Summer Sunday

It's so stinkin' hot outside. Yick!

I've got fabric serged and ready to wash for one baby quilt and a bunch of burlap in the washer softening up for some other crafty projects.

For some reason this time of the year makes me want to stay inside and craft.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Hello world

I had the day off from any kind of obligation other than to myself and it has been marvelous. I'm rested, relaxed, and ready to tackle the world tomorrow.

I still plan to share pictures and stories from graduation, but I need to stew on it a bit more.

Mom and I hit the garage sale to end all garage sales on Friday. Oh my goodness at the goodies. Looking back, I wish I'd bought more, but that would have broken my new rule. Any new stuff has to tell me where it's going and what it's purpose will be or it doesn't come home.

This bed told me it would like to live in my downstairs guest room.

I also picked up these two picture frames, two small saucers (not pictured) and the glass relish plate. I love dishes like this and use them so I didn't feel bad bringing it home. Ditto with the picture frames. I have my parent's wedding picture that I think will fit one of them.
Until today I had avoided being bitten by the tea cup bug. I found all three of these today as well as the pretty table cloth.

This cute little table needs some TLC and then it's going to live in the upstairs guest room. I love the shape. We saw this Saturday afternoon at the thrift store and I didn't get it. This morning I went back and I could hear it calling me when I walked in the door.

This pretty fabric was found at the super sale on Friday. There's a full yard of the pink and almost a full yard of the blue.

The new quilt-along block is up as are the joining blocks so I guess I'd better print them off and get busy.

Or, I could go caress my new tea cups. Real live bone china. It's a beautiful thing.

Tuesday ramblings

Tuesday, already! If I'm not careful this week will slip away like the last one.

I think I'm going to do red and white for the Stars quilt-along. I haven't started yet because I haven't made it to the quilt shop for fabric. How dare she be closed on Monday! Just kidding. I don't blame her a bit. I'd be closed on Monday if I could.

I don't have a lot planned for this week. I have my first final on Friday and need to concentrate on that. Then it's going to be excavation time around here so I can get this pit cleaned for company. I wonder where I can rent a dumpster.

DH got started painting the patio furniture. It sure needed it. We inherited this from his folks. I have no idea how long they had it, but we've had it forever. Originally it was a buttery yellow color and I really liked how it looked against my white house with grey trim. Sadly we can't find buttery yellow paint and so we're going with almond.

Before
After
He's got six pieces painted and three more to go. The cashiers are beginning to look at us funny with all of our paint purchases.

Latest acquisitions

The best bargain of the day. This Pyrex flask sells for anywhere between $145 and $160. We use them in chemistry lab and have a very real fear of breaking one and having to pay for it. I'm going to use it to root plants.

















Remember hankie babies? I had one when I was little.













6 yards of this fabric.













Dritz skirt marker. It looks brand new.


















A smock apron with huge pockets and buttons in the back.

Thrifting

I haven't been to the thrift store all week. Something about a dozen ridiculous papers looming overhead. Anyway, I turned in the last one yesterday and drove immediately to the thrift store where I was rewarded with all kinds of goodies. My total bill was $6.75 excluding tax.

9-1/2 yards of this fabric for 50 cents a yard. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with 9-1/2 yards of this, but I've got lots to play with. Hey! I could make curtains for the kitchen or something.












An embroidered piece with tatting around the edge, an old scissor keeper, and a length of trim.








Various lengths of eyelet and lace trims.














A nice piece of wool fabric and blue calico










Zippers. The one on the left with the orange tag says 'TG&Y'. Anybody remember TG&Y?

New fabric

Cute!

I've lived in three states that Route 66 passed through and always get a kick out of the diners, drive-ins, motels, and billboards that honor the Mother Road. I still drive on old 66 every time I hop over to Hydro.

I can't wait for this fabric to get here.

What a day

Sam had a doctor's appointment in OKC today so we spent most of the day running around up there.

Let me just say, if the road crews are working on a road and have it closed, I would dearly appreciate them putting the 'Road Closed' sign further out so I don't drive down the said closed road and have to figure out how to get turned around. Boy did I feel stupid and I wasn't even in OKC yet. LOL!

Construction was just crazy all over town and I don't do crazy.

The good news, he doesn't have to go back to the doctor unless something comes up later on with his ADHD. She's very impressed that he's being homeschooled and doing so well. We are blessed!

I had the opportunity to do a little bit of shopping so I took it. I wouldn't drive 75 miles to shop any other time so I thought I was doing a good thing.

I got this fabric to make my chef-to-be sister an apron. It just screamed her name. I found the recipe print at Hobby Lobby. and the olive print I found at Hancock Fabrics as a remnant.













