Sunday Stuff

Hi friends.

We have actually had a whole day WITHOUT rain down here in Southern OK!  What a treat.  It is so cool for this time of year.

I started the day going to Hagee church twice and Sunday School once.  Hagee's sermon was about depression over the situation in America today and other things.  Nice to know I am not the ONLY one who has been depressed the last several years over our sad government that no longer honors God.

I pray and hope that our next president is a Christian, and not only a Christian, but someone who actually LOVES America, honors her flag, and KNOWS the Constitution.  I really like Dr. Ben Carson, but I'm not sure how far he will go.  There are so many people running, I can't keep track of them all!  I think even Donald Trump is in there somewhere!

That reminds me, I bought his audio book.  I need to listen to it as soon as I finish my post.

I made some yellow pants today.  Pants go together really fast if the fit is right.  I put pockets in them, and that takes a lot longer.  The hardest part for me is the waistband.  I have to take a weird tuck in the center back of it to make it bend into my back, and I have to put elastic around the bandless top while on my body, and then TRY to draw a line around the bottom of the elastic the whole way around my waist.  NOT EASY even with a 3-way mirror.  Hope that makes sense.

I'll have to show the sway back tuck and the waist check sometime.

Surely, I'm not the only one out there with a sway back.

I am starting a new quilt.  It is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than anything I've made before.  I need some more fabric, and the bridge I have to cross to get to the nearest fabric store is UNDER WATER and the road is closed.  Have no idea when it will be open again!  Thank God, the rain has quit for a few days.

Going to work tomorrow to see how our new girl is doing.  The one who quit didn't even show up for her last day.  What a disappointment.  You just don't KNOW people anymore.  I didn't think she was that kind of employee.  Seems like God knows a lot better than I do who needs to stay and who needs to go.  I really like the new girl.  I'll tell you about her SHOCKING life story sometime.  She is only 23 years old and has been through soooooooooooooo much.

Gonna listen to Ben's book.

Have a MARVELOUS week in the sunshine!

Hugs, Joy

Fringe Tutorial (For Those Who Asked)

I just HAPPENED to take pics as I was doing the fringe.

I wanted to be sure I could remember MYSELF what I did.

FIRST, I sewed a 1/4" stitching line the whole length of the crosswise grain cut piece which I cut at 2 1/2" wide.  I did that so I would know WHERE TO STOP cutting the strips and not cut the entire way through the other side.

Here you can see where I sewed the whole length of the strip with white thread and a short stitch.

Then I got my 1/4" quilting ruler, and I used it to cut 1/4" wide strips UP TO the stitching line.  Sometimes, I went a tiny bit through it, but that didn't matter since knit does not ravel.  I tried to go just TO it though.

THENNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN,

OF COURSE!,

I applied the Steam-a-Seam 2 LITE 1/4" tape to the entire bottom of the blouse, and I ironed the fringe to the SAS.

Then I sewed the strips to the bottom of the blouse sewing just a smidgen over the white stay stitch I had sewn earlier.  I just added one strip after the other.  I did not sew the strips to each other.

Then I went back to the sewing machine to finish.

I flipped the fringe to the inside.  (Sorry, no pic.)  The fringe was down flat with the sewn edge flipped to the back side of the hem area, and I sewed all around the blouse bottom.

It took longer to do the fringe than to complete the rest of the blouse, but it was worth it.

I love it!

I think I'll do another one.

Hugs, Joy

A HIGH Compliment! and So Much To Show You

I started to talk to you on Memorial Day about all my new creations, but then I decided that was too sacred of a day to talk about my sewing adventures.

Honestly, what the men and women of America have suffered for our freedom and the right to act as horrible as some Americans act is just shocking and unbelievable.  I can't go on, or I will be in tears, and I won't want to show you anything but wounded vets that sacrificed so much and FOR WHAT!?  (Referring to the current administration, of course.)

So, WHERE shall I start.

How about the Spider Mum top.  Remember it?

