Finally Friday!

Yay!!  It's been a long couple of weeks, but today is the last day for posting/charging/entering info for the end of our fiscal year.   Then we have a one week blackout during which we madly rush around reorganizing ourselves.  Again.  It's a perpetual cycle. 

Change,

change,

change.

The new fiscal year holds such potential.  A clean slate, all brand spanking new!

For me it's a new department, a new boss, and new assignments.  I will now be supporting five, yikes! -- five senior vice presidents, three of them brand new to the company.  We'll have new budgets, new rules, new procedures.

It's like getting a new job without having to do an interview and get all dressed up and selling myself!

Alright!!  Let's get going...

Sew on.
Sue

Unintentional Hiatus...

Life is what happens while you were making other plans... or soemthing like that!

I took two non-consecutive weeks of vacation in August so I could get some projects finished before fiscal year-end started at my job.  Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans going awry, and they did.

List of things I intended to do:

• Visit Cedarburg quilt museum
• Go to Downtown Books so the girls could meet the book cats (real kitties who live in the bookstore)
• Finish a portion of the UFO bin
• Clean up and organize garment fabric/patterns
• Sew doll clothes
• Sew some stuff for me
• Sew anything!

List of things I actually did:

• Cleaned linen closet because I couldn't find the fall blankets
• Scrubbed out fridge because something smelled funny in there
• Entertained Grands because they were bored
• Went grocery shopping because the hubby didn't want to...
• Kinda/sorta organized the mess in my sewing room because I couldn't find anything or sew in there with all the mess
• Finished one flimsy -- yay!!

 

So now I just have to get the cash together to buy a backing and have this quilted.  It's big enough to drape over the edges of a queen sized mattress, so BIG!

 

Other little things I did:

 

Knitted up some doll clothes that I'll be selling at a craft fair at church in November...

 

So, it's not like I did nothing.  It just feels like that sometimes!

 

Sew on...



Project Runway -- He Did WHAT??

OK I've seen divas and bride-zillas and just plain queens but last Thursday's Project Runway just blew me away!

If you watched, you know what I mean.  Sandro, the contestant who's originally from Russia, had an absolute hissy fit, gave the middle finger nearly everyone, was bleeped more times than I can count, lashed out physically at a camera and stalked off after he was SAFE for another week!  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, he blew up and took himself right out of the running.  Wow... really?  Because he doesn't know what they want from him.  How about original designs buddy?

You were safe, you moron, and you threw a fit, screamed at everyone and QUIT??

Well, nothing he designed really thrilled anyone, he was sort of mediocre in a flamboyant kind of way, but still, if you worked so hard to get anywhere would you just quit?  He was arrogant, misogynistic and of course he felt threatened by the talent and misunderstood by the judges.  His body language just screamed -- angry man!  Best gone.

And later, when he came back and pseudo-apologized, well, I guess I can't say I'm sorry to see him leave.  Still when you read the comments, there are people who loved him and will miss him.  Oh well, as my mom used to say, there's no accounting for taste.

I've been watching with interest the two designers from Milwaukee.  Timothy went to school in Syracuse NY, and Miranda attended the University of Wisconsin.  I don't know, neither one did a thing to make me go oooh... He's gone, and she is just a mean girl.


The two from Milwaukee -- and this is what they came up with.  Ugh!

I know, it makes for good TV, right?

My money is on Braden, Kate and Jeremy  making it to the end.I like Dom's work too.  I think Ken is so-so and it wouldn't surprise me to see him go.


Didn't you love this, made by Kate and Helen from straw hats of all things?



Jeremy's dress from the carnival materials.

OMG I am hooked again!  You know I stopped watching in Season 8 when the judges were all whacked out.  I swore I was done!!

And that's why my mom always said you shouldn't swear.

Sew on!

The Twins!

I work in an office that is dominated by testosterone.  Yes, it's mainly men... with a smattering of women thrown in for spice.

This summer, three of the ladies who sit within 25 feet of my cubicle are having babies.  The mood swings and snack and potty breaks are kind of on overload right now, but that's another story.

One of the moms-to-be is a third-timer.  She quietly went off to have her third son in summer, without much more than a few complaints about a tired back.  We expect her back any time.

