Accomplishment

I really enjoyed Memorial Day weekend and had two days off from both jobs.  I really would've liked another day but oh well, at least it's a short work week.

On Monday, I decided to stretch my sewing skills and attempt a skirt for my niece Mackenzie.  And I did it!  I made clothes!  First attempt at clothes making since home ec in middle school.

Don't look too close because it's not exactly perfect but it will look great on a 2-year-old running by at top 2-year old speed.

The pattern is called "Julia" by ModKid.  The pattern was easy to follow and had great instructions for newbie garment sewists.  The size range is 2T-7.

I just adore the Snoopy fabric and think the scale of the design is just perfect for this little skirt.

The book Stitch by Stitch: Learning to Sew, One Project at a Time by Deborah Moebes was a great help in relearning/learning about garment construction.  The projects in the book are great and someday I'll get around to making some of those too.

Mackenzie's skirt should be arriving by mail soon and I can't wait to hear how she likes it.  (Hope it fits!)

If all goes well, I may try more clothes and hope to venture into sewing for myself.  Too bad I am a bit too old for twirly Snoopy skirts.  Guess I'll stick to my usual black, gray, or brown.

Memorial Day 2012

Remembering and honoring the brave men and women who served our country past and present.  A grateful nation thanks you all for your service.

Luck All Around

Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday weekend.  I had a busy week so it's great to have a couple days off to get some fun time in.

Yesterday I finished the top for this month's Schnibble parade.  This may be one of my favorite Schnibbles ever. I used Kate Spain's line called "Good Fortune" and the solid is Moda Bella solids Zen Gray.  I just love the colors in this line and also like the play on the theme of the card trick block (Good Fortune = Lucky; Card Trick block = Cards) 

Speaking of luck, I was super lucky to be a winner in Fabricworm's weekly giveaway. The line is called "Grand Hotel" by Jenean Morrison.  This line just says late summer to me with the great graphics and saturated colors.  Big thank you to Fabricworm!!! 

The cats are enjoying the warm sun and gorgeous weather we are having in metro Atlanta this weekend.  Here is Gomez lounging on a pile of quilts on the back of the couch in the late afternoon sun.  

Ahhh the life of cats.   This black cat sure lucked out adopting me.

Vampire Stella

Better.

Remy and Edgar Poe

Did everyone have a good Mother's Day?   The cats were on their best behavior yesterday and enjoyed another day in bed.  The cats loved the peace and quiet, all piled on the bed napping.

S. brought me ice cream and good (soft) food to eat. And many cups of tea.  He's a good nurse for someone who is not a very good patient.

I Skyped with the family in Michigan and explained to Mackenzie how I had an "ow-ie" And then we talked about how everyone has teeth--Aunt Gretchen, Grandma, Shiloh doggie, Remy kitty, Mackenzie.  I love conversations with two-year olds; they are very factual.

 

Today, I am finally starting to feel better.  My last sick day off of day job and Starbucks so I better be right as rain tomorrow (or at least tolerable).

I finished reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.  I am so happy I had a great, big, well written book to read as everything else made my teeth hurt.

Watching TV, eating, noise, talking, sitting, smiling, forget it.   I didn't even sleep that much.

It was a really great biography and a wonderful insight into a person who has revolutionized our modern life.  It made me love my Apple products more and really really really wish he had developed an iIron. Can you imagine an Apple iIron?  A quilter's dream!!  A perfectly designed, weighted, proportioned, temperature controlled iron.  Perfect steam. Perfect heat for different fabrics. Sigh.


I did venture out of bed to do laundry and iron S.'s shirts and decided that I was going to sew a little.  I finished two blocks of Doc and have the rest sorted.

The color placement is tricky in these blocks so I used my block design board that I made during retreat in February, which I had buried in the sewing room handy and ready to use.

Today was a fun mail day too.  For last month's Schnibbles parade, I won 2 charm packs of the new French General fabric from Sherri.  Thank you so much Sherri!!!  I can't wait to use these in a Schnibble later this year.

I also had a sweet note with some funny stickers from my dear friend Karmen.  Love you Karmen!!  You are the best!  Let's all be jealous of her going to Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City.  I can't wait for the report on all the great new fabrics and wonderful photos. (Karmen is a great photographer.)  Make sure you wear your boots for Sample Spree so you don't get your feet trampled.

Oh and look at how pitiful that is.  I am at 99 followers.  Anyone up for being #100?  I'll do a giveaway soon if someone will round up the number to three digits.  Just sayin'.

Recovering

I am recovering slowly it seems from my wisdom teeth surgery.  Thank you all for the wonderful not-scary stories and all the well wishes in the comments.  Y'all are the best!!  Truly the best!!

The surgeon did have to do more work than she originally thought to get the lower impacted teeth out so I look less like a






cute little chipmunk

and more like a




puffer fish.

Seriously swollen.  Even after bags and bags of ice.

The pain has been manageable with the pain meds I am on. I'm not as sleepy as I thought I would be and I've spent a lot of time catching up on blogs and websites.

I'm also started reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and am about halfway through already.  

The cats have enjoyed having me stuck in bed for three days now and we all are camped out on the bed with toys (for the cats), books, magazines, iPhone, and a laptop. 

Before my surgery, I picked out fabrics for this month's Schnibble and got the pieces all cut. (no cutting on pain meds!!)  I think I can draw the lines for the HSTs but that's about it for today.

I just love Kate Spain fabric and I think Doc is going to be a great fit for "Good Fortune." I'm using gray as a background again and a deep purple for the cornerstones and binding.  Big purple floral is for the backing.

On Wisdom...

...teeth that is.  I am getting my four wisdom teeth taken out Thursday and ...

Public Service Announcement:  fretting, worrying, general freaking out about it starts...

...about now.

Please don't tell me any horror stories about it.

I have been trying to avoid all possible stories about it.  I WILL NOT and HAVE NOT looked it up on the Internets.  (What I don't know, makes my nerves calmer.)

My surgeon already said that since I am older, it will take longer to bounce back.  Thanks, doc! Yes, I know I should have had this done 20 (!!!!!) years ago.

There are IVs involved.  I do not "do" IVs. The thought makes my arms ache.  (I haz IV/doctor/hospital issues).

Also, "do you bruise easy?  There can be extensive bruising."  Yes, I do.  "And swelling." Great.  I am going to look like a chipmunk who went 3 round with Mike Tyson.

My unhelpful dad said "It's terrible. Be prepared to be on the couch.  I was on the couch forever. It was miserable." Thank you Dad.  I love you.

One of my regular customers at Starbucks said "You know there's a nerve that runs along your jaw. You could lose all feeling in your face." OMG! WHAT????!!!?

Good thing "The Walking Dead" TV show is filming Season 3 in the Atlanta area because I'll be an excellent candidate for a drugged-out, shuffling, drooling, bruised face, moaning, chipmunk-cheeked ZOMBIE!!