Saturday, December 29, 2012

Sock it to Me!

2012 is Ending - Good Bye!

I hope to get caught up on life in the New Year!

I have had a couple of rough months.  November 21 my dad passed away from a 2 year battle with cancer!  My mom stayed with us for a month, as we did not want her to spend the Holidays alone.  My husband and I took her home and helped clean out my dad's woodworking shed.  Big boys have big toys.  She is getting the house ready to sell and as soon as she does she will move to the senior "Tower" here in Flat Rock.

Didn't do much sewing lately but I have been knitting.  I made a sock - yes one sock!  It was a disaster!
As you can see it is a little out of whack!!!!

I didn't give up.  I put it aside and started another pair.  For smaller feet and a little guy who loves socks. 
These turned out much better!  The instep part still isn't right, I don't think, but at least they both turned out to be the same size!  



I did take the first one apart and am making another small pair for my 1 year old grand daughter.  They may just turn into a pair of leg warmers for her chubby little legs.

Speaking of socks.  Have you encountered the new fad with teenagers?  They are wearing miss matched socks!!!!  What's more you can buy them that way!   How crazy is that!?

I have finished one quilt.  It was a reversible one Batman/Spiderman!   With a matching pillow case!
The smile says it all!!!

Little sister thinks it's a great place to finish that bottle!


Feels great grandma!


That's all for this entry.  Hope to be back soon!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas or your special Holiday.  And everyone have a blessed New year!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

YESTERDAYS!

A friend sent me this and I liked it so much I am placing here for all to see!  It makes you lonf for SOME of the things for the olden days!


WASN'T THIS US ?

 
A little house with three bedrooms,
one bathroom and one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push
to make the grass look neat.

 
In the kitchen on the wall
we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things,
someone was always home.

 
We only had a living room
where we would congregate,
unless it was at mealtime
in the kitchen where we ate.

 
We had no need for family rooms
or extra rooms to dine.
When meeting as a family
those two rooms would work out fine.

 
We only had one TV set
and channels maybe two,
But always there was one of them
with something worth the view.
For snacks we had potato chips
that tasted like a chip.
And if you wanted flavour
there was Lipton's onion dip.
Store-bought snacks were rare because
my mother liked to cook
and nothing can compare to snacks
in Betty Crocker's book.

 
Weekends were for family trips
or staying home to play.
We all did things together --
even go to church to pray.

 
 
 
 
When we did our weekend trips
depending on the weather,
no one stayed at home because
we liked to be together.
Sometimes we would separate
to do things on our own,
but we knew where the others were
without our own cell phone.
Then there were the movies
with your favourite movie star,
and nothing can compare
to watching movies in your car.

 
Then there were the picnics
at the peak of summer season,
pack a lunch and find some trees
and never need a reason.



Get a baseball game together
with all the friends you know,
have real action playing ball --
and no game video.

 
Remember when the doctor
used to be the family friend,
and didn't need insurance
or a lawyer to defend?

 
The way that he took care of you
or what he had to do,
because he took an oath and strived
to do the best for you.
Remember going to the store
and shopping casually,
and when you went to pay for it
you used your own money?

 
 
Nothing that you had to swipe
or punch in some amount,
and remember when the cashier person
had to really count?

 
The milkman used to go
from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more
than going to the store.

 
There was a time when mailed letters
came right to your door,
without a lot of junk mail ads
sent out by every store.
The mailman knew each house by name
and knew where it was sent;
there were not loads of mail addressed
to "present occupant."

 
There was a time when just one glance
was all that it would take,
and you would know the kind of car,
the model and the make.


 
They didn't look like turtles
trying to squeeze out every mile;
they were streamlined, white walls, fins
and really had some style.



 
 
One time the music that you played
whenever you would jive,
was from a vinyl, big-holed record
called a forty-five.

 
The record player had a post
to keep them all in line
and then the records would drop down
and play one at a time.

 
Oh sure, we had our problems then,  just like we do today
and always we were striving, trying for a better way.
Oh, the simple life we lived still seems like so much fun,
how can you explain a game,  just kick the can and run?

 
And why would boys put baseball cards between bicycle spokes
and for a nickel, red machines had little bottled Cokes?

 

 
 
This life seemed so much easier and slower in some ways. 
I love the new technology but I sure do miss those days.
So time moves on and so do we and nothing stays the same,
but I sure love to reminisce and walk down memory lane.
With all today's technology we grant that it's a plus!
But it's fun to look way back and say,
Hey Look, guys, THAT WAS US!
 


Have a good day & keep on stitchin'
Pat

Friday, October 5, 2012

JUST CATCHING UP!

I had a great weekend!  The Sewing Chicks spent the weekend at a fantastic Bed & Breakfast (and lunch and dinner)!  The owner Jan was a true Hostess with the Mostess!   The place was beautiful and the food was delicious!  It was in Jackson County - The Hankard Inn. 

