I thought I would post a couple of pictures from the Vintage Ball. Here is the General and I preparing to go. Don't you just love a man in uniform. I did make my outfit, I redid a dress I made a couple of years ago.

Here is Captain Cool and some of his friends. Captain Cool is in the grey. These are all homeschooled young people. Captain Cool has been homeschooled 10 of his 12 years of school. The two young ladies in the middle, who are sisters have been homeschooled since they were in elementary school. The young man on the end, who is wearing his father's VMI uniform, has been homeschooled his whole life. Both the boys in the picture are seniors this year.

There was a lot of young people dressed in vintage attire. Most were colonial era, some Victorian, and a lot of Renissiance. We had a lovely night. The General and I danced every Waltz. We also danced one line dance. The General and I figure we have about eight more years of this dance and then we will be finished. It's great fun, but, very physically taxing! We know now why young people in the eras they did these dances didn't get into a lot of trouble after such affairs. They were too wore out to!

Sew Long for Now!

I have had a pretty tough week. After spending four days trying to sew a pair of revolutionary war pants for a costume I threw in the towel. I can pretty much figure out anything, but these directions just stunk. My husband laughs that there are people who ask me to sew outrageous things just to try to stump me. I usually can figure it out, but not these. I know of a lady who sews for a local historical park and I am going to ask her after the new year to help me. I may not have the outfit for tomorrow night's ball, but I will eventually get it. I didn't get the coat done because my dryer broke down the day after Christmas. Broke is such a gentle term for the motor burning up. I thought I would have to wait awhile to get a new dryer, but God provided for this need. I wash around 3 loads a day. If my dryer had broke before Christmas it wouldn't have been so bad, we had 70 degree weather. No, my dryer breaks the day it is cold and back down in the 30's and 40's. I tried to hang out some clothes and 8 hours later they were still damp.

Tomorrow I have to put cockades on the two tri cornerned hats I did finish and then in the afternoon we are going to rent costumes for the boys to wear. Since this will be a pretty busy weekend I thought I would post a New Years wish from our family to yours. The picture above is from a visit we made to Luray Caverns at the end of summer.

So our prayer is that God will bless your family in 2007!

Sew Long for Now!

I finished 4 more aprons and embroidered two stockings and a tree skirt. Oh, and I finished making a polar fleece blanket for my sil for Christmas. The kind you put two pieces together and then cut the edges and tie the two sides together with knots. She wanted it king size for her bed. Captain Kitty helped me and we made it queen size, we couldn't quite get to king size. I still have 3 more of those to do and a bag and wallet to do. Guess what? I am not going to do them. I am officially taking off as of today. The General changed his days off again. He is now off Friday and Saturday from his main job, this started today. I am spending the next three days doing things with my family. The General and I will be getting our last present, gift cards for my parents. They love them to restaraunts. Tomorrow we will go out to breakfast with our Sunday School class and then on to my folks to spend the day with extended family. We bring the General sister back with us tomorrow night and then Monday we spend with her here.

The General and I plan on working on the vintage ball outfits on Monday afternoon together! I will not be sewing for anyone else next week. I will be concentrating on the outfits.

Sew long for Now and Merry Christmas!

Here is the finised parka. Actually is called a Kuspuk and is a type of Alaskan jacket. The lady I did this for had cut out most of the pieces and began on it. She now has carpal tunnel and does not sew any more. This is the front view and below is the back view with the hood. It was not too difficult and actually fun to put together.

I made my first attempt at saying no to some one and it was a disaster! A lady I know from church called me when I got home Tuesday from running errands. I had just walked in the door and my son handed me the phone. She ask if I was busy with sewing and I told her yes, that I was swamped until after New Years. She burst into tears. It seemed she was calling from the CCU at a local hospital. Her husband, who is also Captain Chaos' Sunday School teacher, had a heart attach Sunday during church. She had promised a set of flags made for a local high school's ROTC competition...the next day. They weren't done. I did not know about her husband, I hadn't heard. Of course then I told her I would do it. She had her son bring all the stuff by. I stopped everything else I was doing and finished one Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday night was our stay at home Mom's meeting for church and I went. I needed to get some down time and I wouldn't do it at home with all that still needs to be done. We had so much fun just talking and hanging out that we lost track of time and I went home at 9:45. The General had a message that one of my sister in laws had called, so I called her back. She wanted me to embroider a shirt for a friend! LOL, but she doesn't need it till spring/summer. She lives in Afton so she just wanted to ask me so she could bring me the shirt on Christmas Eve when we all get together at my Momma's. Anyway, after all this I was tired and decided to just go to bed. I got up at 6 the next morning and the second flag went together pretty easy. I had them both ready to be picked up by 8 a.m. I went to work on the parka and had it finished by noon.

Today I have some e-mails to send then it's off to more sewing. Sew Long for Now!

