It's been a while since I posted

Sometimes I just get way too busy and forget to put my projects in here.  I think I'll just post some pictures and explain what they are; that way I'll feel caught up.

This is a skort set I made for Alex for her birthday.

Here is a photo of the back of the top. I edged it with satin ribbon.

This is the skort. It was easier to make than I thought it would be.

I also made her this dress. This fabric had been sitting in my fabric closet for several years and it just hit me when I was looking for fabric to make her birthday dress.

I made these shorts to go under the dress. Anyone with a girl knows this is a good idea.

I made these booties for Annabelle one day last week. She had taken off her socks and her feet were cold.

I used gripping fabric on the bottom. She's trying to walk and this will help her keep from slipping.

The booties are a bit on the small size but they kept her feet warm. That's what I get for not checking the size against her feet.

Unfortunately, Alex's birthday outfits didn't fit, either. So....on to plan B.

This outfit is made for play. I had fun making this one. The yoke and midriff was a lot easier than I thought it would be. It is made in a much different way than one I made for myself a while back. I had really hated that pattern and was relieved to see this one was not as complicated to assemble. If the pants are too snug at the waist, Grandma Kathy can have her neighbor take the elastic out and put in a longer piece. The pants are large enough to do that. It's hard to know how big to make things from 1200 miles away.

I chose an Ottobre pattern for her next dress. It's a jumper and blouse made from the 5/06 issue specifically designed for larger sized girls.

Here is a side view of the sleeve. There is shirring on the sleeve made by wrapping elastic thread around the bobbin and then sewing to make the little gathers.

The wrist area of the sleeve is also shirred. It was much easier than I thought it would be. I had this idea of struggling with the stitching but, fortunately, I thought to practice on scrap fabric first. Now I know I can do it.

I wanted to pick up the eyelet flowers on the denim so I added an eyelet lace at the bottom of the jumper. Like the fabric from the other dress, this denim had been in my closet for several years. I believe I got it on Ebay in, oh, 2003 or so.

This is the first of two pair of boxer-style panties I made for Alex at her request. I guess she doesn't like elastic on her leg folds, so she had asked for undies like her brother's. These only had one layer; I added a full lining so that there wouldn't be raw seams against tender skin. I added the waistline elastic like piping. The legs are done like the legs on regular panties. This is an Ottobre pattern from the 4/04 issue.

This is the second style of boxer briefs. It is from the same Ottobre magazine. I took the boy's long johns pattern and modified it to be like the toddler boy's boxer briefs by shortening the leg piece. Again, not wanting raw seams against tender skin, I doubled the insets on the front and back, making these like I make the crotch/gusset on panties. They went together well. A person or two suggested I modify them more to take the center seam out of the front...I believe I'll wait and see which pair she likes best before I do that. If she wants more of these, I'll alter the pattern a little before I make her more. Otherwise, I won't have to.

Finally, here is a thread catcher I made. I was going to use it for the serger but the pocket is far too small, so I'll use it for my Janome QC4800. I'll modify this pattern to make the pocket for the threads and scraps bigger so I can have one for the serger as well.

Now I feel caught up.  Tired, but caught up.  Too bad I have two more things sitting on the table, cut out and ready to sew!!

God is good.  I sold 14 pads yesterday.  10 are headed for Australia and the other 4 are going to North Carolina.  I guess it's time to restock my Etsy store a bit. 

Bedtime....I see the psychiatrist in the morning.  Good night!

Of grandsons and frogs

This weekend I got to keep Kenny and Patrick overnight.  We had a good time.  We went to the store and got some things and then came home in the rain and mud.  It was no fun getting up the hill.  The rain has made the few inches of unfrozen topsoil more like a mix of quicksand and mud than ground.  I really had to struggle to get my footing.  Now the boys - that was something else.  They are so small and light it wasn't an issue for them.

We came in the house and had some cheap cardboard pizza.  The boys ate well so I gave them M&Ms.  It was bathtime after that and I let them stay in till they told me they were cold.  They got in their new sweats and put on some socks, brushed their teeth and went to bed.  I think they were asleep in less than 10 minutes.

