Flashback Friday - 1983

Back to School 1983

The first day of school. DD clutches her lunch box and smiles while showing off the poodle on her new school skirt. I sewed the skirt for her along with her knit top. All the girls in her class wanted one of those poodle skirts!

DS is standing at attention holding his lunch box and wearing his new pack pack. He's not wearing anything that I had sewn because he was already becoming a bit fashion conscious and only wanted store-bought clothing.

It seems as if it was only yesterday when I was sending them off to their first day at first grade (DD) and kindergarten (DS). Where oh where does the time go?

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Links, Links and more Links (and a what are they thinking?)

Links, Links and more Links
Vicki (Field Trips in Fiber) posted a link to an online subscription based magazine Fibre & Stitch. I checked it out and wasn't able to see a sample issue but I did discover a page of freebies! Check it out - 16 great project ideas.

Diann created the cutest crate cover for her Westies - definitely a fashion statement. (I better not let Sophia the spoiled Maltese see the photos or she will want one.)

Want a chance to participate in a low-sew (or no-sew) Sewing Seeds project? Last year, Randi (I Have to Say) collected 125 skirts to donate to the girls in the orphanage and now its the boy's turn. She is requesting boys shorts for ages one to eight living in an orphanage in Africa. Here's the details.

Aren't these the most adorable Halloween tags? I especially like the bingo card one, and I'm not even a big fan of Halloween. (You know, I never thought I'd use the word adorable and Halloween in the same sentence.)

I sure love this line of fabrics from Anna Maria Horner. I don't think it will be too far off into the future that some of these find their way into my stash. Be sure to check out the Flickr group photos too.

Aimee wrote about this form of exercise. I gotta tell ya, when I was ten I ruled as the hula-hoop queen!

What are they thinking?
Did you read that New York City is looking at requiring photography permits and insurance for anyone taking photos on city sidewalks or other public locations for longer than 30 minutes, or ten minutes for groups of five or more people using a tripod. Huh? That sounds pretty short-sighted to me. The article states that the permits and restrictions are not intended for tourists or amateur photographers but the whole thing sounds pretty silly to me. Hopefully this will die a quick and quiet death, but in the meantime when I visit NY I better snap my photos of quickly and discreetly. Pin It

Hot Patterns HP104 Butterfly Top Review Two

My sewing machine has been smokin'! So what better pattern to sew than a Hot Patterns, after all they are "patterns so hot they're smokin'..."

Now Isabelle, at Kitty Couture, just posted a review for the HP Cha-Cha-Cha dress. In fact, if you get on over there before Sept. 1 and leave a comment you could become the owner of a new copy of the Hot Patterns Cha-Cha-Cha dress. She's definitely feeling the Hot Patterns love.

Me? Not so much.

On April 1 I posted a review for the Hot Patterns Butterfly top concluding that the pattern was a keeper.

Is it too late to say "April Fools"?

When I spotted a black and white retro-inspired rayon/poly/lycra (rpl) knit at Hancock's, I immediately thought of the HP butterfly top and purchased the fabric (paying full price mind you). I eagerly anticipated sewing this top and had visions of wearing it paired with jeans and heels or black slacks.

Having learned my lesson last time about the sizing on the HP pattern I cut the body one size smaller and the hip band two sizes smaller than the muslin I had made.

As noted the last time, construction is indeed quick and easy, even though the instructions are not as clear as they could be.

Last time I sewed the cowl and upper sleeves as written in the pattern instructions. This time I did it a different way resulting in a neater neckline appearance.

The pattern instructions tell you to sew the back neck facing onto the back of the top.

Next, open the back facing out and pin the front and back together at the upper sleeve.

The back neck facing is then folded over the pinned seam and the entire upper shoulder seam is sewn.

The back neck facing is turned inside and the neck edge is completed. As you can see, the seam where the back neck facing and cowl meet don't match up neatly.

I had difficulty getting this point smooth the last time I made this shirt, so I did this step an easier way. I simply pinned the back neck facing to the front cowl edge and sewed the upper sleeve and neck edge in one continuous seam.

When I turned the cowl and facings to the inside the result was a nice smooth match. Rather than secure the facings to the inside by hand I stitched in the ditch on the right side of the shirt.