The other two are having respectively:  twins in August and a boy in November.  I'm working with the mom of twins on getting her paperwork caught up before she goes, because she could go any time.  Both babies are over five pounds, and she's ready.  If you've had a baby, you KNOW what I mean!!

So I'm sitting in my sewing studio thinking about baby quilts the other day.  I blogged about making the jacks blocks a bit ago.  I had lots of help from the girls and we made a big stack of blocks.

I sorted the blocks into 'boy' and 'girl' colors.  Had enough for two boy quilts and one girl... must be my fixation with the color blue.  Anyway, pulled from my stash some fabric for an inner border, and also made a second border of those four patch blocks I make with my 2 inch strip bin periodically.  I have bags of those, sorted by color.

What to do for a final border??  The pink in the inner border of the girl's quilt wasn't quite true pink, it was more peachy than anything in my stash.  So off to the fabric store -- I know, poor me!  I found a great stripe from the Jennifer Chiavarini collection from the Union Quilters book.  I also picked up a backing/binding fabric for each quilt.

The result is what I'm calling Fraternal Twins:

Same pattern, different fabrics.  I apologize for the lighting, this was on my kitchen table and the patio doors are to the right...  some of the whites look kind of yellow on Baby Girl, but we decided it might be because some of the white-on-white prints really reflected the light, and the solids not so much.

I gave them to the new mom early in the week.  She cried.  I asked why she was crying and she said 'Because I'm pregnant'...  good enough!  But she and her hubby really liked them.  I'm hoping the babies do too!

These quilts were almost entirely from my stash, done at the last minute because I build those pieces as I go...  I cut anything smaller than a fat quarter or straight quarter yard into units, either strips or squares.  When I want to sew but have nothing in mind, or want to do mindless sewing, or I'm sewing with kids around, I make strip sets and four patches.  Need a gift in a hurry?  Pull out the ziplocs, find stuff and viola!!  Instant or almost instant finish.

I did quilt this by machine, stitch in the ditch in the interior and on the edges of the borders.  Boring but necessary...  I feel quite virtuous for two finishes in one week.

Sew on!

Columbus Antique Mall

DH and I had a nice day at the Columbus (Wisconsin) Antique Mall last week, while I was on vacation and he had a day off from Grampa's Day Care Center.

The drive takes about 90 minutes from our home in Waukesha County.  He tried to avoid the freeway and round-abouts (a peculiar traffic configuration he just hates!) but we ended up on the expressway anyway.  At one point his Tomtom -- why is it called Tom when it's a woman's voice??  -- had us turning off at "Highway 16, next right".  We made the turn right into a round-about.  She directed us to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left... right back onto the highway we just exited.  Oh well, we had a good laugh.

The CAM is a bunch of old buildings connected by common walls, and it houses a Christopher Columbus Museum in addition to three floors of individual booth spaces, filled with - well - junk.  OK, not ALL of it is junk.  There are shelves full of collectibles like old toys, dishes, linens, signs, jars of marbles, furniture, hats, dresses, kitchen gadgets, advertising signs, on and on and on.

I collect depression glass dishes.  I have a full set of amber colored glassware in a pattern called Sharon or Cabbage Rose.  I really wanted to collect green, but 20 years ago when I started, you couldn't find green.  My first piece was a pink cookie jar in a pattern called Princess given to me by my mom.  I liked pink but it was also hard to find.

I saw a ton of green and pink depression glass in Columbus.  So where was all that green glass when I was looking for it??  I also saw a shelf of yellow, which I had never seen anywhere before.  I had to take a picture.

 

I posted this pic to my FB page... a floor space full of dolls, some of which were kind of creepy... note the front row far left.  And my DH complains because my shelf of beautifully dressed and coiffed dolls look at him from the shelf in my sewing room!!

 

 

None of these lovelies came home with me...  the naked 11" fashion doll in the center is a molded Barbie-wannabee, maybe one of those dolls made for the center of a wedding cake???

 



Saw but did not purchase a black beaded evening bag of some sort.  It was rather small, probably three inches by 8 inches or so.  Nice, but no.

On the way home we ran into the typical Wisconsin scenery.  Beautiful green grass and trees, farms, old brick houses.  If I won the lottery and could live anywhere, I'd move to central Wisconsin.

