The Tale of the Missing Dresses - Subtitle: I Am Losing My Mind!

Sub-Sub Title:  Uhhhhh......You Can't Lose Something You Never Had (referring to my mind)

Last fall I brought a bunch of the dresses that I've made for my granddaughters over the years home with me to display in a trunk show.  I brought the dresses home with me and put them in a guest room closet.  A few months ago, I took them to my dear friend and co-wearable arts fashion show committee member to take with her when she was going to do presentations to promote our show.  She and a couple of other committee members went to various organizations' meetings to talk about our show and to show off some of the types of items that will be in it.
Well, the other day, I decided that I needed to think seriously about which dresses I wanted to have in our show this year.  Since I'm probably not going to have time to get something new made, I thought that perhaps one or two of the dresses that were in the presentation collection would work.  So.......I went to our Arts Council office to pick up my dresses.  When I picked them up, there were only 5 dresses, all size two or so.  I knew that I had loaned at least one larger sized dress.
This dress was made for our next to oldest granddaughter a couple of Easter's ago.  The hemline and sleeves are made from a vintage table cloth.  I embroidered the flowers in each scallop.   There is hand smocking on the bodice.  I also made the matching slip to go with this dress.

 

My friend remembered this dress being one that I took her because she asked me to make all three of her granddaughters slip dresses like this one. 

She gave me the most beautiful quilted wall hanging that she had created.       

To make a long and very tearful, emotional story short, this dress wasn't in with the others.  At first, I thought that my friend must have kept it and the others that I was pretty sure I had taken to her to still use for future presentations.  But, you guessed it, when I called her, she said that she had taken all she had back to the Arts Council office.  I called the other two ladies, and again, you guessed it, they didn't have any more of my dresses either. (It didn't help that I was really having an emotional day because of my Mother's condition, which is worsening by the day.)
I came home and looked in the closet where I had put these dresses, then I looked at my pictures on iphoto on the computer, and sure enough, there were EIGHT dresses missing!!!!!!

This is one photo that I looked at to confirm what was gone.  The blue floral on the top left, the green next to it, the yellow which is third from the right on the top, and the yellow on the bottom left were among the ones I didn't have.  There were others, but I won't make you look at all of them.  I will tell you, though, that all of these dresses have vintage handkerchiefs, table cloths, tea towels, trim, placemats, and or napkins incorporated into their designs.  Some are hand smocked.  All were made with love in every stitch for the particular granddaughter for whom they were made.
So, if you are a creator of things, you understand how I was feeling.  These couldn't be replaced.  My daughter is keeping all of these dresses for her girls.  I knew she would be upset.  Finally, though, I called her.  She went to her closet that she keeps these dresses in, and lo and behold, every last one of the MISSING DRESSES was there!  When did I take them to her?  When did I get them back from my friend?  I don't know!  I don't remember!  But, to make me feel better, my friend thought she had the pink dress and for sure that green one in the above photo.  Also, my daughter didn't remember me bringing them back to her!  I am going to take the ones I still have the next time we go to visit her, and I don't think I'll be borrowing any more!!!
Except, I still need to have one or two for the fashion show.  I'm thinking about these two with the woven ribbon bodices.  These are Easter dresses that I have made for the oldest two granddaughters.  The pink one was for the same granddaughter for whom I made the pink dress and slip that was MISSING.

 

This dress was last year's Easter dress for our oldest granddaughter and the first one that I made with a woven ribbon bodice.

Okay, it's time to get back to Halloween costumes.  I am making progress.

Lady Dracula! and a few other things..........

