Sew That's It

The weekend of my dreams.

2012-01-30T15:19:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since we've made the five hour drive to our oldest daughter's house for a visit, so we hit the road on Friday and spent the weekend. It was sooo good to see them all. I was supposed to have her new slipcovers finished, but since they were cut out and not sewn, I took them down for a pin-fitting. The grandkids really wanted to help. The pinning was a really good idea too because they needed a little adjusting.

Besides all the sweet hugs, kisses and conversations, we did some paper crafts.

And topped it all off with a trip to the once a month Ventura Antique Flea Market on Sunday morning. We saw so much fun stuff. I was drawn to a stack of vintage student fashion drawings which I didn't buy, a pile of vintage Nativity figurines, which I didn't buy (the baby Jesus was missing) and lots of other amazing stuff including these spools of thread (which I didn't buy).

Here are most of the things I did buy.

I always enjoy talking to the venders at flea markets. Some very interesting people.

The drive home was enjoyable too. I love the landscape between our house and theirs. A very nice weekend.

Rearranging.

2012-01-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

Wow! So many days, weeks and months since my last post. I’m not sure what happened to me. I am still making slipcovers and pillows and cushions and bed coverings. Still enjoying my family. Still trying to fit in more time for artwork. (Haven’t added anything to my etsy shop in a while.)

I recently did a major house cleaning and moved some furniture around. My sewing machine drawer collection ended up in the living room as part of the computer / office corner. If you look close you can see my paint color splotch. I am mixing two gallons of different colors of paint that I got free at the recycle shed at the local land fill. I think it will look good. I just have to get it done.

I moved my desk into the garage in my new art corner. I wasn’t thinking about how cold it is in the garage in the winter. It’s only California cold, but that’s still cold enough to be discouraging. This time of year it gets near freezing lots of nights. I like my corner in the garage because it is so quiet, but I think until it warms up a little I might have to try to be creative in the cozier chaos.

Makin’ Buttons!

2011-08-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

A couple of years after I started my slipcover business, I was so happy to have the opportunity to buy a used Handy Junior Button Press. My kids used to love pulling the handle down and Presto! a covered button. They are all grown up now, so it is mostly just me having fun with the button maker.

I have lots of vintage embroidered linens around that I use for my Etsy crafts, so I made some buttons from some of the smaller embroideries. These went over to my friend who makes amazing and fun button jewelry and other accessories. You can see some of her great stuff at Button Willow Jewelry. I hope to put some covered buttons in my Esty shop too soon.

Waiting for a ride.

2011-06-14T20:30:00.001-07:00

I just finished a couple of fun projects. A desk chair to make someone’s work more fun and a chair for new and expectant moms to rest in at a midwife’s office. Here they sit at my doorstep waiting for a ride home.

The slipcover for the bigger chair was really fun to do. The client found a vintage slipcover made of beautiful bark cloth for a taller, narrower wing chair and I took it apart and moved some parts around to make it work. I had to purchase a contrasting fabric for the back, but added buttons covered in the bark cloth.
They are both safely home now. I will miss them.

Strawberries.

2011-05-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making these strawberry sachets for years. I fill them with lavender, top them with leaves made from wool felt, or felted wool sweater pieces, and tie them together with vintage rayon or silk seam tape. Most of these are made from vintage fabric bits, or from men’s ties.

I saw instructions in the Martha Stewart Craft book when I borrowed it from the library, and again saw instructions in the June, 2011 issue of Country Living Magazine.

So fun and so easy.

Babies and Bunnies.

2011-03-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Well, one baby that is. Our granddaughter was finally born 11 days after the due date. We went down to see her when she was one week old. She is so very sweet and well worth the wait.

As I wait for some slipcover job details to come together, I have been working on projects for my Etsy shop. I just listed one more Bunny, and will be adding a new Lingerie / Pajama Bag tomorrow.

I forgot that I had included the seam allowance in my pattern when I cut this bunny out, so he ended up a little bigger than the others. (More to hug.)

It’s just about time to break out the spring jammies, right?

Along the way.

2011-03-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

I recently spent 11 days at my daughter’s house, hoping to be there for the birth of their second baby. I got to spend a lot of quality time with my 3 year old grandson while she finished up some work. (She is a talented wedding photographer and also designs albums digitally for other photographers.)

One day we went for a drive looking looking for snow. We met up with another family and went for a beautiful hike. We didn’t find snow, but ended up at a gorgeous waterfall and found acorns along the path. I got some great pictures that I will attempt to paint.

I have always been a fan of Salley Mavor who does magical things with wool felt and embroidery. I mentioned to one of the two little girls we were hiking with that the acorn tops can be hats for little dolls. So of course, when we got home, I was inspired to make some tiny dolls for them and use the "hats" we found. I love to spend my evenings with a pile of hand sewing in my lap.

I came home a week ago and we are still waiting for the baby. I am so looking forward to making the trip back to see the little sweetie when she decides to come out of hiding, and to give my grandson the acorn hat doll I am making for him.

TEXTiles.

2011-02-18T08:53:00.001-08:00

Paper and Fabric. Two of my favorite things! I just learned that the word “text”, usually associated with the written word, is actually from a Latin word that means fabric.

I can’t wait to visit the exhibit of Isabelle de Borchgrave’s paper fashions at the Palace of the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. She has recreated clothing that she has seen in paintings, only out of paper, instead of fabric.

Nothing like a pair of pink paper shoes to make me want to do some paper mache.

Another costume related exhibit I’d love to visit….

This one is at the L A County Museum of Art. It is a collection of European clothing from 1700 to 1915.
Lots of embroidery! Another activity I would love to spend more time on.

Over the river and through the cacti.

2011-02-16T09:11:00.001-08:00

One of the interior designers that I work for lives in Chular, 10 miles south of Salinas. It’s a beautiful drive to her house, so I enjoy making the trip once in a while. I always see scenes out her way that I think would be fun to paint, but usually forget to take my camera. Last time I didn’t forget and got some great photos. This little prickly pear patch is around the corner from her house.
I enjoyed working on this painting and am looking forward to carving out some more painting time.
The husband and I are in an informal book club with a few other couples and we just read Sweet Thursday, a follow up book to Cannery Row by Steinbeck. It was really fun to read the stories and colorful descriptions of the places so close to home. It feels more and more like I am driving through a painted landscape when I travel through the area.

From workshop to hilltop.

2011-02-05T16:43:00.001-08:00

I just delivered these fun slipcovered chairs, and matching covers for 4 more chairs to an amazing house on top of a hill. (The picture was taken at my house.) When I saw all the nice built-in storage and a big roomy, airy kitchen with tons of cupboards, a huge island and a corner window seat, I said “Did you design your house?” and the answer was “yes”. All the beautiful, personal features gave it away.

I like the mixture of fabrics she chose. When the bolts first arrived, I wasn’t so sure, but I think they turned out really nice and fit with her house and décor really well. I have been seeing a lot of ikat lately. Anthropology has a lot of fun stuff in the “home” section right now. After doing some reading, I found out that it is made by tying and dyeing the threads before they are woven. I found a good blog post about the process here. As it says, most of the ikat we see is more likely a print made to look like ikat and not the real thing. Either way it makes a house feel homey, like there might be sheep grazing in the backyard, and homemade bread in the oven.

Working it out.

2011-01-13T22:43:00.000-08:00

In the past I have been reluctant to do artwork because I want the finished product to be really good…something that I can be proud of, but I am starting to enjoy the actual process more. That is a good thing since I will never reach the point where I am happy with my work unless I practice.
It is so easy for me to be drawn in to sewing projects because I do so much of it and my sewing tools and space are always set up, but I will be trying to give equal time to art projects that don’t involve sewing.

A few nights ago I gathered up my colored pencils that I bought decades ago. I found them in various trays and boxes throughout the house. They have been used by my kids to color many geography maps, charts of the human body, and to color in pictures that they asked me to draw for them. Well, I decided that I needed to treat myself to a new set, and I did.They are beautiful and drawing is a lot more fun without the huge gaps in the color spectrum.

This drawing includes a doll dress that I bought from a fellow sew-person in town who has the best yard sales you can imagine. I love seeing her and what she has rounded up to sell, and what sewing projects she is working on. The chenille pin cushion was made by another local sewing artist.

Don’t stand there, stand here.

2011-01-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

Due to the cottage like size of our house, I always have to move furniture around to make room for the Christmas tree, and that always puts me in the mood to rearrange everything right after I put all the decorations away. My awesome antique dress form was hidden behind a shelf in a room that had way too much furniture in it. So after doing some more rearranging, and selling a cute but large armoire, she now has a roomier place to stand. I feel bad enough that she can’t sit once in awhile.

I saw this great spread on lonnymag.com from J.Crew and loved it. As you can see I am a collector of vintage pins. (Mostly bought in lots of broken jewelry on e-bay and at yard sales.)

I thought this would be the perfect outfit for my Acme Adjustable Collapsible Ellanam dress form. On the label it says L and M Co. in parenthesis. I should call her Ellan or maybe Auntie Am.

I haven’t done any painting in a while because my teacher is having surgery on her foot and I’ve been kind of busy. I have made a commitment to myself, though, to do more artwork and started with a colored pencil drawing last night. I am amazed at how practicing in one medium with a good teacher carries over into other forms. I could really tell a difference in the drawing process. I will post at least a section of my drawing later.

Painting class.

