to your sewing machine, folded to the section you're working on, for a handy reference.

How to Choose Sewing Patterns for Wedding Dresses

How to Choose Sewing Patterns for Wedding Dresses

Sleek Gossip features a great article today on how to choose sewing patterns for wedding dresses.

Making a wedding dress is a big task, but some people choose to do it. It’s cheaper than buying a dress, and it allows the dress to be designed more for the individual. However, some have no idea where to begin to find patterns for their wedding dresses. 

This is a great article with clear step-by-step instructions to finding the perfect pattern - and not always where you would think to look!

Vintage Sewing Pattern Wall Art

I am crazy about vintage sewing pattern art! 

I have been looking for ideas to showcase the artwork from my collection of vintage sewing patterns and display them so that I can enjoy them more. 

The blog,  Shelly Inspired, features a tutorial on framing actual pattern envelopes, but you could also scan and print the envelopes for framing, or work up a cool collage of scanned pattern images from different envelopes.  

Such a cute idea to turn those pattern envelopes into wall art. 

Organizing Sewing & Craft Supplies

How to Organize Sewing and Craft Supplies

Sewing and craft supplies are easy to misplace and lose. Get it all under control with easy and interesting ways to organize all your sewing and hobby items.

Sewing supplies as well as arts and crafts needs are not just always, in demand but also, always getting misplaced, resulting in panic, stress and buying things that you’re bound to find someday. The easy solution to this chaos is to organize all your sewing and crafts supplies so that each time anyone in the family needs to sew or make a school project, they’d know where to look. Moreover, you would be able to keep a tab on what needs to be bought or replaced, making a big difference to the family budget.

Collect Everything Together

The first thing to do would be to gather all your sewing and craft supplies and place them in front of you. Start putting them together into neat piles-colors, paint, glue guns and tubes, threads, needles, wool, cotton, buttons, trims, lace and anything and everything that you would use for sewing or arts and crafts. Take a good look at the piles you’ve made and see how many containers you would need for them. This would take you to the next step.

Use Divided Clear Containers

Since most of your sewing and craft supplies would include a lot of tiny stuff that would often, disappear when you need it the most, it would be a good idea to invest in a couple or more of divided clear containers. Use these containers to store all those sewing and crafts supplies that get lost when shoved into drawers or closets or large boxes.

• Use separate containers for sewing and craft supplies.
• In one divided container store all your buttons, hooks, lace, trim, ribbon and ribbon roses, thimbles, spare buttons that you get with your clothes, needles, tape measure and all other small sewing supplies. Also, put in a pair of scissors.
• For threads, use clear containers that come with spindles to hold sewing machine threads and invest in a plastic container that comes especially to store embroidery threads.
• Put all crafts supplies into another divided, clear container. Glitter, motifs, ribbons, and anything else that you use for school and crafts projects should go in here. Put a separate pair of scissors, a child-friendly one, in this container. Tubes of paint or glue can also, go into clear jars.
• If you do a lot of sewing and craft work, it would be a good idea to organize your supplies according to type- cross stitch, fabric paint, everyday sewing, quilting, knitting and so on.

Storing Paper and Cloth

Paper and cloth of all kinds is used for both sewing and creating crafts, so it is important that these be stored along with your other craft and sewing supplies. Both cloth and paper should be stored either rolled up and tied loosely or spread flat and smoothed out. If rolling it up, store it all in a tall container. You could use an old jar for this.

If spreading paper or cloth flat for storing, slide them into folders such as a CD folder or even, large Ziploc pouches, and label them, identifying what kind of paper or cloth they hold. So, when you’re looking for them, you wouldn’t have to open half a dozen folders.

Organize Storage Space

Once you have everything sorted, you would need to identify a proper space to store your sewing and crafts supplies. Wherever you decide to store them, ensure that you keep all of them together. So, your clear containers, paper and cloth rolls as well as folders should all be together in one place.