Our granddaughter who has always wanted to be a beautiful mermaid or princess, etc..... for Halloween, decided that this year she wanted to be scary.  So, she told me she wanted to be Dracula.  I started thinking about it and asked her if she might want to be a female version of Dracula.  "Yes," she did want a long shiny red dress instead of black pants and vest.  I made the dress from this "lovely" red stretchy crushed velveteen.  It is a simple straight long sleeved dress with a round neckline, a keyhole opening at the back with an elastic loop and button closure.  I added a band of red satiny fabric to the bottom.  The cape is made from the black polyester fabric that I've been using as a backdrop for photographing light colored garments.  I'll have to go buy something cheap to replace it.  It has a sheen to it and was the only piece of black fabric that I had that was big enough to make this cape.  I had two other satiny pieces that I thought would work, but they were both just inches shy of being enough.  The lining, as you can see is red satiny lining fabric from Hobby Lobby.  This grand's only real request was that the lining of the cape be shiny.  She will need face paint and some fangs to complete her look.

 

This is the pattern I used for the cape, and that I will use for the next caper I'm going to make.

 

The next project is the Hermione costume.  She's the girl from Harry Potter.  Her cape is black with a burgundy  lining.  This piece of fabric that I found at Hobby Lobby is actually burgundy on one side and black on the other.  The picture makes the burgundy look orange, but it isn't at all.  I won't need to line this cape.  I will make flat felled seams so the inside won't be unfinished. 

The Hogwart's School colors are burgundy and gold.  Hermione wears a toboggan and scarf.  I am not really a knitter, but when I was in the 7th grade one of our teachers stayed after school and taught some of us how to knit and purl.  We each made a sleeveless boatneck sweater.  I still have mine.  Anyway, I played around with knitting three stitches, then purling three and came up with this cabled scarf.  I didn't know how I was supposed to join the new color of yarn, so I just tied the two together.  Since then I asked Katie at Kaddidlehopper how I was supposed to be doing this.  She told me that I should just knit the new color in leaving a length of yarn that I could go back and weave into the scarf.  I learned this too late for the scarf, but I did do that on the toboggan.  For the toboggan I did the knit 3, purl 3 for the brim and then when I added in the gold for the body of the hat I just knitted one row and purled the next, etc....  When I got to the point that the body was as tall as the brim, I started joining two stitches into one, I think this is what you call dropping a stitch, every 11 stitches, then every 10,  then every 9, etc... until I got to the row that was every 5.  At that point I stopped and pulled the remaining stitches together and sewed the two edges together and voila, I had a toboggan!  I made and added the pom-pom at the top.  Oh yeah, I added fringe to the ends of the scarf.  I know I didn't do that correctly.  I really need to learn what I'm doing if I'm going to do stuff like this.

 

I forgot to show you the plastic snakes that I started to use for the Medusa wig.  I'm going to take these two to my grand and see if they will work as a necklace.

Local Beauty

Below are some photographs that were recently in a magazine that two young ladies from our area have started publishing recently.  The first photograph shows the beautiful fall trees (it was taken last year since it's too early for our leaves to change yet this year) along the Cherahala Skyway, which is a stretch of road across the mountains that connects TN in the Cherokee National Park to NC in the Nantahala State Park.  This is not too far from where I live. 

 

This photograph is of Bald River Falls.  When I was a child we used to go to these falls very often.  Last winter the falls froze!  It was a beautiful sight!  I just wanted to share with you the beauty of nature in this area of TN.

Tomorrow is my husband's 58th birthday!  We married when we were only 20, so nearly 38 years ago.  He is still my biggest cheerleader and friend.  I thank God for him every day.

