Family Across the Country -- and Just ONE of My Amazing Brothers!

I've posted about family before, how I have six siblings in various parts of the country.  One on the east coast, one on the west, one in the south and the rest in the Midwest.  I have a brother who lives in the great state of Washington. 

He's married and although I have not met his wife because of the distance, we're getting to know a little bit about each other through Facebook.  Hopefully we'll meet in person some day.


not him... but he was this cute!

This brother was not the youngest but was always the baby of the family.  He was an adorable baby and small child.  As a teen he was a crack-up comedian and seemed to move at a frenetic pace most of the time.  He was a sweet boy, and could always be counted on for a cuddle in the early mornings before I went to high school and he went off to elementary school.



Now he's a grown man, with a gray beard and glasses, and he looks so much like my late father that sometimes I have to smile. 

I knew his exes, two of them.  I make no judgments of any of them, and who knows why people break up, or even get together for that matter?  This one is different from the others in a lot of ways, and I have to say that I think they're so right together.  She seems to appreciate the right things in him and he in her -- I was teasing her about some goofy thing on FB and I said I think they're a perfect match.

Wouldn't it be nice if everyone had that?   Although maybe what I mean is a perfect FIT or a perfect PAIR.  Sometimes opposites attract, and that works too.  My DH and I are probably 180 degrees apart in personality and likes and dislikes.  I'm a people person, and he's the Grinch's much crabbier brother, who thought that story was GREAT right up to the end where he gave the presents back!  LOL!  Just kidding... maybe.

Whichever kind of match or pair you are, or even if you're one sock on your own, I hope you enjoy life and get the most from everything you do.

Rock on!

Think...

Auction Follow Up -- Doll Sweaters

Who knew  those doll clothes were going to be so popular??

A couple of weeks ago I posted about some doll clothes I made, suitable for the 18" dolls, American Girls or similar, for the church's youth auction.  I made several outfits, probably about a dozen or more items.  If you were buying the items from a store or craft sale, I estimated you'd have to spend about $8-10 an outfit.

The auction on was held on a Saturday night, and that following Sunday, a lady came up to me after church and said "Well, I managed to get two of your outfits."  I was kind of confused, not really connecting the conversation and the auction and not remembering what exactly I had donated.  The confusion must have appeared on my face, because she said "The doll stuff... I was outbid by that darned Roger on the outfit with the sweater!"

Turns out that they had split the outfits into three groups, and there was one with a skirt, pants, tee shirt and sweater that generated a fierce amount of bidding! 

It looked similar to this one, but the yarn was in blues and reds with some gray and white.  It's a pretty easy pattern, it's made with self-striping shock yarn.  The only thing I'm not totally crazy about is that when you go back and forth instead of in a circle you get non-matching fronts -- you can see where the dark stripe ends up on the edge of one sleeve and in the middle of the other.

So far, the dolls are not complaining! (Nor, I gather,  are the grandmoms and grandpops!)

Self-striping, for you non-knitters, is yarn that forms a stripe because of the way it is dyed. 

They come in lots of colorways, and will make either thick or thin stripes depending upon your garment size and the length of yarn in each color.  Here are some socks knit with self striped yarn:

No, not knit by me... borrowed from Pinterest.  But aren't they gorgeous?  Sometimes if you don't start the second sock at exactly the same place as the first, you end up with two different patterns.

I'm working on using up my 'end of skein' balls of yarn and making more sweaters, some like this and some long sleeved, a few with a cable in front and fasted in the back.   I have a denim sweater being blocked on my ironing board which is shown below, along with pieces of an oatmeal colored sweater that still needs some sleeves.

One sweater takes about 2-3 hours to knit and sew together.  This is so much more fun than trying to knit an adult-sized sweater!

More later... sew on!

Books and Things...

I'm currently in a mode to read lots of things.  It goes in streaks, you know how it is.  Some months I read a couple of books a week, and then I go a couple of weeks where the only thing I read is whatever section of newspaper is left in the bathroom.

