Stitch in Time - April 2012

[poochemio]

Haha, laundry day for me too Eva, I have to go to town for it though, oh well, sketching opportunity!

That doll is going to be amazing when you finish with her. I have a couple of older than this china dolls, they were my guy's grandmothers then his aunts then his mothers and clothes from each period, made to match clothes made for each of the girls if I remember the story correctly, all in a small trunk buried under all the things from the old office, still need to shred organize and toss, but I'm allowing him to do all but the organize, I didn't create that nightmare, fortunately he's been going at it on and off since we got here.

So a trip to laundromat, & gesture sketching, then I think dinner at our favorite restaurant. I may start cutting those pants up for sketchbags when I get home. Notice how one has become multiples in a day. Every time I make myself a bag someone wants one, so just easier to do it in an assembly line fashion, I always seem to get the coolest stuff when I work in series, most people probably like the first piece or two, I love the last pieces when my muse goes totally off the deep end. The only sure thing is I want a plethora of pockets, and long straps so I can wear them across the body.

[DrDebby]

Bonnie, how's the blankie going?

Margo, you can't have too many art bags, just like you can't have too many art supplies. How's your well?

Eva, what lovely underthings you made for the doll. I don't blame you for wanting to get her finished and back to her owner. Less chance for things to go wrong.

It's a wonderful spring day today. It even smells like spring now. Way too early, by about a month.

I decided I'd procrastinated the clothing issue long enough. I pulled out the shirt pattern to work on drafting that prior to making a sacrificial shirt. And... I didn't get all the measurements I needed when DH was home. *sigh* So, I get to put things off again. Instead, I'll make another batch of granola bars. Those things just seem to disappear. It doesn't help that friends dropped by. The woman of the couple who dropped by had tasted them her last visit and asked if I had some so he could try them. I said sure. The recipe was slightly different than the last batch and I asked if she wanted one too. No, she'd just take a bite of his. Only once he started eating it, he wouldn't let her have any. I ended up giving her one and him seconds. DH likes them too and has started asking that I tuck one into his lunch. So, they go fast.

[EvaJ]

Debby, you may have a new business with the granola bars. No candy so on to the next thing. People buy those bars all the time in the stores so why not.

We went grocery shopping this morning and of course hit the Goodwill store and found 3 dolls and some cute fabric. One was a cabbage patch with a whole bunch of clothing, some true cabbage patch and some not plus a cabbage patch tote bag. All need a good cleaning. One of the other dolls is a 24 inch baby doll. Biggest one I have ever had in a baby doll. The other is a cloth doll.

Now I am working on the slip for the customer doll and have sewed it wrong twice so I walked away for a while and then will have to tear it apart again.

[poochemio]

My tailor teacher told me at the start of every class, your seam ripper and your iron are your best friends. True, but sometimes...

The well after 4 hours of my landlady and a helper messing with it today, is hopefully on better working condition but a new motor for the berm which is what extracts the iron oxide from the water needs replacing so it is ordered and maybe if we are lucky will come in next week. It's all new stuff to me so I found it interesting to watch all the stuff they were doing. When the helper went home for a test kit he brought his wife back and we had a pleasant chat. Ann put in a bunch more mint for me that she dug out of a customers bed. I told her whatever needed a new home was fine with me here. Mint Juleps on Derby Day are a huge tradition with me, I even have Julep cups.

Eva has a good idea there, make granola bars to sell it's something you can eat, and if hubby wants them with his lunch then you don't have to make cookies etc. I bet you could come up with endless variations on that theme as much as you have baked!

So I guess my laundry can sit in the car until tomorrow, I really don't feel like messing with it this late. At least it's sorted into baskets and ready to go first thing in the morning, and there is that breakfast place that I like that closes at 1:30 so I rarely make it, hmmmm I feel a theme coming on here.

[EvaJ]

My seam ripper is my best friends some days It took 3 times to get the slip right but it is now finished. Next is the play dress and it will have some fake smocking on it. I found out how to do it on the sewing machine when I was going through my books the other day.

[blestlady]

Just dropping by........Eva, doing a good job on the doll clothes. The doll is great!

Debby, yes, I worked on the blanket a little last night and more when I got up at 5 a.m. after I read awhile. And now have to get back to it.........

Just wanted to check in. Hello to all.........

[EvaJ]

We had a really bad storm last night about 11pm. Wind, rain, thunder and lightening. It sounded like hail too but I couldn't see any on the ground when I turned the porch light on. We had had rain early in the evening too. Today is chilly, cloudy and misty. Good day to stay in but we decided we wanted to go out for breakfast. We never go out to eat anymore but for the last couple of weeks we had been talking about going to the casino for their 99 cent breakfast. Ham, eggs, toast and hash browns. Something we don't fix at home so today was the day. In the end it didn't cost us anything as we had comps on our player cards so it was breakfast on the casino today. Usually the line is so long that it would be an hour of waiting but today no line and so we got right in. They were busy but I guess getting the people in and out fast.

I got my pattern I ordered from Etsy for a 22 inch betsy wetsy doll outfit. I have a new customer and I needed a pattern as I don't have that doll. The pattern is from 1960. Now I will be able to make the clothes and they should fit. fingers crossed.

Now it is time to go see what I can do on the dress for the big doll that I have been working on. I keep changing my mind as to how I want it to look.

