Happy Birthday Jerry!

Today, my hubby turns 68 years young!  I told him to go out and look at his new truck and all of its accessories and enjoy his birthday.

I did send him two Blue Mountain birthday cards, but ....

I was standing by his computer when he opened them.

He had NO SOUND, so the birthday cards didn't work right.

I had to ask him to turn his sound on and watch them again.











I need to plan something special for his dinner tonight.  I think I have some steaks in the freezer.

Hold on while I run and get the steaks out of the freezer.........

Okay,

I'm back.

NO STEAKS anywhere!  All I could find was chicken breasts and hamburger meat.  Looks like I'll have to go to town for some birthday groceries.

MAYBE I will bake a cake.

Hold on while I run to the pantry....

NO!  No cake either!

It is sure going to be a boring birthday if I don't get out of this chair and head to the grocery store.

BY THE WAY,
I missed a post yesterday and Sunday, BUT I have to tell you that Matthew Hagee preached the most MARVELOUS, WONDERFUL sermon.

It was entitled "When was God at His best?"

I thought that was the strangest title!  I thought to myself, "God is ALWAYS at His best.  He never changes."  I couldn't wait to hear what Matthew had to say.  It truly was wonderful.

You may remember -- if I told you -- that Jerry's brother has been here for his third attempt at rehab from drug and alcohol addiction.  When he is here I INSIST that he go to church on Sunday which is upstairs on our big screen via the internet.  He was supposed to stay for 30 days, but he headed back to his house this morning.  We begged him to stay, but he said he just could not handle our Christian beliefs.

How SAD is that????

Anyway, Matt's sermon this Sunday was straight from the Throne of Almighty God for Don.  I thought SURELY, it would hit him like a lightning bolt and awake his diseased spirit.

MAYBE it did.  MAYBE that is what made him so uncomfortable.  I don't know.  We have been praying for him for 40 years.  SURELY, God is at work in his messed up heart and mind.  He is very ill from all the abuse his body has been through.  Blood pressure 227 over 127.  We expect him to just konk out any moment!  He has been to the doctor and the ER.  They just send him home. Probably don't want to mess with his addiction.  I don't know.

You may recall, we buried Jerry's other younger brother just a few months back.  He died an alcoholic.  We pray Jerry's only other sibling doesn't meet the same fate.

If you want to hear the awesome message by Matt, you can hear it at www.getv.org.  Just click around until you find last Sunday's sermon.

I better get going.  I'll be back tomorrow.

Have a FABULOUS day!

Hugs, Joy

Simplicity 1539 "Muslin" - My Latest Wadder

Yes, this top was destined to be a wadder when I ran out of fabric.  I just assumed I could grab another piece of knit and "color block" it.  I stayed with it thinking that just MAYBE it might look good once I got the sleeves in.

Jerry came upstairs to ask me something, and I had this blouse on.  I asked him how he liked it.  He looked at it for several seconds and then announced:

"It looks VERY strange, Joy."

I am wearing it now, but it is about to be discarded.  I may cut the fabric off the bottom to use for something else, but I can't imagine what.  After all, I didn't have enough to make this blouse -- how could I make another one?

Here is a short video of me showing you the completed blouse and the issues I am having with it.

Wave goodbye to it!

Other than this blouse and a few emails back and forth from Phylly, who by the way TOLD me she didn't like this pattern before I made it, I have washed and folded all the laundry and had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch.

Terribly exciting, I know!

I still like the pattern enough to try it one more time.  Or maybe I will choose a different view to make.

Jerry's brother is living with us for 30 days for a third round of free rehab.  The other two times were for long weekends.  He made it for a short time, but got right back onto the same sad Merry-Go-Round.  I don't understand that personality, as I am the opposite of it.

A little different here with a live-in brother-in-law, but we are adjusting.

I better go.  Jerry is loading the truck for a trip to Goodwill, and I want to see if I have anything BESIDES this blouse to throw in it.  Just kidding!  I wouldn't want anyone else to see it but you.

