Saturday, June 28, 2008

Psst, I'm busting outa here! Are you with me?

There was yet one more jail break in the little swamp town where I grew up.
My mother told me all about it when I called her the other day. Now, the town I grew up in may be tiny but it certainly boasts its fair share of drama and trauma.

I realize that my mother called it a jail break but really it was more like an escape from a halfway house. Apparently some time during the night, Smokey (yes, that's his name) made a successful break for freedom. That in itself wasn't so surprising as this wasn't the first time he'd pulled that stunt, but what was shocking was that Thelma Louise made the break with him.

This halfway house takes in just about anyone who's had some tough breaks and can't quite cope on their own. Unfortunately some of the residents tire of being taken care of, forget what the big bad world is like, and then scare the living daylights out of everyone by taking off.

It was the warden who, arising at around 5:30 am, found that a screen door had been pried open and realized there had been an escape. He notified the matron, who was not happy at all.

"Goddammit!" she said. "I'm getting tired of this. I say let them go!" And then immediately got dressed to go search for them.

They were pretty sure they knew where Smokey would go. He liked to hang out with a bunch of disreputable, inbreds from down the street, but Thelma Louise had them baffled. Thelma, who dislikes Smokey, hates all women, and has serious hots for the warden (she's been found sitting on the his lap more than anyone cares to admit) definitely wouldn't want to hang out with the Deliverance crowd.

So the warden and the matron split up and each went in a different direction. It took a while until the matron finally found Thelma Louise, hiding under a neighbors porch!

Oh, she was in a state. Forgetting her dislike of the matron, and crying pitiously she threw herself into the matron's arms. It was all Smokey's fault! He had talked her into it! He knew where they could get some 'good stuff' down the street! She'd never leave again!

Upon arriving home, Thelma shoved herself away from the matron and flung herself onto the warden where she buried her head in his chest.

The warden patted her on the back and assured Thelma that everything would be okay.

The matron snorted with disgust.

The warden said he'd gone down the street but noticed that it had been unusually quiet. Only a couple of scurvy characters were lurking about, and with shifty eyes not a one would fess up to having seen Smokey.

"You know damn well he's down there." said the matron.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Asked the warden. He was still patting Thelma Louise's back and Thelma Louise was smugly shooting dirty triumphant looks at the matron.

"You can start by sending her to her room! And I don't care if that bastard ever comes back!" She then spent the rest of the day worrying about him.

It was with heavy hearts that the warden and matron retired that night because Smokey was still missing.

At around eight the next morning there was a pounding at the door and when the warden opened it, Smokey blew in demanding breakfast!

"Oh my God, where have you been?" The matron cried.

"I thought you didn't care if he ever came back." The warden observed.

"Don't you worry about what I said!" The matron snapped while she bustled around the kitchen getting Smokey's breakfast.


Epilogue:

"I was so embarrassed." my mother said. "Joe from the farm down the road called me this morning and asked "is your little kitty okay?"

He said he'd heard a commotion during the night and when he looked out into his yard, he could see some of his big barn cats had a little tiger cat trapped up against his house.

"I figured it was your little gal." He said. "I could see she had on a sparkly collar."

Just so you know, my mother's little tiger cat, Thelma Louise, has a pink collar with the words "Rock Star" spelled out in rhinestones.

Apparently, the big cats had wicked designs on the little Rock Star, but Thelma had hysterics and the farmer said she managed to escape, virtue intact, and went bounding off into the night.

My mother assured him that all was well and then the phone rang again.

This time it was her good friend who lives down the street in the opposite direction of the farm, but far too close to the inbreds.

"I'm furious!" Friend exploded. "I went to get in my car this morning and it looks like a bunch of cats held an orgy on it! It was covered in gross stuff and there's cat hair all over it!"

"Oh?" was my mothers timid response because she knew that somehow, Smokey, her big muscle bound, grey cat, had most likely played a part in the fun and games.

Friend continued,"I wish the Stovers would get rid of that damned catnip they're growing. Every stray cat in town hangs out here now, and I could swear I saw your big gray cat down here." She said accusingly.

"Oh not my Smokey." Said Mom, who's just a little intimidated by Friend. "Why he's right here." She glared at the little bastard who had just shoved Kissy Poo, the cowardly doberman, out of her own food dish. Smokey prefers dog food over cat food.

I told Mom that since Smokey is 'fixed' I'm sure he had nothing to do with the debauchery that took place on her friends car.

"He's a man isn't he?" She retorted. "The dirty little bastard probably watched!"