Tuesday morning, Christmas is five days away. I finished embroidering 4 sweatshirts. I finished 4 more aprons. All this was for customers. I worked on the parka last night, came to the zipper and realized she didn't have one in the bag. This morning I am going out to get a zipper. I also had a customer come by yesterday asking for two stockings and a tree skirt to be embroidered for Christmas. I still have a purse, wallet, and skirt zipper to do for a customer. Then I have 8 more Christmas presents to make, or is that 12? I have started sending out my cards. If you are expecting one from me...it may be late. So sorry, please forgive me. I cut out the pattern for the General and Captain Cool's pants last night. Do I sound stressed? Well, yes I am just a tad. I did spend time yesterday reading out loud with the children. This morning I need to run errands and then I will work on the parka. I would like to finish it today. I need to cut out a bag and wallet today. I need to embroidery some more standing lace. I would like to iron the material for those pants. I should be ordering some buttons. This evening I will be taking off and going to my hearts at home monthly meeting. Oh yes, the picture. This is two of the four aprons I did. This set has a third apron to go with it. It is for a mother and her two daughters. Well, I am off.

Sew Long for Now!

Pardon me while I experiment with this new beta blogger!

I was so happy how this embroidery turned out. I had to design it. The picture is not so great, but in person it looked great! I delivered all the blankets yesterday after we attended the Nutcracker. The youngest two and I went to see the SW Virginia ballet's performance with some other homeschoolers, about 350 of them. Actually, this was the performance for school groups and ours was the largest. We knew several dancers in the ballet and it was just wonderful. Captain Chaos was not really interested in going. He had never seen this ballet. Afterwards he wanted to try out for an extra part next year. He wants to be one of the mice! I ended up having to do some shopping for Captain Cool yesterday afternoon because he had to work. It was after supper before I got to any sewing. I was so tired, but I made myself finish one customers work. The work wasn't hard, just hemming pants and repairing shirts. Then Captain Kitty and I worked on Christmas cards. I still haven't finished. LOL, mine may be New Years cards. This morning I am going with all the children to the mall. That sounds fun doesn't it? In the afternoon I am going to try to finish four aprons I have cut out and then tonight we may go to Bedford to see the lights at the Elk Home and Lakeview Park. That is a tradition we do every year.

Sew Long for Now!

I never did get to the parka yesterday. I had errands to run and then the General and I spent time last night running around looking for just the right material for the jackets. We finally found the right material at Hancock's. The lady was so nice and reminded me that there was a coupon that started today. She held the bolt for me and I ran back over there this morning and purchased it. That saved me $17. That will help go towards the 70 or so buttons I need to buy. I have been embroidering blankets today. I ran out of the pink thread just now. You see how far I was on this blanket. I have to take Captain Kitty to violin lessons tonight so I will go early and get some thread on the way. I would like to finish these blankets today. I would like to finish all the customer sewing I have by the weekend and then devote next week to the Vintage Ball outfits. That and baking. I haven't baked anything yet! I usually bake a different cookie every day during the holidays. Oh, and I forgot I still have presents to buy. I also got a call today that not all the residents at the nursing home will have gifts for Christmas. I would like to either buy some fleece and finish the edges or pick up some inexpensive blankets and take them over. Well, back to work.
Sew Long for Now!

This little elf has been busy in the workshop. Monday I jumped into the piles of sewing I have here. I embroidered three stockings with names. I embroidered a blanket with a name. Also, Captain Kitty and I embossed snowflakes for our Christmas cards. We did lots of laundry! Tuesday the youngest children and I went to our monthly party at the nursing home. We also went to the grocery store. We all know how much I love grocery shopping, not! When I got home I finished hemming five pair of pants that I had started Monday. While I was hemming the pants on my trusty old Euro Pro I had the Bernina beside me embroidering standing lace crosses. I plain on using them in Christmas gifts. The one pictured needs the stabilizer washed out of it. I will sew three or four of them together and put them around a plain ball ornament and make a tassel for the bottom. I did realize I need more stabilizer to finish making as many as I want. I also started altering a formal dress for a young lady to wear to the Vintage Ball. Of course there was the laundry to do. Captain Cool had an interview Tuesday with Rep. Goodlatt in his quest to be admitted to the Air Force Academy. Senator Allen sent him a letter last week that he chose some one else to recommend. Sigh, we were praying that he would recommend him, but there were several applicants also trying to get this honor. This morning I finished altering the dress for the ball. I also cut out four aprons that I have promised for a long time. Now, after I take a little break I am off to work on the parka and then I need to go to the store and get stabilizer and fish food. Tonight the General and I are going to JoAnn's to pick out material for the jackets for the ball.

Sew Long for Now!

