Thursday, November 29, 2007

Let the creative juices flow...


I have been gone for a couple days...holed up in the studio getting things done!!! It feels good to start seeing some progress, but there is still lots to do. I mailed out my Christmas packages to my FQ swapping buddies from ATW and finished my sewing projects for the GDB volunteer gift. Did several shirts for Phil, one of our Christmas people and embroidered a darling jacket for Mason. Of course I had to do something for Kaylee too. I have 2 Muu-muus cut out...I altered a simple top pattern and added some pockets because I like pockets (so of course everyone else must too!) I'll let the pictures speak for me...I need to get back to work...see you soon! Mary

Monday, November 26, 2007

Man! I'm Tired!


This has been the neverending day! I have been running since the moment I opened my eyes. There was a rogue alarm going off at 6:00 a.m. that stopped right before I located it. I will do a quick scan before I go to bed tonight to hopefully find it. I crawled back in bed this morning because it seemed like the right thing to do. Fig the cat climbed up the puppy stairs and sat on the edge of my pillow nose to nose with me...guess he was hungry, so I got up. I had embroidered the volunteer scarf last night when I got home from work. I was going to leave the stocking hat alone, but true to my OCD soul, I had to shrink a matching design to tie the hat to the scarf. I didn't get a chance to take a picture before taking it to work, so maybe I will take my camera to work Friday. I am off the next 3 days...yay!!! I took the stray dog to the shelter...I hate that there are animals that don't have people who love them. I pray that someone will adopt him...he is a nice pup. We have such a nice balance here now with our crew and it wouldn't be fair to anyone to bring another animal into the fold. I still feel sad though. I stopped at JoAnn's on my way back home...picked up some yarn to finish the Navaho Afghan I am making for the Christmas project and found a darling cat fabric remnant. Stopped at KMart and found some nice sweatshirts for $5.00 a piece...the XX sizes were a little more. I now have the start of my 3 day weekend...Tom would like to do shirts for the guys at the station, so it's back to KMart tomorrow. Better get to bed so I can rest up!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Cold and Achy...


Or maybe I should say "Old and achy"...not quite sure which it is...Woke up with a headache this morning that I was able to knock with a pot of coffee, an indocin and some sudafed, but I just don't feel totally up to par. A nice nap sounds inviting right now. I changed the sheets on the waterbed, so that is going to feel heavenly when bedtime finally rolls around (is it time yet?) I stitched out a sample of the volunteer design that sewed okay, but the machine started acting up. I was using some cheaper thread that I thought was very pretty, but after trying several things determined that the thread was the root of all evil. Once I switched back to the thread I normally use, things were back to normal. Moral of the story: Don't use cheap thread! Enough for now...I think I will go take some Tylenol and see if that doesn't pep me up.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

One more thing before I cook Dinner...


It's almost time for dinner...we discussed how long it had been since a sturgeon graced our boat...it was the time Sara and Dad went fishing...that was a LONG time ago. Hope we don't have to wait so long to catch another. On a sewing note, I replaced the burned out sleeve on Tom's jacket and found my desired design...whew!!! I will fire up the embroidery machine and work on that in the morning before work. The serger is working well (knock on wood) I think my troubles were more operator error related than stupid machine. Amazing things happen when you read the instruction manual. Guess I better go tend to dinner. The kids are here and Sara is not feeling well (no, she assures me she is not pg) Til next time...Mary

Mmmmm...Sturgeon for dinner tonight


I am very happy to report that the Deeter family kitchen will be serving up fresh sturgeon for dinner tonight! So tasty for such an ugly fish!!! Yes!!! The drought is over...let the sturgeon school rain down on us. It's been a really long time since Tom has caught a sturgeon. Yesterday's catch was 54" and they also had a few shakers too, so they had some action in the boat. How does this relate to sewing, you may ask? There was another casualty besides the poor sturgeon that is sitting in our refrigerator. The camoflauge fleece jacket that I made for Tom with the digitized by me IAFF logo embroidered on it had an unfortunate incident with the propane heater in the boat. Luckily I stll have plenty of fabric left that I can replace the sleeve that now has a big burn hole in it. I'll get right on it after I fix the Carharts that Tom set on fire while welding. Are we starting to see a trend here...a fireman who keeps setting his clothes on fire??? I can have fun with this!!! Back to sewing...I made a little progress on the Volunteer gift...searching for that design I know I have, but can't remember which folder I put it in (a theme in MY life) Lots of projects to work on...Tom is starting a double tomorrow, so even though I work both days I will be able to eak out alot of sew time. Sometimes I do my best work late at night and you can't fire up the machines when someone is trying to sleep!!!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Back to Life...Back to Reality...


