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