Addition to last post

This being Father's Day reminded me of one of the most important reasons that Mary (from my last post) was and still is such a great friend. She shared her Dad with me. He was a wonderful male role model. He worked with young people. He let me work for him in his insurance office when I was in college, even though I could barely type, etc..... After school when we were in junior high we walked to town everyday. We always stopped by his office so Mary could get some money. Then, we went to the drug store soda fountain and ate Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and drank cherry colas. "Everybody" went there after school. So much fun!!! Her dad took us to dog runs. I never was really sure what this was, but I got to ride my first horse when we went to one. He was at all of our basketball games and cheered me on (the few times I got on the court) just as much as he did Mary. He was always very supportive of me and all of Mary's friends.
In my family there were no men role models. My grandfather died when I was in the 3rd grade. My uncle from next door died when I was in the 5th grade, but he had not been around much for a long time before that because he was sick and in the hospital a lot.
My "father" was not around much after I was 7 years old, and when he was, it wasn't usually very pleasant. Do you think maybe this is why I stayed out of church today instead of the excuse that I was tired from my mom's hospital stay this week?

Therapeutic Sewing

I have done a little sewing this week while my mom has been in the hospital. During the times that my brother stayed with her, I came home, and since I can't nap during the daytime no matter how hard I try, I did a little therapeutic sewing. I only did some simple, but fun things. For one, I made this apron for my friend. This was on that list that I posted about, oh so long ago. I think this was the last thing on that original list that I hadn't done. Anyway, last week, I went to an antique store and found this pillowcase to make this apron. I sewed binding along the sides using a feather stitch. Then I pleated it at the top, cut out a scoop for the neckline, and sewed a wide binding across it. I unfolded the binding and clean finished the edges for the tie around the neck. I pressed the tucks all the way down fanning them out slightly. Then I unfolded some more of the binding. I sewed it to the pillowcase at waist level. Again, I unfolded and clean finished the binding for the tie.



Below is a close up of the embroidery and the hand made lace that was on the pillowcase when I bought it.

This is for my friend who has been my friend since we were in 7th grade. Mary and I learned to put on make up together, after a very embarrassing letter to Dear Abby was found in the library where she and I composed it. We were writing to complain that our parents wouldn't let us wear makeup. Anyway, we signed it with just our initials, but we went to a small high school, and everyone knew we were friends so it wasn't hard to figure out who had written this letter. I'm blushing still!
This is the friend whose nose I broke playing basketball. We played before girls played full court, by the way. Anyway, I was a guard, and she was a forward. She was going up for a layup, and I didn't let her get it. Lol. I'm not sure she thought it was funny. Well, at the time I didn't either. I guess I still don't.
There are many stories I could tell, but I won't tell them all here. Let's just say that this is one of the dear friends who is still my dear friend after all these years.

I've done a little tiny bit of other sewing which I will blog about another day.

Update

Thank you to all who have wished my mother well. She seems better. The infection seems to be under control. Her sodium levels are still too low. I was hoping she'd go back to the nursing home today, and she might, but I doubt it. I stayed Wednesday and last night. My brother stayed Thursday night. We're both pretty tired, but we'll be ok. So many have much worse that they've been through. My prayers are still going out to those of you with sick ones and who have recently lost loved ones.
I'm going to try to sew a little today. My brother relieved me this morning and I came home (about a 45 min. drive) and took a shower, so I feel somewhat refreshed.
My daughter's daughters swim on a swim team. Apparently the new thing for swimmers is to wear towel shorts. They cost $25+ through the catalogue, so I'm going to make some for my DGDs.
I still have their red, white, and blue outfits to do. I had Emory's almost finished before this all happened with my mom.
My FIL is doing pretty well from his knee replacement. He now has carpal tunnel in both hands and is having difficulty with that!

TAG: She's in the ambulance on her way back to the nursing home as I type this. Gotta go get her some dinner since it's already past dinner time at the nursing home.

Mother

I spent last night at the hospital with my mother. Her UTI got out of control. The meds were not working and had to be changed. She's much better this morning. My brother is with her. I came home for a rest.