I got this fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics, which means it is NICE fabric.  I had some fabric left over that I didn't want to waste, and Phylly suggested that I make a scarf with it.

So, I did.

Here, I am modeling all the ways I could think of to wear the scarf.  I never can remember very many.

As a BELT:

Just tied in a KNOT:

 WRAPPED around my neck which won't really work because it just flops around in the back.  But it is pretty, I think.

 Here, I made a loop on one side and pulled the other side through, which makes it hang longer.

THANKS PHYLLY for that great idea!

I finished the black and white outfit and, of course, jewelry to go with it.  Not sure if I like the necklace and earrings, or just the earrings.

 Here I am in JUST the earrings:

 Here I am in the earrings AND the necklace:

 Here I am showing you more of the skirt:

Here is the back that has colored marker on it that WILL NOT COME OUT!  I put everything in my house on that mark, and it won't budge.  It is WASHABLE marker -- supposedly!  It is at the center back at the TOP of the collar.  Hopefully, nobody will see it.  I bet the lady sitting behind me in church will see it though!

Here is a closeup of the jewelry:

And here is the picture that PROVES Phylly was right.  I had 3 out of 4 vote for print sleeve caps.  Phylly said, "NO!, NO!, NO!, make them both black."  But she was slow to respond, and I had already taken the advice of the other 3.  What do you all think???

And I'm not done yet!!!

I made another outfit, and this is the one that received the HIGH compliment.  Terry came over this morning to tell me about her trip to England, and I was wearing this.  Later in the day I mentioned to her that I had just made it to go with my pants.

She said, "Really!?"  "I thought you bought that at a store somewhere?"

Now, my mother would have considered that a terrible insult, but I am NOT my mother in about three million ways.  I consider that a very nice compliment!

This is my FRINGE blouse.  I don't know if you have been out shopping lately, but there is fringe on EVERYTHING, including jewelry.  I bought a blouse from Belk that has fringe on the bottom.  I decided to make a new Sure-fit Designs blueprint for KNIT fabric, and this is what I came up with:

When I got the blouse out of my closet this morning, I noticed that the OTHER purple pants I made a few weeks ago also match this top perfect.  K E W L !!!

Here it is with a rubber band wrapped around inside the blouse.  I like it this way too.

And that is all -- except for some jewelry I've made.  Let me see if I can find some of that.

Here is a bracelet I made to go with one of the pretty blouses I bought on my shopping spree with Terry.

I love the blouse.  

Gotta go.  Been sitting in this chair way too long!!!

Hugs, Joy

Rainy Days and High Water

Hi friends!

It's a good thing God put instructions for building the Ark in the Bible, because we may need one!

It rains almost every single day down here lately.  The lake is up so high that you cannot get a boat under the bridge anymore.  Jerry and I just took a drive to go check it out.  Shocking how high the water is after years of a drought and areas of the lake being dry enough to walk across.  The water may come up over the main highway out of town going East.  We hear it has happened before, but that was over 20 years ago.

Doug and Terry keep their boat at a dock down at the marina.  The bridge to the marina is totally under water, and the only way Doug and Terry can get to their boat is to swim or have another boat take them to it.  The marina and the Cafe are closed, of course, and that is terrible on Memorial Day weekend.  I feel sorry for the owners and the employees.  We have issues at our store but it will NEVER be under water!!!

I have pictures to show you, but they are upstairs and I'm not going up there.  I'm already in my bed keeping warm.  Jackie and Josie are absolutely SOAKING WET.  It has been raining all day, and at times POURING.  It is a good thing they are half golden retriever, and they love water.

Doug and Terry are in England with our preacher and his wife.  They are with Andrew Wommack for graduation ceremonies at his bible college there.  There are meetings also that Doug and Terry manage the tape tables at.  They are really dedicated to our church.  They had to pay their own way there and back.  I hope they have a really good time.

I'm working on a NEW STYLE I made up with my Sure-fit Designs.

It will either be WONDERFUL or AWFUL.