 

 

And of course, construction. 

We do call our short summer the Orange Barrel season. 

Sew on!

Sewing Expo in Platteville WI

This weekend my oldest granddaughter and I were lucky enough to spend two days in Platteville, WI at the Sewing Expo held there at the University of Wisconsin.  It's a small show but packed with fun and information.

This year, the organizers received a grant from  the Wisconsin Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. For a $15 fee kids over the age of 8 could take up to four classes, and the fee included lunch, snacks, and all kit costs.  Miss E was able to have the benefit of professional teachers, the use of great sewing machines, and had some fun doing it.


Projects for kids included a fleece pillow, some pet toys appropriate for her dog, a pair of slippers, a very cool cuff bracelet complete with embellishments, and a lovely pillowcase.  She also made a Green Bay Packer throw pillow for her spot on the couch when she watches Clay Matthews.  :-)

We stayed in the dorms in Southwest Hall.  These were nothing like the dorm rooms my son lived in when he went to UW Madison!  Each suite had four bedrooms, two shared bathrooms, a big kitchen area and a living room.  Our other two roommates, my friends Judy and Marlene, said they were the best dorms they'd ever seen.  Later we found out they were for Platteville senior classmen.  But still!  Wow!

The adult program includes classes in sewing, quilting, and even knitting.  The kids' program included hand and machine quilting, card making and other crafts.

It's a two day program.  If you have the chance to take half or full day classes on Friday you can score some great education from top notch teachers in a small class setting.  If I could have gotten more time off from work I might have taken Anne St. Claire's bra making class.  One of these years I will... I'm promising myself!

I took four Saturday classes in the adult program while E was enjoying herself.  I got some great inspiration and learned a few dozen things.  One of the classes was kind of a snooze, you know -- been there, seen it before -- but even in that one I learned what I didn't like about something so it was worth it.

My favorite class was lead by Lorraine Torrence, a fiber artist of the first form.  I have a number of her patterns, both her self-named line and Grain Line Gear, which she also owns.  It was wonderful seeing the garments made up in various fabrications and colors.  Seeing the 3D as opposed to 2D is always most instructive.  Her website is beautiful even in 2D so you can visit here if you like:
http://www.lorrainetorrence.com/

Lorraine moved to Wisconsin from Oregon a while ago.  I'm sure it's because our weather is so lovely in winter -- as she joked during class.  We're so lucky to have her teaching in the Madison area.  I'm looking forward to seeing her at Gayfeathers Fabrics in Madison on future trips.

Speaking of Gayfeathers Fabrics, they had a vendor booth with fabrics you just can't find at the chains.  I generously supported them, and also made my economic contribution at Fabrications, Great Copy patterns, and several other booths.  So much for stash control!  Miss E found a gorgeous pair of hand knitted fingerless gloves with beads and a lace pattern that she only took off to take a shower!  And she did buy a nice little gift for her little sister -- a pretty beaded hair accessory.

The expo is a great value and it's so wonderful to have it in our area.  I hope more sewists discover it and support it in the future.  It's very well run, the facilities are beautiful, and the people are great.  The food was good, and it's prepared by the UW culinary students.  They did a beautiful job on the banquet and the lunches.  Mark your calendar for August 1-2, 2014.

Sew on!

Friday Night Sewing

The aunties and cousins and I get together almost every Friday night for sewing night.  If you visit me often you probably already read about Becca's project.  She's nine, and she does a bang-up job!

Last Friday there was no sewing, and it was kind of a mystery as to why for a while.  But our hostess was off doing some other stuff.  I had taken off early in the afternoon because I knew I was hosting the two next door grands until later in the evening.  So we had our own sewing night.

Of course Miss A organized us all and laid out the dolls who were also attending.  She set up her 'desk' with doctor's office things and took care of several broken appendages with colorful bandages.  She had us all read our contracts and sign them to admit our injured babies.  Boy, does that girl's mind go a million miles an hour!  She's like a Philadelphia lawyer...

The babies with their leg injuries...

I have a system with scraps that provides instant materials for times such as this.  Face it, with two adolescents in the sewing room, I'm not actually going to get any serious work done!  But I have my two inch strip drawer and my 2 1/2 inch drawer and my 'scraps to cut into usable pieces' basket, so I was all set.