Keep a few small empty containers to hold any miscellaneous stuff. Store in a cabinet or closet or even, on a shelf but remember to put up a pen and paper to jot down anything that needs to be replaced to save you time and effort from going through everything when you’re about to leave for the store.

Keeping all your sewing and crafts supplies in an organized manner would save you a lot of time, effort and money. Knowing that you have everything at hand would prevent undue stress and bother over school projects, missing buttons or torn shirts.

So, take out some time now and organize all your sewing and crafts supplies to enjoy the results later.

I Finally Did It!

Yes - I finally did it! 

Here is (or soon will be) all of Carol's Tag Sale - from across the web to this one compact site. 

There is lots more to come soon! 

Right now, http://www.carolstagsale.com/ is still directed to my About Me page on eBay.  Before this blog, it was the only site with links to all my selling venues.  Believe me, this blog will be even better!  The hub of activity for Carol's Tag Sale - posting to Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, pattern & crafts listings on eBay and Etsy.  And - on the subject of Facebook - I'm setting up a real page.  I have been busy!   

Until this all gets set up, you know that you can still visit me at http://www.etsy.carolstagsale.com/ and http://www.ecrater.carolstagsale.com/ and http://www.ebay.carolstagsale.com/ for great deals on new and vintage sewing patterns and crafts. 

NEWS:  I have lots of new and gently used costume sewing patterns to list this next week.  You can see the costume patterns I have for sale right now on Etsy at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CarolsTagSale?section_id=7216682.  

If you are looking for a certain costume, just convo me through Etsy and I will see if I have it. 

See you soon!

The Cooking of Canton

Its name comes from the port city of Canton, capital of Kwangtung province in southeastern China. Of all the styles of Chinese cooking, Cantonese food is probably the most familiar to Americans.

From Canton came waves of immigrants in the 19th century, who introduced Chinese cooking to the United States. Many of the Chinese restaurants that first opened in America served not what they thought was best, but what they thought would appeal most to the local clientele - which was basic, simple Cantonese food, often enjoyed as much for its low price as its taste appeal.

With the popularity of more regional Chinese restaurants in the United States, Cantonese food has lost some of its appeal. It is time to think beyond chop suey and chow mein and explore the many delicious Cantonese dishes which show the greatest variety and depth of any of the regional Chinese cuisines.

Southeastern China has an unusual abundance of good food to cook. Its moist, tropical climate provides a long growing season for rice, vegetables and fruits, and the 1,000 mile coastline is rich with fish and shellfish. Fresh ingredients need few frills: Cantonese food is light and generally mild, with the emphasis on pure natural flavors.

Other influences upon the cooking of Canton through the centuries is from migrations from northern China during times of political turmoil, and also by commerce with the Portuguese, Dutch and other Western traders who first established contact with the Chinese, introducing foods such as peanuts, corn, tomatoes and white potatoes.

World-wide, Cantonese cooks have become popular for their wide variety of stir-fried dishes and for their expertise in preparing a multitude of snack foods. from fried noodles to steamed dim sum. Their favorite seasonings include Black Bean Sauce, Oyster Sauce and Lobster Sauce.

Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok

Wok this Way! (Part 4 of 5) Cleaning and Caring for Your Wok
By Helen Fan

Non-stick woks do not require seasoning, and come with simple cleaning instructions from the manufacturers, while steel carbon and iron woks require seasoning. Cleaning a seasoned wok is a lot different than a non-stick wok, and this is what we will cover here.

We will start with an important reminder: Do NOT use a steel wool scouring pad (or any abrasive product) on a seasoned wok, EVER! It will waste all the effort you put forth in seasoning your wok, and will require you to re-season it again.

