Puppet Theatre Creation

Recently, I got to escape to play and create with #1 Grandson! DD had torn out a page from a magazine on a 'hang in the door' puppet theater, so that was our project. Here we are having a great time sewing it...which he LOVED being artsy-craftsy as he is. The machine is one I gave my daughter at the end of my shop days - a Brother - which is a GREAT machine. I got it 'out of the closet' and gave it a good run - since it never sees the light of day otherwise...
Maybe SOME day!

Anyway..... he had a great time deciding on the ribbons to create 'stripes' on the theatre. And he was just pretty durned right one when it came to 'if that color matchded the other ones' or not! That's my Boy!!!! He actually wanted to paint on the stripes - but I convinced him that then it would have to dry and we wouldn't be able to finish.

The heavy denim was a great background. On the magazine version, the curtain was gathered along the top - ughhhh - it would have to stay tied back for the 'show'. So I engineered this so the curtains could easily be opened and closed...
It is heavy piping cord knotted and stitched onto the outside stage 'frame', and then plastic cafe rings stitched to the top of the curtain. For that I used that 'button-sewing-on' stitch that is on so many machines. You can also see here how it is hung 'taut' inside the laundry room to the family room/kitchen area so that he has a ready 'audience' . Ahhh - and see those kitchen cabinets in the background...I claim transforming those from mediterranean dark wood to current light colors. After that painting/antiquing, I decided NOT to do my own cabinets! They do look good though...

Sew.... here's the end result. Lamb Chops there on the right - a gift to daughter from my very creative and clever Sister-in-Law retired Kindergarten teacher who does great things with puppets and plays...and on the left - a puppet 'creature' that Grandson created from the goodies his great Aunt had provided - starting with a green sock.

Back to hopefully the last day on re-working and adding to my own book on Creative Sweatshirt Jackets, as current inventory is about depleted. Tuesday next finds me on a plane to Puyallup, WA for the Sewing & Stitchery Expo... and the beginning of a VERY busy month of travels around the country.

Sewing for Russell - My Grand-Dog!

OK - so I was at the fabric store looking through the pattern book to find the Simplicity Apron pattern I'd used for my daughter - as I had been requested to stitch up another one - this time with a 'top' to it - and I came across ALL these pet clothes patterns! ... This is one of 7 views in Simplicity 9520.

You seee - my DD and wonderful hubby decided to add a DOG to their family - no less than about 2 weeks after they moved into their new house no less -- so now I have a Grand Dog.
He's pretty cute though - I gotta say. He and my #1 Grandson play so cute together. So now my baby has a house, a yard, AND a dog. Very 'Lassie' plan I'd say. I just wish the world were like it was during 'Lassie' episode days and he could go out and run the neighborhood and play!

Anyway - back at the store, then... I saw this Indianapolis Colts polar fleece - so I was off and running. Russell being black, I thought that the bands would be best a blue - but could NOT find a blue ribbing or fleece that would work - so you can't see the bands around his back-end, neck, or front legs, but they are black. I also must admit, it was kinda hard to 'get the picture' of sewing for a dog. Things were quite different as far as 'pieces' go - and it tickled my brain a bit - but that's always a good thing.

The back side curves up a bit to under the tummy - but I have to agree - it needs a 'pee pee' alteration - curving that up a tad more. As it is - they'll just have to fold up the back end when he goes out to 'do his business'. I had stitched it up pretty much - to a fitting stage - to give it to them, and then ran down and finished it off all on the 31st - midst putting a big meal on the table - you get the picture. So then, when the additional 'alteration' was requested - my reply was it would just have to wait!


Sew............there you have it: the "HIT" gift of the Christmas 2010 season. Have fun - sew for your animals!!!