It's still a bit large. I shortened it by two inches before sewing the hip band on. The front hangs lower than the back - the same problem I had with the muslin. I suspect the shirt was designed so that the excess fabric would blouson over the hip band, but the hip band isn't tight enough for that. I've decided that the hip band needs to removed and the front shortened by one more inch.

After wearing it for a few hours I'm undecided as to whether or not I'm feeling the HP love. Pin It

Vogue 2980 Today's Fit Knit Top Review

This knit top pattern - Vogue 2980 - is a new release from the Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina line. The pattern describes the top as "close-fitting, pullover top, with draped "bolero" shoulders."
I used a two-way stretch knit, a rayon/poly/lycra, purchased two weeks ago at Hancock's. You're gonna get sick of me saying this, but it was in the remnant bin - two separate pieces - one just under a yard and the other just under one-half of a yard. The fabric weight and stretchiness was a good choice for this top. But if you look really close you'll notice I wasn't very careful cutting this out ...

The pattern is rated Easy and I would have to agree. This knit top took just over one hour of sewing time to complete.

Because this pattern line now includes all sizes - A to J - in one envelope I traced the pattern rather than cut it out. This particular top is a size C with no alterations at all.

The collar drape is actually very simple to construct. The center back seam of the collar is sewn and then the collar is folded in half lengthwise (wrong sides together). A portion of the collar drape is sewn onto the bodice back with the ends remaining free as they end up being secured in place when the sleeves are set in.

There are three small pleats at the each end of the collar drape which are basted in place on the bodice back just under the armhole. See photo below - I lightened the bodice back piece to help you see how the collar drape is attached - both pieces are actually shown right sides up.

The neckline of the front bodice is finished by a deep self facing that is folded to the inside of the front and basted in place at the side seams. When the side seams are sewn together the front facing and the collar drape are secured in place.

The sleeves are sewn in next. The instructions call for an easeline at the top of the sleeve, but with a two way stretch fabric I certainly did not need to do that extra step.

The final step was to hem the top. I believe my Elna 945 has a coverstitch ability, but I've never learned how to use that feature, so I used a twin needle to hem the top.

I actually tried the technique listed in the pattern instructions. I fused Lite Steam A Seam onto the bottom edge of the wrong side of the hem (this is something I do on all knits when I'm hemming them) and pressed the 1/2" hem in place.

Next I hand wound a bobbin with woolly nylon thread, placed a twin needle in my sewing machine, threaded the machine with regular thread and sewed the hem in place on the right side of the fabric.

The right side looks great .The inside - not so great. Since this is the first time I tried this technique I'm not certain if this is what the back side is supposed to look like or not. I guess it doesn't really matter as long as the finished side looks okay.
It does fit well but the pleats from the collar drape add a bit of bulk right at the side of the front armholes. I'll need to wear the top for a day to see if it bothers me or not.

So. Will I sew it again? Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't. You'll have to wait and see... Pin It

Sharon Sews - Anime Style

I met a very talented fourteen-year-old artist at my church. When I saw some of her sketches I asked if she'd be willing to draw a sewing character for me. For a modest fee she drew a one-of-a kind Anime style character for me. She is one talented young lady.


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New Look 6729 Review

How do you spell easy?

I spell it - N*E*W*L*O*O*K*6*7*2*9

That's because this knit top from New Look 6729 is so easy to sew.

New Look 6729, a recent release, is a pattern for two different style faux wrap knit tops with tie and sleeve variations. This particular top is my muslin for view C - the short sleeve with the faux criss-cross wrap front.



Can I just tell you how much I love the look of this tee? And how great it is when a muslin becomes a wearable item? Especially when said muslin was sewn using a remnant from Joann's and cost less than $3?

I skipped my normal FBA but lowered the front top piece by one inch. (see photo)



The construction itself is very simple. Entire sewing time was under one hour.

• The front of the top is three pieces - an upper right front, an upper left front, and a lower piece.
• Hem the bottom edge of the wrap criss-cross on both the right and left front pieces
• Hem the top edge of the lower front piece.
• Sew the right and left upper front pieces to the lower front piece.

• Sew the center back seam.
• Sew the front and back together at the shoulder seams.
• Hem the upper edge of the wrap criss-cross and the neck edge.
• Gather the side edges of the wrap criss-cross pieces and baste to the front side edge.
  

