Happy New Year . . . well, almost

Dec. 31, tonight at midnight 2009 begins, so hard to believe. When I was a kid the concept of the year 2000 seemed a universe away, not within my reach. When you are young, you have no concept of time, and even think of your parents as "old" and of coarse even your grandparents aren't always OLD when you are a kid. I became a grandparent at the age of 50, in the year 2003, NOT OLD.

I have made New Years Resolutions, but not the typical ones of eating healthier and losing weight or stopping ANYTHING I am currently doing. Last year my resolution was to slow down, and I did. I have made it my routine, to give myself plenty of time to complete a project, to get ready to go somewhere, to prepare for something. With sewing in particular, I made a concerted effort to take each step in the process and ENJOY it. I still hurried and didn't always pay attention, as I did have to tear out a seam or two, or three . . . Funny how easy it is to pick the wrong way to do something when there are only two ways, right and wrong! hmmmm.

One resolution concerns the sewing room, which is currently EMPTY except for some pictures and quilts on the wall which I plan on removing. I plan to strip the room bare, repair the holes and really think about setting it up again. I have a new sliding door as of yesterday which will make the room far more "user friendly" as opposed to the sad, inferior door that was there before. Thus the empty room. So one of my resolutions is to make the room more of what I want it to be. I spend many hours in there and love the space, I am very lucky to have a specific place to sew, that doesn't need tidied up each night, that can be shut away safely and gone back to as I have the time and energy to work. I will not rush the process because I plan on continuing last years resolution, it's a keeper.

My other resolution involves my neighborhood. I will be sending a post card to each of my neighbors inviting them to a planned monthly lunch at a local eatery, so we can connect, share what is going on in our lives and just enjoy one another's company. I have some awesome neighbors and they are so convenient, right out the front door! I hope this ends up being a success, as I really have great neighbors and love spending time with them. I will keep at this one until it is a habit.

I also like to spend time reflecting back and being grateful for the past year. And I am grateful, VERY grateful. There are many ways of looking at things and I just can't help but find the sunny side. And generally that is the side I land on. I can't think of anything that would cause me despair or ultimate sadness and I think the reason for that is my number one gratefulness, my faith. I believe that we are here temporarily, that we will find many challenges and struggles, that when one problem resolves another will take its place. BUT it is HOW we deal with these difficulties that makes the difference. I also believe that life is so full of joy, and wonder and magic in the big and little things that I just have to have a smile on my face much of the time. I am ultimately a person of great happiness and peace, even though at times I can have moments of stress and worry. They pass, I am human after all.

Other things I am grateful for . . .

My husband, who I cannot say enough good things about. God knew what he was doing when he lead us to one another. God has also been with us as we got to know one another, began our lives together and raised three beautiful children and traveled the world. We now are "just the two of us" and I can't imagine a better friend to hang out with, just being together is amazingly wonderful. Thank you God for my husband.

My children. The wonder of experiencing these three tiny babies grow into adults that care about themselves, the world they live in and one another. They are talented, fun, interesting and hard working people who I consider it a privilege to know. I am double blessed that they love me and keep me a part of their lives. Every day is mother's day in my book. Thank you God for my children.

My parents. Who would I be without them? I am so fortunate to still have both of them and am able to stay in contact on a daily basis, if not in person at least through technology, so thank God for ways to stay in touch. Oh, and I think they just celebrated 60 years of marriage, say what??? That's a LONG time!! Thank you God for my parents.

My grandchildren. They are four of the cutest, sweetest and some of the most lively little people I know! I don't see them real often, but because their momma blogs I have daily contact on their growth and adventures. I get so much joy when I see my grandson in his cowboy shirts, he wears them a LOT. It's like I am hugging him every day. The clothes I make for them are full of prayers, so when they wear them, I imagine extra love surrounding them. I hope to have many years of sewing and praying for these special little people. Thank God for my grandchildren.

