Want to See an Ocean Sunrise--kind of??

Here you go!

 I blew these up to 8x10, matted, and framed them.  I'm putting them on the stairwell wall so that I  can see the sun rising over the ocean as I go downstairs in the morning.   Going upstairs, I'll see a setting sun;-}

A Little Pouch Sewing Yesterday!

Finally!

 Both fully lined...

The boxy one at the top is from It's a Pretty Modern Life and free!  I had no trouble at all with this tutorial.  It is a great one.  I am going to be making one more of these soon.  Did I change it?  Of course.  It's an inch or two bigger in width.  Since the markings required use the ends of the fabric and measuring in a half an inch from that, changes in size are really easy--for me that's sayin' something.  I am somewhat challenged in this area as demonstrated in the second pouch.

The second one is from a Etsy pattern from Projects by Jane.  It's called the Sexy Zippy Wristlet.  I think I lost the sexy part, but consider it a bit zippy.  This one has some instructions that are great for even the really new sewer.  I still had a hard time, though, with understanding the edge sewing on each side of the zipper.  I'm sure it's me.  I have trouble with these things.  I really needed more photos to understand how to sew the edges around the zipper ends. I finally just pushed on through, but think I should have been doing it differently. 

Yes, I changed that one, too.  I always want bigger so...

instead of cutting the ends of the paper and matching the squares, I just left that extra in there.  It was easy enough to do even with the longer zipper required because, like the boxy pouch, it used a measurement in from the edge for setting the zipper.

I thought I had a metal piece to make the handle detachable, but it turned out to be too big.  I'm happy with the sewn-on handle, though.  One thing I would do next time:  cut the darts out when cutting out the pattern.  The lines there are sewing lines, so the cutting triangle would be in a quarter of an inch from there for me.  I found it cumbersome to get the darts together later with the zipper in place.  I think the cut lines would be easier for me to work through.

Thank you to sewing muse, Sandra, whose blog I "mine" for inspiration and tutorial and pattern sources. Now I've got to go visit her to find ideas for zipper pulls.

Most Expensive Piece of Quilting Fabric I've Ever Purchased

Cost of one yard of fabric:  $17.  $5.50 of that was shipping.  Yes, I really like the Winterkist collection.  I've been following the Winterestkist blog hop leading up to the recent release of this line of fabric for months.  Lecien's free quilt pattern using the gnomes kept screaming, "Make me!"  I decided not to go overboard, though.  I wanted to see some in person first.  It was $11.50 a yard from Fabric Worm!  That is more than I have ever paid for fabric. 

I should have stopped when I got to shipping costs, but...I didn't  I did, however, email the company to find out why shipping cost so much.  I just mailed a heavier envelope a longer distance for less than $2.  Answer:  They use a flat shipping rate.  They told me I could have ordered 10 or 11 yards for the same price!  In essence, those making small purchases are subsidizing those making large ones.   My son has an on-line business.  Using the USPS website, he can figure out exact postage for the dimensions and weight of each package,  pay for it,  and print out the completed shipping label.  Customers with large, heavy items need not subsidize those with lighter items.

Lessons learned:  check shipping costs before getting too committed to placing the order OR just be patient and wait for fabric to come to the local quilt shop to see it in person.  I'm also going to avoid blog hops like this.  It build the same dumb frenzy that is presently going on with the new IPhone.  Well, at least it wasn't as expensive as an IPhone. You know you are addicted to fabric when....

The Continuing Saga of the Garden Steps Quilt

Let me begin by saying that I have grown to love everything about this quilt including my amateur stitching.  It has flourished far better than my actual garden-growing and growing!  The original kits from Clover and Violet were for six and twelve blocks.  I got the twelve block kit.  Then I decided that I wanted it to fit a bigger bed.  That would require eight more blocks.  I needed another twelve block kit. The four extra are turning into pillow shams.  Okay!  Way to turn a big project into a massive one!  So I'm down to the embroidery on the last two squares, and the quilt top is together  ready to pin. 

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It is a rainy, dark day here which I am blaming for this rather dull photo.  I find that the time to fix photos is often what keeps me from blogging.  I'm trying not to be such a perfectionist.  You guys forgive me, right?  (She says as her few blogger buds hit to drop-this-blog button:-o)
 
Anyway back to the quilt.  Increasing the size left me with lots of blocks that needed embroidery designs.  I combed through some from Clover and Violets past projects, the internet, magazines, and books to find designs to complete the blocks.  Here are a few that will receive proper credit as soon as my life calms down to its normal frenzy.

from this site, Needlecrafter.com

From a quilting magazine that I won't look up unless you want to find it.