Hugs, Joy

A Quick Hello

Hey everyone!

I am SO SORRY about my STUCK video on the Kwik Sew pattern I made.  I think it is fixed now if you want to try to watch it again.  I was able to get it started 3 times this evening.

Jerry and I are back home in Kingston now, and you KNOW what that means.

Yep, sloooooooooooooooooooooooow internet service.

I will be home sewing tomorrow.  I am trying a new pattern.  I'll take some pics and maybe do a short video.  We shall see what the day presents.

Jackie has been home alone all day long because Jerry and I had to work, so I need to go outside and play with her for a while before her 8:00 bedtime.

Until soon,

Hugs, Joy

Kwik Sew 2965 Five Ways

Hi Everyone!

Are you having a perfectly MARvelous Sunday?

Thank God it hasn't become politically incorrect YET to say "church" or "sermon".

I "attended" Cornerstone this morning where Matthew spoke about slaying giants.  He talked about David and Goliath but compared it to the giant of corrupt government, socialism and pure INSANITY happening in America these days.  There is an election coming up, and his purpose was to motivate Christians to VOTE!

I have to admit, I don't even know who is running in my district or for what.  I need to find out where one goes to investigate that and do some research.  Sometimes, you don't have a choice that you really agree with, and all you can do is vote AGAINST the worst choice.

My husband is on his way AS I TYPE, and I am so excited to see him.  It has been two weeks!  The "boxes" I have been waiting for NEVER CAME!  Jerry finally called about them and found out they never shipped.  SO FRUSTRATING, you could scream!  If it would do any good, I would!



Yesterday was a Play Day with Phylly.  She worked on her CLD skirt since she FORGOT her jacket.  She brought everything she needed to finish her jacket BUT the jacket.



I snapped a picture of the HALF-skirt she got done while here.  She is holding fabric that the jacket will be made from above it.  VERY PRETTY!





















You may recall I am making Kwik Sew 2965 for the FIFTH time.  I just happen to have all five tops here, so I photographed them all for you.  Let's see if I can find them.

Here is version #1.

It has short sleeves,
boat neck, and turned under hem at neck and sleeve rather than the binding.

I made some kind of mistake -- probably cut a hole in it -- so I applied the applique to cover it.

I was wearing this in one of my videos.
















Here is version #2 in my favorite type of fabric:  BRIGHT floral.

This is a V-Neck with 3/4 sleeve.  This one does have the binding band at the neck.

I don't know if you can tell, but I cut the "bat wing" back quite a bit on this one.

This is version #3.

This is V-Neck again.

I made it fuller at the waist and longer.

This is a veeeeeeeeeery stretchy knit from Silhouette Patterns.

The skirt is about to be hemmed as soon as I finish this post.

AND, GUESS WHAT!?

I did a special little video for you to show you this new way I learned to tie my scarf.

Scroll down a bit if you don't see it yet.

And, yes, the still that You Tube chose for me is SO LOVELY!

And now to version #4 of the same Kwik Sew pattern.  This is the one I did the video on the other day showing you how I added all the fullness at the bottom.  Still a V-Neck but WAY MORE fullness than in the red one, but this is a much different fabric.  It is stretchy but is a light weight rayon or poly.  Much drapier.

And here is the one I have on right now.

Version #5.

THANK GOODNESS, I added more of the bat wing back into this one because I made a HUGE boo boo.

I ASSUMED this fabric was stretchy.

It is NOT.  It doesn't stretch even 1/8" in any direction!

I had to make some adjustments:

#1:  I had to slit the sleeves under the elbow.

#2:  I had to put a button and little flap at the shoulder so the neckline would open up enough to get it on over my head.

I'm showing you a close-up of the button/flap below.  Sorry it isn't very clear.

So that is all of my Kwik Sew tops.  It is easy to make IF you don't screw it up on the way.

