Now that my PLEATER is back in shape.........

It's time for me to get that way, too. My husband went for a physical a couple of days ago, and so far all the news has been great. He has lost 11 pounds since his last visit a month ago. His ekg and chest xrays were really good. He's going for a stress test next week. I'm sure he'll do fine. The reason for this check up was because the cholesterol medicine he was on was causing him to have leg cramps. So, the doctor took him off of it and told him to watch his diet and get moving. He has really been working hard in both regards. He hasn't heard what his cholesterol levels are yet. We are very anxious to see how he has done without the medicine.

I have sort of, kind of been going along with him, but only half-heartedly. After visiting
this blog and this blog this morning, I am determined that I am going to fight this funky body I'm in to get it back in shape. Gosh, how long has it been since it's really been in shape. Uh, never.....? Back when I was a teen, I was very thin, and I was very active. I was on the basketball team in high school, and I swam as often as possible. My family and I had some kind of activity going on every day of the year that the weather permitted and there were enough of us around. On other days, I shot basketball after basketball or played ping pong with one of the cousins. But, was I really in shape. I guess so, but I was always one of the slowest on the basketball team, and I was usually out of breath, so I really don't know. I was definitely better off then, than now.

In college, I walked all over campus every day. My classes were always on opposite ends of the campus and back-to-back on my schedule, so really, I guess I jogged rather than walked. If you've ever been on UT's campus you know that the "Hill" is where a lot of classes are held. I didn't have many classes on the "Hill", but mine were always on either side of the "Hill" one after the other. I don't know how my schedule ended up like that every quarter.

I got married while we were still at UT. Our married student apartment building was at the top of 17th Street, which, trust me, was like hiking up a mountain. I don't think I could do it today.

Then, it was motherhood time. I had my first when I was 24, the second at 27, and the last at 30. I absolutely was determined each time to loose the baby fat. And..... I did! Each time! But, it always slowly crept back on when I wasn't paying attention!
After my third child, I did lose the weight, but not for long, and then I gained it back, plus the weight that I had gained with each of the other two on top of it!!! Well, not quite that much, but it felt like it! I also never got exercise, except for chasing after my kids. Some moms swear that that alone takes off their weight, but not mine.

I had never had to watch what I ate before, and I didn't begin then.

So, now, after my kids are grown and have their own kids, and I've been through times of being way overweight and not so overweight, but always overweight, it is time. It is time to get into shape!

I am not going to try to get back to my high school body, ha; like I could anyway. But, I am going to try to get to a weight that makes me comfortable. I need to lose about 20 - 30 pounds to be there. However, just losing the weight isn't going to do it. I need to move, move, move my body!!!

When I visit my mom at the nursing home and realize, that will be me in about 20 or so years, if I don't change my ways, I get scared!!! I am now officially scared enough to do something about it.

I go to the doctor for a check up in March. I am going to set that day as a short term goal to have lost at least 5 pounds and to be exercising at least 30 minutes a day.

In my defense, I do have problems with sciatica. If you've never experienced this, you cannot imagine the pain it causes. I seem to have it under control for now, though, and if I'm careful I won't cause it to flare up again.

THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO TAKE CARE OF ME!!!! I want to be healthy and vibrant for my grands!!!!!!!!!!

If you are one of the few who has actually read all the way through this, why not join me? We can encourage each other. I'm going to post about my progress at least once a week. I know, I know this isn't about sewing, writing, or creating in anyway, except for creating a new me!!! I would love to read about your progress, too. I think it would help me to know there are others out there who are struggling the same as I am.

A Waxpaper Fix!!!

Thank You! THANK YOU!!! thank you!! Thhhhhhaaaaaannnnnnnkkkkk Yooooouuuuuu!
Do you get the idea that I am grateful to those of you kind souls who offered suggestions for how to fix my smocking pleater needle breaking dilemma?
I tried each of the suggestions, and the wax paper seems to have done the trick!!! I also ordered more needles, but it will be a few days before they come. I practiced on these two pieces of fabric. I'm playing around with the green one. I'm going to try some new stitches on this one and the pink. There was not a pucker nor a skipped stitch to be seen. But, best of all, there were no broken needles, well, there was one, but it must have been bent out of shape. Hey, that's funny, because that's what I was, "bent out of shape"!!! I'm all back to normal (whatever that is) now!!
Again, thank you! What would I do without my blogger friends? I even found a new one today through all of this drama over at sewNso. Thanks Sara, Martha, Crazy Mom, Rachel, Cheryl, and Faye!!! I knew I could count on you to help me!

Help!!!