A freshly seasoned wok will need some extra tender-loving-care. Immediately after cooking each dish, rinse the wok with plain hot water only. It is important to not use any other cleaning product to avoid damaging the seasoning. Often, there will be some bits and pieces of food particles stuck on the surface of a freshly seasoned wok. To remove them, gently lift them off with a bamboo brush (highly recommended), or a non-metallic scrubber. Then rinse the wok once more with plain hot water. To dry the wok, instead of wiping it dry, put the wet wok on the stove and set it on high heat. Heat the wok until a faint smoke arises from the bottom, then either let it cool and store it away, or continue to cook another dish. It is a common practice for chefs in Chinese restaurants to immediately put the wok back on the stove, pour hot water into the wok, scrub it quickly with a bamboo brush, dump out the water, and then place the wok back on the hot stove while he/she prepares another dish. By the time he/she is ready to cook the next dish, the wok is already hot, dry, and primed to go. It takes literally seconds to go through the drill once you get some practice. This process allows the traces of grease from the last dish to settle into the carbon steel's pores, further seasoning the wok.

After you are finished cooking a meal, cleaning the wok, and ready to put the wok away, it is always a good practice to apply another thin coat of cooking oil. Store it in a dry, airy spot until you use it again (hopefully, very soon). Once the wok is well-seasoned, it becomes self-sufficient, and will not require re-coating again. As mentioned before, It takes time, care, and regular use before a wok develops a patina, where the wok becomes virtually non-stick, and the dishes impart that elusive “wok hay”. In addition, clean-up and care will be easy, requiring little time and effort, often only involves rinsing it with plain hot water and little scrubbing, as none of the food should stick to the wok.

As the black patina develops from frequent repeated use, it will also appear on the bottom exterior. It is also a layer of carbon from cooking at a high heat. In a household kitchen, where the stove does not reach as high a temperature as it does in a restaurant, this is actually a good thing. It helps conduct the heat faster, concentrates the heat to the bottom of the wok, and brings the wok to an even higher temperature. A nice bonus is that it also enhances the flavor of the dish. So, there is no need to scrub the exterior of the wok, either. Just a simple hot water rinse after cooking should be enough.

In Part 5, we'll talk about all the nice little friends that you can get along with your wok, the accessories.

Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.chinesehomecooking.com/

You can read more of our articles at

http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com/resources/resources.htm

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Urban Garden Design with Wall Fountains

By Elizabeth Jean

Garden and landscape design is a relatively recent art form in a modern sense that dates back to the 14th century Italian villas of the Renaissance for its cognomen and spiritual center. Designing a good garden requires knowledge of several disciplines, including topography, land usage, horticulture and architectural elements.

Designing for a small, urban space requires focusing a design on one or two aspects, and aiming for the overall goal of a harmonious composition of topographic, architectural and horticultural elements. Because an urban garden lacks the space to subdivide it into "natural rooms", and may have several competing elements from the surrounding city, wall fountains are a popular choice for any urban garden design.

Wall Fountains As A Design Element
Fountains are stand alone design elements (or abut the side of a building) that cycle water from a catch basin to the top, creating a sheet of water over a desirable surface - many designs include Indian slate for their backdrop, or granite, and even pebbled concrete fountains are used in some areas. The design goal of wall fountains in urban garden design is to provide the visual and auditory focus of the garden. They offer people visiting the garden an opportunity to listen to the sound of water rather than the bustle of traffic, honking of horns and the interminable chatter of cell phones carried by strangers.

Areas leading to [http://www.ckclandscapinginc.com/ ]wall fountains usually include a few key design elements - a walkway through the garden, and a leading tie in with trellis bushes and shrubs, which generally frame the garden. Planting beds, and regularly cycling through which bulbs get planted when, is a great way to keep your urban garden fresh in appearance and scent. And gardening and planting is a worthwhile hobby for many people.

Choosing good wall fountains means choosing one that can stand up to the elements of your current climate. It needs to be able to handle sunlight. If you're in a northern climate, it needs to be able to handle being shut off and drained in the winter. It's very important to drain your fountain before it gets too cold. A frozen pump or water line can shorten the life of fountains so you should therefore make sure all the water is drained and removed from the fountain prior to temperatures dipping into the 30s.

