Vat iz zees?

Yes!  An actual completed piece of clothing for myself!
This does not happen frequently, indeed, the material and pattern were purchased way over a year ago for last year's Easter!  But then Life Happened and the cut out fabric got pushed to the very bottom of my To Do list. 


Then, lo and behold, I had a sewing break.  In between finishing up two quilts and awaiting lining fabric for a diaper bag, I found myself on 'down time'.  I rechecked my Project Board just to make sure I wasn't forgetting something but there it was: the faded notation 'Easter Dress' on the very bottom of the chalk board. I fished the crumpled pile of knit and pattern tissue out of the stash and made sure it would still fit (winter has played havoc on my walking regimen), switched my needle for a ball point medium for this stretchy jersey knit, filled up my bobbin and set to it. 


Buying clothes at my age, size and attitude is a trying thing.  My wee wittle brain still is thinking thirty something in taste, twenty something in style and nigh on sixty something in reality.  This all makes for a highly complicated fashion decision.  'Older' clothes are never appealing to me. Most things I LOVE are terribly expensive. Younger things look ridiculous and there are things that I will not, not, not wear:  

• Puffy sleeves
• Short sleeves
• Most skirts
• Too long of tops (5'3" boo)
• Too short of tops
• Summer colors (strictly autumnal)
• Most capris
• Most Dresses
• Most solid colored tops
• Tee shirts with short sleeves
• Low cut tops

See the problem?  And Hubby wonders why I usually roam around in black pants and tops?  The harbinger of Fashion Woes...

After researching for a L-O-N-G time last year to find a flattering frock for church last Easter, I came up with this nifty little Simplicity pattern with my name written all over it.  Knit; forgiving.  Wrap; hiding things.  Three quarter length sleeve; hides all the unfavorable parts of the arms, leaving my teeny wrists exposed.  Yep.  This was the right one.  Then fabric.  Hubby refused to let me buy black again, but compromised with me when I found this fun, colorful circley design.  Again, the black forgives, the design hides.  Perfect.

Now here it is, a year later, completed Way Early for this year's late Easter date.  For once, I am ahead of my schedule!  And mighty pleased with it I am.  The pattern was a bit cryptic for Simplicity, but then that is why they make seam rippers.

 

I feel fortunate that I can sew for myself given the stylized predicament that I find myself in, but there again is the time to do it when I'd much rather be making baby things....

So if you see me in my garden wearing my Easter Dress this summer, you shall know that no more free time came to sew more clothes for my poor sad fashion complicated self....

What are your fashion pet peeves?

Butter Suede Booties....

 To balance my time remodeling the basement and redecorating the main floor, I find that a good time in the sewing room consists of preparing for several babies...

 I found out when my daughters had their babies, it really didn't matter what you registered for or what you needed, what people really want to give babies is little tiny clothes, especially girly things, AND footwear!!  As mentioned recently, accessories to the teeny footsies are as much fun to pick out and purchase as they are cute on the baby feets....

 So when Rabbit Rita's daughter came to visit her mama, it only seemed logical, that I get my best grandma bootie making skills in practice to make the most comfy booties ever,  for her first grandchild's sweet little tootsies.

 When Heather Bailey offers free patterns, I take advantage of them and download them tout de suite.heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/.  So deliciously simple.  So basic, leaving every opportunity for embellishment and fanciful additions to the most simple of booties.

 Gotta admit, it was pretty hard to stop once the cuteness began.....

 Soft, buttery suede, embroidered edging, cutouts for a lacing, then the finale: soft baby blue flannel lining!
If I could add an orthotic to a nana sized sole, I would venture to make slippers for me out of this material..Very touchable....

Thank you Heather Bailey for the pattern and sharing your idea......

Anymore babies out there needed feet coverings??  I'm on a roll.......!!