2010-11-15T13:50:00.001-08:00

I am finally taking a painting class from a very talented artist that a friend and I met through the Santa Cruz Open Studios last month. She has a pay as you go policy, which makes it so much more accessible for me. I have been to three Saturday morning classes, alternating from landscapes to still lifes. Yesterday I decided it was time to attempt a painting on my own at home.

Here it is in process. Painting, like most things, is harder than it looks, and I know it will take lots of practice to get good at it. I am really hoping that I can stick with it long enough to get better.

You’ll notice that I am painting pretty food. I had a gift certificate to Gayle’s Bakery, one of the best places to go to for pretty food, or a gourmet sandwich. I thought that if I wasn’t happy with my painting after I was finished, at least I would have the whipped cream, strawberries and chocolate leaf topped cupcake to cheer me up. ( I shared the treats with my husband.)

I’m not totally satisfied with the finished painting, which I tweaked a little more this morning, but I did take a necessary step forward by doing one on my own. I should probably take it to class and get advice on what I could have done to make it better, but I haven’t decided yet if I will.

My version of the goodies is not nearly as nice as the real thing. I will try harder next time, so that I can remember them as beautiful as they were. Well, actually, maybe I shouldn’t make a habit of painting sweet treats!

Restoration

2010-10-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

Our lives can sometimes feel like a frayed patchwork...

Coming apart at the seams...

Tattered and worn on the edges,

like this beautiful quilt I found in a yard sale pile. I loved the vintage fabrics used in the 9 patch pattern, and the red backing, and knew it could be beautiful and warm, even though it would never be the same quilt that it once was. Some experts say that you shouldn't add fabrics to antique quilts, but instead, cover the frayed parts with fine mesh, to keep it together without changing it's original content. (This would especially be done to one with special historical value and not as worn as this one.) My objective was to strengthen the quilt and restore its usefulness, even though that meant changing it.

Being the collector that I am, I usually have bits and pieces of vintage fabrics stashed around my sewing room. I cut them to the size of the frayed squares (with enough added to fold under the edges) and just appliqued them over the worn out areas, and then re-quilted the new squares.

I also bought a piece of red fabric to make a new edge. I don't mind that it doesn't match exactly or look like it once did, the integrity and strength are what matter in quilts and lives. The changes that ultimately keep us together only add to our beauty and character.

Chairy thoughts.

2010-09-06T19:25:00.001-07:00

I have wanted a Bergere style chair for a while now, but the ones I’ve seen in shops, or even at flea markets have been out of my price range. They look so cute painted white, and upholstering them in burlap seems to be a popular look. So when I saw an add for one on my local Freecycle site I responded right away and was thrilled to be the lucky recipient, and of course, I had slipcover plans.

I kept thinking about an article I saw several years ago in Martha Stewart Living, but after searching the internet and the Martha Stewart website, I couldn’t find it, or even the date of the magazine. So I turned to e-bay. I found an issue for sale (May 2002) that mentioned an article on summer slipcovers. I had a hunch that that was it, so I bought the magazine and was right.

I really loved the shirt-like fabrics that were used on these.
I happened to have enough of a blue and white stripe that I bought at a rummage sale at least one decade ago.

I was surprised at how similar my chair is to this one in the article. I guess it was really embedded in my subconscious since I finished my slipcover long before I saw the article again.
I haven’t decided if I will paint the wooden parts, or just clean them up, but I love my new chair.

Another reason to buy chocolate.

2010-07-22T18:02:00.001-07:00

My daughter of Paper Pony introduced me to the Trader Joe’s little round tins of chocolate wedges. It’s almost as if they had crafters in mind when they designed the containers.

I love the magnetic storage tins you can buy. Some of them have little windows, just like these chocolate tins. A while back, I bought some little black tins at a yard sale and made them into such containers , described in this blog post. So the other day I got out my die cutter and my circle dies and cut some paper to glue on the top, and straight strips for the bottoms. (Or you could paint them.)

I don’t even glue the magnet on the back, I just put a strong magnet on my metal surface and put the tin on top.

Scrappiness.

2010-07-12T18:01:00.001-07:00

I love the word “scrappy”. My 1974 Webster’s Dictionary says that it means “fond of fighting”, but I like to think of it more as meaning, “too tough to give up, even though you’re just a scrap of a thing”. When I saw, in a recent bulletin from our church, a request for sewing items and containers to hold them, I got very excited. I always have beautiful little scraps that I can’t bear to throw away, or even give away, because I know that I will eventually come up with a use for them. Well, they hung in there and have found their special purpose!

These little bits of left over fabric along with some of the other things I end up collecting ( ribbon, wool sweaters for felting, zippers, thimbles, etc.) have become sewing kits on their way to Zambia.

Having been faced with a challenge, I am thrilled to have a pattern for a compact sewing kit that I can produce in a hurry.

Now those scrappy little bits will be even more treasured.

Loving the local farmers!

2010-06-28T16:41:00.001-07:00

Beautiful colors from the Sunday Farmer’s Market up the street.

Patio quartet.

2010-06-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

I found these chairs at a local shop called Clearwater Bazaar. At under $20 each, I couldn’t resist. I have talked to so many people who share my love of chairs. What is it about us that makes us want to bring home every chair that we see sitting by the side of the road, or looking neglected in the corner of a shop?

I decided to leave them rusty-chippy, since the paint wasn’t flaking too much, but since I was planning to lightly sand them and also sand the wooden backs, I thought I should test for lead. I have several old things around my house that I have been worried about especially now that I have grandchildren.

The nice people at Orchard Supply directed me right to the lead testing kits. Two testers per pack and not that expensive. You can use each tester for more than one item as long as they come up negative, and you do it within two minutes. I didn’t find lead in the chairs, but a couple of other things that were flaking a bit came up positive. I have put them away for now and have to decide what to do with them, but was glad that I could continue with my chair project.

My original plan was to sand the wood and leave it natural, but decided instead to paint it a similar color as the chair paint and distress it.

I’m pretty happy with how they turned out. They look so inviting all in a row on my patio.

The nest.

2010-05-20T23:29:00.001-07:00

I have been so busy with sewing work lately, and it seem that everyone is planning some sort of celebration at the end of the month. Either the first big weekend at the beach house, or a graduation party. I’ve barely had time to sit or tend to the nest. (I do take a little test rest in most of the chairs I slipcover…just a little short close-your-eyes for a few seconds and take a deep breath rest.)

I did make it over to Saffron and Genevieve for the Spring Sale and open house and used some of my sewing credit for this great iron nest. Looks like it is the perfect place for the Charley Harper salt and pepper birds that my daughter, Sarah, gave me.

We also got a new computer and I thought, “Oh no, now I have to figure out how to use this new PC when I am used to a Mac”, but turns out it isn’t as hard as I thought it would be.

I am looking forward to a little bit of a let-up in the work because I have opened my home to a few needy chairs that are longing for some special attention. I’ll introduce them to you soon.

Raising Rabbits

2010-03-11T08:37:00.000-08:00

For hugging only.

I have really been busy with slipcover and other home decor type sewing lately, which generates piles of beautiful scraps. Any larger pieces go back to the client, but the small pieces inspire me, so I am trying to come up with useful projects. The most recent inspiration came from beautiful soft chenille leftovers from a slipcover project I am working on. I thought it would make a really nice bunny.

I looked at a lot of rabbit photos and pictures of vintage bunnies and made a pattern. I started by drawing and cutting my bunny shape on muslin, stuffing it while I basted it together, so I could adjust it. I then made some changes, guessing what needed to change and then transferred the pattern to paper.

After I made this bunny, I made some changes to the head, but made the mistake of trimming my paper pattern and not saving the original. After making two more bunnies each one a little different, I think I like the first one best.

The bunny at the bottom of the pile is made from a big piece of lighter weight chenille that I found at my favorite thrift store. I used pieces from a worn vintage dresser scarf for the insides of the ears.

I can't wait to work on the bunny pattern some more, but since I still have my day job, and need it to supply me with scraps and craft money, the bunnies may not be reproducing as fast as the real kind.

A good week for enjoying grandchildren.

2010-02-21T17:49:00.000-08:00

The baby girl grandchild we have been waiting for was born on Wednesday. She's a little one, 5 pounds, 12 ounces and very cute and sweet.

On Thursday my daughter, Raya, and her husband and son came for a visit.

Our grandson had fun sitting on the little couch that my son (father of the new baby) gave me a few years ago. I will make tiny slipcovers for the little couch one of these days.

Here he is feeding the stuffed kitty.

Now it's naptime. It was so cute to hear him tell the kitty "Sweet dreams".

There's no party like a tea party.

2010-01-26T20:43:00.000-08:00

I need to have more Tea Parties. Really. My daughters helped me host a tea party shower for my sweet daughter-in-law who is expecting a baby on Valentines Day. Raya had most of the inspiration and vision and took some great pictures. You can see more of them on her blog.

We wanted to give our guests a thank you favor for coming, so I made some zipper flowers. I saw a demonstration on Martha Stewart using a glue gun, but I stitched them together and it worked just as well. The original designer of the zipper flowers, Kate Cusack has designed some amazing zipper jewelry.

I also used my new die cutter to make tags. I asked for it as a Christmas present and I love it. I could sit and cut out shapes all day.

We had a great time and are very excited about the baby. I know she is going to be a sweetie.