The thing is, I love murder mysteries!  And I get into a series of books like the Kinsey Milhone books from Sue Grafton, or the Robert B. Parker Spenser novels, and I want to read them from the beginning of the first book, and read them in order.

A lot of research is required to read an author in order, unless you're getting each book hot off the presses, as happened with Sue Grafton.  So discovering a new author and going back can be a challenge.

I like what Amazon has done with some authors... they'll put "detective xxx number 4" next to the title for some series.  I've read some really good ones and a couple of so-so series that I didn't read too many of... some of the ladies at church recommended the Left Behind series.  Really?  I started reading the first one and could not even get through half of it.  Sorry, I've read and studied Revelation, and I don't think I pictured it quite that way.  If you enjoyed it, more power to you.  Good thing I bought the book used or I'd be more disappointed.

So authors I like/really like:

• Sue Grafton
• Sarah Paretsky
• Robert B. Parker (sadly, deceased and no new books are forthcoming) 
  

 

Spenser -- a Boston detective played on TV by Robert Urich and

Jesse Stone played in the made-for-TV movies by Tom Selleck.  Loved the movies but loved the books first!

• James Lee Burke -- hard-boiled, but oh gosh his prose is more like poetry
• Dana Stabenow -- Alaskan adventures at their most exciting
• Ruth Rendell  -- classic English mysteries
• Anne Perry -- Victorian novels in two series, I love them both
• Dick Francis -- Don't know if he's still writing but he is a former jockey, his books all involve horses and racing.

murder most foul-- these will keep you up at night!

• John Sanford
• Michael Connelly 
• Elizabeth George
• Robert Crais
• Lee Child
• James Patterson  -- I like  almost anything he writes and now he's writing for kids too

Here's a list of light mysteries -- sometimes someone dies but it's not gruesome and gory most of the time:

• Diane Mott Davidson -- her chef Goldie Schultz solves crimes
  
• Monica Ferris -- knitting and crime solving
• Maggie Sefton -- knitting and crime solving
• Jennifer Chiaverrini -- quilting stories, sometimes a mystery, sometimes historical

So when I go to the used bookstore, Downtown Books in Milwaukee, I gravitate to the mystery section, and I'm always on the lookout for a new author.  Someone at work told me about Louise Penny.  He says she writes the same type of books as Elizabeth George and Ruth Rendell.  I'm about to meet her detective, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec in the first novel, Still Life.

He also says the BBC is making the Inspector Gamache series into movies or TV shows and they'll probably be on PBS at some point.  I'll let you know how I like this author!

Reading makes you beautiful!  Or so I keep telling myself...

Sew on!

Sewing with Nancy 2013

I'm getting ready to take the annual trek to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, for Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend.  Tickets are purchased, the suitcase is ready, and I've done the mapquest for my hotels.  Oh yes, this year I am staying overnight instead of coming home every evening and driving the 90 miles back every morning.  The cost of gas is less than the cost of a hotel room, but the time in the car is less.

This year, my favorite Midwest Ya-Ya Sisters, Rita Farro and Mary Mulari, are doing an evening presentation of their new wrap patterns on Thursday night.  They are always a total hoot when they get on stage together.  I cannot wait to see them this year!

I'm taking a friend from work with me, a NNSW virgin on top of it!  I consider it my responsibility to infect as many people as possible with the sewing virus and hope they are never cured...

I was both sad and happy to hear that Mark Lipinski couldn't make it this year.  Sad because I wouldn't see his two daytime seminars to hear all about his take on quilting, but happy that the reason he couldn't make it was that he's finally gotten his kidney transplant.  But Eleanor Burns is filling in, and there are lots of things to do there, even if you don't sign up for a class.

So spring is trying to make an appearance in Wisconsin this weekend.   The weather is good so far, and although it might not be 65 and sunny all weekend, at least it won't be 32 and snowing!

Come on over to Beaver Dam if you get the chance...  Once again Nancy is throwing me a huge birthday party.  I've got my birthday money in my hot little hand and my catalog all marked and my list made.  Maybe I'll see you at the warehouse!

http://www.nancysnotions.com/category/sewing+with+nancy/sewing+weekend.do

Sew on...

