Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Disney Quote of the Day...


From the top of the stairs..."I'll just wait up here for you". I tend to go up and down the stairs a lot during the day, so it's alot of work for a velcro type of dog! We are working a double shift today, so Disney is getting lots of love from the staff. Jo is just a little put out that he is not the center of the universe right now, but that is good for him.

I also have a question for you dear Readers...I am considering purchasing an E-reader and strongly leaning towards a Kindle. Do any of you use the Kindle and what are your thoughts? The ad supported Kindle is tempting with it's price break and the promise of great deals, but Amazon already sends me oodles of offers through my email...is 50 bucks worth being bombarded with advertising?

Monday, July 25, 2011

Houseguest

Meet Disney. He is newly retired from his career as a guide dog. His partner went on vacation and Disney gets to spend a few days with Auntie Mary until Auntie Nancy gets back from her follow up trip. Disney is a sweet ol' boy...about the same age as my Kodi Bear. I know the two ol' boys will hit it off when Kodi comes home on Wednesday. Sewing...not much. Fabric.com sent a notice they would replace the bad cut of fabric. Email today...fabric all gone...no fabric. Asked for a refund...wash my hands of Fabric.com for good. Busy weekend at the homestead...I got 2 coats of paint on the pumphouse and the facia boards trimmed out so Tom can put the roofing on. Finished calking the bat boards on all but one side of the shop (Tom to finish the bats tomorrow) and he called to report he finished screwing down all of the roofing on the shop tonight! Yee Haw!!! Progress has been slow, but sure...better go rest up...time to start cooking for the Jamboree this weekend...good music, good food and good friends!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Shirtwaist

I wore my shirtwaist dress to work today. It was sunny when I got dressed. By afternoon it was cloudy and cold again...go figure. This dress was made from some fabric I got in an op shop bag a few weeks ago. When I saw it I knew it was destined to be this New Look pattern. Does that ever happen to you...you see some fabric and you know immediately what it is destined to be? The fabric is a stretch cotton poly blend and it is very comfortable. The sweater is one I picked up at the SEars outlet while scouting for Kellie. I have a fabulous navy plaid in the stash to make a pencil skit to go with it this winter. A little blouse with a bow and I shall be very Emma Pillsbury, don't you think? I got alot done this morning in the studio before work. Tomorrow I need to get some groceries because since my man been gone, Mother Hubbard's cupboard is pretty bare!
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In and Out...

Not the burgers, although I hear they are fabulous, especially if you know the special code words! My life lately has been a whirlwind between work and shop building and back to work and embroidery jobs and on and on... It's been exhausting but fun too. I took my blind friend Kellie shopping for some new clothes. I had been promising her a trip for awhile now, but our schedules didn't jive, and so last week we just made time to go. I wish I had taken pictures, but we were on such a time crunch, we only had time to eat and shop! I will catch some photos of her wearing some of her new finds when she wears them. We did so awesome in the shopping department. Sears has an outlet store in Clackamas and you can get some great deals on clothing there, but like any outlet, timing is everything. I did some reconnaisance shopping before I picked her up from work and found some cute things I thought she might like. (I also found some great buys for me, but this isn't about me!). We stopped at Applebees for dinner to fuel up and then we hit the stores! During dinner I quizzed her on her likes and dislikes (purple and sparkles) and discovered that she didn't really have a lot of knowledge about shopping or what would look good on her (she's petite and adorable, so that was pretty easy). She explained that she went blind when she was 8 years old, and being a tomboy, she really didn't care about fashion and neither did the people around her. Clothes were just a functional thing. Well welcome to Mary's funhouse! I feel like I may have already blogged about this, so if I did...sorry...anywho, suffice it to say, I hooked her up with some great clothes and I'll let the pictures do the talking (when I get them!) Last weekend I drove straight from work over the mountain to help Tom with the shop. Enjoyed a horrible thunder storm that dumped mega rain in a short period of time. That was a fun drive, let me tell ya. The CRV handled the swamped roadway like a champ and even the freaky little Pom was calm (which is a first!) Tom had to tell me about his "little mishap" of dropping a trim board on his face as the black eye had not faded! Men! He was okay and I took some pictures to document it, but left the camera with him to take some progress shots of the building. The weather continued to be a factor in our work, but we busied ourselves with things that could be accomplished in the rain, like insulating the pump house, putting up bats (Tom kept dropping the measure board on me...sensing a theme here? No black eye, but thank goodness I have an appointment with Laurie for a massage tomorrow! I painted a little on Monday before the rain came down in earnest and I had to head home for work. Did a double shift yesterday and now it's back to my regular work schedule. Heading back over for the weekend and then jetting back on Monday to pick up Disney, Kellie's husband's retiring guide dog, for a brief stay while they go on vacation. He's a lovable guy and at the end of the week I will hand him over to his other sitter as it will be time for the Oregon Jamboree! We get to camp out with our Jamboree family and enjoy some great country music! Whoo-hoo! Wow, I'm exhausted writing about it all. Guess I better get cracking on the embroidery jobs before work. And just so this is not another pictureless boring post...here is the latest fail delivery from Fabric.com:
Why would they send a cut of fabric like that? Waiting to hear back from customer service. There is still some of that fabric left, so maybe they will replace it. Fingers crossed!

