Time to reflect

Do you take this time of year to take a look back?   I do.   The bad times as well as the good all come together to make our lives what they are.   I think if only ‘that’ had not happened but yet if it hadn’t  the good that followed also would not have happened.   It took me a full year to realize that being able to take care of my sister in her last day’s was a true gift from God. I now praise God, for giving me that gift.

Another what I think of as bad in my life is the ex-wife of our son that is not letting us see our grandson, a boy we raised for years and I miss him so much.  I am wondering what miracle will come from what is so much hurt.  I know God will answer with something good and I have to learn to turn it over to him.

Another blessing has been stepping into blogging.  The new friends I have made are a true blessing.  I know I have a lot more to learn about this new way to communicate,  a skill I hope to get better at as I really enjoy sharing with you.

I will try to do better and answer some of your questions:   Bunny, I have no idea what makes the elastic work the way it does, I know you can pull out the knit tie from the center of the elastic and I am sure it would stretch around the world at least once.  The waist never seems to get to tight and the kids get a lot more wear from their garments.

Mynorth, sorry for not getting back to you about the dress, yes it is taffeta, Zoe has wanted a dress that rustles and taffeta defiantly does that.

To all my followers, thank you so much. 

Meet Me On Monday

                                                                   






1. What are your New Year Eve Plans?
     We always stay home and have steak and lobster dinner, just the two of us.  We like to remember the past year and think of all the good things that happened.

2. How tall are you?
    I am five feet tall if you want to use the word tall after those numbers.

3. What is your favorite pudding?
    Not a second thought here, that would be chocolate with whipped cream.  Love Chocolate pie too.

4. What room of the house do you blog the most in?
     The office where the computer is.

5. What is your best physical feature?
    Wow, thats a hard one.  I think it would have to be my hair, I have a lot of it and like to keep it cut short.

Merry Christmas

Have a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year.

The Visit

We found out, you can slip Santa few bucks and he will visit your house, while the kids are still awake!!  How cool is that?? Now I know how he makes money to pay the elves for all the hard work they do all year.

Zoe and her friend Kylee, are enjoying a visit and I am sure thanking him for their early presents.  That is another little secret, if you leave presents outside (well hidden)  Santa comes with something for each child.

This must be a fun time for Mrs. Santa as she doesn’t get to travel on Christmas eve.

Meet Me on Monday

                                                               


1. What will your Christmas dinner consist of?
    
This year it will be ham--scalloped potatoes--string beans--my famous fruit salad-- and tons of other goodies.  

2. Do you watch commercials or flip through the channels?
   
    I am not a channel flipper!   I might not be paying any attention to the commercial but the channel better stay right where it is.  Now, hubby is different and when he starts flipping through the channels I will get up and walk away.

3. How long will you leave your Christmas decorations up?
 
 The tree will come down the first week-end after Christmas.  The rest of the decorations I think of winter decorations, not just Christmas.  They are mostly snowmen and will spend the winter with me until it is time to welcome spring.

4. What movie makes you cry every time you watch it?

   With out a doubt that would have to be "The notebook"

5.  Do you have a face book?
   
     Yes, and because of it I have been able to connect with granddaughter's taken far away from the family by
     their mother, when they were little.  It is so wonderful to read the words "I Love you Grandma"
   
  

The Christmas Dress

I have always sewn Zoe a special dress for Christmas.  Last year because I was taking care of my sister, no sewing was done,  which meant no special Christmas dress.  Zoe let me know in her sweet way.  One day she came to me and said “Do you remember the time you made special dresses for Halloween?  what about Christmas, do you remember the dresses?”   I knew she was hoping I had not forgotten about the special sewing I did for her and I am sure she did not think about my being busy with other things, just that I may have forgotten.   She went on to say, she would really like a Christmas dress that rustled

This was a big order and really struck with me.  A special Christmas dress was always on my mind, as I knew this one had to be extra special.   During the summer, I bought some stash from  Everything sewing  In the stash was this wonderful plaid fabric that rustled.The next challenge was to find a design which would be special,  for that I turned to a designer of children’s clothes that are both modern and classic, which was Laura J of Ellie Inspired.  what a special lady, she jumped right on the challenge and sent Zoe four sketches of ideas that would work with this fabric.  The choice was up to Zoe, to study the sketches and pick the one she liked best.

