HAPPY SATURDAY....and a giveaway

Wow...here it is Sat noon and I never did write a post this week, haha...Guess I have just been that busy.  I am coming to an end of all my sewing projects and I have such mixed feelings.  On the one hand I an soo pleased to be almost finished and feeling stressed to get things done, and yet I have soo enjoyed this I am a little sad I won't have a "need" to continue sewing.  Not that I can't come up with a thing or two I could make of course, but I have also spent enough money for now on sewing and I do tend to get carried away, haha.  It scares me sometimes that I have "stirred one of my giants" (as I say) and want to run over to the fabric store even now (badly, lol) and look around. 

I guess I never did tell you about the wonderful Father's day week-end we had last week-end.  It was just soo good.  On Sat. we went over to my oldest son Joe's house for the afternoon and then dinner.  Leah made a REALLY yummy broasted chicken, salad, rolls, beans and for dessert strawberry shortcake.  It was really good, but also allowed me to stay on my diet; which I haven't mentioned in a while I know.  Yes, I am STILL on it, but it goes sooo slowly it is definitely overwhelming at times.  I have lost 26 pounds which is OK I guess, but should be soo much more for as long as I have been on.  But a GOOD week for me is 1 pound!  Most weeks it is more like a half a pound, or I even stay the same....sigh.....WHY oh WHY did I let myself put it back on when it gets harder and harder to take it off?  But I regress.....so back to the dinner at Joe's.  We also went outside and they all played volleyball so that they could help Annabel practice for tryouts that she was going to on the following Monday.  After a while she was serving the ball really well which is where she tends to be the weakest.  Anyway, she found out on Thursday that she DID make the high school freshman volleyball team!  YAY!!  I am already looking forward to those games come fall.  I have really missed sports.  Mel played volleyball all 4 years at the same school, and it was soo much fun.  Then on Sun we went to church of course (which was AGAIN just wonderful) and then we went over to my son's house where they had gotten lobster for lunch!!  YES, LOBSTER!  What a treat...it was soo yummy.  We also had corn on the cob, rolls, and cold slaw.  REALLY yummy.  We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon with them, and then headed on home.  We did miss Mel & Mike of course and John & Yolanda had to work, but they called and we soo enjoyed our conversations with them as well.

We played cards last night with my parents who are doing pretty well.  Us girls just can't seem to get past our losing streak however, so mom we are just going to HAVE to step it up! haha..

Jeff is out having a couple of necessary things (oil change?) to the car, and we hope to maybe see a movie this afternoon.  We do need to do a massive grocery shopping as well.  It's funny how much two people tend to need which is even more surprising as I am still eating the Jenny Criag food as well.  Thank God we are not still feeding a LARGE family as things are just soo expensive it seems.

I ended up re-doing all of my blankets....there are 8 of them....as once I saw how much better they were double sided I just couldn't stop myself.  I am sooo pleased with them now.  I finished they with a quilt binding and they look MUCH more professional, haha....I also made a couple of the stuffed animals.  They are quite cute, but are not really my cup of tea.  Too little and too fiddly as I call it, haha....Here are some pics of this weeks work...

This is the cow print one that I orginally had trimmed in red fleece.  I put on a silky white backing and re-trimmed it in black.  I LOVE it...much more "cow like" haha

This is the John Deere fabric that I have now put a solid yellow backing on and trimmed in green.  The blankets are now a little heavier of course and are now reversible as well which will give her a lot more options.

This one is actually new altogether which means I guess there are 9 blankets (don't panic I am NOT going to show them all, haha...) I just couldn't resist this fabric.  She will have a nightshirt for Sam out of the the giraffe and lion print that you see here, and a single sided receiving blanket as well out of the same.  This one is definitely heavier for going out, and I put a really printed light green flannel on the other side and trimmed it in brown.  I also found a monkey applique that matched perfectly (again I just couldn't resist) and put it on another little hat to match.  Really cute!