Previously I had assembled some quilt blocks using the 2 inch strips.  I made the block that is sometimes called Jacks in various kiddie prints and whites.  Miss A decided that she was going to do the sorting and snipping of threads and Miss E would do the pressing.

Surprisingly, well actually surprising to no one BUT me, Miss E decided that she would press, and she wasn't one bit afraid of the iron.  Her mom later said that in her Girl Scout group she was the only one who knew how to use the iron.  Goes to show they're growing up while I'm not looking again.

Anyway, Miss E pressed all the blocks I had done, then was looking for more.  So I started sewing my 'sorted' two inch strips together with the whites, and made more sets, which then turned into more blocks.  Miss A reacted in amazement when the blocks were pressed open -- where did that pattern come from??!!  Really, those strips turned into that pretty design??  WOW!

This is how so many new quilters react when those intricate patterns turn out to be nothing more than strips and squares when you break them down.  I have a pretty large pile now, I should be able to put some flimsies together this weekend.

Unless, of course, the girls decide we need another 'sewing night'!!  Then I'll have to wait for direction from Miss A.  :-)

Sew on...

The Reading Room

Just finished a book by what to me is a new author -- Kate Atkinson.  The book is called "Started Early, Took My Dog".  I picked it up at the local used book store because the title was interesting.

I started reading it, and the character name sounded familiar.  Jackson Brodie.  Hmmm, where have I heard that name before??  Well, as it turns out, this book is not the first by Kate Atkinson, nor is it the first about Jackson Brodie, although it's the first I've read.  There was a Masterpiece Mysteries series on PBS a couple of years ago.  Seems that someone in the UK turned her earlier book, Case Histories, into a made for TV movie.  Oh, I think I made a mental note to look up Kate Atkinson in the bookstore after I'd seen the credits.  So much for mental notes!

Well, if the author didn't stick in my head long, it didn't hurt that the yummy Jason Isaacs played Jackson Brodie, and that's what remained in the back of my mind.

Does he look familiar??  Way back when I was watching, I remember I was trying to remember where I've seen him before and suddenly it hit me!

 

Lucius Malfoy!!

 

For the uninitiated, or if you've been on Mars for the last 10 years, he's one of the villains from the Harry Potter movies.

 

Actually he's been in some other big things, Black Hawk Down, Armageddon, in 2004 he was on The West Wing.  How did he slip by me in those roles?  Must have been the white hair that made his face so memorable.

 

Anyway, I'm going back to the bookstore for more Kate Atkinson.

 

Sew on!

Project Runway 2013

A couple of seasons ago, when the contest was won by another nincompoop who couldn't sew or design anything original, I swore off Project Runway for good.  I said I would never, ever, go back and watch that group of know-it-alls make such poor decisions, especially knowing how hard some people work and NEVER get the chance for that much recognition.

Well, my mother used to say you shouldn't swear.

I have to tell you I really like Tim Gunn.  He's the voice of calm in a mad world out there in Lala Land.  And I don't hate Heidi Klum.

So, Thursday night, with nothing else on TV worth spitting at and not really being in the mood for anything I recorded, I switched on PR and watched the first 20 minutes of the new season.  If you watched it, did you love the way they took the designers to the airport runway and had the jumpers come down with colorful parachutes?  Those guys were worth watching, and I was holding my breath!

The idea of making a fashion statement from a parachute was interesting.  And two of the designers are from Milwaukee.  So I pressed record, went to be, and hoped for the best.

Today I watched the taping.  I watched the runway show twice.  How cool were the designs?  The winner and runner up were awesome.  I really liked both equally well, and I think the judges made a good decision.  And hey, I even liked one of the lowest designs, but the Russian guy has to learn to fit better so parts that should remain unseen actually do.

And what the heck is up with eco-guy, doesn't believe in hair products and makeup, and then HE comes out in a pair of glitzy high heals??  Duh.

So I'm hooked again for a little while, anyway.  This season the judges are going to chat with Tim Gunn before deciding, and they're going to look at the garments close up.

All I can say is THANK GOODNESS Michael Kors is doing something else this year.  And I'm actually starting to like Nina Garcia.