Summertime Sewing

So, I guess I'm not the only one who makes clothing for children from tea towels, etc.... I haven't read this yet, but when I got my Sew Beautiful magazine out of my mail box the first thing I noticed on the cover was "simple heirloom outfits from linen towels" ! I should have sent my photos to Martha Pullen!! LOL! Oh well, it's good to know that others like my idea, too.


Yesterday, I stopped at a fabric store that's not far from me that is family owned. I've mentioned this place before. It is a rare occasion that I don't find what I'm looking for there, no matter how weird. I have found fabric to make a tin man costume, several mermaid costumes, turtle costumes, etc...... But, they have normal stuff, too. I bought these two transportation print fabrics to use in the future for something for our Little Man. I don't know what I'll make yet, but something will come up sometime.

Another thing that they have is a BARRELL full of buttons!! I mean a BIG barrel right in the middle of the store. There is a coffee mug laying on top of all the buttons. You can buy a cup full for $1.00. I bought 3 cup fulls. I haven't really had a chance to see the treasures I got, but I do love buttons and I'm sure I will find some great ones.

Next, I bought 3 panels of a pre-printed doll dress pattern. They are all the same. I have only made one thing from one of these pre-printed patterns before, and have never really thought about doing it again, until I saw this fabric. This will fit the American Girl Dolls that 3 of my grand daughters have. I think these will be cute.

One of the CNAs at the nursing home was wearing these pants to her scrub outfit that the nursing home issued her when she started working there. The inseam on one leg was completely raveling all the way down. And.... the upper-inner legs were pretty thread bare. I told her that I would fix the seam. I didn't realize they were so thread bare. I hope she doesn't mind that I took it upon myself to reinforce that area.


A lady asked me to make two chair covers for her outside pvc pipe chairs. They are just two straight rectangles with a casing at each end and one in the middle. I think I've written about this before. Anyway, I finished these. There weren't many fabrics to choose from for outdoors at our Walmart, but I thought this was ok. She said she didn't care what colors, etc.... This lady works at the place where I go to get my hair cut and my nails done. (Yes, I go every two weeks to have my nails done. I started doing that after my girls had all graduated from college. I decided it was my turn to do something for myself, and besides my real nails are AWFUL! Sometimes I feel guilty about indulging myself this way, but not too often.)

Below are the 4th of July "summer" outfits that I have cut out for my grands. First, is Little Man's. He's getting a red, white, and blue striped shirt and white shorts.

The girls' outfits will be reversible. Kellen and Jenna are getting the dress with the tie back. This actually is only one pattern piece. The front and back are attached. There is a dart at the shoulder! The front wraps around and ties in the back. I was amazed and happy to see this. How easy can it get! Rather than binding the edges, I'm going to sew two fabrics together. Both have the same red, white, and blue stripe as Little Man's shirt. Kellen's has a window-pane red and white patterned fabric for the reverse side. Jenna's has red with white stars. I will either edge these with rick rack or piping.

Riley and Emory are getting little sun suits. Riley's will be a little longer so the bloomers won't show so much. After all, she is 3 1/2, such a big girl. Emory's will be like the pattern shows. I am using this adorable Mary Englebreit fabric that says, "Best friends," and "just between us", etc.... It has cute little girls doing cute little girl friend kinds of things. It reminds me of my reading book in first grade. Some of you will remember, Dick, Jane, May, and Jip! LOL! Anyway, Riley's is reversible using the blue and the red of this fabric. Emory's is the blue of this fabric and a red with white stars for the reverse side, (you can see a little bit of the star fabric in the center of the photo. These two will be edged with piping. I've already started Emory's.

I didn't know what fabric I was going to use for whom when I bought it. I really wasn't sure of the patterns I was going to use. Therefore, everyone's is somewhat different, but coordinating. I hope to get all 5 of them in one photo in these outfits later on in the summer when we are all getting together. Yea!!! I can't wait!

Whoa!!!!! Our power just went off and back on in seconds. I just knew that I would have lost this post and have to start over, but it was still here!

Delivered and Paid!!