My in-law "bonus" kids. The people my children have chosen to partner with. I pray that they will cherish one another and have many years of happiness. These are people who love my children, so they have to be very special. When my children were born I began praying for their future mates, from the very beginning, figuring they were "out there somewhere" and it was a pleasure when I finally got to meet the ones I had been praying for. God bless them all.

My health. Some may think that is a silly thing for me to say, but I am very grateful for my health. It is what it is, and I will carry on! Life is full of limitations, and I embrace mine and focus on what I CAN do. Sew and pray, and lots of other stuff, too. Thank God for my health.

The little things. Spending time, doing nothing special, games, adventures, hearing about how a day went, seeing a smile, a success, good ideas, time, creativity, sunshine, warmth, a cosy home, the freedom to be what I choose to be, a lovely garden, the list is endless. I am frankly grateful for each and every moment, and each and every person in my life. They are all ways that God shows me He loves me.

My Sugar Plum Fairy

There is a commercial on TV showing a little cartoon character that is burning the cookies, burning the turkey, trying to untangle Christmas lights, wrap packages, all while Edvard Grieg's Hall of the Mountain King plays in the background and her stress level increases. Until of coarse she is "saved" by the purchase of a Honey Baked Ham! Hmmm, maybe that commercial could end a little differently.

I readjusted my childhood expectations of Christmas, which had stayed relatively intact for years, back in 1985. I grew up with a large family all living in the same city, so Christmas for me was not only the excitement of new toys as a child, but also of visiting Aunts, Uncles, grandparents and cousins on both my mom and dad's sides of the family surrounding the holiday. I still am in awe as to how my parents managed to get us to nearly everyone's home and host nearly everyone at our home, in a matter of two or three days! For a kid, THAT was fun and I felt surrounded by LOVE. And midnight Mass was BIG in our home growing up. Staying up late had that wonderful delicious feeling of adventure, and of coarse, midnight Mass with all the pageantry and beautiful music, fascinated me. It was truly magical and helped gel in my young mind the true meaning of Christmas. My mom's birthday was tucked into all this magic and celebration, and I always thought how special it was to be able to share her birthday with such a festive time of year. It made me feel like the time of year was even more magical.

So as my children grew, I tried to keep some of the magic. We did church and although most of the time my parents and brother would come see us, we had to find our own traditions that didn't include all the visits that I enjoyed as a child. We told our children "the story of Santa" and Santa always brought one special little gift under the tree as a special surprise, with the rest of the gifts clearly being from mom and dad, or a relative or friend. The picture of my oldest, at age 3 captures the joy and excitement of childhood, I am SO glad we were there to get that image. THAT is the quintessential childhood experience that Christmas has the potential of bringing.



So . . . along comes Christmas 1985. My precious, VERY lively youngest child who lay quietly in a big hospital bed with an unknown blood condition, during the "happiest time of the year" caused a huge shift in my head. I had two other small children who I worried about as well, but of coarse everyone's focus was on our little baby who was so very ill. Thankfully the doctors were able to take care of her, but I was forever changed in my thinking of Christmas. We all survived a very different Christmas that year that clearly redefined what a blessing we are to one another, without all the STUFF that comes with the season. I was forever changed.

And so, I have my very own Sugar Plum Fairy, that dances in my head, and makes me smile. I count my blessings EVERY DAY, and feel like it is Christmas, Mother's Day, my birthday and Easter all wrapped up in one each and every day. The love and joy I felt as a child, without the presents, tinsel, shopping and obligations that have come to be attached to the season is my new definition of Christmas. I am so blessed, so lucky, so happy. I have a family and friends that loves me and always manages to make me feel special, and God gave me the ability to look on the bright side, to appreciate, and to know that in the end all will be well. Peace and love and Happy Birthday Jesus.

Happy Birthday Mom!

My mom turns 81 years old today, so this picture is from a while back. She has five children (and five wonderful in-law children) nine beautiful grandchildren, and NINE, yes, NINE great grandchildren along with a foster great grandson, who will hopefully be adopted into the family by summer. Amazing.