• Sew the side seams.
• Hem the sleeves.
• Hem the top.
• Put on and wait to speak while husband compliments you.
• Tell husband it is waaaaaay too low cut.
• Listen as husband vehemently denies that the top is too low cut and says that the two of you should go out, right now, with you wearing the new top.
• Laugh and tell husband you're going to fix the top so it isn't *quite* so low cut so you can get wear to more places, like perhaps to the office.
  
• Husband agrees that it would be not be appropriate for work as is.

Will I be sewing another one? Ya, sure, you betcha. Pin It

Flashback Friday - 1997

I've been reading lots of blog posts about all the little ones that are heading back to school. We still have another few weeks before school begins - school doesn't begin until the State Fair ends and that only began today.

The beginning of the State Fair not only signals the end of summer, but it is a reminder that the six week run of the Renaissance Fair is under way.

It's been seven years since I've attended the festival, but it used to be something my girlfriend and I looked forward to all summer.

The first time I attended the festival was in the early 80s. It wasn't nearly as crowded then. The focus was more on arts and crafts with a few performances and many roving performers. That was the first and last time the kids and I attended the festival. On a single mom's salary we never seemed to have extra funds for such an extravagance.

Fast forward to the early 90s and my best friend tells me I have to go again.

Not only must I go again, but I must go in costume.

Huh? Why would I want to do that?

I resisted. She persisted. Next thing you know a tradition was born.

Every year we would dream up costumes to wear to the summer's festival. Mind you, this was before the Big 4 began offering the many wonderful costume patterns they now have. Our costumes were designed to give a feel for the era; they were not meant to be authentic period costumes.

My favorite was this green and blue dress with a white cotton underdress. There are no buttons or zipper closures - just lots of eyelets and lacings. This photo is from the 1997 festival and was taken at the end of the day. I was worn out from all the festivities (maybe the wine had something to do with it) and had found a big shady tree to rest under.

Now my best friend is an incredibly talented artist who sews beautifully, has a dry sense of humor, just happens to possess a very high IQ, is a mommy to four great kids, always know the right thing to say at the right time, and wouldn't you know it? She cute too. It's a good thing we've known each other since we were ten because if I didn't love her so much I'd want to dislike her.

Her costumes change every year - sometimes its a gypsyisc look, sometimes a middle eastern dancer, sometimes a princess, sometimes a wench. But her all time favorite is her goat costume. I kid you not. (No pun intended, LOL!)

She designed and sewed goat pants (complete with tail) for herself, her daughter and for me. She and her daughter wore theirs with tops that she designed and sewed from deer hides. The deer hide came from the deer she killed when she went deer hunting...with a bow. See? She can do anything. She's like wonder women only funnier...and blonde.

This photo is from the summer of 2000. Doesn't she look great?

Trust me, the guys in the background aren't checking out my new pair of cropped pants (sewn with a Vogue pattern by the way). Pin It

Rockin' in the sewing studio

I'm a Rockin' Girl Blogger too!

Thanks to Christina at Assorted Notions who nominated me at her blog yesterday. I'm glad that she enjoys my Flashback Friday posts. Actually I'm glad someone besides me enjoys them.

She also mentioned that I've sewn *alot* of garments in my life....hmmm, she wasn't suggesting it was because I've been around a long time was she? LOL!

And thanks to Stacey at JameeForever who nominated me, well, um, I don't quite remember the date but it was a while ago and Stacey I promise I was going to mention it but I kinda forgot and then I got busy sewing and well you know how it is, right? I'm sure you'll understand seeing how it took a while to welcome us to your sewing jungle...

So now *I* get to pass on some Rockin' Girl Bloggy love...

Gaylen at G Marie Sews - because her blog profile begins "Everyone should have the chance to be loved by an animal :)" and, as she recently commented, we own many of the same patterns proving that we both have excellent taste.

Amy at The Seam Ripper - because she is a creative and artistic soul who not only sews but dances! I secretly envy her that she dances - Irish dancing - and not just as a hobby! Oops, I guess it's not a secret anymore is it?

Stacy at StacySews - because her blog is one of the first I began reading when I entered the world of blogging and she always has so much fun information in her posts!