OMG this could be fun!

Sew on...

Becca Sews

I've talked before about my Friday night sewing sisters... actually they're aunties and cousins and such.  We meet lots of Fridays at one of the aunties' homes, and sometimes we sew, other times we plan or talk or eat or comfort each other as needed.

Last Friday, one of the little girls decided to come to "sewing", and she had a project to complete.  She's 9, so she can reach the petal of the machine and she isn't afraid of the actual act of machine stitching.  This is always a plus!

She wanted to make a quilt for a baby gift for someone in the family.  I'm not saying who, so you can be surprised.  Anyway, she came with her little project bag and asked if we would help her sew.

Nancy showed her how to use a rotary cutter, and helped her even out the edges of the panel she had found.  They cut some border pieces from her other fabric.  She pinned the borders on with Nancy and Grandma helping.  Then she sat down to sew.  With the aid of a quarter inch sewing machine foot, she added the borders.  Grandma turned the speed down to low so she had time in the sewing for adjusting the fabric feeding in.  I showed her how to press, but she did most of the pressing herself.

Grandma and others then helped her layer backing, batting and top for sewing together using the Eleanor Burns 'birthing' method.  She sewed the layers together with only a bit of help.  After she turned it, Aunt Amy did a little free motion quilting around the fairy to hold the layers together. 

Here she is with her finished product.  Can you think of the last itme you've seen a bigger smile?

She says even when she gets to be a teenager and the other girls want to go do other things, she will STILL want to come to sewing night!

I believe that this little girl has the bug, and I'll bet she goes on to wonderful things!

Sew on, Becca!

Do You Know This Bird?

This afternoon my hubby said "hey, do you want to see a strange bird on our patio?"

OK, sure.  We have lots of birds in the yard.  We have a feeder and a birdbath, and we like to listen to them and watch them come to eat.

This bird is one I have not seen before... it stood very still on the patio, very nearly motionless for about three minutes.   The air conditioner was on and the sliding door was closed, so I didn't think he could hear me.  I grabbed my cell phone and moved slowly toward the patio door.  I took a couple of snaps through the screen door side.  The bird moved ahead a couple of steps.

I moved over to the side without the screen, to get a picture not distorted by the mesh of the screen. 

The girls were waiting for DH to open the pool, and we didn't think this guy was going to be getting to the birdbath any time soon, so he opened the back door and the bird flew up into the tree.

Strange bird for sure!

I did some internet research, I believe this is an American Bittern.  It's a relatively common bird in Wisconsin, although never in my back yard!

 

Sew on!

Gramma, I'm Building A House...

Yesterday when I got home from Church, there was a very large piece of paper on my coffee table, with a smaller piece on top of it.  Miss A had been over visiting before I got there and had left me a sheet of "instructions" and a "plan".

-- the six year old version of this.

Hmmm.

She's building a house in our back yard, and I have to help her.

OMG when you are six the world just looks like anything is possible!  She started collecting tree branches to build a house.  And not just a small playhouse.  Oh no!  No way.  She's going to build a regular house

with a pool and a hot tub inside,

swings,

a teeter totter

and two guest rooms.  She's planning that I will make her some quilts so people will be comfortable.  And since the guests might want to stay very soon, she thought I might need to get started.

Oh yeah, I have "blueprints" for those too, drawn up by you-know-you.

I'd better get busy!

Sew on!

Great Advice

I don't read newspapers much.  I glance at headlines and will read stories that are important or that grab my attention.  I read the local news and the comics and I do any available crossword puzzle.  Usually in ink but only because pencil smudges.

I DO read magazines, books and newsletters, especially the ones related to sewing.  Our American Sewing Guild chapter has a newsletter, plus if you're a member you can go on line and read the newsletters of the other hundred and thirty/forty-some chapters if you like. 

I read the newsletters from the magazines, stores, vendors and internet sites where I have registered.  Actually I am a voracious reader and will read nearly anything.  I read about a dozen books a month, and a gazillion emails.

At work we have a Chatter Digest that comes out daily.  Yeah, I know, but it IS something to read!  Sometimes it's full of useless information that doesn't apply to what I do, but every once in a while there is a nugget of gold buried in the drek.

