Mary is Sewfast

Sam I Am

2012-01-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

I sound like a Dr. Seuss book, don't I? I haven't been a very faithful blogger lately, although I have been keeping up with my blog reading. Part of the reason I have not been blogging is that we have a new baby in the house! Not a grandbaby, mind you, but we adopted a black and white pomeranian named Sam a couple weeks ago. My friend Nancy dropped by my office one afternoon and said "You should check out this pom they just got in to the shelter...they're looking for someone to foster him!" Yeah, right...like I'm going to bring him into my home for 2 weeks, love him and turn him back? It was hard enough when we did foster children! So we pretty much knew that unless he grew a second head or was as vicious as Kujo, he would become a part of our family. We enjoyed a nice walk to the dam for lunch on a rare afternoon of sunshine and blue skies. It was a welcome reprieve after last weeks weather! Do you know how many pictures it takes to get two dogs to look at you at the same time? Here are the boys...

They are sufficiently tuckered out now, so I am going to do some vacuuming and fire up the embroidery machine. My favorite thrift store reopened last week after their building was restored. This morning I dropped by to take some items I had cleaned out of my closet and to look around. I scored on some yarn and a great bag to carry my knitting around. Need to spruce it up a bit and make it mine!

The Clean-a-thon Continues

2012-01-05T21:54:00.000-08:00

Sewing Studio Edition! I pulled everything out of the fabric closet tonight. Many happy surprises of fabric I forgot about that got hidden and remnants of stuff that really needs to go! I have one box filled for thrift. I'm going to call it a night and get after again tomorrow after work. Maybe by my day off I'll have a tidy organized space to work in. Wouldn't that be lovely?

Make Way for the New...

2012-01-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

I read an interesting blog post on Flipboard (a free app I found for my phone that you can customize with newsfeeds, google reader, Facebook, etc.) about a gal who spends New Year's Eve cleaning. It started out as just New Year's Eve, but as her life and family grew she had to start a few days earlier to complete everything. Now I will never get that wild and crazy about cleaning, but I have started cleaning out a cupboard or two when I have a little spare time (starting with the cookbooks) and it has been very good. I am learning new things about the stuff I already have. Like the grinder attachment for the Kitchenaid mixer is also a pasta maker with several dies to make different pastas, such as lasagne. How many times have we used that thing and I did not see the big bold letters that said "Pasta Maker" on it? Crazy! I reorganized my storage containers the other day and am quite happy with how nice the cupboard looks and that the lids are stored with the containers. I previously had prescribed to the containers in the cupboard with a drawer of lids, but that had morphed into a Tupperware nightmare! I thought it would take up more space, but through nesting the smaller containers in the bigger ones and getting rid of the dead wood with no lids, I actually have more room! And an empty drawer! Who knew I had 3 sifters (2 full sized and 1 mini)? How often do I use 1 sifter? Did I really think I needed that many, or did I just forget I had one already? I'm currently waiting for the clean cupboard to dry before I put back the items that are staying. I may even tackle the junk drawer this morning before I have to go to work!
In sewing news, I cut out a muslin for McCall's 6513 yesterday. I say muslin because I am using the knit from Fabric.com that came with a huge seam through the middle of the cut and I had to be a little creative to get all the pieces out. I'm sure this pattern will become a TNT. Yesterday we gorged ourselves on holiday football and cheered madly for our Oregon Ducks...the 2011 Rose Bowl Champions!!!! It was a great game and Wisconsin was a worthy opponent. It could have gone either way, but I'm happy for our Ducks! All the football time really gave my 2 socks at a time project a shot in the arm and I am now on the home stretch of knitting the foot. The heel turn on the pattern I am using did not make sense. It only had decreases on one side of the gusset and maybe I just don't understand what it was telling me to do, but I have made enough socks that I just did it my way and the heel looks great. Guess I know more about knitting than I give myself credit for! Anywho, it's off to get some stuff done before work. Time to get back on that horse and ride!

Happy 2012! Put a Bird On It!

2012-01-01T06:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012! I hope everyone had a happy and safe 2012! Tom was working so our celebration consisted of a nice dinner of rib steaks, rosemary garlic roasted red potatoes and salad, topped off with cocoa apple cake. I was really excited about the cake. Cocoa apple cake was a staple dessert in our house growing up, and somehow through life's twists and turns, I lost Mom's recipe. Tragic. I'm not even sure where it originated from...maybe one of the Scott Paper ladies that my Dad worked with. I had done an internet search before, but nothing had come close to the original, which had chocolate chips in it. Flash forward to 2011. My cookbook cupboard had overflowed to the ridiculous. I made the decision that some serious culling needed to be done, and so one morning I went through my cookbooks and donated a bunch to the Book Nook, which supports our local library. In this day and age, most any recipe is a click away and so I reduced my cookbook collection to a fraction of it's previous size. I felt good about it. To test out my recipe accessibility theory, I did one last search for the Cocoa Apple cake. The first recipe that popped up was it! Of course it was a little shy on the chocolate chips, but I always added more anyway, so that told me it was the one! Anyway, enough about cake!
Jo and I went home shortly after dinner to avoid the drunken craziness that usually accampanies New Year's Eve. Good thing...I heard the boys go out a short time after we got home. We did our chores, got in our PJs and settled in for some telly and sock knitting. 100+ channels and nothing on to watch prompted me to see if there was anything new on NetFlix to hold my attention. What? The first season of Portlandia had been added! Since we don't get the IFC channel, I thought it would be fun to watch the show that sheds a light on our big city.

I ended up watching the whole first season (6 episodes in all). Kyle Maclachlan is hilarious as the mayor and Sam Adams (the actual mayor of Portland) has cameos as his assistant. The show is a series of skits with recurring characters that feature different locales here in Portland. Portlan's motto is "Keep Portland Wierd" and you definitely catch that vibe in Portlandia. The knitting of 2 socks at a time is going fabulously...knitting heel flaps and will be turing the heel soon. I hope to have this pair off the needles by the time my new ChiaoGoos arrive, so I can start on another pair with a lace pattern perhaps. Or maybe toe up 2 at a timeMight as well complicate it more! I did venture out yesterday to JoAnn's to take advantage of the 99 cent McCall's pattern sale. The main pattern that drove me there was McCall's 6513, a new Palmer/Pletsch knit top offering.

This is so the type of top I like to wear and I can't wait to take it for a spin. Unfortunately Tom had a job waiting for me when I was heading home from town so I couldn't dive right in. The good news is I knocked the job out in the afternoon and it paid for my little trip to JoAnn's! I picked up several other patterns and some more sock yarn. I won't rest until all my socks are handmade!
I have to go to work today, so I had best get off the computer and give Jo a bath. I like him to start off fresh with a new class. I'm sure he will be thrilled! Usually he runs and hides when I say the "B" word. Enjoy the rest of the holiday if you have it off. I am off tomorrow and will be watching the Rose Bowl. GO DUCKS!

2011...a Retrospective

2011-12-31T07:20:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a pretty good year for me. I didn't keep an exact tally of all the garments I made, but looking in my closet and seeing mostly me-made items tell I'm on the right track. I made the Jalie jeans (which are now too big...happy or sad??? Not sure) Probably my favorites would include the Jalie Scarf tops, cardigans and Vogue 1250, considering I made multiples of all in rapid succession.

I also was fortunate to be a test stitcher for Sewaholic's Minoru jacket. What a great pattern! Tasia really has a finger on the pulse of pattern development and I love my first "muslin" jacket. I have another cut out and ready to sew. Here is the original:

Other highlights of 2011 include meeting Gaylen (sorry, not a picture one was taken to commemorate the event) and of course our trip last month to visit the kids and cheer for Sara at her original marathon in Athens, Greece!

Getting to spend time with this little man was a big highlight of the trip. He really loves his Pop!

I vaguely remember a goal last year to step up my knitting. I became a mad sock knitter over the summer and cranked out multiple pairs while traveling back and forth to LaPine (when Tom was driving...I don't support knitting and driving at the same time!) I just tackled 2 socks at a time, even though everyone at the fire station made fun of my attempts! I'm happy to report I got past the difficulty of the cast on and the socks are looking pretty good, despite the fact that my circulars are old and stiff. I just ordered some ChiaoGoo circulars with a 47" cord so I can magic loop them and do 2 socks with one needle. Crazy, huh? I made a lace scarf and several cowls this Fall. I was able to ~~purchase~~ steal a yarn stash from a gal who was leaving the country to teach English in an Asian country. Sadly I have made a big dent in that stash and need to seek out more fiber. Luckily that is not a problem. I tackled cables and yes Gaylen, you were right...they're not that difficult! The embroidery business kept me busier than I would like, but I can't complain...well I can, sewing for others seriously cuts into my sewing time for me, but at least people like what I do, so that's nice. I just wish they wouldn't dream up all these wild impossible tasks for me to do!
Tom bought me an iphone for Christmas and who knew...I love it! I keep my phone charged now at all times. I play Words with Friends. Sara is majorly kicking my butt, but she always was good with words!
I can't really think of anything negative about 2011. I'm sure there were times, but most of the time my memory sees the glass over half full. There may be something to this getting old thing! I am not going to set any resolutions (although I would be happy if 10 pounds just dropped off!), but my wish for 2012 is to be healthy, happy and productive! Happy New Year!!!

Merry Christmas Blog Friends!

2011-12-25T07:11:00.000-08:00

I want to wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my blog friends. Thank you for a year of laughs, tears, and inspiration...I enjoy reading all about your adventures. This Christmas is pretty low key for us...Tom is on duty at the station, so we will be enjoying our fire family this year. We skyped with Sara and Colt yesterday and Colt was just precious! He said "Pop" (which is synonymous with grandpa in our family) for the first time and his Pop was ecstatic! What a great Christmas gift! I finished up the last Christmas present yesterday and while it was embroidering I whipped out a Jalie long sleeve T-shirt out of that snakeskin fabric I bought a couple months ago. There were other sewing jobs I could have worked on, but sometimes you just have to do something for yourself! We kicked back and watched Mission Impossible 3 in preparation for going to see MI4-Ghost Protocol sometime this next week. I smoked some trout and roasted some caulifower for dinner that was delish and then we read until we I couldn't stay awake anymore! This morning I have a CPR class to attend (Yep...CPR class on Christmas...what better gift than the gift of life) and then it will be dinner prep. Tom is smoking a rib roast and everyone else is chipping in with their best dishes! I am doing the broccoli salad, garlic mashed potatoes and of course fresh baked rolls...Jason and Janice are bringing some other delectable dishes and even the student volunteered to bring dessert! And two little girls for Jo to entertain in his Santa suit! Love my firehouse family! Better get a move on...have a very happy holiday my blog friends!

Gone, but not Forgotten

2011-12-20T06:38:00.000-08:00

I have been really absent from the blogging world, but it has not been forgotten. This is a busy time of year for everyone. Santa's helper has been busy up in the studio, and though I have not taken pictures of everything I've done (some things have been ripped out from under the presser foot and wrapped immediately for delivery), some of the recipients have posted pictures on FB that I have been able to ~~rip off~~ glean. My friend Nancy works tirelessly as a foster Mom to find homes for abandoned dogs, mostly pitbulls. I made her a sweatshirt because she is special (and I don't mean in that derogatory drawn out "spec-i-i-a-a-l tone either!)

What's not to love about Ruberta?

Ruberta needs a home!

La perrita Ruberta anela ayar su propia familia para disfrutar las siestas y las fiestas. Tiene Usted campo para una nueva amigita peluda?

Or Little Raggedy Ruby?

How about Grandma Ruby?

I'm happy to report that Ruby found her forever family thanks to Nancy's diligent work (and play) with Ruby. Here's what she looks like when she's not in cognito...

This story has a happy ending, but not all shelter dogs have a Nancy as a champion. Remember to check the shelter when looking for a new furry companion. There are alot of animals waiting to be loved. And if you're not looking to increase your herd this holiday season...love the furbabies you already have at home...it comes back to you in wags and kisses!

A Smart Phone...

2011-12-13T09:22:00.001-08:00

Tom bought me an iPhone for Christmas. I said "Maybe I'll keep my phone charged now.". He said "The phone is smart"...right before I smacked him! I love that man!!!

A Good Occupy Morning

2011-12-07T13:14:00.000-08:00

With only a morning to occupy my sewing room, I set lofty goals to accomplish. I'm happy to report it was a good morning to occupy the studio, as I finished 4 Christmas presents for some of the wee ones in my life.

No worries...I don't think any of them read my blog. These blankets were fun to make and I hope the kids enjoy wrapping up in their luscious softness. Who doesn't like a fuzzy blanket? I wish I had more time to occupy, but alas I must go get ready for work. There's always tomorrow...