Our weekend culminated with going to the movie The Nativity Story. It was so nice to be in a theater and know all those sitting with you. It was so nice to see a movie in the theater that was good. Everything we have done lately has been great, but we are all tired of the running. We all have colds now. LOL, I went to church with one finished stocking and came home with three to do. So, today I must get to work on all the sewing piling up around here.

Sew Long for Now!

We always celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. We started it when the children were very young. To teach them about sacrificial giving and to give them a little something to help them hold in their excitement until Christmas. Our tradition has been to bake cookies and give them anonomously to neighbors. We have lots of neighbors who live alone or are single parents. Then we put candy coins and a little present in our children's stockings. Since the children are getting older and we do a lot of volunteer services I thought we would stop this little tradition. You would have thought I had said I was canceling Christmas when I suggested this. So, the General and I decided to get a cute joke gift and the candy coins and continue this tradition. I was in A and N one day and came across red union suits. The General and I decided this would be a cute gift. I bought four, one for the General unbeknowst to him. Since he and Captain Cool wear the same size I embroiderd my little pet name for him on his. This week when we celebrated Saint Nicholas Day the children got a great laugh out of the red union suits. The last laugh was on me though. They loved them and have been wearing them under their clothes. This has become especially a nice thing since the temperatures have fallen in the 30's here during the days.

This morning I need to embroider a stocking and mend a hole in one of the General's work coats. I have loads of other work to do, but Captain Kitty and I will have most of the day to ourselves and plan on getting some shopping done. Then this evening our Sunday School class is having a Christmas party.

Sew Long for Now!

What a whirl this holiday season is right now. I am sewing of course. People seem to wait until the last minute and then they need it right now. I guess I am guilty of the same so I shouldn't bemoan them. I finished embroidering the cutest t-shirts for a family having a baby this week. I hemmed a concert dress for a girl in a local college's children's choir. Now I have a parka to make for some one for a Christmas present. I also have 10 pairs of pants to hem for a man. Last night a girl came over and tried on her dress for the vintage ball that needs taking in. We are also going to the vintage ball. I ordered two tricorner hat blanks this week for the General and Captain Cool. This weekend I go in search of material to make the outfits they will wear. I wonder if I will have time to make myself a dress? Besides that Monday night we went to Captain Cool's CAP banquet. Tuesday we spent the day at U.Va. with the Neuro Opthomalogist about the General's diagnosis. Wednesday was shopping and Awana. Tonight the General and I have a Christmas dinner for one of his employers to attend. Tomorrow night we are going to Scrooge. Saturday our Sunday School class is having it's Christmas party and Sunday evening we will be attending the movie "The Nativity" with members of our church. Our church has bought out all the tickets for two showings at a local theater and may need to do a third. I certainly hope next week slows down some. I have so much still to do.

Sew Long for Now!

My friend Deb over at Mountain Musings ask about our favorite Christmas tree ornaments. I love all ours. As we put up the tree I can look back over 20 years and they each have a story and remind me of things. As I pondered this I came to the conclusion that this is my favorite ornament. This is our first Christmas ornament as a family. My husband and I were married in 1986 and thus began it all. Each year we buy or make a new dated ornament. The ones the children were born are extra special also.

Sew Long for Now!

This a picture from last year's marketplace. Friday night we had around 650 visitors. Saturday they had around 1250 people. It is a wonderful fun thing. My husband played a Roman soldier Friday night and Saturday. As part of the act our oldest son is a prisoner and he pretends to go in the jail and beat him. Saturday when he came out he said several little boys ask him if he had whipped Jesus. My husband tried to explain to them that he had whipped a prisoner for not paying his taxes. The boys just couldn't understand so he had to tell them that if the walked through the market and got to the end they would see baby Jesus in a manger. It is fun to act a part and interact with the people. One interested sewing tidbit. Last year I bought literally thousands of yards of material for costumes. I bought some bargain fabric because I was spending so much money. I washed my costume after wearing it two days straight last year. I didn't bother to try it on before Friday. It had shrunk four inches in length! LOL. Next year I will need another costume. The children's concerts went well yesterday. I have to smile looking at my calendar for the next week. I have sewing to do, of course, but we have commitments every night. I love the Christmas season. I just I wish I knew how to make it less hussle and bussle.

Sew Long for Now!

Five broken needles and one hurt finger later, here is one of the Roman soldier top pieces. I made four of these. I also made four belts, but we decided yesterday afternoon they didn't look right. So here in a minute I will redo them. Last night I also shortened four of the red capes from last year that we are using. This pleather stuff is hard to sew through. It is really hard when you are sewing through several layers. These are all lined with the same fabric. I ended up using my walking foot to sew these together.

Tonight 7-10 is the first performance of the marketplace. The youngest two have singing school practice today also. Tomorrow the General and Captain Cool are in the marketplace. Captain Kitty has a violin recital and then Captain Kitty and Captain Chaos have a singing school concert.

Sew...sew long for now!