Water Fountains For You
Fortunately, buying and installing [http://www.gatewayconst.com/outdoor-design.html ]wall fountains in your garden is affordable and a reasonably simple process. Hooking up the water and getting the pump started does not take that much time and before you know it, your new water feature will be the eye catcher of your garden design project. Make sure you take into account details like the lay of the land, drainage patterns, the placement of planting beds, sunlight, wind path and shade trees (or surrounding walls) when setting up your garden as well as setting up your wall fountains.

Fountains offer the burbling of running water creating a nice peaceful atmosphere to your garden. Consider wall fountains as part of your next home and garden make over and so you'll be sure to be adding design elements that are appealing and enjoyed by all who take a stroll in your urban garden.

Elizabeth Jean writes water fountain and related articles for [http://www.garden-fountains.com]Garden-Fountains.com, the #1 destination on the internet for wall fountains, garden fountains, and distinctive water features.
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Wok this Way! (Part 3 of 5) Seasoning Your New Wok

By Helen Fan

Seasoning is the most important thing you can do to your wok. Only carbon steel and iron woks need to be seasoned. The purpose of seasoning is to remove the manufacturer's protective coating and coat it with a thin layer of oil. This creates a smooth cooking surface which enables food to shift and glide easily, thus preventing your food from sticking, discoloring, and picking up a metallic taste.

The initial step is to scrub it thoroughly. Take a steel wool scouring pad and scrub both the inside and outside of the wok with soap. This will remove the anti-rust coating that comes with most woks. If your new wok comes with some rust spots, don't worry. It is completely normal for unseasoned woks to develop some minor rust. Just make sure that you scrub out the rust before you move on. Rinse it thoroughly with hot water. Then, to make sure that you remove all the coating, set the wok on the stove, fill it with water, and boil it for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve the remaining coating. Pour out the water and scrub the surface again with steel wool scouring pad and soap. New woks may cause a slight metallic taste to the first two or three dishes that are cooked in it, but after that, the metallic taste will disappear.

Reminder: the steel wool scouring pad is only to be used in this initial step prior to seasoning your new wok. Do NOT use a steel wool scouring pad on a seasoned wok, EVER! It will waste all the effort you put forth in seasoning your wok, and will require you to re-season it again.

Next, place the wok on the stove over high heat. You're ready for the next step when you sprinkle a few drops of water into the wok and they start to dance around the bottom. Then, roll up a few sheets of paper towel, or use a piece of cloth, and dip it in cooking oil. Peanut oil or corn oil are preferred because of their high smoking point, thus minimizing smoke fumes when you are seasoning the wok.. Naturally, turning on your stove top vent will help reduce the fumes, too. Using a pair of long wooden chopsticks, or tongs, wipe the soaked paper towel over the entire inner surface of the wok. Reduce the heat down to low, and let the wok sit for 15 minutes. This allows the wok to absorb the oil. If the surface begins to dry off, then wipe the wok again with the soaked paper towel. You want the wok to obtain a thin film of oil when it's seasoned. The bottom of the wok should be slightly brown. Repeat the above steps two more time, and the bottom should darken even more. Over time, the entire wok will turn black (that's good). Now the wok is ready to go.

But we're not nearly done. Ever wonder why Chinese restaurant dishes produce that mouth-watering aroma when they are served on your table? And ever wonder why you can't quite match that flagrant flavor when you try to cook Chinese food at home? They come from cooking food on an almost impervious shiny black coating in a well-seasoned wok. That black coating is called “patina”, which is essentially harmless carbon residue from cooking in a wok repeatedly on high heat. A well-seasoned wok cooking at a high heat will impart what Chinese chefs lovingly call “wok hay”. Its literal translation is “breath of wok”. Wok hay is so revered in Chinese culinary tradition that in China , especially in the Canton region (south), when a customer is served stir fry dish without wok hay, it is considered an insult or bad luck.

It takes time, care, and regular use before a wok develops a patina. There are no shortcuts. But having patina on your wok is still not enough produce wok hay on your dishes. It is imperative that you heat the wok on high heat to the point where you see some faint smoke coming from the bottom before you add cold cooking oil. The cold cooking oil cools down the wok slightly, and makes the food taste tenderer once it's done. If the wok is not hot enough, or cold (gasp!) when you pour in the cooking oil, the ingredients will stick to the wok (even with the patina) and inevitably burn, also leaving the ingredients raw inside. Not to mention you lose that coveted “wok hay”.