Happy New Year

2009-12-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

For some reason I became obsessed with the idea of making tiny party hats. My first idea was to put party hats on vintage ornament style animals and hang them on the Christmas tree, but I couldn't find the vintage animals that I pictured in my head. Instead I got out my vintage bird collection and put them on a small artificial tree that I found at the Last Chance Thrift Store that is at the Marina Land Fill. (Fun store, and what a great concept... donate usable items on your way to the dump.) If I'd had more time I could have made little hats all day. It's so fun to make things on a small scale because it goes so fast.

Now they are all ready to sing in the New Year. Have a happy and safe celebration!

I should stock up on stockings.

2009-12-15T13:33:00.001-08:00

Every year I make stockings. I remember the fun of pulling out the same red felt glittered stocking every year, growing up. The familiarity of it was part of Christmas. I'm afraid I have robbed that joy from my own kids because I just can't help myself. Stockings are just so easy to make, and because of my sewing business, and fabric collecting habit, I always have lots of great stocking worthy materials around.

I always frantically sew up some for various Holiday Home Tours, or for Colleen's shop. ( If you check out her blog and go back a post or two, you can see some I made this year) But I didn't get any finished in time to put them in my etsy shop. I just can't seem to get in the stocking making mood early enough for that. I should sew some up right after Christmas and put them in a box, to be unpacked and ready nice and early next year.

It might even be fun to predict what trends will be in force by this time next year and see how close I came to getting it right. The challenge would be in making them work if I get it wrong.

It was WILD!

2009-11-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to take part in a "holiday home tour" fundraiser. The Berries and Branches tour is in the nearby Salinas area, and one of the decorators I have the privilege of sewing for, asked if I wanted to participate. This year it was based at the
Vision Quest Bed and Breakfast at the Vision Quest Ranch.
I have heard of this Bed and Breakfast in the past, and was told that there were wild animals there (as in jungle types) and that if you stay there the elephants bring breakfast to you in a basket. When I first heard of it, I just tilted my head to the side, like dogs do, and gave it a little scratch. When I think of Salinas, I imagine unending fields of Brussels sprouts, lettuce, artichokes and the like, never zebras. Not many people I have talked to had heard of it either.

Well, it does exist, and you can see one of the tent cabin bungalows in the background in this picture. The decorator I worked with, Cindy Hattersley, decorated one of the two bungalows on the tour. There were several nearby houses featured and a spa that I didn't make it to. The spa is in a restored Queen Anne home that was built in 1890. I really wanted to see the Chateau Coralini Retreat and Spa, but the work was piling up on my sewing machine at home, so I had to skip it.

I snapped this porch arrangement before someone spotted my camera.
I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the homes, which were beautiful, and beautifully decorated by many talented local designers, but I did get some of the cute little canvas cabin.

Her theme was "a stay in the hunting lodge of French hosts, while on safari at the turn of the century". I made most of the pillows, the ottoman covers and of course, the white linen slipcover on this unique little wing chair.

I love opportunities to get to know the area that I live in. There are a couple of gift shops in Salinas that I can't wait to visit!

Circles and squares.

2009-10-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

I have been admiring this pillow at Saffron and Genevieve for a while now and I finally broke down and bought it at Colleen's last sale. As you can see, Max likes it too. (I'm pretty sure she can order more of these, plus lots of other great rugs, etc. from the same company.)

When I brought it home I noticed that I have a theme going with my estate sale crocheted coasters. I didn't see the connection until the pillow was next to the bowl of coasters.

I found this quilt at a yard sale. It is in really good shape, only needing some minor repairs. I was afraid to ask the price, but when I did and it was only $10 I felt like I should say, "Oh no, I can't buy it for that, you should charge much much more." But I didn't. I am confessing my act of theft to you.

Does anyone out there recognize the period of these fabrics? My memory goes back to the fifties and these don't look familiar to me, so I am guessing 30's or 40's.

And lastly, I found this beautiful paper in the giftwrap section of Cost Plus World Market and used it to cover a paper mache box from a craft store. I recently bought a couple of bargain chairs for my living room that are a similar red color.

My TV is hidden in a nice little cabinet, so I thought the remote should have a hiding place as well.

I did it for the kitties.

2009-09-25T17:02:00.001-07:00

I went to the biggest rummage sale of my life. Actually this was the third or forth time I've rummaged for the kitties...not rummaging, as in looking for kitties, but ....you know. Project Purr has tackled the feral cat problem in our county and there are a lot of dedicated people who volunteer to put on this huge sale twice a year.

Only the very patient would be able to find their size in this wearable mountain!

Hmm....this reminds me of a story from the Bible. (Numbers 13:23)

Some of the treasures I found. It's for the kitties, remember.

I also found some nice embroidered pieces for my crafting, and these great velvet flowers and leaves.

Christmas is just around the corner. Nothing like a vintage felt Santa to get me in the mood.

Rocky Mountain High

2009-09-11T08:03:00.000-07:00

A few pictures from a recent trip to Colorado to visit my parents:

My daughter and grandson at the local park.

My parents' house and hill from across a field. It is a tradition to climb the hill each time we are there. There is a rock pile at the top, and gets a little bigger when anyone visits.

The husband and son-in-law tried to catch a carp from my dad's pond. They were huge, and apparently not hungry. The pond was originally filled with trout and we all have fond memories of fishing from "Grandpa's pond."

We got to watch a thunderstorm in the nearby hills one afternoon. There's nothing better than the smell of rain in the mountains. And I heard that while we were gone they had some 100 degree weather here at home. How's that for great timing?!

Grammy and B's day of fun.

2009-08-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

My daughter is in town and went to photograph a wedding today, so our grandson spent the day with us. He had a full day. After his nap his Auntie took him to the beach, then we had spaghetti...yum.

Then playtime in the bath, and then craft-time. He took on the important task of making sure the crayon paper would not hinder our creativity.

We made cardboard horses from Ann Wood's blog. (One of my favorites.) I tried to make it a little more child-safe by making "cardboard buttons" to replace real buttons, and used curling ribbon instead of wire to attach the legs.

Tomorrow: horse races!

Resurrected.

2009-08-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

At least a year ago I bought the cutest little chaise lounge at a yard sale to slipcover, and after it sat in my garage for quite a while, I would have given it away, but no one would have taken it. The upholstery is in pretty bad shape, and the seat cushion was near non-existent. I even bought some yellow fabric to cover it, but was having doubts about the color.

This is the old upholstery.

I've really been loving shades of coral lately, so I decided to try to dye the yellow fabric. I do some work for an interior designer who is very adventurous when it comes to dyeing, and so I took courage from her. First I dyed the fabric with Rit rose pink dye, but it didn't change it dramatically, so I got some scarlet dye and that did the trick.

I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I made the seat with a six inch box and stuffed it with a folded, full sized feather bed that we weren't using. It is heaven to lounge on!

I had some extra pink dye so I decided to dye this little throw. A while after I took this picture, it accidentally got into a bleach load in the washer and some of the fabrics yellowed.

I can't wait to do more of this! I love the way the different fabrics reacted to the dye. And I always have beautiful little pieces of fabric around.

My new favorite spot.

Sewing session #2.

2009-08-07T14:56:00.000-07:00

I got together with my little friend Mercy again for some sewing time, and she wanted to make this bag from Sew Pretty Homestyle by Tone Finnanger.

She used a scrap I had for the outside and a thrifted "housecoat" for the inner lining. Since there were pockets on the thrifted piece, we centered one of the pockets inside for some instant gratification.

So cute!

I love all the reds and pinks in this photo. It almost looks like we planned it.

I am getting more slipcover work lately, but will definitely be setting aside time for more sewing sessions too.

Seedlings

2009-07-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I got to spend some quality time with my grandson.

He helped me plant some squash.

This morning I took some pictures of the seedlings.

Since the moles seem to be eating some of my garden plants, I will need to plant these in wire baskets.

I can't wait to have some squash blossoms to cook up. Stuffed with cheese, drizzled with olive oil and baked, they are soooo good.

The cherry blossom shirt.

2009-07-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures my friend took of the sewing lesson from the previous post. (They were taken with a nicon camera, not a phone.)

Here she is sewing the string tie for the top of the shirt.

She really did a great job. I am told that she didn't take it off for about a week. To me, that says it was a successful sewing session!

Sewing lesson.

2009-07-16T15:47:00.000-07:00

Over the years there have been lots of people asking about sewing lessons, and I've always said, "Sure, give me a call and we'll set something up.", but it never quite comes together. A friend recently bought a sewing machine for her daughter and I went over the other day to do some sewing. It was lots of fun. I picked up a couple of easy patterns and she picked out a halter type shirt with a ruffle on the bottom. She cut it out and did all the sewing, I just did the pressing and helped her a little with the ruffle.

My camera battery died before we got any pictures of her actually sewing or of the finished project. It turned out really cute and she seemed pretty proud of herself. My friend took some pictures with her phone, and if I get them I'll put them up.

I'm looking forward to doing this more often.

Keepers

2009-07-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago a neighbor had some things out by the curb for sale, sort of a mini yard sale. Among his things was a cardboard box of old bottles that came from a local bottle-dig. He was selling them for 25 cents each. I love the shapes and subtle colors.

The dice and game pieces came from the Nipomo Swap Meet on Highway 101. I pass it when I go to Ventura to visit my daughter.

One of these days I would love to map out all the swap meets and flea markets between here and there and hit every one.

In Recovery.

