Stars and Stripes preview

 

I am so glad that K. doesn't mind wearing hats! I've had so much fun making them. This little dress was so easy to make. Many of the patterns call it a "pillowcase" dress. Nancy's Notions website has a video tutorial for the dress. If I wasn't on my way to bed I'd post the link. If anyone is interested and can't seem to find it, email me and I'll point you in the right direction. I'm off to bed. Goodnight.

Judy's new home!

 

I don't have really good pictures of the inside yet since she's only been in two days. Judy and a friend of hers from Albuquerque worked liked crazy women this weekend to get things set up. Of course, it's not all done, but she's home!

30 minute sunhat

While home for a bit today, I decided K. needed another sunhat. Stop laughing. This one actually fits! It's reversible, too. I just couldn't rest until I made one that fits her - now. I simply took a bigger seam allowance. I had to put it together in a flash, hence the 30-minute title, because I didn't want K. to have to sit in the glider too long. I didn't figure she'd want to sit there too long, either.
Bless her heart. We ran to the house because I had some things to do so I thought I'd see how fast I could make the hat. I was bound and determined to make one that fits her from the get-go! She was so good to sit in the glider and watch tv while playing with a golf ball, her shoes and a miniature Betty Boop lunch box filled with Scentsy. She loves to smell Scentsy. Granted, she was probably ready for a nap but she was a very good girl while Granma made her a hat. We're not baby-proofed around here so she needs to stay in view at all times. She only tried to get out of the chair one time.

Father's Day, 2010

Missing my dad like crazy today. But, I'm so glad he's not in pain and is dancing on the clouds with Mom!

Jim and Rob spent the day together on the golf course. Jim left by 6:30 a.m. (yikes!). I slept until 8 then spent the day crocheting and sewing as you can see from the pictures. I made Brittany a crocheted purse. An eleven year old needs lots of purses to carry their "stuff". I made one more little sunhat for K. It's a bit big, but I think once it's washed, it'll be fine. Mama April said she needs one, too, so I threw one together for her once they left to go visit her parents. Nothin' fancy, April, but should keep the sun out of your eyes!

Last, but certainly not least, I made Papaw Jim a cake for Father's day. My cough still lingers but not as bad. Maybe I can sleep tonight. I hope all the fathers out there had a pleasant day and didn't get too tired tending the bar-b-que!

Granddaughter delight!

We were lucky enough to spend some time at the lake this past weekend with Rob, April and K. Here's K. playing in her pool in the trailer's front yard. She was playing with a coaster, I think. Jim and Rob played golf on Saturday. April, K. and I followed the play around the first nine holes. Since it's only a nine hole course, we opted to go back to the cooler trailer while they finished the second nine. After dinner, we chilled and watched a bit of TV until the storm knocked the satellite out more than it was on. Early to bed on Saturday night since we would be up by 5:30 to get out on the boat before the heat set in. We were out until about 11 a.m. then came in. Jim and I decided to come on home since I wasn't feeling my best. Rob's little family stayed the afternoon to do a little more fishing and swimming. Oh, yes, I have bronchitis again. But, we had a good time getting out of Clovis and making memories with K and her parents.
Another memory-making opportunity showed itself this week when Brittany hit town. My oldest granddaughter, she'll be 11 in August, spent the last two nights with us. And, the last two days with K and me. In this picture, B. is modeling a crocheted cell phone carrier I made for her to house her new phone. I'd noticed she kept misplacing it. What 11 year old wouldn't, right? So, she chose the color of the thread, I modified a pattern I found and added the bling "B" and button. She loves it, of course. Bless her heart, she loves everything I ever make for her. She was missing her daddy so he came to pick her up tonight. We'll probably have a few more nights together before she goes home in two weeks.

I hope my meds hurry up and kick in. I've been coughing my head off the last few days. If I continue to have episodes of bronchitis, the doc wants to test to confirm or deny asthma. Especially since the beta blocker for high blood pressure I'm on is not one they prescribe for asthmatics. Since B. is gone tonight, I better plan to turn in early. Busy day at work tomorrow.

A little summer dress

I know, there are tons and tons of little outfits to buy for little girls, why go to the trouble of making a dress? Because I can! lol I had to sew for two little boys and that was not near as much fun as sewing for a little girl. Let me have my fun :-)

Originally, I used a hook and eye closure for the back of the dress but I didn't like the way it looked and K. could feel it on her skin. So, and April, I forgot to tell you, I used two small lengths of some ribbon in April's stash and sewed them to the edge of the back opening. It works much better to just tie a little bow and looks cuter. Thanks, April. I couldn't wait to get home to fix it.

Why I can't quilt right now

Any excuse is better than none, right? This is what my sewing machine looks like these days. I am working on a prayer shawl for a sweet friend/client that broke her kneecap on the third day of a much anticipated extended vacation. She is now in rehab. Actually, this is the fourth try to make her a prayer shawl. I worked on a different pattern one night while watching a graduation online. The next day, in the light of day, lol, I found that the edges were totally and irreparably crooked! So, I "uncrocheted" the whole thing and started another one. This time, I decided I'd knit a simple shawl. Nah. I'm not that experienced in knitting, and although I love the look, just takes me too long. After "unknitting" those few rows, I found a different pattern to crochet.
It's the one you see in this picture. But, after four rows, I realized I was using the wrong size hook. Two sizes too small. I pulled them apart and started over again with the right size hook. Maybe this one will take.

The strange little crocheted item you see in this picture is actually a towel hanger. You drape your kitchen towel through the hole after hanging the whole thing on your stove handle. An alternative to those towel toppers that are so popular.
What would a blog entry be without Miss K? Boring, methinks. Here you see her "exercising". I'm not sure she thinks that's what she's doing but it's just too darn cute to watch her try to sit on her purple ball. I haven't seen her miss it, yet, but I bet she has. Once she's settled, she's just as happy as can be.
The little skirt she's wearing in the picture was a pair of shorts in another life. When Mama April bought them, she thought they'd fit just fine, but Miss K is full of surprises. I took the leg seams apart and made it into a little skirt. Too cute on her.

Remember the online graduation I said I watched while crocheting? Here is a very bad picture of Miss Kailey Vae accepting her diploma. Kailey is Jim's oldest granddaughter who lives in Texas. We couldn't be there for the occasion but were able to watch the whole thing, live, online. The wonders of modern communication!


Soon I will have a post dedicated to my sister's new home. It's going to be beautiful! Her home, not the post. lol Check back soon.