Another Contest In The Books

Do you ever get to the end of a weekend and wonder where it went.  That's how I feel about this past weekend.  It seemed like it was a few days short.  I'm still wondering how a three day weekend can feel so short.  But, I did get a lot done.  I found a serger sewing machine at a garage sale for my sister.  She met me there, bought it, and I took it home and spent an afternoon getting it ready for her to use.  She got a great deal on a good little machine.  She is as they say, "happy as a June bug."  She can now start on some projects for stuff around the house.

As for me.....I did get the shirt done and entered into the contest.  Here it is

It was so strange to make this shirt.  I bought the fabric when the young man, my son, was in Jr. High.  I didn't get around to making it until now.  The shirt was just as I had always imagined, it was just a lot larger than I ever expected.  I don't know why they have to grow up.  It's times like these that make me realize that I am getting older.  Yuck!!!!

Part of my weekend I was spent finishing tracing the pattern for the Gone With The Wind dress.  It's not that it has been forgotten, it's just been put on hold so I can enter a contest now and again.  I've got one more contest project that must be completed before the end of June but I think I'll be splitting time between the two projects because I am really curious about some of the things on the dress. 

As for the rest of my life, God has been so gracious.  My brother and sister-in-laws daughter that the doctors had given up hope on is showing some pretty substantial signs of improvement and they are going to start some physical therapy.  While her life is still in a fragile state it's a huge improvement from a 5% chance to live.

Dad and I went to a new dentist today that was out of town and had a consultation on getting his necessary dental work done and by traveling about an hour away he will save almost $15,000 for the same repairs.  And, I got a nice drive and lunch with him out of the deal.  He was tickled pink and felt that he had truly been blessed.

While I profess that sewing is my life, let's face it, like most of us that sew, God, family and friends are our life, sewing is our sanity and it's things like Meg and Dad;s blessing that make our hearts leap.  So here's to all our leaping hearts as spring has sprung!

I knew it. God won't take me 'til all my fabric is gone

If you are a seamstress, you will know exactly what I am talking about and if you are not, well, I'm sure there is something that you can't resist and it seems to show up in your house when you least expect it.  For some of you it is tea cups, others vintage pyrex, but for those of us that sew, it's fabric.  We will buy it because of color, feel, or just because it was a "good" deal.  We have cabinets, drawers, and boxes with our favorites that we bought knowing that someday it would make the perfect (fill in your desire here).  I am no different than any of you.  I've got my personal fabric stash, for the stuff I am going to make for me, my fabric stash for the family, my fabric stash for the house, my fabric stash for friends, and my fabric stash for the business.  All well cataloged and organized.  But if I was really honest with myself I probably will never run out of the fabric that I have and yet I still run into fabric that I absolutely must have.  The standing joke is, God wont take me until all my fabric is gone.  Imagine my surprise when sitting in church this morning I realized that at least for one dear soul that was absolutely true.

Our Pastor is going through a study on the book of Acts and today he preached out of the 9th chapter versus 23-42.  It was amazing to hear of God's hope for us and how he exhibited it through his mercy for Paul.  Even though he did terrible things he was changed by God to do mighty works in his kingdom.  Hope for the terrified in that the desciples were afraid of Paul because he had killed Stephen, and that fear was born out of lack of faith, but they had Jesus as their savior.  Hope for the terminal where it speaks of Aeneas being healed even though he was bed ridden.  And lastly hope for the terminated in that Tabitha (Dorcas) had died, but becuase of the great faith of the people she ministered to, they went to Peter who returned with them and because they loved her so much Peter restored her life, 

So you are probably wondering what my fabric stash has to do with the sermon.  Well, in Acts 9:39 the widows of the congregation came to Peter when he arrived with dresses and other things that Tabitha had made for them and praising her beautiful work.  I bet, Peter knew she still had fabric in her stash that needed tending to and that's why he restored her life. :)

What am I doing?????

Oh my gosh!!!  My kids were standing behind me going, "Mom what are you doing?????"  I'm not really sure.  I just thought it would be fun to let the world know what kind of nut makes Victorian clothing.  I mean, it's not like we all run around in corsets and hoop skirts.  So why would a normal mom nearing the end of her mom years decide this was a good time to start a blog about sewing.  I guess it has to do a lot with what I heard this afternoon.  I was walking out of a fabric store in our town that was going out of business and I heard a woman say, "I didn't know women still sewed."  Well, yes, women and some men still sew and we are doing a darn good job of it.  And I just wanted to encourage other people to do the same.  It's not only fun, it's rewarding and in my case, it's educational.

I mean I can't say that I only sew Victorian clothing, I'll sew just about anything.  In fact, my latest thing was an apron that was for a "pay it forward" game that we played on facebook.  It was great fun, a friend started it by saying that she would make something for the first five people that responded to her post as long as they reposted that they would make something for the first five people that responded to their post.  It didn't have to be something magnificient, just something handmade.  You could sew, knit, bake cookies etc.  It was up to you how your participated.  So my dear friend, now adopted sister, Kim, got in on it she knits so she knitted me a beautiful scarf and in return I made her this apron

I've got a few more to make before I finish the game, but this one was so cute I went a bought fabric so that I could make one for me.  That is one of the problems with sewing for friends, when something turns out cute you end up making at least one more.  Not that I mind at all :)

So check back and see what I'm up to.  I'll be posting as time permits with pictures of my current progress on what I am working on.  I'll also be posting tips and fun historical facts that I have found about those beautiful ladies of bygone eras.