Passing Along an Award and A Costume for a Goddess

 
Yesterday, I posted the first part of receiving this award from my dear blogging friend, Trudy.
I listed ten things about myself that you weren't supposed to already know, but if you've been following my blog for long, you will see that they were all things you did already know.  I'm not interesting enough to have more unknowns about myself to tell!  If you really want to know what I wrote, you can go back to that post, but unless you want to be bored, you probably won't want to do that.
Now for a list of bloggers to whom I am passing this award:
It's A Sewing Life - an Atlanta mom who is an amazing sewist.  The story of how we actually met and didn't know it, is very coincidental.  Now that I really know who Elle is, I want to meet up with her and really get to know her.
Psychotatter  - another Atlanta mom who makes the most amazing tatted things.  I have one of her beautiful bookmarks that I use all the time.  She posts the most gorgeous photos of sunrises and sunsets!  I love to read the humor in her posts about her family.
Jackie - this lady and I share a love of reading.  We also both love to sew, but instead of clothing, she makes the most unbelievably beautiful and precisely sewn quilts!  You just have to go to her blog to see what I mean!
Scrapbooking in Turkey - this lady is new to my blog list.  She is an American living in Turkey.  I've seen scrapbooking, but I've never seen such beautiful creations as those made by this lady!
Bessie - what a generous and inspiring lady you will find at this blog!  This lady has had a very serious issue with her eyes, having to have surgery and all.  She smocks and sews.  Recently she pleated a bunch of little bonnets to send to a smocking convention, even though she can't go because of her eyes.  These bonnets are for the Wee Care Charity!
Flower Kim - another very generous and creative lady.  Kim has also been having some health issues, but she just keeps on keeping on.  She has sent me two very special gifts that I will always treasure.  She makes the most incredible miniature things.  You won't believe your eyes when you see what she has done!
Claudia - talk about a beautiful blog!  She has a very quaint homey cottage in NY that she and her husband have nurtured, loved, and furnished with things with a story!  Nothing in her home just happens.  She has a true love for the things with which she surrounds herself.  She works with actors on their diction, so sometimes has to be away from her gorgeous home.  I would love to meet this lady in person.  Perhaps I will someday when we are traveling to see our daughters.  We pass within about 20 miles or closer to her home every time.
Cheryl - this is the sweet lady from whom I won the Halloween fabrics recently.  You need to go to her blog to learn more about how generous and creative she is.  I have enjoyed feeling that I have a close friend in her, even though we have never really met.
Just A Little Southern Hospitality - otherwise known as the Happy Cottage Quilter.  This blog is truly inspiring and beautiful.  It definitely qualifies as a BEAUTIFUL BLOGGER AWARD RECIPIENT!
Her Quilting blog is wonderful, too.  Please visit both of her blogs to be awed!
Slipstitches - one of the most encouraging ladies I think I've ever "known".  She always leaves the sweetest comments.  Her blog is amazing as well.  Please check it out if you haven't already.
All My Seams - You won't believe the embellishments and detail work this sewist creates on her garments.  She is working on a coat now.  I can't wait to see it finished.  Last year she made a felted jacket and embellished it with the most amazing appliques and embroidery.  She inspired me to try my hand at felting.
Goosegirl - what lucky daughters this lady has.  She makes the cutest, most adorable things for her youngest little daughter!  Her older daughter gets some very stylish garments, as well.  This lady is so very busy, but she never lets that get in the way of "doing" for her girls!  She also has created patterns for a bloomer skirt and an apron that are incredible!
Kaddidlehopper - is a lady with two little ones and another on the way.  I love the sweet little things she makes for her children and the gorgeous, stylish maternity things she is making for herself.  She recently knitted a red riding hood cape for her daughter.  She is also a pediatrician!
Mushywear - is a young, beautiful lady who must have the most extensive and stylish wardrobe in all of Hawaii!  She looks great in everything she makes.  That isn't fair, is it?  Her personality is just as beautiful as her physical self, though, so I can't help but admire her.

I was going to send this award to Cindy and Faye, but I saw that they had both already received it. 

Now, for the photos of the Medusa costume for our 4 1/2 year old grand daughter.  This is the granddaughter who in the past has been a seahorse, Quack ( a big blue duck from a cartoon on tv), and a toucan!  She comes up with some very original ideas! 

