Little Irritations and SFD Leaflet #9 Blouse

My goodness!  Some days have so many issues.  Nothing serious.  Just little irritations.  Like the internet not working AGAIN for the thousandth time.  We've only had it three weeks, and I think it breaks down at least once every day, and sometimes many times a day.  I call for the wonderful so-called "service", and it is like all the others.  Push a 1 -- push a 2 -- hold forever -- push something else -- get disconnected -- scream -- start all over again.  Then you get someone who doesn't know what they are doing.  AT&T has taught all the techs to say "I'm Sorry" and "We Apologize" at least once every 2 minutes.  I was on the phone for TWO WHOLE HOURS this morning.  I kid you not.  I finally insisted that my husband babysit the phone while we were on hold so I could run in and take a quick shower.  When I got out of the shower, we were still on hold.  The girl who was trying very unsuccessfully to help me finally went higher up the ladder.  Those people couldn't help me either, so they FINALLY agreed to send a tech to my house between 12 and 4 today.  Since then, I have had two phone calls telling me the problem is fixed and nobody is coming.  I assured them the problem WASN'T fixed, and somebody better show up.  Our other service, which was cable, may have been a bit slower, but it was dependable.  Jerry couldn't even work here this morning and had to go to our store to borrow a computer.  I have made these calls three times myself, and Jerry made one.  Absurd!

So all that began at 7:30 am this morning.  After the 2-hour call, and after Jerry left, I started sewing on my pretty new Sure-fit Designs Leaflet #9 blouse.  I sat down to sew the ruffle to the front, and I turned the stitch length up to 3 as Peggy advises us to do.  For some reason, my computer decided to sew the tightest stitch known to man -- teeny, tiny, close-together stitches.  I could NOT rip them out if I had to.  I turned the length all the way up, and it still sewed itsy bitsy stitches.  When I sewed BACKwards though, the stitches were fine.  How NUTTY!  I called Robert at Bernina who is a VERY NICE service tech and will actually help you on the phone if he can.  YES!  Great service there!  I need to send him a fruitcake for Christmas.  Does ANYONE actually EAT those things!?

Robert told me to set my machine on the mending stitch and just sew with it for about 2 minutes.  Bless his heart!  He was right.  It worked.  Somehow, it unjammed whatever was going on in the feeddog area. 

Before Jerry left this morning he called me outside to look at our fence.  Somebody hammered 5 inch nails into thin air so, naturally, all 5 have pulled out.  I am waiting for the fence people to show up to fix that also today.

And the lawn guy and his spanish-only crew are here working in our yard.  Very nice people if you could just talk to them!  I say "Hola" and "Gracias" a lot to them.  They are hauling rock in today to put on the side of our house where the sun refuses to shine.  We have been growing a crop of dirt over there for 7 years!  They are also hauling dirt in to other areas of the lawn and then putting sod on top of that. 

AND, Phylly came here to have lunch with me awhile ago!  A rather exciting day, really.  Don't usually have any visitors. 

I better get back to my new blouse so I can show you pictures.  Here is the front with one ruffle sewn on and one pinned on.  The bust darts aren't sewn in yet.   How AWESOME is this dress form!?  I am enjoying it so much.  I wish I could have avoided all the hassle involved, but I am very happy that it all turned out to be something I really like.  I better get back to it.  I seem to be in a "red" season.  I think I bought at least 3 more reds yesterday from Gorgeousfabrics.com. 

I heard somewhere that ruffles are all the rage right now, so that is why I'm putting ruffles to the extent that I can stand them on this blouse.  I don't really care what the current "in thing" is.  I wear what I like on my body. 

Wishing you all a marvelous day!

Hugs, Joy