Hey, it's almost January!

Hiya to everyone.  It is almost January.  Don't get me wrong I love Christmas,  I love celebrating God's greatest gift, the first coming of my Lord.  I love the decorating and the family time. The music and general good will.  Somehow this year January looks  so  ripe with potential and it's because being in Les Miserables has consumed a great deal of my life.  Our last show is December 30th and so January 2nd seems like a gateway to marvelous new things.

So please keep checking back   I will Finish the Unfinished this bright new year of 2014

We don't often get snow here in the foothills, but we had a lovely one on the 6th of December this year.

If you are reading this before Christmas, do have a happy one,  If it's after, just remember it's almost January.  Or perhaps it's already here!


 
 A bit of color to send you on your way.  Come back when ever you care to, you're always welcome.

Costumes finished

Just stopping by to say I'll soon be writing a real post.  The costumes are finished, that is, my part of  it.   I am relieved.  I have taken my poor hard working machine to the shop for tender care and fixing the reverse.    I have my other older machine which is a wonderful one though in doesn't have as many decorative stitches as the newer one.

I was thinking about getting a serger.  I'm not thinking about it any more.  The one I thought would work for me was the BabyLock Imagine.  Oh, goodness it's $2900 and I'm just not going there.  I realize there are less expensive sergers but they are not self-threading.  At my age with my vision I would need the self-threading type.

 Sometimes I do some mixed-media fun projects.

This a piece I did for my daughter.  On the From side there's a map of the area I live in as the base while on the To side the base is a map if her town.


It was meant as a tag, but also some that could be hung on a plant or hook.  Fun

I made some other labels to stick into the holder on the front.

Please come on back and see what I'm up to next.  Remember January I'll return to my challenge.  Ta Ta.

I'm Not Back

Not yet anyway.  Still very busy with the show.  Only 20 days until our first performance.  As I said previously, I will resume my challenge in January, please stay tuned.

 Just for today I'm posting some photos so you have something to see, since you stopped over.

This is a photo of Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas.  I didn't take this photo, but I have been there and I have some great pictures. Unfortunately they are on my other computer which is still dead. So I got this one from the web.  The Dry Tortugas are a few islands in the Gulf of Mexico and Fort Jefferson was a prisoner of war camp during the Civil War. They are called dry because there is no fresh water.  You can get there on a catamaran, as my daughter and I did, or you can fly over.

This photo is from the Lost Gardens of Helligan.  They are in England. I've never been.  There are several of these earth people about the large garden site.  If you look at their website  you can see more plus the lovely gardens themselves.


Now if you look around my yard you can sometimes see this stunning sight.

       It's my handsome cat, Zorro, collecting Fall leaves.  Isn't he clever?


               So long until next time.  Whenever that happens to be.

IS SHE BACK OR JUST . . .

Passing through? I can hardly believe it's been ten days since my last post.  Yikes!  For those of you who may be checking on my progress in my challenge, thank you.  Come back in January, please.  I think finishing the unfinished items in my home will be my first and perhaps only New Year's resolution.

For everyone: there are only two weeks until the costumes for the show have to been done.  Last Saturday, the costume queen and I went to Mad Hatter Costumes in Auburn, California.  (There isn't a web site or I would have linked it.)   We were there about 3 hours.  No, I mean that.  Here are a couple of photos.

                                                  The wig and checkout counter.

y

This was one of the smaller rooms, but they were all stuffed full like this.

           The back of my car full of  costumes including shoes and hats.

                    More of the same.  Hoho.

The costume queen trying on a potential outfit for Mme. Thenardier when she goes to the wedding.

For those of you who wonder why the centering of captions under my photos is so off-center,  I can say this. When I type them out they are centered, when it publishes this is what you get..  That's my bit of rant for now.

After the costume shop, we went to the Salvation Army Thrift Shop. I saw this wonderful chair.  I did not buy it.  Isn't it grand?

 

And it is comfortable too.  I have a friend with a Victorian house and a love of dragonflies.  She may drive up there and get it.  Go, Jill.

Though I have been sewing and sewing and sewing,  I have failed to take any more photos of what I've made before taking them to the theatre.  Why don't you come see the show in December? It'll be worth it just to see the costumes.  It's only $15 unless you want to come to the gala premiere on November 23. Then it's $75, but you get a wonderful array of appetizers and wine before the show.  Then at intermission there will be fabulous desserts and coffee.  But best of all,  you will be greeted by Victor Hugo himself.

Before closing I have a little tip for those of you who might be trying to do a bit more exercise.

Happy days.

Clothesline

Hiya.  Not much happening  with the challenge.  Here are some items I've sewn for the theatre.  At the end find a short video I made of one of my favorite sights.

 

These are two peasant

 blouses made from a 

king-size sheet.

  

 And one

a bit fancier made from a scrap of

rayon-like fabric.

