Yesterday I cut out some of the parts for the soldier jackets for the nutcracker. They will be wearing an under garment of spandex type material with the sleeves attached to it. There will be a vest type garment to wear over this. I cut out 6 front and back panels of the spandex type material. I cut out 12 sleeves from the jacket material. I need to cut out 12 sleeve linings and then I can complete this. I have one complication. The General and I went furniture shopping this morning. We were given a king size bed frame a few months ago. Captain Chaos needs a new bed. We bought a king size mattress and box springs and are giving him our full size bed. Another complication. My in-laws are coming in two weeks. My mil cannot walk up and down stairs. The only beds they could sleep in are downstairs. We will be moving rooms around again! I promised I would not do this again. (I have been known to move bedrooms around in our house once a year) It seems now I have to. My sewing room will be going downstairs in Captain Chaos' room and he will be moving up stairs into my sewing room. I will also have to finish the nutcracker outfits and a formal dress I have to alter before they get here. My life is never boring! The good news I got a new couch and love seat also! Our couch was my parents. It was in my parents living room for 40 years and when they moved they got new furniture. I took a lot of their old furniture. The couch survived in their living room because it was the company sitting room when we were growing up and no one was ever allowed to sit on it except guests. A few weeks at my house with Captain Chaos using it as a tumbling mat did it in. That was five years ago! Next weekend they will deliver my new couch and loveseat. The next few weeks should prove to be more hectic than the last few. Lessons will go on, along with all the outside activities, and add all the moving, extra sewing, and cleaning to get ready for three extra guests for a couple of weeks. Well, it will give me some incintive!

Sew Long for Now!

Do you ever wish that you had enough time and energy to sew all the ideas in your head? Or even to complete all the small tasks piled next to your machine? I am trying to get some mending done. One of my shirts that I really like got some stains on it. My solution...embroidery over the stains and continue to wear the shirt. I have done this on several clothing items to extend the life of the garment. Recycling. Sounds better than cheap!

Said shirt in progress of being remade!

Sew long for Now!

Has it really been that long since I updated here? My only excuse is that life has been so very very busy. I have been sewing. Nothing major, just little things here and there. I do have several bolts of material and a pattern laying here to make jackets for a local ballet company's preformance of the Nutcracker. It started out 12 jackets and now they want 16. Lessons are taking up a big part of our time lately. That and home renovations and winter preparations. We have been harvesting the ends of the garden and I have been putting up the produce from it. I have made lots of salsa. The General began the task of getting our windows ready for winter. We haven't done this in a few years, so it needs it. He pulled two of the windows out and sanded them, re-glazed them, and then gave them a new coat of paint. We only have 8 more to go!

This is my new acquisition. For national sewing month my local sewing shop had sales each week. I purchased this one week. This lovely piece of equipment is a ruffler. I have tested it and it really works!

Sew Long for Now!

I finished five walker caddies for the ASG community service project. They actually take a bit of time to make. They came in a bag precut from our chapter. With this green corduroy it was hard to decide what to do. Since it has nap on one side and not on the other, which do you want to show the most. I decided to put the nap on the outside. It gave directions for sewing the pocket by sewing a seam down the center making two pockets. I changed this a little. I took a magazine and measured the width, then I made one pocket big enough to fit a magazine or folded newspaper and the other pocket is smaller. We are putting more effort into our school lessons so I have had less time to sew. I still have walker caddies to put together. I told the nursing home we volunteer at that I would make socks with polar fleece and non-skid for Christmas. They want as many pairs as I can make, five hundred would be nice! I doubt I can do that many. I have three dolls to dress for the Salvation Army to give at Christmas. I am also helping make costumes for the Nutcracker Ballet one of our local ballet companies is putting on. Right now I have the toy soldiers jackets to work on. Then there is the usual hemming and such for people.

Today was a gorgeous fall day here with beautiful blue skies and a nice wind. I adore autumn. I doubt it will be a colorful autumn here because of the lack of rain and high temperatures we have been experiences. That doesn't bother me though. I still love the feel in the air at this time of year. I love the smells of autumn. I love the sounds of autumn. I love autumn!

Sew Long for Now!

This is one of my favorite pictures of a sunset I took off my front porch this summer. Days end. It's been a busy day. Yesterday I did some sewing. I finished another tote, hemmed some pants, and began five walker caddies. I also cut Captain Chaos' hair, and went shopping. Today I put up 10 pints of salsa, hung out clothes, swept and mopped the kitchen and livingroom, and cooked, cooked, cooked. My list still has many chores I needed to get done, but my body has given out. It has been a year now since my last surgery and I am just starting to get back into the swing of life. Five surgeries in four years drained me. I still have things I will never be able to do the same the rest of my life and I am finally overcoming and adapting to these changes. Even when you think you are ok, 2 weeks after surgery or even three months after surgery, your body takes a while to heal. Spiritually, you think everything is fine. Even spiritually and emotionally it takes time. Some days I just take a deep breath and think I actually feel like doing something. Life is good.

Sew Long for Now!

Our computer has been feeling cranky the last several days. Every time I come on to post about our trip to New Market something happens. Here's a picture of my two boys on Sunday. We went to New Market Sunday morning to see our eldest take his oath, charge the field, and get his shoulder boards. Then we watched them parade in downtown New Market. Later that evening we all went out to eat together. We are so proud of him.

This a picture from earlier in the day with his sister.

Sew Long for Now!