Hand Print Quilt 2013

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Southeastern Wisconsin... in fact it was a gorgeous weekend.  The first one we've had all year, I think.  No rain, no snow, just sunshine and warm air.

I spent some time after church preparing my Purple Heart pickup, straightening out my closets and cupboards.  My version of spring cleaning -- Spring Cleaning Lite.

On Sunday afternoon, I had a project to finish for the church's preschool -- same as last year but different as my sister used to say.  Every year when the 4 year olds are studying the letter Q, they make painted hand prints on muslin.  The teacher writes their names on the squares, and they ask for a volunteer from the moms and grandmoms to make a quilt.  It gets raffled off on graduation day.

For several years I've been stepping in when there is no 'class quilter', finishing up the quilt in time for the last day at the end of May.  This year, they had TWO classes that didn't have a class quilter.  I volunteered our quilt group to finish up both of them.

 

This is Reese's hand print on muslin.  It's interesting to see the size of the little hands. For reference, the squares were cut down to 7 inches finished.  And there are some right hands and a few lefties.  I don't know how they decided which hand to use. 

 

This class used three colors: green, orange and blue.  I found a piece of fabric in our stash with stars that made a great sashing.  We dug around some more and found a nice green for borders.  The quilt will be backed with green and bound with stars.

 

This is the finished top hanging on my design wall.  I will layer it, someone else will quilt and bind it.

 

The second quilt has hands in pink, purple and yellow.  We found purple for sashing, and some floral for borders.  Someone else finished that one up.  I'll post a picture of that when it's done.  That one only has 16 hand prints so it's square rather than rectangular.

 

These are so cute I might have to make one for the family... hmmm, what a project that would make for the grands.  I'd only have to have them make FOUR sets of prints.  I'll put that on my 'to do' list.

Sew on!

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa...

Do you love the old song "Mona Lisa"?  Mona Lisa was sung by Nat King Cole.  Oh, my, that man had a smooth voice.

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you?
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

My grandchildren are all wonderful, and of course the most beautiful children that ever lived!  (Aren't yours too?)

But when I get photos of the eldest, she always seems to have this half-smile, which so reminds me of Mona Lisa.  In fact, I'm thinking I'll give her a new nickname:  Mona.



OK, not exactly excited about the first day of school...

Neither one looks happy here.  Maybe sugar overload!

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters...

 Can you tell me what old movie THAT song was in??  Hint, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye.

 

She's either making a goofy face, or doing a half smile.  Maybe she just doesn't like having her picture taken!

But I prefer to think of her as keeping a tiny little secret from everyone.

Al la Mona.

Sew on!

Finished Something!

Actually I finished two somethings. 

I have a box in my sewing room of 'works in progress'... WIP for short.  Kind of a nicer way of saying 'UFO'... or unfinished objects.

Every once in a while I drag something out of there and try to get it done, so I can make room for more WIPs.  Occasionally this even works!

So last Sunday afternoon, I decided to 'git 'er done', to quote Larry the Cable Guy.

 

The first one is tomato fabric that I just loved when I bought it (yes, I love red!).   X number of years ago I was making aprons as gifts.  I planned on making a barbecue apron for my son-in-law.  Turns out he doesn't like tomatoes, even on an apron!  Guess I should have gotten the BBQ ribs fabric.  He took one that had onions on it instead, so tomatoes went to the bottom of the pile.

The other one is a piece with ducks.  I got it off the free table at one of those ugly fabric exchanges.  I don't know what I thought I would do with it, but I have outdoorsmen in my life so I heard it calling me.  Duck call.  OK, never mind.

Buy this or other great apron patterns at www.marymulari.com.  Tell Mary I sent you!

I didn't have a pattern, but I had worn enough aprons in my time to know what they should cover up, and I just took scissors to fabric and cut out appropriate shapes.  I later found this lovely pattern from Mary Mulari for a reversible apron that would have been neater and made a heavier apron, but looks very similar to my end product.

