October 27, 2015

Does Life Ever Hand You Too Many Time Challenges?

     Sometimes life can get busy, not necessarily things you want to do; just things you need or have to do! You know what I mean, well like taking the car in for it's yearly inspection or dropping off/picking up the dry cleaning (which honestly we don't have much off at all which is why it's weird to remember to do it!). These things have to be done and well.... I'm the one that needs to do them because I have more available time to do it. O.K., now let me put this in perspective..... my life seems like it's been this way since February! Orrrrr maybe it's that I just didn't have anything to post about. That's probably the honest truth... plus, I haven't been very organized with my time this past year. So, now it's late in the year and I need to get going.
     My granddaughter and I have started a project that I hope we will have done by Christmas. Her other grandma  has a quilt business. She and a couple of her daughters  sew, hand quilt, and sell quilts at quilt shows, local and not soo local fairs etc.  I have a batch of beautiful Fallish (is that a word? by the look of my spell check it is not! Not to worry, this isn't going to be made into a book!) colored flannels I have been saving for a while to make a huge Ragg quilt with. Actually there is plenty of fabric to make several (depending on the size of course). Soooo, what to do, what to do!  Let's make granddaughters grandma's (me included.... although, I will be making that one myself.... granddaughter will have enough to do making the other grandma's quilt) a quilt! Let's just say.... she was delighted! When her dad kind of scratched his head about why his MIL would be making his mom a quilt, she told him... in no uncertain terms. Dad...... grandma makes quilts for everyone!!! And she sells them too. She needs a quilt for herself! One she didn't make! So grandma and I are making one for her! Enough said; the fact that granddaughter is happy to do this.... makes it all worthwild!
Pictures will be forthcoming.
It's coming up on a busy sewing  time of year for a lot of people, make sure your scissors are sharp and you have plenty of pins, needles and thread. It's sew much easier to get projects done if you don't spend your entire sewing time at the fabric shop because you forgot something. Have fun whatever you are sewing.

February 17, 2015

Don't Be So Hard On Yourself; Life Is A Learning Process

     You know, sometimes most times we can be our own worst enemy.  I had my hair cut and colored the other day. When my daughter (who works at a bank and has her beauty license) asked me how much I wanted cut I just sat there. I was at best wishy-washy. So, she did that thing she does so well; she took it into her own hands. She cut my hair in what I would refer to as a bob. Ever since I was a little girl of around 6 every Summer my gramma would cut my hair in a bob  (or as they called it then a Sassoon)   http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2012/05/vidal-sassoon-dies-but-his-cuts-live-on.html
It was easier to take care.... wash and go! And I lived in the swimming pool at the trailer park where we lived. At the time all my friends, sported long, beautiful hair.... that's what I wanted.... to keep my long hair and continue to grow it out. Not so thought my mom.... less work for the both of us. And so it went. Fast forward to 2015. I have cut my hair, off and on for years. I get it just to the point where it's about to my shoulders and then I get this itch.... off it goes! So, this past week after I had it cut I was a bit dubious about my hair this time. It looked nice, I just wasn't sold yet! I walked myself through a compliment. (Come on now, you've done this right?) And the first thing I found myself doing was making light of the look I now sported. I made some comment like; yeah, I was outside and got my head caught in the lawn mower. Soooo, what I'm saying is.... Why Do We Do This? Most people give compliments genuinely. If they don't mean it; they aren't going to say it. Think about it; do you give someone a compliment ( a real one that is) and not really mean it? Why bother if you don't mean it? And so it goes. Look yourself in the eye (best use a mirror) and practice learning how to take a compliment graciously. If someone tells you that you look nice orrrrr they like what you have done with your hair, except it and thank them! It really does feel nice when someone says something nice to you. If you have sewn a new dress/top/pants (whatever) and you have done your best. Then for Heavens Sake, use your manners and thank the people who think you did a good job.  Don't sit there and point out the mistakes that you think that you have made. To be honest; that will be-little their compliment. Through all the years that I have been sewing, most people who don't sew and even some who do never notice the mistakes.  So what if you made a few mistakes; we all make them. To someone who doesn't sew.... you have accomplished nothing short of a miracle. Also, if you are trying to bring in sewing customers, pointing out your mistakes is just a quick way to loose customers.
Jess from The Sewing Rabbit or
http://www.mesewcrazy.com/2015/02/sewing-is-my-superpower.html
wrote this post on Sewing Is My SuperPower. Check it out! She did a fantastic job.

Basically I guess what I'm saying (because Jess inspired me with her great post) is, the
world can be hard enough on us. Let's not be so hard on ourselves. Look for the good in what you do/are. If you have sewing talent; use it if you like. If not find something else that excites you. Life is a learning process.... and as far as I know; we aren't going to be graded on a curve!  ;)

Oh, and once you have found your talent..... try sharing it or time with someone else. It's a win-win situation.


January 31, 2015

American Girl Sewing for her American Girl Doll

So, my great niece wanted to make a blanket/quilt for her A.G. doll. We rummaged through my stash of fabrics and found a piece of "minky" that she fell in love with. It is soooo soft, she didn't want to put it down. Mind you, it wasn't very big so we had to cut it in half and then seam the sides together to make it wide enough. This in itself was a challenge because minky moved/stretches a lot so it was interesting to watch her sew it. Lets just say it was fun to see how she dealt with it. She didn't do too badly, and in the end, she put a back on it and then took it home to tie it. Whats a quilt without having the two sections tied together or quilted.  I haven't seen the end product so a picture will be forthcoming.