I asked her if her mom sewed. "YES, MOTHER SEWED FOR ME. I DON'T REMEMBER STORE BOUGHTEN CLOTHES WHEN I WAS YOUNG."

I also asked about her first experience with sewing.
MY FIRST SEWING EXPERIENCE WAS WITH A YOUTH GROUP A FEW BLOCKS FROM HOME. I MUST HAVE BEEN EITHER ELEVEN OR TWELVE. I MADE A PAIR OF SUMMER SHORTS. SINCE I HAD NEVER HAD A PAIR OF SLACKS OR SHORTS (ONLY DRESSES), I WAS PRETTY EXCITED.

I have been sewing since I was in my early teens, so I guess it's in our blood. I am sure that my grandmother's ancestor's sewed, as in the 1800's there weren't a lot of dept. stores with ready made clothing available for most folks.

My next project

Lots of sales and coupons available this time of year at the fabric stores. They are getting things cleared out for inventory, so I took advantage and picked out something special for another CASA donation. I wanted a deep pink, every little girls favorite, but there wasn't enough of the sparkly fabric, so decided on turquoise. I think it will turn out just fine. Not sure when I will get started, but am excited about working with such lovely fabric.

Another exciting development is my local fabric store will be moving closer to my home. They are in a building that is too small. Since the popularity of sewing has increased, much to my delight and benefit, they are needing a larger space. The economy might also have had an impact, as I am sure it is less expensive (and WAY more fun) to make something special than to go out and find something ready made. Yes, I could have probably found a pirate costume for about the same I spent on the fabric and notions to make one, but the quality wouldn't even come close. Plus, many more prayers are said during the making of an outfit, so the benefits cannot be measured. Plus, I enjoyed the process. I do enjoy sewing.

The Pirate Costume details

One of the challenges that I have being a grandmother who likes to sew for grandchildren she doesn't see often is SIZE! I have made jammie pants using the measurements I have, but they don't always fit comfortably, so I have been thinking about this challenge a lot. My engineered solution is to run the elastic through the casing, attaching it to the center back seam, placing a button hole to one side and having the elastic exit the casing through the buttonhole. I then attach buttons to the back of the pants along the one side and button holes in the elastic. I make it the exact measurement of the child, but it can be adjusted over a six inch stretch for comfort, and also to accommodate growth. I added plenty of length to the pants, so as he grows the hem can be let out. I am hoping at least two to three years of being a pirate is in his future.

I made a black head scarf and we will find some black boots to complete the ensemble. Oh, and of coarse an eye patch. I put a small detail on the vest to make it a bit extra special for my extra special grandson. Aurgh, it's a pirate.

The Pirate Costume

Today I finished the pirate costume for my grandson. What a fun project starting with the excitement of him WANTING a pirate costume. His daddy bought an old boat and put it in the back yard just for fun and my grandson immediately thought of pirates! My husband helped with the fabric selection and I already had the pattern from one of the great 99 cent pattern sales at the local fabric store. I can't wait for it to get DIRTY which means he is having FUN!

My sewing room

This is my sewing room, and my machines. One is a Pfaff Hobbylock that I use to overcast edges. I don't generally do anything fancy with it, but am very dependent on it to finish seams and hem T-shirts, which are always too long for me. The Pfaff 2056 is my "new" machine, a floor model from my local dealer that I got at a large discount, but with a "like new" warrantee. I did have to take it in this week to have a little part replaced, I'd lost a screw . . . how telling. The book case is my current gathering of projects that I plan to finish before I start anything new. Right. There is a BIG sale at the fabric stores next week, big discounts before inventory and I have COUPONS, I doubt I will be able to stay away. With a growing number of folks that I sew for, it just makes sense that I will always have a collection of projects in the wings. Plus I have so many IDEAS!!