While they were sleeping I made Kenny some new underwear.  This kid doesn't like wearing underwear and he "forgot" to put them on, again.  He doesn't like snug undies against his tummy.  He's been this way since he was sick.  Anyhow, he and his brothers like the underwear I make them far better than store-bought ones made in a third-world country.  First off, they're durable.  Secondly, they're original.  Lastly, I can make them in whatever fabric the boys choose from my stash, and they get a real kick out of it.

So, here are they are.  Once again, I used the Ottobre 4-04 issue, pattern #37, in size 98 this time.  I really like this pattern aside from the fact that the seams are exposed. 

Kenny is delighted with his froggy underwear.  The kid is stuck on frogs with a vengeance.  I think it's probably my fault, at least partially.  His crib set was frogs.  Lots of the clothes I bought him had frogs on them.  His first birthday quilt was frogs, his second birthday present was a stuffed frog, and lots of stuff he has is froggy.  And, when he was in the hospital and wouldn't let Mom take his frog quilt to wash it, I made him another frog quilt so she could wash the first one.  So yeah, it's kinda my fault.

I have a ton of underwear, for boys and girls, cut out and ready to sew.  I need to do them, but first I really want to get A's jacket done.  It's getting cold again and I know she could use it.  I think I will make that my goal for this week.  Once I set to, it will be done in no time.  Then I need to make Alex's birthday skirt, another Ottobre pattern, and a top to go with it.  She's going to love it!  She is in the princess-y phase now and loves all things pink and purple and princess and fairy.  Thank goodness it isn't a difficult theme to find fabrics for.

Okay, off to clean the litter box and then check for eggs.  My life is so thrilling I can't stand it.

Christmas night

We do our Christmas on Christmas Eve. We had turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, crescent rolls, stuffing, cherry and pumpkin pie. We forgot the green veggie. The turkey took 3 hours more than I thought it would to cook. I won't follow the directions on the package ever again. Instead, I'll put it in the oven and let it cook all day like I used to.

Abby and Donovan are getting a divorce. It's not been a fun few weeks. The economy is tough and Abby, who has been a stay at home mom, is trying to find employment so she can pay rent and the like. Being the holidays complicates it because so many places are only open a couple days a week for two weeks, and nobody is calling back right now. Someone she used to work with gave her a lead and we're praying it pans out. Between us, the family members on this side, we'll take care of the boys when she has them and it won't cost her anything. At issue is custody - who has them when, who drives how far and such - as well as dividing up the possessions. It's horrid to have this happen after 6 years of marriage, especially since it involves the same two "friends" that were involved on Donovan's side last time. Now Abby's feeling like she made a mistake to let him come back 4 years ago. However, hindsight is far more clear than seeing through the trees of the present, and I've spent a lot of time reminding her that none of us can see the future. I am praying this doesn't crush her spirit. She has such a sweet spirit...She's going back to school to be a teacher. She was going to do healthcare because it's supposedly faster but I reminded her that her whole life, all I've heard is that she wanted to be a teacher and that I thought that her love of kids would be better served that way and she decided to stick with her original choice. She's going to go to community college for the basics and then transfer to a larger school. It will save money and she can take lots of the classes online.

JR threw a rod in his truck. He kept telling them something wasn't right. I guess he knew what he was talking about. He is officially laid off till after the first of the year, at least. He can't get hold of unemployment, again because of the holidays, when he calls like they told him to do - but the website says if you don't file in a timely manner you can lose benefits. He needs money too...bills have to be paid.

I made way too many things I didn't take pictures of. I made pajamas, t-shirts, a maternity top, sweat pants, underwear, a couple girl's purses, and a nightgown. I am selling one of the girls' purses in my Etsy store. I cut out too many pieces so I decided I might as well just make and sell the extra if anyone will buy it. I guess it's time to take the stockings out of the store for now as well. I keep trying to sell things but nobody seems to want to buy them. It's frustrating.