Carolyn at Diary of a Sewing Fanatic - because I *thought * I was a sewing fanatic until I came across her blog - and her posts always make me stop and think about what she has just written or make me stop and say "oh, that is so gorgeous!"

Randi at i have to say - because I love the look of her blog as well as the mix of posts sewing and life. I was hooked when she posted "sewing seeds" asking for people to sew 75 skirts for children in an orphanage in China. I didn't have a chance to contribute but I began checking in to see if she would meet her goal (she did.)

I could keep going because there is so much talent being shared in the blogosphere but I'd have to write all night and this post would get really long so that's all folks.

Oh, one more thing, ladies you can pass it on or not as you choose.

Rock on! Pin It

Happy Birthday to my Sweetie

Wasn't he just the cutest little thing ever he was a baby? So cute that his older sisters took him to show and tell when he was a toddler.

Today he reaches the last year of the four-oh decade and I think he's still the cutest thing ever!

Happy Birthday babe! Pin It

PROJECT RUNWAY Signs Unprecedented Licensing Agreements For Upcoming Season 4 Of The Emmy-Nominated Hit Fashion Design Competition Series

Opened my email this morning to see this release about Project Runway. I wonder what the partnership with Simplicity will look like? Perhaps we'll be able to sew our fave fashions as soon as they appear on the show using Simplicity patterns.

Licensing Partners Include: Aaron Company, Brother International, Prym Consumer, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Simplicity Pattern Co

NEW YORK, Aug. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The Weinstein Company is pleased to announce that they have completed five multi-year licensing agreements with category partners to coincide with the airing of the fourth season of the Emmy-nominated hit fashion design competition series, PROJECT RUNWAY. This marks the first time PROJECT RUNWAY has extended the brand with a series of licensing partners in consumer products. The licensees include Aaron Company, Brother International, Prym Consumer, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and Simplicity Pattern Co. The partners are currently developing collateral, for both in store and online that will expand the PROJECT RUNWAY brand into retail channels globally.

The PROJECT RUNWAY licensing program was structured by ACI Licensing on behalf of The Weinstein Company. The announcement was made today by Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairman of The Weinstein Company.

Pam Henning, SVP, Global Integrated Marketing at The Weinstein Company stated, "As we expand the footprint of the Project Runway brand, we are excited to make the shows fashion and design experience accessible to consumers worldwide with specialized products and tools. This marks one of the most comprehensive consumer product licensing programs ever launched by a reality television series. We've seen how Project Runway resonates with consumers and with the show's tremendous reach and credibility within the fashion community, it is a natural platform for brand extensions."

"PROJECT RUNWAY is an amazing property with a fashion forward point of view. This exciting new line of products is the result of a collaboration between The Weinstein Company and the industry's top manufacturer's." says ACI Licensing's Managing Principals, Charles D. Mamiye and Andy Cohan. The PROJECT RUNWAY branded products will be in the following categories jewelry, sewing patterns, fashion fabric as well as sewing machinery and notions. Details about the specific products and retail dates will be announced in the Fall prior to the season 4 premiere of PROJECT RUNWAY.

You can read the entire release here.

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McCall's 5276 Swing Jacket (and more puppy news)

Before I get to the sewing project I want to say thanks for the puppy advice. The review for the jacket from McCall's 4276 is at the bottom if you want to skip the puppy news.

Replying to puppy comments and advice

x.Helen.x - that's so funny that he slept on the floor with the new puppy! Believe me, it's tempting :-0)]

Patty - Jake is adorable and while I wanted a grown-up dog, DH had his heart set on a puppy

Gaylen - oh no! 5 mos of this would be terrible! I love that Beau and Lucy haven't figured out that they can step over the baby gates.

Lala - I think Abby must be a popular dog name. Yes, she is very social - already wants to be around us all the time. Just walks into whatever room we move into and plops. We want to move her into our room on a dog bed but are concerned that she will get up and "do her business" without us waking up to let her out. We'll see how it goes tonight. We are keeping the bathroom door open and gating it and our bed is close to the door. We're already working on "manners" and will get her in obedience training as soon as we can.

Stacey - Yep, you called that one right. Little Sophia has stairs going up to the couch. Sophia never figured out that she can jump on furniture and we got tired of her begging to be picked up so we bought the stairs. Just don't show Louie the picture and he'll never know that doggie ramps exist!

