Organized!

I had a busy day off yesterday. My crafting/sewing area was just out of control. It needed help. I went to a couple of estate sales in search of some kind of storage. I found a very tall narrow shelving unit for $3!! What a steal. Lugged that heavy thing home and into the house. That got me started. Before the calm, there was the storm.

Aaaaaak!!! Where do I put everything! You don't realize how much you have until you go to organize it and clean it up. But then again, this is years and years of buying stuff, it didn't just appear over night. Finally, I was done. All neat and tidy.

I did reward myself for a job well done with more calico and a little piece of homespun. Just little pieces. I can't stop buying calico. It's an addiction, but a good one.

That will be used for future ornies. I'm hoping to get started on them today.

Since my sewing area was so nice and neat I decided to try it out and see what it was like. I loved it! I made this little bunny out of patriotic calico. So cute! Not sure if I like the eyes. They are French knots. I may have to switch them out for little buttons.

I also knit up a red, white and blue cupcake. I love making these little cupcakes. Pretty soon I'll have a whole plate full of them.

I've also been working on a dishcloth for my nephew. He loved "scary guys" when he was a little boy. My sister forwarded me this pattern and I just HAD to knit it up for him. He's all grown up now and away at college. He should get a kick out of it.

And that's how I spent my day off. It's going to be another humid day in the neighborhood today. I think I will make the best of it and just stay indoors and work on my crafts. Sounds like a plan to me!

What are your plans for the weekend?

The last Friday in June

Wow, time is flying! It's the last Friday in June. Next Friday is the 4th of July. Where has the time gone? Here time is flying away while I work on projects. I finally got the laptop bag done. I like how it turned out, except for the zipper. That was really hard to get in. I goofed up and just left the goof ups in. It was just too frustrating to rip and rip. I'm the only one who will know it's there.

And here is the inside. Lots of room for the laptop and the cord, and even other supplies if I need them. There is a pocket in there too, but the laptop is on top of it.

That's enough bags for a while. It's time to work on little things. Still waiting for my ornies pattern to come. While I wait I bought some more calico. I want to be ready!

My sewing and craft area is out of control at the moment! I found some estate sales in the area today. I think I'll check them out. See if I can find some kind of storage item for some of this stuff. An old dresser, chest, shelving unit. You never know what you'll find. Lots of fun!

Five Years Old!

Five years ago today I became a grandmother! What a moment! My own child now had a child. I can't even put into words what a feeling that was.

Well today is that little baby's birthday. He's five years old. In the fall those little legs will step onto the school bus. Where did the years go? How can he already be that old? Before you know it, he'll be all grown up. Gotta enjoy every moment when they are little. And I do get to enjoy him. It's wonderful to be a gramma, you get to have fun with them without any of the responsibility.

Notice any family resemblence?

Happy Birthday Little Boy!

Let's run some tests

My poor kitty has a skin condition. Some fur has fallen out and there's bare skin. The skin is all scaley, like dandruff. So I took her to a new to me vet. In her cat carrier. She doesn't like going in that thing, but she was cooperative this time.

The vet couldn't figure it out. I know it's some kind of allergy, she's had it before, just give her a steroid shot and she'll be fine. No the vet says, we need to run tests to figure it out. In comes the estimate. $390 in tests! Hello, I don't have that kind of money. This is a cat. I agreed to a blood test and the steroid shot and some antibiotics and some kind of vitamin for her old arthritic hips. That made the total $190. Good-bye almost paid off credit card balance. So we waited for test results before the shot.

When you're bored at the vet, just take pics with your cell phone, lol!

Whatever happened to the old days where you took your pet to the vet and the pet got a shot or a different food? All this technology stuff has gone overboard at times. Health/dental/vet costs are out of control. Take for instance going to the dentist. I needed to find a new dentist last year. Found one and went. Oh, they wanted to do this and that and scrape under the gums and replace fillings and drill and file teeth and whiten them and how about taking each tooth out and cleaning it and putting it back in, ok, they didn't say that part. But whatever happened to the dentist down the street? You went in, they cleaned your teeth; you got a cavity, they filled it. Now it seems like it's an all day procedure to get x-rays, and fancy panoramic x-rays, cleaning, plan of treatment, etc. And not cheap if you don't have dental insurance. My teeth are probably going to have to fall out of my head.

I think I need to go sew. At least I can do that and afford it. The laptop bag/carrier has made some progress. Hopefully it will soon be done.

I need to go on line and look at puffins or something pretty.

Gaze into my . . .

. . . new gazing ball! It's so shiny! My other one got damaged and I finally got around to replacing it. You can see me reflected in it taking the picture, lol!

I finally got the laptop bag cut out. And what a dummy I was. I cut out the wrong one. But it's good. This one will work as a laptop bag too. I've never cut out the wrong pattern in almost 35 years of sewing. There's a first for everything.

I made a quick trip to Joann's yesterday. I just can't stay out of there lately. Got some fabric for my ornies. I'm waiting (im)patiently for the pattern to arrive in the mail. Can't wait to get started on them!

Well, I'm off to take one of the cats to the vet. She's got some kind of skin thing going on. I hope it's easily treatable. And we just got ANOTHER severe thunderstorm warning. That just seems to be the trend lately, one after the other. Or does the media just hype up every storm?

Estate Sailing

I went to a couple of estate sales with my sister yesterday. What a fun time! I love going to those. There was some nice stuff and some junk. I ended up buying this old sewing basket. It's very unique. I have no idea how old it is or who made it, there are no markings on it at all. I am so in love with it.

It's even portable! I can carry it around the house by its handle, or take it out on the patio with me. It was only $5, well worth the investment. Here is how it looks on the inside.

I ordered a snowman ornie pattern yesterday on line. I think this basket may be used exclusively for orpies. The stuff will all be in one spot. Then I can close it up and put it away neatly at the end of the crafting session.

I've been wanting to make a rag quilt but haven't gotten around to buying a pattern yet. For some reason I looked through all those patterns that my Aunt gave me recently and lo and behold there was a rag quilt pattern in there! So exciting! My sister and I are each going to make one in the fall, that gives us all summer to buy fabrics and supplies. It would be quite expensive to buy the calico or fabric all at once.

I finished the monthly knit-along dishcloth and the red white and blue stripes dishcloth I was making. So pretty and colorful. I just love these dishcloths. Today I'm hoping to start on the one with the skull on it for my nephew.

I also finished the square I was knitting for the Boy Scout blanket. When it's sewed into a blanket, I hope it gives comfort to a family member.

That's about it for now. I have so much to keep me busy and entertained for hours. Very relaxing stuff.

ornie

Summer begins later today

I finally got back to the sewing machine and finished my daughter's purse last night. I'm really pleased with how it turned out and she loves it! I made a few mistakes along the way and I did learn from them. Next time I'll know what not to do. Here is the finished project:

And a peek at the inside:

I just love the fabric. The lining is a really cute calico and the outside is a broadcloth. Now onto the next sewing project! Hopefully I can get to the laptop case over the weekend.

I was sitting outside knitting in the back yard last night and noticed some dark clouds to the north. Someone was getting rain, but not where I was, it was sunny. I looked back up and saw a rainbow! Then I noticed it was a double rainbow! It's had to see the second one in the picture (it's on the left, very faint), but it was there and really awesome to see.