Disney... September or November?

I love Disney, but Disney can be EVIL!

All our plans are made.  We are going to Disney to see all the Christmas lights.  It will be tight in the budget department, but we are goingWe get two full days in each park.  I've made plans for the clothes, the dinners, the shows.  I am stoked!

Then, what happens?  Disney sends me a pin code.  For Free Dining!  Dates of Aug 15 to Oct 2!  By going at this time I could save 1300...So now the question becomes do we save the money and deal with the heat? Or do we spend the extra money and get to see the Christmas lights?

See, Disney is EVIL!!!

Well, whatever our decision is we have to make it by tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Nini

Happy Birthday Tasha!

I made Tasha a cute Bible cover for her birthday.   Well, actually I made 4 Bible covers for Tasha’s Birthday.  See, the first one was made using the online measurements.  The Bible was still out getting her name put on it.  I made it, using those measurements, but not able to ‘fit’ it, was basically flying blind.

Amanda brought it over on Friday evening, and the cover was so much too big, that it wouldn’t even hold it in.  Amanda left the Bible with me and I went off on to take 2. 

I was going to use the fabric from Alyssa’s baby stuff, and add a bit of stiffening to it.  The finished product had been cute, but seemed way too flimsy to me, and I didn’t like having the ‘wrong’ side of the fabric showing if the Bible wasn’t in the cover.  I added two more sheets of rigid interfacing and took off a half inch on each measurement.  Take 2 was too small.

By now I had decided it was time to forget it until the morning.  I thought about it all night.  Take 3 was going to have batting instead of the rigid interfacing on two sides, but keeping the rigid interfacing on the third side. (or flap) I would have to add the half inch back in, to take up some of the slack that the batting would now have.

Bright and early Saturday morning (7am) I went down to the studio with a cup of coffee in hand to work out the details.  Take three fit…but the pockets were in the wrong place. By now, I was just about out of the print fabric, so I had to make the pint run cross wise instead of length wise.

On Take 4, I managed to get the pockets in the right place, the batting worked perfect, and the fit was perfect!  Voila!

However, the next time I make it I will make the back flap a little wider so I can make a more finished seam.  (I REALLY don’t like having those unfinished seams shining in my face!)

Sewing, Sewing, Sewing!

I have started my Disney sewing in earnest!

I have almost completed the Minnie Mouse dress, only to find out the pattern runs a bit small.  I haven't put the bodice and skirts together yet,  Now I have to figure out how to increase the size 10 to a size 12.  I am going to try the size three on the Princess again (she wears a size 2!) because there is so much of a difference between a 3 and a 4.  Oh well, an excuse to go back to Joann's!

I have started 2 patchwork twirl skirts.  Miss B's only needs the elastic (which I am getting today) and I have cut out the Princess' and started putting hers together.  I did not like the way it was working, but I continued on.  I had Miss B try hers on and it looks so cute on!  It really does twirl!  It is begging for a pettiskirt underneath, so I guess this will be a future project or purchase.

I started talking to Rex about the embroidery machine.  Of course, I started with the fact that I could make him some shirts for his stump business...he kind of liked that idea...so, it looks like I might be able to get one in February.  I am not going to count my chickies before they hatch, but I am really getting excited about the thought of that little machine coming to live with me.

I've also done a bit of other sewing, but I will have to wait until tomorrow to tell you about that...just in case someone reads this that shouldn't know until tonight!

Nini

Sewing again

Yup, finally sewing again!

I am working on a pattern that is perfect for Minnie Mouse!  It is almost like that is what she had in mind when she made the pattern.  It is called The Precious Dress by Carla C.  It is being a little time consuming, something I wasn't expecting, but is so totally cute!

Of course the reason it is being time consuming is I am only able to give it a few short spurts of sewing time.  If I could just get in there and sew, I could have had it finished by now...but I did have a couple of secret projects I had to finish up first...

I only have the buttons and button holes to go on the bodice, then cut out, gather and attach the skirts.  I am going to wait until later to make the aprons (I am wanting to put some embroidery on them, but shh that is a secret as well!)


I should be able to get them both finished by this afternoon.  Then I can start working on the new Feliz pattern I got in the other day.  I think it will look really cute in some Christmas fabric.

Oh the fun I am going to have!

Nini

Odd Ramblings

It is official!  I paid my deposit on the Disney vacation today!  We are going in November/December.

I think I have worked out the budget so that I can get the embroidery machine on Feb 1.  Of course it depends on how the budget does this month, and if they still have it in stock next month, and if HSN is still allowing 5 payments next month!

I got a new pattern today.  I got the Feliz.  It has a lot of 'butt ruffles' and I can hardly wait to work on it.

Today would have been Papa's birthday.  I feel like I am a terrible person since I can't remember how many this would have been...I'm thinking 80, but I am not sure.

I am getting closer to having my studio set up downstairs.  Hopefully we can get the carpets cleaned in the 'playroom' tonight so I can get the rest set up.

Today is Kristy and Brian's anniversary.  Two of the most courageous people I know!

Well, that's it for the ramblings today!  See you tomorrow.

Nini

Happy Birthday Memaw

Happy Birthday Memaw.  I hope you and Helen are having a nice party together!  (that was Mr D's response when I told him it was Memaw's birthday today)

If I had any pictures of you on this computer I would post one here...but all my pictures of you are on Snapfish...and they don't like me to post them on my blog...which is why I don't post new pictures there!