Again, poor Smokey (Un. of TN mascot, a bluetick hounddog) is being a very cooperative model.  If only he were a bit taller!  As you can see, I lucked up on some very "snaky" $2.00 a yard fabric at Walmart.  I couldn't believe how perfect this was.  Little 4 wanted her Medusa wig to have green snakes!  I cut this fabric into stripes so that some of the snakes were the green and black streaky pattern and some had the blotchy pattern.  I made 26 snakes.  With each one that I made, I did a little better. They all have quilt batting and pipe cleaners in them.  I sewed these with the stitching on the underbelly of the snakes.  My stitching is on the outside.  I just tucked in the raw edges and sewed down the seam with the batting and pipe cleaner already inside.  Does that make sense?  By doing this, I didn't have to turn the snakes or stuff them.  I shaped the heads as I went along.

 

For the dress, my plan was to drape this cheap green lining fabric that was in my stash.  But, I would never make it on Project Runway, if my draping skills aren't improved.  It was not too bad, but the outcome was a little too "sexy" looking for a 4 year old, so I scraped that dress.  Thank goodness it was cheap stuff.  I looked again in my stash and found these two fabrics.  The watermarked taffeta is what I used for the top and the bottom is made from flag fabric.  A friend had given it to me after she made flags for our local high school band flag corp.                            

The snakes can't be scary because then Little 4 can't wear it to preschool.  So I used Googly eyes hoping that would make them look a little cuter.  I started off planning to use plastic snakes and some fake green hair that was attached to headbands that I found at the Dollar Tree, but I just wasn't happy with how it turned out, so I started over when I found this snaky fabric.  The plastic snakes probably wouldn't have been as comfortable for Little 4 to wear.  On the inside of the snake wig, I made a tshirt knit tube hat.  I cut little holes in it to put the snakes through.  They are each stitched by hand to hold them in place.  Then, I wrapped them around each other, etc... to make it so that there wouldn't be snakes hanging in Little 4's eyes and to hide the hat.  I sure hope that Little 4 is happy with her costume.                                                                                              

Now, it's on to make a girl version of Dracula.

Beautiful Blogger Award

Trudy who along with her daughters, Kimberly and Emily, has been one of my blogger buddies for a LONG time.  She recently rewarded me with this wonderful award.  Trudy is a home schooler mom who is amazing! If you aren't familiar with her blog and her daughters, you have to check them out.  I am supposed to tell ten things about myself that you don't already know and send it on to more bloggers.  I'm not sure I can thing of ten INTERESTING THINGS to tell you about myself, but I'll try.
1.  I love to sew.  Oops, I guess you already knew that.  But, I have decide that what I like to sew best are things that are a challenge to my creative side, like Halloween costumes.
2.  I love to sew with old things.  I guess you knew that, too.  I love to handle the hand made handkerchiefs, napkins, tablecloths, tea towels, pillow cases, etc.... that someone from a previous generation has made, and then to use it in something new that I make.
3.  I love my grandchildren.  Oh, I guess you know that, too.  Enough said!
4.  I love my three girls.  Yeah, I know, I know, you already know that, too, but you know what, the most important things to me are the things I want people to know about me.
5.  I have been married to my best friend for nearly 38 years.  We went to elementary, junior high, high school, and college together.  We started dating our senior year after getting in trouble together in our health class.  That's a story for another day.
6.  I love to paint, draw, etc..., but not seriously.  This is just for fun!  I don't claim to be a real artist.
7.  I go to the nursing home, usually twice a day, to feed my mother.  You already knew that, too.  Most of you know that I have another blog where I write my reflections that I have concerning this part of my life.
8.  I have a 19 year old cat.  She drives me crazy, in that she can still jump up on our kitchen counters, but she is otherwise pitiful!
9.  My father-in-law lives next door to us.  My mother-in-law just died in April.  My fil is adjusting well.  He's a busy man.
10.  My girls live far, far away from us, so we travel as much as possible. We have 6 grands and another on the way.  Some are in the New England area and some are out West.  It is hard, but we make sure that we are close to them anyway.  We have three wonderful son-in-laws.  That is a blessing!
Now, I'm supposed to pass this award along to other bloggers.  This will require some thought on my part and some linking and all that stuff, so I'm going to come back to this part tomorrow.
I also have my granddaugter's Medusa costume finished and ready to show you after I take a few photos.  I made three different snaky wigs before I was satisfied.  The dress was much easier.
Let me tell you, though, that I would rather be making these fun challenging costumes than anything else in the world.  IT. IS. FUN.
I am going to get to make  a Christening gown for one of my daughter's best friend's baby girl.   I received an heirloom handkerchief in the mail this week to use in the design some way.  I have a couple of different ideas.  I just have to make up my mind which I like best.  The mom has sent me some pictures of dresses she likes, so I am formulating a plan using the things she likes best from each of them.   FUN!FUN! FUN!