So that's it folks! Who needs to go to the Big City for gang rape, prison breaks, and orgies when you can find them right in your own little swamp town, back yard?

Just pull up a lawn chair, but please, bring your own popcorn.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Why I shouldn't be allowed to go to WalMart

I ran out to WalMart for a few groceries (read: food!) and stumbled onto these.

Grommets!

For purses!

On sale!

Our local Walmart (and BTW there was a time when our WalMart was the 2nd biggest money maker in the states with # 1 being in Alaska, but I'm sure that's changed by now) got rid of their fabric department this spring and all the left overs are in the clearance bins. The smaller grommets were $1.00 per package, the big ones $2.00! At JoAnn's the bigger ones go for $9.00 per package! How could I pass them up?







The big question is; what the hell are we going to eat? I hear grommets are tough and rather tasteless.




Here's my helper, just waiting for her next garage sale. She is forever in the thick of things!

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

From the desk of 'The Beast'.

Although my given name is Blossom, for some reason, in this house I'm known as The Beast. Once someone even referred to me as Flower Pot, but I don't get the connection. Laura is far too busy sewing to pay attention to me so I'm going to use her computer for awhile.

Anyway, Laura held a garage sale (thinly disguised as a chance to show me off) this last Sunday.

Laura is the woman who owns the house.

I own Laura.

We had so much fun! Prospective buyers showed up about 2 hours ahead of time and when Laura was still taking things into the garage, she was alarmed to find people peering, via cupped hands, through her garage door window. I don't know what her problem was! Obviously they were trying to get a look at me!

So while Laura hysterically fled the garage and went to find that guy she calls her boyfriend (I think his name is Hans) I gave the public exactly what they wanted. I delicately wove and sashayed my way through all the junk she was trying to sell and knowing that you should leave your audience wanting more, I exited the garage, but not before I sharpened my imaginary claws on the cement, all the while sticking my dirty behind in the air for all to see (that's my specialty!).

Finally the garage door was lifted and a wave of humanity washed through and I immediately shot out to the driveway. For some reason Laura won't let me outside! Something about cars, and raccoons, and my having no front claws (whose fault is that, I ask!) but all I know is the great outdoors is where I belong!

After a fashion things slowed down and Laura and Hans spent way too much time laughing about who knows what. All I know is everyone that came to this garage sale had wonderful things to say about me. "Wow, is that a fat cat!" "Is that cat pregnant or is she just fat?" "You know, olive oil would do wonders for her dandruff."
See what I mean?

I was having a lovely day when all of a sudden someone showed up with (gag) a dog! It was a toy Pomeranian named Stinky and when Hans tried to pet him, he tried to bite Hans. His owners let Stinky down and he ran straight into Laura's house. "Don't you pee in there!" The owners chuckled. After many uninvited trips into the house, Stinky tried to approach me and I was absolutely appalled, but a quick hiss sent him on his way!

By the end of the day I was exhausted! I greeted people, I rubbed against the nicer ones, I preened and posed, and I asked to be let in often to eat because I'm in danger of wasting away.

A lot of stuff was sold but a lot of stuff was left over and Laura told Hans that she's going to have to do this again before summer is over


I can't wait!










I'm ready for my closeup Mr. DeMille!




















Posing amongst the posies.


Showing Hans my delicate underbelly, but he's totally oblivious!

Friday, June 20, 2008

I'm already in a bad mood...

and it's only going to get worse!

Sunday I'm going to have a garage sale and I hate having garage sales.

I've been loading up my garage for a few weeks with stuff and I haven't even made a dent in all my junk! Eleven years ago, I promised myself when I moved in to this house, that I would not allow this to happen!!!!

I've been telling Hans that we need to get moving on this NOW because summer will be over before we know it. But it seems like every weekend that I'd like to take a stab at it, something comes up. He mentioned postponing it until next weekend and I said no problem, but then one of his friends decided to attempt a poker game that would keep Hans in the Big City and me doing it by myself and that's not going to happen. The following week is the 4th of July and that won't work! I have a class reunion coming up too, and so on and so on!



So now we're back to this Sunday (I have to work at the inn on Saturday so Sunday it is!). I realize that I won't get rid of everything but the next time we have a few free hours on a Saturday or Sunday I can stick a sign out on the highway and people will follow it.



My dryer is still not fixed and I just read the riot act to Baby Girl about her huge pile of laundry. I find it impossible to believe that in one week (and in this heat) that she really wore about 10 pairs of sweat pants, hoodies, and gym shorts! I'm pretty sure that a certain little girl did her once a year hoeing out of her car and left her pile of stinky stuff for me to wash!