Sewing - McCall's 5276

This past weekend I did manage to accomplish more than just sewing on two buttons and two sets of snaps. Working in 10 to 15 minute increments (ala Nancy Zieman) both Saturday and Sunday, I was able to complete this jacket from McCall's 5276.

The brown fabric was used to test the pattern. I purchased this wild linen fabric from FabricClub and I wanted to make sure I liked the jacket before cutting into the zebra print.

The jacket is view b with no alterations. There is a lot of ease in the jacket so I wanted to see how if I could get by without an FBA.

It's a very simple jacket to construct. The only difficulty I ran into was sewing the collar on. I have always struggled with this type of collar construction. The instructions say to sew the front opening and label edges to the upper circles and to sew collar edges together between the circles. When I don't sew one continuous seam I have a hard time getting the corner where the collar and label meet to lay smoothly. You'd think after all these years I would have that mastered but I don't. As always, I'm open to tips and hints for improvement...


The jacket is quite full and has a swing shape accentuated with a back inverted pleat. On me, the back hangs lower than the front. It might be because I did not do an FBA and thus did not add any length to the front of the jacket. I actually like the length of the jacket in the front better than the back as the back hits me at the widest part of my hip.

For a wearable muslin it's a keeper and while I like the jacket I'm not in love with it. I think I'm going to choose another jacket pattern for the linen zebra print and look for a fun retro print for my second version of this jacket - something like this one. Pin It

Simplicity 4412 Pink Jacket (and puppy update)

It's done! It's done! The pink jacket is really done!

I wonder if the UFO contest at PR includes a category for finished a UFO that had the least amount of work left to be done? I'm asking because I could possibly win with this jacket. It has been worn by GiGi for the past few months awaiting two buttons and snaps. Yes, that's right - two buttons and two sets of snaps were all that was needed to complete this jacket.

The jacket was begun last April becauseI wanted a nice pink spring jacket. At that time all I needed to do was set in the sleeves and add the covered buttons and snaps.

Eventually the sleeves were set in and the buttons were covered. I even managed to sew tow of them on...and that's where the work ended. Spring became summer and my sewing attention wandered to other projects. The jacket was set it aside; probably a bad decision knowing my tendency to not complete projects once I set them aside.

However, knowing I would have limited sewing time this weekend (due to new puppy - see the end of this post) I figured it was time for this jacket to leave GiGi and find a new home in my closet.

The jacket was sewn using Simplicity 4412 - out of print (oop) - c. 2006, view c (the green one on the envelope cover).
Instead of contrasting fabric for the collar and buttons I used the reverse side of the fabric for a subtle difference.
The jacket construction is fast and straightforward. The only problem I encountered was easing in the sleeve cap and that was likely due to my fabric choice. While I purchased it off of a bolt in the clearance section of Joann's, it is a bit heavier - almost like a home dec.

The jacket fits well and while I originally thought I'd sew another for the fall season, there are too many new jacket pattern releases that have piqued my interest.

New Puppy
So why was my sewing time so limited? Because of the adorable new puppy that joined our household on Saturday!

DH decided on the name Abby. As you might imagine, she was a bit nervous yesterday after we brought her home. Sophia didn't warm up to her and wasn't sure what to think of her.

We set up areas with nice soft doggy beds for Abby in the family room, our bedroom, and the lower level where her kennel is located. She decided the space underneath the coffee table in the family room was the perfect spot to hang out.

At one point Sophia wanted to get down off of the couch but Abby had maneuvered her way out from underneath the table and was blocking the bottom of the stairs. Sophia actually stayed in the position of this photo until Abby moved. Goofy dogs :-)

Last night was a really rough night. We are *not* going to have a 80 lb dog sleeping on the bed with us, so we set her up in the bathroom attached to our bedroom. Nice bed, newspaper, treat, radio, DH's shirt...everything we could think of to help her with her first night with us.

We expected crying, but we didn't expect *loud* crying combined with barking and howling. Non-stop for at least 15 minutes. Then settling into a whimper with an occasional howl. Finally, quiet.

Until she heard DH stir about 3 a.m. Then she began in full force. DH got up and took her outside and brought her back to her sleeping area. Where she cried, barked, and howled for two hours before DH said he was just going to get up with her.