I Won and A Wild Boar! PLUS>>>a reworked snout!

Cheryl, one of my blogger buddies hosted a giveaway, and I won!  I love these beautiful Halloween designs.  I've got several ideas running around in my head for using these. I have thought of possibly making a table runner, a tote, a patchworked lined jumper for one of my grands, etc............  I am so happy to have won these fun fabrics.  Thank you Cheryl!  Please visit her wonderful blog!  You will be glad you did!

The first of the 6 Halloween costumes for my grands is finished.  This was the one that I was the most concerned about because I wasn't sure how I would make a WILD BOAR!  I researched online to see what wild boars really look like, and I tried to make this costume as close to what I found as I could.  First of all, finding the fabric to use for this wasn't easy.  Wild boars have wirey fur that is in different shades of black, brown, tan, etc.....  There isn't any fabric like that at Katy's, Walmart, or Hobby Lobby, which were the stores closest to me.  So, I finally decided to buy this brown, fuzzy, fake fur at Hobby Lobby.   I think it worked out ok.  For the hoofs and nostrils I used the back side of some gold lame that I had in my stash that already had iron on adhesive attached.   The fangs are made from some rough textured white cotton fabric that I had saved from some project knowing that some day I would use it for something.   It turned out not to be so hard to make after all.  I used this pattern as a guide for the body and hood.                                                                             

Taking photos of this little wild piggy wasn't easy, and the photos don't really show what it really looks like.  I used my University of Tennessee mascot, Smokey, for the model, again, as usual. You can see is orange jersey peeking out from the first picture.   He is very cooperative, but he isn't very tall, so he's not a great model for a two year old's clothing, but he's the best I have here at my house.  I'll try to get photos of Little Man in his costume before Halloween.   It's a good thing that Little Man lives where it is usually cold by Halloween because this will be a warm costume!

When I showed the boar costume to my husband he said it looked like an elephant.  What does he know? I did look at pictures and pictures and pictures of boars and they all had really long snouts, but after my husband said that I decided to do a little reworking on the snout.  I added a larger bottom jaw and some more teeth.  What do you think?  Does it help?  You can still see Smokey in there.  One of the comments from yesterday was that it looked like an Arkansas Razorback had swallowed him.  That was funny!  At least I didn't have to make a Gator!  We play Florida today!!!! 

My granddaughters out in AZ want to be fairies.  That will be easy and fun.  It will not be cold in the desert by Halloween, so these will be light weight and "PRETTY" with Lil' E wanting to be a yellow fairy with blue wings.  She wants baby sis to be a green fairy with blue wings.  According to Lil' E her two favorite dolls and her Mommy are supposed to be fairies, too.  The dolls may get a quick and simple costume each.  Her Mom says she may buy herself some wings, but she doesn't think she wants a fairy dress.  I can't imagine why she doesn't want a dress with tulle, netting, satin petals, etc....!

Our oldest grand who is 10 wants to be Hermione from Harry Potter. This requires a long cape, a skirt, a tie, a sweater( this will be purchased), a white shirt (which will also be purchased), and knee socks(also purchased).  The next oldest, who is almost 8,  wants to be a girl version of Dracula ( a long cape and a shiny red dress), and the 4 1/2 year old wants to be.................................., get ready for this, Medusa!  She first wanted to be a princess mermaid like her big sister was two different Halloweens, but she called me to tell me she had changed her mind.  She has seen the Percy Jackson movie and saw Medusa then decided that was what she wanted to be for Halloween.  I think her costume may have to be next because making a wig with snakes (they can't be scary, because she can't wear it at preschool if it's scary) may not be so easy.  She'll need a shiny green dress.