I am working on my second long skirt.  I made it on the diagonal.  I did NOT make this top.  I am going to make a top though as soon as I run to Hancock's and buy some gray knit.  I want to use the stripe to bind it. HOW CUTE will that be.

NO, the stripes do not match on the side.

I did good to figure out how to get the stripes to be on the diagonal down the front and back.

I think that nearer the bottom, they did accidentally line up.

Gotta go.

Jerry just called.  He was stuck 45 minutes in traffic.  That means I have time to dash to Hancock's.




Hugs, Joy

Video Blog Today Re: Nasty Comments, Shopping and The "New" Math

It is so nice to just sit and talk to you, and with super fast internet here, I can upload videos quickly.

This was one of THOSE days.

There are TWO videos because I had to stop right after I started to turn the AC down.  I always turn it up when I'm going to be gone for several hours, and I had forgotten to turn it back down when I got home.

Just watch the 1st video, and then the 2nd.  It is all the same video.

This is #1

This is #2 -- It continues where #1 left off.

Shortly after making the videos, my daughter surprised me with a visit.  I was so excited to see her. She came baring gifts, as usual.  She is trying to teach me to knit, and I am really bad at it.  She brought me a beginner's knitting book, and I am looking forward to starting over.  I wish she would learn how to SEW so we could do that together, but that shall remain a secret desire of mine.  Maybe someday the bug will bite her.

Until soon.

Hugs, Joy

Kwik Sew 2965 Version 2

I made another top today.  It was an experiment.  I'm not real happy with it, but I will wear it.  I spent all day messing with the neckline and the too-big armholes, and then I got the not-so-bright idea to make a matching scarf.

I made a video for you.  It is long and boring, but you can watch it if you like.  I describe how I got the bust dart OUT and all the fullness IN the front.

After I made that video, I thought about a scarf.  I thought, "I have some fabric left over.  Why don't I make a matching scarf???"

I could answer that question real good now, lol.

Anyway, I cut an entire width of the fabric into a giant rectangle.  I sewed the sides and ends together and turned it.  THEN I decided it needed some fringe on the ends.  I thought those little balls they have in the fringe department of Hancock's would be so cute.  SO, I drove 3 miles to Hancock's.  I went in and immediately found the little ball fringe.  I drove 3 miles back home.

I got home and spent the next hour figuring out how much ball fringe to use and how to apply it.

Finally, I got it all done.

It was a MAJOR disappointment.  When I tied it around my neck, it creeped up into a tight loop, and it looked like I had just left the Emergency Room after having my neck tied onto my head.

The little balls looked like King Kong's eyelashes had fallen off and somehow attached themselves to the end of my scarf.

I cut King Kong's eyelashes off, so I had to pin them back on to show you this picture.

The scarf is now residing in the trash along with KK's eyelashes.

This fabric doesn't make a pretty scarf like the one I had on the other day.

I will probably make another top tomorrow because these types of tops are SO COMFORTABLE.  I want to find a knit in my stash this time, and MAYBE do an embroidery design on it.

I have all week to entertain myself, so I might as well try to be creative.

I bought a new Craftsy class last night.

Something about "One Blouse - Many Looks".

The instructor is a pretty young girl that looks young enough to be my granddaughter.  I can't imagine how she could know all that she knows at such a young age.  It has taken Phylly and I FOREVER to learn what we know, and we have so much more to learn.

That's all for today.  Check back tomorrow.  You never know what I'll make next.

How could you?  I don't even know myself!

Hugs, Joy

Sunday Sermon, New Knit Duo and Blessings Galore

Hello on Sunday evening.  Jackie is sound asleep, and I am sitting up in my bed with my laptop on its little holder-upper thing.  I am still at one house, and Jerry is at the other.  We are having computer issues at our stores, and it seems the home computers are not able to connect with each other.

That may not seem like a big deal to you, but I guarantee you it is a big deal to our employees on Pay Day, which is tomorrow.  I will have to go into the OKC store to print the checks tomorrow.  Since Jerry and I no longer have offices in the OKC store, I will have to move someone out so I can move in and finish payroll.

