My red quilt so far. I haven't been able to work on it as much as I wanted, but I am slowly progressing. I will be adding another of the antiqued fabric with the small red print around this piece and then I have enough blocks to do another row of the half square triangles, and then another row of the antiqued fabric. I don't know after that. It depends on how big it will be by then. Wow, it is so hard to believe March will be here in a couple of days!

Sew Long for Now!

The complicated quilt pieces have been put on hold for a while, I have been staring at a pile of red fabrics for a while and I just fell in love with them and decided to make a quilt with a more simple pattern. It's another that I saw on Fons and Porter. I don't have anything, but a picture to go by so it will be fun to see if I can copy it. I wanted to finish piecing this by the end of Feb., but I have been so busy it's ify.

Sew Long for Now!

This is one of only two blocks I finished of the new quilt I am making. These blocks take a long time! I am thinking that the quilt I want to make needs to be completely finished by June and this one just isn't going to meet that deadline. I will continue to work on it because it is such a challenge, but this week I may pull out some other material and cut out another quilt in a simplier pattern that I can get together a bit faster. I have two ideas of blocks floating in my head. Off to dig out material to fit the bill.

Sew Long for Now!

Scary looking eh? It took me visiting 5 stores to locate these needles. They are curved needles that can be used to tie quilts. I needed them to repair my livingroom furniture's upholstery. We have a couch and loveseat with attached cushions on the back and they had pulled apart at the seams. These worked really well to get in that awkward spot and re-attach the cushions.

I needed to make a quilt and I saw one in a Fons and Porter Love of Quilting magazine I really liked. After cutting out all the pieces I may be questioning myself though. Each block has 52 pieces. Some of the pieces are inset so you have to mark all the pieces seam allowance to get them set correctly. What was I thinking?

Sew Long for Now!

I have gotten lost in old photographs. I brought home a box of photos from my mother-in-law this summer with the intentions of making a scrapbook of their married life for them for Christmas. This was their 45th wedding anniversary year. She sent so many pictures from their family. She had them in boxes everywhere in no order. It has been wonderful putting them in order and finding out more about my husband's family. Not much sewing getting done though! The above picture is of my husband's grandmother, his mother and two of her sisters. I love this picture and the story with it. They did not have much money and the girls helped pick cotton to earn enough to buy those matching dresses and then they sent the picture to their father in the army.

Sew Long for Now!

This is what the nifty ruler I got for my birthday does! It is so easy and actually addictive. The hardest part is picking the colors and getting a good contrast. I didn't on the yellow ones, oh shucks I will have to do more!

close up of one of the bookmarks.

I also finished my two denim skirts. I ordered the material off line and was extremely pleased with the quality of it. Our local JoAnn's is closing in Jan. to move so they are not getting in any more inventory that's why I ordered this online. I went in the store the other day to pick up some snaps and elastic and found out they are not re-opening at their new location until April. Four months. We have a few local quilt shops, but I sometimes need more than 100% cotton material. I feel if I start shopping online I may find it easier and continue even after they open. This is sad to me.

So Long for Now!

The past several weeks I have been working on more skirts for me. I made a long skirt to wear to an event, I have two denim skirts and linings cut out and I have been working on those. I stopped to help a friend quickly put together a quilt for a pastor appreciation present and now I am to finish them in the next few days.

The picture above is of a an item I received for my birthday. I had seen this used to make the cutest bookmarks. I also saw a jacket embellished with diamonds made from the big ruler. I tried to find one locally and came up empty handed so it was ordered from Bright-Quilting-Notions.com. Their shipping was very quick!

Sew Long for Now!

I found the cutest shoes for the dolls!

My three Salvation Army Christmas dolls are ready!
Our local Joann's is moving to a new shopping center in Jan. and they are not getting in any new inventory. I couldn't find any denim I wanted for skirts in the store so I went on line and found some at their website and on sale! I ordered denim and lining. I received an email saying the lining was shipped, but no word about the denim so I called customer service. I was told it was something to do with stock coming in and that it would be shipped later. Today I received an email saying the denim was shipped. Hopefully, by next week I will have both and be able to wash it and get ready to make at least two new skirts. In the meantime, I have been cleaning out my sewing room and trying to organize my patterns.

Sew Long for Now!

I finished two of the doll jackets and still have one more that I need to put the snaps and buttons on. I need to find some shoes and shirts to go with the outfits. I wanted to purchase those, but I may have to make them. I found an online tutorial for making shoes to fit 18 inch dolls. I have some brown leather like fabric, so I could make them. We will see. I have 2 more baby blankets complete, 3 1/2 left here to finish. I was thinking what I would like to do next versus what I need to do next. I need some more skirts, so that may get top of the pile status.

Sew Long for Now!

Another baby blanket finished! Working on the jackets for the dolls.

Sew Long for Now!

It's been a busy week around here, well every week is busy around here right now, but I did get some sewing in. I finished crocheting the edging on a baby blanket.
I also finished sewing up the three pair of pants for the Salvation Army dolls. Next I am making jackets to go with the pants. I also serged three more baby blankets to crochet the edging on. We received the forms to order tickets for the annual vintage ball. This year we have another member of our family who can attend. Next I maybe looking at making another revolutionary soldiers outfit. I do have a whole box of flannel sitting here calling my name, so we will see.

Sew Long for Now!

Look what I did last night! While my dear husband was cooking supper and we were waiting on the children to all come home from their various activities I sat at the supper table and cut out three sets of clothing for the doll project. I was so excited to get this done! I didn't get my oven cleaned, which is also on the list, but sewing comes first right! Now to get these sewed up soon!

Sew Long for Now!