Occupy Movement

2011-12-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Check this out...this is an Occupy Movement I can get behind... http://catpatches.blogspot.com/p/occupy-your-sewing-room.html

Best Laid Plans...

2011-12-03T10:05:00.000-08:00

Yeah...we know how that goes. I came down with a pukey illness on Wednesday, missed work (hate that) and spent my day off recovering. No sewing! BAH! But my weekend starts tonight...holiday party and then maybe some sewing tomorrow? A girl can only hope! To be continued...

Give Me Liberty...

2011-11-30T06:27:00.000-08:00

There were so many things to see and do in London. Our first day we devoted to Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland and taking Colt to see Father Christmas. There was a fairly long line, but the weather was beautiful and Colt was in good spirits, so we had a good time.

Not entirely sure about the big man in the red suit, but Mom says it's okay. After that we headed off to Harrod's. Self disclosure...my daughter said "Hey Mom, look over there!" I saw hoards of people in the street. I questioned "Oh, is that Occupy London?" "No Mom, that's the line to get into Harrod's!" More about Occupy later, but let me tell you...there were more folks occupying Harrod's than the Occupy London movement. The next day in London we did more traditional sight seeing.

We are walking across the London Bridge, and that my friends is a picture of the Tower Bridge...the one everyone thinks is the London Bridge of falling down fame. What? You don't see it? Me neither...too foggy that morning. We carried on along the Thames on the Queen's Walk.

There was an amazing skyline shot of a highrise...isn't the light around it interesting?

Moving on...we come to St. Paul's Cathedral. Elegantly beautiful!

Tom in front of the Firefighter's Memorial trying to act like I'm not taking his picture!

And as you round the Cathedral, there they are. Really? The stock exchange is a few blocks down and they are camping there. The gathering was considerably smaller than our Occupy Portland...well, I am not going to expound on how I feel about the Occupy movement, but I will say I fail to see any positive in what they are doing.

Here is the obligatory shot in front of a British telephone booth. Tom is even kind of smiling!

Tralfagar Square and the National Gallery...would have been great to go in, but more sights to see so we enjoyed the beautiful statues and fountains on the move to our next stop.

Westminster Abbey and Big Ben...moving on...

We strolled along beautiful St. James Park. Oh hey...what's that with the gates of gold???

Buckingham Palace. I wonder if Prince William and Kate were there?

The palace guards were not wearing the Beefeater hats and they were too far away to mess with, much to Tom's dismay! We headed out of the palace and what do you know? We were really close to Hyde park where we started the day before! We did alot of walking, which was really good for us. We walked towards Picadilly Circus and stopped for lunch at TGIFridays. After refueling we walked along the shops. This is a sewing blog, right? It occurred to me that I have not put into words my Liberty experience. Amazing!!!
I had not yet found Liberty. The kids went into the Gap because they were having a killer sale on kid's hoodies and Tom and I went outside for some air. I saw a woman walk by with a Liberty bag and I got excited! We had to be close. I mentioned it to Sara when they came out and we started down the block. We started to cross the next street when Sara looked back and saw it slightly up the street we were crossing. Screech!!! I hit the brakes and made a U-turn right in the middle of the road! Liberty is a beautiful old store with wood staircases with ornate carved bannisters. It reminded me of shopping with my Grandmother as a child (not that any American department stores are as old or elegant as Liberty, but it gave me the same feel) Haberdashery is on the 3rd floor and the lift could only hold 4 people, but of course I said "See ya" and bound up the stairs! I passed through the room of yarns and fiber supplies (thought of you Gaylen!) and then I was there! Liberty heaven! The fabric department was small and tasteful and I loved looking at each bolt, considering it for the journey home with me. Now I have shopped many times at the orgy that is Fabric Depot or the Mill End, but this was a different experience. I carefully selected a bolt of the softest cotton in the world with turquoise and blue flowers. I have a couple of blouses in mind for this fabric, but you can be sure I will muslin the hell out of the pattern before I cut into this special fabric! I also picked up a remnant of the peacock print that matched the pincushion and button jar of the same fabric. Tom asked me why I didn't go crazy in there and buy everything in sight? That wasn't what the experience was about for me. I wanted one special piece (well, I did buy two pieces) that I could make a garment out of to remind me of our time in London.The Peacock fabric will make something for my sewing room.

After fondling the fabric and Sara buying some yarn to knit a hat, we explored the other floors. Beautiful designer clothes! A beautiful Vivienne Westwood wool coat that Sara and I both coveted! Stella McCartney...yes, please. I especially loved the designer vintage section. I got to really examine some vintage Chanel jackets up close...like touch them and check out the seam finishes. There were vintage Louis Vuitton suitcases and shoes, glorious shoes! Sara remarked that she was surprised at all the other cool things at Liberty, as in all my ravings I forgot to mention that it was much more than a fabric store!

Tom risked life and limb to take this picture of me outside Liberty...he is standing in the street to get the full shot of the store name...if you've ever been to London, you know that is love. Hurry Honey, snap the picture and get out of the street!

Anyway, that is the short version of our London escapades and my Liberty experience. In sewing news, my mojo has returned and I am finishing up the things I started before vacation. There is a game bag repair to be done and the Pippa dress is pinned to Valentine. I have Thursday off, so maybe I can finish it before this weekends IAFF Christmas party. I cut out the Fabric.com snakeskin knit yesterday and have several other garments in the planning process. I took advantage of BMV's Cyber Monday sale, so a bunch of new inspiration is heading my way...I'm thinking capes...more on that to come. One of the dogs down here has horrible gas...time to turn on the Scentsy!

Getting Back in the Groove...(picture heavy)

2011-11-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

In my head I formulated all these great blog posts as I snapped pictures on our vacation. GREAT posts chronicling all the cool places we visited and the great times we had. Travel is exhausting and while those great times are still in my head and I have the pictures that make me smile and remind me of where we went and what we did...I'm going to keep the dialog simple and give you a brief pictorial. I returned back to work the day after we blew back into town. Disney, the retired guide dog came to stay with us while his Daddy trains with his new guide. I got a cold. Thanksgiving and black Friday happened...work...Work...WORK! Tomorrow is a day off and where am I going? Back to work, as Disney has an appointment with Dr. Patti. Oh well...life goes on...Here are some highlights from our time in Europe with the kids.

Still Alive...

2011-11-18T23:22:00.000-08:00

But on the go! It's been a great vacation so far...Greece, watching my baby complete the original marathon, time spent with Colt, Breaking Dawn with the girls and heading out to London for the weekend...whew! I will save the details for when I have time to compose my thoughts, but I'll leave you with a picture of our Sara...26.2 miles and still able to smile...see you later...

Packing...

2011-11-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

I always love the anticipation of a journey...thinking of all the places we'll go and all the people we'll see...it's exciting! Since I am a list maker, I have been systematically trying to take care of all the loose ends and get ready to go. I am getting down to the packing and trying to figure a nice capsule that will travel well with minimal wrinkles and will not take up alot of room. I need room in the suitcase to take presents for our little man. Gram is way behind on spoiling that little guy! Actually I am taking things to put together the advent stockings for the kids since it is so close to the holiday. Sewing lately? Not so much, unless you count hemming pants for my Hunny, last minute gifts and repair jobs. The Pippa bodice hangs pinned to Valentine, but all indicators point to a beautiful dress. I hope to buy some fabric while on holiday (can you say "Liberty" friends?), but most of all I plan to cheer for my marathon girl, hug my soldier and love my little grandson! I don't even think I will take any knitting...well maybe not. Flights can be rather long and monotonous. I do have my Kindle loaded up with some great books to read and there's always Scrabble to play with Tom! Well, better get back at the list...see you soon little Man!

Kodi Report

2011-10-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Two days on the Rimadyl and he is showing remarkable improvement! Kodi is less stiff when getting up and is bounding up and down the stairs again! He goes back for labs the Monday before we head to London and if all systems are go we will switch him over to the less expensive generic form. Rimadyl lets the vet give a 2 week sample pack. Even the generic is not cheap, but it's worth it if it makes him more comfortable. I have been looking at some of the online pet med sites and it is less expensive that route. Does anyone have any experience with these sites and any recommendations?
In sewing news...I started on the Pippa dress! After a dry spell of just mundane sewing I couldn't stand it anymore and spent a couple hours in the studio yesterday before work. I did some embroidery and button embellishment on some thrifted capris, and while the embroidery machine hummed I sewed up the bodice and bodice lining darts. It looks pretty good draped on Valentine. Maybe I can finish it for this next graduation??? Lots to do in preparation for our trip, but perhaps finishing that will keep me from freaking out over all the little details!
I finished watching 3 seasons of Damages on Netflix and who knows how long it will be til they have season 4 available. I couldn't find full episodes online, so I may have to tough it out! Boo! I got addicted. So now the new show I am watching is Sister Wives. I don't think I would like to live that lifestyle, but it is interesting to watch. My favorite wife is Meri so far...I'm only a couple of episodes in.
Shoot! Tom did not take the trash down for pickup when he went to work...better go throw on some jeans and haul the bin down to the road...Later...

BMV Sale Alert!!!

2011-10-24T07:30:00.000-07:00

BMV is having a 3 day October sale...I wanted to pick up Vogue 1250 for Sara, so what better excuse to buy patterns? I picked up McCall's 6282 and Vogue 8603 because no pattern should travel alone! I am really thinking capes...I've been seeing them everywhere and almost bought the Rebecca Turbow McCall's 6446, but I know I have a ton of capes in my BWOF magazines and how easy is it to trace out a cape? Off to the vets with the big guy...just routine vaccinations and a conversation about whether it's time to start Rimadyl for our senior. He isn't complaining, but he is awful stiff at times and sometimes has trouble with the stairs. He does pretty well for a 12 year old BIG dog!

No Sew Sunday...

2011-10-23T22:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't make it to the sewing room today, but I did make some good progress on the chores around here. The 5th wheel is all clean and ready to be put to bed for awhile. Not sure that we will need it again til Spring, but then you never can tell. I worked on some Christmas projects and housework. I cooked yummy corned beef and cabbage for dinner, which was well received by the boys at the firehouse. Watched some of the World series game, but it wasn't as exciting as last night's high scoring game, so I gave it up for "Sister Wives". I know...lame!!! I'm thinking bed would be a good plan now...see ya tomorrow! :)

Musher You Say???

2011-10-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

Marjie commented that she did not know I had been a musher in a previous life (truth be told, there are alot of things I've dabbled in, but a girl's gotta have some secrets, right???) This is from Tom's first Oregon Dune Musher's Mail Run...he drove the dogs and I was his handler that year...

The next year was my turn to drive...here I am coming off Heartbreak Hill...

Sorry the picture is not that great...we didn't have digital back then, but this does illustrate what a big-ass hill it was! It was steep, but time and wind have changed it over the years. I doubt it is as daunting as it was back then! Look at how small the people at the top of the hill are! Here is a pic from a training run...we are coming back to the parking lot...the dogs look tired!

Here they are crossing Tahkenich Creek...

And in case you were wondering...yes, they did pull on snow...running the sand dunes was great conditioning for the dogs. After pulling a wheeled cart that weighed about 60 pounds on a surface that had much more resistance than the smooth snow and ice, the sled was much easier going for the dogs. And what a ride!!!

Enough reminiscing for one day. Need to get busy and get some work done. Kodi has a vet appointment tomorrow and the gal that is going to house sit us is coming over to meet the rest of the gang (she knows Jo from work). Won't be long now til we head out to see the kids! Can't wait!!! Maybe even a little sewing might happen??? We'll see...

No sewing yet :(

2011-10-16T07:54:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the best laid plans of mice and men...I have not sewn a stitch since I gave myself a deadline. Isn't that the way? My dear husband came home from work on Friday with a severly stiff neck, so when I got home from work I was still on nursing duty. He is improving, but I am still required to do the "heavy lifting" so to speak, so no sewing. He is sleeping now, or else I would be up there sewing away instead of down here singing the no sew blues! On a bright note, I am happily engaged in a new knitting project after finishing a Christmas present for a friend. Back to the sock mill, which are quick easy projects I can pack in my purse and work on whenever I have a free moment. I'm also reading a good book I borrowed from the library on my kindle "My Lead Dog was a Lesbian" by Brian Patrick O'Donoghue. It is so taking me back to our mushing days as this reporter recounts his experience as a rookie musher attempting the Iditarod. Not that I ever seriously entertained thoughts of running the Iditarod. Okay, I admit it was a dream, but only an unrealistic dream...I wear the scars as a red badge of courage. I loved our dog years. Mushing and the dogs taught me alot about myself. I digress...today we have a skype date with the kids and my work schedule changed for this week, so I am working this afternoon. It will be okay...I don't mind Sundays. I will get to see Laureen, our yoga instructor, which is always good. Well, I'd best move on to my other Sunday chores so I am ready when Tom gets up for our skype date!