                  


            This is the back of one of the factory worker's aprons.

 

Do you love to see sheets or towels or anything hanging on a clothesline?

If yes, please enjoy my video.

 

I like it every time. I love my Hawaiian hula dancer sheets too.

See you soon.

 

I do miss it

My desk top computer.  Still working on it/with it, trying to decide what to do.  Use my lap top as a desk top? Get a new desktop?  Also sewing sewing on costumes so no real post at this time.  Please do check back as I hope to be fully functioning soon.

A room with a view

.

All taken from my room at the Holiday Inn Express in Astoria, Oregon.

So long.

Not my Computer

Oh, no, not my computer.  But it's true, my computer is dead.  This is the one I've had for years that had all my photos and all my music on it.  Computer doctor son-in-law is coming to have a look at it, but I'm pretty sure I'll be computer shopping very soon.  Since I have very few photos on this , my laptop,  I'll see what I can do to make it worth your stopping by today.

Besides sewing knitting, quilting, beading, reading and acting in musicals, I also enjoy photography.  I think I have shown some photos from my trip to Astoria, Oregon with my grandson.  Here are a couple more.

 We went to this bunker which was built in WW1 and used in WW2.  We were there in the evening.  I liked this stairway.  It led to the top of the bunker which is why there is light there.

Without a flash as one of the teens dashed past me and away. It looks rather like a specter.

A look down the outside corridor.

I like this, but I don't know what it is.

I liked the way this one turned out. This is just across the Columbia River in Washington.

Under the Astoria-Megler Bridge.  We were walking back from dinner.  This is a scarey, wonderful bridge.




I'm off to a 3 sister's get-away.  We're meeting up in Cayucos, California.  We're going to stay right on the beach and be senior beach bunnies.  When I say senior I mean it.  Stay tuned, there may be photos.

The Monkey on the Branch

 

A number of years ago, my daughter and a friend saw Eddie Izzard perform a funny sketch about learning French.  I never saw it back then.  In fact I only looked for it on Youtube so I could mention it here with a better understanding  of what made it's way into my sewing.

In the sketch, Eddie mentions learning some French phrases that were difficult to use in an everyday conversation.  One of these phrases is, "Le singe est sur la branche."  (The monkey is on the branch.). My daughter then noticed that there were figures of monkeys on branches here and there.  Yes, on fabric.

About that same time I bought a pattern (at the Cotton Ball) for an over night bag.  I also bought fabric I felt reminiscent of  a Victorian satchel.  It had monkeys.  Here is the pattern and the bag I made from it for my daughter. 

Pattern by Amber Creations.  Amber is a niece of the former owners of the Cotton Ball and worked there at the time I bought my pattern.  Later I took a class on the bag with Amber.  It was lots of fun.  Amber and her then fiance (the guy in the photo) signed the pattern for me.

Can you see the monkeys?  They are not, however on branches.  She liked it anyway.







 Why do I mention this?  Why am I going on about  monkeys and branches?  I'll tell you. Remember last time, when I mentioned curtains.  There I told about the kitchen curtain with a farm scene.  All gone now.   The fabric was so old and didn't go with the paint very well.  (Is this woman nuts?  Where is she going with this?)  

Voila!

 

Here is a close up of the fabric. What so you see?  Les singes sont sur la branche. Wearing jackets no less.

  

By the way,  I have made the satchel eight times. Here are some. The first being the one I made for my other daughter who doesn't feel the same way about monkeys or branches.

 For my friend, Cathy

There may be a monkey on this one.











I will close now with a link to the Eddie Izzard comedy piece on French.  Here is a warning.  He says the 'f' word  twice, but nothing else offensive.  It's pretty funny.  Le Singe Sur La Branche.

Ci vediamo presto.  (This is Italian for: we'll see each other soon.) I'm better at Italian. 

Just posting.

Country CurtainsHappy Weekend.  It's kind of weird about weekends now that I'm retired.  It wasn't too much of a transition, however, because when I was working I worked many weekends and holidays.  But because I now have every day off, I sometimes forget when it's a weekend and try calling some business or other.  Being in the production of Les Miserables, has helped me to beware of what day of the week it is.  It's not a job, but I must attend. Imagination Theater in Placervillie, CA   is where I'll be most of the time for September, October, November and December.  It's going to be great!

Check back here for more costume pictures.

My second child, Alex, is here visiting me from Arizona where she is the Emerging Technologies Librarian at Cochise College.  (You know I just love saying that.)  This is part of the reason there are no updates. on my challenge.  I am still knitting and sewing, but not as much as I will when she has to go home.  I want her to stay and perhaps live around the corner from me.

Did you know that to become a librarian you must have a Master's degree in Library Science?  Yep, you do.  Here is Alex at her graduation.  She is entitled to wear that drape( it's called a hood) at every graduation ceremony in which she participates.  Fancy.