The dryer quit. It's going to cost at least $300 to replace. I got a crack in the windshield of my car when a little pebble from the sand/chemical truck ricocheted and hit the windshield. That will be another $300 to replace. Then there is the issue of the tires on my car. They are going to need to replaced within the next couple of months.

Still, all in all, God has been good to us. We're all still alive. The kids are healthy. We have roofs over our heads. We have food in our tummies. We have each other. It will work out for the best just like He promises us in His Word.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."(Romans 8:28)

He is faithful and good. We are blessed.

moving on

The diapers are done.

The soakers are done.

I also did a set of soakers for Kenny because he can't decide if he's potty trained or not. He'll be good for a while and then, like he did at my house the other day, he'll sit in his chair and pee on the floor through his clothes. It's not like he doesn't know. He just does it. I made the soakers for him so if Abby needs to use them he has them. She can use them on Patrick when he gets older anyhow, so I only need to make one more size - the size between those and the ones he's in now.

I have the quilts cut out for the twins but I'm lacking the energy and motivation to sew the pieces together and make the blocks. Once I get going it will go quickly. It's just a matter of getting off my backside and starting that first block; sewing that first seam will do the trick.

I have a lot to iron. I just caught up on laundry and most of my dresses and such need to be ironed. I haven't ironed for over a week so now I really just buckle down and get it done. I'll probably do that tomorrow.

The garden is doing well. We have lots of cucumbers and the tomatoes are starting to get ripe.

The pullets should start laying soon. I can't wait to see the multi-colored eggs. It's going to be neat to have blue and green eggs in my fridge. The turkens are large birds and so are the Marans. The Ameraucanas will be smaller birds and they are noticeably more shy and mellow than the Turkens, but more outgoing than the Marans trio. Turkens are inquisitive and smart. Ameraucanas are quiet and gentle with bright eyes and pretty colors - their muffs make them especially cute, and their color combinations are incredible.

I did give two of the Marans cockerels to a lady with a farm. She said they have been good boys. I'm really glad she took them. They have a lot of room to run around and about half as many birds as we do to hang out with. She calls me about every 2 weeks to give me an update.

Life is slowly and surely settling into a routine here. It's all going to be good in the end.

almost done

I got 28 of the diapers done before I ran out of foldover elastic. I also got the 8 soakers finished. I took them to Abby and she started using them right away. She really likes them and it makes me happy that she's using them instead of wasting them. I put a lot of time into those diapers.

Today the rest of the elastic showed up - I ordered more after I ran out. Now I can do the other 8 diapers and get them to Abby. Patrick will have 3 dozen diapers then and all he will need is some liners for when he's a bit older and wets more when he goes, and he'll need some larger soakers (covers) as he grows because the ones I made are quite fitted.

Abby's birthday is Thursday. I got her an outfit that I think she'll like, on clearance at WalMart, which gives me a perfect excuse to get her more things. I'm making her a pair of pettipants to go under her summer dresses to help with the chafing issue, and I found some fabric to make a really cute top from. I'm hoping to have that done by Friday when they come for dinner. We're grilling hot dogs and burgers, I think.

I moved the chickens around today. The young ones, being much more in number, are now in the larger portion of the coop. The 13 older birds are in the smaller part. This is only for about 3 weeks. Once the babies are 16 weeks old I can start feeding everyone layer feed and then they can be mixed together. It will be a little chaotic at first as the pecking order is established, but it will work out. By September I should have about 42 girls laying eggs for me, and 5 roosters who will, hopefully, get along so I don't have to cull anyone. I'm praying they just get along. They're all pretty birds and I don't want to butcher anyone right now.

I need to make banana bread in the morning, finish up the diapers, make the pettipants, and maybe get started on the top. Once her stuff is all done I am going to get started on the quilts for the twins since they turn 5 on August 3 and they get another quilt at 5. C's birthday is the 13th and I'm not quite sure what to give her. I do have some blocks from a round robin I could put together and machine quilt for her if I have time and am feeling up to it. Otherwise, I'm sure I'll come up with something.

