An Up-date on my machine's status and a Job!

The repairman said he doubts that my machine can be fixed, but that he won't have time to look at it closely until next week.  I am praying that his initial diagnosis is wrong.  In the meantime, my daughter is shipping hers to me to use for Halloween costumes.  Also, we are looking into our homeowners' insurance.  It is possible it will cover at least part of the loss.  The lady at the shop where I bought the machine and where it is being "repaired" suggested that we look into this possibility.  Apparently she's had other customers who have been in similar circumstances.  I am having withdrawal symptoms.  I've been straightening my sewing room this morning.  It's hard to even be in there.  If you are a sewist, you know what I mean!  I did not sleep at all on Wednesday night.  I was awake when my alarm went off on Thursday morning.  Talk about tired and sad!!!!!!! 

BUT.....

I have some other news, that is good and exciting!!! On the night that we had our parent/teacher meet and greet, one of the dad's who is on the county's Education Foundation Board, asked me if I would be interested in the director's position!!!  It is part time and some of the work can be done from home on the computer.  It also involves fund raising, writing a newsletter, other correspondence, meeting with clubs, etc...to speak about what we do, meeting with donors, finding new donors, giving grants to teachers, the Imagination Library (started by Dolly Parton to send a book a month to every child born in TN till their 5th birthday), and other such things.  I went through the interview process, after sending in a resume (Do you know I've never had a resume!!! I've never needed one since I've worked in the same school system over 30 years!).  I got the call on Thursday, that I had the position if I wanted it!  Yea!!!!  That was good news after the tragedy with my sewing machine the day before! 
Julia

To All My Blogger Friends

I am not gone, and you are not forgotten.  I'm just too busy with school stuff: grading papers, putting up bulletin boards, writing detailed lesson plans, writing out standards and objectives to go on the wall, analyzing benchmark test data, grading papers, trying to figure out what to put in learning centers, learning how to use a smart board (BUT - the teacher computer in my room is broken right now, so I can't use the smart board), learning how to probe (don't ask), still trying to learn my schedule (I'm getting there), grading papers, taking up snack money (but, no lunch money this year, YEA!), grading papers, etc......  Did I mention grading papers?  Oh yeah, I guess I did.  I'll be back when I catch my breath.
Gotta get some Halloween costumes made!  Can't wait to get started!
  I just went in my sewing room to iron a pair of pants to wear to school tomorrow.  My sewing machine cord was caught in my sewing table chair.  I moved the chair, and yes you guessed it, my machine crashed to the floor with parts going in every direction!  I am so upset that I can hardly breath right now.  My husband has offered to take it to the sewing machine store where I bought it, and where they repair machines, tomorrow.  I am praying that the guy there will look at it and say that it CAN BE FIXED!!!!!  I just hope it won't take forever, but mostly I just hope he can fix it!!!  There is really only one part that is actually broken, and I would think it could be replaced.  My daughters have offered to let me use their machines in the meantime.   My son-in-law checked with UPS and found that they can ship theirs for a reasonable amount.  I just want to be able to make Halloween costumes.  I have my husband's grandmother's machine, which might work, but it is at least 50 or 60 years old, maybe more.

Julia

Lunch Tote for Lil'E and Growth Tucks - Gotta Love 'Em

 I made this little lunch tote for Lil'E. I don't think she will really need it at preschool this year, because she just goes for a half day, but she will probably take snacks.  Also she could use this to take her gymnastics gear to class, or to carry her doll clothes, or whatever she chooses.

 Her initials are E. R. G. Her middle name is Ruth.  She and Miss J were both given my mother's name as middle names. 

 The back has a butterfly applique.

 The sides are from the same fabric as the appliques.  I sewed a thin layer of batting between the layers of fabric.  I do not know what this fabric is or even where or why I have it.  I found it in my stash, though, and LUNCH TOTE came to my mind.

 I went to Walmart to find a thermos, etc... to go in her tote.  I was really thinking PINK, because that's Lil'E's favorite color right now and I had some really cool fabric with pink in it to trim this in, but it was either lime green, red, or dark blue.  I bought the green thinking I surely had something that would work.  I was lucky enough to have the green and purple floral, but just barely enough to work! 

 I made a removable tote inside the tote to carry the sandwich box and thermoses, so that her mom could remove it to wash it if need be.  And - so if she wants to use the tote for something besides her lunch or snack, it will be easy to convert.

 Velcro was the closure of choice on this.

 Don't you just love how a growth tuck in a skirt makes it even cuter?  I needed to shorten this a little, so rather than cut off the ruffle and sew it back on higher on the skirt, I just made a growth tuck.  This way, if Lil'E likes it next year she can still wear it, if her mom will take the stitching out.  I kind of like the way it has even more body for twirling with the tuck added.

I am going EARLY to school every morning and staying LATE every evening.  I was the last to leave at 6:00 tonight!  I have so much to do in order to be ready for the next day, because I am having to learn the new curriculum for 3rd grade since I was used to 6th.  Plus, the administration has added a lot of stuff that has to be done, so I'm doing it.  Also, since I'm not in my own classroom, I'm having to hunt for stuff.  In my own room, teaching 6th for 18 years, I knew where everything was and what I was going to do for the entire year.  I like a challenge, though!

