It Was Going To Be A Bib

This was supposed to be a bib.  And it was supposed to say My First Halloween.  Everything was going along fine until the thread broke.  I rethreaded and started again and the thread broke again.  So I rethreaded again and the thread broke again.  I rethreaded one more time, hit the start button and watched the thread break yet again.  Only this time I saw that the hoop wasn't moving so I looked under it and saw the jam.  Not a pretty sight and not something that is easily fixed. 

I'm feeling pretty frustrated because I haven't made anything in 3 weeks.  The sachets I made yesterday didn't turn out either.  One of them started shredding at the seam when I turned it right side out and the other one was too small to even turn.  I was making them out of a vintage hankie and there isn't much of it left!  It was really pretty too.

Oh well!  Tomorrow is another day.  And I will make something I'm proud of!!

Summer Is Hanging On

Fall seems to be everyone's favorite season if you go by blog posts and overheard conversations.  I like fall but it isn't my favorite.  To me, fall is just the prelude to winter and I don't like winter.  If I had to rank the seasons in the order that I like them it would be:  spring, summer, fall, winter.

There are many things about fall that I like.  I can agree with everyone that the turning leaves are absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. The reds and crimsons, golds and yellows, oranges and browns are warm and inviting.  Throw in the smells and tastes of pumpkin bread, apple pie, hot spiced cider, candy corn and burning leaves and I can't help but like fall!  But honestly, I dread the cold and deadness of winter!

As I worked in the yard today, I saw signs of summer hanging on.  In the spring I planted azalea bushes that bloom three times a year if given enough light and water.  There are still flowers on those bushes!

I still have black-eyed susans

and petunias

and liriope.

I'm hanging on to summer for as long as I can!

Shylee's Fault...Again

Sew.  This has been at the top of my to do list since coming home from vacation last weekend.  I didn't know until we got back that I would be babysitting Shylee for 3 days.  When Erin asked me, I wasn't about to turn down the first chance to have this sweet little girl stay with grandma and grandpa overnight!  Sewing can wait!

Poor Annie

Doesn't she just look pitiful?  She has to wear this thing so she won't lick her bum!  This sounds gross...she has 2 impacted anal glands and after two weeks of antibiotics it wasn't healed.  The vet thinks it's because she keeps licking.  If it still doesn't heal, she'll need surgery.

I've never heard of this, but the vet said it's very common in dogs.  There's no way to treat it that works every time.  It also seems to happen most in the fall and spring so it might possibly be allergy related.  They just don't know.  Allergy treatments don't work though. 

I feel so bad for her.  She can't play fetch, chew on a bone or curl up to sleep.  We started taking it off when she goes out because she wouldn't (or couldn't) potty.  She goes back to the vet on Saturday and I sure hope it's better.  Surgery won't be fun for any of us!

Latest Vintage Finds

While we were unpacking at the hotel in Virginia Beach, Michael realized he forgot his sandals. Shopping on the beach proved to be futile, so we planned a trip to a shopping center we found in a brochure for the next day.
On our way there, we passed an antique mall. Although we didn't stop there that day, we did go back the next day!

I found these beautiful vintage hankies and a jar of fabulous vintage buttons.

I really love the hankie with the woman in the purple ball gown.  Each of the other 3 corners have a ballerina in different poses.  It's perfect for lavender sachets.

I also really love these buttons!  I've bought other vintage buttons, but this jar has the biggest variety of colors, textures and sizes.  Buttons are my favorite embellishment and I can't wait to use these.

I'm having a hard time coming out of vacation mode!  Michael went back to work today and I had all kinds of plans to get things done.  I ended up reading most of the day.  I don't feel guilty either!  Laundry must be done tomorrow and groceries need to be bought because Erin is coming to drop off Shylee for 3 days!  The little munchkin needs to eat and I need to get back on track with Weight Watchers.  So....back to reality tomorrow.

Sunrise On The Beach

We're home from Virginia Beach and nothing feels better than my own bed! We had a wonderful time but all good things must come to an end! Even though I'm glad to be home, I'm so not ready to get back to the usual routine! I did miss sewing though, so I'm looking forward to getting back to that.

It's a short post today, but I'll leave you with some pictures of the gorgeous sunrise over the ocean.

I Can't Believe I'm Excited About an Iron!!

...but I truly am!! I use an iron all the time as I'm sewing and even to iron our clothes most days. I had been thinking for a while that the old iron just wasn't getting the job done on the cotton fabric I like to sew with. It wasn't getting out the creases from being folded for so long, and it really bothered me.

One day, when I was reading through my favorite blogs, I came across not one, but two different posts about this fabulous, must have iron. I knew the brand was reputable but I didn't really know anything about the irons themselves.

I decided to go to JoAnn's and check them out for myself. One of the bloggers mentioned how pricey this particular one was and boy was she right! I didn't think I was willing to pay that much but maybe if it went on sale I would consider it. It finally went on sale last week AND there was an extra 10% off coupon! Ya gotta love JoAnn's!

The iron sits on a tank of water that delivers pressurized steam. The whole thing is big and bulky and mine sits on a small table beside the ironing board, but the iron itself is lightweight and very easy to use. The water tank holds 33 ounces of water and lasts a loooong time! It doesn't shut off automatically, so I don't have to wait for it to get hot between uses during a project. I absolutely love it and have no regrets about getting it. I'm much happier with the look of my finished projects.

Speaking of finished projects, here's the newest sign I put in the shop today.


I won't do anymore sewing for a week since we're going on vacation tomorrow. I hope I can survive that long without a sewing machine! (And my new iron!)

I Set Up Shop Today

I've been sewing up a storm lately and today I got everything put in my space at Sassafras Hill. It seemed like I had a lot of items until I put them in the bag to carry to the store. When I took everything out of the bag to put on the wall, it REALLY looked like I didn't have much! That wall is bigger than it looks!

These are some of the things I've been working on. The embroidered signs have been so much fun to do. I'm still playing around with the best way to make them.




I so enjoy making the lavender sachets. They smell soooo good!



I came up with the bib design to match the burp cloths and I have to admit I'm pretty proud of myself for designing and drafting the pattern. I did the same for the burp cloths but with all straight lines it's pretty easy. The curves on the bib made it a challenge for me.



I need to get busy making more of the same plus some aprons. Maybe I can get a couple more things made before we go on vacation!

Life Happens

I've been away for a while but I'm back now. When I started this blog I also started on Facebook and Twitter. Not long after is when I opened my Etsy shop. I knew the possible dangers of becoming so visible on the internet but wasn't prepared for people I KNOW stepping into my life uninvited.

Someone found me on Facebook and I was totally shocked and stunned. As a result, I cancelled all my accounts, trying to become invisible. Now that I've had time to process what happened and think it through, I'm ready to start blogging again. I have missed it and that was a surprise in itself. As for Etsy, I'm waiting for my business to be registered with the state and the different licenses I need to be "legal" before opening again. In the meantime, I have rented a space at the shop I used to work in and I'll be putting my things in there this weekend.

What's that saying...while we're busy making plans, life happens. And it's usually something that stops us in our tracks and causes us to re-evaluate our lives. This was the case for me and I realized that I'm okay. What a blessing to know that!