Cutting...

2011-10-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

But no sewing! :( And not the kind of cutting you're imagining either! Spent yesteday morning cutting and wrapping Tom's deer. He got a 4 point this year and it is delicious! We'll be eating good this year. Hopefully I can start sewing the Pippa dress this evening. My goal is to have it done by next Saturday so I can wear it to graduation. Perhaps giving myself a deadline will motivate me! :)

Fabric.com...You're Back In

2011-10-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

My Fabric.com order came in today and I was pleased beyond belief! Hallelujah! Here's the booty:

The snakeskin print was the first thing that caught my eye and it has the most interesting texture...almost a rubbery finish. I'm going to wash it up an make a form fitting T shirt out of it. The royal blue ponte knit is for some leggings and the navy blue, white and teal print is a delicious sueded jersey that feels sumptious! I definitely will look for more sueded jersey in the future. The cuts were generous, no flaws in the fabric...I am a happy girl!

In the done pile, I finished my first pair of Jalie jeans last night. LOVE that pattern! I made the low rise as I have started to like the lower waist since Sara got me out of my "Mom jeans" faze. I plan to try the mid rise next, although I need to get some more top stitching thread first. JoAnn's has thread 50% off starting on Sunday, so I probably will wait til then to get it. I have other things I can sew til then.

Like the Pippa dress. Best get at it..work day!

Better than Jamba Juice

2011-10-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

My blender and I have been quite chummy lately. For some reason I have been on a smoothie rampage lately. Every morning that I have not had to work early (breakfast is provided at work) I have been busting out the smoothies. I usually start with 1/2 banana (whole if I'm making for 2, however my sweetie is gone hunting right now) and add whatever fruit grabs my fancy. Yesterday I had a pear from my pear tree. Today I used some blackberries out of the freezer...added a little juice and ice with some flax seed for my health...instant breakfast! Sometimes I use yogurt, sometimes not. I'm dreaming of a veggie smoothie using some V8 or tomato juice...does that sound weird??? It's rainy again today and I am feeling rather glum for some unknown reason. May be I'm missing my sweetie, or the weather...I don't know. I finished embroidering a sweatshirt for a friend, a couple of full coverage bibs for Colt and am making great headway on a pair of Jalie jeans. I have a sewing station set up in the family room so I can watch NetFlix while I sew. My new obsession is Damages and I try to watch a couple episodes a night. Maybe I'll just have a marathon today while I sew. I have one more serving of eggplant parmesan to eat...with Tom gone it's difficult to cook for one. I made this amazing eggplant parmesan and yes, I know I could have froze some, but instead I have been alternating betwixt that dish and a great chicken soup I made last week, so tonight I shall cook something different. Or maybe chinese takeout...we'll see. The good news is that Tom got a 4 point yesterday...shot it while pheasant hunting of all things. Had to use buckshot since he was carrying the 20 ga shotgun. I am thrilled to have fresh venison for the freezer and some pheasant too! We'll be eating good this winter! Well, the machine is calling...hopefully I will have new jeans by sundown!

A Tale of Two Dogs...

2011-10-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

Jo had a visitor in the office the other night...

We got out all our best bones for the party...

If you notice, Jo has two bones to his guest's one. There were four bones total and through the course of the evening, Jo had managed to drag three of them under the desk. As I was working, I heard a strange grunting out of Jo. I looked over to see him trying to extricate the last bone out from under his guest. She just smiled...

"You ain't getting the last bone!!! It's mine!!!"

Sucker!!!

2011-10-05T08:28:00.000-07:00

What's the definition of insanity again? Doing the same things over and expecting different results? After two bad experiences in a row with Fabric.com, I swore them off, took myself off their mailing list and washed my hands! Or so I thought. Somehow one of their emails snuck through my force field this morning. It was generic enough, announcing a new yarn endorsed by Martha Stewart or something. I don't remember. I thought innocently..."I could just go look." Before I knew it fabric was flying into my cart and looky there... some cute Hot Patterns on clearance! Of course you have to run your total up to at least $35.00 because paying for shipping is just silly! No trip to Fabric.com is complete without a visit to retailmenot.com for a current discount code to further enhance your savings! So I caved, waivered, waffled, whatever you want to call it...I placed that order. Please Fabric.com...don't let me down this time! I may have to put a block on you!

Sewing In the Rain...

2011-10-03T07:13:00.000-07:00

Not literally of course...yesterday the rain came in earnest and today looks to be more of the same. I don't mind rain too much on my days off, especially when I have projects to work on in the studio. I finished a time sensitive project yesterday while watching old movies (Turner & Hooch, followed by An Affair to Remember) I always get inspired by Deborah Kerr's wardrobe when I watch that movie. Isn't this dress just the greatest?

I adore how the the drapey chiffon cowl in the back weaves throught the front of the bodice. Every time I watch this movie I swear I'm going to copy that. Must be old age setting in because in a week I'll probably forget about it and be dazzled the next time I watch the movie! Today should be more of the same in the studio, with the exception of hitting the treadmill first. That is, once I get this lovey dovey cat off my lap. The Chief is very selective with her affections. You take it on her terms, not your own! If I don't do the exercise part first, I get too engaged in other things and it's easy to say to Hell with it! A few errands down town and the rest of the day is technically mine! Happy Monday!

Extreme Couponing?

2011-09-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

You all know I'm a frugal one, right? Last night after work I was having my Sleepytime tea and channel surfing for something to watch until the tea kicked in. I settled on TLC's Extreme Couponing show and was intrigued. It is amazing how these shoppers can buy thousands of dollars of goods for hardly anything, or in some cases come out with a gift card for $57.00 because their coupons were more than their total. Totally fascinating! There were a few things that stuck out in my mind though:

      * How many bottles of hot sauce does one household really need? One has lasted way beyond it's expiration date in this house!

      * How many papers do I have to buy to get all those coupons?

      * Are all the checkout people going to take a break when they see me coming?

      * Where am I going to put all that stuff? My pantry and cupboards are already pretty full.

I know I could save more if I put a little more effort into couponing, but how much time will preparing for this take? Do any of you coupon to the max? Guess I could parlay those savings into fabric purchases. How about coupons for notions...that's something I could jump all over!

New Patterns Have Taken Flight!

2011-09-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

I am pretty flush with patterns. Most any style my heart's desire can be morphed from some pattern I already own. Does that stop me from purchasing "just a few more"??? No!!! First up, did you know that Butterick has their own version of the Pippa dress? Don't you think it looks like this?

I knew Style Arc had a version of the dress but I hadn't gotten around to buying any patterns from them yet, although I have seen some great garments that others have sewn from them around the blogosphere. Anywho, I was reading someone's blog who had a picture of the Butterick pattern, so when BMV sent a sale email I was all over it! I never really thought to look in Bridal (I know...DUH!!!). I love everything about this dress and have a lovely print in mind for my rendition. Since no pattern should travel alone, I also picked up Butterick's latest jean pattern and another dress I have been meaning to try. I have a couple of other projects in the works...waiting on zippers and notions...hopefully they will come today. Today is my Hunny's 53rd birthday and he left today for his hunting vacation. His Dad and good friend are both going, so they should enjoy some nice male bonding time. Me? I'm staying home to work and mind the chickens...and sew of course! I have an embroidery job to attend to before work, so I'd best get off the computer and get to it! Catch you all later

Friday Night Lights

2011-09-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and my sweetie is on duty tonight. They will be doing standby at the high school football game. Since I have to work early tomorrow I have no desire to go hang out at the football game. Does that mean I'm getting old? What's a girl to do on a Friday night all on her own? Well, sew of course! I think I will go spend a little quality time in the garden and pick some tomatoes and then head on up to the studio to see what kind of mischief I can get into. When I get tired of that, I have a scarf on the sticks that I can work on and if I'm really bored, I can whip the Kindle out and finish book 2 that I checked out of the library. I am really digging this Kindle lending thing and it is so portable I can whip it out and read a few chapters on the bus or whenever I'm forced to wait. Technology...it's the bomb!!! So what are you all up to tonight?

Color Me Excited!!!

2011-09-21T11:41:00.000-07:00

Kindle library lending is now available and I just downloaded my first borrowed Kindle titles from the library! I still love to peruse the stacks, but how fun is this to check out a book any time of day or night?! Okay...back to picking tomatoes and the other chores I'm supposed to be doing...later Kittens...

Rain, Rain...Go Away...

2011-09-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, the rain has only been here for 2 days. I know I should suck it up because Fall is arriving, but I was just starting to enjoy summer like weather! And the glorious tomatoes need more sun to finish ripening. 'Kay, Mother Nature??? The weatherman is predicting the return of the sun, so I hope he's right. Speaking of tomatoes, yesterday I canned a bunch. I had a couple of big bowls sitting on the counter and nothing galls me more than wasting good produce. While processing the tomatoes I watched music videos with the Sony Media Player. I hadn't seen this feature...zombie like button pushing straight to NetFlix can blind you to new experiences...this is only available for free til the end of the month (probably be available at a price after that) so I need to enjoy it while I can. I chose country videos and they had alot of the older ones...Brad Paisley, Sara Evans, Craig Morgan, etc... It so reminded me of when Sara was a girl...we would watch a country video show every Sunday morning, followed by a realty show featuring houses for sale. This was long before CMT and HGTV. Made me a little misty eyed. We got to skype with Sara and Colt yesterday morning. Colt is a busy little guy! He keeps his Mama hopping! After I got the jars in the canner, I moved on to my next task of the day of swapping out my laptop that I use for the sewing room with our old desktop. We bought the laptop for Sara when she started on her bachelor's degree, and then "bought" it back when she got a Mac to start her Master's degree. It had been acting like it wanted to crash and take all my great embroidery designs with it, so it was a good time to back them all up on discs and transfer them to the more stable desktop. The monitor we had for this machine is ginormous, but I will find something more sleek and modern in the near future. Today I will finish straightening out the sewing room and be back in business. Well, the family is all up now, so time to think about cooking breakfast...Happy Monday!

Quick Post Before I Go...

2011-09-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

It's been a very productive morning here. I am enjoying a quick iced tea break before I head in early to work for my massage with Laurie (Heavenly!) and then begin my shift. What a great way to start a work day, don't you think? I got up this morning and did a bunch of computer updates. While the computer was busy doing it's thing, I cleaned the desk up. Much overdue task...while working on that, I baked some zucchini bread mini loaves for hunting season. Super nice for the guys to pop in their daypack and have a snack while they're out stalking the hairy horny one! I also took the opportunity to grate up the growing stack of zucchini on the counter and froze that for future baking sessions. Love my Kitchenaid Food Processor! I checked on the garden and picked bags full of tomatoes...guess what I'm doing on my next day off? We got shorted in the green bean department thanks to the deer, but the bounty of tomatoes this year is phenomonal. I saw that the deer had visited the garden again, but I had already pulled all the bean stalks...HA! Evidently they don't like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, chard, onions, lettuce or brussel sprouts! I haven't made it to the sewing cave this morning and probably will not, but I did finish Butterick 5283 last night after work. I had cut it out when I had a big cutapalooza a while back, and I wasn't quite sure if it was going to work or not. I used a cream colored stretch lace that I had purchased from Fabric.com back when we were on speaking terms. (I also have it in white and black). I made view C. Since the instructions have you cut 2 front pieces, I lined the top with a matching cream ITY knit. The back was to be one piece, but since this was lace, I cut 2 of the back as well. The instructions for the twist were...wait, there were instructions??? All it said was "Twist as shown" or something to that nature. WTH??? There wasn't even a picture with that instruction. I pulled out the envelope and figured it out, but really Butterick? That's the best you could do? The reviews on Pattern Review were mixed, but I did find some useful tips, especially from Trena on how to finish the front using 1 front piece. My assessment? Love this top! You know that feeling when you like how you look and the clothes "feel" right? This is one of those times. And before you have to ask my dear bloggy friends, I took a picture wearing it to add to this post. Scary, huh?

Checking In...

