More Sewing...

I bought this fabric months ago to make the 2 year old a pillow case.

She has loved Curious George since she was 9 months old.

BEFORE and THE TOOLS

THE PROCEDURE

I changed the thread from black to white.

Sewed 3 seams.

Done!

AFTER...

FACET #13

FAMILY TRADITIONS

An ideal homemaker will encourage family traditions to add color and depth to the great picture she is painting. Instead of her home being just a "short-order house", it will be a hallowed place where children learn life's great lessons, gain proper values, and build memories which will enrich their lives and help determine their destinies.

Fixing the Crib Bumper

I have to be honest

Doing projects in the Summer

Really brings me down.

BEFORE...

It's time to put this away.

I decided to repair it before retiring it to the storage room.

So unlike me.

THE TOOL

Isn't this the cutest little Frisbee invitation.
No I did not create it...I could never have come up with something so clever.


THE PROCEDURE

I began sewing on the ties that had been pulled off.
I noticed quite a few of the other ties were coming loose so I reinforced all of those too.


About halfway through I had to stop and grab a handful of peanut M&M's.
I think I could live on them, if it ever came to that.

AFTER...

D says On Mondays and Wednesdays I also dust throughout the house, dust mop the floors, shake the scatter rugs, sweep porch and walks, vacuum in vital areas, and keep up the ironing and mending. (I mend many articles while talking on the phone.)

I'm not a big fan of talking on the phone.

I do like to text while I mend.

Once every 2 years, usually on a Tuesday.

More Sewing

Happy July!

6 months down 6 months to go!

BEFORE...

The little boy needed some patches sewn on his baseball uniform.

THE TOOL

THE PROCEDURE

I yelled to the daughter to bring her sewing machine upstairs.

I loaded the thread.

Called the little boy to ask him where exactly I needed to put the Cal Ripkin patch.

Pinned on the patches.

And began to sew.

Aside from the overwhelming guilt I felt as I thought about all the scouting patches that never made it onto the boys uniforms, the sewing went pretty smooth.

Didn't have to unpick not once!

AFTER...

The flag looked great.

The Ripkin --don't look to close.

Moving on to FACET #8

TRY THE OLD WAYS -- TRY THE NEW

An ideal homemaker is prepared to perpetuate the good things she learned in her own home and is ever alert to new ideas and hints which will make her work more effective and help her to be and increasingly better homemaker.

The daily newspaper, magazines, booklets, neighbors, and mothers are fine sources of "Hints for the Homemaker." It's a good idea to make a file or indexed scrapbook of practical ideas for future reference.

Buttons

Not a fan of sewing buttons back on...

the brown pair of shorts lost a button a couple of years ago.

The white pair a year ago.

I love these shorts...so much that I bought a black and camo pair as well.

BEFORE...

THE TOOLS

The 5 year old thought her new $5. bargain swim suit from Old "Havey" would be a great splash of yellow. And it is!

THE PROCEDURE

Found a needle and some thread and went to work.
As I sewed I thought about all of the fun things I'm going to do with my sister Tricia who is here from Texas for a visit. I was also thinking I should have went to visit her instead of her coming here--then I wouldn't have to do any projects.

AFTER...

D says A choice young mother says she and her children look forward all year to wintertime when they can dress up in snowsuits and have a glorious time building snowmen, making igloos, and sliding down snow hills of their own making.

This choice "young" mother looks forward to summertime...when there's less laundry and lots more playing!

A Sewing Project

You know it's going to be a good day when...

You have this for breakfast!

BEFORE...

About a year ago I made my niece Lyla Rebecca (my first niece ever to be named after me :) a rag quilt. I had some squares left over and had good intentions of making burpers for baby gifts.

THE TOOLS


THE PROCEDURE

This was the first time I'd used the daughters sewing machine.
I was IMMEDIATELY reminded why I don't sew much.
It's just one mistake after another.


I'm pretty much a professional seam ripper!




Another mistake...

I added an extra square to this row...more unpicking.

And another mistake...sewed these two rows together the wrong way. It was supposed to look like this...

I could try to explain how to make these quilts but I can't imagine it coming out in a way you could understand...so if you'd like to make one they are very easy and you could probably find instructions on the Internet.

Once I got in a groove I cranked them out pretty fast...I even began humming to myself and thinking happy thoughts...sewing can do that for you when you're actually sewing and not unpicking.

Once I had everything sewed and the edges snipped I washed and dried them to make the edges "fray".

AFTER...

Check it out, I made 9 in one afternoon!

And only 1 of the 9 has an obvious mistake, not bad.

(Nevermind that I could have probably made double that had I not done all that unpicking)

A big thanks to the daughter for buying herself a new sewing machine after breaking mine.

A big thanks to the mother-in-law for teaching me how to make a rag quilt and letting me borrow her scissors.

And a big thanks to the husband for working hard so I could buy the fabric to make these very cute baby burpers!

D shares a poem about gratitude

Thank God for dirty dishes,

They have a tale to tell;

While other folks go hungry,

We're eating very well.

With home and health and happiness

We shouldn't want to fuss,

For by this stack of evidence,

God's very good to us.

"Dear Abby" column

This one is my favorite.