And here are my elephant and giraffe....see how well the fabrics all go together?

Here is a close look at his little mane....I had to trim it to fit...can't tell can ya? haha

Hello Sam!

A close up at those antlers....I won't tell you the story on them as it does make me look dumb, haha...let's just say he's REALLY lucky they are even on his head....I loved the eyes!

Mr. Elephant....I love how they sit.

I have fabric and the patterns to make at least one more animal, and I might make two.  This will definitely complete my sewing for little Sam.  (for now anyway, haha)....I have been thinking about soo many different ideas of more blankets I could make.  So, I have been thinking, maybe I will do a give away.  If anyone is interested let me know in a comment and I will figure out how to go about this.  I could make them a little bigger for older kids and more specifically for a boy or girl. 

Well, my hubby should be back any minute so I think I better get myself ready here.  Hope you are all enjoying this beautiful summer day. 


Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A GOOD WEEK....and Happy Father's Day

Well it is almost 5 o'clock on Friday afternoon and I am happy to report I am right on schedule, haha.  This week's sewing has actually been very easy, quick, and fun.  I do HAVE to stop going to the fabric store however.  I just keep finding things.  There was a time in my life (yes I am admitting it kids) when I could have easily been called a sewaholic, or a fabricaholic, haha...I do tend to be a bit obsessive about things I do, be that whatever it is.  But it has been MANY years since I have been on a sewing kick of such proportions.  I have tried to analyze it a bit.  I honestly think it has a lot more to do with wanting to feel productive; liking to stay busy.  With my knees this is not an easy thing to do.  But I have found I can sew!  And unfornately drag myself around to the fabric stores too.  Though there is a GIANT Jo Annes out by where I used to live that even has a little scooter that I can bip around in.  Then I am really unstoppable, haha.  This week I have made the pillow for the rocking chair, the valances for the window, a absolutely darling fleece blanket which was on sale for a WONDERFUL price AND is John Deere (just couldn't resist it) and finally another little nightie and receiving blanket.  This one is made of cow print (which just seemed like a must!) and I made a little hat to go with it and appliquéd a little something on it which I will show you in a minute.  It came out MUCH cuter than I thought it might, haha, and personally I could see him wearing this home from the hospital.  But I guess I will leave that decision up to his new mommy and daddy, lol.  In the next 2 weeks before they come for the shower I will make the little stuffed animals (they should be darling if I do them right) and get everything wrapped and organized.  I should be able to do that easily.  So here are some pics of this weeks work...

Loved the pillow...it is the same fabric as one of the new sheets....I especially liked the trim I found.

Just so you could see it in a chair as it will be....doesn't exactly go with the colors here, but you get the idea.

It is really kind of hard to show a valance that isn't on a window....but this is the same fabric as part of the bumper pads.  I decided to trim it the same way I did the bumper pads with both blue and brown piping.

A closer look at the fabric and the piping

The cow print nightie and receiving blanket and hat....I trimmed everything in red including the buttons.  I put a red fleece blanket binding around the blanket and decided I REALLY liked it.  I may have to go back now and finish all the blankets I made this way...still dwelling on it.

How darling is this, and how appropriate for a dairy farmer's son!

Couldn't wait to put his name on something

The fleece blanket.  I made it 60 by 60 so it is really pretty big, and trimmed it in black fleece binding.

A closer look at the fabric....isn't it darling?

My mom told me this morning that I could just have the shower all by myself with all the gifts I made, which kind of made me feel bad and let me know I have gone a little beserk as usual.  She didn't say it to be hurtful, she was just teasing me a little.   But I felt I could justify it by saying that ALL of the little nighties, receiving blankets, and burp cloths were really inexpensive to make (some as little as 4 or 5 dollars a set) as ALL of the fabric was on sale (I rarely buy it any other way) and lots of the thread, trim, bottons and extras I already had from my years of sewing years ago.  But I guess I have decided I don't need to explain my reasons for doing this.  It is somewhat complicated I guess in some ways.  But it also made me think of how much more our Father in heaven wants to bless all of His children too.  He gives out of His abundance, and really more than we could ever ask or even begin to dream or hope for.  It reminded of this verse in Eph. which has just been coming up over and over again recently and the Lord has really been impressing upon my heart.

