Nursing Covers

This is Phea's best expression. You can't get a smile out of her otherwise.

 Missy Sophea got an owie the other day - no, not the one on her cheek. It was a slightly invisible owie and prompted her to run to mom & dad where they were building a chicken hostel  to cry and carry on.  Then she ran into a piece of 2x4 wood. That's the owie on her cheek.

 She came to visit and had to see the plane.

 Here, she is out of focus, whirling like a dervish, tickled to find she fits under the wing.

 She found Rusty amusing until he threw the ball at her.
Rusty will fetch that ball until he keels over.
We have to watch him so he doesn't re-injure his left shoulder from running too hard. Dang ball.

 You try weeding, on a momentarily non-rainy moment with a pretty good wind
AND a ball being thrown at you.
This is one of those Artillery Weeds, aka Pop-Its.  Or "@#X**&#   in my eyeball!"

 My niece needed a new Nursing cover for baby Ella. I made her one for Sophea and it has held up quite well to being stuffed in a diaper bag & used as a burping cloth. The boning has given out. I switched out the tired cover and gave her the one I had just sewed with batik fabric from Puyallup. In fact, I sewed two with the turtle batik. One to give, one to sell.
The second one sold so fast, I never had a chance to list on etsy.  Oh well.

We were so busy talktalktalking that this is the only photo I snapped of Baby Ella.

Rite Aid Plant Sale

I was talking to my girlfriend about the shows she is doing this year and she reminded me about this plant sale at the Wilsonville Rite Aid Distribution Center  to benefit the Children's Miracle Network, a.k.a. supporting Doernbecher's Hospital.

From the Wilsonville Chamber of Commerce page:

"Events Calendar

5th Annual Spring Plant Sale Fundraiser

Date: April 22, 2011 - April 23, 2011

Event Description RiteAid Wilsonville Distribution Center Plant Sale benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals that supports Doernbecher’s Children’s Hospital. We are having our 5^thAnnual Spring Plant Sale that is open to the public. We are several outdoor arts & craft vendors to, along with several food booths. We have over 80 local nurseries donate all gardening categories including trees, potted plants, shrubs, annuals, bulbs, perennials, ground cover and garden art. Also featuring Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and family fun activities. The event will be held in our parking lot located at 29555 SW Boones Ferry Road in Wilsonville  on Fri. April 22nd & Sat. April 23rd. 9-5. For more information contact; Ricki Hackworth rhackworth@riteaid.com(503) 685-6069.

Event Location Rite Aid Distribution Center
29555 SW Boones Ferry Road
Wilsonville

Date/Time Information Friday, April 22nd & Saturday, April 23rd
9:00 am - 5:00 pm"

I have several friends who will be vendors this year selling plants and upcycled creations.
Not to mention really good deals on quality plants.
Last year, I even scored two shovels at a buck-fifty each.

Artillery Weed

Stunning amounts of rain fell today. There was a couple of rumbling thunderheads too.
I am so glad we cut down 18 fir trees last year.

Limbs will keep falling from the remaining fir trees but, happily, we will not be buying the neighbor a new roof.
We left the trees down by the runway - if they ever started to fall, they would do so into open space.
And since, they were planted as Christmas trees, they will eventually fall.
Meanwhile, in spite of the torrential rains, look at my flowers persevering.

 

My Favorite Christmas Cheer Rhodies sill going strong.

Some Rock Tulips springing early.
The thin stems are from some dwarf iris's which are already mostly gone.

Some tiny Narcissus - heads down low with the weight of the rain.

ARTILLERY WEED!!!      ALERT!ALERT!ALERT!
Yes, the population explosion of artillery weed is stunning. You need to weed them before the flowers turn to seed. IF YOU WAIT! the seedheads explode into your eyes and everywhere else.
What kills me every year is the fact that these artillery weeds are easy to pull. Yet, I procrastinate and allow them to become OUT-OF-CONTROL and then I hate them with a vengeance as they POP into your eyeballs and other crevices. 

SewExpo review

I am still processing all of the ideas percolating in my tiny pea brain after the show.
Lots of garment classes this year. Five years ago it was all about quilting. And the home dec. market looks to explode as the brand new sewer's branch out.

Cool jacket with RTW stitching details on this pattern from SEWN - Upline Jacket

Sewn used a hand-dyed fabric for this sample of the UpLine.

Indygo Junction's Recycled Sisters Pattern also caught my eye.