The two dogs are getting along better today. Sophia still is a bit unsure of Abby. We've been watching Abby very closely but we've already had a few accidents, which is to be expected. That's what Nature's Miracle is for.

We realized we need to confine her more than we had on day one, so the stairs leading up are blocked with a child gate and DH pulled out a sheet of plywood and blocked off the living room. As you can see, we're not too sure how many days before she figures out that she can pull herself right over that board.
Even with three sleeping areas available to her she has chosen the wood floor as her place to plop ( and plop she does!).

We're hoping for a better night tonight - perhaps not so long with the crying, although I'd settle for quieter howling.

Patisjean - I took your advice and will be picking up a copy of Cesar's book from the library tomorrow. Pin It

Feeling Groovy - Simplicity 4699 Jacket

Remember this jacket? It was one of my UFO items that I finally completed last January.

I liked the jacket so much that I purchased a groovy retro look stretch twill already knowing it would become another version of this jacket.

And here it is! Love the retro print, love the colors, love the fit. I don't care that the pattern is from 2004 and that short boxy jackets are all the rage - I like this one.

I like it paired with a pair of pants as well as the slight flair that isn't evident when viewing the jacket from front.
I had a hard time deciding which buttons to add. Don't you like the convenience of a digital cameras? I do as I can take a photo of the buttons and then view the photo and color combo easily. I decided to add the square white buttons to mimic the squares and rectangles in the fabric. I also decided to eliminate the one button closure at the neckline as I have never worn my other jacket with that button closed.

The facing on my other jacket wants to flip out all the time, probably because it doesn't have buttons and buttonholes to hold the facing in place. So on this one I measured 3-1/2" in from the center front, lightly marked a chalk line and topstitched the facing in place.

I'll edit the post later to link the review at Patternreview when I complete it. Right now I have more exciting things to take care of....we're off to officially adopt our new puppy!

(Note: I purchased my fabric from FabricClub but I've seen it available at Gorgeous Things fabric also. With computer monitors it's difficult to tell if it that one has the same pink as mine or if it has more red tones.) Pin It

Flahsback Friday - 1992

Yesterday, Aug. 16, marked the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis. Today's Flashback Friday is in memory of Elvis, photos from a 1992 trip to Memphis which included a stay at the Peabody hotel and , of course, a trip to Graceland.




Everyone should have an opportunity, at least once, to see Graceland. Pin It

Crafty Planet and other cool, crafty, and creative stuff

Thanks for the well-wishes on the new puppy! We're excited and a bit nervous about puppy training all over again. We have a lower level that is cool and mostly unfinished so we'll be able to get her set up nicely in that space. Her foster mom has spent time with her getting her on a feeding and "go outside" schedule so that will help.

Now, back to sewing and crafting...

I can't believe I found out about Crafty Planet by reading a post at A Dress A Day when the shop is practically in my back yard!!! You know I'll be visiting Crafty Planet in the near future. I promise to take my camera and tell you all about it okay?

If I knew how to knit I'd be busy making this iPhone as a gift. I saw it on a library blog Sources of Inspiration.

This idea I know I can handle. An unbelievably beautiful "BELIEVE" wall hanging covered in Amy Butler scrapbook papers. I love the look of the words as well as the reason she choose to do that word. Check it out - it's at Diann's Full Life.

Another idea I'll be using from Diann's Full Life will benefit the Sophia, the little white dog - Prissy Personalized Pet Collars. Perfect for the spoiled little princess in my life!

Plan on spending a bit of time browsing through her blog as it is filled with wonderfully creative ideas - some sewing, some not. It's one of my new daily must reads.

For you dog lovers, here's another cute and quick idea for dressing up your pooch - recycle a knit hat or sweater into a little doggie sweater! From Pretty Little Things. There's also a tutorial for a pet bed on the site. Since we adopted one of the rescue puppies we looked at last night (because you know you can't just "look" at a puppy), it appears that I'll have need for another pet bed in the very near future.

I missed this swap, but I sooooo wanted to participate! Crafting by Candlelight had an Art Doll Hat Swap last July. As tempted as I was to sign up for this one, I knew I wouldn't be able to complete one in time. Instead I've been reading her blog and enjoying the photos she has shared of a number of the Art Doll Hats. There's a tutorial for making an Art Doll Hat at ARTchix Studio.