I have been working on your apartment to get it ready for its next purpose...my quilting studio!  Your treadle machine will be one of the prominent fixtures there, even if it will never be used!  I am going to use the cabinet to put my serger on.  So every time I serge, I'll think of you! (as if I needed a reason to think of you!)

I think it is really cute that the Princess has started calling me Memaw.  We still aren't sure where she picked that up.  And she calls Rex Green Pa!  She is so funny!  So, it looks like there will be a Memaw into this next generation as well!

Nini

Report on Joann's stash

I am pretty happy about the haul from Joann's yesterday, and the fact that I was able to get the casters to put on my quilt machine for the downstairs studio.  (Hubby thought I was crazy on that one!)

So, fabric and dress ideas so far for Disney are:
Cute green "argyle" type print with Winnie the Pooh in Santa hats - will use this for the Crystal Palace dress.  Not 100% sure what pattern the dress will be yet, but I am leaning towards a Vida.
Blue Lightning McQueen and Mater 'stripe' on a Peppermint 'road'.  This will be for one of our DHS days.  I have no idea what I will do with it.  I would love to make Mr D a bowling shirt...but I only have 2 yards of the fabric and would still have a problem of what the girls would wear.  Still thinking on this one.
Four assorted black and white prints for a black/white strip work dress for DHS.  My original plans call for some appliqué or embroidery of black and white Mickeys, but that might not get done (especially if I don't get an embroidery machine!)
For Chef Mickey's I have the Minnie Dot for a precious dress for the girls.  I am thinking of making a chef hat for Mr D. I have also seen a cute t shirt with a Chef Mickey embroidery done on it...and the lady that does it is right here in Winder...so that may be a route for me to go.
And I managed to get 15 yards of Warm and Natural all cotton batting.  Of course 4 yards of it is for Tasha to make her grandmother a quilt, but I am really excited to have a bit of a stash of batting4.  That extra coupon was so worth it!

When all was said and done, I saved $155.61 and only spent $125.64...not too shabby!

Now, to get the studio moved so I can get sewing...can hardly wait!

Nini

Here it is...my second post of the new year ... I'm on a roll!

OK..this is a purely selfish post to help me keep on track with my Disney dress planning.  I have to make about 40 dresses/outfits in 10 months.  That number is not including the t shirts I will make for the rest of us.  I guess I really need to get started!

I'm going to Joann's in a bit to take advantage of the half off sale on batting and the 20% off coupon that both expire tomorrow!  While there, I will look at the Christmas fabrics they have on clearance and see what I can snag.  I know they have several cute character prints at Wally World, so I will try and pick up a few of them as well...then it is off to ebay to try and find some things to compliment what I was able to snag today.

But...since we are moving the studio downstairs next weekend, I won't be able to do any sewing until then...bummer!

I can hardly wait to get the studio moved downstairs.  I will have double the room I currently have and a full height ceiling the whole room.  This will give me some wall space to work with!

It is going to be a much bigger project than I originally thought it would.  I am moving the curretnt guest room from the basement apartment to the bonus room over the garage.  The current guest room will become the kids playroom, and the current living room/kitchen will become my studio!

We haven't had anyone actually staying in the apartment since my middle son finally moved out last year.  Before that my daughter lived there after my mother died.  It was originally built for my mother ... she chose all the finishes.  I now regret giving in to her about the kitchen cabinets! What we currently have is the absolute cheapest things Home Depot sold.  Very plain white laminate!  Servicable but boring.

On my agenda today is to go to Joann's to do a bit of shopping, stop by Game Stop to use the gift certificate (since Mr D finally found his Game Boy!) and then mopping the tile floors downstairs and cleaning the down stairs kitchen.  If I have any time left, I'll start boxing up more fabrics, books, computer equipment...oh yeah...I have to make a grocery list and do some shopping...I can't even have a second pot of coffee!


N

Happy New Year

Hope everyone had a safe and happy New Year's Eve! Here at the Morris household we had our customary chips, dips, sodas and staying up until at least 12:01! This year Daddy is going back on days Jan 1, so he had to be up for work at 5am.

So, now I'm forced to think about the new year and my resolutions...if I must, I must! Since our Disney trip will be Nov/Dec this year, a lot of my year will revolve around getting things ready for the trip. Let's see 10 days, two girls, at least two dresses per girl...not to mention shirts for the rest of us to 'match'...yup...I'll be busy!

But first on the agenda is moving my sewing/quilting studio from the over the garage bonus room down to the basement apartment. Much larger, bright, open, and lots of room for my 12 foot quilting machine and sewing machines to share!

The actual move will take place next Saturday. For the next week I have to get everything packed up and ready to move (a total of 3 rooms are being repurposed!)

I plan on loosing at least 30 more pounds before Disney (while hubby is shooting for 50); and our youngest son is going to have ot go on a more restrictive diet as he has gained over 30 pounds this year (he is 8)...of course most of that is medicine induced weight, but he still needs to get fit!

I will spend more time with my family and cherish each day that passes...both the good and the bad...since we know first hand how fragile and short life can be.

And I will spend more time in prayer for my extended family! One of my husband's favorite cousins has breast cancer and even a year after the double mastectomy and all that chemo...she still has a long way to go.  I realized this morning, other than the casuual prayer, I haven't even thought much about her!  Seeing that video of her at Christmas really brought it all home to me!

And last, I will spend more time on myself. A few medical problems these past few monhts has made me realize that if I don't take better care of myself, I won't be able to take care of my family...


Sorry this is so long (of course, when have I ever been brief!!) but I think a new year and new decade deserve a bit of attention!


So...what are your plans for the new year?

N