Who Knew?

From the Who Knew department, this video on how dress forms are made. Since I've finally decided I need one (but it won't be custom made), I found this extremely interesting. There are instructions all over the internet on making one yourself - which I've tried and the less said about that the better -- but here's how the pros do it.

Here's the link to the video.

(HT: Gorgeous Fabrics.

Hello everyone.

Dang, it's been 10 days since my last post. Since that time, I have worked, made a skirt, baked bread, worked, gone to a birthday/anniversary party, worked, "landscaped" around the mailbox in the front yard, worked, went fabric shopping, watched a few very bad movies and one pretty good one, watched Season 4 of NYPD Blue, worked...

I have no quilty news to report. Oh, wait.

I can't really talk about this because it's a surprise but I will keep you posted as it progresses. Someone I know is getting a quilt later this spring as a gift. Debra knows about it. I was recruited because the person who thought this up works with me. Another quilter came up with the design which is very ambitious but I think it can be done. I hope so anyway. I guess we could give her the fabric and the design and an I.O.U.

Other good news. My daughter was accepted to the college of her choice. She is sticking to her plan to become a vet. This means 4 years of graduate school at either UGA or Auburn. $$$$$$.

Last night we attended the 50th anniversary/75th birthday party of a dear friend and his wife. (He was 75)> It was very touching because he was totally surprised and overcome with emotion. So many of their friends were there as well as their three sons who live out of state and who are rarely together at the same time. The oldest son grilled a thick steak or two and I'm telling you - it was to die for - it would convert the most die hard vegetarian. Everybody there was pressing him for the recipe which he could not remember because he really just made it up! Also, there was B's famous, delicious roated potatoes and Yorkshire pudding - typical British fare and why, do you ask? They are originally from the UK, as most of their friends who were in attendance were. I think we were the only totally American family there - everyone else was at least married to a Brit. We were honored. And the food was to die for... who says British food is bad? They've never tasted Mrs. B's cooking!

I have a couple of QOV quilt tops going (Debra!); they are totally improvised. I'm just throwing blocks together and seeing what turns out. At the very least, they will be interesting.

I am in the market for a dress form. I have decided there is a consipiracy within the pattern business to drive me crazy. No two size 12-14-16 are the same. My body, since giving birth twice, was never the same. Even when I lost the pregnancy weight, nothing fit. Nothing still fits. nothing in the stores, nothing I sew. So I'm getting a dress form somehow and we'll see if that helps.

And, last but not least, it's PROM season! And DD#2 is going, and GUESS who's making the dress?

This dress, a Vera Wang, was her initial choice. It retails for $280. Bluefly has it for $120 or so.

I am making this by a Simplicity pattern which is virtually identical. I got the fabric on sale from http://www.fabrics.com/ for about $20.00. It's a very high quality satin. Lining and a georgette sash (instead of the ribbon) will probably be another $20-30. About $50-60 overall, with notions and such. We won't talk about the time, that's a labor of love. I'm a bottom line kind of girl anyway.

Simple and elegant; cheap and cheerful!

Varieties of Creativity

Hope this makes you smile!

Goodbye, Colombo

Yesterday my sister-in-law and brother and to have their wonderful 15 year old Bassett, Colombo, put to sleep. He had been suffering from a heart condition for a while. I saw him Saturday and couldn't believe the change - he was heartbreakingly thin and frail. I knew he didn't have much time left.

Basil and Colombo were their second set of Bassetts. The first two lived as long or longer than these two. J&S are such devoted, loving pet owners; indeed, animal lovers in general. Their house is a testament to their caring about all creatures - they collect paintings of wildlife by a famous artist (whom I can't remember).

Here is dear Colombo, as J. calls him "their clown", with his face stuck in an empty food container - many happy memories!


Two of these puppies will be adopted by J&S soon.

Sewing Expo

You'll have to wait for pictures of the loot. My batteries died - in the camera that is. My own batteries are pretty charged.

Vogue Fabrics was there and I could have spent hundreds. Beautiful, affordable fabrics. If only I had time to sew as much as I want to! and space! Wonder if I could convince the girls to double up, and i could have one of their bedrooms? Didn't think so.

It was fun, we walked until our feet were little bloody nubs; stuck around for the prizes but didn't win. SIL went crazy buying patterns and vintage buttons. And fabric, of course.

More later, when the batteries are renewed.

Insomnia

I took a vacation day today (Friday) and immediately felt guilty about it yesterday when I left work. I have so much to do, I'll never get caught up. The last time I had scheduled a day off, I didn't take it. I went to work. My boss even commented that I schedule annual leave, then come to work. I'm not a workaholic, I swear. I don't know what's come over me in my old age. :-)

But today I am determined to stay home and get things done. I have a hair appointment, a birthday present from DH. If I'd known he was going to do this, I would have scheduled a massage to go along with it, something I've always wanted to do and my salon offers them at a pretty good price. Or a facial. Something extra. But getting my hair done will be a big lift. I hate it when it gets long and shaggy, that doesn't work for me any more. I have been using the same hair salon for 34 years. I used to go to the owner but he got to be way too expensive. I've changed stylists a number of times, as they've moved on, but stayed with the same shop.


I will be 59 in 4 days. I can't quite grasp that yet.

Tomorrow some friends are treating me to breakfast. Then my SIL and I are going to the Sewing and Quilt Expo. I attended last year - when I think, as a matter of fact, it was snowing a little but I went anyway - and enjoyed it. I'm glad Judy is able to go with me, it'll be a lot more fun with someone along. She's gone a little crazy in the fabric buying department, though. We may also pay a visit to Discover Mills, which I've heard a lot about but have never visited. Lawrenceville is WAY out of my stomping grounds - although I was just there Tuesday, on a visit to the library.

So Saturday will be a full, fun day with my favorite person, Judy. And this is getting to be a lot of sleep deprived, caffeine induced babbling so I'm going to take myself to the couch, put on a movie and see if that doesn't lull me back to sleep. Good thing I don't have to work today isn't it?

Finished

I can't look at this quilt any more. The more I look at it, the weirder it looks. It is completely improvised and i'm not good at that.

I hope that once it is quilted, it will look better. Maybe' I'm over critical.

I'm glad it's finished, I don't think I could have sewed one more piece of fabric to it. I ripped out as much as I added.

I hope some soldier somewhere likes it.

Teaser

Today we had a snow storm down here in the sunny south, maybe a couple of inches. Thankfully it did not hamper traveling on the roads but it's cold, wet and now windy. maybe the roads will be dry tomorrow. It was a very pretty snow, big fat flakes. My daughter is hoping everything freezes tonight and schools will be closed.

I had a productive day. I finished the quilt from hell (while watching Season 2 of "24"), baked 3 loaves of bread, cleaned behind the stove, read the paper, and grocery shopped - early, before the snow. Gosh, we were running low on everything: coffee, wash powders, cat litter, cat food, tooth paste, mouth wash, soap - you name it. All the essentials. We left BJ's a lot better off than when we got there.

After the snow, I walked down to Kroger and bought a paper. DD#2 came along and wanted macaroni and cheese for lunch, the orange stuff in the box.

So I'm pretty tired, too much to take pictures of the demon quilt but will post them on my regular Wednesday show and tell, for all my legions of fans. It's very windy outside and those tall skinny pine trees behind my house look like they're going to snap.

Next weekend is the sewing expo here in Georgia and I'll be going with my sister in law. I had a good time there last year.

I'm ready for a hot shower and bed.