In Part 4, we will talk about cleaning and caring for you wok.

Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.chinesehomecooking.com/
You can read more of our articles at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com/resources/resources.htm
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Chinese Chili Prawns And Rice

By Jon C

This dish involves a delicious combination of chilli prawns and rice. Either raw or pre-cooked prawns can be used. Though raw prawns are better for absorbing flavour from the marinade. The end result is very similar to fried rice, though a wok is not required.

Quantities shall not be listed in the recipe as I am an adhoc chef and just add roughly what I think is best. When you try this recipe, become an artist and add your own .

Ingredients

Prawn Marinade:
ginger
garlic
chili (powder, flakes or fresh)
sesame oil
light soya sauce

For the rest:
rice
water
onion
mushrooms
sweetcorn
peas
Bouillon vegetable stock
spring onion

Instructions

Prawn Marinade
Chop the ginger, garlic and chilli (if fresh) finely. Mix
this with the sesame oil, light soya sauce and ground black pepper.
Mix the
prawns in the marinade and set aside in a fridge for a few hours. If I'm
planning on serving lunch at 12pm, I'll normally prepare the beef at 9am.

Cooking

Rinse the rice in the rice cooker a few times, and fill with water until there's about a finger nail's breadth of water above the top of the rice. Add about half a teaspoon of vegetable stock to the rice, Chop the onion and mushrooms into small pieces. Add all the vegetables (apart from the spring onion) to the rice. Add the marinaded prawns to the rice. Mix everything up. Turn on the rice cooker start cooking. Chop up
the spring onion.

When the food is cooked (this normally takes about 30 minutes), turn off the rice cooker, add the chopped spring onion, and give it all another good stir.

I am Jon C, the head chef at http://www.dawjee.com/ I try to provide my staff with healthy meals using our limited cooking resources, which consists of a rice cooker, combination microwave oven and egg steamer.
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Xbox 360 Homebrew Games - Are You Missing Out?

By Herb Peterson

Xbox 360 homebrew games are something that most 360 owners have never even heard of. A homebrew game is a game created outside of the normal realms of development, and as such is available as a free download. If you like the sound of homebrew games, check out the rest of this article.

There are a few simple things you will need to know in order to get some xbox 360 homebrew games-

1-As far as xbox 360 homebrew games go, you have a choice on which route to take. The traditional route to run anything homebrew is to hack or mod the console in order to get past the security encryption. With the 360, doing it this way requires you to "flash" the onboard systems, to manipulate the firmware, but totally invalidates your warranty. Also you'll need to hook the 360 to an external DVD Rom of a particular type, and rig it to work with the case off. Not fun!

2-The other option is more sensible. It seems that Microsoft and other hardware manufacturers are starting to see the pointlessness of fighting the homebrew craze - so much so that they have changed their stance and will now help you run xbox 360 homebrew games. Kind of. There is a download for your 360 called XNA Game Studio Express, and this allows you to use your Computer, to develop your own xbox 360 homebrew games, and also run games developed by others. Much more fun!

3-Something else important is that you understand what exactly the term "homebrew" means. Many people think that homebrew means you are running copied games, hacked games etc, but this is not accurate. Xbox 360 homebrew games are exactly like they sound - home brewed games - games that people have made at home. The quality is surprisingly high of such games, and it means that everyone can now have a shot at developing games. If you've ever played a game and thought "If only I could just...." you'll see how much fun this could be.

It's now no longer necessary for those looking for xbox 360 homebrew games to download them from some illegal or dangerous P2P site or something similar. In their infinite wisdom, Microsoft are beginning to release the best of the homebrew titles for download over the XBLA, or Xbox Live Arcade, which is very welcome development for any would-be games programmers. At last games programmers have a way of getting their talent noticed!