Ephs.  3: 20, 21  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

There have been a lot of other things going on this week.  Annabel graduated from the eighth grade, and Capri graduated from KG.  All of the kids are now officially on summer break.  The first Wednesday night service at my son's church this week just couldn't have gone better, and I was blessed more than I could say.  I did travel down for it but I haven't decided how regular this might be as Jeff is unable to go with me as he doesn't get off work in time.  I didn't get home until 10, but it was OK.  There is one woman in particular (and maybe others) who I know think that it is foolish that I travel an hour to hear my son teach, and again I foolishly found myself trying to justify and explain why I do.  What else would I really have been doing anyway instead?  Watching TV and relaxing probably, and while there is certainly NOTHING wrong with that, it really can't be compared in other ways.  I think I will follow the Lord's leading and my heart on this and not worry what others may think (or say as in the one woman's case).  There is a busy week-end spreading out in front of us as we celebrate Father's day with my kids.  We will do this on both Sat. & Sun. and I am looking forward to it.  I pray you all have a wonderful day with your father's and with your families.  And as always my heart does go out to those of you who have lost your fathers, and I pray your memories are good ones.  Let's remember too just how much our Father loves each and every one of us, and rejoice for His presence in our lives!

John 15:9  "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love 

SOO sweet! 

James, Capri & Larissa....first of life's big moments!

Having fun...silly girl!

 

   

Just as a side note, I have NO idea why I have 2 different fonts going on this post, and NO idea how to fix it, haha....guess it is what it is. 

BURP CLOTHS AND A WEEK-END VISITOR

Hope you all had a wonderful week-end.  I sure enjoyed mine.  But I will back up a little bit to Thursday, and show you what I have been on....After the bumper pads I was looking for something just a little quicker and easier to whip together, and decided to go with the burp cloths I was wanting to try.  My sister found a tutorial for them here, and I thought they looked cute, quick and easy, and let's face it; they are somewhat of a necessity with most babies, so I decided to give them a try.  They were all of those things.  Jeff had to run the pattern off the computer for me, as that was not something I could figure out.  But once I had that, I was good to go.  I had such fun just picking out the fabric for them.   I did change it up a bit in that I did 4 of them with the fringe edges, and 4 of them without just because I didn't know how the fringe would work out.  Now that I have washed them and see how it works I think I might have been better doing all of them with the fringe, but I guess at the end of the day it is just personal taste.  Anyway, here they are....

I think these are the perfect size and shape for burp cloths.  I did them out of flannel, and put a warm and nautral batting between them as the gal on the tutorial suggested.

A closer look at one of the fringe ones

A closer look without the fringe...I just zig zagged the edges after turning them inside out.

The tutorial suggest having coordinating fabrics like this one here is done.  I only did 3 this way as I wasn't happy with my cloices.  It did work out cute though on the ones I did this way. 

