Three positive things

A couple of weeks ago, my oldest, Elizabeth, decided to post (on Facebook) 3 positive things that happened each day for a week.  I did not participate in that although my other daughter, Alex, did.  About a week ago, Elizabeth explained how hard that was as she was having very challenging days.  She also said that being thankful for positive 'things' was not quite as difficult as pinpointing positive happenings each day.  After thinking about that,  I decided I would try it starting with yesterday.

1. My wandering cat, Zeke, came home again.
2. When I watered the very droopy plant (I'm not sure what it is), it perked up considerably.
3. I lost a pound.  This was on purpose, not an accident.  I would prefer to never find that one again.

A few years ago I read an short article about the good effects of being thankful has on our minds and spirits.  The article suggested writing down five things you're thankful for each day.  Try not to say the same thing every time.  I remember one suggestion was "I'm thankful for pepperoni pizza."  This idea has not been hard for me as I am thankful to God for so many things every day.

So with a promise to post some sewing and/or art photos soon,  I close with this one.

I am thankful for my piano.

Cats and Pots

 

This is Zorro's pot formerlly the home to Japanese blood grass. Perhaps it bled to death.  This summer it can be a cat bed.

Eddie is cuddling to the Japanese maple.  Zorro is sans pot for now.

This was a few years ago.  The old deck and railing, old house color. Same cute cat.  Edward P. Cat aka Eddie Spaghetti.

This is also a couple of years ago.  That summer Zeke spent lots of nap time here.  This planter is now too full of thyme and oregano to interest him.

            Not in the pot, not behind the pot, Eddie is just with the pots.

                     Others nap too, but not in pots. On sofas.  Yay for naps!

                What if you took one right now?  Sounds nice, eh?  Go ahead.

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.

                                                                

                                                     

Don't you just hate it

When you finish something and it's just not right?  Yes, I finally finished the red blouse with help from my trusty or not so trusty assistant.

Zeke who  recently returned from a walk about insisted on helping me while I was hemming.  Poor lamb, he didn't realize how inadequate a couturier he is.

He just couldn't make his tail do anything productive.  It just lay there.

So it only took a couple of hours to finish the blouse and I eagerly looked forward to trying it on.  This is what happened.  I couldn't wait so I tried it on before I put on the sleeves.  This was a BIG mistake.  After I did, I didn't want to finish.  It's true.  I suddenly hated the red blouse.

Twenty-four hours later, I did put the sleeves on, but I refused to hem them or do the buttons.  Here are photos.

Starting to hem, before Zeke arrived to help.

The front sans buttons.  The color in the photo above is more true in color.

This is the back but the color is really off.  I'm not sure why there's such a difference same camera same time same place.  Ah well, a photographer I'm not.







Can you guess why I hate the red blouse?  No, it's not the weird color changes. No, Zeke didn't harm it in anyway.  It doesn't fit.  There.  I said it.  I'm keeping it because there is a possibility than it might someday.

Lest you think I took all this time with nothing more than a nearly finished red blouse, here is something else that turned out better.

 Sleep-over Satchel for Pam
 (see post here )  That one is the story of The Monkey on the branch.

 Supplies

 Forgot to photograph until I put the lining in.

 Close-up of pocket

The finished bag.  Again, however, the color isn't true.  I think it maybe that my sewing room is yellow.

Yesterday I also finished some knitting so tune in tomorrow for a look at that.

What's next you might well ask?  I'm making another Sleep-over Satchel, this time for my daughter-in-law. Sh-h-h, her birthday is next month.  I'll be sharing pictures then.

Thank you for hanging in with me.  I hope to be posting more often as the challenge is taking off.

 Ciao! (Did I mention I also study Italian?)