I'd better get off the computer and get busy.

Fall Window Painting

I finally got the Fall pictures painted on the windows at the nursing home.  I didn't want to paint something that screamed Halloween or Thanksgiving because these will be up until it's time to paint Winter pictures.  I did paint a tiny jack-o-lantern on the porch of the house in the last photo.  I also painted a few turkeys at the barn.                                     

On the three windows that are in the living room area I painted scarecrows, mums, etc.  The football player scarecrow is in honor of the University of Tennessee.  What says Fall more loudly than football, mums, pumpkins, hay bales, etc....?                                         

There are several residents who are veterans, so I did paint a flag for Veteran's Day to honor them.  The whole time I was painting I was thinking about George, Ms. Moses, and Darnell, three residents who recently died.  So, I guess you could say that all of these paintings are for them. 

Now, for the dining room windows.  On these I painted a fall farm scene.  Margaret still wanted a man in the window beside her seat in the dining room, so the farmer on the tractor is for her.  I even put her initials on the tractor.  This farmer is waving and winking at her.  When I got back from AZ, they had moved all the tables in the dining room, so Margaret wasn't getting to sit beside her window anymore.  When I asked her what she wanted me to paint on her window, she said, "I don't care what you paint.  You can paint something "dirty" if you want to for all I care since I don't get to sit by the window anymore."  I went to the assistant administrator and told her what Margaret had said.  About 20 minutes later the tables were rearranged again, this time so that Margaret could have her window seat back.  She was thrilled.  She likes her new "MAN".                  

Since we live within view of the Smokey Mountains, I decided to paint the mountains in the background with a sunset, or sunrise, whichever, behind the farm.

I hope the residents enjoy these paintings as much as I enjoyed painting them.  I do not claim to be a REAL artist.  I just play at painting.
Mother asked if I was painting.  She has been calm going on her second week, with the exception of a day or so.  She's very drugged, though.  I would rather her be drugged instead of agitated.  It is so hard to see her crying and screaming and being scared.
For more of an update on Mother, go to my other blog that is listed with a link on my sidebar.  It is babygirlsobservations.blogspot.com.

On a sad note, my friend who I've been friends with ever since we were babies in the church nursery over 50 years ago, lost her husband to cancer yesterday.  I spent the night at her house so often that I felt like her mom was my "other" mom.  He was diagnosed in January, and even though the doctors never gave him much hope, he fought a good fight anyway.  Prayers please for this family.  They have two daughters who are married and have a son each.  One of the grandsons is only a couple of months old.  My friend is a very strong woman who has been through a lot in her lifetime.  Her dad died of cancer when we were young women.  She has fought and beaten breast cancer and now has diabetes.

She'll Be Stylin' on the Golf Course

Our three year old granddaughter got a set of real golf clubs for her birthday.  Her dad is a really GOOD and avid golfer.  He takes her to the driving range quite often.  So..........

she needs a real golfer's outfit, right?

This is the pattern and some fabric I bought a while back with Lil' E in mind.

Here's the little skort that she will wear with the polo shirt and golf hat that her Grammy gave her.  This couldn't have been easier to make.  I made it this morning in a couple of hours start to finish.  I really meant to get this made before her birthday, but it just didn't get done, so, I guess it's better late than never. 
By the way, I am going shopping for leggings to go with the shirt dress that I made for our almost 8 year old granddaughter that I depicted in my last post.  I'm not sure what color, but probably red, yellow, or bright green.  Whichever I find, I will make a matching narrow crocheted scarf like the girls are all wearing.  I also plan to get a purse made for her to carry with this dress.