CASA donation

I made two of these dresses (used my 40% off at Joanne, so this one was "free"), one for a little one year old friend, which I made long sleeved, and this short sleeved one that I will donate to the local CASA Gala that raises money for children in foster care in our county. A charity that we happily donate to each year and attend the fundraiser as well. A lovely evening. I love the pink and green plaid, and the pinafore was made using fabric with a decorative edge. Very cute.

My son-in-law

My son-in-law was prayed for during the making of this dress shirt, his Christmas gift this year. I have known this young man since he was 16, I met him at a church related program and for some reason was drawn to his spirit immediately. I was not sure why, he was just a bit older than my oldest, but I could tell immediately that he was a great guy with a wicked sense of humor and since I let him babysit with my youngest two, I obviously had great trust in his character. Through the years we stayed in touch through letters and eventually he married my daughter, who he met the same day he met the rest of the family years earlier. Now, was God in this plan, or what? I guess that is why I felt a certain strange "jolt" when I met him. God knew this would someday be my son-in-law, and He let me know with that "still small voice" that I try to always be in tune to. I sure heard it that time! I have prayed for my children's eventual partners from the day they were born, and in this case I must have know that "that is the one you have been praying for". I think that is VERY cool. There are certain things that are imprinted in your mind, and this was one of them, the day I met my future son-in-law. God Bless him. And he's a TEACHER!

Another princess dress

This "princess dress" is for Baby K, who is two years old now! Happy Birthday Baby K! This is the same lavender as the first princess dress with a matching white. I used my new machine to make the little embroidery down the front panel. Otherwise it is a simple design. I know putting a little girl in white seems crazy, but why not? The fabric washes and dries beautifully and I hope she will feel all the love in it when she wears it.

Instant Gratification

My lovely hubby just taught me how to use his digital camera! Now I can take pictures as I work on a project, and post them the same day. The next project will be a pirate costume for my oldest Grand, Cowboy "I". He has reminded me that he is "bigger" and so I need to make sure it's big enough. Yes, sir, I will!!

My Uncle Vern

My Uncle as a young child.

A little note between my Uncle and my Grandmother.

I did some sewing yesterday and when I sew, I think and I pray. I just learned that my nephew's x-wife is remarried and recently had a baby boy who's middle name is Vernon. So yesterday, my Uncle Vern was on my mind all day. I remember when I was little thinking he was the most handsome man I knew, and he had the sweetest heart of all my Uncles, he was so gentle and quiet, and even as a child I had a great appreciation for his spirit. Funny what we remember as children. I went for quite a number of years without seeing him and when I did finally have a chance for a visit at a large family function, I found myself with tears in my eyes remembering and missing him. It is sometimes very hard to be far from loved ones. One year for Christmas he brought me a stuffed yellow poodle, or at least that is what I remember. I loved that yellow poodle, mostly because of who brought it to me. I only remember two other gifts that really got me excited as I was growing up, at least those given at Christmas time, my black light and my first sewing machine. I remember my red bike, I was 5 or 6, but I don't think it was a Christmas gift. That one I liked a lot and still remember trying to learn how to ride as I practiced up and down the street in front of our house. I had a lot of fun adventures on that bike. My first taste of freedom!!I could go anywhere!!!

Anyway, yesterday I got the zipper into the lavender princess dress, finished up a turtle neck and a pinafore and worked some on the dress that goes under the pinafore. Today I hope to finish the dress and continue working on my son-in-laws Christmas shirt.

Purple and Sparkly

I made this jacket out of fabric that was purchased at the fabulous downtown fabric store that I love to visit. The fabric is sold in four yards pieces and each is hand painted so each is unique. Generally the fabric is purchased and the store then sews the dress for the client using a simple sheath dress pattern. Many of the little ladies in the store are Asian and teeny tiny. I am NOT. So when she came to explain to us, as we were looking over the huge selection, I then ask if it were OK for me to purchase and do my own thing. I got the impression that was not a very common request. They had a "buy one, get one free" sale, so I picked this deep purple and also a green. This one was painted completely different than the green one. It took me a while to decide what to do with it, as there wasn't enough for a dress. I was SO scared to cut into it, but hubby just kept saying "do it!", so I finally did. It is a simple vogue pattern and I made a white shell and lavender wide leg pants to complete the outfit. I also bought some silver strappy sandals and wear my silver Rennie MacKintosh designed jewelry. I have worn it several times this season and feel very "festive" in it. I love the sparkles.

