{Post 1,349} Catching Up on Life Here

Good morning!  Here is what my hair usually looks like (for those who have been asking how THAT big change is going):

Today is my Benjamin's 18th birthday.  The years truly take wings.  It is a blessing to be his mother.  I have a pic of when he first opened the door, but to preserve our relationship, I opted not to show it!  I choose life.  The balloons are backwards to us, but correct to the birthday boy as he came out of his room.

Here is a new toy for me to enjoy music in the car and at Planet Fitness, and when working by myself.  It's an iPod shuffle.  It took me a long time to figure out how to use it, but time well spent.

Busy few days ahead.  Tonight at 5 is a wedding for a young man in our church.  I spent some time yesterday helping iron tablecloths for it.

My daughter, Susie, comes tomorrow with her husband and will be here through Sunday night.  I have a couple things to do for her to take back for her wedding shower. 

Elisabeth's baby shower is tomorrow at 1.  I have a LOT of shopping, cooking, and such to do for that.

Sunday is our graduate fellowship at church.

Tuesday I'm cooking a meal for 20 for supper.

Wednesday I have about 10 teen boys here for a few hours for fun, food, and fellowship (translation:  more shopping and cooking).  Wednesday night is our youth group awards banquet.  The kids get all dolled up in formal wear.  More on that later.

Friday is a local college graduation.  Hope to meet one of my adopted boy's "other" (AKA real) mom.

Saturday I am "catering" for a group of 100 for a dojo grand opening.  I have a little food prep for that, too.

I think I need a nap!!

{Post 1,348} Baby Quilt Finished!

My daughter never reads my blog, so this secret is safe.  She wanted a sock monkey quilt.  I am making her two.  This first one is one of Mary's Strippies.  It finished 42" x 50"...good for a toddler.  The other one I'm making is smaller.

I just meander quilted all over in a large pattern with a variegated thread of yellow, red, blue, and green.

{Post 1,347} Getting There With Sewing Space

    

Here is the view left to right in my sewing area in my bedroom.  So many little things got done, but I must stop and machine quilt a baby quilt for a week from today.  

The mini quilts above the ironing station (last pic) are just taped in place.  I actually have at least 2 more but don't know where they are right now.  

There will be a curtain on the edge of the ironing station to hide the plastic drawers eventually.

Wes built a shelf lifter so I can store bolts of fabric under the cutting table.  That means my green shelf by the door does not have to be used in its entirety for fabric bolts!  Yea!!

It goes the whole way across.  Eventually I will get all the many boxes and bins of stuff in here organized.  All in good time.  I want to make new curtains for the bookshelf, ironing station, and cutting table.  The green ones have been with me a very long time.  There are more minis to (find and) put up.  

But now--the baby quilt is calling.

{Post 1,346} 4 Out of 6 Lights Up

The pictures don't do it justice, but 4 of the 6 canned lights are up and functioning.  Like night and day is the only way to describe the difference.

{Post 1,345} I'm Still in Shock

9:00 AM:  

10:30 AM:

All I can say is that once I make a decision, I don't waste time!  How do you like the "new me"?

{Post 1,344} That's It?

I have a love/hate relationship with learning new things.  Recently my pastor and his son were both able to buy 4 new suits.  I told them not to have alterations done at the store...I would do them for free.  I had never hemmed men's suit jacket sleeves, let alone 8 jackets' worth.  Have you?  

So I did what any modern woman would do...I Googled it.  There were not many to choose from.  One had only music (no monologue) but had great pictures.  Now that I've actually done a jacket, I can understand the video, but a lot of good that did before I found a good tutorial.

My first sleeve (not jacket...just a solitary sleeve) took 2 hours.  Yes, TWO hours.  The second only took ONE.  It is a tedious process.  But I have always enjoyed meticulous sewing.

Here is the tutorial in case someone else has need.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4iXe-wPTRo&list=PL_V_VTfLL4dxPOrBtn6J2D4FcDekbGiTX

One reason it took so long the first time was that I had to keep watching the video to make sure I had all the steps in order.  Never had to look at it for the second one.  I hope to do the other 3 jackets early this coming week...before I forget what to do!  I also want to make sure this length is perfect before beginning the process on the others.  

{Post 1,343} Pegboard Up And Nearly Full

I bought one pegboard hardware kit at the hardware store.  It was more than enough for all I need so far.  The above arrangement will have some tweaking, I'm sure.  

So happy to realize that there were "shelf brackets" for me to set my basket of misc. stuff on!  

I had the idea of using a skirt hanger to keep my in process blocks hung on.  I can always move those if I run out of room.  

I decided against hanging my rulers on there.  If I keep them to the left on the rack, I can access any one of them without removing those in front of it (if they were hanging).  Very pleased with it so far.

I also had the idea of putting a vinyl clip on my steno notebook that I use for note taking all the time in the process of counting pieces, planning designs, etc.  It looks like it will work very well.