Today was one of those days.

The title was Wear Sunscreen.  It references a column from the Chicago Tribune.  Now I don't even read my LOCAL newspaper all that much, so I would never have gone out looking for the Trib's column. 

Here's a link; go there and read it if you wish.  I think you'll find it good advice, well written.  There's more than just sunscreen, it's a great read.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column,0,5909206,full.column

And if you're a sun god or goddess, here's more advice on sunscreen from the Vancouver Sun (appropriately named, huh?)

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Sunscreen+safe+summer/8572397/story.html

I guess the moral of the story is you can find anything if you will just read.

Sew on!

Today's Rita-fix

Go Here:  http://ritassewfun.blogspot.com/2013/06/you-have-power.html

Read the whole thing!  I could not have said it better.

Sew on.

Retirement... or not

My boss retired this month.  <Sigh>

Who cares, right?  Well, for one thing, I wasn't sure what his retirement would mean for MY job.  I mean, he may be financially set, but I have to work until I die.  Or maybe a year or so after that.

<Sigh>

So imagine my great surprise when, as soon as people knew he was gone, I started having to work overtime!

I guess that's good, but this is definitely cutting into my sewing time.  Not to mention my blogging time!

Retirement, ha!

I wonder if his WIFE knows what that really means?

Sew on, if you get the chance!

Summer Sewing

This summer our quilt group from church is meeting on Saturday mornings instead of Sunday afternoons.  We're also skipping around on dates, instead of meeting monthly.  Vacations are getting in the way, I guess.  That's OK, it's too nice to sit inside in June and July OR IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE!!

I know it's still technically spring, but jeepers creepers, when are we going to get some nice weather??  Today's desk gadget says that here in downtown, near the lakefront, it's 66 degrees.  There was fog this morning and there is haze now.  Yuck.

People often donate things to our group, and the latest acquisition is a sewing machine.  It's a Montgomery Ward and I think the model number is 1265.  I forgot to look more closely at the manual.

So a week ago when we met on Saturday morning, I grabbed it out of the bin and tried to clean it up.  And did it need cleaning!!  Sorry to say, more cleaning than I was capable of.  It still runs well, the tension is fine, and with a  little TLC it will be put to good use for our charity projects.

The funniest thing about it was that it has a kind of unusual thread path.  I told Suzy that it has been ages since I've had to look at the threading diagram on a sewing machine!



Our new old machine!

We counted up our quilt tops, kits and finishes.  We sent 50+ dresses and 30+ pairs of shorts to the group that's going on a mission trip to Burkina Faiso.  We're well stocked on baptismal quilts and we have a large box of charity quilts ready to be distributed.  Our new fall projects might include some Quilts of Valor type projects, if we can acquire some red/white/blue and other fabrics appropriate to the cause.  (Usually we get florals and baby prints, not too often do we get themed fabric or specific colors.)

Then I saw this on a trip through some blogs the other day... lots of jeans patches, I wonder if this is something we could do for fall?  Hmmm, I'll file that one away for future reference.

Sew on!

Spam, and my apologies

I have been away from my blog for a while... things are going crazy at work, I've been putting in lots of hours and trying to keep my head above water.  My boss retired and I've been planning his retirement parties in addition to everything else.

So imagine my complete horror when I looked at the blog today and saw a gazillion comments on a post, and they were all SPAM!

I apologize for not knowing about filters, and if anyone got spammed by my spam.  Ugh, WHY do people do that?  Nothing better to do, I guess.

Anyway, today I am attempting to organize my projects and get some stuff done.  I'll try to pay more attention and keep the junk off my blog.  I'll also try to keep it up better!

I'm knitting some more AG doll sweaters and we're going to be receiving a new doll in the next UPS shipment -- Audrey Anne will be joining  the family from Target in honor of granddaughter number 3's sixth birthday.  I can hardly wait until she gets here.  They will both have blonde curly hair and blue eyes.  I've made her a box of clothes too, so this should be fun.

I also need to make myself a new red tee shirt -- my old one has faded to a soft pink and no longer goes with the jacket I wore over it.  I picked up some soft red cotton knit fabric in Beaver Dam in May so I'm ready to sew.

Now if I can just remember where I put it...

Sew on!