By the way - I stitched this up on my serger - which uses EL needles, which I handle at my website at 25% savings...both in a combo pack of 80's and 90's, or all 80's and all 90's.
Check it out - click on this link: http://www.londas-sewing.com/Schmetz-Serger-Needle-EL705-p20838.html

Materialism and Feminism hurt our kids, Alzheimers observations

Let me vent - as I observe my grandchild's experience, and what is expected from our very young in these days - my observation is that 2 things: feminism (taking women outside the home when children are young) and materialism (the basic reason for the first I think) are really hurting our kids. However, I completely realize that for many there is no choice, as we've had that situation in our family as well - but I'm talking about for those for whom there really IS a choice - if materialism wasn't so rampant.

Gheesh - my hubby didn't even have the chance to go to Kindergarten - it didn't exist! And, I'm sure I didn't hardly know my alphabet, much less know how to write it all when I started kindergarten! I went to a neighborhood school - walking home for lunch with my Mommy. And I certainly didn't ride a bus with a bunch of rowdy older kids to start my day. All made possible because my dear Mom WAS at home!

I praise my daughters' ability to deal with all this, her insight and maturity - and pray that her experiences will make her all that much more wonderful of a teacher herself someday soon. I pray for every young family these days - the daily challenges are more than they should be. Oh, that they all just put the LORD at the head of their homes!

Alzheimers Observations... yesterday I made the time to stay with my mom at the unit longer than usual. She is adjusting very nicely - the people there are so wonderful to her. Once adjusted to seeing through their eyes, the residents there are wonderful packages to unwrap! The lady who claps constantly claps in time to the music! Commenting on her long fingers and asking if she played the piano in the past - I find she certainly did! THEY had to teach ME how to play UNO! Lord, these people are most precious in Your site! Help me see them as You do, and not through my eyes, through my life's expectations. This is what I fear with Obamacare - that life will not be valued in Godly view, but a monetary view only. Save us from that!


All this reminds me that much more to value each and every days' blessings - not as though I deserve a good day, but that I should be ever grateful as a sinner for every good day sent my way rather than one of calamity. As I offer 'things' for sale at my website, my booth as I travel, it all makes me that much more intent to humbly offer creative experience over stuff. I truly believe, as we create - we can, in some small way, get closer to the God that created us!

If you're a Grandma Read this one!

To my friends who are grandparents and those who enjoy a good laugh...

(This was actually reported by a teacher)

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their
holiday away from school. One child wrote the following:

We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They
used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got retarded and they
moved to Arizona. Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted
green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles and wear
name tags because they don't know who they are anymore.
They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it
fixed because it is all okay now, they do exercises there, but they
don't do them very well.. There is a swimming pool too, but they all
jump up and down in it with hats on.
At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man sitting in
it.. He watches all day so nobody can escape.
Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their golf carts. Nobody
there cooks, they just eat out. And, they eat the same thing
every night --- early birds. Some of the people can't get out past
the man in the doll house. The ones who do get out, bring food back to
the wrecked center for pot luck.
My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn his
retardment and says I should work hard so I can be retarded someday
too..
When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the doll house.
Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.

.... PRICELESS

Ramblin'

Been enjoying watching the #1 4 year old Grandson while his Mommy and new hubby are on their honeymoon. Tomorrow is the last day - Boo Hoo!!! Actually, haven't had quite as much time as I'd thought to 'do the parks', swim, etc., as with us both at Vacation Bible School every morning this week, then he's super tired in the afternoon - then I have business to tend to while he sleeps...

Disturbing to me - our local "Tea Party" group has to come up with $450 to cover meeting in a public park on July 5. Insurance, and a permit. Doesn't seem 'American' to me! Grrrr.......

Grating on my ears... "You Guys" every other word out of the mouths of SO many! Waitresses...teachers...young and old! Gheesh - if you're talking to children, call them respectfully 'Boys and Girls' or 'Children'!!! Honestly, when I am served in a restaurant and NOT addressed 'you guys', I compliment the waitress/waiter and tip them MORE! Anything repetitive in speech just says 'un-educated' to me, though I know that is not really the case. Just is a supreme example of 'lapsing' into the common, the fad, and total lack of propriety and respect. That, along with super casual clothing - come on, jeans at a wedding??? - it just is indicative of where our society is going. It makes me sad, just sad. For more 'coverage' - posting this on my FaceBook ...