I will let you know how it turns out.

I'm trying to do something with fringe since it seems to be all the rage right now.

Peggy actually made something with fringe in one of her new videos.  Think I'll go back and check that out.

Mine is knit with a wild print.  I'm making pants to go with it.

Be back soon -- maybe tomorrow.

Hugs, Joy



 

How to Draw a Sure-fit Designs Blueprint

Anne asked me to please show how to make a Sure-fit Designs blueprint from beginning to end.

I had to chuckle at the request because my ATTEMPT at doing that would be so poor compared to all the amazing videos Glenda Sparling has already done.  And they are FREE - FREE - FREE!

I have put 3 links below to "How to Draw the Bodice Front" that were done by Glenda several years back.  Doesn't matter that they were done back then.  You still do the blueprints just the same.

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UuQzKPF2Zc


Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uU9_IkQFb4

Part 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjRtpyQxxs4

I highly recommend -- IF you are interested in SFD, or IF you have already purchased it, that you SUBSCRIBE to Glenda's channel.  You will see a place to subscribe under each of the videos above when you open them to watch.  If you click on her channel, you will see dozens of videos.  I have watched ALL OF THEM!  I have watched some of them several times.

After you watch those videos, you should be well-prepared to dive into SFD.

If you have any other questions, I will sure try to answer them, but usually, I will send you to Glenda.  She helped me for a long time before I felt confident.  I understood how to do the blueprint.  I just wasn't good at the EXTRA little tweaks I had to do.

I am a student helping students.  Glenda is the TEACHER.

She has videos on tweaks now.  She didn't have nearly as many videos when I began my SFD adventure.

Hope this helps!

Hugs, Joy

Diamond Delight by Terry and a New Video by Me

Good Sunday evening.  It has been a lonely, quiet day around here.  I had one of those nights elderly people have when you wake up at two o'clock, and then you can't go back to sleep until five o'clock.  Terry and Doug had invited me to go to church with them, but I sure wasn't waking up early after a night like that.  They always go to the early service.  I did wake up in time to watch Pastor Hagee on GETV.org.  He preached about a FRESH annointing.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yes!  I sure do need one of those.  I want to be FIRST in line!

Now, YESTERDAY was a different story.  LOTS of excitement around here, and I am going to SHOW YOU!

Terry and I have been SO, SO, SO EXCITED about her new quilt for her Master Bedroom.

You may recall this quilt that she made for a friend several months ago:

You can see that she quilted this one with a ROSE pattern pantograph.

It was very nice, and I love the colors in it, of course.

Terry liked the pattern so much, she decided to make one for herself.

It was QUITE the challenge because she had to make her own templates for it.  Then she had to figure out how many miles of fabric to buy for a King Size comforter.  She bought a LOT of fabric!  She said there is a ton of waste in this pattern to come up with the diamond blocks.

Terry finally got the quilt top put on the longarm last week.  She came over three different times to work on it, and was able to get it done about 8:00 last night.  We were jumping around like school girls because it turned out so GORGEOUS.

I told Terry she HAD to name it.

She said, "How about "Dazzling Diamonds"."

I said, "How about "Diamond Delight"?"

She liked Diamond Delight the best, so that is the name of this pretty new quilt.

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE's Diamond Delight:

 This is the back, and it is a brownish-gold color -- NOT green.  Isn't it luscious?

She has the binding ready to apply, but she said she was going to rest today.  I told her she BETTER get her bedroom cleaned up so I can come get a picture of this ON THE BED.

Before Terry came over to finish her quilt top, I made a new sleeve video.  I have many Youtube videos out there, but the one I made on how to gather sleeve caps is the MOST popular and gets the most comments. Mostly, "THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!" comments.

So, now, several years later, thanks to Louise Cutting's tip, I know an even better way to ease the sleeve cap, so I made a new video. PLUS, my new camera takes much clearer videos, and you can see what I am doing so much better.