Another online one.

The idea is from an online source though there are lots of changes.

From a photo!  I could not find a Hosta drawing.

These are the last two that I need to finish.  I wanted a squirrel because I have an abundance in my garden.  We also have a few toads which always delight me when they turn up.  I couldn't find a drawing of a toad, though.  The tree frog in the last one will have to do.

Finished!  The squirrel is from Aneela Hooey's Little Stitches book.

Toad drawings were too detailed or dark for me to use.

 Best place I've ever sewn:

In a comfy chair on the beach.

I've got to leave you with one last photo.  I promise--last one.  It's my new favorite spot to compute.

Right now, despite the rain,  I've got a downy woodpecker, purple finch, three gold finches, house finch, too many sparrows, and a cardinal feeding.  So cool to get to watch them up close.

Tilly and One-Eye at Virginia Beach

They tried to relax on the beach.  They really did.  First the wave hit.

 Stuffies do not like getting wet.

Then the wind pick up--picked them up!

 Still, they were holding out for that day on the beach.  Don't they look like a sweet couple.  Odd, but sweet.

Unfortunately this guy below started moving in quickly.  Tilly does look a bit like one of those giant marshmallows they're selling, and One-Eye could easily be mistaken for some sea creature.  Honestly, this bird was not cowed by my chaperoning a bit.  He was going for one of these little beasts.  I was NOT gonna be chasing a bird down the beach screaming for him to drop the stuffed animal.

Tilly and one Eye will be seeing Virginia from the balcony.

What To Do With that Ratty Old T-shirt Your Mate Won't Throw Out

Frame it!

This shirt was wet when thrown on top of some piece of rusting metal and left for days.  My husband REFUSED to part with it.  He's not usually this crazy about a shirt, but this one was from his first "century."  (That would be a hundred mile bike ride for those who are not rabid  avid bicyclists.)  Brian insisted that I should be able to get deep-set rust stains out.  I tried.  I really did.   

I finally realized that he really just wanted that graphic.  I cut it out taped it to the back of the $20 on-sale frame that came complete with matting, and voila!  We are both happy.

It even matches the three dimensional Father's Day card I framed a few months back.

Both are hanging in his home office.

Mostly, though,  I'm happy that I will not have to worry about seeing my husband out and about in a nasty, old, stained shirt. 

Mudding and Taping and Painting, Oh, My!

Don't you just hate it when life interferes with sewing?   First, we had this nasty leak from the upstairs pipes. It ruined the kitchen ceiling and wallpaper.  No big loss on the wallpaper, although I do miss the perfect ceiling.

Fixing the leak required making a big hole in the ceiling, removing wallpaper and, even worse, the nasty wallpaper glue residue, taping, mudding, sanding, mudding, sanding, mudding and more sanding, and painting. 

 

We hired a plumber to fix the leak, but I am the repairer of walls and painting here.   It has taken me a week, but I did it!  Note Kiefer applauding the practically-finished job below.  Yes, it's an awful photo.  Since it is past 7 o'clock and I'm covered in spatters of ceiling and "Coconut Milk" paints, it will have to do.     Did you notice that I also got supper on the table--Lasagna no less?  I'm accepting virtual applause in addition to Kiefer's, thank you.    Frankly, though, I'd rather be sewing.  Must start buying lottery tickets so I can hire this crap out.

Shaz's Sock Creatures Arrived

So here they are all the way from the U. K.

 Are they not the cutest? 

I've been eyeing Shaz's creations for a few years and finally bought these two.  I make stuffies, but Shaz is a professional.  Look at those stitches, all tiny and perfect.  I'm in awe of her beautiful sewing.  You can see Shaz's stuff on Folksy (and she does special orders, too.)

The one-eyed monster is already breaking hearts (of children
who want him but can't have him.)

Love how Tilly is hold onto her tail.

They are guarding my button box til we leave on vacation.

Since they have already traveled so far, I've decided to continue their adventures.  I don't travel much so they will have to do most of their traveling with friends and relatives.  Their first adventure will be with me, though.  They are off to Virginia Beach soon.  