This book with the crappy cactus cover had a project for a tall, slender candle in a jar that was very sellable.
Called Stash Happy by Cynthia Shaeffer. A piece of fabric encased the candle with rivets tied with an interesting fiber. The whole 'candle jacket' featuring scraps in a random happy pattern.

Even though I bring my camera, you are so busy looking (read gawking) and talking that the camera doesn't make an appearance.

Airplane fabrics --- which were very tempting. But I made a vow to try and find more solids - not like a kona solid but a solid with a pattern -  a tone-on-tone solid fabric. I was also looking for the proper weight of knit fabrics for tops and yoga pants.

Knits cause problems for me.
*1. They aren't readily available except at  RCT Fabrics in  the Portland area.
*2. Getting the type of knit for the type of garment matched is difficult. If you give me a cotton - quilting weight, bark cloth, cheap Joann's cotton, I know what to sew with it. Knits behave differently and I am still learning how to  select the correct knit for what I am making.
*3. Buying on-line means you cannot 'feel' the knit. the stretch, nor the weight.
*4. Of course, now that I own a serger and a coverstitch machine, it is much easier to sew on knits.

Here's one for my creative friend:

Tiny pincushion necklaces made out of old hollow silverware. Darling.

Finally, a reminder for Pencil Girl who teaches 4-H sewing & photography.
A project for both groups.

Cleaning & Sewing

So much to do and so little time. . .
Today, I had the afternoon off and I was determined to put in some time sewing but there is always that dratted to-do list staring you in the face.
I was gone last weekend attending the Sewexpo in Puyallup so no cleaning of the house has occurred for two weeks. In the olden days (carpets & dogs), it didn't matter if you cleaned because of terminal dog hair. The two dogs were allowed inside the house, one of whom flung his cement-like drool on every wall and surface. What was the point of cleaning?

But now, in the new era of new wood floors and dogs banished to the garage, I adore cleaning. Armed with my swiffer duster and my microfiber floor mop, I can whip thru the house in about 20 minutes flat.
It's downright amazing what NO dogs, NO kids & NO carpets do for a person.
The 'clean' actually lasts.

In between microfibering the floors, I made a pot roast with this new seasoning called Berbere Seasoning from Frontier. It's got chili peppers and tumeric in it. Can't remember the others. Hot.
I also finished two nursing covers on the sewing machine.
I made a nursing cover for my niece when she had her first baby and now that the second baby has arrived, she needs a new one.  I found a rayon batik with turtles on it  up at Puyallup. My niece liked to scubadive (before kids) and turtles are one of her faves.
A criteria for her was that the nursing cover could not look babyish and be able to stuff in the diaper bag.

So - what is a nursing cover? It's basically a yard of fabric that has a piece of boning set into the top seam so the fabric bows out so only you can see baby's head while nursing.

All in all, a productive afternoon off.

***Niece is coming over next week, I will try to get a good photo of the nursing cover. But - don't hold your breath. It's just a yard of fabric that drapes baby and mom discreetly.

Phea's New Chick

Gone today but posting into the future is this nifty blogger tool.

Practice grandchild with her new Spring chick.

 

 

Pendleton Eye Case Project

Pendleton recently linked via their facebook page to this Sew4Homes' blog to showcase a sewing project utilizing pendleton fabric. Sew4Home has a nifty idea to make eyewear cases using a local fabric. Local because  Pendleton fabrics are all over my stash and the fabric is locally produced.
Fast and easy.
Make one and then you can totally tailor it to your own sunglasses/eyeglasses. For instance, my case was wide enough but a wee bit long. I would also incorporate a lining to stabilize the case.
But, still, fast and easy.

Can't wait for SewExpo. The folks at the Pendleton booth are giving away prizes if you show up wearing something made of Pendleton fabric. I am stopping by the booth to see if my eyeglasses wearing this stylish case will get a little something...

Yarn Crawl - Oregon City

A friend sent me this news link for Wynona Studios. They are participating in the Portland area Yarn Crawl this weekend, March 4, 5 & 6th. There are give-a-ways.

For more yarn, knitting & crochet info and other stops, go  to http://www.portlandyarncrawl.com.

Lavender Sachets

These turned out good smellin'
They are filled with dried lavender from Tracy.
They are fairly easy to make. The real question is how much lavender to add?

   Or, maybe a little lavender embroidery on the left side of the skirt... Across the bottom...