And here she and I are behind our Foster Grants ( they're not really that brand) when I visited her last year.  We were at the Biosphere 2 outside of Tucson.

Biosphere 2

Changing the subject now. About 3 years ago I completely redid my large living-dining area. Floors (I had always wanted wood),  paint (color not off-white) and furniture ( Pottery Barn and IKEA).  Then I got curtains ( Country Curtains and PB). I had made the small curtain for the kitchen earlier from a farm scene fabric and the glass deck door curtain from a sheet.  You remember me mentioning sheets?  Well, now.  The glaring problem is that door curtain.  It's awful, a kind of dead grey-blue.  Well, readers, look what Alex found.

A little slice of this on the door would be pretty nice.

Here are two others I also like.  All of these are at Housefabric.com.  Here is the  page.   And there are more to see.

You can see the door and it's pretty awful curtain in a Christmas photo from last year.  Also the curtains from Country Curtains are visible  No PB furniture showing, but the table cloth is from there and there's an IKEA bookcase to the right of the door.

Come back and see me, but don't wait until Christmas..

Shall we talk about . . . .

Fabric?  Since you said yes, let's do.  How much do you love it?  Have you thought about moving so you would have more room for it?  Have you obtained a storage unit to accommodate it?  Do you ever buy fabric just because it's gorgeous even though you haven't any idea what you're going to do with it?  Do you think making your house look something like a fabric store would make you feel good all over?  Have you ever been to Britex?  In San Francisco?  Four stories of fabric and notions?  That is the biggest fabric store I was ever in.  Take a tour here. This takes you to the first floor, but you can see a sample of all the floors.

This is just a sample of the walls there.  Please note the ladder needed to get to those top shelves.  Ooowhee!
I actually gasped when I walked into this place the first time. (Photo from internet)







I also love The Cotton Ball.  It's in Morro Bay, California.  It's not terribly far from the Hearst Castle.  In fact, my family and I were visiting there some years ago.  In our motel room, the TV played places to go in the area. One look at The Cotton Ball and I knew I had to go there.



This is the view from the entrance.  I took a photo exactly like this, but I couldn't find it.  So again this one is from the net. This is it's second location.  It was originally on Morro Bay Blvd. Now it's on Main Street.


 Here's the family at Hearst Castle. It was a few years ago.  The baby there is my 15 year old grandson, Charles.
(See previous post)

L-R John, Alex, Charles, Gary and
Elizabeth.



Well,  I didn't start out to talk about fabric shops, but I love to go to them.  I have also bought fabric online.   These three have always come through with great fabric.  I have ordered more from eQuilter recently.  Big Horn Quilts is another favorite.  I used to ordered from Craft Connection, but they don't seem to be in business any more.  All carry brand-name fabrics.  Yay for fabric!!!

Where did she go?

Sacramento!  I've been hanging out with my wonderful grandson for a few days.  At 15, he is very capable of caring for himself, doing his homework and chores without prompting but alas, he still needs a ride to school.  He goes to a charter school which is too far to walk and there's no bus service.  So, hooray, I get to spend time with him and drive him around while his parents are off celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary on the California coast.

Grandma's Brag Book here.

 

Charles at 5. Wearing kilt (by grandma) for a school program.  All right, I know he's very cute.  Thanks.

Charles at nine. Just starting to grow his hair. He's still a little boy here.

Last year he and I went together to a Road Scholar program about Crime Scene Investigation.  He's learning about evidence collection and processing. A very cool teenager.


 On the Oregon coast this summer.  That's my grandkid in the middle.  He's 6ft tall.  We had a great time learning a bit about photography. Again with Road Scholar.  Check them out here. Road Scholar




I have been knitting as much as my fingers can take and my hoodie is coming along.  I need to knit 5 more inches before I can start knitting in the side slits and hem, then onto the sleeves.  Whoa, I might actually have this very nice garment for the coming fall.

This is several versions of the hoodie,  Mine will have the hood and  long sleeves.  I purchased the pattern and yarn from Halcyon Yarn . Halcyon is the lady standing second from the left.

Now as I mentioned several times before, I am sewing for the local production of Les Miserables.  Sewing for the blog is going slowly, but I expect it to pick up when the costumes are complete.  I'm cutting and sewing shirts/blouses.  The costume gal has given me fabric and much of it is sheets.  It is absolutely amazing what one can do with sheets.  No photo of the lovely curtains I made for my bedroom (years ago) from some  tree printed sheets from Sears.  I also purchased lining fabric from their catalog.  I'm not sure they even have a catalog any more.

I just found these cute dresses made from sheets on the internet.  Vintage and lovely.  You think?

This outfit, being worn by my friend's husband for a Relay for Life event, was made from a Renaissance pattern using a king-size sheet set from the thrift store.It's too bad you can't see the lovely, rich-looking stripe on the material.  






 Keep smiling.  Happy day! More soon.