If you agree - Comment!

Wedding Gown progress!!!!! Granny fun.

I've been making HUGE progress on the gown. Most nights I dream about the next steps. It is turning into a more complicated project than I first thought it would be - but isn't that always the case! Last night - I even plunged in and cut out the lace pieces!

Pardon the layout of this picture - but I was trying to get her in the sunlight from the patio doors to reveal the ever so slight pink tinge to the gown - which we are both delighted with! If you've been following along, you'll know that is from layering the silk taffeta outer fabric over a pale pink batiste. I found when going to baste all the princess skirt sections together, that I couldstillsee the seam allowances, so I also added a layer of china silk under the pink batiste - so the skirt is 3 layers thick, then to be independently topped with our wonderful lace - as shown here. This photo will show the sloped empire line I worked and worked on - and which makes my darling daughter look VERY slim indeed! Please don't dwell on the drag lines - as this bodice is ALL basted together, and I don't have the boning in the side seams of the corset that is underneath all this yet - as OF COURSE, she is working on losing weight! I actually don't plan on stitching the side seams of the bodice at all, much less attach the bodice to the skirt finally until after May 9. The wedding is June 6 - so she's just gonna have to settle for that!

She is thrilled with the silhouette of the back skirt - with the additional pouf we added from the donated crinoline as previously described. See it - well kind of - in the picture on the right below. Sew... this fitting was actually to determine - for positive sure - the exact hemline. I then transfered that info to the muslin skirt pieces - for which I had made one muslin piece for EVERY skirt piece - clearly labelled as to which was the OUTSIDE - and cut the muslin hem OFF at the finished hemline. That enabled me to then utilize those pieces as the pattern pieces when cutting out the lace. I could lay each piece with the exact hemline on the scallopped border of the lace. OF COURSE, though - realize that the lace is straight - and the hemline is curved. But that will be all 'fixed' with cutting and handstitching those lace borders up into place. AND, sure enough - the lace was not symmetrical - not horizontally - NOR vertically. One scalloped edge had a row of lace/flowers above it with 3 flowers, and the opposite scalloped edge had less flowers in the grouping above. SEW... we decided to do the front pieces along one edge and the back pieces along the other - and I will add flowers to theback to 'balance' it - as if anyone other than myself - (and all of you) would EVER know such was the case anyway..........! I couldn't decide on placement of the bodice pieces - which direction, or motifs to center - but I had plenty of lace left for that - so at 11 pm - I decided to wait on those decisions. I'm so glad though that narrowing the circumference of the skirt yeilded ample extra lace and border. We plan to create some delicate straps of the scallop as well.

The fun part then was cutting off the beading and 3 D flowers from the seam allowances of the lace. We plan to scatter the flowers on the veil a bit too (a bargain at $6 from Hobby Lobby on 50% off!).

Jewelry: she seems to see that a simple strand of pearls is all this dress needs - nothing more 'showey'. I have a very sentimental strand that turn out to be the perfect color. She took them along to see if she could match some drop earrings.

OH - and all this on a day when my precious grandson Cole was with me. We had a blast going out to 'puddle stomp' after the rain died down. We also went on a worm hunt - but to our surprise, there weren't worms all over the sidewalks. Sew...we had to dig in the garden. Found 3 - one for him (a white centipede), and then a medium worm he named "Mommy" and a big one he named "Dabee" - her fiance who he dearly, dearly loves. This granny must show a picture...

Oh - and in filling out an application - actually decided I needed to mark the 'grey' box under hair color instead of brown... WHAT A DAY!

Really must get to WORK! The 'Barney' van awaits - packing for the International Quilt Festival show in Chicago I leave for tomorrow...