Pink and yellow fun

This dress and hat were fun to make and I love the bright colors.

Fun little dress

This fun little dress was made from older things, even left over material from my now 25 year old daughter. The trim and buttons were just sitting around and the colored panels on the hat were just bits and pieces that I had. A fun little summer dress.

Confirmation Dress

My children as adults

The girls dresses were made using the same fabric and pattern. This was made for my oldest daughter's confirmation. It was our son's first suit, but I think it was borrowed, as I don't really remember his wearing it for anything else.

Grandma's Heirloom Dresses

This year was my mom's year to supply the annual photo togs. She took an heirloom class and the dresses had lovely collars. She didn't want to leave my son out, so cross stitched a little dinosaur on his pocket.

The First Communion Dress

The dress on my older daughter is the one I made for her first communion, it was so nice, but can you tell it's the 80's? What is it about the 80's? The dresses all had a real specific style. The younger one is in just a sweet little girl dress that I loved making at the time. Pinafores were my thing back then. And my son looking very smart in a sweater vest, his one and only, as he is not really a sweater vest kind of a guy! But oh, so cute.

More red white and blue

This year my son got to chose his own outfit that coordinated with dresses I made the girls. I loved the red fabric in these dresses. It was the year of the "specs" and soon the youngest would be in them as well. I called them my three blind mice.

Striped Sweats

I worked with stretch knits for a while and designed these for the kids. My son wore his because it was enough different from his sisters.

Blue Hearts and Stripes

I had fun with these outfits, but only managed to get my son to wear matching fabric by making his Cabbage Patch buddy a matching shirt like his. He was interested in being a good "dad" from the time his little sister was born, I knew it was something he would be good at if he ever became one, and that is true as he is now the father of four happy, and lucky little munchkins. The double collar, piping and applique were all fun things I enjoyed playing with on outfits for the girls.

Cookie Monster

My favorite overall/jumper and shirt/dress combination. This was taken in the fall, so I enjoyed having my little sun bleached blondies! They both have VERY dark hair now. The decoration on my son's overalls is a giant chocolate chip cookie with a cookie monster holding it. When you are three you definitely know what "cool" is.

Red White and Blue!

I made these outfits for the children in 1980. I used the same pattern as the outfits in the previous post, very versatile. The little buttons were heart shaped. Love the little boo boo on my son's forehead!

A Gingerbread Christmas

I made these little outfits when the kids were 3 1/2 and six months. I really enjoyed designing coordinated outfits for the children. The little gingerbread man on my son's little overalls was extra fun to make. I found a place that made the cutest little leather shoes which I liked so much more than the typical shoes that were put on children's feet. I had so much fun with my kids when they were small and took great delight in just sitting with them and hearing what they had to say or what they would do next. They were good friends with each other as they grew up, enjoying one another's company. I loved being a mom.

The Map Shirt

I made this shirt for my grandson when he was three, I managed to get the front to match up perfectly, I like a challenge when I have enough fabric to play with. I had enough fabric to make one for his best buddy, too, they were very cute together. It will be awhile before little brother, baby D fits into it. I look forward to seeing him in it. Little boys and cars, they just go together. The buttons are little trucks.

The Lavendar Princess Dress

My first "princess dress" this one used a simple lavender satin fabric. I found you can pop it in the washer and dryer and it comes out looking like new! Considering a four year old will be wearing it that is a good thing. The embellishments, the button and the rickrack are from my mom's stash. The little one I am making it for is pictured here, it is my absolute favorite of her and was taken a couple of years ago. She just got herself into some Vaseline type stuff and her momma had powdered her with cornstarch to help extract the gooey mess from her hair.The expression is priceless and the story is great! Taking your eyes off a toddler has its consequences.