I made several aprons, but two got as far as having the seams on the strap pieces sewn, then I put the project aside.  I didn't even turn the straps right side out at the time.  When I moved (was it into or out of the condo??) the pieces went into a zipper seal plastic bag.  This became part of my WIP box.

It's so far down you can't even see it!

Sunday was THE day.  I pulled out the bag, turned on the machine, and went to work.  In under an hour I had two aprons done.  I sewed the pocket on straight on one, then after looking at Mary's pattern I slanted the other, so you can slip your hand in to grab a key or a napkin or any other small thing easily.

 

 

 

 

Done!!  Yay!!  So do you think this counts as one finish or two?

Sew on...

Even Long Time Sewists Get the Blues...

I am laughing and crying at the same time today.  I knew better, but did I listen to myself??

Nooooooo... of course not!

Always.  Prewash. Fabric. Before. You. Sew.

ALWAYS.

I have been quilting for such a long spell, and getting away with not prewashing, that I got careless.  Sloppy.  Lazy.  Stupid. 

Having been making garments for more years than I want to admit sometimes, I know very well that what goes into the washing machine is not always what comes out.  If you want to put a garment in the washer and dryer after you wear it, you need to know how the fabric will react.  Some stuff (like batik and polyester) comes out looking the same.  Some stuff (wool, 100% cotton, rayon) does not.

I took out a piece of gorgeous fushia knit the other day.  OK, granted, I could have done a fiber test, burned a piece to check the results, or just serged off the ends and washed the danged thing, but it was late in the afternoon and I wanted to actually FINISH something.

I left the top I made folded nicely on the quilt rack that's in my downstairs hall because I had to stop in the downstairs bathroom.  When I came out, I forgot to pick it up.  I should have put it on a hanger, or remembered where it was.  I should have gone down to grab it the next day when I wanted to wear it!  Shoulda, woulda, coulda.  I know.

DH grabbed the laundry on Thursday to take it in the basement.  He must have thought I intended that top to go all the way downstairs instead of all the way upstairs.

The picture will speak for itself.

Originally this top was longer than the jacket.

<sigh>

Sew on!

Easter Weekend and Beyond

I took a couple of days off my paying job to make a long Easter weekend.  I love what I do but sometimes a two day weekend isn't enough.  I find myself thinking of all the projects I could start (or finish! lol!!) while I'm on a conference call or eating my lunch at my desk, and all I want is to get home and get to work.

Then I get home and collapse on the couch after dinner, and don't actually get anything done!  Sad but true, if I actually did all the projects I'm thinking about I would need 48 hour days.

So Friday the grands and I colored eggs.  Then we cleaned up and went out for lunch.  Big girl wanted to go to Red Robin, but little girl sometimes doesn't agree on the decisions, and hates their hamburgers.  But we managed to talk her into mac and cheese, and she said she loved it! 

Of course when Mom got home and we said where we went, she said "YOU went to Red Robin?  But you hate going there!!  We can never go there because you can't find anything you like!"

Then we went to visit one of my aunts.  She had asked me to take a pair of her daughter's parachute pants and make some pants for her granddaughters' American Girl dolls.  I wanted to drop them off.  I felt kind of bad because there weren't any tops with the pants.  But the pieces I got out of the pants were skinny and there wasn't a lot there, even if I let out the seams.

The pants were really cute, though.  With white tee shirts they should be just fine.

Saturday the other two grands came for a visit.  I let them play in the back yard and get all muddy.  We ate Jelly Belly Beans and had some giggles.

DH and I went to sunrise service on Easter Sunday.  We were home by 7:50 and I had a nice nap on the couch.  I did a little clean up in the sewing room and got a few things cut out.  I am searching for a jacket pattern that I know in my mind I bought a while back, but it may turn out that I just looked at it in the pattern catalog so often it seems like I SHOULD own it!  We'll see.

Today it was so lovely not to get up to make that ugly commute downtown.  The season of orange barrels in Wisconsin is upon us!  This was baseball's opening day game, so I'm sure lots of folks took off work today to attend that.  Not me, though... I much prefer to watch Little League ball, if I have a choice!