Then I have to wait for some new kind of "boxes" to arrive here on Wednesday.  When they arrive, I have to take them to our computer-fixer people who I call "The 9 Nerds" (they are really "The 3 Nines" but I like my name better).  The 9 Nerds will configure the "boxes".  Then, somehow, the "boxes" will get put in our two houses and everything will magically work again.

Whew!  That wasn't easy to describe, and I'm sure nobody gives a hoot anyway, lol.

So, it is Sunday.  Since I am alone, and I don't mind watching church on my computer instead of on the television, I was able to bring up our preacher from Durant, OK.  His name is Duane Sheriff, and he is a fabulous teacher.  I was able to get him LIVE this morning.  He was preaching about humility and the true meaning of it.

True humility -- in my tired memory -- is knowing that in yourself, you are NOTHING and you can do NOTHING of any lasting value.  With God, however, ALL things are possible!  I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me.  (Phil. 4:13)

Jerry called to talk to me after that, and he told me that the guest speaker at Cornerstone was really good today.  So, at 11:00, I watched him on my computer.  I don't remember his name, but I remember he was so well dressed that I couldn't quit studying his shirt and his pants and his shoes.  He was a nice looking 60-ish black man, and black men seem to have a knack for dressing especially fancy.  Those preachers must have their clothes hand made by tailors because the fit is perfect.

His sermon was about how SPOILED we all are with our "fit in our pocket" cell phones, washers, dryers, televisions and endless modern conveniences.  I could preach my own sermon from here, but I won't tonight.  I'm too tired.

I did finish a new outfit this weekend.  It started out to be a red knit SLEEVELESS top with a long skirt.

I decided I wanted to wear a scarf with it because scarves are really popular right now,

AND

It draws eyes to your face instead of to your hips and belly.

AND

If you wear it long and skinny down the front of you as below, it cuts your width in half.
























I decided the BACK SIDE of me looks better if more of it is covered up,

so I happened to have another yard of this fabric from Peggy Sagers, and I decided to make a blouse with sleeves to see how I liked it with the long skirt.

The blouse is NOT hemmed,
it is NOT pressed,
and it has not been paired with the skirt yet,
but I took picks of what I have so far.



I've decided I need to start doing those anti-bat wing arm exercises again.

It wouldn't hurt to do a few hundred sit-ups every day either, but that isn't going to happen!

I have to accept the fact that this body has been around for 64 years, and it will be requiring MORE fabric and MORE scarves and MORE jewelry for camouflage.

Might as well enjoy it as cry about it.

It is a brand new week!

We have SO VERY MUCH to be thankful for.

Can you imagine in your worst nightmare having Godless barbarians come to your home -- tell you and your family you have to LEAVE and take nothing with you -- tell you that if you don't believe as they do, they will torture you and kill you -- watch them as they gouge out the eyes of your children and hang them on crosses -- and more and more horror each day if you are unfortunate enough to live after all of that??????

It goes through my mind nearly all the time these days, and my heart breaks for those people.

I'm ashamed that I'm concerned that my body looks so old.  God forgive me!  How many of those dear people won't ever get anywhere near "old".  Being old is a blessing that many will never share. I'm changing my attitude about it this very second!!!

Have a great week, and remember to count your blessings.

Hugs, Joy

Phylly Fun, A Song and My Birthday Present

No, it isn't my birthday, but I did just get my finished birthday present from my daughter.  I am in complete awe of her ability to knit.   Phylly can knit really good too.  She even makes socks which I understand are really hard.  Tammy won't make socks.  She says after she makes the first one, she is tired of that project and wants to start another one.

Knitting is one craft I have not been able to master even in the simplest form.

It is like my learning to play the piano.  I took lessons for five years of my early life, but you would never know it.  The black keys seemed so unorganized to me, and I never could figure out how to read the notes that were floating around in space.  I couldn't understand why "they" didn't draw more lines to go with all those floating notes.