2009-06-30T09:39:00.001-07:00

Well, the trial I was serving on as a juror is over. It ended yesterday, and I felt okay, even though the outcome wasn't what most of us had hoped. Because one of the jurors couldn't be convinced that the defendants were guilty, the judge declared a mistrial. I think I was feeling relief that the whole thing was over, but after deliberating for three days in a very intense and, at times, exasperating atmosphere, today I feel extremely tired. I will try to get some work done, but first I might have to catch up on housework and buy myself some flowers.

This was the second time the case was tried. The first was tried as gang related, attempted murder, with the same 11-1 split. In this one the three were tried for assault with a deadly weapon. The newspaper says it will go to trial for a third time in August.
It was definitely very educational. I know a lot more about what goes on in my community.

Longing for my normal life.

2009-06-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures of my workroom/studio a couple of weeks ago. Since I have been driving to the courthouse every day for jury duty, and mentally exhausted when I get home, I haven't spent much time there.

I am really appreciating the luxury of working from my home, and can't wait to get back to my normal schedule that doesn't involve traffic.

Loose ends.

2009-06-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

When I make slipcovers I use upholstery thread on big spools, and toss them into a wire basket when I switch to a different color.
So, as you can guess, it gets a little messy with loose ends. I took them all out the other day and tidied them up with scissors and cellophane tape.

I found these great thread photos on flickr (below). I could spend all day looking at all the amazing photos that are posted on flickr, but you know how that is. I am doing my civic duty by serving on a jury and am heading into a second week of testimony. Thankfully, we have Mondays off, but that means I have lots to do today!

2009-06-22T09:16:00.001-07:00

Spools, originally uploaded by lillergy.

2009-06-22T09:11:00.001-07:00

Spools 2, originally uploaded by lillergy.

Loose ends

Takes us back.....

2009-06-10T09:13:00.000-07:00

The husband recently started a new job that happens to be a short walk to the beach in one direction, and a short walk to the first place we lived when we got married in 1977 in the other. In the picture you can see another little cottage behind the one we rented. (small). They are basically square, and must have been built as little vacation rentals because there is also a bigger house on the property. There was a bedroom (a room the size of a bed), a bathroom, and "hallway living room" that turned the corner to become a kitchen.

But, we had the beach, just two blocks away, and the nearby yacht harbor.

I can't imagine living in a place that small now, even though Tom talks about selling the house and buying an RV. Where would I keep all my crafting and sewing supplies? I'm not sure if he's really serious, but I know I would adapt somehow. Although... it would probably involve a large trailer of some kind.

Call me Tactual.

2009-06-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

Working on some new things to put in my ETSY shop. I have a great little button press that makes different sizes of covered buttons, that I can also use to make thumb tacks. I decided to glue the " tie circles" to the button forms first. You don't usually need to do that to use the button press, but with these slippery silks, it makes for better results, and less frustration.

I think I would usually rather take more time in the beginning of a process if it means it will run more smoothly. I guess that's the main reason I make a pattern of a piece of furniture that I am slipcovering. Some people cut the fabric right on the furniture, or they take their sewing machines to the clients home and sew on site, but for me that's too much pressure. I've always been a lover of maps, and having that pinned together pattern ( made from old sheets) that I can write on, is like a map. I like being able to take it apart, piece by piece, and lay it out on the fabric before I cut.

I'm really thankful that I have the kind of "job" that allows me to choose my own methods and forms of navigation.

Inspiration.

2009-05-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Just found a great magazine and blog called SMALL and SMALLER.
Very cute and inspiring for all who have children in their lives.

Transformed.

2009-05-21T20:16:00.001-07:00

I think my two favorite things about making slipcovers are seeing a piece of furniture transfomed, and turning a client's vision into reality. This chair (there were actually two of them) is a perfect example.

The client bought the chairs at a yardsale and was going to paint them and maybe have them upholstered, but got inspired when she thought about white linen.

This picture was taken in the middle of my living room, but they look really nice in her French country inspired house.

Pretties.

2009-05-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

Mother's day was filled with flowers and things covered in flowers.

They know what I like!

Time to put down the teacup and get busy.

2009-05-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

I haven't had much slipcover work to do for about a month and have been having lots of fun making things for my ETSY shop, but the sewing jobs are flowing in lately and keeping me pretty busy.

This is my latest creation...a teacup pincushion with a hidden compartment to keep your emergency sewing supplies.

My first sale from my shop is a custom ribbon flower grouping. The customer requested flowers in her wedding colors to go on the pillow that she already has. I am hoping to do more pillows with some other styles of ribbon flowers. I've always enjoyed making them.

Teacups, teacups everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

2009-04-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been making teacup pincushions for my ETSY shop and they keep getting bigger and bigger. I made the pattern after the first teacup (from my profile picture) and even though I use the same pattern each time, they just keep growing. Maybe I should surrender to the trend and see how big they will end up.

Eventually I will be making teacup chairs and sofas with matching slipcovers!

She took me out to the ball game!

2009-04-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday my 19 year old daughter had an extra ticket to a Giants/ Padres game because the friend she was planning to take couldn't go. She called and said," I can't find anyone to use my extra ticket, do you want to go? I'll be home in twenty minutes and we need to leave when I get there." I hate to admit it but that was pretty spontaneous for me. She drove the hour and a half trip to get to AT&T park in San Francisco and it was nice for me to see that she is a careful and responsible driver, and that she is becoming an adult that I am very proud of.

She told me the tickets were up high, but had a good view of the park. She was right. When we sat down I said, "Wow, I can see everything from here!

Then this happened:

Isn't that just how life is. Seems like there is always some obstacle right in our way! A reminder for me that I always need to be ready to deal with whatever may present itself. In this case it was a big man with a matching big head, but usually for me it is some form of discouragement since I tend to be easily discouraged.

I just had to lean to the right a little, and it was fortunate that the seat on that side of me was empty. In other matters, overcoming the obstacles takes more effort. I just have to keep telling myself, "Katie, you can make this work, just focus on the main event, not the distractions! "

I love bugs....

2009-04-16T14:53:00.000-07:00

Or maybe I should say PICTURES of bugs. I like how they look on paper or cloth, not so much how they look when they are wriggling and crawling.

These bugs are from an Entomology print that I bought from Colleen at Saffron and Genevieve.
(You could get one from her too if you like it):

This bee is on my new living room curtains, which were actually meant to be shower curtains, but I lined them and " WALA "
you would never know, except that I just told you:

These beautifully illustrated bugs are from a 1964 edition of The Gardener's Bug Book, first published in 1946. They seem much too pretty to be in a book about how to go about killing them. Shouldn't they be painted in ugly, ominous looking colors, instead of these lovely pastels?

I learned from this book that the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly are known as "Celeryworms" or "Parsleyworms" because they eat celery and parsley, but lucky for them, they are not considered a major pest. I will plant lots of celery and parsley if they will come and hang out in my garden.

Nothing say SPRING like...

2009-04-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's foggy outside my window today, but spring has definitely arrived!

Just hangin' out.

2009-03-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

There were so many things I could have done today.... hang some pictures....plant some seeds...pull some weeds...clean something, anything.... but that's not what I did. I spent most of the afternoon watching golf on tv with the husband. Sometimes that just feels right.

Concerning my last post...after the drawing, Angie is the winner of the shoe bag. Thanks to those who participated.

Hope you had a good weekend!

Celebratory Give-Away

2009-03-22T11:37:00.000-07:00

I am going to have a drawing to celebrate my new ETSY shop. I will be giving away this shoe bag:

The hand appliqued shoe was made from a vintage hankie, and the 13 x 18 inch bag is lined and has a double drawstring.

Just leave a comment here by midnight, Friday, March 27th with a link to your blog, or an e-mail address. I will draw a name on Saturday, March 28th. ( I have a pretty busy week coming up, and probably won't be doing any blogging until then.)

Good luck!

I did it.

2009-03-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

I opened an ETSY shop.

I will be working on adding more items, but come on over for a visit.

Before TV......

2009-03-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

.......(and other forms of technological preoccupation) women had time to dress their furniture.

I've been finding some very sweet vintage dresser scarves and other linens lately. Some of them will be used to make things for my new ETSY shop. I will post a link in a day or two when I finish setting it up.

I love these little french knot flowers:

This handmade edging is amazing:

I'm so glad crafting has made such a comeback. These really make me want to do some embroidery.

Inspiration.

2009-03-01T18:41:00.000-08:00

I found this hankie at an estate sale several years ago and it has always been a favorite. Isn't it funny how the eye is in the wrong place on all the dogs on the border? Ha Ha. I've thought of framing it, but haven't gotten around to it.
Now that I have a grandson, when I look at it, I have ideas for all kinds of projects.
When he turned one last month, I decided to make him a little backpack to carry his stuff in when they go on outings. (I really don't expect him to wear it on his back, not for a while anyway.) I used the cock-eyed border dogs as a guide for my design for embroidery on the pocket.

I had a lot of fun making it and of course, learned a few things along the way. I couldn't find a pattern for a small backpack, so I took apart a plastic Dr. Seuss backpack I found at the Goodwill and was able to recycle a zipper I had that had a cool zipper-pull.
Sorry, but I didn't get a picture of the finished product. I better make another one before I forget what I learned!

Workin' on the workroom.

2009-02-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

I recently recovered my cutting/ironing table. I like to pad it so that I can easily iron on it. I pad it with thrifted mattress pads and top it with a thrifted cotton sheet, since cotton can handle a higher iron setting than a cotton/poly blend.

