Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Wordless Wed 329~ The Squash Pot World

 







A couple of bean plants live with the 2 squash plants.
The mushrooms confirm the soil is fertile and the pot has plenty of water.
 

Monday, July 25, 2022

Mon Memories 136~ Drive of Memories

 

I've gone the longest for a long time in taking a trip of any kind other than visiting around the home place to see my family.  So I've really been yearning for one of the day trips that Mr. G and I used to take frequently. I remember clearly our last such trip.  Last week I finally took the giant step to get out of the house to do something other than grocery shopping, business or medical reasons.  I took a trip around this area.  
Had late lunch at a new place in one of the little towns.
 
Then I drove over to the road
where we took our last trip.
 

Yes, there were memory tears.
 

 

Friday, July 22, 2022

Fun Fri~ Mr. G's Grand Daughter 2022 Bday Card

 I always think I'm just going to quickly make a card.
Before I know it,
I've spent 2 hours sketching, choosing fabrics and stitching.
Just a tad of hand stitching on this one. 
 Some embroidery touches and tacking down.
 
Birthday cards I make for my family and friends
usually focus on highlights of their previous year.
 

 

Mr. Gs Grand Daughter has been busy as a student
and through her University she has been training a service dog. 
He is SO cute that
she has a challenge with
people in public wanting to pet this dog.
A rule everyone needs to know when it comes to service dogs
that are clearly marked with a labeled vest
please do not socialize with these animals
as they do their job.
 
We are so proud of her
for taking on this task.


Happy Birthday

Monday, July 18, 2022

Mon Memories 135~ Old Quilt Making Memories

 

How many of you remember
the days of quilt making before
rotary cutters/rulers/stencil cutting machines
when we cut out a template shape
from
a cracker or cereal box cardboard
trying to draw as accurately as possible 
with a ruler and pencil?
 Then oh so accurately cutting that
template with scissors.
Finally, with a pencil or ink pen
the template was traced around
on fabric.
Then ever so closely we tried to
cut them out of the fabric
 with the best scissors we could find.
I could NEVER get them to go 
together accurately.
Who knew how much I added with a pencil line
depending on which side of the line I cut?
 
I first started out by stitching by hand
because grand mothers and aunts
made me feel like it was sacrilege to
stitch together the pieces by machine.
Took me probably 20 years
to get to the point to do it MY way. 
I think I've only completed one quilt totally by hand.
 

Funny, now today, I'm trying my best,
and really enjoying it,
to put these hexies that Kathy gave me
together by hand.
I've yet to determine if I will hand quilt.
It will depend on the time I have left to
enter into the March quilt show.
I would like to try to hand quilt.
We'll see.

btw, I'll probably remember this quilt as the
"Gunsmoke Quilt" 
because I'm stitching on it as I watch the
Gunsmoke episodes on Pluto.
I average adding1 flower every half hour.
A great project when its too hot to be upstairs 
in the sewing nest.

I'm enjoying making more memories
stitching these flowers together.
The stitches or seams on each one are not the same
which leads me to think more than one person
made them.
I tend to think a combination of adults and children?
 
Which brings another memory to mind.
My Dad said his mother had all 7 of him and his 
brothers and sisters
piecing together quilts in the winter
to keep them out of trouble.
The pieces were cut from worn out clothes,
table clothes, feed sacks and other used fabrics.
Absolutely no yardage was EVER bought then


Friday, July 15, 2022

Fun Fri~ Scrapped Gift Bag


 I had made a couple of scrappy pot holders 
to give to a cousin of Florida that came to visit.
I needed a quick gift bag,
so I pulled out some half square triangles
that were given to me in a scrap bag.
Some where off cuts.
I only tended to the outter corners being the pink fabric,
and the rest didn't matter.
Because they were off cuts,
matching seams didn't matter either.
Just some quick,
fun
sewing
then
done
and
run!
I forgot to take pictures of the pot holders.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Tues Tips~ Ms. Rabbit Becomes a Memory Project


     My daughter found a vintage rabbit for her grand son to carry around.  She requested that I make a shirt and pants to change the character. 
     So how did I design a pattern for the new clothes?  How much did the fabric cost?


*****************
Tuesday Tips
******************

One thing I did was pull out my 
VERY overstuffed folder
of only FREE doll patterns
I've printed out over the past few years.
I've got a rather large collection
of FREE doll patterns on my
Pinterest board.
 
I decided this rabbit was about
the same as an 18 inch doll.

I printed my patterns because
you never know if a website will die.
The pants pattern came from "Strictly Homemade."
To use a pattern,
I trace it on tissue paper used in wrapping gifts.
Then I paper clip or stitch it to the page of the original pattern
and possible instructions to use again.

 After a bit of comparison measuring,
I decided the pattern size would work.
 
As you can see,
the fabric cost zero
as this became a memory project
using Mr. G's blue jeans
and my Dad's shirt which Mr. G wore some. 
It only took the bottom half of one pant leg.
 
I cut 2 straps about 2 inches wide and
double folded, top stitched along the edges.
My new Janome made the job easy
as it stitched through these 4 layers like soft butter.
 Even did great sewing 6 layers when attaching to paints.
Matter of fact,
I was unable to hand stitch buttons through all
the layers and ended up using
the machine's button attachment.
As you can see,
a note was made on pants to
show they were made from Mr. G's pants. 
 
For the shirt,
I had to turn to a book
I bought at a second hand store for 4$.


 
I decided on this shirt,
because it had the collar I wanted
but redesigned the sleeves to be
long and straight.

I thought it was interesting this designer
didn't use facing or binding to finish the edges,
but rather a complete lining. 
Really made fast and easy work. 
Made a note on 
back bottom of shirt
where it will be tucked into pants and not seen all the time.
It should have said, "From Great, Great Grand Dad's Shirt."

It only took the 2 sleeves from the shirt
to make this little shirt.


Now his new look is complete.

All made from 
Mr. G's blue jeans, and
Great, Great Grand Dad's (my Dad) shirt.
 
 




I hope he makes lots of trips to church and shopping.
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Sharing @ the following linky:





Monday, July 11, 2022

Mon Memory 134~ 1970s Simplicity 5333

 

Last time I used this pattern 
was to make my oldest daughter
 the jumper and jumpsuit.
Just made my great grandson a jumpsuit.

 
I've never intentionally gotten rid of any pattern I've owned.
I probably have not used 2/3 of my patterns. 
There are probably almost 200 patterns.
Most what people would classify as vintage.

I added the back pocket and hanky.
Since he's from generations of farmers,
this is for sure for my Great Grandson.

I'm probably the only one
 that believes my pattern collection is valuable.
However, because I know my family won't have 
time to sell them online,
they probably are just a nuisance.
 
They sure do hold a ton of
*Memories for Me*