The girls and I ate pancakes for breakfast and hung up some pictures on the walls in the upstairs bedrooms.  We finished painting about six months ago, and I got tired of looking at the pictures lined up on the floor.  DH won't be happy that I made a couple of extra nail holes in the walls, where I changed my mind about what to hang.  The lucky thing is, the final picture was bigger so unless the picture falls off the wall for some reason, he might never find out!

Tomorrow it's back to work.  Ugh, I will have to put on stockings and comb my hair!  No more mud puddles for me this week...  but maybe I can pick up that pattern on my way home from the office!

Sew on...

Water Color Wonders

Here's what's on my "design wall" today...

 

A LOOOONNNNGGG time ago I bought a pack of floral 2 inch squares labeled "Water Color Wonders" with the intent of making a wall hanging of some sort, it was when doing color gradations was all the rage.  The darling grands played with the squares a couple of months ago, 'sorting' and generally playing with the colors, kind of like an I Spy kit.  That brought it out of the drawer at least!  It probably hadn't seen the light of day in many moons.

So as long as they had it sorted, I grabbed it up and while watching my taped reruns of The Gilmore Girls last weekend, I started sewing them into pairs, then into fours, and then into 16 patch blocks.  My intent was to get them sewn together before the fraying got out of control.  But I kind of liked the resulting block combinations.

I think some of the squares are from another batch of cutting, because they don't all have that "kit" feeling, and there are some geometrics mixed in.  I pulled out the obvious mis-matches, like the bright kiddie prints, and added a few cuts from the scrap box.  I still need to final the layout, and taking the photo helped.  When you have that many little pieces, sometimes they stand out more when you snap a picture rather than look at them 'live'.    And I need one more block, so it's back to the 2 inch bin for 16 more squares.

This is not a true charm quilt in process -- I did notice that there are at least two fabrics that have been duplicated, although with different chunks of the prints you don't notice unless you really look closely.

Might get this finished next week, with a couple of extra days off work.  If I can get it quilted, I have a spot in my upstairs hall that is just begging for an art piece!

Sew on!

The Green Thing... and Other Things

While getting my Rita Fix today, I discovered another really wise philosophical position on Being Green... you know, the modern definition of being green, like taking the bus to work or making a compost pile instead of using your garbage disposal.

I believe in the concept of good stewardship of the earth.  I'd much rather take the bus and read, if it wouldn't take me twice as long to get to work.  I pack my lunch four days a week in a reusable lunch bag and take things in reusable containers. 

I have reusable mugs for tea. 

I grow lettuce and tomatoes in the brief Wisconsin summer, and I shop vegetable stands and farmers' markets when I find them. 

I took a carbon footprint test this weekend.  Oh dear, I am afraid that my solo drive to work nearly cancels out the farmers' markets and library card!!  And I forget to take my own grocery bags about 50% of the time. 

BUT we USE those plastic bags to dispose of doggie do and cat litter!  And hey, once I even cut the bags into strips and crocheted a reusable tote from them!

If you want to read a great story about how 'green' we were back in the day, when we were kids (or if you're younger, maybe when your mom was a kid), hop on over to Rita's blog and read the March 26 post here:  http://ritassewfun.blogspot.com/

Another cool blog I've added to my list is by Samina-- who is lately retired?  Am I right, Samina?  She used to work at American Sewing Guild headquarters, and now she's joining us in the bloggosphere with her Sew Everything blog, here:  http://seweverythingblog.wordpress.com/

On this day in history:

• In 1885 the first commercial moving picture film was produced in Rochester NY by George Eastman.
• In 1951 the U.S. Air Force flag was approved.
• In 1953 Dr. Jonas Salk announced a new vaccine to prevent Polio.
• in 1969 Marcus Welby, M.D., a made for TV movie, was shown on ABC.  Remember Robert Young??
• in 1990 Billy Crystal hosted the 62nd Annual Academy Awards, and Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture of 1989.