I'm hoping you've found some value in this article. Finding xbox 360 homebrew games can be a real task. Check out the links below for some of the best sites. [http://www.yourdownloadreviews.com/]Click HERE to get free downloads for your WII, 360 or PS3-whether you want games or movies it's right here, and it's fast and easy.
If you are looking for the best WII, 360 or PS3 download resources on the net, [http://www.yourdownloadreviews.com/]CLICK HERE and we'll tell you where they are-this will save you a fortune
Herb Peterson is webmaster at [http://www.yourdownloadreviews.com/]yourdownloadreviews.com
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Sewing Essentials and Tips for Beginners

By Ivan A Cuxeva

As it sometimes happen, we see a piece of clothing which grabs our attention due to its material, texture or patters but for some reason it's the wrong size so we can't buy it, other times we might be a little short on the "money department" which makes it impossible to buy designer clothing. All of these problems could easily be solved if only you knew how to sew. By learning this useful skill anyone can customize his/her wardrobe as well as those special items around the house; and just like many people who know how to sew can tell us, sewing your own clothing and other items can be significantly less expensive compared to buying them in stores.

Taking all of these factors in consideration we arrive to the conclusion that learning how to sew is important, especially if "fashion" is your thing, the steps and tips shown below can help you get started:

- The very first step for beginners involves getting acquainted with all of the sewing tools which will be used to modify and create pieces of clothing, a good way of doing just that is by either buying a used sewing machine or by borrowing one from a friend, if you happen to have the manual handy it is highly recommended to read it entirely, make sure to specially read the parts about safety steps since the last thing you want to do is hurt yourself while using one of these machines. Starting with an used machine will help you develop your skills and knowledge making it a lot easier on yourself when you decide to buy a bigger-more expensive machine. After following these steps it is also recommended to sign up for a sewing class because this is a skill you will need to develop gradually and there is no one better than a sewing teacher to help you master this art, these classes are quite common and can be found in community schools which start at different levels.

- Practice makes perfect, finding easy to follow sewing patterns to practice with will help you accomplish your goals. Start by sewing on simple pieces of clothing such as a shirts or even pillow covers, avoid having to sew complex patterns or sewing on expensive pieces of clothing you have just purchased; if for some reason you fail on the fist project the piece would be ruined, so do yourself a favor and keep it as simple as possible while learning.

- Give yourself time and be patient, the practice of sewing and learning how to sew requires a calmed and relaxed person so make sure you do not take too many drinks with sugar and caffeine, this will only make things harder for you. If you need to cut part of the clothing to make it the right size make sure you measure at least twice and be as precise as possible. The first few pieces might not fit your tastes or might have something wrong (too short, too long, etc.) do not be discouraged and keep practicing, at the end you'll see it was all worth the wait.

Right after you finish your first project make sure to start on the next one. This will ensure all the things you have learned stay fresh in your memory and will help you to acquire new skills. Following these simple steps for beginners will ensure you learn how to sew the right way, giving you the great skill to later on customize/create your own clothing.

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Intellectual Property and eBay

By Bruce Moilan

Intellectual property rights and possible infringements are a major concern in many areas of the web today. eBay is by no means an exception. eBay has set forth a clear and straightforward policy on the rules it follows with regard to the protection of Intellectual Property Rights and its commitment to protecting the rights that belong to third parties. The introduction of this eBay policy clearly states that infringement is the unauthorized use of other people's intellectual property - like copyrighted material and trademarks.

Rules that affect what a seller is allowed to sell on eBay include the restriction or prohibition of certain items simply because they have the potential to infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. These restricted items include: replicas, counterfeit items, and unauthorized copies; Celebrity material including faces, names and signatures, and autographs.
Media restrictions include movie prints in both 35mm and 70 mm formats, bootleg recordings of music, movies, videos, etc., recordable media, promotional copies, and digitally delivered goods.
Software restrictions include academic software, beta Software, and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) software। Applications that have not been opened and are still in the original box are permitted to be sold.