I found these chrome shopping baskets on e-bay for a great price. They are my new workroom storage containers.

I will post a picture of my new shelves when they get painted. Just need a free weekend. This weekend I will be participating in the wedding trunk show on Saturday. On Sunday I will be at a local quilt show, not participating, but admiring the beautiful handwork, and visiting all the great vendors.

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T12:01:00.001-08:00

Sweet flowers from a Valentine's Day trip to the Farmers' Market with my Sweetie.

Sixth on the 6th.

2009-02-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I was tagged by Jenny at Old Bag New Tricks to post the 6th picture in my picture files.

This picture was taken a couple of years ago at a Thanksgiving gathering at Lake Tahoe. (Thanksgiving around here doesn't require so much fun winter clothing.) These are my four kids, who I am so proud of. My wonderful son-in-law, married to Raya, on the right, must have been behind the camera, and now I have a grandson, and a sweet daughter-in-law as well. I am blessed.

If you feel like getting in on the fun, post your sixth picture, and leave me a comment.

The excitement is building.

2009-01-29T12:51:00.000-08:00

My husband, who knows how to build things made some new shelves for my workroom. They are in the garage and have to be installed. I was using a nice old baker's rack before, that sort of worked, but not really, so I moved it to the kitchen. It will be so useful there as a place for all the things that fill up the small space.

Here it is in my workroom. It was just too hard to get things off of it because of the wire across the front of the shelves.

And here it is in its new place. Ahhh.....now my kitchen counters have less clutter, and I don't have to climb up on a chair to get my cookie cutters off that top cabinet shelf.

Wedding Trunk Show

2009-01-16T12:55:00.000-08:00

Well, as promised, here are some pictures of what I have been working on in my spare time for Colleen's Wedding Trunk Show. It will be at her store, Saffron and Genevieve, on Saturday, February 21st.

I have been having fun making ring bearer pillows with some things I've had around for a while, like a beautiful old quilt with only small areas that were not stained or torn, and some sweet vintage millinery flowers.

And I finally figured out a use for those odd shaped crocheted pieces....you know the ones (were they once collars?)..... a little bride's purse, or maybe a money bag. Since I was sewing it to a lining fabric, I just cut off the odd shaped parts.

And I love anything with a bird on it.

My plan is to open an ETSY shop with whatever I have left over after the sale, along with some other surprises I am working on.

Print N Sew

2009-01-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

A couple of posts ago I said that there might be a tutorial on printing on fabric, and here it is.

First select a thin fabric with a tight weave. A high quality muslin works well. For this tutorial I used silk taffeta because I am working on some special projects that I'll tell you about at the end. (You didn't just scroll down to the bottom of the post did you?)

After you find some fabric and give it a good press, get out your freezer paper, or go to the store and get some. It comes in a roll that is 18 inches wide, and you will need pieces that are 8 1/2 X 11 inches, or whatever size the paper is that you are printing on in your computer printer. If you tear off a piece of the freezer paper 13 inches or more, you can fold it in half so that the side edges meet, draw a line 1/2 inch from the folded edge and cut on the line, you will have two pieces that are 8 1/2 " wide and all you have to do is measure the 11 inch length.

Now lay the sheet of paper, shiny side down, on your uncut piece of fabric and press the paper without steam.

After it is stuck to the fabric, cut the extra fabric off, and you have a sheet of printable fabric.

The next step is to choose the design you want to print. Dover Publications have an unlimited supply of permission free designs. I bought the "Ornate Letters and Initials" for my stocking projects and it even came with a CD. Super easy. You can sign up at doverpublications.com to get free samples sent to your email address. (I used free samples for this tutorial.) Once you have your design ready to be printed, load your fabric-paper into the printer. In my printer, I load it fabric side down.

You then will need to peel the freezer paper off and press the back of the printed fabric for 3 minutes or so, without steam (Because I printed on silk the design showed through on the back). This will prevent the ink from running if or when it gets wet. If the fabric will be washed or exposed to rain, or drool, it would help to soak it for a couple of minutes in some cold water with vinegar added to make it even more run proof and preshrunk.

I will be using my newly printed fabric to make a ring bearer pillow. No, there aren't any weddings coming up for anyone I know, but there is a fun Trunk Show in the works at Saffron and Genevieve in February. I will have some pictures of some of the things I am making, mostly from vintage linens, and more details about the sale in my next post.

Rare treat

2009-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas my youngest daughter (19) asked me to help her make a quilt to give as a gift. I was thrilled. The two daughters that no longer live at home didn't do much sewing until they were out of the house. Maybe that's because it seemed too much like work after watching me sew day after day. To save money, she used fabrics that I had in my warehouse of fabric. Just kidding, I try to keep only what I can store in a cabinet...okay....three to four cabinets. Having a large assortment of fabrics does come in handy sometimes though, right?

I helped her decide on a size, and since she would usually rather be doing other things than sewing and crafting, she decided to go with large blocks. I helped her do some of the cutting, and then she laid it out on my quilt wall. I then showed her how I go about sewing them together by labeling the square on the left side with "left side, row 1", etc., gathering a row into a pile and sewing the sides of the squares together. After the rows were all sewn, I helped her pin them together, one row at a time, making sure to pin at the seams and then she completed the quilt top.

We then made a sandwich of backing, batting and top on a 30"X72" table that I found a while ago on Freecycle. I learned this method in a great quilting resource book, Heirloom Machine Quilting, by Harriet Hargrave.

She had fun sewing the layers together on my work machine.

And spent hours hand stitching the binding after I helped her attach it by machine.

I really didn't want to see it go. Since it was made from wools, tickings and twills, it was very warm and cozy. I probably don't need to tell you that she was proud of herself, and I was very impressed too.

Homemade for the Holidays

2008-12-31T08:50:00.000-08:00

I was excited to hear that more people than usual were making gifts this holiday season. I am hoping that it has helped the financial health of the fabric/craft stores. Since I don't sell much fabric myself, I depend on them to provide material for my slipcover customers, and, hey, I can't imagine life without a place to go and "get lost" in the fabric.

I did some gift-making myself this year. I have been inspired by monograms lately, as I mentioned in this post. (Be sure to click on "Angie's blog".)

I wanted to make some pillows for my mom and dad and since silk screening was a little too involved for the time I had, and because of my lack of experience, I found an easier way.
It involves the computer, a Dover book of ornate letters, and freezer paper. I explained the whole process and then accidentally deleted it, so maybe there will be a future tutorial.

My dad is always asking about Max, so I put his face on a pillow to keep them company.

I also had a vision of big monogrammed stockings made from some of my slipcover left-over odds and ends. Here are four of the nine that I made.

Now I am all inspired and will have to carve out some more "creative" time since I am thankfully keeping pretty busy with slipcover jobs.

Thankful for crafting supplies and inspiration.

2008-12-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

We had a small group for Thanksgiving this year, just me and the husband and our two younger daughters, 24 and 19. I decided it would be fun to decorate the Christmas tree after we gave thanks and stuffed the turkey (into our mouths). We have never bought a tree this early before. I think I may have been the first customer at the lot, the day before Thanksgiving.

I wanted to do a "crafty" tree, so I took inspiration from Martha Stewart, and her creative team. I got ideas from the book Christmas With Martha Stewart, published in 1997. Some of the ideas are repeated in this years magazines, the Holiday issue, and "Martha Stewart Living". The candy holder was made from a pattern in "Romantic Homes Magazine."

We cut ornaments from card stock, fancy junk mail, old sheet music, and pages from old World Atlases. I also bought an aluminum oven liner to cut shapes from. The book said I could find rolls of heavy foil at the craft store, but that was not true. The oven liner was a little too stiff and heavy duty kitchen foil a little too thin, so not too many aluminum ornaments made it onto the tree. We added glitter to some of the white card stock shapes, and I got out my collection of craft birds. Some of them are vintage. I love to get them out and enjoy them while they are waiting for their turn to be included in a craft project.

My husband suggested using a crown as the tree topper, and I loved the idea. I found a gold paper crown at the party store, glued some rhinestones to it and put it on the tree. I was so proud of my paper crown until someone suggested that it looked like it came from a certain fast-food chain. I will now make a replacement.

Like playing "dress-up".

2008-11-28T17:07:00.000-08:00

When I am making slipcovers, especially for chairs, I feel like I am dressing them up in new clothes. Over a year ago I made slipcovers for two wing chairs, and the owner of the chairs said that one was a grandmother's chair and the other a grandfather's, since they are just slightly different in style. I have affectionately been calling them Mom and Pop.

Well, Mom and Pop got new clothes. They are now dressed in a lovely Colefax and Fowler print.

Mmmm. So inviting. Tea anyone?

De-pleated.

2008-11-19T18:51:00.000-08:00

Wow, time flies when you are immersed in pleating projects. I spent the last couple of weeks, before this week, making cushions, shams and a bed skirt with pleats. I have plenty of sewing jobs to do, which I am very thankful for, so I have been working hard while the work is available.

I thought I would share a method I used, out of desperation, while making 5 inch box pleats on a king sized bed skirt. That comes to about 48 pleats that I was trying to finish in a hurry.

I cut a piece of cardboard the width of my pleat (5 inches) and used that as a pressing guide, pressing the pleat right on the cardboard.

Then I cut another piece of cardboard twice the width of the fold under the pleat. Normally I would fold it to the middle of the top part, but I didn't have enough fabric to do that. This cardboard was used to form the underside of the pleats, keeping everything nice and straight while I pressed it.

