It is getting late and I am tired so now sewing today. I had a customer come over at 7:50 this a.m. to bring me clothes to alter. I went to church to pick up a dress to alter for a secretary there. Then I went to everyone's favorite dreaded store, Walmart. Hurrying of course because Captain Cool had a class at the community college at 12:30. After fixing lunch I rested a minute than picked up CC and took him straight to his choir rehearsal at CS Baptist Church. His practice started an hour before the others so I drug them to the Goodwill there. I got three great short sleeve button up shirts for him. Captain Kitty got excited because they had Barbies there. That is until she saw the prices. Rapuntzel Barbies at the Goodwill in the box were going for $25. You can still get these at Walmart for around $15. I was a little perplexed by the prices on some things. I dropped them off and per Lisa at Groggy Froggy I went to the Discover Shop, a thrift store run by the American Cancer Society. What a store. I didn't buy anything, but they had a set of Royal Doulton china, 12 piece place setting with serving dishes, for $400. Oh how I would have loved to have that. I could have had a candle light supper just like Hyacinth. It had green leaves on it, my favorite! This is an upscale thrift store, designer clothes, crystal, etc. Lisa, I loved the wedding dress in the front window, the one with the lavendar boudice. I was tempted to buy it and save it for Captain Kitty to use some day when she gets married! Now your wondering what all this has to do with sewing, how about needle arts? On the way back to pick the children up I stopped at my favorite yarn shop, Needle in the Square and picked up two balls of Fixation yarn to make me a pair of socks. This yarn has elastic in it and is so soft. Guess I better finish the pair for Captain Kitty I have on the needles so I can start mine! Tomorrow my parents are coming to see the children's concert and spend the night. I hope to work on the bag I saw at Dawn's blog, she gave me the directions to find out how to make it in the comments of my last entry.

Sew Long for Now!

This is a busy week here. Not necessarily on the sewing front. The children's concert is Friday night. Monday Captain Cool had an extra practice and Thursday they all three have extra practices. Monday night I had stamp club, last night CC had a meeting, and tonight is Awana. There is the usual shopping, classes, house duties, and sewing. I so look forward to summer. I can stay home more and not have to run the children to all their various activities. Captain Cool should have his drivers license by the end of May. I am hoping this will relieve me of a lot of the running I do during the school year, since it is for him. I can have a few years respite until Captain Kitty gets more involved in outside activities.

I did sew some more clothes for the infant. She picked it up Tuesday and was very happy. I sent seven pieces with her. She still wants more, so I will be working on them a little at a time. I received more clothes to alter and did one today.

I saw this bag I really liked on 4.53 a.m.'s blog and I hope to find out if it's a pattern or something she made up herself. I would love to make one similar for myself! If so then I will use the bag I just made for church. I keep a seperate bag loaded for Sunday mornings. I keep a Bible, notebook, pens, mints, hand lotion, and any papers I need to take back. This has really helped me on Sunday mornings getting ready. I don't have to go looking for things, just pick up my "church" bag and out the door I go.

Sew Long for Now.

This has been a productive weekend sewing wise. I finished my new pocketbook (purse, bag).






This is the front. I quilted the fabric with a varigated sulky thread. The bottom has timtex in it to give it body. I did not give it any outside pockets, but, there are inside pockets. I think if I make another similar to this I will put the straps under the contrasting band.












On the back side I tried to give it some whimsy. This is not the best picture, but the buttons I used as the flowers on the rickrack are ceramic. I have had them almost twenty years. My daughter keeps asking to have them and I had told her no. She got so indignent that I had used them on my bag. 11 yo's.






I also altered 4 shirts, a pair of pants, and a prom dress. On the infant front I now have two mantels and two dresses done plus a set of frills.




This is a front view of the Infant of Prague statue. I was ask to make these clothes by a Catholic lady for two of these statues. I am making several dresses and mantels in colors for the liturgical seasons.























This is from an angle.





















Here is a view of the mantel.









Sew Long for Now.