Here's my new sleeve "How To" video for those of you who sew:

For the lady who asked me about the Kai scissors I own and what size they are, I took a picture:

I tied a yellow ribbon around them because I took them to a Palmer/Pletsch class one time, and I wanted to be sure they followed me back home!

That's all for today.  Be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Video Regarding Commercial vs SFD and P&P

I made this video for Carol Ann, but it is pretty general.  Those of you who sew may find it helpful. 

Then again you may not, lol.

Here it is:

Come back tomorrow.

I made a new video with a NEW WAY to put sleeves in!

  

ANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND! 

Terry will be here in a bit to finish her gorgeous quilt.  I hope to get a video of it too.

Hugs, Joy

We'll See if I've Been Listening

Several months ago -- I guess when I got my new car -- I discovered Joel Osteen on Sirious XM.  He is always on unless I've heard what he is saying already, and sometimes, I still leave him on.

I can't imagine there is a single person in America that doesn't know who Joel is.  My parents used to go to his father's church in Houston many years ago.  We actually attended a service with them one time.  I remember my parents telling me back then about Dodie having been healed of terminal cancer.  She is still alive today!

So today I was listening to him talk about NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, have a good attitude.  Don't even let people know you are upset or sad or going through a hard time.  Act like everything is okay.

While I was listening to him, I thought that a lot of people really do go through horrible tragedies, and I can't imagine how they can just act like they didn't even happen.  How about that train wreck the other day?  How about those policemen killed for just being policemen?  How about the Christians, including little babies, beheaded right in front of their loved ones????  Does Joel ever hear about THAT stuff?

Surely, he isn't talking about horrendous tragedies like that.  He must be referring to day-to-day mishaps and inconveniences.  Being sick.  Losing your job.  A fight with your spouse or your child.  Things like that.

But maybe not.

He was talking about having to raise 100 million dollars to refurbish the building they bought.  I guarantee you, THAT would keep me awake FOREVER!  Maybe not him.

As I was listening, I thought, "The next time something bad happens, I'm not going to have a bad reaction or get upset about it!"

Wellllllllllllllllllllllllllll, you KNOW God was listening to my mind, and He heard me think that.

Just a few hours later -- this very day -- one of our very good employees that I have become quite attached to called me here at home to tell me she is leaving us.  She isn't mad at us or upset with our company.  She just thought her old job was lots of fun, and they want her back.

Now, maybe in most businesses, in most towns, that isn't that big of deal; but in this tiny, one-horse town, it is very, very hard to find employees with any qualifications, never mind the kind that are required by the government in order for us to be accredited.  The employee training for our business is extensive and takes over a year, and then they no sooner learn the 10 trillion rules, and the government changes them!!!

AND, every third year we have a SURPRISE audit that lasts two days.  Some guy or lady shows up totally unexpected (except for the month).  She/he goes through all your files and books and drawers.  They can quiz your employees about their training and about us.

They ask me all kinds of nutty questions.  The first time we were audited, the auditor asked me what we do when someone who doesn't speak English calls our store.

I wanted to say, "We hang up!"

"What do you do in case of a tornado?"

We look out the window to see if it is coming!

Both WRONG answers, and I actually did know the right answers.

So, GUESS when the next audit is???????

It is in just a few weeks.  Any day in June.

Right now, the store manager is out recovering from spine surgery.  The lady doing part of her job is out on a one week vacation.  Another lady is about to take a one week vacation.  And a third just gave me her notice tonight.

ALL THAT TRAINING DOWN THE DRAIN!  It is enough to make a Saint cuss, as my Mother used to say.  Thank goodness, I'm not a Saint or even a close relative of one!

Sooooooooooooooo, I reminded myself RIGHT AWAY that I was going to take Joel's advice and not react or get upset.  I, of course, have to place an ad in the paper that comes out only one day a week down here.  I am casting this care on the Lord (per scripture), and I'm going to watch Him handle it.  He knows JUST the right person to send our way, and I'm just going to wait and watch and thank Him in advance that he is handling it.