When my Mother informed me that I HAD to learn how to type and take shorthand in High School, I figured I would be a complete failure at that too.  But -- to my total surprise -- I picked those two things up like a fish to water.  I was the fastest typist in the class.  The teacher insisted that I run for Secretary of the FBLA.  I never heard of the FBLA and hadn't the slightest clue what a Secretary did at it.  I wasn't sure what a Secretary did anywhere!  I just liked to type.

The teacher insisted though.  My memory is fuzzy on this, but I do remember going with a group to a college in Arizona -- where I managed to get trench mouth off a water faucet -- and I was a candidate for Secretary of the FBLA.  I was so afraid, naive and ignorant of the entire event, it is a wonder I didn't completely pass out from fright!  

The people in the "club" or whatever it was had even written a song about me.  They got up on the stage and SANG it to the entire audience.  I didn't know anything about that either, but I remember the song perfectly:

CLINGerman, CLINGerman, 

Cast your vote for CLINGerman.

She can type,

She can write,

She's so fair to see.

She will smile,

all the while,

while typing A to Z!

Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up VOTE

It's CLINGerman for me!

You have NO IDEA what it sounded like, so I made this video for you.  I KNOW I can't sing, but you will get the idea.

And HOW ON EARTH did I get off on that subject!!!  

I want to show you my gorgeous shawl my daughter, Tammy, made me for my birthday.  You can't tell in the pictures, but the yarn is sparkly with bits of metallic shiny sparkles in it.  

If you happen to notice the gaping red fabric under my armpit, it is because I just happened to be wearing a top I was in the middle of making when Tammy showed up with my shawl.  I had tried it on to check the fit which was, obviously, horrible under the arms.  That is due to the FBA I always have to do.

I finished the red top today while Phylly was here, and I am making a skirt to match.  I may show you that tomorrow.  The part under the arm is now up against my body.

And Phylly was telling me today she had not seen my blue flower blouse.

Well, I guess I forgot to show it to you all. 

Here is a picture of the bracelet I made to go with it.  I get so excited making MATCHING jewelry for everything I sew.  Can't show you the blouse because I didn't bring it with me.

Phylly and I had so much fun today.

Jerry and I own the company she works for, you know.  She has a boss named Lu.  Phylly was coming over to spend the night with me last night, so she was going to be waking up here this morning.  I thought it would be so nice if she didn't have to get up early and go to work.

Soooooooooooo, I sent an email to Lu yesterday asking her if there was any way Phylly could take Friday off just in case something came up and I needed her.  I told Lu I had not said a word to Phylly about it, and it was totally up to her.

Lu emailed me back and said it turned out that everyone was there, and Phylly wasn't behind, and it was fine with her.  She went into Phylly's office and told her that she could take off a few hours or the whole day or whatever because I MIGHT have an emergency today and need her help.

It was a quiet, cool, rainy day.  Not dark and rainy though.  It was nice.   Jackie adores Phylly and was extra happy all day long.  Of course, the fact that Phylly gave her part of her steak from the restaurant last night didn't hurt.

Better go.  The weekend is upon us.  Hope yours is MARVELOUS!  And by the way, I LOST the election for Secretary of the FBLA -- Thank God!

Hugs, Joy

Cake, Fabric and Fun

I'm sure everyone wants to watch the President talk tonight as it appears he may have FINALLY found a backbone and maybe even has decided there is such a thing as a terrorist.

Anyway, I decided to just make a video for today so I will be free tonight to watch TV to see what he has to say.

I may be back tomorrow with a new SFD top.

If my dog would QUIT digging holes to China in the back yard, I may have had a new top made today. There is a lot of new dirt out there because we just had a fence put in, and Jackie has decided all of it was placed there for her pleasure.