For a quick, no-sew project, check out the jersey scarf instructions at Altered Cloth.

Finally, if you're feeling competitively creative, check out the fun contest Funky Art Queen is having. All you have to do is answer the question she poses "What is the definition of "you?" by creating a self-portrait in any media you want - fabric, paint, photo, or the written word. You have until Aug. 31.

**** EDITED ****


I almost forgot to add information on this giveaway at The Apronista!
The prize is a wonderful set of apron postcards from Jane's Aprons. If you haven't visited that blog yet be prepared to feast your eyes on artistic creations using old patterns and sewing art. You'll have to hurry with this one as the ending date is tomorrow!
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Look who's coming to dinner - a new puppy

Look who's coming to dinner and breakfast and everything in between - a little bundle of black fur with no name. This little bundle of black fur will join our household this weekend.

She's seven weeks old and we found her through a local no-kill pet shelter. The puppies weren't planned and their mom's owners didn't want them. They were going to get rid of them "any way possible". Fortunately someone rescued them and brought them to the no-kill shelter. One of her sister's was adopted earlier this week and one is still waiting to be adopted, but I'm sure it won't take long. She was just as cute!

She's a black lab mix - the mom was a black lab and the dad "was the sneaky neighbor dog that was big". They think he might have been a newfie or newfie mix. Take a peek at her paws! She's going to be a really big girl when she's full grown. Hopefully she will end up being a gentle giant.

For now we are looking forward to bringing her home and deciding on a name!

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Happy Birthday Big Brother!

Once upon a time there lived an adorable little boy named Stevie.

His parents adored him and thought everything he did was the cutest and smartest thing any little boy had ever done. They even recorded his baby gurgles and cooing and made people listen to the tape recordings of their little angel.

But one day, when he was three-years-old, his fairy-tale world ended when his parents brought home a little thing they said was his sister. Her name was Sharon and she was a very serious baby. Everyone had to work very hard to get her to smile. Except big brother Stevie that is. Sharon would light up and giggle no matter what Stevie did. So Stevie was okay with this little thing that entered his world because deep down inside he had a comedian's heart and knew he was destined to make people laugh.


Life continued smoothly for almost another year but suddenly, only eleven months later, his parents brought home another little thing! They said it was another sister and her name was Sue. She smiled a lot more than Sharon did. Stevie liked her a lot but Sharon pushed her down when she was old enough to walk.

Soon the three of them became inseparable. Kind of like the Three Musketeers - or maybe more like the Three Stooges.

Big brother Stevie taught them all kinds of fun things - like how to play "duppa, duppa, dupe, dupe, dupe" (don't ask). He convinced Sharon that if she threw her pet duck out the window it would fly (it didn't). He convinced Sue that her pet bunny would jump higher if it was bounced on the bed (it didn't). He taught both of them how to rock back and forth on all fours when they were supposed to be going to sleep. Oops! Sharon tried that one and slipped and cut her forehead open requiring an emergency trip to the hospital for stitches. Sometimes big brother doesn't know best does he?

Then one day, five years later, his parents brought home yet another little sister! Sheesh, he thought, couldn't they bring home a brother I could play with?

But little T was so darn adorable he loved her to pieces and did everything he could to make her happy. That's because her big beautiful green eyes lit up when she smiled and she had the most contagious laugh anyone had ever heard!

So Stevie learned to live with three younger sisters and realized being the only boy wasn't all that bad, after all he got to have a room all to himself!

But six years later he learned that his parents were going to bring yet another baby home. Knowing how much he wanted a brother, when they left for the hospital they told him if this baby was a girl he could pick out the name. And that is how baby D got her name.

(Side note, baby D hated this outfit, thus the look on her face that says
"I can't believe you are making me wear this for a photo session!")

So big brother lived happily with his four baby sisters patiently waiting his turn to use the one bathroom in the house. Sometimes he protected them, sometimes he tormented them, but always he loved them.

Happy Birthday Steve! We all love you! And you still make me giggle with your silliness.

Disclaimer - I may act like the oldest child but here's proof that I'm actually only second-in-command!
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