This is the dress she chose, so with Laura’s talent a new pattern named Nonie’s Girl was born.  Zoe is thrilled with her first formal dress, I can’t thank Laura enough for the work she put into designing this dress.

Her first formal dress.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOE

I met you nine years ago and you have grown more precious everyday. 

 

You are growing into a beautiful young lady. We love you Zoe!

MY LIL PUN’ KINS

I took the pictures before Halloween so the decorations look a little out of place.  This is some of the sewing I have been up to.

Seth’s shirt is sewn from pique knit from fabric.com.  Using a Kwik-Sew pattern  3328 made for sweatshirts.  Because the knit was heavy the sweatshirt pattern worked perfectly.   Zoe’s  t-shirt is sewn from Kwik-Sew 3043 again with knits from fabric.com. 

Her skirt is from Simplicity 2356 and of coarse sewn from stash fabric. The next set is sewn from her new favorite pattern and again from stash fabric. The pattern is McCall's 6062, Zoe has been begging for pants with a ruffles.  I have put off doing the ruffles on pants because I like to make lots of tops to mix and match.  She was thrilled with the ruffles.

Seth’s shirt is sewn from McCall’s 6099, I really like this pattern and have used it several times as it is longer then other shirt patterns and fits nice, plus it’s easy!!  You might notice the T-shirt under Seth’s shirt. that is also sewn using Kwik-Sew pattern 3043

So there is a little of what I have been up to.

Meet Me On Monday

                                                              



1. Do you eat Shushi?
    NO!!  I do not like to even look at it, but the grandkids love it.

2. What kind of bathsoap do you use?
     I use Dove.  They just came out with a limited offer of soap for winter use.  It also smells so good and who doesn't like to smell good.

3. How often do you talk to your Mom?
    Sadly I lost my mom when I was two. 

4. What TV shows do you watch on a regular basis?
     Fox news,  anything on Foodnetwork, love that chanel.

5. Did you start your Christmas shopping yet?
    I have a few things, mainly I shop right here at home as I love to sew the gifts.  The fun part is making something differents for my family each year.  

Christmas Week At Ellie Inspired

Your invited to join in the fun.  Laura, of Ellie Inspired is hosting a Christmas party. I have put a button on the side,  just click on it and join the left side,  click on it and join the fun. 

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SETH

Sure does not seem like it has been eleven years since you joined us and made me a very proud grandma.   You are growing into a fine young man and I know you make  your parents very proud of you.  I have loved every minute of watching you grow.  Although I must admit I miss the time spent rocking you. 

Something Real

That was the request from Zoe.  She has made ton’s of pillows, pillow cases, pin cushions and sometimes just sewed strips of fabric together. Now, she wanted to make something real.  

I thought doll clothes!  Always a sure thing!  Then when Zoe found her mothers old doll Velvet in a box in the garage, a poor naked Velvet, she wanted to make something for her.  Just so happens, since I seem to save everything I still had a pattern that would fit Velvet. Velvet would once again find a little girl to love her.

So, Zoe learned to lay out a pattern. I did mutter something about grain lines, but knew that meant nothing at this point. As long as she hears the sewing terms I am sure someday it will all click.  Right now, it was just time to do something real.

Get the dolls ready and excited about getting to get out of the box.

She pinned the pattern and found out you better place pins inside the cutting line.Yes, we will worry about grain lines later.

Finally made it to the sewing machine and sewing something real.

Velvet is not ready yet for her full picture. She has a little ways to go while her new owner works on her new wardrobe.  Bet she feels good just getting out of the box.

Happy Halloween

Seth and Zoe would like to wish you all a Happy Halloween.  The pumpkins are carved, the costume are done and now all that is left is a fun night.

