My own "March Madness"!!!!

This free calendar page is a great visual of how I feel on this fourth day of March!

We have a great forecast, warmer, sunny, not too windy and I have the day off!

It is like an overload of energy and possibilities this morning!

Birds are busily preparing their nests, my house wrens arrived this week! Robins are everywhere....I am tempted to clean and tidy my own nest.

OR, I could make a batch of crepes to have on hand for coming meals....or even try making my own mozzarella. [Yesterday a customer commented to me that her next errand after out store was to pick up a cheese thermometer. I was intrigued and had never heard of such a thing. She told me that she makes her own mozzarella and that it "ONLY" takes 30 minutes. It was an interesting conversation, but I didn't think too much about it....THEN, while running my errands, getting seersucker fabric for more little rompers for my grandson, I browsed the magazines at Hancock Fabric...what should catch my eye but "Make Mozzarella in Minutes"!!! It was in a charming magazine called HOBBY FARM HOME.

I bought the magazine... seems you can also make ricotta from the whey as you do this....and ricotta with fruit would be wonderful in those crepes!] If I had another day off...like tomorrow too, I might just jump in and try!

OR there is the art/sewing studio downstairs, where I could collage, or paint birds,...

OR step out the door there into the garden area and start cleaning up and preparing for planting.

OR I could visit local thrift stores looking for a fun chair to recycle into an art piece for our local "CHAIR AFFAIR" an art auction evening which supports Life Styles a local organization which provides services for individuals with developmental disabilities.

I guess since there is a deadline coming on doing the chair, I could do that errand.... after the heating and air-conditoning workers come this morning, to do the seasonal check on our furnace and all. And of course, getting to yoga class....

OR maybe the best way to have a day off is just to relax and "piddle", take things as they come and NOT try to accomplish too much ????? Just breathe and BE.

More sewing ideas.







My daughter and I like this red print dress.



Too cute!!!



I think I could make a similar one using the pattern at the right. It is Simplicity 2926. Simplicity patterns are on sale for 99 cents this week at Hobby Lobby. I also have a source for a similar large red and white print fabric. The red grograin bow and satin sash will be easy. Great for Valentine's Day!


Here is a scan of the fabrics for the dress.

















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Also from Anthropologie.....this window full of antique ornaments .

I need to pack our ornaments away!!!! However, I was happy that the tree was still up this afternoon when my friend Tracie came by with some of the "Christmas" I had missed out on by being away in early-mid December.
This is a hand-painted silk scarf from my friend Lizzzzie! What is on it??? Pears of course...

Can't seem to keep my mind on New Year's Eve!
I have been back to work this week which means being immersed in the world of sewing.
It is my job to come up with classes and projects for customers who buy sewing machines. Fun!
Also, Hancock's has a sale on Simplicity Patterns through tomorrow.
I think some of these retro aprons will make great projects. They have rick rack and bias tape and thread on sale too...so of course I had to stock up....[sometimes I think this job is costing me more than I earn!]

After finding the wonderful collection of aprons above, I found this little gem! It is a pattern for miniature aprons......for the Christmas tree or wherever....they are too cute...will sewing them be proof of insanity??? When will I ever get back to my other creative pursuits???

note: click on the photos to see enlarged aprons....LOL!

This lucious jacket [$425.00 at JCrew] caught my daughter's eye. Actually she read some blogs about creating a similar one, so she has enlisted my help (meaning I am doing this) in transfroming an off-white collared blazer which was hanging in her closet. Fun????

I will try to get some photos of it soon....as it is quite a transfomation process. Removing the collar and buttons. Creating soft silk flowers to flow down in a cascade around the neck and fronts.

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On other matters, the dog is still missing. He is missed. However, the gloomy clouds are lifting and Christmas cheer appearing here and there!!! My SIL is even caught smiling sometimes.

Daughter Laura is off to the gym for a workout and is feeling much better after the shingles episode, and granddaughter Lilia is about to come through the front door from the school bus, and will have to change for ballet class. Busy, busy.....baby is asleep for a bit or I wouldn't be here blogging!

Hope your holiday spirits are becoming active and cheerful....be well!

What is Grandma Lila doing?

It's a soccer ball for the baby grandson. His first birthday is coming up, but this colorful cloth ball will be a Christmas gift. It will spend the next few weeks under a Christmas tree in the window of the sewing center where I now work. This is a project from the book, "Seams to Me" by Anna Maria Horner. I used the shop's embroidery machine to make embellished fabric for the ball....a dog, a porpoise, an angel fish, ducks in the rain, a "Nemo" type fish...it was a fun day at work!

After stuffing, as much as possible, the final seams have to be hand sewn. So (sew?) the fun continues at home to finish the project!

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I am enjoying the creativity of sewing. Today's young designers/mothers/bloggers inspire many of us. Heather Bailey has a wonderful photo which captures the feeling of creativity in art and sewing here. She even has a delightful PEAR pincushion!
I wanted so much to share the photo directly with you....but don't want to violate copyright...

Our digital camera is not working well indoors....I had to use photoshop to lighten and bring out the photos above. They are still not clear. This will not do!

Being a visual communicator, I can't blog without photos, mine or other folks! LOL!

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Afternoon note: I have been on the back porch starting a painting ...the digital camera works if there is plenty of light.

Following my bliss again.....My creative focus for the New Year will be to make more art quilts!!!



These paper quilts made from recycled magazine pages, acrylic paint and tissue paper collage were so much fun that I plan to continue!

(Quilts now on exhibit at a local church parish hall.)

My Singer 301, vintage model machine is set up in its sewing table with a free motion and a walking foot. We are ready to start doing more collage quilting!

Excavating my Past......


This is the current state of the great "dig out".

My sewing corner with quilt books and my steadfast Bernina...(I also have a Singer featherweight which has already been carried up the stairs...great little jewel of a machine!)

All of this will be toted up and gone through....and Mr. Pear will bring up the pine box (hmmmm!? 'pine box' , should I really be burying some of this stuff?!)
and the walnut chest of drawers,.... after I carry up the drawers!
Then just lamp and a couple of tables...one is a pine kitchen table from England....


[I really thought I would be too busy to post while doing this, but I am finding that doing the post satisfies my creative drive for the moment and gives me a wonderful rest from the mental and physical chore of dealing with this! It is kind of fun and humorous to spend time with all of this "stuff" again.]

Meanwhile in another part of the room we find...2 more chests of drawers sans drawers, as I have already carried those up....and a desk, a green plastic storage stacker ( that has to go!)....and a printer.






A John Kerry for President poster (which I had kept to hold my own against the loud opinions of Mr. Pear , the "hawk".)

A pink laundry basket from a local antique mall filled with paintings and canvases.....

And an old matted drawing of a still life from art studies.....India ink. My professors set up the fascinating still life of rusty auto fender, hub cap, old shoe, animal jaw bone and rubber end of a plunger....

Now that this has been water damaged, I was able to finally "trash" it....after taking the photograph...(oh, the things we cling to!!!!)

Another bit "unearthed"............a photo from a day in Paris in May of 1971.

Miss Lila in front of the Eiffel Tower!



This photo reminds me of the generosity of my parents who made this dream of a trip to Europe come true for me after my graduation from college.

Thank-you Mom and Dad! I had a great time and still have wonderful memories!

Now it's time to carry up some more!!!