I'm going to try to sleep tonight. I pray I can lie down next to hubby in bed and fall asleep. I'm tired of sleeping in the chair.

When the diapers are done and I take them to Abby's house I'll get pics of them and the covers and of Patrick wearing them. He's cute as a button in them. They also lessen diaper rash and are much cheaper to use. I think they're great. I'm making some as soon as I have some time and sending them to an organization that gives them to low-income moms who want to cloth diaper their babies but can't afford it. I think that's a great thing to do. I sure wouldn't want to wear plastic underwear!

wet month

We've been keeping track with the rain gauge. If my counting is right, we had around 16 inches of rain in May. We were 12 inches up for the year by last week. I believe the drought in this area is now officially over.

This morning I got my courage up and went in the chick area outside - the roofed one - armed with the shovel, rake, and broom, and proceeded to rake, sweep, scrape poop, and shovel stuff up. Once I had it at least 75% cleaner, I added some fresh hay and spread it a bit so that it will absorb some of the poop and some of the remaining dampness and then in a few days I can do it again and we'll have a clean outside area for the babies.

I can't do anything for the hens right now outside-wise. The dirt is either dirt or it's mud. They do have much more room inside, though, so they can go in there if they get hot or need a dry place to hang out. We do need to put some perches in there, though, so they have a place to sit that's not on the ground. Maybe I can come up with something.

I've been sewing a lot. I made a new dress, some headcoverings, a jumper, a blouse and a nightie for me as well as a jumper for Becky and a top and shorts for Abby. It's good to feel up to sewing. This week I need to start on June's birthday presents. Kenny will be 3 on the 15th and Tobie will be 7 on the 21st and they both need quilts...Kenny's will be a quillow and Tobie is getting a denim/flannel rag quilt since he outgrew the one I made him when he was younger. He asked for it specifically so that's what I'll make him.

I did call Tech Support and they helped me rig up this computer the right way so that the mouse isn't acting all whacky and the internet doesn't keep shutting down all the time. I'm most of the way adjusted to it now. In fact, the regular computer feels weird. Today I went to Walmart and got some stuff and picked up a dinner lap tray thing they had there to put the laptop on. I didn't know you're not supposed to put it on your lap or it can overheat. Now I'm not using a kid's tray...the one I had been using had given me a bruise from where the folded up leg piece rubbed against my knee.

I'm so blessed...yes I am...God is good.

more sewing done

This is the quilt I made for Ashley for her birthday. It was actually supposed to be for her first birthday, but somehow I goofed and missed it. I did make her a dress or two, I think, but she didn't have a quilt that fit any more. Now she does.



These are the boxers I made for my son in law for his birthday. He laughed when he saw them. He let the boys pick out the first pair he wore. Kenny picked the two-colored fish ones. I did get a message from Abby that he said they are extremely comfortable and soft. That, I'm sure, comes from using quilt-shop-quality fabric.



This is my gray-and-white set. Hubby really likes the look of these. They are really comfy, but the foldover elastic hasn't got the same stretchability as the old fashioned elastic you put in casings, so the whole set is a bit more relaxed than the first one is. Still, I really like it. It's nice to have stuff that fits.

I have another bra cut out now. I dyed the pieces and they are almost dry. This is the smaller pattern that I had ordered because my size didn't come in the smaller cup. I had to add 2 inches to the band in the back. I did it in several places so hopefully it won't be really obvious where I did the alterations.

I have Jimmy's quillow cut out, and - I think - 5 shopping bags made of denim to take grocery shopping with me. I got 5 bags out of 2 yards, and the fabric was only $2 a yard at Chinamart, so they cost me $0.40 cents apiece plus thread and labor. Not bad! I'm just tired of all the plastic. We throw away so much stuff in this society...

My tummy has been upset tonight. I stayed up till it settled down so I didn't keep hubby awake with getting up and down to go to the bathroom. Now that it's pretty much quiet, and I'm pretty much half frozen, I think I'll go to bed.

A blessed Easter to you all.