I made a dress for the infant today. I made a white one with silver thread in stripes on it. I also made frills for his neck and arms. The client who wants these is coming Tuesday to pick up what I have finished so far. I need to work on more over the next three days. I have made a green dress, green mantel, and white dress. She especially wants a pint mantel done. The way I did this dress it did not take much time at all so, maybe I can get all the colors done for the small infant and at least the white dress done for her bigger infant. I will try to take a picture and post it soon. The pink mantel is cut out.

I cut out a pocketbook tonight. I have these nice purple fabrics a friend gave me. I cut out all the pieces and now looking at it I wonder if it is too big. Captain Kitty came down after I cut it out and she mentioned how it was so big it could be two. It was a hint because she likes one of the fabrics. So tomorrow my one pocketbook may become two.

I also have 9 pieces to alter for a lady by Monday evening. LOL. The boys both need haircuts tomorrow and our Sunday School class is having a pizza and movie night tomorrow night. I can get this all done! Right? LOL. I did also get my bedroom cleaned today. Now I moved the cleaning supplies here to the sewing room. It needs to be cleaned. Next week when I am caught up with all this client business I hope to make the curtains for our bedroom. I have a stool to cover for in there and I want to make a duvet. We closed all the windows and turned on the central air. I also took a nap today. I am starting to feel a bit more energetic.

Sew Long for Now.

I finished the second suit alteration yesterday. They ladies came and tried on the bridesmaid dresses and I had taken them up too much! Good thing I don't cut until we double check. I spent this morning letting them back out a bit. This afternoon I felt like doing nothing. I feel so blah with all this pollen in the air. I don't necessarily get a stuffy nose with my allergies as much as lethargic. Everything outside is covered in a layer of yellow dust. I made myself come to my sewing room and found an apron I had cut out two months ago and had not finished. I put it together. It is so spring looking. I pulled out material and patterns for pocketbooks. I need a new one and I am narrowing down what I want. I also pulled out some more apron patterns. I want some different than the ones I have been making. I want some frilly ones. I need to work on outfits for the infant this weekend, but, I also need to work on a new pocketbook and maybe an apron.

I only did school two days this week. We have read out loud every day. The children helped me clean the bathroom, livingroom, kitchen, and their rooms. All the cleaning supplies are in my room and I just can't get motivated to get it done. I think it's allergies, but, I feel so tired and not motivated. I see things I need to do and want to do, but, can't make myself get them all done. Then I feel bad, like I am a bad homemaker. Sigh, I hate these blah moods. I need to kick myself and get into gear.

Sew Long for Now!

Both the bridesmaid dresses are done. I did not finish anything else yesterday due to the phone ringing off the hook. Today I plan to finish the second suit for the client.

A little out of the ordinary, on some of the blogs I visit they are listing 10 of Life's Little Pleasures. I thought it would be nice to make myself think about that. 10 little blessings in my life.

1. A kiss from my husband.
2. A hug from my 6 foot tall 16 year old.
3. Every morning my daughter hugging me first thing.
4. My 8 year old still climbing on my lap.
5. Reading out loud to my children.
6. The smell of fresh mowed grass.
7. The feel of material when sliced with sharp scissors.
8. Quiet time before everyone is out of bed.
9. The view from our front window.
10. Magnetic pincushions.

I could list many more. Isn't it nice to stop and reflect on the simple pleasures of life, to remind ourselves how blessed we are.

11. Friends I have made through cyberspace.

Sew Long for Now!

I have had no time to come on the computer or to sew with my company here. They have all gone home and the house is now getting back to order. I loved their visit. Since they all live in small towns they wanted to shop in the big city. We shopped every day. I didn't think I could go much more!

Yesterday we began our normal routine again and in the afternoon I got some sewing in. I finished altering a bridesmaid dress for a wedding this weekend. I hemmed a pair of pants for a lady. Today after cleaning, lessons, and such I will alter the other bridesmaid dress and if I have time I will work on an outfit for the infant.

