The Vintage Ball

Last night we attended the Vintage Ball. We had a wonderful time. The ladies dresses were just beautiful! I got so many ideas. General Gorgeous and Captain Crunch are already planning their attire for next year.


Here's a picture of General Gorgeous and I preparing to attend.

The Old Schoolhouse Magazine

I know you are wondering what this has to do with sewing, but, it actually does relate. I received an issue to this magazine several weeks ago. In it I found two articles related to sewing. One was under Homeschooling Units. Since I homeschool and I sew and want to pass on sewing to my children I was very interested in reading this. The article was about teaching lost arts to our children. I really enjoyed this article. There is a quote that so spoke to my heart because it was how I see things, "There is a charm in occupation which can scarcely be understood by idle persons." I was raised with the thought that idle hands are the workshop of the devil. I can see in the society I live in that this is so true. If people spent more time in activities that produced something then I think we would have less crime, less depression, and more peace. In my opinion society's ill's could be cured by teaching people to be busy with endeavors that create something, it could be something useful or something artistic. We struggle with this in our family. We live in a large city. We live on the border of the inner city. Our neighborhood is not some place our children can play freely outside. Since we don't live in the country their are only so many chores my children can do. We struggle with finding things for them to do that do not involve sitting in front of the TV or an electronic game. I find with the boys it is even harder. I have also found that when we do find something they can do with their hands they feel better about themselves. They develop more self confidence. They develop skills they can use in other areas of life. They fight less. The are happier. This article has a nice pattern with directions for making an old-fashioned pin-cushion. I would love to see ideas for boys. They can make the pin-cushion, but, I would like more ideas for manly arts for boys.

The other article that interested me was in the HisStory section. It was about a family that does some re-enactment and how they learned the way pioneers got their clothes. I love history and I love sewing so this article was very interesting.

I hope you will get a chance to look at these articles and enjoy them.

Sew Long for Now.

My dress is finished

I finished my dress yesterday!

I hope to get pictures of General Gorgeous and I tonight at the Vintage Ball. He will be dressed in 1700's British military outfit.

Sew Long for Now!

Midweek

I have gotten my dress cut out and tonight I put the bodice together. I also got the sleeves together. Tomorrow I will attach the sleeves to the bodice and then attach the skirt. I have two more days until the ball.

Last night I tried to sew out one of the digitizing projects I have to do and it messed up. I think it was the material I tried to use. It stretched. I was trying to simulate polo shirt material and should have put an iron on stabilizer on the material before embroidering to keep the material from stretching out of place.

Sew Long for now!

I am so tired

I had calls Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for last minute gifts to embroidery. General Gorgeous finally put an end to it and said I could not take any more work. I worked until 4 p.m. Friday and we had a party that night to go to. On Saturday we spent the day with my family. We opened gifts Saturday night because Sunday was spent at church. Monday I finished the dress that I was altering for a young lady to wear to the ball. This morning I purchased material to make my dress. I also got a call yesterday asking me to sew several letters on letterman jackets and to rip out a misspelled name. I told them to call back Thursday and if I was caught up I would do it by Sunday.

My wonderful special husband surprised me Christmas with a Moss print of Star City Quilters! See I even get sewing gifts for presents. My children got me a Moss figurine of a mother reading to her daughters!

Now I have to go figure out how to design my dress for the ball!

Sew Long for Now.

4 more days!

Every day my youngest, Captain Chaos, gives me the count! He is so excited. At 8 you get really excited counting down the days!

I am still working on presents for General Gorgeous to give out at work. I think I will be finished tonight. I have three more paid projects to do and I have to start thinking about my dress for the ball.

Here's another type of cards we made for Christmas. I finished all my cards, all my letters, and mailed them Monday. It cost over $30!

I have some pictures of an ornament I made for our pastors. I will put that up soon.

Sew Long for Now

new pics

I am adding a picture of the cards with the angels on them and a couple of pictures of free standing lace snowflakes I have embroidered.












































Sew Long for Now!

10 sewing days left

Since we go to my parents for Christmas Eve. I have three stockings for customers to do and then I only have my presents to finish. We are still working on the Christmas cards. I need to finish coloring the stamped images and then cut the rest out and attach to the cards. My goal is to get them mailed by Friday. I have been embroidering a lot of free standing lace. I have a couple of BBQ aprons to make for teacher gifts. Then I still have to finish shopping! For some reason this has been the busiest year.

The children have a Singing School concert tonight. For the first time all three of mine are in it. I get to sit and enjoy!

Sew Long for Now.

Saturday

I have been accomplish things even with the busy schedule we have. We didn't make it to the Nutcracker yesterday we had an ice storm and the performance was canceled. I got some sewing done. The base of all the Christmas cards is attached. Last night Captain Kitty and I colored angels I had stamped and then we cut them out and I attached them to the cards using Steam a seam II. I used a press cloth and permantly bonded them with the iron. I also embroidery three free standing lace crosses which I sewed together and put around a gold Christmas ball. I attached a small tassel on the bottom. I cut out the bottom of the tree skirt for a client. Right now my embroidery machine is chugging along making free standing lace embroidery snow flakes. I am going to spray them with gold glitter spray, attach ribbons to make them ornaments, and give them to teachers for presents. I will try to put up pictures soon.