[poochemio]

I think we are getting that weather today, it is grey and gross and windy. There was a high wind warning earlier so no laundry again today. So I decided to get out some of my summer clothes and put up most, not all or my winter clothes. Of course my nice full summer skirts needed ironing so I put the music on and voila all are ironed but two I found later. Working on shortening my over the top day of the dead curtains to fit the two doors with French style windows. Of course the box of trim had to come out to see if I could find more to replace what is getting cut off...I don't know I may have come up with a new fix idea while typing, yes I think I did, see you girls inspire me just typing a message to you!!!!!

Eeeeekkkk I just went out and the wind is cold! Time to put on some of the warmies and go cut flowers again, they are talking snow and rain in the next 36 hours and I may as well have the brightness of the flowers to warm me inside.

Later if my fingers don't get too frosty!

[blestlady]

Hello again......working on the blanket still. Should have tried harder to get it done for tomorrow, but the baby isn't due till June and it isn't a real shower, just leave gifts on the table so I'm not real upset about it. Will work on it tonight as long as I can.

Warm and sunny today and tomorrow. I have the den doors open and the living room windows. The rash had quieted down a lot this morning till I went outside and cleaned pollen off the porch swing and the rockers at the back door and den patio area. Now my face is itching again a lot.

Wow, Margo, snow and rain? Stay warm. We did get some frosty nights this week, even down to 20's one or two nights, and some windy chilly days but no snow. And it's warm again now.

Have a wonderful Sunday if I don't get back here tomorrow..........

[DrDebby]

Eva, you aren't the first one to mention making granola bars to sell. DH suggested I dip them in chocolate. I so understand having a seam ripper close by. Glad you got that slip made. See sometimes it pays to go out in bad weather. You got right in for breakfast.

Margo, the well gets fixed and works properly. Sorry about your spring weather turning cold and wet. It's just that time of the year. Weather is an unknown from day to day, even morning to afternoon.

Hi Bonnie, glad you stopped by. Good luck on getting the blanket done.

Having another off day today. I'm beginning to suspect the flour mixtures I've bought for GF cooking. I may be having issues with one or more of the ingredients. So, it's time to back off and see if I can identify the culprit. Especially since DH confessed he's been having problems too. Neither of us feel particularly ill, just uncomfortable in the gut. It seems to be hitting me harder, because DH is going off to work and I'm doubled over at times here at home. If he was doubled over, he'd be home too.

Well, here we are having a gorgeous spring day. Not too hot, not too cold. White puffy clouds in a brilliant blue sky. Makes me think of gardening. Notice I said "think". Actually today I'm reading my botanical illustration books. I realized that Margo is absolutely correct. If I want to get good at it, I need to be doing something about it. I've got my model now and will be sketching this afternoon, learning the structure.

[poochemio]

I just made this lengthy post and got a message that I was forbidden access to this forum?

[poochemio]

And now I can post, who knows, I'm too tired to repeat it all.

Good for you Debby, play with those colored pencils! Have some fun with em every day.

I had a very long and productive day, time for a slice of pizza and a book on the couch with the dog.

Nighty night all

[EvaJ]

Now for the progress on the doll I am working on. I have all the clothing made, chemise, bloomers, slip, dress and apron but not the bonnet for her day outfit. She is at this point ready to help mom in the kitchen.

[poochemio]

Eva! She is wonderful. Maybe her mother will want a whole wardrobe to go in her steamer trunk. After having to make patterns for it that would be cool.

So I couldn't let you and Debby be the only ones to wield their seam rippers so I had a ripping good time yesterday. I had these fabulous mens dress shirts I bought some time ago. They all had this wonderful textured Italian cotton, I had intended to paint them. Well I'm over that for now but in this sun and with my fair skin some lightweight long sleeved shirts is a good thing. But I hate stiff collars and some of them were funky anyway so I decide rip out the stitches in the collar stands and remove collars and sew the stands back together simple huh? Not!!!! They used very small stitches with very thin polyester thread, I have no idea how much time I spent on this project but it wasn't quick. It was starting to get dark by the time I finished so restitching is todays project, than and I'm going stitch all the plackets down on all my shirts that they neglected to do that on, a real fetish with me, I hate the way the things roll in the wash and won't wear them until ironed...
which segues into my other project yesterday and why I was so tired last night. I started unpacking the bins of my summer clothes and my lovely full skirts were wrinkly, so I ironed all 20 who knew I had so many, every summer I make myself at least 3 new skirts and that adds up. So just as I thought I was done ironing I opened up another bin and there were the things that are a size too small and low and behold underneath were my missing pants! To say I did a joy dance was an understatement. Underneath the pants were all of my western shirts, and I have some cool ones, plus a few I have been hankering to applique and embroider over. Of course I had to iron all of those and my summer capris. So today out comes my trusty beloved sewing machine and the white shirts will be functional and some mending done and curtains shortened. Hopefully there will be enough time in the day left to tidy up a bit cause it looks like Hurricane Chaos aka Margo has blown threw my house. I am a happy camper though, I hope all your projects have made you as happy this weekend.

[EvaJ]

Margo is sewing and I bet even with all those summer skirts you have that you will be making more this year. Pictures of the shirts when you get done, please.

John was restless this morning and wanted to go out so we went to Goodwill and then the Antique Mall. We don't usually go to the antique mall because it is so over priced but we stopped today. Found a doll and doll tea set at Goodwill and two dolls at the antique mall.

Then when we got home an email from a friend said a lady had quit doing shows and she had some folding display units to give away. I called her and we drove out to get them. Wasn't far from us. Nice wooden stained units (2) and two plastic 3 step units to use on a table. All free as they were just going to throw them away. Now I have to find home in the shed to put them in there. No room in the house although I wish there were because I could use more doll shelves.