Thanks Shaz!  They are worth every penny. 

Back in the Sewing Room!

My sewing muse, Sandra, is making work for me again.  After she made this sweet little earphone pouch, I decided to steal a little time from an overly busy schedule to make one, too. Then I realized--the night before a wedding--that I had no purse to go with my dress.  I hate when things don't match!  Frankly, if my underwear doesn't match, I feel uncomfortable all day.  Remembering the easy little Japanese Knot Bag  I made from this tutorial, I decided the free time would have to go to making a bag.  I forgot how easy these bags are to make.  This one went together together in a little over an hour from start to finish.

It went together so fast I even had time for that earphone--now lip gloss and Tylenol holder--pouch.

A matching set!

 

Perfect!  Here's a pic of me in the "dress in need of a bag" with my lovely husband.

A thank you to Sandra, the Sewing Muse for inspiring some very useful sewing.

Looking for a book for a 'tween? Try this one

                                                                                   


Orwell's Luck by Richard Jennings.  I'm a collector (and avid reader) of children's and young adult literature.  Every once in a while, I feel the need to share a special one.  Jennings' tale begins with a young boy finding a rabbit.  It's no ordinary rabbit, however.  The life lessons Orwell, the rabbit, teaches are gems.  I wish this book had been available when I was a kid!  Who wouldn't benefit from finding out early in life that we "learn by doing--there's no other way" or "the greatest gift we give is ourselves"?  Mother's might appreciate this bit of wisdom:  "Your mother needs help around the house."

 It's not a new book, the copyright is 2000. That's good because you can get it in paperback.  The downside is that Amazon is charging over $11 for it new.  Don't despair!  Amazon did have lots of used ones starting at a penny.  I buy those penny plus shipping ones all the time and have never been disappointed in the condition.  You might be able to get it at your library, too.  My library didn't have it--as is common with older books that are not considered "classics."  However, we are in a large library system, and two of the participating libraries had it.  You can also get a Kindle version for $6.00.   

Check it out.  There are five or six reviews on Amazon and every one of them is five stars.  I think it would make an great gift.
                                                                                                   

Where I've Been--Findng Out About Nursing Homes

My 94-year-old mother, who we call Ama, fell requiring a trip to the hospital.  The doctor suggested a nursing home.  While she has been living on her own with assistance from her children, falling has increased along with failing memory. None of us three kids have the proper facilities at home (or the money to change that) or the 24 hour care that is needed. 
 

With less than 24 hours notice, our local Veteran's hospital transferred her to the Guilderland Center Nursing Home.  Online reviews were scary.  A May, 2012 Boston Globe report on overmedication showed that this nursing home was the second highest in our area Region in over medicating with sedatives.  By the second day, there was a note on file that a doctor had prescribed two doses of the generic form on Xanax to be given every day because Ama was upset her first night there.  The only reason we found out was that we asked why she was suddenly so groggy. 

I'm going to share a few pictures of the facility.

This was my mother's call button for the first couple of days.  The one on the wall was broken.

 This is a photo of the "fixed call button."  It may be a bit hard to see, but it's a piece string on the wall that was too short. The fix was to tie a piece of braided polypropylene rope to the end to pull for assistance.

There was a hole in the wall the first day.  Our complaint about the general state of the room did get this patch the next day.

It stayed like this for the next few days that my mother was there.  Here are a few pics of other areas of the walls.

 And the floors.

I watched the woman--a nice, polite lady--wash these floors, swabbing the mop back and forth.  These pictures are after it was cleaned.  For some reason, despite the wiping of the floor, our shoes were sticking to the floor.

There was no shower for the room, just a single toilet shared by four residents in two adjoining rooms.  The lock on my mother's room's side was broken.  There was a sink in the room.  The shower was down the hall.

The drawers still had things from the last resident.

Those spots in there were mostly cleaned out with Clorox wipes I brought from home after seeing the place.  In fact, most of the room was cleaned up with Clorox wipes--chair (only one in the room for two residents), armoire, drawers, walls, etc.    Fortunately for my mother, we live close enough to be able clean up a bit.

These are the armrests of the wheelchair Ama was given.