If these folks were still alive it would be their birthday:

• Playwright Tennessee Williams
• U.S. Army General William Westmoreland
• Actor Sterling Hayden -- wasn't he the voice of Winnie The Pooh for Disney?

These people ARE celebrating today!

• Sandra Day O'Connor
• Leonard Nimoy (Live long and prosper!)
• Bob Woodward
• Erica Jong
• Leeza Gibbons

If today is your birthday, many happy returns of the day! 

Sew on...

Are You Ready for Sewing Weekend???

Are you ready for Sewing Weekend???  May 2-4, 2013 is Sewing Weekend!

At the risk of having one of my five followers show up and make it more crowded, I'm encouraging everyone out there to take a chance on Sewing Weekend.  You won't be sorry.  It's the show to beat if you're putting on a show, and my personal favorite way to spend a weekend in Central Wisconsin.

This year, there are nationally known experts in the sewing field, both garment and quilting, plus embroidery experts too for added fun.  Lest you think I am sounding like a commercial, I have to tell you I think it's the best thing that ever happened on my birthday weekend!  It's so nice of Nancy to throw me a party!!

This year I signed up for a lecture by Mark Lipinski, one by Emma Seabrook, one by Linda McGehee, and one by Nancy Zieman.  I'm also going to listen to one on quilt bindings by a woman I have not heard before, but I'm sure it will be great and I'll learn something.



Linda, Nancy and Mark

I'm also excited about going to see the Midwest Ya-Ya Sisters, my friends Rita Farro and Mary Mulari.  They're a hoot when they get together!

Can't you just see them having the best time ever??  I have to remember to get some Zebra going on so I can be part of the club that weekend.

See, it IS like a gigantic girls' club at Sewing Weekend.  You meet all sorts of nice people, chat until your jaws ache, see the world's greatest style show, and shop until you drop!  In case you haven't figured it out, I LOVE IT!  I highly recommend the experience!

Oh, and did you see the Sewing with Nancy 30th Anniversary program on PBS this year?  I was in it!  Yep, in BOTH episodes, between sections I was on screen applauding for about four seconds late in the show.  If you blinked, you missed me!

Sew on...

I Won!!

Some people are just born lucky.  I, on the other hand, was not.  I consider myself blessed because I have a nice life, you know?  Nice hubby, although he can get cranky sometimes, good kids and grands, job I like, great satisfying hobbies, friends, the works.  But lucky, not so much.  Or I would have won the lottery or something.

So imagine my surprise and delight to have my name drawn as the winner of some gorgeous fabric from http://cspoonquilt.blogspot.com/ and you can click here to see them.

She was writing about using up scraps and made a darling little purse.  Go over and take a look.  Boy, it will make you want to save EVERYTHING!!

Anyway, I guess it was my lucky day.  So thank you, cspoon!!  (OK, I know that's not her name but it's cute.  Thanks, Claire!)

I'm feeling lucky.  I should buy a lottery ticket today!

Sew on...

The Adventures of "E" -- Teaching Kids to Sew Part II

Oh my goodness... this has been in my 'draft' folder for almost a year!  Well, have a read and you can chide me for being a bad blogger. 

March 2012:

I had the opportunity to take some time off work while the grands had spring break.  E, my oldest grand wanted another sewing session.  I have blogged before about how she's learning to use the sewing machine.  We were guest bloggers on the American Sewing Guild blog, found here.

This time she wanted to learn how to use the embroidery machine. OOOOOO-kay... well, she's pretty good at threading the Viking so I thought we'd give it a shot.

She picked out a few spools of variegated embroidery thread to use.  We found stabilizer and some white-on-white cotton fabric.  I showed her how to hoop everything. 

She picked a one color design, since the thread color would change automatically.  Little sister thought watching the multicolored butterfly appear was very cool.  When the design was done E removed it from the machine and clipped threads.  Then she went on to pick another design and another thread color.  Much discussion ensued about what would look the coolest. 

Her first ever thread next!!

E did four more designs, including her initial in gold in a scroll-type font.  We talked about how to use these squares in a project.  She decided to make a place mat.  For a pattern she pulled a placemat from the linen closet.  