Then I pinned the pleat in place. To keep from losing track of how many of the 48 pleats I had completed, I stuck a pin in my cutting table, off to the side, every time I finished a pleat.

After all that pleating, I made slipcovers for my daughter's chairs. We made the 300 mile trip to visit and deliver them last weekend and had a really nice visit. They took us on a couple of beachside outings, and of course we had fun playing with our 9 month old grandson. He is sooo cute.

I was so excited to put the covers on the chairs, that I failed to give them a good press first, but the beauty of slipcovers is that they don't have to look too perfect. Right?

Seams to me.....

2008-10-30T08:27:00.000-07:00

I recently made some canvas liners for wire baskets, and because I didn't want the seam allowances to show through the holes of the baskets, I used the flat felt seam. You know, the seam that is on your jeans. I watched a video of how jeans are made, and as I suspected, someone in a factory, feeds the pant legs into a machine that makes the seam in one swift zzzihhhhh of the special flat felt seam machine. (Editing note: I always thought this seam was called a flat felt seam, and when I searched it on the internet, as such, I found plenty of entries, but after looking it up in the dictionary, and other sewing resources, I now know that it is actually a flat felled seam. )

I also watched a couple of nice tutorials on making a flat felt seam in the comfort of your own home, but honestly, they were a little tedious for me, but that's just me. Impatient I guess. The tediousness involved a lot of pressing and pinning, which is certainly necessary sometimes, but because I make slipcovers and work mostly with heavier fabrics, it's not always practical.

Several years ago, before I started my slipcover business, I worked in an upholstery shop. There was no use of pins there, which was a shock to me at the time, and though they had an iron, as I recall, when I asked to use it one day,a search was called to find it. So, here is my flat felt seam instruction for the impatients of the world. (It works best with fabrics that are a little heavier, that stay where you put them.)

Because I started out making a tube that had only one seam, I positioned the top layer of fabric with 1/4 of an inch allowance, and the bottom about 1/2 of an inch of allowance.

After the seam is stitched, the larger allowance is folded over the smaller. If you are making something from a pattern and it isn't practical to move the top allowance over before stitching, then sew your seam, and trim the top allowance.

Next, fold the seam flat, with the "folded over" allowance on top, (this is where the pressing and pinning would come in, if you wish to add those steps) and stitch close to the edge.

Here is the finished seam.

Pink and white memories sprinkled with tears.

2008-10-24T14:33:00.000-07:00

Today I came across this cute pattern, and because I love felt food, and mostly because it contained those cute little pink and white circus animal cookies, I bought it.

This led me to do some looking around for news of whether there might be hope for our favorite cookies. I found a forum with comments from several former employees from another state, and the prognosis didn't sound too good.

If you want something to help you remember those delicious little critters, I found this T-shirt.

It says "Lights down, little cookies". If they are not all sold out, you can find it here.

I really don't want to be eating cookies, pink and white, or any other color, but it is still very sad to see them go.

Happy Birthday Papa.

2008-10-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of my mom and dad and one of my two older brothers. It was taken at my maternal grandmother's house in Fredericksburg, Texas.

My sweet Papa is 90 today. He is very young at heart though and puts me to shame in many ways. He and my mom live in a beautiful log home that they did a lot of the work on when it was built many years ago. Every summer my dad grows a huge garden and I wish so much that I lived closer to them.

Have a great day, Dad. I love you!

The gift of inspiration.

2008-10-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

Even though my birthday was a month ago, a friend surprised me with a belated gift yesterday. The best kind of gift. The kind of gift that inspires.

She knows me well. She gave me two beautiful vintage tablecloths, and a pretty tin full of awesome buttons. (the picture only shows a few of them) She also gave me a sweet vintage "bird" pin.

I have lots of buttons, but a new batch has me inspired to do some creative crafting!

Shh don't tell.

2008-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Shh, don't tell that I am making the "Shh, Don't Tell Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake" from The Bride and Groom, First and Forever Cookbook. When I was at my daughter Raya's after her baby was born, a friend had made it for her and her husband. Mmmm good. (The main ingredient is a box cake mix with extra ingredients added, and a super fudgy frosting made from chocolate chips, sugar, milk and butter.)

It is my youngest child's 19th birthday. Shh, don't tell her that I have been waiting for an excuse to make this cake, so I neglected to ask her what kind of cake she wanted.

Shh, don't tell my sewing clients that I am making a cake instead of working on their sewing projects.

Shh, don't tell me how many calories are in this cake, or how many I just consumed off of my fingers, spoon, and spreading knife.

Shhhhhhhhhh

Mother, come back!

2008-10-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I was shocked and saddened to hear that the maker of our favorite cookies, those pink and white sprinkly Circus Animals went suddenly out of business. I woke up early the next morning, and thinking there would be a run on Mother's cookies, went to the grocery store to "pick up a few things" (cookies). I got other stuff too, honest.

My husband's all time favorite cookie is the Iced Oatmeal, also made by Mother's, so I had to buy some of those too.

While I was in the cookie aisle, a delivery man from another cookie company assured me that someone will buy the Mother's company. I sure hope he is right. I hate to see more people losing their jobs, and us without our favorite cookies.

Do you think we could make our own Circus Animals by putting icing and sprinkles on regular animal crackers? I have a feeling it wouldn't be the same.

Monograms

2008-10-09T20:23:00.000-07:00

I just finished some simple covers that have been dressed up with a monogram. After I made my pattern and cut out the backs, the designer took them to an embroiderer and brought them back to me so that I could then sew the covers. I like her choice of fabric, and thread color for the letter.

This beautiful monogram is from the gallery of Caroline Brackenridge's Monogram Inc. website. If you are doing any kind of snack replacement, this is a delicious place to visit instead of eating a cookie.

And I have to recommend that you visit angie's blog. She is a fellow slipcoverer who has been doing some beautiful screen printed monograms.

If I didn't have piles of work to do, and several other projects going I would be soooo tempted to do some monograming myself.

Sometimes you just need a change of location.

2008-10-01T17:57:00.000-07:00

I love the recycle/re purpose trend that is going on these days. My brain seems to work that way naturally. I'm always thinking, "what else could I use that for", or "what can I use to make this, since I don't have the real thing".....like... a DAYBED.

A few weeks ago a friend said, hey, we took these window bars off of my parents' house, and they are kind of cool looking. (Or something like that, I don't remember her exact words.) So, because I have been thinking about how to dress up the plain beds in our house, that was my first thought. We made a little trade, and well there you have it. Window bars on the windows.... not so pretty. Window bars on the wall....better.

I like it a lot. You have to use your imagination a little, but that's okay with me.

Lots of little squares.

2008-09-29T09:25:00.000-07:00

I have been making a lot of little four-patch squares for a project I am working on.

I was inspired by this quilt from the late nineteenth century

that I found in this beautiful book. It is full of gorgeous photographs of beautiful fabrics.

Still playing with toys.

2008-09-25T13:39:00.000-07:00

I recently found this cute toy sewing machine on e-bay for such-a-deal. I couldn't pass it up, especially since I had a little gift money to spend.

Not just an ordinary sort of day.

2008-09-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

I love my job, making slipcovers, pillows, and other items for home decor, but there are some days that I really love my job. Like yesterday. I delivered a couple of sofa slipcovers. They turned out good and fit well, and then before I went home, I swung by Saffron and Genevieve to drop off a couple of pillow covers I had made for one of the owner, Colleen's, clients. I always love to wander around and look at the amazing things she finds, and the beautiful and creative ways she decorates the store. While I was enjoying myself with all the looking, I discovered this in the back of the store:

It is a vintage, metal, mail sorting unit.I added the drawers. I have been looking for something to put my sewing machine drawer collection in for a long time. Fortunately she has more sewing for me to do, so that I can pay for it in installments. (Zipper installments, flange installments...that sort of thing).

I always say..."There's nothing like a piece of furniture to brighten up your day."

Movin' on down the road.

2008-08-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

Max in his Mexican sombrero, getting back to his roots.

Wow, I haven't blogged for a month. The last two months have been pretty eventful. I decided to list a few things that have happened.

Husband lost job.

Husband got new job.

Went on a week long cruise with a group of family members (total of 15 of us.) I now know that the term "ship-shape" means being shaped like a ship, because they are always offering you food.

Picked dog up from kennel with a royal case of kennel-cough. (He is finally mostly well,after almost 3 weeks.) We decided that it will be his last kennel experience.

Fed my grandson his first taste of carrots while he was with me, on a day that my daughter photographed a wedding. I'm not sure he likes carrots.

Had a computer crash incident and went without a computer for a week or so while our very generous and gifted son-in-law repaired it.

...This is not a complete list and I will say this...being among the "getting older" generation doesn't mean that life gets dull.

The story of a bug.

2008-08-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

A while ago, even before I knew there would be a grandchild, I bought this book . In my desire to do all things, I dusted off my knitting needles and knitted one very cute bug. I learned to knit the in the "continental" method from a German born friend, when the mother of my new grandson was 5 years old. Since then I knit just often enough to sort of remember how. (If you are planning to learn to knit, I highly recommend the Continental method since it simplifies the step of passing the yarn over the needle.) The bug went to a shelf in my teenage daughter's room until the four month old grandson and parents came for a visit. Since they were here for 2 weeks and I got to spend a lot of time with him, I got the bug down off the shelf and we had great fun, learning to grab the bug, chewing on the bug, watching the bug with crossed eyes.