My History Of Sergers

My first serger a Babylock  3/2 thread is well over 20 years old. Sergers were fairly new to the home market and the dealer that sold through my shop carried New Home machines and Babylock  sergers. 3/2 thread means it will serge with three threads or two threads. This little machine created the nicest of all two thread rolled hems.  A real work horse of a machine and yes, it still does work.

Next to join my sewing room is the White. The White is a 4/3 thread, meaning you can serge with four threads two being needle threads or you can remove one needle and serge with three stitches, most often used to finish the seams. I purchased the White to see if I really did need a 4 thread serger. I was very happy to be able to serge wider seams and often made garments using just the serger. So that of coarse lead to an upgrade.

You might say “you have come along way baby”  My current serger a 4/3/2 thread. Just a push of a button has you serging away. A big change from the first serger.  A very quiet machine and also does a wonder rolled edge. There are several different feet available for this machine but I have not collected them yet.  I am anxious to try to learn how to do different types of serging.

Pure Elegance

Ole McLaughlin, is a member of the Apple Valley smockers and does the most amazing Brazilian embroidery. I hope she will let me show more of her work in the future.

Some Christening gowns have stories connected with them before they are created, with others the stories are created by the babies who wore the gown or the creator of the gown. This gown shares a little of both.

Ole, fashioned this elegant gown from silk brought back from China by her father a member of the Flying Tigers in WW2.  His soon to be bride used some of the silk to make a blouse for her wedding, the rest of the silk was stored away with orders for it to be used for Christening gowns when Ole’s boys became fathers.

Ole choose a pattern from AS&E issue #60, called Heaven Blessed.Ole said,” The only changes made, I didn’t put the bows on the front yoke and didn’t do the lower skirt embroidery. Instead I added the lace insertion. The fabric wasn’t long enough and I felt the silk was busy enough without adding embroidery.”

I hope I have been able to capture the beauty of this gown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Ole has 3 plus months in the creation of this gown. She has one more to make I am looking forward to what she comes up with, I know it be fantastic.

 

  I hope you have enjoyed this gown. I know it is hard for a camera to capture the true beauty.

Just For Fun

Zoe looks forward to her just for fun outfits. These skirts are quick and easy, so creating seasonal one makes for some fun sewing.

The hairclip is made by gluing corker ribbon to a clippie, then add a pom pom with Google eyes.

Peeking out below her skirt, you can see her leggings. I used Kwik-sew pattern number 3476, leggings are now a necessity to her wardrobe.

 

Yes, she actually plays the keyboard. she is learning to play Fur Elise.

Trying Something new!

I have not blogged for awhile as blogger and I were not getting along.  Writing and posting pictures were becoming a nightmare. I knew what I wanted to write and how I wanted the pictures but blogger had other ideas. So, I am going to try “windows live writer” as I have been told that is is wonderful.  We shall soon see.

I will share a couple of shirts I made for Seth. I am sure he feels left out with his sister getting a bulk of the sewing. Sewing for boys is not hard and they are so easy to please a few shirts some shorts and they are oh so happy.

Seth models his new ‘dice shirt’  why dice?  We play a lot of monopoly and Seth is forever losing the dice. When I saw this fabric I just knew he would never lose his dice again when wearing this shirt.

The t-shirt is sewn from Kwik-sew pattern 3043.

 

Now for mine

I followed along with the sew along and this is my creation, modeled by Zoe.  I didn't add the trims or machine embroidery because I was trying to follow the instructions and get those half way right. So, it's pretty plain compared to others.

You can see Lot's of different feliz's, in the gallery at everythingsewing  Just click on gallery, then the general sewing section.  Some really cute ones there.  Those, will give you an idea on how to sew your next feliz.

Fabulous Feliz

Linda is such a super sewer, just look at the beautiful feliz.  What an inspiration to me.  I also thank Linda for doing this sew along. You will notice the feliz is single layered, which is a lot lighter then doing the double one, the double one is also very cute, just nice to have another option.

The front is a perfect place for machine embroidery

Love those ruffles