Friday, July 15, 2011

A Quickie

I've been a sloth when it comes to posting pictures lately, so I snapped a few in the office of my latest creation...a simple T made from Simplicity 4076.
I love all the variations of this pattern, but found the back to be a little broad on me, leaving me with a big gaping neck in the back. I redrafted the back, taking almost 2 inches out at the top and now it fits perfect! This took about an hour to make and it was an op shop knit I got for some ridiculous sum...like a quarter! It was just barely a yard, but I eeked it out. Outtake: this is what happens when your timer goes off too soon!
Heading over the mountain after work today so I probably won't have any time online...lots of painting to do and enjoying time with Tom and Kodi until I have to return next week to get back to work. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Pitbull Skirt...Part One

While I wait for the fabric to come for Nancy's skirt, I digitized the picture she sent me into an applique to embroider on the skirt. I present to you, the pitbull:
I'm really pleased how this turned out. I have been busy in the sewing room this morning, finishing up a sorbetto muslin that is not wearable by the way. I used a stretchy gauze remnant I had and the neck was a little too stretched out, but I nailed the dart perfectly by lowering it about 3/4 of an inch. The Jalie top ended up a wadder, well not exactly a wadder in the sense that it is unwearable...it just is too big on me and I really didn't care for the tulip sleeves as I thought I would. I have made this pattern before, but I think the fabric had more stretch this time than the previous versions. Anyway, I took a break from sewing to eat way too many cherries (don't you love it when fruit is in season) and I'd best be getting back to business before time to leave for work. I have to allow extra time lest the spoiled pom tries some more shenanigans today!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Zing...

That's the sound of my brain! Do you ever feel like life is traveling at warp speed, that you are juggling a hundred balls and praying that they don't all drop? That's life right now and I am so happy! Happy that one of the things that has been occupying my time is sewing (more sewing=less blogging). I finished the shirt dress and a Jalie top except for the hem which will be finished after work. I have several things cut out to work on and some are similar colors so I can batch sew. I have several fun sewing jobs lined up...a Pitbull skirt, with corresponding people skirt for said Pitbull. I have already digitized the Pitbull sillhouette that my friend sent me into an applique. I had to order some fabric for Nancy's skirt, so I spent some quality time at Fabric.com! I hadn't shopped there since they ticked me off. It was like I was an addict getting a fix! Of course I had to order enough to get free shipping! ITY knits on sale and I found a 15% off coupon code...Oh my!!! I have a poodle to sew on to another circle skirt for a friend who trains...wait for it...poodles! She does freestyling, which is basically doggy dancing if you want to get down to it. Tom is over in LaPine working on the shop, so I have been gathering the things I forgot to send to take over after I get off work on Friday for a fun filled weekend of work! Kodi went over with Tom and I really miss him...Tom said Kodi must be missing me too because he has been moping around the trailer and refused to take his glucosamine (I normally just offer it to him and he eats it out of my hand). Jo was being a little poop today, hiding when it was time to go to work, so I left his sorry butt home! Let the cat torment him! The cat has been a real PITA lately in the studio. Why is it she gets all lovey-dovey when you are trying to cut a buttonhole? Seriously, can't she do her rubbing and purring while we're watching a movie or something? Sheesh! Really I do enjoy her in the studio, except when she is batting my thread into the garbage can, or blocking my light, or...well, just about time to shut this puter down and head for the homestead...Later Chicas!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Hello Blog...

Let me reaquaint myself...I write you, or I should say I did write you once upon a time. Here's what I've been up to:
And working on my garden, doing yardwork, cleaning up the huge mess the squirrels made in the pump house (demanding little critters!)
I have been embroidering like a mad fiend...for other people and almost have a dress for me finished! I also have been planning for a visit to this little guy:
Doesn't he look adorable in his Independence day outfit? Here he is in his T shirt Grammy made him displaying his Oregon roots:

Back to work today. I actually am looking forward to getting a set routine again. I like my job and the people I work with. Life is good!


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...