Well guess what!

I'm not.

So now we have to run to the newspaper office to pick up garage sale signs, make a few of our own, rearrange all the items in my garage, and tag all of them with horribly low prices that people will still haggle over. In the meantime I have to work tonight and tomorrow at the inn so who knows when all of this will get done.

Living on a boat sounds better all the time, there's just no room for hoarding.

Right?

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Next Project

I think I'd like to try BWOF 06-2008-124. I liked this top as soon as I saw it and it looks like something I should be able to do.
I still have some stretchy jersey fabric that I picked up in Paris and I really need to use it up. My issue though, is sewing with jersey. My machine acts as though I've been starving it (I promise I haven't!) and it literally sucks this stretchy fabric down into the feed dogs and then we have a battle on our hands and I don't always win.
Luckily, Karen has tried to come to my rescue and emailed me some hints. It would appear that I'm not the only one who's had this problem.
So! I will use a stretch needle (instead of a ballpoint), a zig zag stitch (not a stretch stitch which I despise anyway!), and place some tissue paper beneath the fabric which I'm hoping my machine doesn't like the taste of!

We'll see how it works.

I also still have an idea floating in my head for a purse that uses the Day Bag pattern but with a whole different look.

And this morning when I stopped at my local gas station for a cup of cappacino/coffee (I mix them together to reduce the calorie count! I also use low fat ice cream in my sundaes and diet soda with my bourbon. Hey, every little bit counts, you know!!! ), the girl who waited on me asked if I sell my purses! She loves them and she's been telling her mother about me! While I was thrilled to death I just don't know if the things I make are really good enough, you know what I mean? It's something to think about and I know you have to be careful about copywrites etc... But right now I enjoy sewing for myself and my family.

Friday, June 13, 2008

A finished Burda dress and a model wannabe

Here I am standing in the salon area of our boat in my dress and holding my purse. I told Hans to take pictures of me on the foredeck so that I'd (all 5 feet of me!) look just like the models from Burda (who are always standing on the bows of boats and looking ever so sporty). But after a 'discussion' over my heels (Hans must have thought I intended to do the cha cha all over his fiberglass deck!) and my promise that I wouldn't mar anything, we took some pictures but I looked like hell and certainly not like a Burda model! So I won't show you those ones.








We finally took the water taxi into town and then wandered around St. Michael's which is of course quaint as I'm sure most port towns are.



Can you see the ducks in the background? They were kind enough to pose with me!

I did get a picture of one store's window that had purses in the shapes of dogs! However there were no price tags on them.



























Doggy purses.








I know you really can't see it here but a HUGE yacht (probably in the 2-3 million dollar range!)pulled right up to the dock at the Crab place where we ate on Friday night. Our waitress said that the boat owner tipped her boss about $200.00 to help him dock it and now she wants that job! I, for one, can't imagine docking a boat that size. You should see Hans hindered (not helped) by me when we dock. I have a feeling they would give us $200.00 to stay away!


We headed back to our slip on Saturday morning and had a slow sail with just one dolphin sighting. We grilled the last of our steaks and I'm not kidding when I tell you I was ready for bed at 9:00. Sunday was spent at the pool and then all too quickly it was time to go back home to reality.




Next?




Well after my dryer gets fixed (it quit working after it heard that my cars have been getting far too much attention) I have some fabric to be washed and dried for either another messenger bag or a beach bag.


Still floating along.

I keep forgetting to mention that I got an email the other day from Marji at Fiber Arts Afloat and I was thrilled to hear that she and her husband just closed on a sail boat last month with intentions of living on it in the future. It's also an Island Packet but theirs is a mono hull and ours is a catamaran.

I'm sure many of you have read her blog and as she's an experienced (and obviously good) knitter, knitting on a boat should be relatively easy.

Sewing on a boat?

Well I've been mulling that one over.

We have nice size table in the salon and if I'm hooked up to shore power or we get a generator then I can have enough power to sew.

The cutting out of fabric will be different. The seating area in the salon can be made to lay flat so that it's like a double bed. I could lay my cutting mat on it and cut stuff out.

Remaining organized?

That will be a problem people, because I am a slob!!

And like Connie just posted, pins can be a huge issue.

Of course I have no idea what the hell I'll be sewing by then because you need next to no clothing while on a boat. A couple of swimsuits, some very comfortable shorts, t-shirts and lots of sunscreen is about it. I don't really want to live on it in the winter (and obviously since it's boat you don't have to stay in one place) but even if you do you still don't need much more in the way of clothing.