Giving Lil'E Her Name

 For Lil'E's birthday, I made the letters of her name from different fabrics that will match her room, then I stuffed them and hand sewed them together.  I tried to blur the letters enough that you couldn't read them, but so that you could still see the fabrics.   I'm not so sure that you can really see the fabrics, but you get the idea.  The back of each letter is made from a green linen-like fabric.  Her bed is painted purple and her curtains have purple and green (made by her other grandmother - so cute!!!), and her bedspread is pink.  She needed something that tied all these colors together.  She had a bedspread before that did tie it all together, but then her mom and dad bought a new bedroom suite and gave her their queen-sized bed.  The twin bedspread didn't work anymore.  I hope Lil'E likes getting her name for her birthday!

This is the top that I made, from one of mine that I never wore, to go with the twirly skirt that I made for Lil'E from the bed skirt.  After looking at these photos, I'm beginning to think this skirt is going to be way too long.  I need to call my daughter for some measurements.  Growth tucks might just have to be stitched.

From Bed Skirt to Twirly Skirt!!!!

My dear friend, Debbie, gave me her bedskirt when she was redecorating her bedroom.  She thought, correctly, I might add, that this eyelet would be perfect for one or more of my sewing projects!!!  I was very excited, to say the least!!!!  Our Lil'E has a birthday coming up in a couple of weeks.  I made this twirly skirt for her from Debbie's bed skirt!!!!  I cut the ruffle off one of the pillow shams that she gave me, too, to sew along the bottom of the skirt.  Another dear friend, Marilyn, gave me a whole box of fabrics and trims the other day.  It just so happened that in that box was a piece of knit ribbing that matched the bed skirt eyelet perfectly.  I used it as the waist band!!  In this box is also a narrow piece of eyelet trim that also matches this bed skirt perfectly.  I am going to use it to trim a top to go with this skirt.  I am thinking of refashioning the shirt that I have draped on the top of this dress form.  It is one of mine that I have only worn once or twice.  It never has really fit very well, so why not use it to make Lil'E a top to match her skirt?

 I thought I'd show you just how pretty this eyelet is in a close-up photo!  There's actually enough left from the skirt and the two pillow shams to make a couple more little outfits, one for Lil'B and one for Debbie's granddaughter.  Finding the time is going to be the issue, though.  School has been in session for two days following a week of inservice, and I. AM. PLUMB. TUCKERED. OUT!!!! That's a Southern way of saying exhausted.  I do have an awesome group of kiddos in my room, though!!!!!  Lucky me!!!!!!

I do hope to have time this weekend to make a couple of other things for Lil'E for her birthday.  I have something in mind for her bedroom. 

Sailboat Shortall

I finally got this finished.  There are a couple of things I would do differently if I was making it again.  For one, I would have either made the smocked panel go all the way to the side seam, under the sleeve, or I would have made it a little shorter, so that the corners would not be in the sleeve seam.  It added a little too much bulk, but I truly think it will work out ok.  I know the grandmom of the little one this was made for is very happy.  She took it to her daughter, who was happy, too.  They even asked me to make him a Christmas outfit.  I have to think on that one, because.........

........I have started work.  We had inservice and work days Wed., Thurs., and yesterday, plus the days I had already been to meetings the week before and last Mon., when it wasn't required, but I worked in the classroom, anyway.  It dawned on me the other day, that when I retired, I only had 3 grandchildren.  I, now, have SEVEN!   It was difficult getting Halloween costumes, Christmas outfits, etc.... done with just three, but with seven, I don't know how I'll do it!  But,  believe me, my grands are my top priority, so they will get done!!!!  I came home everyday this week and sewed for an hour or two just to get this little outfit done.  I kept changing my mind about what I was doing, so I took out, and redid several times.  I will have to plan more carefully before I start my Halloween sewing!
Big and Little Little Men want to be Monster TRexes in pajamas, Lil'E wants to be a Sea Fairy and her Lil'B is to be a Sea Horse.  Miss K wants to be a character, from a book she's read, who wears a karate type outfit (I'll have to research that one). Miss J wants to be a character from Harry Potter (Again, some research will come into play).  Then, there's Miss R, she changes her mind often, but the latest is a HORSE.  She first said a black cat, which would be so easy, but if she wants to be a horse, a horse she'll be!!!!  Her big sister was a cowgirl riding a horse one year. 
First, I have a couple of little birthday outfits to sew.  Lil'E will soon be 4 years old.  I will make her and Lil'B simple little matching skirts, maybe????

Going back to SCHOOL news..........We had a parents meet the teachers time last night.  I was flabbergasted as these parents kept coming into my room, and I was recognizing them as my former students!  I can't tell you how weird that was!  Now, I've had the kids of some of my former students before, but seriously, about half of my students are former students' kids!!!!  I think it will be fun to get to know their kids!  At least none of them (that I know about) ran to the principal and demanded that their children be moved to another class when they saw who their kid's teacher would be this year!