Rescued Keepsakes

 When looking through bins of linens at thrift stores or garage sales, I tend to appoint myself as Savior of the Craft.  My hand usually goes to intricately woven, crocheted, knitted, embroidered things that someone has laboriously toiled over for many hours and is now relegated to a .25 price tag.  More than once, I have gasped aloud when seeing a tiny hand knit sweater or bonnet, carelessly pitched to the bottom of a box.  When I lift it out of it's sad ,discarded position, it almost speaks to me, 'Finally!  Someone who recognizes me for what I am!'

And what is that?
Something that someone, maybe years, decades before, lovingly, intentionally, carefully, labored over for some dear loved one.  Someone took the time to pour over patterns, weigh the pros and cons of the weight and color of yarn, took to their needles and spent sacrificial time, energy and money to create a special handmade sweater for some dear little baby.  As you know from previous meanderings here, I always tend to drift to the back story of each handmade/vintage item that I approach with interest.  Hand crafted things all have stories; that's what makes them so appealing.  It's just odd people like me that actually hear the items plea their history to ensure rescue.

That is how mama's collection came into being.  Years and years of casually drifting into yard sales and thrift shops only to be pulled into 'conversation's with, as dottie angel's[ www.dottieangel.com],calls: 'forsaken things', speaking to me in a most specific way: 'Puhlleezeeee! Do not let me sit and waste away on the bottom of this shelf!  Please see me for what I am!  A handmade lovely (or vintage something) that has been carefully designed, made and loved for years and has now been tossed aside by unthinking somebodies!  You know how much work went into me!  You see the detail!  Reach into your pocket, take out that quarter that you have been keeping there for this moment and take me home!  Rescue me!  I will serve you well!!'

 And so it came to be that I understand that it is my lot in life to caretake those things that most find old and discardable.  And glad that I am that it is my lot, for on a dull, gray February day, I had the unmitigated joy to enjoy this most delightful pillowcase as I changed my sheets.  As I reached for the pillow case I had selected from my linen closet (do you know just how many vintage pillow cases I own? Nope, don't even try....:)), my hand brushed over the amazing detail.  I had to sit to take it all in.  Crocheted baskets of flowers, countless stitches counted carefully and executed beautifully.  Rows of crocheted edging, intertwined around pink rick rack, creating the most endearing pillow cover.  Sometimes, I get so overwhelmed by the beauty and detail of the most mundane things like pillow cases, that I reward their beauty by ironing them!  Crisply and starchfully, they look stupendous on a turned down bed, already for a good night sleep. And I always remember to thank the hands that went into creating a spot of pleasure and beauty for me.

 I believe that if we begin to look at things, people, places, more carefully, to see the intricate beauty in each thing/person, we will live differently.  We will value and cherish things/people more.  We will see their purpose in just bringing joy in just being around it/them.
We will live differently.  Guaranteed.

Seek out beauty in the things that are normally overlooked today.....And be blessed...

Famous Liter Bottle Indiananians

Being a believer in all things crafty, imagine my surprise when I arrived the other day for Tutor Duty to see my table in the fourth grade room, being taken over by miniatures of several of Indiana's Most Popular Citizens.  These little models are absolutely delightful in their representation as well as interpretation.  And in this day of economically deprived art opportunities in our schools, it encourages me when teachers see the importance in creativity by incorporating artistic expression in their day to day lessons. Now, let us see which ones you recognize and know:

 

 Twyla Tharp:  Portland Indiana's most favorite choreographer.  I particularly enjoyed her handcrafted crocheted sweater with her rakish red scarf.  And her cottony puff of a hairstyle.  Love it.

 Orville Redenbacher: Native of Brazil Indiana, this agricultural entrepreneur, created his popcorn hybrids to become a common place snack all over the world.  I think he would be pleased with his pop bottle likeness.

 Red Skelton: Vincennes Indiana, an historical, riverside town, produced one of America's favorite clown/comedians.  Don't you think he would find this rendition hysterical?
And in front of Red?  A very abstract rendition of Kurt Vonnegut, fashioned from....?  Notebook paper!!  Genius!  An what about the chenille headed Larry Bird, from West Baden?? Adorable.