Today we are still in St. Michael's and as we're at anchor (no charge for anchoring) we are going to depend a water 'taxi' to get us to shore. However we found out a while ago that the taxi service only runs from 5 pm to 10 pm. That means that we'll be on the boat all day and I suppose I really ought to do some more cleaning and less blogging.

Yesterday I finally scrubbed both of the heads and showers. Today I should get a bucket of cleaning solution and soak the bottoms of the shower curtains as there appears to be some mildew trapped within the hem stitches. Then the galley floor really needs to be swept and scrubbed also.

As I type all of this, Hans is just now reading the owners manual that came with the boat. I'm trying to close my ears to comments of "Wow, I didn't know that." "Boy, it's a good thing I did that on our trip last month." "Have you seen my rigging knife?"






I just remembered that we have an open bottle of champagne left over from christening the boat so I'm going to leave Hans to his reading and constant peering into the engine room (and comments of "Where the hell is that switch?), and go have a mimosa!





Now where did I put that owner's manual?

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Ahoy there maties!!!

I arrived in MD at 7:00 this morning and after breakfast and some food shopping we were on our way!
After a day long sail (and some motoring as it was a very calm day!) we arrived and anchored in St Michaels MD. We know what time it is too because every 15 minutes 'Big Ben' chimes the quarter hour. Very pretty to listen to.
I can't tell you how tired I am right now. Why is it that being on the water wears a person out? My back also got sunburned (gee isnt there this stuff called sunscreen?) and I've been trying so hard to avoid the sun these days.
Here's Hans grilling steaks for dinner. That little grill had those steaks done in no time. And also an after dinner view from the cockpit.
And by the way we are so excited because on Tuesday Hans passed his Coast Guard Captain Test (not an easy test either) and he is now Captain Hans!!!
I'm just not sure what that makes me!!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

A finished dress and a purse to go with it!

Ta-Da! I actually finished something! Well, I mean I finished a dress (BWOF 07-2007-120)for once! I always finish my purses.


Above is the dress with the purse attached at the hip so you can see it. Unfortunately it doesn't show up very well. It's the Small Slouch from, who else? Nicole Mallalieu, of course.


I decided not to make the purse totally out of the striped fabric. I thought that would look too much like a 'matching combo' that you might find in the little girls section of a department store. However this might not be much better, but I like it. I showed it to Vet Tech Girl (middle daughter) tonight and she said it's fine for summer fun but if I wear the dress for anything more formal then I need a solid black or brown purse.

I guess that means I might have to make yet one more purse!





Here's the inside.












Instead of a totally solid purse I added some cutouts for a little diversion. I layered the top (crepe back satin) over a piece of striped fabric and then pin basted in place. I cut out a random shaped paper triangle and then just stitched around it on the front of the purse. I then, very carefully cut out the fashion fabric within the stitching which then exposed the striped fabric beneath. It gives the appearance that the lining is showing but the lining is totally separate.



Does anyone remember about 10 or more years ago when everyone was stitching calico fabric underneath sweatshirt fronts and then cutting out intricate quilt designs? Then the fabric underneath was exposed and it looked like you had a quilt top on your chest? I had one of those once and I just stole that technique for this. I'm sure I could have been more creative but it was late and I hadn't even started packing for my trip to Annapolis. I was leaving for the Big City the next day (today) right after work so I could visit Vet Tech Daughter before flying to MD tomorrow morning.
Very typical of me.











This shows the paper rectangle pinned to the fashion fabric with the striped fabric beneath.


Now for something I'm embarrassed about. After making 4 of these slouch purses I just realized that I"m making the strap too narrow!

I kid you not!

I was looking at the pattern and realized that I was supposed to place the long edge of the strap piece on the fold, thus making it twice as wide! But you know what? I like the narrow look for the ones I've made. I will make a wider strap on the next one and see how I like that!

I did it wrong the first time and since I didn't realize what I'd done I just continued in my usual stupid way.


Sorry Nicole.


Anyway, I need to get up at 4 AM tomorrow morning (yes, that's 4 in the morning) so I can catch my flight to Baltimore at 6!!! I should be sleeping, not blogging!


But just one more thing! I see that Nicole Mallalieu has started her own blog and you can bet I'll be reading it. Some one who likes purses, designs purses, makes purses, and then blogs??!!


I'm there!! And I hope you are too.

