red week : day 5

Just under the wire, I've completed my first blog color week. It was fun! Looking forward to another one. Have a great weekend.

red week : day 4

My dad had a sewing machine that he used to mend or alter his clothes (like hem his pants because he was a cute, short dad). He also used it to make those pillow type characters that were so popular in the 80s, the kind that were printed on a fabric panel and you just cut the shape out, sewed around the edges, stuffed it and there you go. I've got a family of cats and a Santa Claus that he made.

When he passed away in 1991, I was given his sewing machine and all his sewing notions. These items came out of his notions box. (Don't we all have an Oscar Meyer Weiner whistle in our notions box? Well, my dad did. He was just that kind of guy.) It might sound kind of silly, but when I'm sewing and don't have just the right color thread, I say, "Hey, Dad, do you have any [insert color here] thread?" and then I check his box. Nine times out of ten, he's got a color there for me that works.

His sewing machine and I didn't get along too well. It always seemed to be out of adjustment. Only once did I manage to get it adjusted so that the threads didn't bunch up on the back side of the fabric. My precious little toddler son immediately grabbed every knob on the machine and gave them a good turn. I put the machine away and only used it if I absolutely had to. That's why I really haven't sewn much until I got my new sewing machine a couple of years ago. I guess that coincided with my discovery of craft/sewing blogs. They're so inspirational and I don't think I'd be as interested as I am in sewing if it weren't for all those talented bloggers out there.And these two books - I absolutely love them! Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing is a great resource for beginning sewers with easy, fun projects. It's written in such an friendly manner and makes you feel like, "Yeah, I can do that!" Alicia Paulson's Stitched in Time is beautifully written and full of sweet memory making projects. These are my sewing bibles. If you think you want to sew, check out these books!

red week : day 3

We recently acquired a couple of cool red retro phones. Now we just need to find some of the old caller ID boxes so it's safe to answer the phone when it rings! The chair is a thrift store find, and the seat cushion re-covered with some Echino fabric.

Wishing you all a blessed Lenten season. <3

red week : day 2

Since today is son Noah's 17th birthday, I went into his blue room to look for my red subject to photograph. This collection in his room represents things he loved when he was a young boy. Superman was his favorite superhero, Sonic the Hedgehog was his favorite video game and comic book character, and he loved the Pokemon cartoons (see the Pokeball?). There's also a little red Pac-Man ghost character in there (Noah loves video and arcade games, past and present). Happy Birthday, Noah! Love you!

red week : day 1

This will be the first color week on my blog. I chose the color red in honor of my son, who is turning 17 tomorrow. Red reminds me of the little red Converse sneakers he wore when he was a toddler.
Today's red photo includes the Easy Classics to Moderns piano music book that Aunt Dorrie gave N many years ago. He can now play pieces by Bach and Tschiakovsky as well as the Super Mario Bros. Theme! Yes, he's a well-rounded musician with eclectic taste.

a boxy pouch and birthday card

Well, daughter E liked her zipper pouch. Now I want to try this adorable little boxy pouch from three bears. How cute is that? The tutorial makes it look pretty easy. I have got to try this one. Although I'm sure it won't look as great as the one in this picture, I'm willing to give it a try.

Today's mail brought a really amazing handmade belated birthday card to my hubby from Stephanie, Jeff and Teagen. It's really beautiful! Steph's one crafty stamping artist. I can't wait to find out what she put inside those adorable Valentine's Day packages for Teagen's friends.

Now we're preparing to celebrate son N's 17th birthday next week. Wow! No definite plans yet except for the customary chocolate cake and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream. Looking forward to that.

a zippered pouch and some shoes

I've been in a sewing mood lately and actually did make something this week. It's my first zippered pouch. I made it for my Aggie daughter E to tote things in her purse. I chose to use this tutorial from the purl bee because I wanted to try the bias tape treatment on the inside seams (as opposed to sewing in a lining). And it gave me a chance to do some patchwork strips and sew in a zipper -- all fun!

I hope to find time to do some fabric shopping this weekend because I need to make a baby shower gift, wedding gift and late Christmas gift. I know what I'm going to make, just need to find the right fabrics.

Did you ever notice how a lot of blogs have pictures of feet in socks or shoes? I finally caught a good picture of my feet dressed up in my new Clarks. I snagged these for less than half price at the Clarks outlet store. Cute and comfy.

So wish me luck on my fabric hunt!

Smooth Ride

Hubby's birthday was yesterday and he wanted some new wheels, so last night we picked up his new cruiser bike. Tonight he got it road-ready, took it for a spin and reported back that it's a "smooth ride."

Of course we had the mandatory chocolate cake and Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, and we're happily enjoying the leftovers. We'll save you a piece of cake, E.

Happy Birthday, hon, "and many more!"

Fashion Mate

In my last post, I mentioned the sewing cabinet I got at a garage sale across the street last year. Here's the original instruction manual that came with it. It just looks so cool! And it reminds me of the days when I learned to sew, taught by my big sister Deborah. She was in high school (she learned in Home Ec class) and I was in junior high. I remember the white dress with red trim that I made then. I'll never forget that dress. I loved it. Thanks, Deb, for teaching me to sew. I love you, SIS!

I've almost finished the Native American costume for my son. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'll be so glad when I finish and can move on to other things. The list of things I want to make is sooo long. It's hard to decide where to start, but I think I've decided on my next project. It's a secret for now. I'll let you in on it soon.