Friday I decided to take the day off as my neck and head are kind of bothering me.  It is probably not only from all the sewing, but because I bend my head down whenever I am on this computer too which is probably more than I should be, haha.  But whatever it is, I am NOT liking it.  Friday I went and had my nails done and visited some with the sweet girls who own the shop.  I always enjoy them so.  I also had the car washed and ran a couple of errands.  On Sat. we picked up little Jeff and kept him for the week-end.  Can't tell you how I enjoy this little guy!  He is just soo sweet.  I miss him so as I just don't get to see them all as much since we have moved.  We went and saw Kung Fo Panda after lunching at our favorite place,  and then headed out to my mom's to play some cards.  Jeff was SUCH a good boy keeping himself entertained while we played for a couple of hours.  We lost....and that's all I will say about that.  Mom, we MUST get them next time.  Then, we went to a really fun Japanese restaurant for dinner out by my mom's house.  Jeff was familiar with it as he used to work in the area.  Said it was the best he has ever been to, and I now officially agree with him.   The gals all work in kimono’s  and there is a bridge and water fountain that looks authentic and was quite neat.  Little Jeff loved the whole thing, including learning to work the chopsticks.  He was really pretty good at it.  When we got home Grandpa & Jeff headed out to walk Elvis and went down to the lake and saw the ducks.  My knees kept me from going, and Grandpa forgot the camera, so no pictures of that, though they had a wonderful time.  He slept soo good, (thank goodness) and we left EARLY for San Diego the next morning for church.  Jeffie was soo thrilled to see Capri, JD & Donatella and they were thrilled to see him.  Their mama kept it secret that he was coming, and so the surprise was fun.  Service was WONDERFUL again, and the crowd seemed just as big.  After church we went over to their house where Larissa had made homemade enchiladas’ for lunch.  She made them with low fat everything to accommodate me, and they were soooo yummy.  We left for home after giving the kids a couple of hours to play while we sat and visited.  A perfect Sunday.  We came home and had dinner and then Joe came by to pick up Jeffie after his tournament that day.  All in all, a really good week-end.  Here are some pics....(didn't think you'd escape seeing my cuties did ya? haha)

Jeffie has grown up soo much.  He amazed me at how well he is reading now that first grade is behind him, and as you can see he has officially lost both of those front teeth now.  After the movie we got his hair cut...how fast it grows!

He was quite perky on these drinks with the little umbrella's for some reason...I look at his hands in this picture and it is somewhat freaky as they ARE his daddy's hands.  I would swear they were actually Joe's.  lol

How adorable is this little cutie?  Donatella is getting soo big too.  Can't believe how well she talks.

Can't believe how hard it is to get the 4 of them at the same time looking and smilin etc.  This was the best we could do!  Capri has officially passed up little Jeff in height.  She is 8 months younger and is just finishing up KG this year.  She is reading quite well too, and doing math.  They teach them soo much soo early anymore, but guess it is good since they soo obviously CAN do it!  And just look at how big JD is.  He is only 4 and yet close to the size of his 7 year old cousin, and 6 year old sister.  He is going to be such a big guy.  He has such a big heart too to go with it.  Just the sweetest boy.  He kept picking out some of his toys and giving them to Jeffie to take home..."I WANT him to have them cuz I know how much he likes them," he would say.  How sweet is that?

 Well, George and his crew are finishing up so I am going to get busy this afternoon and make the pillow for the rocking chair now.  I hope to make the valance for the window tomorrow, and that just leaves me with the stuffed animals.  Mike & Mel bought their furninture this week-end.  Soo cute...and now I am thinking we have to figure out how to make changing pad covers.  We are getting there though....Hope you all have a wonderful week. 

This is the set they bought, though they got theirs in ivory colored distressed wood. They did not get the shelfs however as they will use this piece as their changing table.  They got a REALLY good deal on it, as the set will be discontinued.  I LOVE it....I am getting excited to see little Samuel in all his new things!

A BUSY SEASON...(with some bumper pad otions)