I really need a new purse. I have tons of patterns and tons of material. I just need to decide what I want. I am going to ponder that this week and see what I can come up with.

Sew Long for Now.

Good Monday afternoon. My in-laws and sister-in-law will be here tomorrow for a visit. My in-laws left Kansas yesterday. My mother-in-law has injured her knee and can't go up and down stairs. Usually when they come to visit they stay in Captain Cool's room, but it is downstairs. They will be staying in Captain Chaos' room. I have been searching for curtains for his room since we moved him a couple of months ago. Crunch time is here. I needed to just find some neutral curtains. I was looking for something with a green/blue/black print that looked male. I went to K-mart this morning and found some neutral curtains, but, could only find one package of the kind I wanted. The package said the set was 81 inches wide. Since his windows are 30 something I figured I could hang one panel on each window. I purchased the curtains and came home. They were too little. Now, these were on clearance so I couldn't return them. A few weeks ago a friend's mother gave me some material to use in my bedroom since we moved it. It wasn't enough. I had already thought of using this material in Captain Chaos' room, there wasn't enough for that either. So I decided to make two tone strip curtains. I cut the panels for the curtains in half and then added a stripe of the material to each side. I think it turned out nice. They sort of look western. They are a tan colored with a paisley print down the outsides.








Window before





















With the new curtains













The second window. Hopefully you can see the curtain a little better. They match the wall color great. I just need to find a new comforter for him. Something in the reddish color, green, or tan of the print. His comforter now is blue and it doesn't go.I was going to do some other sewing today, but, I ran out of time. We have to go help at the nursing home tonight.

Sew Long for Now!

Saturday's coming to a close and I feel the last two days have been very productive. I ask some good friends of mine who are great prayer warriors to pray for me this week. There is so much to do that I have been feeling overwhelmed. I can feel their prayers.

Today I finished the skirt to the cream wool suit for the client. Then we went to a wedding. The bride was so beautiful. She looked like a beautiful doll. They looked so happy and in love. When we got home I watched the sewing shows on PBS. I had been thinking about how ratty my ironing board cover looked. It is hard to find a replacement since it is one of those that mounts to the wall. I remembered some home dec fabric I had bought a couple of years ago on sale. I dug around and pulled it out. I made an ironing board cover. It looked so good I decided to make coordinating curtains. We moved my sewing room into this room a couple of months ago and it had black curtains up where it had been the oldest son's room. I had been meaning to change those, but, had not got around to it. So I made one of the curtains. Then I had to go make supper. I made two home made pizzas tonight. My family must have enjoyed them because there isn't even one piece left. After supper I came back down and finished the second curtain. My oldest son helped me hang them. Notice my new iron!

Sew Long for now.

Thursday night I went to our ASG meeting. We had a neat fashion show advertising a felting class in May. Linda I missed you and you would have loved to see the samples! I hope you sign up for the class.

I bought a new iron. The old one kept smelling like something was burning when you turned it on. I was afraid of a short and it possibly catching on fire, so I bought a new one. Actually, I bought two. I gave one to Captain Cool to keep in his room. He does a lot of ironing these days.

I finished a whole outfit for the infant. The lady I am making them for came by today and she was very pleased and excited. I hope to get a couple of more done by the end of April.

I finished the prom dress. I was asked to add straps to a strapless dress. The girl picked out silver trim to use for the straps. I bought a set of bathing suit bra hooks and sewed one on the end of a length of the trim. Then I sewed the trim to the lining of the dress on the front. Next I took a piece of hem tape in a color to match the dress and sewed it next to a seam in the lining at the back. I bar tacked across this hem tape in intervals down it thus making openings for the bathing suit bra hook to slip into. I did two of these this way and put them on both the right and left side. This way the straps are adjustable and she can unhook them to get the dress on and off.