She is good a choosing complementing colors.



From the fat quarter bin she chose a lovely piece of blue plaid that coordinated with most of the embroidery thread she had used.  She used a scissors to rough cut a large rectangle for the center, and I finished up with the rotary cutter.  (I think rotary cutters are just a bit dangerous for a beginner, especially with a little sister running around!)  I also trimmed out the embroideries.

E took some time to arrange her embroidered squares in a pleasing layout, and assembled her place mat top.  Next we went to the ironing board.  Oh-oh!!  Even though we were being very careful, accidents sometimes happen, and she touched the hot iron with the back of her finger.  (2013 update:  she has since learned to use the iron without ironing her fingers...)

We took a break for some ice in a baggie for the burn, and had a beverage.  After the sting wore off, she decided that it was time to read a book for a while.  Mom came home and we stopped for dinner.

Next day we returned to the project.  E had chosen a white fabric with multicolored dots for a backing.  She pinned it up, and we discussed how to sew almost all the way around, leaving a whole for turning the project.  She remembered having done this way back when she made her little dog blanket last year, so she happily worked her way around the edges, pulling out the pins as she sewed, stopping to pivot at the corners. 

She turned it right side out without assistance.  Once it was turned, I pressed it.  Not wanting another burn, E declined another trip to the ironing board!  I showed her how to use the edge stitch foot to close the gap in the seam.  Voila!  This is one very lovely place mat!  And one happy grand, with a success in the sewing room.

Things to remember:

• It's fun to choose your own 'ingredients'.
• Build on previous knowledge.
• Don't be afraid to try something new.
• Accidents happen.  Be careful but be prepared.
• It's OK to take a break.
• Make it FUN!!
• Be proud of the finished product. 

Happy sewing!

She's Baaa-aack!!

Rita's back!  Yay!!  What?? 

My e-friend, Rita, writes a blog that I love to read (link at right in my favorite blog sites)... I go out there daily to see what's going on in her life.  I love the way she writes, she finds joy and purpose in everyday life, and she has a GREAT sense of humor.

Fact:  I love to read.  I read probably 50 books a year, magazines, newspapers, to say nothing of a gazillion emails and other messages every day.  When I have nothing to read I re-read things I have enjoyed.

So when some of the bloggers I follow take a couple of weeks off, I go into withdrawal.  In the absence of a book in my desk drawer I will catch up on my blogging friends during my work breaks.  It makes me sad when there's nothing new posted for a while.

Rita went to a sewing expo and I'm sure she was worn out when she came back.  Gosh, do I know the feeling!  But boy was I sad when after several days she STILL wasn't posting anything.  But she is back.  Today's post said many people nagged her to get back.  Good!  Dang it I need my Rita fix!!

Hope my four followers aren't saying the same thing when I don't post.  Or maybe I should hope they ARE!

Here are a few random thoughts:

Today, March 14, is National PI day.  Not pie, pi, you know, 3.14156789... that's not the right number but I forget.  Congress declared National Pi Day to be 3-14 back in 2009.  Your tax dollars at work.  Well, it's good to know they actually DO something once in a while.

Winter in Wisconsin is too darn long.  We got more snow this week.  Ugh.   DH is tired of shoveling.  I personally am tired of having to drive behind people going 12 miles per hour.

Daylight Savings Time was last weekend.  Why do they keep shoving it around to different weekends?  And this one was a bad one, I still haven't caught up on my sleep.  I slept too late on Saturday, stayed up too late on Sunday, then tried to get up too early and ended up with a migraine.

Finished my taxes!  Yeah, it's a pain.  I put it off and put it off, and finally got it done.  Except DH was not a good guy this year record-wise.  Either we didn't spend anything on maintenance on the rental unit or all the receipts were invisible.

Sewing is much more fun when the fitting element is easy.  That is why women quilt!

Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick's Day, or so I've been told.  Sunday is National Get Drunk and Throw Up In A Parking Lot Day.  My apologies to the Irish.  You guys probably can hold your green beer.  Most of the world cannot.

Sew on!