I made a video for you, Carol Ann.  Watch for it tomorrow.

Be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Wednesday's WHOPPING Failure!

I hesitate to even write about this monumental ignorant flash because I hate to lose all my readers who think I actually know something about sewing and fitting.

Terry came over today to put her new King Size quilt top on the longarm.  I was about to start a new project, so I had to do the fitting corrections to the paper pattern.  I was using a Simplicity pattern because I am pretty good -- uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, USED to be pretty good -- at Palmer & Pletsch paper fitting.

I opened up the pattern, and I cut out the pieces I would be using.  I threw all the others on the floor where I always throw them.

THEN, I began VERY CAREFULLY chopping up the pattern front to put an FBA in it.  First, of course, I pinned the pleat in the front and held it up to my body and marked my apex.  Then I drew the lines and started slicing them up.  I added paper.  I added more paper.  I took a tuck at the neck so the neckline wouldn't gape on me, and then I added more paper.

I was so proud.  The fit was PERFECT!  I held it up to myself, and I knew everything would turn out great in the fabric.

THEN -- and ONLY THEN -- I started digging through the rest of the paper pattern pieces looking for the BACK of the pattern so I could do the round back and the sway back adjustments.  NO BACK was there, but I did find two FRONT pieces!

OH, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guessed it.  I had put a FULL BUST ADJUSTMENT in the BACK of the blouse.

Here it is:

I was SO FRUSTRATED, I sent a copy of the above picture to Phylly and told her what I had done.

I had hoped for a little sympathy and a vote of confidence that I really wasn't the dumbest seamstress on the planet.

She emailed me back and told me that if her mouth had been full of Dr. Pepper, she would have spewed it all over her monitor and computer from laughing SO HARD she was crying and almost peed her pants!

She said the worst part was she couldn't even tell the other employees what she was cracking up over because none of them ever heard of an FBA.

They say "laughter is healing".

Phylly should be in excellent health tonight!







After my dinner shake tonight, I went back upstairs to the sewing room, and I put the FBA in the FRONT pieces.

The next thing I discovered is this pattern is for a WOVEN fabric, and I wanted to make it out of knit.  Do any of you ladies know if it is okay to MIX a woven and knit in the same top?  I don't think I have ever done that.

I made a new video for the lady that is having trouble with the Steam-A-Seam 2 tape.  Hopefully, I have cleared up whatever confusion I caused.  I kept saying "wait until it dries".  I should have said, "Wait until it COOLS".

Terry has a new quilt on the longarm.  I'll get pics tomorrow -- maybe.  She says she is waking up and coming right over here.  She is so excited to get started on it.

Hugs, Joy

Sad and Happy Mother's Day

It was the saddest day of all time for a few moments, but it turned out to be very nice.  My oldest, more-loved-than-you-can-imagine, grandson was here yesterday and today.  He is going through the most horrible nightmare that none of us can believe is happening.

His wife that we all thought was the sweetest angel of all time that would love him forever and ever, has left him and, according to her father, has filed for divorce.  She won't talk to him or see him.  She won't talk to us.  Her family hides her away, and they won't talk to him either.  None of us know WHY she is doing this.  It is so CRUEL to do such an awful thing and not even talk about it to people who love her so much -- or, at least, to her husband!

My grandson drove over five hours because he heard she was at her Mother's for the weekend.  (She had been in another State with her father.)  He left his house at 10 PM to make the drive.   The next morning, he went to her Mother's house, and he knocked on the door.  Nobody would come to it.  He left there and came here.  We wanted SO BADLY to DO SOMETHING to help him over the intense heartache, but there is nothing anyone can do -- but cry.  And we did.

I just cannot believe this is happening.