2011-09-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Wow, I was a blogging fool and then...nothing! I have been keeping myself busy with tending my garden (tomatoes, zucchini anyone???), cleaning and reorganizing the sewing room, and of course sewing! I did a few refashions...shortening a skirt, cutting down an adorable skirt with a knife pleat ruffle from a size 18 and making Tom some new fleece camo "soft pants" (loungers). I took the Espire in for her annual checkup since she is still covered under the Gold Standard, which means free maintenance. This is her last year, so I want to make sure she is in top shape before repairs are on my dime. I pulled out one of my old Kennies...the electronic machine I picked up for $5.00 and it has been a true joy to work with. The skirt revamp required reinstalling the invisible zipper, and this machine has the greatest invisible zipper foot I have ever used. I think this will be my permanent invisible zip machine. Is it crazy to have a half dozen machine set up for different operations? Anyway, it's back to work this afternoon, so we shall see what I can get done before time to shuffle off to Buffalo! But just so I don't have to leave you without a picture...here's a picture of a special little boy who is turning one tomorrow...how I wish I could be there to celebrate, but soon Little Man...soon...

Possibilities...

2011-09-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

I love mornings. Especially when I have some time before I need to report to work. When Sara was a child, I always worked day shift at the hospital, because that worked out better for daycare and all her activities. I never really considered swing shift an option...just a nuisance if I got called in to pull a shift. I really love having my best energy for doing my things (not that I am not 100% for work folks...don't read into that comment) I am generally more creative and make less mistakes in my projects when I am fresh. Yesterday I finished a much needed ironing board cover. When perusing the stash for a lining for the knitting bag I found a remnant of silver heat resistant fabric that I had squirreled away for this day. It was just enough to complete the project...how's that for lucky? I have a few things cut out and waiting for sewing (always). I am inspired by all the new Fall things I am seeing and was really inspired when I dug through my fabric. I have a skirt refashion in the works and also found the perfect fit RTW skirt the other day...I am definitely going to glean a basic pattern off of it because it fits this curvy girl to a T! I went out and picked some blackberries this morning while it was cool for another cobbler and smoothies and will do a massive pick on my day off so I can bank some of that berry deliciousness in the freezer. The studio beckons...later Kittens...Meow!

Back to Work

2011-09-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

And back to blogging apparently. I find myself being rather verbose lately and productive in the studio. Maybe it's because Fall is quickly coming on, or maybe it's because the La Pine project is coming to completion (well at least for this year). On top of that I have been sneaking lots of time with my new toy, the Kindle. I was rather reluctant when they first came out, but let me tell you, the e-reader concept is pure genius! I love having access to a whole library in one slim volume. Easy to carry in my purse, I no longer am left without something to do if I am asked to wait. Not that I go to the doctor/dentist office all that much, but the few times I have it has been a Godsend. Or cooking dinner for the boys and true to form an emergency call comes in...great...time to read my book! Or play a game, or even check my facebook or blog. Yes, the 3G version has limited internet access. Not the speediest browser in the world, but hey, the 3G wireless is included for free, and free is a very good price. Library lending will be available by the years end, so they say, which will make the Kindle perfect in my estimation. Being the bargain lover that I am, I have found tons of free books that I am really enjoying, and of course Amazon has the daily deal as well. I picked up a super 2011 travel guide to the sites in Athens which will be very helpful on our trip. It even tells you where the entrances are to points of interest such as the Acropolis, when it's open, the price of admission, even which point of entry is less crowded usually so you can get in quicker! Now that's news you can use! The reviews also recommended using the text-to-speech feature to have a guided tour, so to speak. I'm excited to try it. And speaking of travel, since you can load pdf documents, one blogger recommended loading your travel itinerary and even a copy of your passport. I'm not sure how I feel about the passport, having worked in corrections and knowing how easy it is for someone to steal your identity. I have to think on that one a bit. All in all, I am a very satisfied Kindle owner. Do you Kindle?

Pictures for my Peeps...

2011-09-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

Taking a lunch break and reading blogs, I noticed that some folks requested some pictures, so without delay...here they are! First up are the two Vogue 1250s I finished last night: Houndstooth:

Shimmer:

The beginning of a bag...the design is one I put on a sweatshirt for Sioux and I thought I needed something with that design too. I didn't want to be too matchy-matchy (although I do have a Tiger hoody just like hers because I stitched a sample of the design before doing it on her sweatshirt) I haven't started searching for lining yet...distracted :)

Lastly is a pic of today's thrifty find...a new lamp! We only have one lamp in that part of the family room...over Tom's chair. He prefers to watch television in a darker room...I prefer to do needlework or read while he's watching television. Now I have my own lamp that I can target on me...5 bucks!

And I got to see my friend Linda at the thrift store...she has been on hiatus for the summer babysitting her grandson, but her daughter had the day off so she came to work at the thriftstore today...was great to see her! I also picked up a new skirt with the tags still attached and some things for Tom...speaking of Tom...here he is all wet at the MDA fundraiser:

Good times!

Happy Labor Day!!!

2011-09-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Good morning all! Enjoying a banana/blackberry smoothie for breakfast after the exhausting chore of cleaning the bathroom. Well, okay, it's not really exhausting, but for some reason bathroom cleaning is the job I despise the most, and not because it's all that difficult and I work around bodily fluids and functions, so it's not that. I hate hair in the the bathroom...ugh!!! Enough about my freaky quirks...on to the day. Tom is on day 2 of the 48 and he informed me last night they are having a dunk tank fundraiser today. Would I go take pictures? Of the boys getting dunked? Hell, yeah! Sounds like a good time to me! And the rest of my time can be spent sewing! I finished the two V1250 dresses last night. Amazing how changing the fabric can alter the look and feel of a garment. The glitzy party dress looks rich and slinky. The houndstooth version accessorized with a black belt feels very sexy secretary to me and with a red jacket will be perfect to wear to work. (not that I am a sexy secretary at work, maybe well dressed professional would sound better!) Anyway, next up is another sun dress before the sun leaves us for the winter, a lace twist top and some simple brown leggings. I have a great brown and cream print charmeuse that is screaming to be a tunic, but I need to figure out what pattern to use. I also started a new bag for my knitting/crocheting projects. I embroidered a beautiful 4 seasons tree design from embroidery library onto a beautiful burgundy colored quilted fabric. I have some nice round purse handles...now to shope the stash for a nice lining. Decisions, Decisions...Better get off the computer and get this party started! Be safe out there this holiday weekend!

This just in...

2011-09-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

I picked a flat of blackberries and now am enjoying the rash of blackberry thorn allergy. This has developed in my later years...probably from years of exposure picking and clearing blackberries. A little Benadryl tonight and it should clear up in a day or two. I'd take it now, but then I would snooze this lovely Sunday away. Once I got going outside, the garden called to me, so the boys and I weeded. By boys, I mean Jo and Kodi. Kodi supervised, but Jo got right in there and started digging in the beds. Cute and perfectly acceptable behavior during the weeding and cleaning out process...I'm not a fan when I'm trying to plant the garden. Now I'm finishing off the last of the coffee, contemplating my next move. Think I'll shut up the house, turn on the AC, have a Mad Men marathon courtesy of NetFlix and start sewing! I'm getting giddy thinking about it! TTFN!

Blackberry Pie and Sewing

2011-09-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

My labor day weekend has officially begun and since Tom is on a 48, I think a little sewing is in order! I have minimal work left to finish the other two Vogue 1250 (that will make the total up to 3 Gaylen) and I have plans to modify the pattern to add some sleeves. Doesn't this dress look suspiciously like V1250 with sleeves? I stumbled upon it from Life Happens Be Positive . Seriously makes me happy that I sew when I see prices like that for a simple knit dress. Anywho, I do need to make dessert for dinner tonight, as Vinnie is bringing steaks for the bbq. Since the blackberries are ripe, I think I will go pick a bucket and make a pie or cobbler. Blackberries grow like a weed in Oregon and sometimes are a nuisance. Tom usually sprays to keep them from taking over the property, but he always leaves me some so I can make some pies or jam if we are running low. I made my broccoli salad and the mandarin orange salad last night. I use nuts in the salad and had to go to the market to get some. Tom requested pecans rather than walnuts, so I took out a loan and bought some! Seriously, nuts are expensive! Even on sale they were very dear! The prices of things just keeps getting higher. I am so blessed to be comfortable financially, but what about the folks that are struggling to get by? We had tough times starting out, but it seems like it's even harder now for folks. Sad. Well, I better get out and pick those berries before the sun really goes to town and it gets hot. Hope you are all having a great holiday...be safe...

How Many is Too Many?

2011-08-30T21:07:00.000-07:00

Vogue 1250, that is. I was so taken by the first one, I have 2 more already cut out and I haven't even picked out a solid color yet. Maybe it is the ease and quickness that it zips together. Maybe it is the style. All of my knits are screaming, "Pick me, Pick me!" The two ready to sews are a black sparkly knit, a little more beefy than version one, that I think will make a great holiday dress. The other one is a small houndstooth knit that will look smashing with red accessories. I have some brown leggings ready to go, which really are more practical, so I may do them next after the dresses. I worked on a muslin of McCall's 6284 today and it was just meh, so I think I will scrap it for the time being. I have dresses to make!

For Gaylen...

2011-08-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Gaylen and I have been chatting about Vogue 1250. I cranked this out this afternoon and I have to join the chorus singing this pattern's praises. Super easy and fast to put together...comfy and stylish. Gaylen wanted to see how it turned out, so although it's more a Levi's and Tee-shirt kind of day, I present to you Vogue 1250, version 1. More definitely to follow...

Birthday Shopping

2011-08-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post before I start my day. It's my day off, Tom is starting a double shift so I have 48 hours to ~~sew~~ clean the house (yeah right!). I have big plans in the studio. There are jobs on the horizon, but Vogue 1250 is cut out, I changed the thread color on the serger the other day, so why not get busy with it? We spent the day at the state fair yesterday and had a great time looking at the animals, the exhibits, watched a timber show and ate fair food! Does anyone else get inspired by looking at other's work? I was surprised by the grand champion quilt though. It was a king size, meticulously quilted piece, but oddly my critical eye spotted one little section that the artist did not quilt. It was a geometric piece and it was not like that omission was planned. I would be horrified to see my quilt hanging and see that unquilted section. Evidently the judges missed it, or thought it was great in spite of it. We looked for something fun to send Colt for his birthday, but nothing special jumped out. When we got home I had an epiphany and this is what I ordered for him:

Grandpa approved. We saw a cute 6 volt fire truck that the reviews said was easy enough for a child his age, but he has enough get up and go without a motorized vehicle! Can't wait to see him again! Okay, it's off to get some sewing done! Happy Monday everyone!

Hello, It's Me...

2011-08-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

...I've thought about us for a long, long time...okay, I know some of you are old enough to be Todd Rundgren fans. Just seemed like an appropriate start to a post I've composed a hundred times in my head, but didn't have the time or gumption to write. Summer has been busy (understatement of the year) what with work, traveling across the mountain to build the shop, trying to maintain somewhat of a garden and the usual summer stuff. Sewfast business has been very steady (thank you, loyal customers) and I have even managed a little sewing for me. Here are some pictures of our summer...

And in a few short weeks, this little Mister is going to be one year old! Gram loves you, Mr. Colt!

Something for Me

2011-08-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I had a few hours before work to sew. I could have really put some effort into finishing the rest of the scrub/apron tops for the dorm girls (which I did work on while the embroidery machine was working), but instead I chose to make something for me. I bought a book-like case to house my Kindle, but I wanted something more substantial to withstand being packed around in my purse or back pack. Of course it had to have some style, and this Raven from Urban Threads was the perfect design. I have always been a big Edgar Allen Poe fan (part of my dark period in my youth) and who better to protect my books? I started by stitching the design onto a remnant of black vinyl I had in the stash. I thought I had some black quilted fabric, but you know how that goes. I probably do have a chunk, but I wasn't about to spend all my time digging through the closet. After the design was stitched, I figured out how big it had to be to go around the Kindle book and cut 2 pieces of warm and natural batting to fit. Originally I considered making a zippered case, but putting a zipper in that vinyl with the extra padding? Um, no...for obvious reasons. So I designed a flap closure that slips under a ribbon in the back. I could have done a magnetic closure or velcro, but truly, this thing fits like a glove and it's not going anywhere. I lined it with a red satin (my new book case is red). The seams really need a good pounding to lay completely flat, but Tom was not feeling well and I thought it would be in poor form to start banging while he had a headache. I am completely pleased with my totally selfish time spent in the studio...I may have to do that again soon!

