Friday, February 28, 2014

Where have I been?

To tell the complete truth, I've been idling.  However that seems to have passed.  I returned from Tennessee on Feb. 10 very late.  Then starting Tuesday and for a week I was idle.  This is a public confession. Frankly I thought it might be just a couple of days for idleness.  Oh, no, a full week.

The challenge?  First I finished a bag for my daughter-in-law which I finished after my infamous idling week. Here are some photos of it.

                                  These are the bits to start the bag.
The pattern called for one long pocket, but I did two using the same print in different colors.   I sewed them on correctly, but then when I went to sew the bottom of the lining in order to square the corners, I sewed the top edges together instead of the bottoms.

So then I sewed the corners and cut one of them before I realized what I had done.  Consequently I  found my error and the pockets were then upside down.  After cursing, I unsewed one of the pockets and resewed it the opposite only to find I hadn't taken care to catch the elastic at the top.  That's when after cursing and cursing I decided to stop until after I returned from TN.

The lining inside the bag, both pockets turned as in photo above.

I think it came out all right.  DDIL will get it later.  When I was visiting, I bought her gift at the local yarn shop, The Knaughty Knitter.  Meredith is the owner and a very nice person.

Next I dug out a blouse I started years ago for my daughter. Here's the photo I took when I was counting all my unfinished projects.
Well,  it had been sooooooooooo long I had to study the pattern and the pattern pieces and study them again.  I love the fabric, but this was what I discovered.  I had failed to cut out an important piece at the time and I had no more of that fabric that I could find.  What did I do?   I put the fabric into my box of batiks and chose another project.

Okay, deep breath.  I picked this one up next.  It was all cut out and all there, but I hadn't actually started sewing.  This one is a go.  Woohoo!


I'm doing this view minus the applique and lace.






Pinned bodice lining to bodice, don't we love pinning?



Bodice almost done with cute ruffles on the sleeves.   Want more?  Oops, that's all I've got for today.  I promise it won't be so long next time.  I'm hoping for Sunday.  Don't be too surprised if it's later, but not 3 weeks.


In Tennessee I visited the Stones River Civil War National Battlefield.  Here are a couple of photos I took.  It was very cold about 38 degrees.



Looking out from the museum towards the site of one of the battles. So lovely and peaceful.







This is the oldest Civil War memorial still standing. 1863.



                To end on a cheerier note, here is a photo of my cat, Zeke, who loves to get in my face.

Bye bye.









                                                                

                                                     







Tuesday, February 4, 2014

I'm Off

Oh besides off my rocker, I am leaving for Tennessee in about 12 hours.  Tennessee you say?  Yes, to visit with my son and his wife.  Remember I mentioned making her  something for her birthday in my post before last?  Well, it didn't happen.  I was sewing along and then I made a humongous mistake.  I tried to correct but kept getting more and more frustrated.  Her birthday isn't until the 17th so I'll have time to finish it and mail when I get home.  There will be some major ripping out and resewing.


This is my granddog, Lady D.  I will be very happy to see her.
 The world's largest cedar bucket at home in Murfreesboro, TN

This is a very large rocking horse carved from wood and using the curve of the  wood for the head and mane.  This was at the art and craft museum store I visited last time.


 So many front porches have one or more of these great rockers.  Here they are for sale at Cracker Barrel.  They're very comfortable and less that  $100.00.



This is Ruby Falls.(Near Chattanooga)  It's an underground waterfall.  About a thousand feet below ground. Amazing.











These are some of the things I saw when I was visiting in the past.  I look forward to seeing some new things this time. However I mostly want to hug my family and then hug them some more.


                 Look for me next week, when I return to  The Challenge.