The top picture is the original building with the dining room addition.  That is where we all of our fantastic meals!
Below is the barn.  There were 3 floors, the lower floor was where our sewing stations were set up.  Easy loading and unloading of all of the equipment!
The second floor consisted of a central kitchen and living room (the windows in the center of the building) with four bedrooms on the perimeter.  Only a short flight of stairs to this floor.  Up another flight of stairs to other rooms.  every room had it's own character!



This was my room.  Jan did all of the decorating and made all of the quilts.
Below are some of the other rooms!

This is the room that we shared the bath with!

The balcony was a great place to display the projects that we finished!


This is the kitchen area.  The meals were so great from Jan that this wasn't needed - except you know quilters we need nourishment at all hours and between meals!


This is the large windows you see from the front of the building.
There are touches of Christmas all over the place.  Pictures in frames of Santas, the tree or a figurine.  It was wonderful!




Til next time, Keep on stitchin'
Pat

Thursday, June 14, 2012

GUILD'S RAFFLE QUILT FINISHED!


WESTERN WAYNE COUNTY 2012 RAFFLE QUILT


It is finally finished!  It seems like it took forever but in reality it was pretty quick!  This is the final result.

I was the chairperson and I had members make a basic block (with certain guide lines), Everyone was given small pieces of the same fabrics (burgundy and brown) and then asked to make a crazy square.  They had a  choice from several sizes.  They could embellish any way they liked - by machine or hand.  If they didn't want to embellish they could turn it in and someone else would do the embellishing.  Well as it turned out not that many liked doing their own embellishing!!

I then sewed them into 12 sections.  I had 2 super helpers - Phyllis and Sherri - we then took the larger sections and embellished to our hearts content!  Between the 3 of us we "dolled" it up!  I then sewed the sections together and "tacked" it to a solid brown backing.  I did this on my long arm frame with my 17" Bailey Home Quilter.  My husband helped clip all of those threads or jump stitches!  I then put a 1 inch binding on using the same brown that was used in the squares!

Later I will show some up close pictures of some of the free standing lace & motifs that I made on my embroidery machine!

Now we just need to sell the tickets and pick the lucky winner in October!!!!

If I do say so myself it is a stunning quilt!

What do you think?

Sunday, April 22, 2012

DOLL DRESSING

I am a doll loving adult!   I love the American Girl dolls.  I personally own 4 of them!  I also love making them cloths.  I do not like Barbie doll cloths - way too small - but the AG dolls are just the right size. 
    When my youngest daughter was small there was a doll called "My Baby Beth" and she was so cute.  She came with a pattern for making perfect fitting cloths.  She was very soft, the body was made from foam rubber and was very squishy.  Not sure what happened to her but I am sure the older brother had a lot to do with her demise!

I found this blob about her at:
 http://www.dollinfo.com/fpbabies.htm

Isn't she the cutest thing?

I've been lucky enough to acquired this darling "My Baby Beth" to add to my collection.  Original release date was 1978.  I found her in her original pink box.  She looks to have never been played with, as she is perfect. She came in her box which is quite worn. Included with each doll was a pamphlet telling how to care for her and a sewing pattern to make her an extra outfit.
 fpbethfl250.JPG (49122 bytes)


Here are some pictures of some of the outfits that I have made for my granddaughter's doll.





  These are some sweaters that I crocheted.  They were made from a hexagon - 2 per sweater.  I then used the eyelash yarn to make the "fur" on the edges.  I made one set for each of my granddaughters. 
Here is the pattern I used:
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/hexagon-jacket.html

I am now making this version for my 6 month old granddaughter:
http://yarn-tails.blogspot.com/2009/02/hexagon-baby-jacket-ruffles-or-ribs.html

I am not sure what size needle I used but the yarn-tails blog gives you some measurements and you can adjust accordingly for the dolls.

I am now trying to acquire the baby girl twin for my newest granddaughter.  I have the little boy - he looks just like her older brother - but I hate to say I have not made any clothes for him yet and I have had him for almost 2 years!  Better get busy!

Have fun no matter what your creative skills are!!!  We are all good at something!!!

Friday, April 6, 2012

MYSTERY IS OVER

LOOK AT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL QUILTS FROM THE MYSTERY TOUR!!!!

I hope everyone had fun with the mystery tour!  I know I did!  Well, here is my quilt and some of the others that played with me.  I can't believe how beautiful they are.
My flowers and trellis quilt, the quilting is finished just needs a binding


Close up of the quilting on my quilt.


Here is Julie Kay's fabric selection on the left and the finished quilt on the right! 
Beautiful!!!


This is Helen's quilt.  You saw her fabric selections earlier.
Love the fall feel you have going here!  Makes you want to go rake leaves!


This is one of Pat Francis quilts.  She is our over achiever!!  She finished 2 tops.  Great job on both of them, Pat!   The colors are fantastic!  The scrappy version, below, is great to use up those scraps as well as the 2 1/2" strips.  Great job!


Thank you ladies for sharing your quilts!  If you are still working on yours, please, send me a picture when you get it finished and I will put it up for all to see - after all - we ALL love to view those quilts!

Take care and keep on stitchin'
Pat


PS - Next time I will show you some of the panels from our Guilds' raffle quilt!