That's when tragedy struck. A day or two before they were going to go home, we found the bug on the floor with a gaping hole in it's head, not far from a guilty looking dog. I did my best to repair the little insect, but he was never quite the same.

But still sort of cute. After a second dog attack though, the bug is no longer with us.

Meet bug number 2. A ladybug.

When I noticed that the black yarn in bug #2 was made in China, I was concerned about lead content, and decided not to give it to my grandson.

After a little searching, I found instructions at knitty.com for dyeing yarn with Kool-aid.

The process is very easy. You can also use food coloring and with a little mixing get a wider variety of colors, and more subtle-than-Koolaid colors.

So, I am happy to say that I have a new bug to present to the little guy when we see him on the week long vacation that we will be spending with my daughter and family starting tomorrow.

Which means I won't be checking in till we get back.

Weight for me.

2008-07-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

I started off my work day today by recovering my cutting table, which is a large piece of plywood covered with a cotton mattress cover, with a cotton sheet over that. I have it across two rolling steel shelf units that are adjusted to a nice working height. I am always looking for cotton sheets at thrift stores, etc. because my iron doesn't glide so nicely over ones with polyester content.

It's a really nice feeling to have a fresh work surface. Almost like having nice clean sheets on the bed.

I found these great little weights...Healthways, Glamour Belles.....at an estate sale on Sunday. I almost didn't pick them up, because they were missing the bars to put them on, but I'm glad I got them.

Aren't they cute. They're pink!

I never use pins when cutting out a pattern, but sometimes I use weights to hold the pattern in place while I cut the fabric. I have a couple of other sets of pattern weights but these will be my new favorites.

When rejects unite.

2008-07-24T12:31:00.000-07:00

I love this look as you can tell by the wrinkles in this page from County Living magazine. I recently painted my bedroom a nice shade of blue and have been collecting straw bags to line for storage containers.

That's why when I saw this tote for free at a recent freecycle event called a "free-for-all" I grabbed it. (see my last post for more freecyle info)

At a "free-for-all" you bring things you want gone from your life to a specified location for a specified amount of time, and you can take home other peoples' rejects for free. The only requirement is that you pick up any of your stuff that is left over at the end. I love it. I usually don't have enough stuff for a yard sale, so it is a great way to pass things on. Especially if I have stuff that the thrift stores won't take. Some are pickier than others. I have to confess, I might be guilty of taking advantage of the "softer" attendants and have their donation stations pinpointed.

But....back to my point...

I actually found this at the end of the day when I went back to load up my funky file cabinet and foam scraps that are oh so very hard to get rid of. Apparently no one wanted this great L.L.Bean tote because of the embroidery on the front.

But when I paired it up with a pretty vintage tablecloth, whose only fault were some holes and stains in the middle, I have something very nice if I do say so myself. It doesn't go so well with the bedroom color scheme, but will come in handy in my sewing room.

free style

2008-07-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

A while back I talked about the freecycle network. I have been able to give away some things I didn't need anymore, and have also gotten some very useful stuff, like these cardboard tubes. They were originally used as packaging for breakable containers.

When I saw the listing, I immediately thought "STORAGE!".

I am always looking for ways to display the bits and pieces of fabric that I have collected, in a way that will inspire creativity.

I just pulled a piece of black elastic out of my "elastic drawer" to hold them together and had an instant storage thingy. I also put some in my closet to hold shoes.

Can you cut it?

2008-07-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

Nothing irritates me more than when I can't cut it. Since I use my scissors every day, they get dull pretty fast and a good sharpening service has been hard to find.

My favorite pair of scissors are lightweight steel Wiss brand that I found at a yard sale several years ago. I haven't been able to find another pair like them, so end up buying one of the two well known brands that our local fabric store carries when I need a back-up. They are cold and heavy though, and don't seem to last very long with the hard use they get from me. But....I have good news. I discovered that they sell another brand that are even lighter and sharper than my old faithfuls. Behold:

They are Clover brand, made in Japan. They are kind of expensive, but worth it if you are doing a lot of cutting of fabric. (Our fabric store offers a 40% off coupon once a month that can be used on any one item in the store, so I use it when I need scissors.) I am very happy with these, but probably won't use them on linen or hemp, which seem to be very hard on blades.

These little Singer scissors are very useful for cutting thread when doing hand sewing or embroidery.

And then there are these giants that I bought at the flea market. They are useful for making long straight cuts.

And I couldn't get by without a pair of cuticle scissors that are the very best for taking seams apart.

On Hold.

2008-06-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

This blog has been on HOLD because my daughter and her baby were here for two weeks and all spare, and not so spare, time was spent HOLDING him. I'm sorry, but sometimes you just have to put down the work projects and take advantage of moments in time that will never return.

On Friday I went with her to San Francisco to be the Grammy-Nanny while she did a photo shoot. I took him in the stroller on a walk at Fisherman's Wharf and paid way too much for a small bag of fruit. I was taken in by the piles of cherries and strawberries and forgot to ask "How much?" in advance. Oh well, I guess I helped someones economy.

Can you blame me?

We just had time after the shoot to run over to an adorable shop that she wanted to visit and then as we were about to pull out of our parking place, the San Francisco Critical Mass road by, and road by and road by.

Here they are coming,

and going. I took both pictures one right after the other. Those are bicyclists as far as you can see up the road. (That haze in air is from the many fires burning in California right now.)

If you have ever heard stories about how crazy it is to drive in S.F., they are true.
It took us an hour to get out of town, but what a beautiful city. Almost every building has some awesome detail.

Well, it's back to work so that I can save up some more blogging time.

I'm filling my pockets.

2008-06-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished pocket organizer from my last post. (Anything that cuts down on "Where did I put that" time will help to maintain sanity!)

Change of scenery.

2008-06-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that one of the things I love about vacations and even short get-aways is waking up to something different. It doesn't even have to be a panoramic view, just pleasant in some way. The next best thing, for me, is to rearrange the furniture, or paint and put up new pictures.

Last weekend I cleaned and rearranged my sewing room, where I spend most of the day most weekdays. It has done wonders for my frame of mind.

I didn't move everything around, I just turned my cutting table and was surprised that it works so well. I thought it was too long and wouldn't leave enough room to walk around it, but it is actually much better. And I had to get rid of a lot of random stuff that was stuffed under there. That's usually a "good thing", right Martha?

The other day while shopping for supplies at a local fabric store, I couldn't walk away from a box of swatches that were for sale.

I have always been drawn to red and green, or pink and green, and thought these would make a great organizer for all the little tools I use and don't like to loose.

Pockets! I need pockets! Red and green pockets.
Here is the beginning of my organizer project. I will show the finished product soon.

I also finally found a home for my collection of sewing machine drawers. I like them a lot and they are useful too. (I just have to make a master list of what is in each drawer.)

So until I have a specially built cabinet for them, I can enjoy them on this closet shelf while I work.

My beef with the ham.

2008-05-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

I recently made seats for some round chairs and was reminded how hard it is to press slipcovers at times. I have a pressing ham
that works sometimes, but not that often. (Not to be confused with a ham press ). For a while I have been wanting to make one myself.

I decided that I need something shaped more like a roast. I cut two layers of wool for the top and two for the bottom and two strips for the "boxing". Since the pressing roast needs to be extra firm and I didn't want to go out looking for sawdust, I used cut up wool scraps.

I was having a hard time getting it firm enough, so I added a core of rolled up wool.

The finished product looks more like a giant pork chop, but will work nicely for those hard to press slipcover arm-fronts. For the round cushions I actually need a big pie slice. Maybe I will tackle that next.

set free

2008-05-18T19:53:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I found this old box at an outdoor rummage sale. It looks like it had small bottles of wine in it originally. I filled it with notebooks and a small sketch book that I found in a nearby box, and said, "How much?" I love rescuing items that might have continued to collect dust somewhere if I hadn't come along.

I've been reading some great books about journal making, and decided to make an attempt. Maybe I will actually write down some of those thoughts and ideas that have been locked up in my brain for a while, before they slink off to a far corner and starve to death.

I took the cover off the sketch book, and rejoined the pages with a piece of green elastic cord, secured with buttons at the top and bottom, and tied on the back.

I used my husband's fly-tying technique to secure the knots...brush-on nail repair stuff, that is actually just super-glue with a brush in it.

Then, I just sewed a pocket from nice, strong paper that I saved from a Mother's Day gift.

I guess you could call it a pocket-book.

What's left is right.

2008-05-15T14:48:00.000-07:00

As you can see by his smile, Max made it to the beach.

I was asked to come up with some table decorations for a brunch this weekend and decided to use what I have around here. I had some sheer yellow ribbon left from the rehearsal dinner candle holders, and I also have a craft drawer full of silk flower heads. (Rescued from my daughter's yard sale.) I tied some of the petals on the ribbon into a long string.

I think I will use my "yard birds" in the middle of the tables, with the bepetalled ribbon strewn around, along with votive holders left over from Raya's wedding.

I just pulled the ribbon through the holes in the middle of the petals with a crochet hook.....

...and tied a knot.

Wouldn't this be cute as a window treatment in a little girl's room?

Trying to catch up.

2008-05-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

The pictures from the rehearsal dinner are here on Raya's blog.

I am now trying to get caught up on all the sewing projects that are filling up my work space.