Other than that, I did have the great joy of having my grandson here on Mother's Day.  We were all dressed and ready to go to church this morning when the skies blackened (as they do daily now) and torrential rain started coming down.  We decided to go upstairs and watch Hagee.  After that, we went to a place called Pelican Landing at one of the Marinas down here on Lake Texoma.  They had a large buffet for lunch.  The service was wonderful.  While we were eating, Terry and her hubby and MIL showed up, and they sat at the table next to us.  That part of our day was lovely.

This weekend, I made a bracelet at least five times -- maybe six.  It broke once.  It came out too long several times.  I decided I just didn't like it once.  Goodness!  I finally got it done about 6 PM tonight.  I'll always think of my grandson when I wear it because he was on my mind and he was here while I was making it.  I'll show you when I wear it with the new outfit it goes with.

OH!  You don't know about my new outfits, do you?

It is actually Terry's fault.  Terry had to go to JoAnn's Friday to get some fabric to make a backing for her new quilt top.  She waited until I got off work so I could go with her.  JoAnn's is 45 minutes from here, and it is boring to go alone.  When we got done "saving money" at JoAnn's with all of our coupons, Terry asked if I would mind going to Belk's with her.  I never heard of the place, but I was up for a new adventure.  It was just across the street from JoAnn's.

We went into Belk's and right away, the most AMAZING thing happened!!!

A woman who works there actually walked up to us and asked if she could help us!  After I made sure she wasn't a figment of my imagination, I decided to find out what was on sale so I could SAVE EVEN MORE MONEY!

It's one of those places -- like J C Penney's -- where everything in the store is SUPPOSEDLY on sale.  They mark it up 600% and then say it is 30% off PLUS an additional whatever% if you jump through one hoop or another.  Knowing that, I still decided to play along because Terry wanted to try on some pants, and the pants were YELLOW, and I LOVE yellow pants, and my yellow jeans are all way too big for me now.

Somehow, I ended up with a large dressing room FULL of blouses and pants.  Terry and I started out in separate dressing rooms, but we kept going back and forth to each other's rooms so much, we finally got together in mine.

Terry was very bad, and she kept going out and bringing more garments in for us to try on.  She even brought me some Size Small tops and some Size 10 pants.  I told her they would not fit me, but I tried them on anyway.  When I put them on and they actually DID FIT ME, I squealed so loud that the people in the other dressing rooms started laughing.  I was jumping around saying, "It's a SMALL -- It's a SMALL -- It's a SMALL!!!"  Again, when I tried on pants, I was jumping around hollering, "It's a Size 10!  It's a Size 10!  It's a Size 10!"

Belk's is evidently a Granny store because the clothing fit me very well.

Someone must have leaked the news that older ladies have round backs, low boobs, big tummies, flat butts and usually need a BUST DART!

I came home with TWELVE new garments.

Hence, the need for a new bracelet.

Hopefully, I won't have to make each one six times!

When I got home, Jerry was sitting at the kitchen counter.  Terry went in first with a load of my clothes, and I followed.  She was explaining to Jerry how much money we both saved.

He laughed!

He was really happy for me though.  You remember, I hope, that he DID say that if I lost weight, I could buy a whole new wardrobe.  Plus, it was a great Mother's Day gift he didn't have to go get for me.

My daughter, Tammy, sent me Sherry's Berries, and I JUST remembered there are two left.  I must go now and eat them!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you, and have a lovely week to come.  If you live near me, I will pray you don't drown when you step out your front door in the morning!

Hugs, Joy

Back Pain and One Head Less

Here it is near the end of another week.  That much sooner for Candi to return to work after her surgery.  I haven't spoken to her in a few days, but I am believing for a good report every time I do talk to her.  Since she is still gone, I will be working all day tomorrow.  I look forward to it.  So nice to have people to talk to instead of just myself.  I did get to talk to Terry today and that was a treat.

I have had a little lower back pain myself off and on.  It is VERY mind-grasping.  I feel so sorry for people who have to live in constant pain.  IF I quit lifting heavy objects and quit pushing and pulling heavy objects, my back would be fine.