I had to hem the grandmother's dress for the wedding up a bit more and I finished that today. I also began to alter a suit for a lady. It is a beautiful wool suit. It is a light weight wool and perfect for spring. I had to hem the sleeves in the jacket 3 1/8 inches. Since they are lined I had to take them apart and cut and measure both the sleeve and the lining. I put them back together at the right length with hand sewing so the stitching would not be seen. Now I am altering the skirt. She wants it hemmed 10 inches and taken in 2 inches on each side. Since it is lined this will have to be done with both layers. I marked and cut the material today. I will hopefully finish this skirt tomorrow. I am doing both a cream colored and a black suit she has like this.

We had some terrible storms here this evening. We had very bright lightening and it was very close to our home. We all went out on the veranda at the back of the house and watched the lightening. It was actually beautiful to see it against the dark storm clouds.

Captain Kitty and Captain Chaos and I went through their closets today. We pulled out all their winter things and packed them in the attic. We put a few things in the charity pile. The we filled their closets and drawers with spring clothes. They both have ample. We have been blessed in the last year with friends whose children have grown and passed down some wonderful things to us.

Tomorrow is one of the weddings I have did alterations for. They are friends of ours from church and we will be attending. I look forward to seeing how lovely the bride looks.

Sew Long for Now.

Today I hemmed General Gorgeous' pants. I made the mantel for the infant. I didn't get the prom dress finished because I needed some hooks from the store to finish the straps. Tomorrow I am going out and I will get those. I didn't cut out my skirt. I spent a lot of time today on another project.


I cleaned my iron. It had gotten clogged with starch and minerals. It looks clean, but, I don't know if I got all the mineral deposits out and it might stain clothes. I am considering just getting a new one. Also if you notice the edges, the black is where I have wore the teflon surface off. I use my iron so much I am wearing it out! Wonder how many other people have actually used their iron so much they wore the teflon off? Weird. Well, tomorrow I have to go to JoAnn's, the grocery, the bank, and take the children to Awana. I don't know how much sewing I will get done. I am hoping to get my skirt cut out, finish the prom dress and hem a dress.

Sew Long for now.

I took yesterday off completely. Not really! I went through my material and patterns and
matched a couple of things I needed to make for just me. I also pulled out a ton of mending, etc. I needed to do for my family. I had finished altering the dress Saturday and mended the pants so I wanted to do some planning for this week. This morning I got started early with Mending Monday. I repaired a skirt and gown of mine that had both come apart at the seam. I hemmed a pair of pants for Captain Kitty. My Momma gave me some clothes she was getting rid of and there was a nice denim skirt among them. It buttoned up the front and I don't like skirts like that. If I sewed up the front it wouldn't have fit me so I instead cut it down for Captain Kitty. The material is nice and I doubt if my Momma hardly ever wore it. It made a nice skirt for her and I cut the buttons off to save for a later project. I worked on a dress for the Infant of Prague. It has taken me 1 1/2 hours and I still have some hand sewing to do for it. It has turned out nicely, but, I will have to charge for the time it is taking. She wants about 10 of these plus the mantels. I will call her and tell her the price before I make any more. She may change her mind. I also had two women come over for me to fit them for alterations for bridesmaid dresses. So it was a busy Monday.

Tomorrow I will hem a pair of pants for General Gorgeous. I will also make the mantel for the Infant. I will put the straps on a prom dress for a girl. If I have time I will cut out a skirt for myself.

Sew Long for Now.

I finished the pillow shams. I also got half way through altering a dress. I spent some time on the internet looking for patterns or instructions on how to make vestments for an Infant of Prague statue. A lady who is Catholic has ask me to make some for two statues. I just realized our ASG meeting is this Thursday. I so wanted to try the leather embroidery before then, but, I don't know if I will have time. Today I need to finish the dress I am altering and fix the seat of a pair of pants by noon. We are going out for a late lunch with friends to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday that was this past week. Yesterday my husband's friend came and tilled my garden patch. It's hard to believe that it's already time to plant. I need to get to my favorite nursery and get onions, cabbage, lettuce, brocoli, and peas.

Sew Long for Now.