Pitbull Skirt

2011-08-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my friend Nancy in her ridiculous Pitbull skirt I made for her. She added the bling collar and chain leash. She looked smashing, as did the other folks (and canines) I outfitted! As for my sewing progress, I have been trying to clear the studio of customer work...seems I get something done and another job magically appears. Not complaining, mind you...I just want to stitch up my Vogue 1250! I'm very excited to see if mine looks as fabulous as everyone elses. I'm a little late to the party on this pattern, but I always wait to see what the "cool kids" are doing! La Pine homestead is coming along nicely inspite of the mega migraine headache from hell I had on Sunday. I kept telling Tom..."I'm fine". It was pretty clear I was NOT fine, but he took good care of me and Monday I was actually able to be of some use to him. Today I had several errands to run before work, including a dental appointment. Ed comes in to check my teeth after Cheryl had cleaned them and said "Guess what? The Cowsills have gotten back teogether and are doing a reunion concert!" WTH??? He was all excited about the great news. Well, I guess compared to what the stock market is doing, it is pretty good news! I heart my dentist...he never fails to make me laugh! Hope you've had a good laugh today!

test

2011-08-06T11:15:00.000-07:00

this is a test post from my new kindle.

Oregon Jamboree Report

2011-08-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Another Jamboree is in the books and as far as pictures go...in the works of Darius Rucker's new song..."I got nothin!" What? I always take volumes of pictures of the artists and have a whole folder of them. I didn't even crack a camera once this year and it didn't bother me. Well, maybe a little when I realized I don't have a picture of that hunky Mark Miller, but it's okay. I have it up in the vault until the dementia kicks in (or maybe I will think I'm married to Mark Miller when that happens...who knows?). The line up was okay this year, but not awe inspiring as in years past. The Brownsville festival seems to be drawing some pretty good talent and is becoming quite competitive. Next year is the Jamboree's 20th anniversary and they have plans to pull out all the stops, but more on that later...back to the lineup.

JoDee Messina: Her singing was good, and she wasn't as snarky as last time, but again she dresses like a hobo! Really? We aren't paying you enough that you can find clothes that fit and don't look totally drab? Come on...step it up girl! And I have one thing to say to the performers who bring their small children on stage...ear protection! Don't damage those poor babies hearing so early in life. Let them do that when they are teenagers (just kidding)

Ronnie Dunn: Of course he was amazing and although there was less flash than a Brooks and Dunn concert, it pretty much was the same as if Kix were there (sorry Kix, but didn't really miss you Bud!) You expect a show like that from a performer of his caliber. Loved the song he came out to...Snake Farm by Ray Wylie Hubbard...check it out!

Colin Raye: Love him! The concert might have been more enjoyable had my sunscreen not melted and ran into my eyes, but that's not Colin's fault. He gave a great performance.

Sawyer Brown: OMG! The best show of the Jam! It's so hard to believe they have been performing for 30 years! I had forgot that they were on Star Search. Mark Miller quipped that he told his kids "We were the original American Idol". They brought high energy and fun to their show. Mark Miller was constantly dancing! Rob and Scotty were going to have a dance-off in camp. Tom was excused due to his knee injury! Great new song to update "Some Girls Do"... "Smokin' Hot Wife"

Lady Antebellum: Okay...they are a hot commodity right now. Love to listen to their music. As a live performance? Ho hum...of course, they had the flashy lights and smoke effects. They are attractive to look at. It just didn't have me on my feet and dancing in the aisles.

Clay Walker: short! Not that exciting...points for ear protection on one child in the wings...little girl would not leave her ear protectors on.

Darius Rucker: aka "Hootie". He was good. He did all his new stuff and of course some of the Blowfish hits. Not as earth shattering as finales in years past, but I was glad to see him. The exciting thing was watching him leave in the helicopter on the football field that brought him to Sweet Home. We all thought Life Flight was coming in when the helicopter landed. Nope, it was just Hootie dropping in for a show!

There were some other artists that we didn't go to, but we could hear them just fine from our camp site. Gotta eat sometime, and the food in there is outrageously expensive. Had a wonderful time catching up on all the Coos Bay gossip and talking nursing with Terri. Sad to hear that Dr. Potter had died. Many of the docs I worked with at the hospital have retired (or should retire, if you get what I mean!)

Lastly, they let out a little information about next years show...the 20th anniversary. Neal McCoy is not only performing...he's hosting the whole shindig! For those of you who have never been to a Neal McCoy show...you need to see him if he comes around because he is an awesome showman! Next they let on that Rascal Flatts are booked to play! One of my must see bands! Now Bocephus, I know I say this every year, but won't you please, Please, PLEASE come see us in Sweet Home? Please???

We will return to regular scheduled sewing posts soon. Working on the promised tops for my dorm staff girls today and back to work this afternoon...good times!

Disney Quote of the Day...

2011-07-27T07:59:00.000-07:00

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?

Houseguest

2011-07-25T22:36:00.000-07:00

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!

Shirtwaist

2011-07-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

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!

In and Out...

2011-07-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

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!

A Quickie

2011-07-15T08:40:00.000-07:00

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!

Pitbull Skirt...Part One

2011-07-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

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!

Zing...

2011-07-13T21:50:00.000-07:00

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!

Hello Blog...

2011-07-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

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!

Simply Irresistible

2011-06-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

Title has nothing to do with post...sorry! Listened to Robert Palmer on the way to work today. That makes me happy! It's been a busy time since I last posted. I have some pictures for you on my camera, which is currently charging for our return to LaPine. The shop is mid construction and we have been trying to leave Gordon alone and let him work his magic. The trusses were scheduled to go up yesterday and we are heading East to work on the property this afternoon. We also have a day (or two) trip to Diamond Lake to hook up with my Father-in-Law et al for some fun and fishing. Since that trip was loosely planned, I suggested we head to Diamond Lake first, as Gordon is staying in our trailer through Friday while he works on the shop. We are going to tent it, which Tom is not too wild about, but I don't mind. I kind of like sleeping in a tent on an air mattress once in awhile...weird, I know! Tom was all in for that, but at the last minute decided he's rather go see his shop first. Guess I can't blame him...if it were my sewing studio I'd be in a rush to see it too! Personal sewing has been sidelined for paying jobs, gardening and work. I was sick for a couple days, which is a rarity. I hate being sick! While we are on a break from students, I have been really busy teaching CPR and First Aid to staff and volunteers. I like teaching and I like the new Training Center I'm associated with. The garden is finally starting to yield. I pulled the plastic off last week and did a thorough weeding. We have ate spinach, made salad with ingredients totally from the garden except for the tomatoes. We need some serious sun to bring on the tomatoes. Juneuary is pretty much a bust for the sunshine, so hopefully July will come on with some rays to tease my tomatoes into production. I have a picking of bright light chard and the radishes are abundant. I will need to plant the second generation soon! The onions are insane and I have a few volunteer potatoes in that bed. Whoops! must of missed a few last fall when I was harvesting! Anyway, lots to do before we head back over the mountain...catch you on the flip side!

Friday Musings

2011-06-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's almost the end of the week and I have a couple minutes before chaos begins, so a quick blog post it is! Things I love about this week...I have spent some quality time in the studio. Most of it was due to embroidery orders, but while I stitched out that beautiful massive tiger that took 218 minutes (twice because I wanted to get placement and color right before I put it on the customer's sweatshirt), I worked on a new shirtdress for me out of a nice striped stretch twill. The pattern is an OOP NewLook, but early fitting signs look good. The basic dress shell is put together...all that is left is the collar, facings and finish work. I was dismayed when putting the sleeves on to find a small flaw in the fabric that I did not see when cutting it out. Of course it was one of those garments where there was just enough to get it cut out with minimal scraps left over, so I was resigned to the fact that I would have to just work with it. Once the sleeves were on though, I discovered they hang much lower that the picture on the envelope, and once I cut them to where I would like them, the flaw should be on the backside of the hem, which is much more acceptable to me! Whoosh! Dodged that bullet! I have another casual knit summer dress cut out too and I may get to it this afternoon/evening if all goes well with the shirtdress. Embroidery orders abound, so while my BMP6 gently hums (or violentlyshakes...I cranked it up to 1000 rpms for the tiger), I will work on my summer wardrobe!
In unrelated news, I have decided that since I have a massive CD collection that I don't utilize to it's full potential, weekly I would put together a new collection to listen to in the SUV. This weeks collection includes, Kenny Loggins, Robert Palmer, Aretha Franklin, Vertical Horizon, Celine Dion, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton and Styx. One of the students was trying to find a good radio station to work out to, but not having much success. I offered to run out to the car to get my CDs. Apparently she is a huge Styx fan and had met Tommy Shaw. Who knew??? Anyway...time to make the doughnuts...Later Chicas!!!

Giveaway Alert

2011-06-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

Check out this great giveaway for a new tool! #links

Shiny & New...

2011-06-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

When Tom and I set out to do something, we don't mess around...here is our new car:

Inside view:

For Sara: What we like to call "Hey, we can see Colt in the backseat while we're traveling" mirror!

Current carseat in the back for Jo:

The good news is that our insurance only went up $17.00 every six months on a vehicle 10 years newer! Sweet! Gotta go drop it off so they can put the clear coat bra on it..TTFN!!!

Sewing???

2011-06-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Not sew much. :( I did get 3 pattern tissues cut out, ready for muslining and fashion fabric cutting, but no time to actually sew. For me anyway. I did design and stitch out two samples for a client this morning. I have done shirts and hats for her event before and they want me to do shirts for their 10th annual. And koozies. I made a face when Tom said they wanted Koozies. Didn't want to do them! Then I sucked it up and researched the best place to get koozie blanks and did up the estimate. Yeah, I bark alot, but I rarely bite! But seriously, if I don't get to sew something for my wardrobe soon, I'm gonna explode! That is all. Over and Out!

Days go by...

2011-06-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

And I don't take the time to post (doesn't mean I don't love you, dear blog!) I sit here with a purring cat on my lap and a barking pom that I should get up and silence (for the umpteenth time!). Why are little dogs so chatty? Oh well, he's a work in progress! No sewing yet, but a whole lot of knitting! Finished another pair of socks that were supposed to be for Tom, but I need to tweak the pattern a bit to get that perfect fit that we all strive for. Why else knit socks if they are going to fit like store bought? Portable projects are important with traveling over to LaPine to work on the property. The slab is done and we are ready to start building! Having our own water source is a dream and of course, who needs an alarm clock when you have a friendly neighborhood rooster who will come to your front door to crow?

Talk about a wild hairdo! We call him Popeye. Here is Tom cleaning off the slab after the concrete was cut...Jo's helping:

Kodi approves of the LaPine homestead. He also went into stealth mode and enjoyed some Popeye tailfeathers. Who knew the old boy still had game???

Well, I better get in gear and get something done before I head to work this afternoon. Tom hopes to do yardwork this morning, but the rain is still coming down...I hope to work in the sewing room...to be continued...

I feel a burst of sewing coming on...

2011-06-02T19:38:00.000-07:00

Not that I have the time for it, but nice Mr. Postman brought me an envelope of nice new patterns and while Tom was at an e-board meeting this morning I snagged a mother load of fabric at the thrift store for a song...I am raring to go! There is the pesky detail about the tops I promised to make for the dorm gals and Tom gave me notice that I have another embroidery job...sigh! There were several ITY knit prints in the bag that I can't wait to cut into. Work for 2 more days and a quick trip to LaPine on our weekend...guess I'll just have to keep knitting socks til I can get some quality time on the cutting table...double sigh!!! I will try to get some pictures of the fabric soon, because quite frankly I've been a little bit lazy in the photo department...to be continued...

Reflections on the weekend...