No pictures tonight! I delivered all of the sundresses, bonnets, shorts, shirts, and the romper to all of my clients today! They were all very happy!! I got to see the one I made for my school friend's niece on the little doll!! It was a perfect fit and the colors were great on her. Her's was the last one I made. Best of all is that everyone has already paid me!!!! Yea!!! My friend from school actually paid me extra!
I stopped and bought fabric for my grands today. I took the afternoon off and sat in front of the tv for about 2 hours. What did I watch? I couldn't tell you, because I dozed more than I watched.
My mom is better today. Thank goodness. They didn't get her started on an antibiotic till last night. I was a little upset with them, but they finally did get things taken care of and she's ok.
My brother is coming to visit her tomorrow so I may stay home all day and sew for my little ones. I am making such simple little outfits that I should finish in no more than 2 days.
ZZZ....zzzzz.....zzzzz............ I'm tired and going to bed early tonight..............zzzzzz...zz...z.

My Favorite Of All!

I think it may be my favorite because it's my last! The first was really my favorite, since it was for my grand daughter. But, I do like these colors. My school friend who wanted this one for her niece didn't want a hat so it's just a dress and bloomers.


Now, for the process.
First, I sewed the back seam, leaving a couple of inches for a back opening. I simply clean finished the opening. (Pattern directions) Then, the pattern had me sew the top couple of inches of the sides with the wrong sides together, zigzag, and press, turn the rest of the seam with right sides together and stitch as usual. This was so, when the top tier was sewn to the underarm and turned, there wouldn't be a raw seam showing or irritating little armpits.
I learned very quickly that I needed to mark the lines with a water soluble marker for the tiers to be sewn on, so they would be straight. I learned this after having to take one partly apart and redoing it.

The tiers are actually circles with a doughnut hole (doughnut hole, hum... where have I heard that term lately? Oh yeah, when talking to my Mother's insurance people. She seemed ok today, but I still had them check her out.)in the center. The top one is cut through for a back opening. The most frustrating part of this dress style was clean finishing circles! It was easy on the part that was bias cut, around the front and the back, but on the sides where it was cut on the grain, it was hard going around a curve without puckers. Oh, well, I learned to take my time and get it right the first time around! LOL! Around, get it, that was a play on words. I just kill me with my humor. Ha Ha! Don't think I'd make it on prime time comedy hour!
Then I sewed each tier upside down on the dress, then zigzagged each one so there would not be raveling. I learned after the first few of these dresses that I should sew the bottom tier on first, rather than the top one, as the pattern directions suggest. I found that if I did the top one that each previous one was more in the way of the next one while I was sewing. And.... I found that I could make sure that the one above covered the right amount of the one below it. Does any of this make sense?

The top tier was sewn under the arms with the right side of the tier stitched to the wrong side of the dress. I trimmed all of my seams and zigzagged them as it shows in the photo below. Then the top tier is turned right side out and then the yoke is attached.

The yoke front and back were, of course, constructed separately, as usual. The pattern did not call for interfacing, but I added it anyway. I mean there's a button and button hole on the back. Anyway, once the front and back were constructed leaving the outside of the arm band unsewn about halfway up, the shoulders were connected. The opening for turning is on the outside of the arm band. This was different for me, but I liked it. To finish, there was a button hole and button, as I said, and then the hand whip stitching to sew down the facing and close up the arm band opening.
Look at that arthritic knuckle on my thumb!! The other one is worse!




The bonnet was not supposed to be lined, but I didn't want to look into an unfinished hat, so I made it hard on myself. The brim was easy. I zigzagged around the scallops of the smaller piece to the larger one. Then I sewed the right sides of the larger piece around the scallops and tuned it. To line the sides of the bonnet, I sandwiched the brim inside the two side pieces with interfacing lining one of them. The pattern did not call for interfacing except in the brim, but I added it anyway. Now, for the back of the bonnet. First I pinned one of the back horse shoe pieces with the interfacing to the sides. Then I squished the whole hat together so I could sandwich the sides into the two backs. After stitching this and turning it right side out, I cut a bias cut piece of one of the fabrics to bind the bottom of the sides and back. Then, I just added ribbon ties.