Well, I'll just show one pic.  Both armrests were in this condition.  There were rough edges on some of those cracks.  Many elderly people have paper thin skin that is easily damaged.  Their skin also tends to recover much more slowly.  My mother is one of them.  This issue is especially important since I saw residents sitting in wheelchairs for hours on end in the time I was there.  That's lots of time for delicate skin rubbing on these rough surfaces.

In any case, can you imagine having having to sit in a wheelchair for hours.  Many had fallen asleep, slumped to the side. I'd show pics, but I understand that it's not legal to take pics of other people in these places.

Did you know that nursing homes here in New York are only required to bathe residents once a week?  Sponge baths are supposed to be given the rest of the days.  Sponge baths at Guilderland Center Nursing Home consisted of leaving a washcloth and hand towel on a table.  Again, we were fortunate that we were close enough to assist in caring for my mother until we could find another place for her. 

I stayed until almost 9 on Ama's last night there.  A few of the experiences in that time:

• A plate cover fell off the meal cart.  I watched an aide pick it up off the floor and put it back on the plate. 
• I watched a man sitting outside my mother's room begging for assistance getting into bed.  He was literally saying, "Please help me. I'm begging you."  He told me he was so exhausted he thought he might fall out of his wheelchair and he had a terrible headache.  I finally went to get him some assistance.  I had to call to someone in the room behind the nurses station, who replied, "Okay" to my request for someone to help the man.  I told he help was coming and walked into my mother's room.  I then heard someone calling that she was going on break.  The man, looking so very sad, turned to tell me it was the nurse.  Sure enough, I watched her walk away down the hall.  It was well over a half an hour before he got assistance.  That was just the time I saw him in the hall.  He had been buzzing for help with no response before he finally went into the hallway.
• I listened to buzzers ringing continuously all the time I was there.  One worker finally yelled, "If they don't stop ringing those bells!"  My mother could not get assistance getting to the bathroom on her first night there and soiled herself.  They wrote in her files that she was incontinent and put adult diapers on her.  I wonder how many others are listed as incontinent because of insufficient staff to answer calls for assistance.

We were able to get my mother transferred to another nursing home.  It's clean and much better run.  Still, they only shower residents once a week.  That can be moved up to twice a week at the family's request.  Sponge baths at the new nursing home also seem to consist of getting the resident to wash up.  I'm in awe of this.  I cannot imagine not being able to bathe daily.  I still cannot wrap my mind around it.  We will get there to bathe my mother as often as we can.  That is allowed.  The family can do it if they wish. 

 I'm still sick at heart for those people who are still at the Guilderland Center Nursing Home without family to help, though.  Hell, I'm sad for people in nursing homes who only get to shower once a week.  I'm sad for my mother and scared for myself, my husband, siblings, and my children that this could be our eventual fate.  What to do about all this??  I don't know know where to start.

The New Birdbath

I made another birdbath!   Love it!  My new squirrel-proof bird feeders are working so well I needed another birdbath for all my feathered guests.
 

I could not find a matching plate and vase in "my price range" (aka cheap).  Sooo, I got a blue decorative plate for $5.99 and a clear vase for $7.99.  I used food coloring to get the water to the same shade as the plate.  (Don't use too much food coloring.  A little goes a long way.)  Blue with just a couple of drops of green got the water to match the plate almost perfectly.  I put this together the same as I did this one last year.

 
You can read about that here. I used the E6000 glue and clear silicone caulk same as last year, although a more permanent glass epoxy might be another way to do it.

The red one doesn't have water in the base, and moisture got in before I sealed it with the silicone caulk last year.  That wasn't a good look.  With the blue one being filled with water,  I sealed this one with silicone to keep the water clean and clear.  I left an inch of space in case the water needs some room to expand or something.  Science is not my strong suit.  I might be wrong with that need for expansion.  It may not be necessary to leave the space. Maybe some reader can let us know in the comments. 

I shall let you know how the birds like it.

Update:  Two things I'd like to mention here.  First, Duckyzgal asked about the water getting contaminated in the comment section.  If you have concerns/questions, I've added some info in my reply to her comment below.

Second, I  probably should have reemphasized some things about using the E6000 in this post.  You really have to use it according to the directions and sparingly.  If you put on too much it will run down the glass.  While you can cut off run lines on the outside, you can't on the inside.  That said, E6000 dries to a rubbery finish that can be cut off.  It's not a big deal to take off the old glue and try again.