2011-05-31T08:10:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend. Having Mondays off regularly is a new thing for me at this job. Usually I worked every Monday, including the holidays, which was not really a bad thing (can you say time and a half with generally less work?) However, it was nice to be home and share the day with my Sweetie. Used to be we would always try to head to one of the many lakes near LaPine on the Memorial Day weekend. No urgency to do that now that we are building our retirement there. Tom worked Sunday, so I caught up on all the laundry (he brought home a ton from his week in LaPine) and baking. I wanted to try a heavier grain bread, but could not find a suitable recipe in any of my books or online. A light bulb went off...I have developed a great recipe...why not experiment with adding more grains and see what happens? The results were fabulous, so now I have a super whole grain recipe and the confidence to experiment more! Next up I would like to try some millet with my sourdough french bread...yummo! Sunday also gave me an afternoon in the studio to do some embroidery. I have been working to tidy up my space with all the rain we've been having, and it has really boosted my creative spirit! I also made a decision on some UFO's. I had a vest that has probably been sitting around for 2 years. It was to go with a sundress that I dearly love and wear with a nice white cardigan. I felt guilty, but never could quite make myself sew it. I finally pulled the pattern pieces off the fabric and let it go. It felt good! Question...How long do you let UFOs hang out before you set them free? Or do you ever? Monday morning brought a planned Skype date with our daughter and grandson...Heaven!!! I miss them so much! Colt is growing up so fast and I just miss being able to chat on the phone with Sara or meet up for coffee or lunch when our schedules would allow. Bryce recently deployed again, so they are on their own for awhile, but thankfully she has lots of great friends over there and a band of local support. Memorial day is also a time for reflection and giving thanks to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. I spent some time thinking and praying about that too. Tom was not feeling really great yesterday, so he spent time in the recliner watching an NCIS marathon. I puttered a bit, but did spend a lot of time sitting with him and knitting. I finished another pair of socks and next up on the needles will probably be some socks for Colt. He's got pretty big feet...I asked Sara for a measurement and she held her phone up...yup, his feet are as big as her phone! Ye Gads! He's going to be a bruiser if he grows into those feet! Love it!!! On the sewing front, I need to get busy on the apron/tops for the girls at work. Super easy project, but I can't seem to get myself enthused about it. I am enthused about sewing for me. I joined Club BMV over the weekend and have a bunch of new patterns heading my way. That's always fun. They had the membership down to $9.99 and a good sale on the patterns. In the past I have just waited til JoAnn's had them on sale, but a special trip to town to buy patterns always leads to buying more stuff, and truly I am disenchanted with their fabrics. The unsubscribing to Fabric.com has worked very well too in curbing my fabric aquisition. I have checked them out a couple of times (can you say "Liberty of London"?), but truly, if I want some Liberty, I want to buy it when I am in London...just sayin! Well, the rain is still with us...they are predicting we might see the sun on Saturday. I hope so...I am in need of some serious vitamin D! I better get on my horse an ride...back to work today!

Water

2011-05-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

Coming from the sky and coming out of the ground at the Deeter's Old Folks home!!! Yay!!! Tom called last night to let me know that he set the pump and we have glorious ice cold water coming from the well! The rain is back and while we all long for sunny skies, truly I cannot complain when I see what our friends in the midwest dealing with the wrath of Mother Nature. The good news is that I don't need to worry about watering the garden, right??? And if it's going to rain, why not head up to the studio and play til it's time to go to work? That's where you'll find me!

A Salt on a Slug...

2011-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

Actually that means I have begun my annual assault on the slug population. I found a couple of them in my broccoli and brussel sprouts, so me and my trusty box of rock salt went to work. I could get slug bait, but with Jo's love of helping me in the garden, I am hesitant to lay down any poison! I was thinking of my Mom while I was annihilating slugs this morning. Why, you ask? Growing up we had two pet ducks...Daisy and Dum-Dum. Daisy and Dum-Dum loved to eat slugs, but Mom was afraid to let them free range so every night about dusk we had to go gather up slugs onto a coffee can lid with sticks to feed to the ducks. Daisy just scarfed them up, but Dum-Dum had to wash his first. Maybe he wasn't so dumb after all? Another great story in the history of slugs was when Sara was about 3, she was playing out in the yard. She let out a blood curdling scream! We thought something horrible had happened (well, in her little world, it had!). Sara had stepped on a slug with her bare feet! Pretty traumatizing for a 3 year old although not dangerous. I digress...the sun is out today and of course I head back to work this afternoon! C'est la vie! I am inspired by Trena's Netherland wardrobe to start planning a new wardrobe for Greece...I love the planning part...time to "shop the stash" for the bones of this capsule. More to come...

I'm still here...

2011-05-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

I guess the rapture came and left me behind. You too? Guess I am in good company then! In all seriousness, I have been thinking up posts, taking pictures for posts and then what do I do? Not post! Sorry to disappoint, but this isn't going to be much of a post either, but at least I'm making the effort to splatter my brain on the page again. My new work schedule is wonderful, but like any change it takes a little time to adjust. It's my weekend and of course I had big plans to work outside, but as if on cue the rain has returned! There are a few absolutes I want to get done this morning, so on comes the rain gear. I was fortunate enough to receive a trunk full of irises throught the kindness of a stranger on FreeCycle. I noticed she has reposted, so I guess the other lady and I didn't clean her out! I need to get them in the ground today so Mother Nature can take care of the watering for me! I also have some greenhouse work to do, which I can do regardless of the weather. The rain has me seriously itching to spend some time in the studio, and I will! I have done some paying jobs, but that is not fun sewing. I am working a new to me sock pattern and I really like how the heel turned on this pattern. Maybe I am just getting better at it with all my practicing!!! Tom is working a double and then is leaving Tuesday morning to work on the LaPine project. We will have water soon and the concrete guy is ready to get working on the shop floor! Whoo-hoo! That also means the money is going to start flying out of our account, but what a worthwhile investment in our future! I am so excited! We saved a small inheritance that I received when my Dad passed away a few years ago, so I feel like this is the building that Mom and Dad built with all their hard work and saving. I know they would be happy. Well, enough nostalgia...time to get digging in the dirt so I can start stitching!

Cuteness...

2011-05-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't shared any pictures of the cutest baby in the world lately, so here's a quick pic of our Colt. Sara had some professional photos done and this is one of them.

I know I'm a bit prejudiced, but I think he is adorable.

Busy

2011-05-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

My weekend was filled with work...lots of hard work...

Laying the forms and digging a hole for the chase...

Mixing and pouring cement...

Halfway...

Supervisor...

Fighting the elements...

Grubbing and burning brush til the nice Fireman shut me down...

The visiting neighbor rooster...Jo Jo kept him in line...

All in all it was a very productive weekend...pumphouse and water to come soon!

Where in the world is Mary Deeter?

2011-05-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

My poor blog. It's been so neglected. A friend from work asked about Me Made March today. She said she hadn't checked my blog in awhile. I told her she hasn't missed much! I think about posting, but I have been pretty busy just keeping up with life lately. I have done some sewing for hire jobs, but very little for me. I did a couple of "Put a Bird On It" shirts for my boss' granddaughter. For those of you who are wondering what the heck I am talking about, here is a link to Portlandia...a show about Portland and what "Put a bird on it" is all about...just keeping Portland weird! The garden is progressing nicely thanks to Tom's hoop-a-rama. The bedding plants are thriving and the first beans, radishes and lettuce are up...whoo-hoo! Finished my ribbon scarf and starting some more...wait for it...socks! Totally addicted to knitting socks...totally! My work schedule has changed and guess what...no more evil doubles! Can I get an amen??? My new days off are Sunday/Monday...they are predictable and easy to remember as opposed to every other Saturday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday...can you keep up? Me neither!!!! I don't mind working weekends because Tom's schedule is every third day, but I do appreciate having some continuity to my life! Our days off fall off together this week, so we are going to LaPine...hopefully we will not be snowed upon like last time. The plan is to pour the slab for the pump house. Tom will construct the walls here and take over to construct the actual pump house. He bought a generator to run the pump, so we will have running water come summer! That is huge, even though Norm has been gracious enough to let us come fill our buckets. He was just afraid we were going to burn his house down! LOL!!! And the permits have been approved, so the shop is going up! Another Whoo-hoo! And we're going to England and Greece in November! You see...life has been crazy! Well, Tom just called and the boys are hungry, so to the fire house I go...Later!!!

Reunited...

2011-05-07T12:26:00.000-07:00

and it feels so good...Yep! I made it into the sewing studio the other day because it rained. Well, not only because it rained, but Outlet Shirts not only has the best prices, but also the quickest service in the world. I ordered some Port Authority hats for a DOT order on Wednesday and I was in total shock when they arrived on Thursday, with enough time to stitch out a couple samples for the customer. Seriously? Less than 24 hours for delivery? They are my go to embroidery blank source from now on! I didn't work on any garments for me, but as soon as the orders are done and the garden is planted there should be some time for working on my wardrobe. I'd also like to do a shout out to all the Mothers in the world...Happy Mother's Day. Where would we be without out Moms? Here is a picture of Sarah...my Mom

Love you...Miss you Mom!

Note to Sewing Machine...

2011-05-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

I miss you. Sorry I haven't been around much lately. Tom, work and the garden have been taking up alot of my time. I know you are jealous of those big boxes of yarn you see me poking about every couple of days, but I swear you are my first love...really! I promise I'll come visit you...the next rainy day!

Saturday Night's Alright...

2011-04-30T18:22:00.000-07:00

Okay you Elton John fans...for fighting! Not! That song is just stuck in my head. :) It's been a good day. I am marinating a halibut steak in teriyaki to put on the Treager; I finished another pair of socks; I walked for an hour on the treadmill while watching Twin Peaks (my latest guilty pleasure); got the bedding plants planted...no seeds this weekend because the squash seeds in my order are on back order??? We'll see how long it takes for the order to get here. It's my first time with Park Seed...if they take too long I will shop elsewhere next year! Got to have a mini chat with my girl this morning...we will have a family chat tomorrow morning as Pop was still at work today. I did some necessary housework...ugh!!! I would hire a maid, but I would have to clean before she came over!!! The final list came out for the Jamboree and I am super excited! Sawyer Brown is going to be there...Collin Raye...Clay Walker...Nitty Gritty Dirt Band...Jodee Messina (just for you Papa Jim!!!), among the other main headliners Lady Antebellum, Ronnie Dunn and Darius "Hootie" Rucker...it's gonna be a great year. The only downside is I realized that the Jamboree is the same weekend as the sock summit, so I guess I won't make it there. Oh well, I will have lots of time to knit while we're rocking out at the Jamboree. Well, better go fire up the Treager...Later

The Sign is Done!!!

2011-04-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

Thank Goodness! What a project! 4X8 foot rough plyboard...difficult to get precise lines, but I doubt passing motorists will see the minor imperfections! The dogs graciously declined to join me on this day long opus...even when I dragged their comfy beds out there and Papa made a surprise visit home and brought the heater up from the shop. Wimps! Anywho, I am now enjoying a much deserved fistful of angel food cake and a glass of Merlot...who knew the combination would be so fabulous? In other news, Sara has committed to a European marathon...she's doing Athens in November! Isn't that exciting??? I am so in awe of my daughter. You always want your children to excel and do more than you did, but Sara always does the most amazing things with her life and makes me so proud! Now to figure out a way to be at the finish line...I leave you with a picture of my heart...

Day Off #1

2011-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

I love days away from work! Who doesn't??? I mean, I truly love the work I do and generally head there everyday with a smile on my face, but there is something wonderful about getting up with a loosely structured day and just flowing with it. I can only imagine what that illusive dream called retirement will be like. I think it will be okay. My Dad had a difficult time with retirement, causing my Mom to have an even more difficult time! He didn't have any hobbies or interests (outside of my Mom) to keep him busy, so I think he really missed having somewhere to go and something to do. Not so for me! I have all kinds of ideas and plans and most likely my problem will be having enough time and money to execute them all! Hence, I work and save for the day...but I digress...Today. The only really planned thing is to paint a sign. I know what to paint and the painting will be easy. It's the lettering that will take the time. I am sort of a perfectionist when it comes to this kind of thing, and while some people might just slap some paint on a board and "Git-R-Dun", that makes me cringe! So it might just take all day.
In crafting news...sock #1 of my current project is a few rows away from completion, with sock #2 to get a healthy start with the road trip we're taking tomorrow! I'm happy to report we are heading to Bend tomorrow to get the building permits for the shop at our retirement shangrila! This project will commence soon, and I couldn't be more excited! When my Dad passed away, I socked away my share of the inheritance (there were 5 of us kids) and let it just earn interest. It used to earn considerably more interest than it does today, but I knew one day we would be ready to start building. This project will be the shop that Mom and Dad built! I told Tom last night that I plan to put a picture up of Mom and Dad in the "living" area to remind us of this gift. This shop will be the home base for when we actually start building the house. My parents worked hard to provide us kids with everything we needed and I don't want to forget that. Wow, what started out as a sock report turned into something else! Thank you for hanging in with me on my diatribes. I know this is technically a "sewing" blog, but I see it more as my "what's in my head" blog and it is cathartic for me to look back at prior posts and remember what was going on at the time. Well, that sign ain't painting itself and the cup of Joe has run dry, so I'll catch you all on the other side! Later!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

2011-04-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

No...I'm not going to let them get me down. Even though I stepped in dog poop twice today (Thanks Jo). Who poops in the garage when the door is open and there is abundant areas to do your business? Why did he choose to do it right at the driver's door as I was loading up some things to take to work? Who does that? Evidently Jo does! Anywho, I ran errands this morning before work and found the most amazing Maggy London silk sheath dress at the thrift store! The floral print is as fresh as a Spring day and it made me smile to look at it. Hopefully it will make Tom smile too! I picked up a couple of other dresses lest the warm weather decides to return. It's gotta come back someday, doesn't it? No sewing today, but I picked up the bedding plants for the garden...next Saturday is the target date for planting. I always love the feeling I get after planting the garden and then comes the anticipation of everything coming up! Fun stuff! I fear I may have planned for too much again...it never fails! Tom said we could work up the area behind the beds...that might be a great place to plant the winter squash. I am planting brightly colored chard this year...it looks so beautiful in the picture. I saw some started as bedding plants (starting chard??? It grows like a weed!) The colors are very pretty...I like pretty food! Tomorrow is dedicated to painting a sign for the fire guys...it's election time and there are 3 seats up for grabs. I always know when Tom asks "Are you off tomorrow?" that he has some task for me. That's okay...I like to paint! Well, break is over, best get back at it...