I just went out awhile ago to check on her, and she was over in the corner with her nose down in a HOLE!!! She turned around to look at me.  I WISH I had had the camera in my hand.  Her entire face was covered with dirt.  She looked at me like she had not been doing anything at all out of the ordinary and wondered what on earth my problem was.  That is while her tongue flopped all around licking the dirt off her furry face. YUK!

Dirt MUST be really delicious!

Here is my video showing you my fun shopping spree from this morning.

That's all folks!

Hugs, Joy

Lunch w/Phylly and Manhunt at JCP

Here it is Tuesday night, and I am all alone with Jackie.  I'm washing some "1/2 price" fabric I bought from Silhouette Patterns that they charged me FULL price for.  This has happened to me several times there.  Be SURE to check the pricing if you buy fabric from there.

I redrew a Sure-fit Designs knit top pattern this afternoon.  I will make it tomorrow.  This one will be sleeveless with a rounded neckline.  I am making it to go UNDER the dark blue jacket I made.  I might do a little video since I'm in town where the internet is really fast.

I met Phylly for lunch today.  Margaret has company from OOT so I haven't even told her I'm here yet.  I'm HERE, Margaret!

Poor Phylly has been without air conditioning at her house since last Friday.  I don't know how she has stood it.  I have invited her to come stay with me, but she says she feels guilty leaving her family. The new AC is supposed to be put in tomorrow.

After lunch I went to J C Penney to return some earrings I purchased for some insane reason the day I was shopping with Jerry for a watch.   It was marked down from $58 to $17, so I thought I was getting a good deal.  When I got home and put the earring in my ears, I decided they weren't worth 5 cents!

AS ALWAYS at J C Penney, I had to go on a wide area search to find a clerk.

I finally tracked a lady down clear across the room that looked like she was shopping, but I thought I would take a chance that she might work there.

She did.  She walked with me all the way back to the cash register at the jewelry counter.

Fortunately, I had remembered to grab the brand new J C Penny card out of my wallet when I got out of my car.  We got it the day we bought Jerry's watch because you got an additional 20% off.

The clerk put the info in the computer and asked me to scan my card.

I pulled out the card to scan it and noticed that I had grabbed the Lowe's card -- NOT the JCP card!

I had to run all the way back out to my car to get the right card.  Before I left, I asked the clerk if she would BE THERE when I returned.  "Yes", she said.

I RAN to my car -- I grabbed the JCP card -- I RAN back into the store and over to the counter. Guess who was there????

NOBODY!

I had to go on ANOTHER wide area search to find the clerk again!

Finally, I got all of that accomplished.  I decided it wouldn't hurt me to walk around the store for a bit and get some exercise.  I walk very fast even when I don't need to.  J C Penney does carry my favorite Lee Classic Fit jeans, so I walked over to the opposite faraway corner where I knew they would be.  I assumed they wouldn't have my size because they hardly ever do, but SURPRISE, SURPRISE -- they had about 10 pair in my size!  I was SO EXCITED!  PLUS, they were on sale.  I picked out 6 pair and went to buy them.

When I got to the counter to buy the jeans, I asked the clerk if there was a discount if I used my JCP card.  She said that there was a coupon on the internet I could use.  I asked her if I could bring it up on my Iphone.  "Yes", she said.  Only problem was, my Iphone was in the car.

SOOOOOOOOOOO, out I RAN again to my car.

I got my phone and took it back into the store. That saved me $40 and hopefully, burned off a few calories at the same time.

It is almost Jackie's bedtime.  I need to get her in -- check her paws -- shnuggy her face and tell her how pretty she is -- and put her to bed.

Hope all of you are having a wonderful week!

Hugs, Joy

Dirt in the Hole

Hello everyone.  I came up to our Edmond home today to check on some yard work I hired our lawn mower people to do.  They will do just about anything I ask them to do, HOWEVER, I am never sure if they interpreted my English properly.

One of them can only say one sentence:

"YES!  I understand!!!"

You can say, "I need you to rent a rocket and fly to the moon."

"YES!  I understand!!!"