My new Pfaff 2056

Yesterday I went shopping, and I am now the owner of a new Pfaff 2056. I was going to buy another model but this is the one I ended up coming home with. I am sure I will NOT be disappointed. Unfortunately time (and space) only allowed a read through the manual, and today is again full of errands and a trip into town for a Christmas party with hubby. Ah, well. I will hopefully get the space ready today and tomorrow will reward my self with at least a couple of hours experimenting with my new toy. I will no longer have to use a transformer (in fact the new machine can be switched to 110 or 220 without changing the motor the way I did with my Bernina) and the new one has all the features I liked on the Bernina as well as my mom's older Pfaff. Unfortunately the computer inside was giving me trouble, telling me things were wrong when they weren't , and it was in twice to be fixed and still acts up. Ah,well, no longer a problem for me. I will be passing them on to a charitable organization once I have all the old machines and stuff piled at the front door. Ta Ta!

I Have a Quilt in Heaven!

My husband as a baby, probably taken in 1953, he was around one year old.

My mother-in-law at her confirmation, she was 13 years old in this picture.

My mother-in-law as a baby. This picture was probably taken in 1920.

The Arkansas Cross Roads Quilt made in 1996. My first "mystery quilt".



The company is gone and we had a wonderful visit. I sure love my family. This was the first Thanksgiving that the company was from my side of the family. Traditionally it was hubby's side being that he is sometimes a Turkey for his Nov. birthday and he grew up with Thanksgiving in his home each year. The last time we were able to celebrate with his mom was five years ago. The last time she traveled here was in 2005 during the summer for a wedding. We knew at the time it was her last trip, she told us so! And travel does get really hard the older you get. We still miss her and have lots of great Thanksgiving Day memories with her and dad. The picture of her was taken by my best guess in 1920. We see some of her grand daughers faces in the photo.

The picture of the quilt above is one I made for her around 1996. It is called Arkansas Cross Roads and I made it when we lived overseas. There was a quilting group with many talented ladies and much creativity. This one was made as a "mystery quilt" and is something I had never participated in before. The group met each week and the construction of the quilt was done in steps, but the full final pattern of the quilt was not revealed until the last step. The first step was simply choosing the fabrics and in this project we were told to choose fabrics based more on color intensity, pale, medium and rich colors, a certain yardage of each. The second week was cutting strips of various lengths, then sewing strips together and cutting. As each week progressed we followed the specific directions and after twelve weeks we each had a unique quilt top. Some went with all shades of one color, even one did blacks, grays and white. It was a great project to show how the "same" can have such a wonderful variety.

This particular quilt is now in heaven with my mom-in-law. She was one that really USED it, every day. It was on her favorite chair and she used it to stay cozy. I am so glad to know that it gave her some warmth and comfort and maybe even a little pleasure in its beauty. And it was a beautiful, simple quilt. I tied this one instead of quilting. Since it was made for her, lots of prayers were attached specifically for her. I hope she knows I loved her and was glad to call her family.

Companies Here

I love this picture of my brother and I with Santa. I am not sure I was enjoying myself much, although I must have assumed I SHOULD be. I actually look more than a little nervous, check out the body language! Don't touch Santa!!

My company has begun to arrive, Saturday evening, my daughter, Tues. after noon my brother and Wednesday afternoon my nephew! The fun begins.

Company Coming

My brother and sister-in-law are coming today and my nephew and his wife are coming tomorrow. I have quilts on all the beds. Unfortunately we have a relatively small house, so age has it's advantage for this visit. The brother and wife being the oldest get the best bed, our queen size bed that we replaced with a sleep number that a neighbor gave us to try because she waited too long to return it, now has to deal with selling it on her own. We are doing the 60 day trial, but I already am pleased. I am a 75 and hubby doesn't have a choice, he's a 75 as well. I haven't heard any complaints.