Good morning...Thanksgiving is over...the dishes have all been washed and put away...Jo and I are back at work...such is life. The holiday was nice...good food...good friends. We missed the kids, but they are coming Saturday, so we will have a good time then. Lots of sewing projects to work on...the hat and scarf for the Guide Dogs Volunteer gift need embroidered...Muu-muus to finish and shirts to embroider. Also need to finish the gifts for the Davis family kids...I make them something every year...I'm sure one year they will say enough already, but I love making stuff for them...I love making stuff period!!! I finished wrapping all the presents for the advent stockings, so those are ready to go December 1st. We also aquired a new boarder yesterday...a very nice black lab that was wandering on the highway. A good samaritan picked him up because she was afraid he would cause an accident or get hurt and brought him to the fire department. Tom called me and of course I took him in. He is very sweet...someone must be missing him. I will call around today and see if anyone has reported him missing. He has wonderful house behaviors and picked up some simple obedience really fast (He heels better than Kodi ever has!) I called him "Buddy", but Tom said last night..."we gotta come up with a better name than that if he stays". I think "Ace of Spades" would be a good name, but hopefully he has a loving family looking for him...the rest of our crew is not so wild about him. Kodi tried to hump him, Fig the cat tried to attack him and Jo has just gone into a power pout. The bird doesn't care. Now on to Christmas...Santa Paws asks..."Have you been naughty or nice?"

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!


Just a moment to pause and reflect on how blessed I am. I have enough. I have a great family and friends who support me in my passions. I am thankful for a wonderful son-in-law who takes such good care of my daughter. I have a job that allows me time to do the things I want to do. I have food to eat and a warm home to shelter me. I have loving pets to keep me amused. Today I will cook a turkey dinner at the fire station and share the holiday with many friends. I will try to get some sewing done as well, as it is back to work tomorrow! I bought some larger patterns and some beautiful fabric to make some Muu-muus for some of the residents at the care facility my daughter adopted. Today is dog day for our students, so they will have their dogs when I return...always a good thing!!!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Day before Thanksgiving


Here it is the day before Thanksgiving. We are having a lazy morning...drinking coffee and watching GAC. I am sitting in the "bother me" chair, which truly is any chair you sit in, but particularly if you are sitting at the computer Jo believes you are there solely for his entertainment. His toy basket sits in the family room and we play fetch until he falls over for a quick recharge and then it begins again. Plans for the day include baking the bread for the week, preparing the dishes I can today for tomorrow's feast at the fire hall and of course sewing. I finished the advent stockings for the kids so I will post a picture...oh no, Daddy threw the ball behind the entertainment center and Jo is having a fit...must go intervene!!!

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

No Sewing Today :(


Ever have a day that didn't turn out quite how you planned, but turned out okay anyway? Today was such a day...I had every intention of getting some more sewing done before going to work today, but some friends called and invited us out to breakfast, so it was off to Shorty's Corner. Made it home with enough time to strap little Jo in his car seat and hit the library before work. Work was hectic, but it's my Friday and I have the next two days off, so it's all good!!! Here is a picture of a baby quilt I made a few years ago in honor of all my friends having babies this year (I think it's in the water!!!)

Monday, November 19, 2007

Work...


Not really about sewing, but I'm thinking about sewing. I have the coolest nursing job on the planet (well at least as far as I know for now...I have not had every nursing job on the planet). I work for Guide Dogs for the Blind and it is the first and only nursing job I know that allows, even encourages you to bring your dog to work. Jo likes it most days, but now that the days are getting colder, he really would prefer to stay at home in bed!!! We have students who come from all over the United States and Canada to train with their guide dog. First timers come for 28 days, people who have had dogs before can come for 3 or even 2 week courses. Check it out:

Enjoy a video about Guide Dogs
http://www.talkingcommunities.com/wm/cc/
If you know someone who is blind, please tell them about Guide Dogs. http://www.guidedogs.com/

Beginnings...

Here I go...my first blog post. I have been living vicariously for weeks reading other people's sewing blogs and I thought it was about time that I start journaling my own course. I have sewn for many years...started with a treadle machine if that tells you anything!!! I currently own 2 embroidery machines (a Brother ULT2003D and a Babylock EMP6); 2 "regular" sewing machines; a serger with coverstitch and one of the original treadles that started me on this journey. I am currently working on Christmas projects. New advent stockings for my kids, Sara and Bryce. A friend started me on this a couple years ago...she created advent stockings for her kids that contained small gifts for every day in December until Christmas. I started with big felt Christmas stockings from the Dollar Tree, but this year I am making new ones because the Dollar Tree ones were looking pretty ragged last year and frankly, it easier to make new ones than to try and figure out where I stashed them last year! Do you ever do that...put something away thinking you would never forget where it is and then for the life of you, can't find it when you need it? Must be a sign of my impending old age!!! I digress though...the kids loved the advent stockings and make sure that I get the stockings back post Christmas so I can do it again next year. The gifts are practical, silly and inexpensive. I collect things throughout the year and give them things like home made jam and home canned tuna, toys and treats for my grandkitty Lola, christmas ornaments and just fun stuff. I have a surprise gift for Sara, but I can't post it until she opens it, because she might read this...Love ya Honey!!! I'll take a picture for a later post...hehehe!!! Well, I have been playing long enough and must get some work done before I head to work at my real job...more about that later...in stitches...Mary

Project Dress a Girl

For the past couple of years, I have made dresses for Project Dress a Girl Around the World, in part thanks to the campaign launched by Mari...