I feel like such a whiner when I have to ask someone to help me lift a small box as I did today when I wanted to move my Phylly crate up onto a table.  Terry was with me and she very nicely helped me.  When she started to lift it, I'm sure she thought I was being ridiculous.  I think she pretty much lifted it herself even though I was on the other side of it!  My back doesn't hurt though!

So I spent most of the day putting patterns away.  I have been making so many new Sure-fit Designs styles that they were all over my sewing room.  I finally got them all organized and put into envelopes.  Ready for a new project.

I actually have had TWO WADDERS this week.  That hardly ever happens to me anymore, and I was really upset about it.  Making your own styles can get complicated in figuring out how to put them together.  PLUS, I was using that slippery fabric that I hate sewing with, and it was giving me fits.  That stuff GROWS or SHRINKS every time you turn your back on it!  The blouses would have been wonderful, but....

Mother's Day is this weekend.  I want to go to Tulsa to attend Sunday service at my sister's church, BUT we have severe thunderstorms forecast for the next three days.

Looks like we will just stay home.  Jerry will give me my favorite gift:  Himself!  He says I can have him for the whole day to do whatever I want.  Too bad the weather won't cooperate.

I  bet I can find some Honey Do jobs though.













Terry is working on a huge quilt top for her bed.  She has had to make SO MANY blocks.  She almost gave up half way through and added borders, but I talked her out of it.  I KNOW it is really hard right now, but years and years from now, she will be so happy she finished it.

OF COURSE, I will show it to you when she gets it done and when she puts it on the longarm.  We found some real pretty thread in my stash to use for it.  Years ago, Phylly and I went to a big quilt show in Kansas.  Dozens of vendors were there, and I think I bought large spools of quilting thread from every thread vendor there.  I am really glad Terry is able to use some of them.

Did you see what Gertie is up to now?  It has something to do with the industry using drawings of women who are 8 heads tall instead of 7 -- or is it 9 heads tall instead of 8.  Something like that.  Something akin to the Barbie Doll, I suspect.

Let me see if I can snatch a picture:

She has come up with sketchable bodies that resemble actual human beings with the right number of head height.  I have just started drawing clothes on Sally Silhouette from Sure-fit Designs, so this looks like lots of fun to me.  Here is a link if you wish to read about it:     Gertie's Sketch Book

I won't keep you.  Stay safe.   I'll be back soon.

Hugs, Joy

Not So Marvelous Monday

WHAT a morning for my husband!  ONLY HE could sit on the side of a road for FOUR HOURS and never get upset, worried, impatient, hungry or angry.  Honestly, I don't know HOW he does it.  We are so different that way.

He didn't even call me to tell me he was stranded and needed help.  Nobody else was called either except for our Service Tech who only took him a wrench, and then it was missing something when it arrived.  He was very busy installing something in a customer's truck at the store, or he would have stayed with Jerry and helped him, I'm sure.

What happened was Jerry's tractor stopped running this weekend.  We went to buy a new battery for it yesterday.  When we got home last night, Jerry put the battery in, but the tractor still would not start.  So, early this morning he loaded the tractor onto his big trailer, attached it to the truck, and he drove it to Ardmore (50 miles away) to the tractor place to leave it there for repair.  Jerry really needed to be at work because he has so much to do.  The plan was to drop off the broken tractor and hurry back to the store.

The tractor problem turned out to be something minor, and the tractor place sold Jerry some part to put into the tractor himself when he got time.  A switch or something.  So Jerry left Ardmore with his trailer and his tractor and headed back to Kingston to our store.  About half way back, a tire blew out on Jerry's trailer.  Jerry pulled over on the side of the Highway to deal with it.  He had NO SPARE for the trailer.  He had to SOMEHOW remove the blown out tire from the trailer, but he couldn't do it unless he got the TRACTOR THAT WOULD NOT START off of the trailer!  Miraculously, the tractor started, and Jerry was able to back it off of the trailer and move it into the grass where he had to LEAVE IT RUNNING because if it wouldn't start again, he would have an even worse problem!