I am going to try and make this quick (though I NEVER do, haha) as I am sooo tried and I need to get dinner together. I have been sooo busy. And this grandma over here is just really not use to it. But I am somehow keeping to my schedule. Let's see....first I wanted to tell you what a blessing Sunday morning was. The crowd was REALLY big....the largest I have ever seen at that church, so that was good. Now I have no idea how many of those people will stay or not as some of them may have just come out that morning to show their support to James. But it doesn't matter. It was just a blessing. I know in the transition of Pastors, the church is bound to lose members, but they will gain them too. Some of the regular church members are soo faithful and nice, and have such servant’s hearts. I loved how soo many of them are behind the scenes just doing what needs to be done. One woman who works in the office over there came up to me afterwards and when she had made sure I was James' mom she handed me a CD of his morning message and told me she would have one ready for me every Sunday to have; and that if I am not there she will have it in the mail Monday morning for me. She said, "I just think the Pastors mom should have these." I just couldn't agree more, and I was really grateful. Just soo very nice. Anyway, I know I have been talking a lot about all of this so I will try and keep quiet about this now that it is finally all under way except to tell you one more thing. If you are ever interested in hearing any of his messages, you can click on his picture on the side of my blog and it will take you right to their web site where by clicking on the appropriate scriptures on the side it will begin. They do take a while of course, so sometime when you have the time, pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy.


As for the sewing, I have been the last 3 days slaving away, joyously making the dreaded bumper pads. I would love to tell you that I had them out of proportion and they were a piece of cake, but that just wouldn't be true. They were just kind of a nightmare. And yet when you look at them, they really look easy peasy....It wasn't that they were really hard I guess, just nitpicky, fussy, and time consuming. (all my most dreaded things, lol) I don't think I will be making any more bumper pads anytime too soon, haha. I did set them up with the bed skirt and one of the sheets so you can kind of see how they look, but again the color doesn't look right in the pictures, and it doesn't look as good as they are. I am pleased with them, and I honestly can't wait to see them in a crib. OH, and I did take the sheet to Jim & Larissa's and put it on Donatella's crib, and it was a PERFECT fit. So guess I was right when I said that I am just WAY out of practice. Anyway, here they are....

Those stupid sweet little ties on the pads took me 3 hours by the time I measured and cut them all out (24 altogether) and in addition to that I burned my fingers on the steam from the iron, (over and over again) and just generally whined my way through them, but they are cute.   Can you see the piping (both blue & brown) on the top of the pads?  Another one of my smarter moves (not) as it would have been MUCH easier to just have one color going. 

The inside of the pads is a different color. It is shown here with one of the sheets.  They are all quite different, which will change it up quite a bit.  Now it is possible to change the pads around the other way OR  she could stager them....you know a light one, then the darker etc.  Any opinions?

A closer look  at all the colors, though I did nip off the bedskirt a little too much... : )

I had to try it staggered to see how it was....I am thinking I like this best!

Inside staggered with another sheet option

With the light on the outside....much better I think, but still think I like the staggered better...

Darker blue inside with another sheet option...like this too.  I think both of these later options are better than first.  Opinions???

Now I guess I should mention that I also went out to Newport Beach yesterday and had Jessie do the grey roots, and visited with her quite a bit.  I can't wait to see the shower that she has got planned.  She could easily start a business as a party planner as well as she is sooo cleaver and good at it.  Seriously, I am thinking of hiring her to help out with Jeff's 60th birthday which will be coming up in Dec.  But plenty of time to think about that later.  I also went out to Redlands today to get all the rest of the stuff I need to finish up my projects.  I think I will do the burp cloths tomorrow as they should be quick, easy, and darling. 

I want to wish Mike & Mel a happy anniversary today too.  3 years already.  How can it be?  It seems like just yesterday. 

I LOVE that their still this happy!

Sorry, I just had to show this, I just sooo loved her dress!

And finally I just wanted to show you a picture of my little nephew Blake at his baseball game on Sat.  Such a fun game.  They won, AND Blake hit the winning RBI....Doesn't get much better.  Though I did get quite the sunburn on my forearms....I moved to the shade (it was just soo nice even in the sun) but apparently not in time.  You'd think after 56 years I'd know better wouldn't you?

Isn't he cute?

Hope you are all having a good week.  I feel bad as I have not been around like I usually am.  But I will visit tomorrow morning for sure....