"You are very skinny, and your pants are falling down."

"YES!  I understand!!!"

"I have called you three times and you never answered your phone!"

"YES!  I understand!!!"

Turns out, they didn't understand what I wanted them to do this time AT ALL!

We had a big tree cut down several months ago by a company that does that.  There was a very big mound of dirt up around the aforesaid tree, and it needed to be moved.

It so happens that we also just got a new fence in the back yard.  There was a place in the corner where the two fences come together where there was a large gap under the fence. Jackie could have crawled under it if she had tried.

SO, I asked Juan (our lawn mower guy) weeks ago if he could dig up the dirt from the mound in the front yard and MOVE it to the CORNER BEHIND THE HEDGE in the back yard to fill in the gap under the fence.

Juan doesn't say much.  He just looks at you and shakes his head up and down as if to say "Yes".   He called me last week when I was at the other house after I had texted him several times and said, "My men go there today."  

When I arrived today -- six days later -- I noticed immediately that Juan had not been here yet to do anything.

I called him.  No answer.  He NEVER answers!  I texted him.  No response.  He did show up, however, about 3 hours later with his teenage son.  I went out to talk to him.  I asked him to please move the bricks that where blocking the hole.  We talked about Jackie.  I said something to his son. Then I went back in the house.

I looked out the window a few times and saw them shoveling -- putting dirt in a wheelbarrow -- and moving the wheelbarrow to the back yard.  The house blocked my view of the corner where the dirt was SUPPOSED to be going.

I never went back out again because if I am out there, they always think I need to talk to them, and they won't go back to work until I leave.  After they left, I went out in the back yard to see how it looked.

GUESS WHAT I FOUND?

The bricks were still there under the fence!

The hole under the fence in the corner was still there!

I walked all over the back yard to try to find the dirt they had moved from the front yard.  It appears they put it around the other side of the fence that was just fine and didn't need it.

UNBELIEVABLE!

Anyway, that has been my day.  Not too exciting.  Tomorrow, I am meeting Phylly for lunch, so it will be much more fun.

I'm going to sew some knit tops while I'm here.  I'll take pics and maybe a video.

Hugs, Joy

Too Much Fun! and Markers for Debora

They say laughter is the best medicine, and I do believe that is true.

I have laughed so much today and yesterday, I feel like RUNNING up and down the stairs.

That may not sound like much to some, but believe me, I usually SAUNTER down the stairs hoping I don't miss my step and go tumbling.

Of course, I usually have a cup of coffee or several dishes or fabric in my hands.

Terry came over again today and brought the most fun thing with her.  I do live a bit of a sheltered life here in the deep woods of Kingston, OK, and I don't get out much to real towns except on the internet.  Even with Amazon and Zappos, I had never heard of Nail Wraps.  I had noticed them on Terry and thought they were really cute.

I was working on my new Louise Cutting MHAF blouse, but when I saw what Terry brought with her, I decided to sit down and PLAY.

Here's a peak:

Terry had a book with a whole bunch of different designs, but I chose this one because I love black and white.  I didn't stop to think that it might not be appropriate for antique hands, but....

Here is a little video we made for you.  Wish you could have been here.

If you want to know where you get these fun nail doohickeys, you can check out:

www.terryestes.jamberrynails.net

After we got the nail wraps on, we started talking about quilting.  Terry asked me what I was going to do after the lighthouses are done -- not realizing that they may NEVER get done at the rate I am going -- but I actually did have a project waiting for sashing and borders.  I had gotten stuck on fabric choices.  The kit I purchased came with some fabrics, but I didn't really like them.  Fortunately, I do have about 10,000 fat quarters here, so I went looking for some more choices.

I found out that Terry is a Professional photographer!!!  Isn't that just amazing?  She knows all about Photoshop.  She probably has the whole PS, however, and I just have Elements.  I am looking forward to her teaching me more about PS as I teach her more about quilting designs and free motion and stuff.