And my favorite:
John Cougar Mellencamp!  Seymour Indiana's own rock musician. 
 Now, I believe that this little fourth grader may have had some help with this little pop bottle image, but I think that a little help can be a fun memory to share with a child.  I still remember making a model of Springfield, Illinois' historic train station with my dad.  I remembering thinking how brilliant he was when he fashioned a coat hanger into a rail.  I remember watching him as he carefully cut the cross track out of teeny pieces of wood.  I made cardboard  luggage carts right next to him by his workbench.  To this day, I see class projects and smile in remembrance of that special time.  Yesterday, as I was admiring the display, one of the students came up beside me and I asked  which of the "bottles" was hers.  She pointed out a very fun looking Red Skelton.  She also pointed out that Red's hair was her own mother's hair!  She said that her mom cut her own hair to complete the project!  The proud little girl also commented that her mom is very funny.  She told me, grinning, 'My mom makes me laugh'....Ah, good mommy...


I hope you have appreciated this little presentation of  some of Indiana's Favorite Sons in a Pop Bottle Interpretation as much as I did.


What kind of project will you make with a child that will be memorable?

And now, a word from summer.....

Ah!  Refreshed?

Breakfast of Champions

Let us assume that all the Christmas Cookies are gone.
Let us assume that there is still some Valentine Candy left.
Let us pretend that we have been eating our cholesterol grabbing oatmeal all winter.
And let us rejoice that there is Spring in the air.
So what does this all add up to?

Weight Loss Time, Sistahs!! (and brudders...:D)
Oh yeah.
Judging by the crazy amount of people out tonight on my evening Doggie Walk, I'd say that Cabin Fever has driven the population to break down their previously frozen doors to breathe in the fresher, brighter, lighter air that comes with the southerly winds of Springtime.
And with increased activity, comes the lovely benefit of Weight Loss.
So what better time to stick to your springy guns and start a new breakfast plan?

I am eager to share my simple recipe because it has astounded me by it's simplicity and healthy goodness.  When I can eat something for breakfast and not even think about being hungry to well past lunch time, well, I am sold.  With previous breakfasts, I would get about three hour satisfaction before I was starving and tempted to munch on something till lunch time came.  So dangerous!  But with my new breakfast plan, those empty feelings are gone and a true hunger doesn't break a sweat till an acceptable luncheon time.

The secret of this concoction is: Fiber.
Fiber is filling and helpful to all things digestive.  You know what that means, right?  Sugary things stick and linger and park themselves and all their empty calories.  Mr. Fiber will not tolerate lallygagging around.  If it doesn't stick around it....departs.  Less things hanging around, less weight.  Simple, huh?

Try it!  Breakfast can be boringly predictable, so give this very healthy mixture a chance.....



Deb's Breakfast of Champions:

•  One box of generic raisin bran (most raisin bran has 4-5 grams of fiber - that's what you're looking for) Cheap is fine and encouraged.
• Raisins or blueberries, strawberries, bananas, dried cranberries...Some kind of fruit...Use something different every week for a real boredom crusher!  During the summer, you can reach Cereal Nirvana with all the fresh choices!
• Chopped nuts of any kind, just make sure they're natural and not salted or roasted.  I add pecans, almonds, walnuts...Add this to a Tupperware kind of cereal keeper to the raisin bran.  It's no more costly to have the nuts in pieces or slivered, so go for it! Nuts are high in calories, but good ones.  Vitamin E, omegas and our friend fiber, are worth the extra calories.
• For each bowl, add 1 tsp flax seed and one tablespoon wheat germ.
• Use skim, almond or soy milk.  Your preference.  Or try a different one next week!  (See how varied this can get?)

See ya on the outside!!

Three Hours Away

Sigh.