Halloween

Halloween is a holiday that is about NOTHING BUT FUN. My niece Nicole called with a costume-9-1-1 for Memphis. GREAT. Lillian was here that night -- and those two little girls always have a good time. So, in no time at all -- we had Memphis outfitted in a Princess costume. Complete with a wig, a tiara, and a white fur jacket (just in case it's chilly)...

Memphis had to choose between a blonde wig, a tiara, a sequins hat or an organdy head piece...

They LOVE getting dressed up!!

Halloween is an excuse for everybody to be silly and childish...

But Lilly did NOT like Uncle Ross wearing the wigs...

My family is full of creative people who enjoy Halloween.  And I am always impressed with how much work the young Moms put into the costumes.  Last year, Carrie turned her daughter Elizabeth into an incredible peacock. 

My niece, Kelcy, had a vision of Thomas the Train...which her son Mason executed PERFECTLY..

So -- did Mason win the costume contest? Nope...that went to the little boy who wore the Walmart Superman cape.

Hey -- I was wrong. Halloween isn't ALL about fun. There are also some lessons....like nobody said life would be fair...

Madison Art Fair Jacket REDO

Last spring -- on my way home from Sewing Weekend in Beaver Dam -- there was a huge Art show in Madison, Wisconsin...

The minute I walked into the main building -- I spied THIS artistic vendor...

I bought a top and a jacket. But I new I'd have to make some modifications...

I put the two sleeves together to create a new left sleeve -- and made a totally new right sleeve...

Then, I added this godet in the back of the jacket

Yes, my ass is THAT FAT...

For the life of me -- I do not know why these pictures were taken in a thrift store. And I go to SO MANY THRIFT STORES -- I can't actually remember where I was or who took the picture. I believe I was in Iowa City and maybe Anne was snapping these shots?? YIKES...it's all starting to run together...!!

2013 Halloween

The last time I got dressed up for Halloween Ross was in the first grade -- and my friend Lorna and I ran around the gym, dressed like witches. We thought we were the bomb...

Nowadays -- EVERYBODY gets into Halloween. Not just the kids, either. The teachers, the people working at the bank, the grocery store -- there are many adult parties where costumes are required.

And it's fun for me to live vicariously. A couple of years ago, my niece Nicole came to my house and after just a little digging in my basement -- she was a respectable pirate wench (is that an oxymoron?)

As close as I got to my own costume this year was having a special Halloween pedicure...

Yes, spiders on both big toes. I LOVE IT...

This little girl is all over Pinterest.  Can you see who or what she is???  That's right -- she is the DICTION-FAIRY....(you might have to think about it for a bit...)

This picture is so good, it could be made into a modern day poster.  Clubber Linda's granddaughter, Abby!!  I LOVE THAT she dressed up to replicate the Rosie the Riveter!!

Nicole called one night to see if I could help Memphis come up with something at the last minute...and -- WITHOUT EVEN BREAKING A SWEAT -- we soon had an entire Princess ensemble -- complete with a tiara and a fake fur stole...
The next day, Amy called to see if I had any ideas for Dolly Parton. I went to my basement to look for a square dancing skirt I thought I had. I never found the skirt -- but I DID FIND A PAIR OF BLACK PANTS heavily embroidered down both sides...it was sooooo Dolly circa 1976!! All she needs is the blonde wig and two large pillows. (but, of course -- it'll be the pants that make the outfit.)

Whitney the Troublemaker

The regular members of my weekly book club are me, Sandy, Linda P. and Linda K. These Tuesday morning get-togethers are important to us. REALLY important. Many years ago -- we started out as a regular book club -- meeting once a month to discuss a book. But we decided once a week was a MUCH BETTER IDEA...and that's what we do now. RELIGIOUSLY...

Linda K., our guest Mary Mulari, Linda P. Sandy and me...

This is the view from "our table". Fancy, eh? Hey -- it's a grocery store, people!! Our Tuesday mornings are NOT about the food. The best thing abut this place is that nobody cares if we sit there drinking coffee for hours (and we are often there for 3 or 4 hours)....

The place is clean as a whistle (even the bathrooms) -- and even a fat girl like me an fit into the booths here!!

We often have guests -- here Aunt Ada is sharing a piece of birthday cake with us! (most restaurants would frown on bringing in your own food!)

Our most recent visitor was Linda P's daughter Whitney. Linda P. has twin daughters. The other three members of our little club are all MOTHERS TO BOYS.

This is a regular topic with us. -- "A son is a son till he takes a wife but a daughter is a daughter for the rest of her life"... John adored his mother -- but when he was in the Navy, she had to call the Red Cross to get him to write a letter home. A mother to boys has a WAY DIFFERENT end result than a mother to girls.

This is a GREAT picture of Linda P. and ONE of her thoughtful daughters -- the beautiful, bright Whitney...