I have a 24 needle Amanda-Jane pleater that I've had for years. I think I paid about $60 for it!! I must have gotten it on sale, because these things cost lots more than that now! Anyway, mine keeps breaking needles. I blamed it, the first time, on the fabric that I was trying to pleat; it was a little heavier than fabric that is usually pleated. I changed out all of my needles and tried to pleat a very light weight, thin cotton fabric; it happened again. So, I ordered all new needles and changed them again. When I tried the light weight, thin cotton my needles started breaking again. Not only that, but sometimes it will skip a stitch and make a pucker instead of a pleat. I thought perhaps some tiny fibers were clogging up the bars someway or other. I scrubbed them with a toothbrush, but that didn't work either. If I just have the needles in with no fabric the bars seem to turn just fine. Do I need to buy a certain brand of needles? Help me, please!!! It is my plan to make two bishop style Easter dresses. One is a stripe and would be fairly easy to hand pleat, but give me a break, that would take hours, or maybe days!! I just hand pleated the belt for Jenna's and if you go back one post, you'll see that it didn't work so well. I wasn't able to smock it. I even used the holes that were made when I ran it through the pleater, but I ended up with pretty gathers, not pleats. It went almost all the way through before the needles started breaking. The other is a solid, and short of buying and ironing on pleating dots, I don't think I could pleat it by hand.
Why is it that when I see photos of things I've made, I see mistakes that I didn't see before. The belt looks wanky. I'll have to go see if it really does, or if it's just this photo.
I decided that I need to put a little bit of a crinoline slip under this dress. It looks like it wants to stand out a little. I have even given thought to doing a scalloped hem with piping inserted. That would be pretty. Do I have time?

Easter Dress Number Two Done - Well, Almost!

Jenna's Easter dress is finished, except for the hem. I'm waiting on her mom to get a measurement for me before I hem it. I see that the sleeve on the right looks cockeyed, but I promise it's not. I intended to smock the front of the belt, but my pleater has not been cooperating. I'm hoping that the new needles that I ordered will help. Anyway, I ended up pleating this by hand. Then I embellished it with ribbon rose buds and piping.

Close up of the sleeve and its binding

Close up of the neckline piping

Back

You might be able to see the sash carriers are made from the narrow pink ribbon.

I've Been Thinking......(that could be a dangerous thing!)

I have been thinking about starting another blog that is totally different from this one.
I will definitely keep this one, though. It has been so much fun to meet all you wonderful sewists out there.
If I start a new blog it would be about "grammar". Yes, you read it correctly, "grammar". I am very distressed at times when I read facebook comments, blogs, and even the newspaper to see all kind of mistakes. Now, I'm not saying that my writing is always perfect, but I did teach language arts for many years. I'm just wondering if there would be an audience out there for such a blog. I would try to tackle common mistakes that I see, two or three times a week.
I also have an idea for a blog to help parents ensure that their children are successful students. When I taught, I always started the year with a unit on study skills. It really seemed to help at least a few of my 6th graders. I would have given anything to have been taught some of these skills when I was a student and when I was raising my daughters. I'm actually thinking that these two subjects could be combined into one blog. What could I name it?
How does a blog with sponsors work?
Send me some feedback, please!
I've been thinking about writing a book titled, Happiness is the Definition of Success.

Visits From Some Big Celebrities!!

Elvis entertained at our church Valentine Dinner. He sang, "Love Me Tender".

Taylor Swift sang, "Jump, Then Fall".

We got to be entertained by the song "Mickey" which was dedicated to none other than Mickey and Minnie Mouse, who were our guests.

And, here's one more Scherenschnitte portrait. I'm hoping the mom of this handsome lad will recognize him. I need to get this one framed.

On to working on Jenna's dress. I've been slowly but steadily been making a little progress.

Valentine Royalty, Vintage Valentine's, and the Easter Dress bodice

Royalty was crowned at the nursing home yesterday. They did this the way we used to do in elementary school. Whoever raised the most money won!! Of course, it was family members who voted with their pennies. The guy on the far right was crowned king! He wasn't sure he wanted to leave the table where his cake and cookies were in order to be crowned, but he did. I didn't even vote with my pennies for Mother because they are going to take the winners on a field trip and there's no way she can go anywhere, and because she's been so confused lately that I didn't know how she would be on the day of the party. Now, I'm kind of sorry because she was ok yesterday.


The next four photos are of actual Valentine's that my mother received when she was a child. She had these framed years ago for my girls and me.

These next three are 3D and in shadow box frames.

The next pictures are all out of any kind of order that makes much sense, but here goes.......
This is Jenna's Easter dress from last year. The sleeves and scalloped hem are from an antique tablecloth. Some of you may remember it.

I hand embroidered flowers in each scallop.

This is how I made Kellen's bodice last year. I used pins and a cardboard base to hold the ribbons in place as I wove them.

Then I sewed a backing of lining fabric that was already cut to the bodice pattern piece, and then I cut it out.

For Jenna's this year, I used this large square plastic tray.

I taped the ribbon to the sides as I wove it. Then I sewed the little bitty buttons on at most of the intersections.

Again, just like last year, I cut the bodice from the lining fabric and sewed it to the back of the woven ribbon. Then, I cut it out.

Here it is ready to be made into a dress. But, first the rest of the pattern pieces must be cut out. Ugh..... my least favorite part of sewing.

Tonight is the church's Valentine banquet. My puppet group is the entertainment. I'll get some photos. We are having a guest appearance by Elvis and Taylor Swift, Mickey and Minnie, etc.......