About that time, I was at our store, and I asked where he was.  Oh, yes.  The tractor.  After about an hour, I started worrying.  He should have been back.  I called him.

He VERY CALMLY explained the situation, and he told me he was going to LEAVE the RUNNING TRACTOR and his trailer -- no longer attached to anything -- there on the Highway while he drove his truck into town to look for a tire.

I about had a blow out myself!  I told him he might as well kiss his tractor and trailer GOODBYE because they sure would not be there when he got back!

He decided I was probably right.  I got onto him for not calling me.  He said he didn't want to bother me.  I can ASSURE you I would have BOTHERED HIM if that -- or anything remotely related to that -- had happened to me!!!

I suggested that we make some phone calls and FIND a tire.  I would go pick it up and drive it out to him on the highway.  It took a long time to do it, but I finally picked up the tire and drove half way to Ardmore to find his flashing lights on the other side of the highway.  Bless his heart.  He had been there since 10:00, and I arrived about 1:30.  Then he had to lift the trailer -- put the new tire on -- put the STILL RUNNING tractor back up on the trailer -- attach all the heavy chains -- put all the tools and the ramps away -- and finally drive back to our store.  I felt so bad for him.  It was 2:30 when we got back and he had not had any lunch.  He did have a bottle of water in his truck that I had put in it yesterday.

He NEVER cussed.  He NEVER complained.  He NEVER got the least bit upset.  He is an AMAZING man!  It is absurd that we had an argument over the laundry yesterday, but he goes through stuff like that as though it were nothing.

I guess you know now how he can be happily married to such a hyperactive, opinionated, bossy perfectionist.  Actually, he is quite the perfectionist himself.  Remember the hedges?

Won't keep you.

Be back soon.

Glad this day is over!

Hugs, Joy

About My Rolling Stool

One of you asked me about the stool I was sitting on in my last video.

I made another video JUST FOR YOU, so you can see how much fun this "ride" is.

I did some more research after I made the video, and I was able to find this EXACT stool at www.wayfair.com.  It is an Office Star ST205, and it is on sale (supposedly) for $123.99.

I forgot to mention in the video that the seat tips a little to go up or down in the front/back.  I use it for quilting if I have a loooooooooooooong job to do.  I use it for jewelry making and for drafting.

I do not use it for sitting at my sewing machines.

I do use it to roll all around real fast!  That IS considered aerobic exercise, isn't it???

Have a blessed Sunday.  It will be here soon.

We are going to REAL church in the morning, and then Jerry is taking me shopping and to Logan's for a Steak dinner in Sherman, TX.  Sooooooooooooooooooooo delish!

Hugs, Joy

My Very Own Style in Woven and a New Video

Before I forget, I want to show you this link to Glenda's article on fixing your sleeve.  I had never seen it, so I am assuming a lot of other SFD'ers have not seen it either.  (You will have to cut and paste the link.  Sorry.)

http://www.sfdlearningcenter.com/SleeveFacts.html

And I finished my latest Joy Style today.  It is in the washer for the second time around because the chalk wheel marks I made for the buttonholes and buttons did NOT come out even after soaking them in Shout and some other spot remover.  Goodness!  Some of that chalk is really hard to remove.  I rubbed those marks so hard, my fingers were burning, and they STILL persisted!

I made a video for you -- chalk marks and all -- with a dart pointing up to my chin which has since been fixed.  It is SO NICE to know how to fix things when I am sewing.  As careful as I am in drawing those darts, they never seem to come out exactly right.  My apexes seem to move when I'm asleep or something!

Here is the video:

And I can't "linger longer" as my daughter explained to me was a line in one of the romance novels she used to read.

I'm getting off my feet and on my bed.

I really like my new assymmetrical neckline, color-blocked blouse.  I should have taken a still of it.  Didn't think of it until now.  I may try another one that buttons all the way up and down.

Back to the drawing board.

Fortunately, I can do that on my bed!

Be back soon!

Hugs, Joy