Sam, being a 9 year old little boy, found the only glass shelf with a corner broken off in the whole store and cut his arm as he walked by. Hobby Lobby will be receiving a box of Band-Aids for Christmas. I couldn't believe no one had a bandaid of any kind. Of course I also couldn't believe they had a broken piece of glass being used as a shelf either. He's fine and Hobby Lobby changed out the shelf. Now Sam doesn't want to look at anything in that store again. Poor kid.

I normally don't fall for fat quarters due to the ridiculous price, but one of my current projects is fat quarter friendly and I can get two or so items out of one so it makes it not quite so cost prohibitive, plus these were on sale at Hancock Fabrics. There are some yard+ length remnants under the fats.















Now I'm tired and my head hurts from clenching my teeth most of the day.

Oh, I also picked up a bag making book. I'm having fits with my wool bag and I need help!

Pictures as promised

All kinds of doll patterns.













Six yards of this one...













and six yards of this one. It's not really this purple in person.











Old red and white apron.














This one is going to Etsy. Veggies on one side and blue floral on the other.

I did it!

I actually did some sewing today.

Mom came and got the kids about noon, so I went in my little room, shut the door, and locked it.

I managed to get a reversible apron made. This one's going on Etsy. I think it's pretty cute. Once again, a new pattern and there was a learning curve. I'm a slow learner.

DH heard me talking about wanting a dress form so he's buying me one as a late birthday present. The one I want is cute, nothing that could actually be used as a dress form, more as a decoration. The best part, it's $35. I should have it sometime after Thanksgiving. While I would love to have a real dress form, I just can't see spending $100+ on one so I can hang an apron on it.

I think I'll name her Ingabo Mazel Barthena Zerilda, IMBZ (I'm busy) for short, after four of my grandmothers.

Boy am I glad my parents liked me and didn't name me after my grannies.

I spent a little time thrifting this morning and found a cute little red and white apron for a quarter and a bunch of patterns similar to the one that Sue sent me.

Fabric, boy did I find fabric. Six yards of homespun for $5 and another 6 yards for $6. One of them will make a really cute tree skirt.

Pictures of this mess tomorrow. Night all.

A couple of things

Here's the wool that I'm going to turn into a snazzy handbag. I'm awfully confident aren't I?

For some reason, I thought this was a hounds tooth, but it's not. It's just a little check. Even better. I think I have the perfect thing to use for lining.















I found a little bag of old wooden spools at the thrift store. So cute. I hadn't seen some of these shapes or colors before.

Unmotivated

Today I find myself unmotivated to do anything. I think it's the weather bringing me down. Hot tea may be in order.

Here are the tablecloths and fabric that I bought the other day.

This blue and green is the worse of the two in terms of condition. It has a hole that at one time was patched, but now the patch has a hole. How sad. I'll give it a good wash and soak followed by ironing and see how it looks then.


















I like this yellow and red with the bows. It seems to be in pretty good shape.


















Here's the fabric. I picked up two yards for $3. I really don't think they knew what they had. Most older fabric is considerably higher. As I said before, my granny had a dress and matching apron out of this fabric. She's been gone for 22 years and I was probably 10 or 11 when she had this. Let's just say it's old and leave it at that.

Frugal shopping day

I didn't have lab this afternoon because I've been a good 'kid' all semester and haven't missed any classes. I chose to spend my free afternoon hunting and pecking through the thrift and antique stores.

I found 2 yards of fabric for a shockingly low price at the antique store. It seemed very familiar and I finally figured out my granny had an apron out of this very same fabric. Wow, that makes it at least 30 years old if not older.

I get such a kick out of the antique stores. I've probably got 90% of the stuff they call vintage and it was new when I was a kid. Either I'm getting old or antique/vintage items are younger than they use to be.

I found a 100% wool hounds tooth dress for $1 at the thrift store. It has snap pockets and I hope when it's felted they retain their shape, only smaller.

At the really yucky thrift store I found a couple of 50s style print tablecloths for 50 cents a piece. I'm not sure why I decided I needed those, but they followed me home anyway.

I'll take a picture of the fabric and post it. I'd be interested to see if anyone else remembers it.

Where was I?

Oh yes, now I remember. I had made Eggs Benedict and eaten until I was nearly comatose.

Then, life got busy and my husband and I had to make a flying trip to check on his parents and straighten out a few 'issues'. Now I'm back and ready to get busy sewing.

I was working on an apron. I'm down to deciding on the pockets and then assembling the waistband and ties. I have no idea when I'll get it done. I hope this week. I hate to let things sit for too long because I find it difficult to pick it back up and finish. Hence, my many unfinished projects. I'm trying to break that habit.

While away I did pick up a bit of fabric, a couple of patterns, and a tatting shuttle. I need another hobby like I need a hole in my head. I'm not sure what possessed me except it was on sale.

The last visit to the thrift store found me dragging home two more craft patterns and three craft books.