MY BUSY WEEK

Well it's Friday afternoon, and what a busy week I have had.  I am "trying" to keep myself on a schedule everyday so that I can get all my projects done on time.  I will admit that it has been quite the challenge, as I am not used to MAKING myself be this timely anymore.  Makes me wonder if I usually am not doing much, or what it is that I keep myself so busy with ordinarily, but it feels like old times.  I don't want to become "stressed" with all my plans, and I am thinking the key is to set goals for each week, and do my best to meet them.  If I don't, well, I don't.  But so far, so good.  My goal this week was to have all 4 crib sheets made, and the crib skirt.  It was a REAL push (I am out of practice a little worse than I thought, haha) but I did get it done.  I am VERY anxious to take one of the sheets with me to San Diego on Sunday and see how it fits Donatella's crib.  The pattern was supposed to be for a standard size crib mattress, but they do seem a little big to me.  But then again it has been 24 years since I was changing crib sheets, so hopefully I am just not remembering right.   They came out very nicely other than that.  As for the crib skirt......on my goodness.  Again, I used a standard sized crib skirt pattern, and I checked every one I could find and they were all the same depending on the style you chose, but the thing has YARDS AND YARDS of fabric in it.  Each side of the crib has 3 yards of fabric, and each end has another 2.  Sooo, that makes 10 if my math head is working right.  All I can say is imagine gathering 10 yards of fabric to fit on a somewhat small base.  It took me forever!  However, I guess I should admit the truth and tell you that I made a mistake (misread the directions again) and squeezed one set of panels into a very small place...sigh....When I figured out what I had done (and I had double stitched, AND finished the edges with a zig zag stich) and knew I was going to have to rip it all out and start over, I wanted to burst into tears, haha....But I took a small break instead, and pressed on.  Once I got going on it, it went a lot faster than I thought.  I LOVE the way it came out.  I can picture it in the room.  I am anxious to see it there.  Here is a pic of it, though as usual I don't think it really does it justice.

It seems a little long huh?  I am thinking I am going to take my sewing machine with me when I go in August to help Mel put the room together, in case any adjustments have to be made...I am really hoping this won't happen, haha.

A little closer view...I love these colors.  This fabric was selected by Noreen from Life's Blessings as she is making the matching quilt for me.  This is the fabric for the back of the quilt.  Mel just told us the colors she wanted to use in the nursery, and she found this.  It is PERFECT!  And I am soo grateful she is doing this for me!  Can't wait to see it.

Next week I will hopefully make the bumper pads, and the valance for the window.  I don't have the fabric for the window yet, so while I am waiting for it to come I think I will make the burp cloths I want to do.  My sister Diane found a wonderful blog online that had a tutorial for these, and they were not only just darling, but also quick and easy. (right up my alley, haha)  I am kind of scared to do the bumper pads.  I am not sure why as they really shouldn't be that big of a deal.  I think it is because I do tend to be somewhat of a perfectionist and I want them to be perfect.  I have never made these before so I don't know how it will go.  I have researched a countless amount of information on doing this, and have probably got it way out of proportion (imagine that?) but guess we will see.  I have done soooo much sewing over the years you would think there is nothing that would really stress me, but they have all been clothing items.  I have not made home deco items (except for window valances) or what I would consider to be crafty type things.  I want to make a pillow for the rocker, and 4 stuffed animals out of the left over fabric....I like patterns and directions, I don't wing it well either, haha.  I still have a couple of more nighties I am going to try and squeeze in, but I will NOT buy the fabric until I have the rest of this done I have promised myself.

I am soo looking forward to this week-end.  It is my son's first time behind the pulpit in his own church on Sunday, and tomorrow we are hoping to go to my nephews baseball game.  They are in the finals and in first place.  He has gotten the game ball the last TWO games which is soo exciting.  How I love a baseball game on a lazy, sunny afternoon.   Tonight should find us playing cards as always, depending on if my hubby makes it home in time.    Hope you all have a good week-end.