Sew Long for Now.

running, running, running

So far I haven't done any sewing today. I spent all day running errands and picking up sewing. I may take a break tonight. It is suppose to ice tonight so I may be homebound tomorrow. I am suppose to go with my youngest two children and husband to see the Nutcracker ballet tomorrow morning. Several homeschoolers we know are in it. Princess Kitty is hoping it will not be canceled. So tomorrow evening I can sew some. Saturday we are to go to a wedding and then to a Christmas party. Sunday we are going to a different church to see their Christmas program. Our friends' daughter has the lead part. Captain Crunch has a Christmas party Sunday night. Monday is practice for the Singing School concert for all three children and CAP for Captain Crunch. Tuesday is the Singing School concert and Wednesday is Caroling at the nursing home. I think Captain Crunch is caroling on Thursday also. Sigh...

Sew Long for Now.

Christmas Cards

Today I finished a toilet lid cover for a lady for Christmas. It was a Santa face that her mother made in the 50's and was round. Her toilet is oblong. I attached it to green felt and made it where is has elastic to hold it on. Next I need to lengthen her Christmas tree skirt. I also have a digitizing to do. I got called today by my friend who owns an embroidery shop. She has 13 stockings to do that won't fit her industrial machines. She ask me to do them. Tomorrow I drive out to pick them up. I also got called to embroidery five PJ tops for a lady for Christmas and I pick those up tomorrow. Last, but, not least a lady is coming next Tuesday for a fitting with a dress I need to alter for the vintage ball. God is so good to bless me with these jobs when I need the money.

The post is entitled Christmas cards so I better explain why! I am working on my Christmas cards. I am sewing material to card stock and then I will be stamping angels and snowmen and painting those to sew on top. I was thinking of attaching some crystals also. I put buttons on the sample I made. Inside it will be stamped "May your Holidays be stitched with Happiness."
Here is a picture of the first stage.

Sew Long for Now!

more pictures

marketplace pictures

more pictures

Marketplace

The marketplace was a huge success with more than 3,300 people attending during the two days we put it on.

It's Friday!

Tonight is dress rehearsal for the marketplace. I am taking my camera and hope to take some pictures. Lord I pray it pleases You and glorifies You.

I finished four sets of towels embroidered for a friend for her children for Christmas yesterday. I finished embroidering on a pillow and sleeping bag for some one else to give as a present. I have another job sewing and another digitizing job to do, a lot of altering for Captain Kitty and then Christmas presents to make. Not through my stength, but, His do I get this done.

Last night we went to see the musical Scrooge. A local church puts this on at the Civic center every year and it's free. They take donations for various charitable organizations. They still had my name in the bulletin where I made one of the costumes last year.

Sew Long for Now!

3 days until marketplace

and I have to hem my head piece. That and help General Gorgeous dye his sandals brown. This has been a lot of work. I pray it will glorify God.

Next is to get others sewing done, then on to my Christmas presents! Oh, I better finish my Christmas cards first.

Sew Long for Now!

Thanksgiving and the day after

Thanksgiving was wonderful. I only caught the stove on fire one time. The only sewing I did was on paper. I did a mock up of our Christmas cards. I am using material and sewing part of the card.

This morning General Gorgeous and I went hunting, for sales that is. JoAnn's was my first stop and I bought 25 yards of flannel. The lady ahead of me at the cutting table bought about 80 yards! I have to spend this evening and tomorrow finishing all the odds and ends for the marketplace.

Sew Long for Now.

Productive Tuesday

I only have one more thing to do for the Roman soldiers. I need to find 6 brooches for the capes. Tonight I am going to try on their outfits and see about hemming the tunics.

We finished the 13 hats we had to decorate for vendors this morning. I added the material to the one girls dress I needed to. I cut out the neck of one tunic that needs to be bigger. I need to add trim back to it. I have my outfit to do and the marketplace sewing is done.

Next I get to ketch up on my sewing for others. I forgot I also have to make myself a gown for the vintage ball. I am feeling much better though about getting things accomplished. God has been so good to me. He knew I couldn't do any of this through my own power, only through His. He also blessed me by working out some financial stress I had. Thank you Lord!

Sew Long for Now!

a framed free standing lace picture
















one of the men's camo aprons

Some of my purses



















More purses and checkbook covers

















credit card size purses













earrings















Christmas aprons

It seems so quiet here

I finished the major part of the Roman soldier suits last night before church. I hemmed around their capes this afternoon. I need to fix their belts and find something to use as a brooch for the capes. I can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. Yesterday after church we got to tour the gym where they are almost finished setting up for the marketplace. It is awesome! I am getting so excited to see it. Oh, this is going to be fun.

With my sewing money I bought Robert one present and ordered another! I was so excited.

Sew Long for now!

Successful Craft show

Thank you Lord! The craft show was wonderful. I made more money than I ever have before at this show. I saw some wonderful crafts. I saw these necklaces made with strands of fancy yarn that I want to make. I saw these beaded changable watch bands that I just loved. I was also greatly blessed by a friend helping sew the rest of the red bias on the the flaps for me to add to the soldier costumes. Now, I just have to make their capes, alter a couple of outfits, and make mine and I should be ready for the marketplace! I took some pictures of my stuff and will load it soon.

Sew long for now!