Then the nephew is coming up on 40, well, at least in late 30's, so he and his wife get the sofa bed. Not always the most comfy, but I have boards underneath the mattress to help avoid feeling those bars that go across. It's a queen size and I have slept on it myself to check it out, it's OK!

Then the youngest, who, of coarse is an adult, but being the youngest gets put upstairs and get's a BowFlex as a room mate. And some WD-40 as it's also a bit of a work room. And the blow up mattress, albeit a NICE blow up mattress. And the youngest doesn't have to share a bathroom, one full bath, one person use, that gives extra points, plus will be quieter. So I guess I am trying to appease my own guilt at not being able to give each and everyone of my special guests the royal treatment.

I am excited and these are the quilts I am using this week. They are all very special, one by my grandmother, one by my mother and one by me!

A short break

I have all my sewing put away, well, most of it. With my youngest at home there is some fitting to be done and also checking through patterns I have accrued. I love it when the fabric stores have 99 cent patterns, I can get 10 for $10 and that is a great bargain when they can cost from $11 to $25 and more! So I have more than I need, but there are lots of good techniques and ideas that are valuable. I want to eventually create my own patterns and become extremely skillful at making beautiful, well crafted clothing. I have noticed there are no nice blouse patterns for little girls from sizes 2-6. Plenty of jumpers and dresses, but no blouses, so if I ever run across any, I will hang on to them.

I am excited about all my projects being put away as the house will be full of people I love and don't get to see very often. Worth not sewing for a week and I will be refreshed and ready to make new messes once they leave. I don't decorate for holidays, I would rather use that time and energy for purposeful creativity. I also DO NOT like all the cleaning up and putting away at the end, it brings on feelings I don't like, as if something is over or ending, and doing that in the winter does not have a positive affect on my mood, so I just let everyone else mess with that. We are going to several parties in Dec. so we will see lots of decorations. Festive, yes, but worth it in my home, NO! I like to focus on what Christmas is really about, those twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany. THAT is Christmas, THIS is Advent. Prepare in your heart, not your home!

Done for now

I have put all I have on my computer for now. So must take a break until I have time to scan and download. I am excited to see what I have done. I am a super duper "producer" and find I really like to SEE how I use my time. At the end of the day, if someone were to ask me "what did you DO today?" I have a huge satisfaction if I can SHOW them something, especially something FINISHED! There were many days/weeks/years when my day was spent with children, reading, playing, taking care of the necessary, then too tired to do anything once they were in bed, and I was fine with that. There truly is a season for things in life. Children were my absolute joy and I knew I would never regret giving them 110% of my time and energy. That is what it always felt like because I always wondered how I did it sometimes? Where did I find the patience, the energy, the TIME! But I did, and am the proud mom of three amazing adult children that are still the joy of my life. Every moment spent with them was rewarded 100 fold. This picture is of my "babies" and the jammies were made by their grandma! Hello Henry!

This little outfit I made without a pattern. I saw a picture of my granddaughter in it on her momma's blog with a little t-shirt. The top is made with lots of that elastic thread and I doubt was very comfortable, but the skirt is toooooo cute. Hey, mom, recognize that fabric? Fat quarters I believe.

Two cute dresses

These two dresses were also from "the stash". Some of the pieces of fabric mom gave me were not long on yardage, so needed to be used for small dresses. Many of the fabrics coordinated and so could be put together in fun ways. Here is a picture of Princess in the blue one.

Flowers and Lace

This dress, made for granddaughters, is another from mom's stash. The buttons on the back included. I used lace around the button on the front to make a little flower. Just having fun, but it's cute. These are may favorite type of little girl dresses.

Summer/winter nightgowns

My older grand daughter has decided nightgowns are nice. I agree, I am a nightgown girl from WAY back, the first time I put on a nightgown, I never went back. Funny how we seem to prefer one or the other. I made these for her, the one matches her little sister's jammies that are posted earlier and the star/moon one is from my mom's fabric stash, I thought it was perfect nightgown material, and I love this pattern, so cute.