A lifetime of sewing, revealed

Back in January I wrote about my mother-in-law's battle with Alzheimer's, and inheriting some of her sewing books. Sadly, she passed away in mid-March after falling and breaking her femur about three weeks earlier. She never really recovered after the surgery. Evelyn Rose McCool was 87.
There's been a flurry of activity since, of course - the funeral, where she was laid to rest next to her husband, Don, who died nearly four years ago. Though a sad time, I found peace in the knowledge that she no longer had to suffer. And with the extraordinarily high temperatures for March, the flowers and trees were in bloom, and the burial took place under a bright blue sky. We said that she planned it that way.
And then there's the clearing-out of her home, a sad and difficult process for my oldest sister-in-law, who lives closest to her and has been doing much of the cleaning. We've gone through bags and boxes of items given to us to sort, keep, donate or discard. I've been sorting a large part of her sewing "room" that we brought back here...and some of the items have made me smile. Her beloved Bernina, purchased in 1995, is a fantastic machine. I love this book that came with it. Don't we all need a puffy shirt like this?



I also found a $100 bill in her pattern stash! I called Mr. Birdsong at work to tell him about it, and said I left it on the dining room table so he could see. He was excited about it until he saw it:



And I did find a project I want to finish. She spent so much time creating all of the "parts" for a Raggedy Ann/Andy quilt, which I think was intended for my oldest daughter, based on the date of the pattern. She finished all the heads, feet, hats, dresses, overdresses, pants, legs, etc., before quitting and leaving this as a UFO. I can't find the backing fabric other than the two blocks she pinned together here, so I'll have to buy new. But this definitely calls for completion, don't you think?




This makes me think about my own sewing/ribbon room...will anyone appreciate my vast array of ribbon and fabric? What retro items or books will make my kids smile? And, of course, should I leave a REAL $100 bill in my pattern stash?

Addicted to Blueberries

Since I'm a work-from-home Mom, it seems like I wouldn't be as tethered to a device as I am my Blackberry. It's not like I've got the company vice president messaging me to get out that important report anymore, or I expect some big emergencies with my kids that require my attention. After all, I'm usually home, near the phone, ready to roll out the door at a moment's notice. And as a hair bow designer and pattern/instruction/tutorial writer, I can't say that I expect big business emergencies that can't wait 10 minutes until I can get to my computer.


But, my design and sewing "studio" is in the finished portion of my basement. I use "studio" loosely, because it shares space with 1. a child-sized kitchen; 2. a bookshelf full of toys and books that have been semi-forgotten; 3. a treadmill; 4. an exercise bike, and 5. a TV from early 1994 that died in December and we haven't replaced yet, though would like to.
My laptop is usually in the dining room, because I don't have a table to set it on in my studio. Hoping to change that soon, but that's life in a work-from-home household with kids. So I used to run up and down the stairs to check my computer, to find out if I had sales that needed attention. It took away from my work, and became a major pain. So I got the Blackberry to be alerted with a little "ring" every time I get an e-mail. No more using the stairs for exercise (that's what the treadmill and bike are for, after all)!
But it's become my constant companion. My youngest daughter calls it my "Blueberry," and I've not corrected her because that sounds so dang cute! If I leave the room and it rings, she yells, "Mom, there's something on your Blueberry!" I feel lost if I've placed it somewhere and can't find it. And yes, it even has its place on the nightstand, I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit.
Today I had to have an MRI to find out what's causing my leg pain/numbness that started two weeks ago. As I prepared to leave for the test, it dawned on me that I would be without my trusty friend for more than 30 minutes! Tucked away in the locker at the medical center, the Blueberry would certainly be missed!
I ultimately didn't think about it during the test (which was loud and didn't give me the opportunity to think about much), but I did pull it out of my purse immediately upon opening the locker.
Sigh. I've never thought of myself as a gadget gal, but I guess I've succumbed. The Blueberry is here to stay. At least until my agreement expires, and I can get an Apple. I'm sure the latest iPhone can become a trusty friend someday, too.

We almost live in an igloo

There's something about January that's refreshing, and other parts that I find just darn annoying. I love the thought of a "New Year," and I usually take the time to make tweaks in my business plan and life. But then....there's the snow and cold. On Jan. 8, we had the largest snowfall in this area since 1909. More than 25 inches of snow fell in less than 24 hours. I got little done except snow removal, and then ended the week with a full-on, faucet-like head cold and window views of a majorly ice-dammed roof. Bummer!
But what WAS fun is watching the kids play in the snow! The day after the big storm, the girls were itching to go outside. Anna built her version of an igloo, and played in it for two days before accidentally collapsing the roof. Natalia was happy creating snowballs and throwing them at Mom and Dad.




School is out today for the holiday, and we plan to head to the local history museum and learn a little about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Though I wasn't around to remember that time in history, I can appreciate what he did for this country, and want to pass that along to the girls.
To "celebrate," I've got a 10% off sale in my Etsy shop today until midnight. All hair bow instructions, felt flower instructions, tutu instructions and hair bows are on sale.
As an added bonus, I've got something special for those of you who "follow" this blog. On Jan. 23 I'll do a drawing for a free tutu tutorial for anyone who's listed as a follower! So go to the right-hand column, click "follow," and I'll announce a winner next Monday, Jan. 24. Good luck!

Keepin' creative indoors

With the amount of snow and cold weather we've had in northern Indiana this month, it's not hard to believe that our preferred activities are of the indoor variety -- crafting, coloring, and (I'm planning it now!) baking. I wish I were lover of outdoor winter sports, but frankly I'm just not! It's a struggle to get my butt outside to run when it's below 40 degrees.
So as I worked on boutique bow orders this morning, I set my youngest daughter up with a few sheets of paper and asked her to create some cards for her preschool teacher and the classroom aids. It's never to early to be creative, is it? Although she's got a persistent cough this week, her spirits are high and she had a lot of fun finishing her creations.


As she colored she noticed some deer running behind our house, and I snapped a photo of one....it's like a hidden picture! (shot through a screen, hence the imperfections). Can you see it? Seeing deer isn't rare, but it's still always fun.


As the new year approaches, I'm thinking about all of the new plans I have on my agenda in 2011! Look for a new and improved blog as well as projects and ideas that will keep your creative juices flowing next year!