Max has turned to the stuffed kitty on my newly slipcovered chair for company because he can see that I am way too busy to spend much time with him.
" Be patient, Max, and we will go to the B-E-A-C-H soon. Oops, I forgot you know what that spells."

I've been workin' on the railroad, I mean backyard

2008-04-29T14:11:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post. I've been working my fingers down to stubby little nubs, but it was worth all the effort for sure! The rehearsal dinner for my son and his fiance' was so fun and festive and now I have all those projects finished that I have been putting off. I even got my bathroom painted, and believe me, it really needed it!

My daughter took lots of pictures at the dinner, and I will post them when I get them. In the mean time, I took some pictures of the garden.

About a year ago I mentioned my backyard manhole. Now I have a nice gravel path from the bottom of my railroad tie stairs to my little retreat with the manhole cover floor.

And at the other end of the path I put in a retaining wall, made of recycled concrete chunks, and planted a little kitchen garden.

My friend, the plant rep, had the brilliant idea to spell out the happy couples' names in flowers and then she found an amazing deal on violas at a nursery in a neighboring town.

(Of course, they are spelled out side by side.)

I love this little flower, called "Vanilla Spoon", a variety of the "freeway daisy" because they are planted along California roads. Don't worry, I won't be putting in a freeway, even though I feel sort of like I've been working on a road crew!

Getting it all sown up.

2008-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

My son is getting married later this month and we will be having the rehearsal dinner in our backyard. It has been a perfect opportunity to finish up those not quite finished parts of the yard. Today a very nice friend who knows the name of every plant God ever made, (she's a sales rep) took me out to a nursery and helped me pick out plants for all the needy areas. I am very excited about getting it all in shape and I hope I can keep it up.

I have one "retained" area that she wasn't quite sure what we should do with and we decided that a sort of a quilt-like knot garden would be fun. I have looked at this book before, and it is amazing. I am hoping to check it out from the public library tomorrow, and get a plan going.

I built a retaining wall in my lower yard from recycled, broken up concrete. I call them "driveway stones". I had some help from the men in my life (husband, son, son-in-law) but did quite a bit of toting myself. You'd think all this digging and toting I've been doing would be a good weight loss program, but I haven't noticed much change. It does make me feel strong though, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that!

Soft and springy.

2008-03-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

We had a nice visit from my daughter and her family this weekend and I enjoyed the flower arranging, toy making, and baby holding involved.

I am so glad people like Betz White have encouraged us to make things from recylcled, felted sweaters. I used patterns from this book:

that I bought for my middle daughter (now 23) when she was a little girl. The patterns are simple and can easily be sewn together by hand. I always end up changing things a little when I use a pattern, but the toys in this book are so cute, and a great place to start.

I am looking forward to making more toys for this little sweetie.

Is there anything better than green vinyl?

2008-03-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

Yes!!
I received this cute chair in trade for making a slipcover for someone else's cute chair over a year ago. It has been draped with various quilts and throws until this weekend when it got a real slipcover.

My preferred method for making a slipcover is to do a muslin pattern, or actually, an old-white-sheet pattern. I measure to the center of the chair or sofa and make a pattern of half. That way the slipcover is symmetrical, and I can write notes right on the pattern. I don't mind the extra step, as opposed to cutting the fabric right on the furniture.
BUT.... when I am doing a project for myself, I am usually trying to get it done with a limited amount of time.

Therefore, since I wasn't planning to add cording, and could just sew it as pinned, I put the fabric, wrong side up right on the chair and pinned it together, trimming seam allowances to a half inch. I left some fabric to tuck into the back of the seat. If I had made a pattern first, the slipcover would be a little neater in spots, but for this project, getting it done was the priority.

Because the back of the chair is wider at the top than lower down, there needed to be some type of opening in order to get the cover over the top. I decided to put a big pleat in the back with a twill tape tie, because that would be a faster option than buttons.

Done!
Ahhhh, that feels good.

Adrift in a sea of textiles.

2008-03-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went back to my daughter's house and I stayed with her and her sweet new baby while her husband and mine went on a men's retreat that involved fishing. I got in some great "baby" time, and if that wasn't enough of a treat, she took me to the L.A. fashion district in downtown L.A. Wow! What a place. We had limited time...one baby nap worth to be exact, which was a little over two hours. He was so cute sleeping in the Moby wrap.

I only bought one little piece of fabric at a $2 per pound fabric store. Now that I know what is there...every fabric, trim, bauble, button, etc., etc. you can imagine... I will definitely have some projects in mind if I ever get a chance to go back. As it was, I was too overwhelmed to have any creative thoughts.

There are blocks and blocks of stores. Lots of stimulating color and texture.

We really had fun taking pictures, passing the camera back and forth.

This store with crowns and tiaras made me think of our friend Vallen who loves making crowns.

This photo that Raya took is one of my favorites.

Better than a paid vacation.

2008-03-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

Like most people, I assume, I thought about starting a business for a long, long time before I got up the courage to actually follow through on the idea. I knew there was a market for slipcovers then, but I really didn't expect the craze to last for the next fourteen years. I wanted to be able to work from home so that I could be there for my kids (all grown up now).

The things that have surprised me and blessed me most about the venture, are all the great people I have met, and the positive feedback I have received. I am an introvert at my core, and was pretty intimidated at the thought of talking to customers, not to mention suppliers, who deal mostly with other men and can be a little on the gruff side.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to just go to a job every day that would actually pay me to take a vacation! But, I really wouldn't trade that for all the nice people I have met and the confidence I have gained. Which leads me to the purpose of this post.

One of my customers, who I have done a few jobs for, invited me into her art studio that she and her husband built in their backyard. It is so inspiring and amazing. She let me take some pictures, but my limited skills really don't convey just how enchanting the space is.

Greeted by bunnies.

I Love these wire shelves with the colorful ribbons and antique doll dresses.

Isn't this dresser awesome? She really has an eye for finding treasures!

Clever storage for her beautiful papers.

I love to see the projects she is working on.

Lots of tools. Love those tools!

All Ruffled Up

2008-03-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

I just finished working on a very cute linen slipcover. The client chose two shades of linen from this wonderful online store. She asked me if I could put ruffles on the cushions in place of cording. The fabric was lightweight enough for me to use my ruffler attachment. If you don't have one you should really consider getting one. I'm pretty sure they make them for most brands of sewing machines.

You can adjust the size and frequency of the tuck which will regulate the fullness of your ruffle. They are fun to use.

I usually make the ruffle and then sew it on to the main fabric.

But you can actually do both steps at once. It almost seems too easy doesn't it?

A ruffled up pile of cushion parts.

The sofa was a rose color before, so what a dramatic difference. I love when I get to do work for this very nice lady. She is very artistic and always making inspiring changes to her home. She let me take some pictures in her backyard studio where she does papercrafts. My photos really don't do it justice, but I will post them in a day or two.

Home again.

2008-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

I tore myself away from my daughter's house on Sunday for the five hour drive home. Boy was that hard! I cleverly planned my return on the last day of a Quilt Fair that was going on near my home. It proved to be a good "carrot". Otherwise, I probably would have stayed on and on until they got tired of feeding me.

There was a vendor at the Fair who is there every year who makes gorgeous button jewelry. I bought this pin and card, and these nice old buttons from her. Her name is Debra Heisel and her e-mail address is debheisel@sbcglobal.net. I was sad to learn that she doesn't have a website, or an ETSY shop. Seems like there are a lot of craftspeople out there that say, "I'm just not good with computers." Something should be done about this, don't you agree?

When I arrived there were only 45 minutes left before the fair closed, so there were a lot of things I just didn't have time to see. I did benefit from the "fill a bag for a dollar" sale at the local quilters' guild booth. I grabbed a pile of quilting magazines with tons of inspiration in them, as well as a few interesting fabric scraps.

Good reading material for when I am missing my daughter and her sweet family.

Back to busy.

2008-02-18T08:04:00.000-08:00

Wow! What happened to the last two weeks? I am feeling all better. (Thanks for all the well wishes.) We got to spend a couple of days with the new baby, and today, I am tying up loose ends so that I can go back for a few days and help out with chores and hold the baby some more. He is very sweet and cute.

My apologies to Angie over at Slipcover Diva. She tagged me a couple of weeks ago to list 7 weird things about myself (and pass it on). It's funny that even though I think of myself as "weird" in general, I'm having a hard time coming up with 7 isolated facts.

1. Even though I have an intense love for chairs, I usually have a hard time sitting still. If it weren't for TV and the need to sit at a table, computer, or sewing machine, I might never sit down!

2. At yard sales, I'm equally drawn to the tools and the frilly stuff.

3. I spend way more time gathering crafting supplies than actually doing any crafting. (Sad!)

4. I have unusual tastes. I often like things that are out of the ordinary, thus my fear of giving decorating advice to my sewing customers.

5. I love canned spinich. (The kind Popeye eats.)

6. I save dryer lint. But wait..hear me out...only when it is one solid pretty color from washing a big piece of fabric. I have hopes of making paper out of it. When I was homeschooling my kids we did some paper-making, and for the limited effort, the outcome is very satifying. But there I go again, gathering supplies.....

7. I enjoy ironing while listening to news radio. I guess I'm a news junkie.

Well, hopefully you aren't too weirded out by my "weird list". And due to my long list of things to do today, I will have to pass on passing it on. I probably won't be doing any posting the rest of the week either. Take Care.