The other day -- there were just three of us at breakfast. Linda P, Sandy and me. Linda was talking about her twin girls, Whitney and Kim.  How both daughters helped after Lin's recent knee surgery, they are both great party planners, their vacations are legend, they call frequently, they send cards, text, Skye, yada yada yada...Sandy (mother of two boys, just like me) and I are polite people and  we listened with barely a roll of our eyes.  But after awhile, (C'MON -- the cards are homemade??!!) we both counted to three and simultaneously stuck our fingers down our throats.  Which caused the three of us to collapse into one of those obnoxious laughing spasms....

That night, about 8:30, I had a dizzy spell while sitting in a chair in my living room. I'm pretty sure I had too many cups of black coffee that day -- but it was weird. It only lasted for a second, but I mentioned it to Ross -- who barely looked up (he was watching the hockey game at the time).

Much later on I started telling Ross about the big laugh we had at breakfast -- me and Sandy listening to Linda P. talking about her two considerate daughters...how they call all the time (without being reminded), how they remember birthdays, AND EVEN ANNIVERSARIES.  Whitney had her parents block a date -- and her surprise anniversary gift is that she purchased tickets to a wonderful concert...THAT REQUIRES FORETHOUGHT AND PLANNING...(unlike a card from the local gas station.)

Ross was looking at me like I landed from Mars...(I didn't even get to the funny part)....I suddenly realized what a mistake I'd made. HE WAS SO INSULTED...crap...

I trailed off...not wanting to hurt his feelings any more than I already had....

Ross said, "Really, Mom? Her daughters come to visit her??  Amazing...They call her??   BIG WHOOP de do. I LIVE HERE for crying out loud. I am here all the time."

I was worried that I'd really made him feel bad...then he said....

"I get no credit.  I was there for you when you had your dizzy spell, Mom..."

Oh My God I thought I'd die laughing.

Quilt Market FRIENDS

Quilt Market really is all about FRIENDSHIP. Every single day, on the show floor or in the classrooms -- you bump into people you know and enjoy talking to. And, if you're doing it right -- you will have some wonderful visits...maybe a few delicious meals...

We don't have many outdoor cafe's in Iowa.  Especially not THIS TIME of year!!

There are thousands of booths -- every one stunning...

I get so many good ideas -- quilts, fashion, home dec -- it can be overwhelming..

Here's how it happens --I'm going up the escalator -- and as I glance over -- THERE SHE IS...a friend who ALWAYS puts a smile on my face!!

My friend Deanna was going down the escalator -- we usually conduct our Houston meetings on a specific bench at the George R. Brown convention center, behind the elevators, near the coffee booth...

And -- it's always a pleasure to visit with one of my best friends -- Mary!!

Mary and I will be able to plan our next Ya Ya event. KANSAS CITY -- HERE WE COME. Be sure to save the date. The Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Kansas City, Kansas...November 21, 22, 23

Quilt Market and FRIENDS from all over the world!!

For me to be truly happy -- I need a little work and a little play sprinkled into EVERY single day. (I am half way to a poem here...)

When you read this  -- I will be at the famous Quilt Market in Houston, Texas -- mixing two of my favorite things...a little work and a little play...

I'll be working in the Schmetz Booth with Rhonda Pierce, the director of Marketing. She makes the work fun to do, because she is creative and enthusiastic and actually LOVES TO SEW. We've been working together for years now -- and somewhere along the way -- we became friends and it is always fun to spend time with her.

One of my favorite pictures of Rhonda -- taken at the Morton Arboretum at one of our planning meetings.

At Quilt Market --we'll get up very early every morning to work in the Schmetz booth (where there are some exciting announcements being made this year). The days will be LONG...but the work feels more like visiting with friends. AT AN ART MUSEUM...

Seeing all the inspirational booths at this show is half the fun...

Every company in the sewing world works hard to TOP THEMSELVES at Market...

Rhonda will be presenting a Schoolhouse for Schmetz Needles ...

Nancy Zieman is always one of the favorite teachers...

Have I mentioned yet that there IS ALWAYS awesome food??

Maybe the BEST thing about this crowd.....they know how to have fun WHILE THEY ARE WORKING!!

This picture was taken at Baby Lock Tech -- but I will see MOST OF THESE people at Quilt Market...

And my mission is to get a GOOD PICTURE of Eileen and me....one that isn't blurry and dark. I CAN DO IT...

What is a Reputation worth?

In the weeks before the Twilight boat ride, my sister Deena said, "Everybody is saying YES to the invitation -- because, well because it's Uncle Melvin." So keeping the guest list under control became a huge problem.

My friend Sandy, who has lived in LeClaire all her life, said, "if Melvin Dodds is your uncle, you can hold your head high..." And I always have.

Her comment made me think about the value of a person's reputation. Because she doesn't know my Uncle Melvin personally -- she only knows him by reputation...

Most young people don't understand the importance of a good reputation. Maybe nobody worries about their reputation when they are in their 20's. But the truth is -- the choices and/or mistakes you make as a young adult will haunt you for the rest of your life.