It is recommended that when an eBay seller is selling media on eBay, such as DVD's, CD's, etc।, that it is noticeably notated in the description of the auction that the item is "new in box" or "unopened". If a used DVD, VHS tape, cassette or CD is being sold sellers should notate that the item is used and is the original.

There are even restrictions against certain types of equipment that might support unauthorized copies like mod chips, game enhancers, boot disks, and hardware or software that could allow members to duplicate copy-protected material।

When a seller lists an item, the seller is not allowed to encourage or enable others to infringe copyrights, trademarks or other rights। Members cannot improperly use eBay's name, logo or linking to the eBay web site, nor can a member include authenticity disclaimers or deny responsibility for the items offered in their listings.

Using another member's item description or picture without their permission is prohibited and falls under the rules set out in eBay's Item Description and Picture Theft Policy.
eBay has even gone so far that they created a program they call their VeRO program. VeRO stands for Verified Rights Owner. Per eBay, "any person or company who holds intellectual property rights (such as a copyright, trademark or patent) which may be infringed upon by eBay postings or items listed on eBay is encouraged to become a VeRO Program member. Program members presently include hundreds of individuals, local law enforcement, and intellectual property owners from a wide array of industries". The basic purpose of the VeRO program is to allow intellectual property owners to easily report listings that infringe their rights. eBay feels that it is in their best interest to ensure that infringing items are removed from the site, as they tend to erode good buyer and good seller trust. A tutorial on eBay's intellectual property policies can be found at
http://pages.ebay.in/help/tutorial/verotutorial/intro.html।

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Easy Sewing Projects

By Kathy Uehling

If you’ve ever played around on a sewing machine, or know someone who sews often, you probably know how many really neat things you can do. There are so many easy sewing projects that even a beginner can do quickly. Here are some of the cool things you can create through sewing.

Gifts and Home Décor:

You can create custom made gifts for your friends, family members and even your co-workers. Everyone loves a hand made gift that has been crafted out of love. I don’t mean some hokey little Kleenex cover that no one will use. I mean real, cherished gifts. You can easily create things like gorgeous roman shades, or even custom tailored clothing that will fit better than any clothing purchased at a department store. Imagine yourself sewing home décor for next to nothing, and the recipients will think you’ve spent hundreds of dollars. It’s fulfilling to see the happiness and surprise that a gift this beautiful will evoke.

Clothing:

You can make custom tailored clothing for yourself or your children very easily. Even a beginner can create couture style clothing that will look like it cost hundreds of dollars. The benefits of clothing that you’ve made yourself are numerous. You can use whatever colors and shades that you want. Don’t you hate when you’re trying to find something in a specific color and it just doesn’t exist? You are creating it specifically tailored, so it will fit so much better than store bought clothing. We don’t all have the exact same body styles, and each of us has our own unique little differences. Custom tailored clothing looks much better when we wear it, as well.

You can save money:

If you were to have your clothing or your children’s clothing custom made, you would spend hundreds if not thousands for a piece of clothing. With easy sewing tips, you can create the exact same articles of clothing for less than you would spend for clothes at a discount store!

These things are all possible, even if don’t have experience sewing. There are so many ‘sewing how to’ guides and sewing online tutorials that will give you the secrets to create these types of things. Of course, you could spend months learning how to sew with complicated sewing tutorials, but why not do it the easy way? We don’t all have months to waste on learning how to sew. There are some really great sewing tutorials and sewing how to guides that will show you how to complete easy sewing projects that just look as if they’ve taken months.

If you’ve always wanted to learn how to sew, don’t fret. Learn how to sew the easy way, with easy projects that make amazing and gorgeous results. Be careful, though. After a few gifts and projects, your entire group of friends and family will be submitting sewing requests! If you’re a practical but creative person who would love to create amazing gifts and do easy sewing projects for yourself, this is the perfect thing for you. Utilize online sewing guides and tutorials to create beautiful clothing and gifts for yourself and the people you love.

I'm a freelance writer who writes about a wide variety of subjects. I like to help people discover ideas, products and services that will benefit their lives.

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