I need to spend some time locked in the sewing room and finish up the Morsbags I have cut out. I might do that this afternoon if nothing blows up in the meantime.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day and that your blessings are many.

Skeleton apron and Morsbag

I finally got my mom's apron done. White skeletons on blue. This was the Kwik Sew pattern that is all the rage right now. I really like how it went together. Ignore the funny neck spot. I moved just before the picture took and the front puckered.



















This is my first Morsbag made out of the heavy-weight cotton I bought today. Start to finish it might have taken 30 minutes. Super easy and fun to do.



















Now that I've actually completed a few things I don't feel quite so bad about buying more fabric. I'm still not buying more until I get some other things done, but for now the guilt isn't quite as crushing.

I think I need help

I should just stop going to the charity thrift store. Every time I go in, I come out with an armload of stuff.

Today's treasures for $19.11
6 yards of 52 inch heavy cotton fabric in dark brown
5 yards of 50 inch heavy cotton fabric in tan
1-1/3 yard cotton muslin
1-1/2 yard pink gingham homespun
1-1/2 yard rose floral on red
1 yard blue gingham homespun
1 yard fine pink stripe
2 yards yellow floral print
1-1/8 yard of green and blue polka dot

a couple of pieces that are less than 1/2 yard of rosebud seersucker, yellow/blue floral, tan on tan floral.

1 coffee can of old buttons

I'm going to force myself, and I do mean force, not to buy any more fabric until I get some sewing done. This is just ridiculous.

Yo-Yo

I got all of my yo-yos cut out and two stitched up while Sam did his school work. If it continues to go this fast I might do another 50. We'll see.













I'm not crazy about either of these fabrics, but that's what was available today. If I find better fabric I might do more and have 3 different ones. The red really isn't that pink (bad flash) and has a holly design in black. The blue and white snowflake is my favorite of the two.

Thrift store apron and fabric find

Here's a cutie I picked up at the thrift store just moments ago. I was so excited to show you fine folks that I forgot to take the price tag off. I didn't realize until I got to the car with it that it is a full apron. The neckline is more square, which I really like. All of the aprons I've picked up at the thrift store have never been over 50 cents.

Maybe I'm too nostalgic, but it makes me sad to see them discarded. I think of the hands they wiped, the tears and noses they dried, and the women who wore them. Sniff.



















I also found a ton of fabric for Morsbags. I found 2-1/4 yard of red and white ticking and 1-1/2 yards of light canvas. I think some of the red and white may be destined for an apron. I love ticking.

This morning before class I picked up my holiday fabric for yo-yos. I think I'll yo-yo this afternoon. Maybe I can at least get started drawing circles.

A taste of things to come

I took my mother to Yukon today because she needed one more chair cushion for her dining room and the Wal-Mart here only had 5. Who only has 5 dining chairs? I guess I think they either come in fours or sixes. Anyway.

While in Wal-Mart I had a chance to see what the "new and improved" Sewing and Craft Department looks like.

Let me tell you, it's depressing. No fabric...at all. I saw one entire isle with sewing notions and yarn. That was it. If you want thread you'd better hope it's black or white because that's all they have.

On the other hand, stores like Hobby Lobby, Joanne's, and Hancock Fabrics might have a fighting chance now that Wal-Mart is getting out of the sewing and craft business.

The sweet lady at Hancock Fabrics told me they'd been covered up since Wal-Mart got rid of their sewing and fabric items. Enough that they've hired three new ladies to work during the week. Personally, I find that encouraging.

While I was there the cutting table had three ladies cutting and customers were four deep. I don't think I've ever seen so many people in the store.

I picked up a few things while I was visiting and now I need to get cracking. I bought a couple of yards of fabric (blue with white skeletons) for my mom an apron. She saw the fabric last week and fell in love with it. I picked up some rick-rack and bias tape in white as well.

I found a new bobbin belt for the Pfaff. The other one split yesterday while I was winding a bobbin.

I also got a magnetic seam guide. For the life of me, I can't seem to sew a straight seam. Let's hope this helps.

Patterns were on sale so naturally I had to have a few more. Now I need to figure out something for pattern storage. It never ends.

I'm nearly done with one of the aprons I'm working on. I'm down to the piddly stuff and it's hard to make myself keep going. Where's that cattle prod when I need it.

Fabric

I buy fabric when it suits my fancy and then stick it in the sewing room. Lately I've been fantasizing about the wonderful things I can make, but when it comes right down to it, I can't cut the fabric.

I have this irrational fear that I'll ruin the fabric or that my project will look hideous. Like I don't have enough to worry about with two kids.

So, in order to break myself of this habit, I'm going to go lay out my nicest fabric and put the scissors to it. If the worst happens, I'll have a bunch of really pretty potholders.