Some hot weather sewing

Here is my version of the BWOF 07-2007-120. I decided that I really need to use up some of my Paris fabric so I started with this. It's actually just a polyester blend that I could have probably bought just about anywhere but it was affordable, and I was in Paris... need I say more. I would really like to make this out of some of the silk that I bought but I wasn't brave enough to cut into it yet.

I liked the funky stripe design on this fabric and I cut the halter top on the bias to give it a different effect. Something that I've learned with Burda; they are all very low cut! I don't have a problem with that except that I need to wear a bra underneath, otherwise I would appear to have no chest! So since this particular top is in two pieces I just extended the side seam on each halter part and that allowed me to overlap about an inch more where they 'meet in the middle' thus giving me a little more coverage and hiding my strapless bra.

I took in much bigger darts in the back of the dress which is something I always have to do, sway back or big butt, take your pick.

I also lined the skirt in a lightweight cotton because (!!!) it was so stinking hot on Sunday when I was sewing this, that all I could think of was sitting down in a polyester dress and having it stick to me! I will see how this feels when I'm done and if it seems too heavy, I'll just cut it out.

Now here's where I may run into an issue. The lining was sewn to the fabric at the top of the skirt and at the skirt edges where the zipper will go. The lining is stitched down as far as where the zipper will end. The skirt and lining are then supposed to be finished separately. I've studied this and it's awkward looking! I've inserted the zipper using the Islander technique and that went well, I just have to sew the bottom of the skirt closed. I tried it once already and got that damned 'bubble'!!! I know the sewing divas have a tutorial for invisible zippers and I've used it, I just wanted to try this technique too. It was close to midnight though and I know you should never sew when you're tired.

I'll tackle that tonight and then try to figure out how to finish the lining.

Hans had to go to Baltimore this week on business and instead of having to get a hotel, he can stay on our boat. So I'm going to take 2 days of vacation and fly down to MD (for $54.00!) and enjoy a long weekend of sailing with him. I would really like to wear my new dress if we go out to dinner one night!





This shows the overlap in the front. I'm able to get a little more coverage by cutting the side seams a little bit longer and using that extra length by overlapping more in the front.





Sally Stitch almost fainted when I put this on her. She's been sulking because she thought I forgot about her!!







The back of the dress still needs the zipper tape to be tacked down, the back seam below the zipper needs to be sewn, and the shoulder straps are still pinned in place.
I had intended to cut the back band with horizontal (side to side) stripes just to be different but I forgot! Luckily this is not a uniform stripe so even though the band doesn't match the dress it doesn't matter.
Hmmm... I wonder if I'll have time to make a purse for this??

Saturday, June 7, 2008

More than a purse!

Just a quick post about my new purse.

I love it (In case you didn't realize that yet!)!

Anyway, I've been carrying it everywhere and after I tell people that I made it, in response to their comments, they say, "You're kidding! That is the most un-homemade purse I've ever seen!"

I just haven't figured out how to carry it while waitressing. I'm not coordinated enough to carry trays of food on my shoulder while having a purse dangle from my arm.

Damn!

Although after last night and unfortunately tonight that's too bad.

This weekend we have over one hundred golfers staying at the inn. One group celebrated their 50th year of golf weekends with us and they are now down to seven men. Back in the day there were over twenty of them. They however aren't my problem.

My problem is a certain group of fifty-one! They are almost worse than the Red Hat ladies. Someday, when I'm not suffering from PMS (oh yes, it's that time), and I can actually allow Red Hat memories to come to the surface, I will post about them.

But not today.

Anyway, this group of fifty-one all demand separate checks, they don't arrive at the same time instead they just drift in at random all the while ignoring the please wait to be seated sign. One year a man filled his plate at the buffet and then sat down by himself at a table designed to hold 8 people. He refused to move to a smaller table and got the table cloth filthy which meant the entire thing had to be stripped and reset. Not something that you want to do on a hideously busy night! Some are already drunk or making really good progress at getting drunk and because they are sooooo much fun and sooooo witty they shout to you or their friends regardless of the other guests.

And after putting up with their nonsense for hours, they leave a $2.00 tip and this is fine dining! I leave more than that for breakfast!

So, I was thinking that if I could pull a rabbit out of my hat and carry my purse and my tray at the same time, I too could have a good time. Because you see, a brick would fit into that purse perfectly! Just imagine, every time one of those guys pissed me off I could take a swing at their head and they'd never know what hit them!



And there I would be, a sweet, innocent waitress who just happens to be holding a purse to literally die for!!!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen; We have a purse!