Happy Easter...

2011-04-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

Rebirth...faith...hope...my time in the garden was very therapeutic and the beds are ready for planting. The seeds have been ordered and hopefully the sun will return by the time they arrive. Have a blessed holiday and we'll chat next week!

Ugh!

2011-04-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Been working on that positive attitude and some worriesome news has me as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof! Since the sun has graced us with it's presence, I think I will engage in a little dirt therapy! Maybe spreading some $#^! around will make me feel better!

Day Off Day 2

2011-04-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to report I made 4 loaves of bread yesterday. One was devoured by the boys at the firehouse straight out of the oven...they hate my bread, but someone has to eat it!!! LOL!!! Tom was working with one of "our kids", Jason yesterday and he had brought a roast in, so all I had to do was bring in the crock pot and the veggies. The guys started it at lunch, so dinner was done minus the salad when I arrived. I whipped up a green salad, not knowing Tom had assigned that task to Dylan, one of the students. I'm an overachiever like that! Anywho, I didn't work outside because my joints were killing me! I know, you all don't want to hear about this old ladies aches and pains, but you know what? This getting old ain't for sissies!!! I took my lead from my gracious commenters and let the day take me where it did. Laundry, a little work in the fifth wheel, a groom session with Kodi while I watched Hawaii Five-O (the original with Jack Lord...thanks Netflix!), a trip to the library, a whole lot of sock knitting...all in all, a good day! Speaking of socks, I checked out this years Portland Sock Summit. Hopefully I can get over there this year and check that out. Sounds like alot of fun. I did some surfing over at Ravelry last night to and discovered there is a new yarn store going in Gresham soon. It is in a prime location in historic old town...right near the farmer's market. I am cautiously optomistic as I have seen businesses come and go over the years in that area (including a great quilt shop and another yarn shop). It is near our GDB lounge, which we used to work out of religiously, but with the advent of the 2 week class, we only use it for traffic and night routes and the occasional rural traveler who doesn't need big city training. I definitely will go support her...I have alot of fiber to knit down though in my stash! Well, breakfast is just about over so I need to get this party started! Tom and I are going to Home Depot this afternoon to get the stuff to make hot house beds out of our traditional beds...hopefully there will be garden reports soon!

Inside or Out?

2011-04-20T07:02:00.000-07:00

That is today's question. Should I work outside or tackle the sewing studio? It's a little too soon to know which way the weather coin is going to flip and before I do anything I need to scoot into town for some fasting labs. There is so much to do outside it's a little overwhelming, so I should tackle that, but then again...it's been so long since I've been able to spend some time in the studio, cleaning or otherwise...I need to make bread today, which doesn't take much time really and fix up some dinner for the boys. Maybe a list will sort it out. In other news, congratulations are in order for our friends Ben and Linsey, who welcomed little McKenna into the world last night. She weighed in at 6 lbs. 14 oz. and is 19 inches long. Way to go guys! Love ya! Now off to get busy...

Fiber is Good for You!

2011-04-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Here are the spoils of the weekend:

Tom had a class in Harrisburg all weekend and I had Saturday off. I thought it would be fun to join him for the night, so while he was getting smarter, I was building the stash! When I got up in the morning, I did my usual check in with Facebook to see if there were any new Colt pictures and checked Craigslist for anything that might pique my interest. There happened to be a moving sale only a couple miles from my house. The ad had me at "eliminating my Fabric and Yarn stash"...Hello Lover!!! Come to find out this family is packing it up and moving to Vietnam to teach English. They want to live an international lifestyle and expose their kids to more than what is offered in the Estacada school district. Her fabric stash was minimal. In fact I was thinking "You call this a stash? I call it 911-I need to get to Fabric Depot ASAP!!!" I only picked out one piece of fabric, which I see did NOT make it into the photo shoot. It was a nice sturdy canvas with a bright floral print. It would make a gorgeous apron or maybe a bag...I need to ponder that for awhile. The real find was the yarn. She actually spins and had alot of stuff for that if I was to that point, but honestly I have enough stuff to keep on crafting for awhile, so I passed on that. But back to the yarn...she brought out 2 totes of amazing fiber...mostly wools and some beautiful ribbon yarn. After a little back and forth I had a deal for the whole lot, minus a couple balls she dug out and asked if we could still be friends if she kept them. Of course I said YES! This poor woman was parting with her stash. Some of the ribbon skeins were marked $15.50 a piece! I got a few other items as well that I didn't photograph...a beautiful green Patagonia jacket that is now my Spring (if it ever officially gets here) jacket.

My next stop was a bit farther down the road in Springfield, Oregon. A place called "Our Sewing Place" was hosting a crafter's garage sale and there was a special benefit section of fabric, patterns and notions to benefit a woman who was ill. It was her stash, which made me sad and made me want to go home and sew up every piece of fabric in my closet immediately! I don't subscribe to the "she who dies with the most fabric wins" theory. I think it should be "she who uses the most fabric wins!" Anywho, I got 2 yards of a beautiful heathered green Pendleton wool for $3.00. There are a few holes along the selvedge edge, but nothing I can't work around. It was after noon when I arrived there, so it only goes without saying that the prime stuff had already sold. There were still enough things to make it worth my while, and I didn't have anything better to do. I got a Dritz bound buttonhole maker for 50 cents. It obviously did not belong to the woman taking the money because she had no clue what it was for. Somebody did a tutorial on using that tool a while back...I will have to find that. There are really good directions on the package, but it will be fun to see the tutorial. I got a vintage toy pattern and some black fabric out of the Free box, plus some other patterns and some water-soluble basting thread for a quarter.

All in all a good fiber intake day! I then set the GPS to the RV park Tom was staying at, and it took me on the wildest route! (I know you're laughing Gaylen!!!) When it said I had reached my destination, I was staring at a big pasture! What??? I turned around and tried it again...yep, you have reached your destination at a big pasture! There was a muddy road at one end, but I thought, "there's no way anyone would take a trailer down that and I'm not taking my car in there to get stuck!" I headed in the opposite direction from where Tom-Tom told me to turn and found an address that told me that my navigation system was LOST! I continued using good old common sense and found my destination on my own! Tom-Tom was right 2 out of 3 times I used it yesterday, but lesson learned kiddos...use your head and keen sense of direction (cough!) when finding a new location! Tom and I had a beautiful night...dinner at the Roadhouse after discovering Cabelas at Gateway will not be open til May! (Boo!)...and then Tom proceeded to kick my @$$ at dice...never fails! Quick trip home and now I need to head to work...duty calls!

Thanks for the New Bed...

2011-04-14T20:40:00.000-07:00

Kodi tested...Mother approved...

Kodi

2011-04-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Kodi is doing wonderfully well in the house...He doesn't do the stairs as well as he used to (neither do I Buddy...neither do I!) This morning I took him into the shower for a bath, because he can't crawl into the bathtub like he used to either anymore! I could take him to work and use the tub in the groom room, but I think it would be a challenge to get him up into that too and he seemed to enjoy the shower. I plan to make him a new ginormous bed for the family room in the hopes that he will sleep downstairs tonight rather than risk both of our lives sleeping up in our room. He almost took me out coming down the stairs! I did trip over him last night...totally my fault. I jumped up from the computer desk and was focused on the couch...missed the big black Klingon at my feet. He is such a gentle giant...he broke my fall graciously and licked my face as I cried about my bunged up knee...I'm too old to be falling down like that...might bust a hip! I will post a picture of the old man once I get his new bed made and we have another grooming session. Since I have totally caught up on Army Wives, my new Netflix series obsession is Glee. Think we'll enjoy a Glee marathon while we brush!

Making Hay While the Sun Shines

2011-04-13T07:12:00.000-07:00

Sadly my sewing dreams didn't materialize yesterday. Didn't even step foot in the studio. The sun was out yesterday so I took advantage of that brief window and worked outside. The weather has been so crappy this year that we hadn't done much all winter and last summer was all about the baby, so the garden lay fallow for a year. That may turn out to be a good thing...we'll see. I got the front flower beds cleaned out. the raspberry bed weeded and the other garden beds ready to till. I hear tell that we are going to Home Depot this afternoon after my cardiologist appointment, so I will pick up some chicken caca to fertilize the beds when I till them. Tom also has plans to put up little plastic hot houses over the beds to improve the growing season. Dad did that last year and had a bumper crop despite last years less than stellar weather patterns. This morning's project will be a grooming session for Kodi. For a number of years Kodi has lived outside (by his choice) and would look for the nearest exit when I would bring him in the house. He even hated being in the garage. He had a nice insulated dog house, but rarely went in it. He preferred the boat shed as his home base. I was taking a shower yesterday after all my garden work, when I heard Jo go off like a siren. That is not an unusual occurence by any means, and I just assumed that Daddyman had arrived home. When I got out of the shower, I noticed the truck wasn't in the driveway, so I assumed the cat had done something to annoy Jo (another likely scenario). When I got downstairs, I saw Kodi laying in the laundry room. Evidently I had not latched the door and he had decided to come on in...okay. I'm actually glad he has made the decision because I planned to work on getting him more comfortable as an inside dog. Here is Kodi as as a baby. He is turning 12 this summer.

I was talking with our psychologist at work about him and she said "He's still alive? Big dogs don't usually last that long." Ach!!! Most of our big dogs have had long full lives. Kodi has been one of the best among illustrious company. There was Cinder, a female black lab who was our first dog we got together as a couple; Thor, the unusually calm dalmation; and then there were the huskies from our sled dog days! Who could forget Sheldon Taku, or Yaetna, Comet, the bi-eyed boy, or Lobo, the shit eating dog (sorry, he was very loveable except for that filth eating habit!), Seattle-who lived to be a grand old lady in her retirement, Zipper, Kijick, Molly, Ring, and all the Aces (that name was bad JuJu for dogs...just sayin!) plus so many others who passed through our lives. We have really been blessed with some great dog companions.
No sewing yesterday, but I did finish a pair of socks last night. I think I will make Colt socks with the remains of the yarn. It looks like there may be enough. Tom said, "Oh, you can make Sara and Colt matching socks!" Don't know if she will go for the Mommy and Me sock idea, but it may work with the right yarn. Well, I better go make some pancakes and get the day rolling. Much to do...Later

Bad Blogger

2011-04-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a week since I posted! What in the world have I been doing? It's been a busy week...working a lot, medical appointments and, well...life's little details. Sadly there has been very little sewing going on, but on a bright note, a heckuva lot of knitting has been happening. I am on a sock kick, which is great because I can take them everywhere with me and I can knit during the commute to Portland with the students (unless for some freakish reason I have to drive, but the Nurse does not generally drive). Knitting has been my saving grace lately because when I am feeling frustrated or for lack of a better description...just totally pissed off...I can calm myself be focusing on my knitting. Today is my "Friday", so perhaps some sewing will happen on my weekend...we shall see. The sewing cave needs to be tidied in the worst way, so maybe I will do that before I head into work this afternoon. And since no post should go without a picture, I leave you with my favorite little boy in the world!

He's creative like his Grandma!

Pictures As Promised

2011-04-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

Eagles in flight...

Remains of the shipwreck Peter Iredale

Happy dog!

Elk own the park!

Resident deer!
Not much sewing today. Need to get busy and do some digitizing for a hat job I've been dragging my heels on. Then on to work this evening...Bah!

Still here...

2011-04-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Plugging along...had a nice (wet) visit to the beach. No clams thanks to a killer storm, but saw some great wildlife. Half a dozen bald eagles performed on the beach for my birthday. The show doesn't get much better! We also saw a herd of elk in the park...I will show you when I download the pictures! Speaking of wildlife, we have a family of deer that are enjoying the grass in our front yard. I surprised them when I came home from my errands this morning and caught them out there again when I went to take some things to the trailer. I was able to snap a few pictures of them too before Barky von Pom-Pom scared them off! Again...I will share later...right now I just want to kick back, work on my socks and maybe enjoy a movie. What else is there to do on a rainy Saturday afternoon?