Here is the quilt I am working on.  Terry helped me pick navy blue sashing and brown corner blocks. LOOK THOUGH, the corner blocks can't be placed at all the corners!  How weird is that?!  I never noticed that until right this minute.  I may just leave them off.  Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I better get back to my new blouse.  I'll show it to you WITH the jacket on top when I get it done.

Note to Debora:  I use everything under the sun to mark fabrics.  Something that works really well on cottons for me are WASHABLE markers.  I opened a box today that I found in the closet.  I had bought it years ago for my grandchildren.  There are ONE HUNDRED colors!  Yay!

I did a test one time using two big squares of white 100% cotton broadcloth.  I marked 12 squares on each piece of fabric.  Then I colored in each of the squares on both pieces with a different color from a box of 12 WASHABLE markers.  Then I IRONED one square.  I did NOT iron the other one. Then I threw both of the squares in the washer and dryer.  BOTH OF THEM came out perfectly clean and white.

I have used them since on nearly everything I make.  I also use chalk.  I have found that blue and yellow NEVER come out, BUT if I use it lightly in a place that nobody will see, I don't care.  I use the carbon paper sheets you put between the layers.  I use the air erasable pens.  I use chalk pencils with erasers.  I use those pens with the colored lead in them, however, I can never get them to make a mark or if I do, the lead breaks off.  I paid a lot for them, but never use them now.

Hugs, Joy

Dotty Bow Tie Quilt by Terry

Terry came over again to finish this darling quilt.  Except for a minor glitch with my machine attempting to eat her backing, everything went well.

This is a baby quilt, and Terry will be making a LOT of those, I'm sure, with seven children between her and her husband.

I need to figure out my next project.  I have this gorgeous blue and white stretch cotton sateen, and I made that royal blue jacket to go with it.

I do NOT want it to be formal.

I'm thinking white top, and a long skirt out of this print.

And Jackie wanted to say HI real quick before I run down to throw her ball.  The little stinker has found ANOTHER sticker bush, and I need to comb stickers out of that long hair on her ears.  

Hugs, Joy

MEET TERRY!

The day FINALLY came!  Terry came over to play.

You remember Terry -- my new neighbor that loves to sew and quilt, and she even wrote a book.  Her book is darling.  She brought it so I could look at it, but I think she took it back home.

I was home alone today and thrilled to have her company.  She had purchased a Flynn Quilt Frame, and the open space on her sewing machine would not allow her to move enough.  She asked if I had a machine with any more space.  The only one I had was my Ellisimo.

Terry decided to bring her gadgets over and try it out.

We had to move the sergers and the embroidery module.  Only problem we had was the fact that I have never used the Ellisimo to sew on.  I have only used it to embroider with.  THEREFORE, we had to get out the book and figure out how to make the Ellisimo do free-motion quilting.

The directions said, "Push this button" and there was a teeny tiny illustration of the button.  NEITHER ONE OF US could find that button!  Fortunately, a little later when we weren't even looking for it, it suddenly appeared, and we pushed it.  We had to change the needle plate and turn the machine sideways.

About this time, I decided that just MAYBE we should practice.  I would hate for her to ruin her darling bow tie quilt because I was clueless as to how my own machine worked.

I can hear you, Phylly!!!

I put a little quilt sandwich together and got my Sharon Schamber circle thingy, and Terry practiced.  I could tell immediately that this was NOT her first rodeo.

Terry is making final adjustments here to all of the knobs on her Flynn rollers.

We figured out how to get the foot pedal somewhere in the vicinity of her foot, and she started quilting like she had been doing it forever.

I'm sure glad Jerry wasn't here to see this because he may have thought I should have had one of those instead of that longarm in the background, lol.

For a small quilt, it is really a great gadget.

Isn't Terry nice?!  She wants to learn how to sew clothes.  She doesn't even have a fabric stash yet!  I TRIED to conceal my shock, but I probably didn't do a very good job of it.

Time for supper.  I must run.

Hugs, Joy