Here it is!! My version of the Snap, and for a first time try, I'm happy.

The frame was 'different' but not really hard to put on, but now that I've done one I feel confident in trying another.

I'm glad though that I 'tested' the two types of glue that I thought might work for this before I actually applied any to the frame.

I agonized over the glue selection at Jo-Ann's and ended up buying some Super Glue Gel stuff. I already had some Fabri-Tac from Beacon adhesives that I'd purchased at Wal-Mart last year. I was positive that I was going to use the Super Glue but when I was home at lunch time I glued some fabric with both and when I got home, the fabric with the Super Glue came apart when I pried at it! The Fabri-Tac held firmly in place so guess what? It won the coveted Glue Queen Title.

I've already picked out a yellow shirt to wear to work tomorrow that will work with this purse. I also have a sleeveless striped shirt that's lime green, pink, and yellow that will look really cute with this but I'll save it for this weekend when Hans and I go out (at least I hope we go out! I'm not sure how chipper I'm going to feel after waiting on a 'gag'gle of golfers).

This really is such a unique purse and I can't believe that Connie made hers out of leather. There are a couple of areas that I think would have been a little dicey to sew with leather but I may give it a try some day, but not just yet.

Once again, I can't stress how well Nicole's patterns are engineered and 'engineered' is the best way I can describe them. Even the way she has you tack the lining down on one of the last steps is so easy and works so well!

I realize that I go on and on about this talented lady's patterns but let me assure you, she's not my long lost daughter or sister or whatever! I'm just passing on my opinion which is something I NEVER do!


You can stop laughing now, Hans!!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

It's beginning to look like..

...a purse!

The body of the Snap purse is almost done. It's been a little time consuming because I read and reread the directions with each step.
I'm not a huge fan of seam rippers!

Even though it's getting late and I'm not the least bit tired I'm going to stop now.

I'm having fun with this project but I will tell you that I feel it would be best if you have previous experience at making purses before tackling this one. Having succeeded and failed at many purses I wouldn't want someone to try this, fail, and get discouraged.

This is the body with straps sewn to the sides. Sticking out of the body is the lining. At the bottom is the bag base that I will attach tomorrow night, and at the top is the purse frame with the handles above it.

I've read the directions for cramming the purse into the frame a million times but I have a feeling it's not going to go well!

It's been great to have a couple of nights to just sew and relax. Probably the calm before the storm because I have to work at the inn Thursday, Friday, and Saturday which normally isn't a big deal but we have tons of golfers showing up for the weekend and let me tell you when they're off the leash (meaning the better half stays home) they are a huge PITA!!! If they aren't demanding everything just short of chewing their food for them, they think their drunken come on lines are 'cute'.

They're not!

Monday, June 2, 2008

Snap! Finally some sewing!


I'm finally getting some sewing done! Yippee!!

I've been itching to get going on my Snap purse (the pattern arrived within week of ordering it!) but it seems like something else always needs to be done first. My car (after hearing Baby Girl say her car's fan belt needed to be replaced) threw a fit and had to have fuel lines and brake lines replaced. Hmmm, didn't Baby Girl's car just have that done a couple of months ago?

Then I had to work both jobs on Saturday, and Sunday was so beautiful that we went for a bike ride to my parents house. I think we decided it's about 10 miles each way, so there was a 20 mile bike ride. We take as many back roads as we can and I'll take my camera the next time as it's a beautiful ride.
But anyway, I decided to use some fabric that I've had for awhile because I certainly don't need to buy anymore!
But I almost messed up my whole evening.

We have a mandatory meeting at the inn where I'm a waitress. Every year we have to attend a wine (whine for me!) meeting. It's all about wine presentation etc... Well, after 8 years of waitressing I think by now I know how to present a bottle of wine but NO ONE is permitted to miss this wonderful event even though we don't get paid for it, and it's a half hour drive away for me.

So I jumped in my car and a minute later it occurred to me that maybe the meeting wasn't tonight after all, maybe it's next Monday. I called the inn and found out it is indeed next week! So home I went to do some sewing.

For me this was a perfect evening. Andy Griffith had 4 episodes on tonight and Andy Griffith is my all time favorite TV show. I've actually gone to Mt Airy, NC three times for the Andy Griffith Festival and it's too much fun! I did some cutting and fusing of interfacing and wadding (really just fusible quilt batting) and that's about it.

Now I'm going to relax with a book and a hot bath and call it a night.


The Penguins are in overtime against the Red Wings right now but I can't take it!!