Early Sunday Morning

2011-03-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

It's early Sunday morning and I have no pictures for MMM. Not even dressed yet, save my old ratty bathrobe (okay, it's not ratty, but not a photo op I want to feature on my blog) I woke up at 2:00 am and couldn't get back to sleep, so I came down and got on the computer. I was rewarded with a video of the cutest baby in the world, and in the bonus round got to skype with his beautiful Mother! Insomnia has it's perks! Thought I would answer Katie's recent question about fabric used on the Vogue tunic. I have made 3 versions of this pattern and have been successful with all the fabrics I have used. The first was a grey wool jersey that I picked up at the thrift store. It has substantial body as I prewashed the fabric before cutting it out. The turquoise version is a poly cotton blend knit that is also pretty sturdy (not as much as the wool jersey). The third incarnation was done in a thinner matte jersey that I bought from Fabric.com when I was speaking to them, but it still is not a super thin fabric. I believe the cowl needs a little body to stand on it's own. This last one I eliminated the split in the front and just made it one solid piece. I love the raglan sleeve on this top and you will probably see more in the years to come. Maybe next time I will raise the neckline and eliminate the cowl, who knows? That's the great thing about being your own designer! To K.C.-no harm was meant by the turd comment made by Tom-that's just how we roll-we have been kidding each other for over 30 years now, so I don't see it stopping anytime soon! He really is a caring supportive husband and if he stopped saying outlandish things to me I would wonder if he was sick, (or dead!) I finished the lacy scarf last night while we watched "From Paris with Love". Interesting little action movie. I love a good John Travolta flick, and this did not disappoint, but I wouldn't recommend if foul language and violence offends you. Guess I will have to watch Eat, Pray, Love all by myself! :) It's time to go check the angel food cake. I am busy baking and putting things together as my sweetie is whisking me and the dog away for a romantic getaway at the coast on our days off. Okay, we are going camping in the 5th wheel to take advantage of the good clam digging tides. I ask you, does it get any more romantic than that?

What can Brown Do for You Today?

2011-03-26T12:49:00.000-07:00

MMM continues! Here is a brown with gold dots long sleeve V neck Jalie T-shirt that I whipped up during my sewing frenzy the other day. Tom's comment this morning? "Whoa, that's alot of brown...Put a brown hat on and you could be a turd!" Um yeah, thanks Honey! :) I did break it up with a nice khaki jacket.
Haven't sewn a lick for 2 days...working, knitting, catching up on Army Wives...I'm now up to the current season. Thank goodness for Hulu since I work on Sunday nights. Also I checked the new offerings on Netflix and see that Eat, Pray, Love has been added. I loved the book and I enjoy a good Julia Roberts movie, so that's number one on the queue. Wonder if Tom will watch that with me...maybe to make up for that turd comment??? As for knitting, any suggestions on the best websites for yarn, patterns, etc??? I am on Ravelry, but just wondering what other great resources are out there and knitting blogs to add to my blog roll?

The Return of MMM Photos

2011-03-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

I finally got enough gumption to take a picture again. On the frontside of another double shift. Everything (with the exception of shoes and underwear) was made by me. The old standby leggings and lace Jalie cardigan with a new Vogue 8634 tunic that I finished last night. I had a bit of a sewing retreat on my days off. Wednesday I cut out 6 knit tops to sew up. I was on track to complete 6 tops yesterday until my dear husband called with a name tag order for the department, so I felt compelled to stop the presses and knock that out. I also had a hem job to do for a friend. The tops were all TNT patterns that I have made before and with the serger and coverstitch machine it is pretty easy to do batch sewing. It felt good to get some projects done and clear out some fabric. Since I have sworn off Fabric.com, maybe I can make some headway on the stash reduction program. Now I am into yarn stashing...bought enough yarn for 3 pairs of socks yesterday and will start on them after I finish the current scarf on the needles. Always gotta have some project going!

Bad Blogger

2011-03-23T08:43:00.001-07:00

Sorry...didn't mean to be away so long. I have been busy and a little preoccupied. I try not to blog when I'm in a fog...ah shit, now I'm rhyming. That was totally unintentional, but I kind of like it (insert silly chuckle here). Now that I've made myself laugh for the day, let's chronicle the cool things in my life! This past weekend I was honored to meet the lovely G Marie and her husband JB After a little directional snafu we connected over breakfast (I totally take responsibility for my um, navigational challenges...) The boys headed off to bond over guns and roadsters. Although we both had cameras in our purses, neither one of us took any pictures...whoops! Gaylen had visited a few yarn shops the night before. As many of you know, she is an incredible knitter, and it was inspiring to watch her with the sticks. It inspired me to improve my knitting skills, because sock knitting can be such a portable project and if I start now maybe I can make enough socks for Christmas gifts. How special would that be? I bought a paw print sock pattern off Ravelry about a year or so ago that benefited another Guide Dog School with the intention of making socks for my work friends. Time to revisit that me thinks...anyway, I digress. We made a day of fabric shopping, starting with The Mill End store. All I bought there were buttons for the tops I am making for the dorm staff at work. I didn't find any other fabric for that project yet, but I did make up one, that is destined to be Lily's. I need to purchase another pattern. That's what I get for not measuring the girls first...my bad! Next up was the Pendleton store. This actually was my first trip there, and although they were having an incredible sale, I exercised restraint. Gaylen picked up some gorgeous wools for sheath dresses, but knowing I have lots of fabric in the closet that has been waiting to be made up, I passed. I did notice they carry Burda magazines there as well, so if I get the urge to pick it up again (I am letting my subscription go this year) I can get it there. Next up was Fabric Depot. Even though it was a sale day it wasn't too bad. I actually did buy some brown Ponte de Roma to make another pair of leggings, and then promptly forgot about it. When we were sharing our adventures with the boys later, I was like "No, I didn't buy any fabric..." Doh! We also both got the Monique Dress pattern from Sew Serendipity. I wandered round and round Fabric Depot searching for the perfect big-ass flower print for this dress. There is something fun about picking out a pattern and then finding the perfect fabric you invision in your mind. Well, that didn't happen, but I figured there was something in my stash that would fit the bill. I have several options and I am hoping this will become a TNT summer dress pattern...more on that later. I also purchased staples like interfacing and tracing paper. I like the thicker tracing paper for patterns that I intend to use more than once. I stayed well under my allotted budget for the day, so that was a good thing. Still waiting for the verdict from the tax accountant, so mindful spending is the order of the day. That's about it for the recent high points in my life. Today is a day off and I think I may spend it, what else? Sewing! Hope you are having a nice day wherever you are!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

The smile says it all!

Boo for Fabric.com

2011-03-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Fabric.com really let me down this time. I ordered 10 yards of fabric to make uniform tops for the dorm staff at work. What did I get? 7 yards and some change! No sorry we ran out...clearly a mistake in filling the order. The fabric came on a roll marked 7 yards. I put a tape to it and realized I had been shorted. I wasn't too worried because in the past when there has been a problem with an order Fabric.com's customer service has been stellar. Not so with this experience. After a bunch of back and forth they finally agreed to issue a credit and I could keep the fabric, but I had to get bitchy about it and I don't like doing that. And that still leaves me needing 10 yards of a good utilitarian fabric for the girls. Maybe I can find something on Saturday when I'm shopping with Gaylen. I'm sorry I've been missing in action lately. I have been wearing Me Made items, but just haven't taken pictures. The wheels on the bus have been falling off lately and I've been treading water...things will get better soon...I have faith! Maybe I'll go check Trendy Fabrics...

MMM: Day 10

2011-03-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

Hi Y'all! I don't have a picture for you because I threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater for my trip to the beach, and after a wonderful afternoon hanging with old friends, I'm too tired to whip out the camera! Besides, my MMM item is my pajamas, and trust me, you don't want to see that!!! Hopefully I will have time in the morning to snap a few shots before we go to the workshop (of my outfit of the day...not my PJs!!!) The room I'm staying in is very elegant and comfortable...way away from the bustle of the casino...I'm a happy girl!

MMM Day 9

2011-03-09T23:13:00.000-08:00

Busy day today. I said goodbye and good luck to my opthalmologist today at my check up. My visual acuity has changed a little requiring a new prescription, but the great news is that my astigmatism is gone! When the tech was checking my acuity and pressure, she mentioned that the astigmatism was gone, but I thought I misunderstood her because she speaks with a bit of an accent. When Dr. Plumb came in he rechecked it and confirmed that it was gone! Usually astigmatism will worsen with age, but then I never do anything the usual way! Back to MMM...this is a plaid button down shirt made with a green stretch cotton. Tomorrow I am heading to the coast for a seminar. I hope I make it down there before the storm they're predicting blows in. I have a lunch date with a long time girlfriend (I used to live down at the beach!) and then a meet up later with another buddy who used to babysit Sara. Hopefully I will also get to see one of Sara's good friends from school (my friend is her MIL) Time to get off the computer and get to bed...more tomorrow from the beach!!!

MMM: Day 8

2011-03-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

No time to snap a picture this morning for MMM day 8. Working a double shift today, so I snapped a few quick photos on my lunch break and we're just going to go with that! Today's me made item is Simplicity 2936, a lightweight blouse with a ruffle collar detail and ruffle sleeve (that you can't see under my jacket) I made this blouse a couple years ago and it is one of those wardroble staples that hang around and are an easy choice when I want something simple to wear under a jacket. The print is little ochre colored flowers with a nice sagey green accent that I picked up at the Mill End in their bargain room. It sort of called my name! The buttons were some gold buttons that were in my stash and seemed perfect for the fabric. Well, my lunch is about over, so it's back to work for me. See you tomorrow!

MMM: Day 7

2011-03-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

What I wore on my day off running errands, thrifting, making angels and baking. Not necessarily in that order. The me made item is a Burda knit twist top I made a year or so ago. I tend to gravitate towards knits because they are so easy care. I have been furiously making angels for a fundraising auction I am participating in for Airman Nicholas Alden's family. Airman Alden was killed last week in Germany and he and his family are stationed at Lakenheath, UK., where Bryce, Sara and Colt are. This tragedy really struck close to home and I wanted to help. An auction site has been set up on Facebook and I have pledged to make a lace angel ornament for all who donate $20.00 to the fund. There are many other great items to bid on and anyone can donate something to auction off. It's a great way to use our craftiness for a higher power. I will write a post with more details soon. I have the bread in tho oven and it's about time to go start another angel. Tomorrow is a double shift and later in the week I get to go to the south coast for a seminar. Looking forward to seeing some of my old friends. Later...

MMM: Day 6

2011-03-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

Today was a casual work day, so I wore a Jalie turtleneck with a pair of jeans and grey cardigan, accessorized by the lacy knit blue ombre infinity scarf I made a couple months ago. I took the pictures early this morning, but was too busy to post until after I got home from work. Now for a cup of SleepyTime tea and some pleasure reading time with "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" by Ree Drummond. You know you want to read it...

MMM: Day 5

2011-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

Or What I Wore while teaching CPR, dodging people in Ikea and getting crappy service at Red Robin.

The giraffe top plus my black lace Jalie cardigan. Now a pic with my favorite pom:

And a pic with the Chief to keep her from attacking the camera on the tripod!

Me Made March: Day 4

2011-03-04T05:25:00.000-08:00

Just a quick little post this morning...no witty banter as I am heading to work for a double shift. Having to take pictures of yourself every day sure gets you over your perfection complex! Snap 5 or 6 shots and there better be a good one in the bunch because who has time to spare! The me made item is my first Ottobre pattern...a basic 3/4 sleeve T in a white tissue knit. I didn't think I would wear it much as the fabric is so thin, but it is great to layer under a jacket. Gotta run...time to make the donuts!!! Later...

Me Made March: Day 3

2011-03-03T11:57:00.000-08:00

Or what I wore on the day when nothing went as planned. My Opthalmologist appointment? Evidently the gal making the appointment thought today was Friday, because that's the day it was made for. Considering I work a double shift on Friday, I'm fairly certain if Friday was mentioned I would have said that didn't work for me. So now the appointment is next Wednesday because I didn't feel like driving clear into Portland to see Dr. Plumb this afternoon. No biggy! Stopped at the pharmacy to pick up my refill that was supposed to be called in yesterday? Nope! Didn't get called in, so I struck out there as well. I did get dog food, squirrel food, bird seed and stopped at Starbucks for a salted caramel hot chocolate. I'm good! Anyway, my hunny came home sick from work, so I will spend the afternoon tending to him, but this is what I wore out on my morning of errands that didn't pan out the way I thought they would. The Me Made item is the crochet circle vest that I made while sitting in a clinic waiting on my hunny a few months ago.