I finished my bathrobe. It took two weeks, but I am very pleased with it. I was happy because everything lined up and I didn't have to do much ripping out. I can't even remember any!

I still haven't cut out the outfits for the three dolls so that's next on the agenda. I also have some flannel lying here I want to make some quilts out of. Our oldest son is home for a week before heading to his duty station on the other side of the U.S., but maybe I will at least cut out the outfits!

Sew Long for Now!

I cut out the flannel above for a bathrobe this week. I also cut out the pattern for the doll outfits. Now to find material for the doll outfits and start sewing!

Sew Long for Now!

Another busy month with another long trip! We went to Oklahoma to see our oldest son graduate from Army basic. It was hot! 109 one evening. I was so glad to get back to our puny 90's. I got one project completed in the last month. I finished this quilt top that I started last fall. It's been claimed by my daughter, but I hope it doesn't take me until next fall to quilt it. I have a fence rail quilt in the closet I started many (many) years ago and I need to get that done. It is halfway quilted. Can I use the excuse I am hand quilting it to get away with how long it has been unfinished? I have three dolls to dress for a salvation army service project through our ASG chapter. I need to turn them in by November. I hope I can get them done in a timely fashion!

Sew Long for Now!

I haven't had time to take any pictures, so here is a nice picture from Kansas. I love the flatness of it.

After my little whine I pulled myself together and got determined to do something. I make my cards (birthday, get well, etc) and I had run out so my daughter and I sat down and spent a few evenings making cards. I think I am well covered for about a year! We did decide that the end of the month we would spend one night a week making Christmas cards and that way I wouldn't be trying to finish them crazy at the last minute.

I spent some time embroidering 4 aprons for a friend and hemming a tablecloth and adding lace for another lady. I also added a border to a quilt I started last fall. It still needs another border added to make it the size I want. I also began the lovely task of ripping up one of my husband's suit jackets. He wants the sleeves shorter. It's a messy task, not in actual mess you make, but in keeping straight how it goes to get it back together right.

I also got some work done in the garden. Oh, not to forget the 5 or 6 new dishclothes I knit! So, hopefully I can keep the momentum and get some things done.

Sew Long for Now!

Clock given to Dwight Eisenhower's parents as a wedding gift

A couple of years ago I took an outside job. I used to sew for people to help bring in extra income, but then as our children got older we had some expenses that we just needed a more steady income to cover. At first I delivered papers. I loved that job. The children helped and we had some of the best time together. You also only had to work a couple of hours a day and it was good money. The down side was that you worked everyday, 365 days a year in all weather. Also, it was really rough on your vehicle and so there was high maintance cost. I was able to change to a job that I work at home for a company taking sales calls. The job is a good one, but the hours are longer than the paper route. I get to be home all the time and my family can pop in out while it is slow to talk. I used to be able to sew between calls, but lately it has been so busy that I can't. I also have taken on a lot of overtime and when I get off I am so tired I just don't feel I can do much more.

Soooo I am feeling whiny about my lack of creative outlet. I have always loved to be creative. I wrote, drew, and painted when I was younger. When I found sewing and fiber arts I felt like I had found my calling. Now, with this stage of life and all the demands of working full-time and having teenagers, but with none with a drivers permit I feel tired and depleted. I need to find a way to get sewing and creating back into my days. I get jealous when I see things my friends have done and I would love to try all the ideas flying around my mind and just can't seem to get more done than repairing the items my family needs. I am desperately in need of finding contentment in my life. Pray for me. This past year especially has been a real struggle with a lot of things that have gone on in our lives.

I find myself shaking my head and laughing, just to prove the truth to my dilemma, it took 3 days of constant interruptions to get this post written!

Sew Long for Now

Happy National Sewing Machine Day!

(No this is not my sewing machine, it is my dream machine that I have on my future wish list!)

Sew Long for Now!

Another aspect of the Eisenhower Museum was some of Mamie's outfits on display. She was a very well dressed lady and was considered an inspiration for older women. She showed that older women could dress fashionable. The pictures are not the best because they did not allow flash photography. An interesting thing about the displays was that they rotated. I wish they would do that at the Smithsonian with the first ladies dresses.

This is one of her inaugural gowns.

I think this may have been the other, but I am not positive.

This is a typical style of dress that she wore. There were several similar to this, all with matching hats.

This was her wedding dress, complete with a piece of their wedding cake in the chevron shaped container at the bottom of the picture.

Another of her outfits with matching hat. I think she gave Jackie O. lessons in style.

Sew Long for Now!

I have been doing some sewing, but don't have pictures of my sewing. I made myself two skirts and have a third one cut out. I did a lot of repairs and my pile is going down. We spent the last two weeks in June in Kansas at my in-laws. We went to The Eisenhower Museum and Library. On the premises was the house Dwight grew up in with items that had been there belonging to his family. I have included some pictures of sewing related items from the home.

These crazy patch pillows have names of the boys embroidered on them. There were seven sons, one passed away as a baby. The woven blanket under the pillows was woven by his great uncle.
Another crazy patch pillow with the embroidered name on it.

This is his mother's sewing machine. It is so interesting to see these things from the past. I have treadle sewing machine similar to this. The belt dry rotted and I need to get a new one, but it works great still.

Right now I am working on alterations on a formal dress we bought our daughter while we were gone. It laces up the back and it had two inserts to put behind the laces to keep the skin from showing. They attached using these teeny tiny snaps and they didn't hold well. Since the dress has a side zipper I removed the snaps and tacked the panels in. I need to adjust the straps, they are too long, and then see about the hem. It's great to look for formals after prom and wedding seasoning, you find real good deals.

Sew Long For Now!