That's the thing about a reputation. Be it good or bad -- it will ALWAYS BE WITH YOU. Just like your I.Q. or your ability to burn carbs. A good reputation isn't something you can win or buy or create for yourself on the internet.

A good reputation can only be built through ACTIONS -- never with words. When he was a young man, Melvin Dodds was reliable, honest and hard working. But there is more to a good reputation than just having a work ethic. He was a man of his word and he never tried to screw people over or take advantage of a situation. He was always there for his friends and he treated people with respect.

And we all wanted to be on that BOAT RIDE...

New Sewing Art Form??

This summer -- BOTH Linda's had surgery. Linda P. had a knee replacement (I took halupkes to her house).  Linda K. had stomach surgery, so cabbage rolls didn't seem like the right get-well gift...

I wanted to make her a lightweight cotton robe with a front opening. So -- down to my stash!! There, I found a wonderful Hawaiian print MuMu. But since she wouldn't be able to pull it over her head -- I needed to make it a front-opening -- and we all know I'm not going to make a bunch of buttonholes.  I went to the closet and got out one of John's seldom worn dress shirts.  All I needed was the perfectly done buttonholes an matching buttons...

I cut away the front placket of the men's shirt...

Then, I sliced open the front of the dress and added the shirt placket...

It was ALMOST perfect...

You can see on the wrong side how I married it into the existing yoke...

Then -- another climb on t-shirt mountain till I found the right color pink t-shirt -- to take the facing all the way to the bottom hem...

NOW it's perfect!!

I don't know why this kind of sewing is more fun for me than ordinary sewing.  You know -- when you buy the fabric, then choose a pattern, cut it out...oh, wait -- it's all coming back to me...

There should be a term for my kind of sewing.  It's a combination of thrift store shopping, hoarding, and then cutting up two or three different things to make a new thing.   I think I have created a new art form -- I'm going to call it "Frankensewing"...

Project Runway Winner

As the season moved on -- it became more and more clear that Dom Streator was head and shoulders better than any of the other contestants. She did a great job with most of the challenges, and her fit was always right on the mark. Besides that -- her garments had a vivid and discernible point of view that lots of women would enjoy wearing.

The week of the "create your own fabric" challenge -- Dom's talent separated her from the pack. For crying out loud -- THIS CHALLENGE MAKES ME CRAZY. If they ever watched Project Runway -- THEY KNOW THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT?? It should be something they come PREPARED TO DO. They should have their dream fabric IN THEIR BRAINS long before the week of the challenge!! But noooooooooooooo......

Except for Dom -- they all seemed completely surprised and befuddled...

My FAVORITE dress of the season -- which came during the design your own fabric challenge...

FINALLY -- a designer who can create her own prints and then KNOWS HOW TO USE THEM...

If these designers were desserts -- Dom was fresh, delicious, handmade cannoli from an expensive Italian bakery...and the other designers are various versions of a generic box cake mix. 

Except for Helen. She was a half eaten stale Twinkie found under a couch cushion...I have NO IDEA how she actually won any challenges. But it was clear that the victories went right to her head -- and she became SO FULL OF HERSELF -- the swelling caused a problem when walking through doors.

But from the moment they voted Kate off the island,  even Helen realized she didn't have an original thought in her head -- and her sewing skills were marginal at best. I must admit -- that was fun to watch...

Although I am always a sucker for a sympathetic back story -- I was never impressed with the deaf guy. I can't remember his name or any of his outfits. And it was hard to feel sorry for a guy who already is an architect. Even though I found the 3-D printed jewelry interesting -- it did feel kind of like the invention of the atomic bomb. Just because you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD.

Keep your day job, bud...

Dom's biggest mistake of the season was the dress she wore herself for the finale at Lincoln Center.  WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, BABE???

She could not have intended this look...

WHAT A GREAT PARTY!!

We have been looking forward to the boat ride/retirement party for months now...THESE ARE MY PEOPLE...

My sister Deena, coming aboard, wanted to say hello to Uncle Melvin...

I guarantee you he is giving me a hard time about something....

My niece Amy, sister Deena, sister-in-law Jeanne, daughter-in-law Emily and Brenda -- married to Deena's son Toby...

Can you see who stepped out so I COULD BE in the picture??

Uncle Melvin and  Kathy.  He is always telling us that he wouldn't be here if it weren't for her. She is a blessing to our entire family...

The boat ride was the very first time Emily left Warren with an actual babysitter...She looks pretty relaxed, eh??

This is the crowd just waiting to board...

Nicole's husband, Bill -- and Elliott

John was saving us a table...which I never got a chance to sit at...

Ronda and Dean enjoying their chicken dinner.  DELISH!!

Another shoe shot -- my boring sandals and Kelcy's kick-ass peacock embroidered BOOTS.

THANKS, Uncle Melvin and Kathy for a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime party. It will definitely go down in the record books. Our kids will always remember it -- and our family will be talking about it for years to come!!

YOU ARE THE BOMB!!!