It's Gonna Be a Day!

Tick! Tick! Tick!

The clock is ticking - it's Great Lakes Congress week and I am busy getting ready for the show. I'm so looking forward to seeing the GLC crew and other friends this weekend!

While time is passing quickly, there is a different "sense" of preparation for GLC than there was for the Feast. The Feast prep was far more intensive - I'd been sewing for months to get ready and there was a multitude of other things to do to ensure that I was ready to go.

Haversack making goes far more quickly and a stack of them can be completed in one day whereas most 18th century clothing items take me at least two and often more than that.

Last week I made seven XLTs (extra long traditionals) and so far this week I have sewn twelve Hamilton-sized traditionals. Hamilton's height and that streaming tail require a slightly larger pouch, but so do a lot of traditional scale models, so essentially I make three traditional sizes: regular (think Proud Arabian Mare), Hamilton (for Hamilton and a bunch of other bigger traditionals), and the XLTs (for shelf eaters like Nemea and Via Latte.)

I love this fabric but it takes some care to cut it so that the scene is on the flap as well as the body of the bag with the red fox showing.

This "cameo" style of print seems to becoming more and more popular - I am seeing similar prints in fabrics all over.

The teacher in me was drawn not only by the cute primitive horses, but by the latitude and longitude map lines faintly seen in the background.

A very striking print, but another that had to be planned well before cutting to ensure complete heads were on the flap.

A very soft flannel, which normally I don't use as I prefer cotton, but that bottom/middle horse reminded me of Abby so I purchased a yard or so of it.

I know, I know! But just because I am not a fan of unicorns doesn't mean I don't have customers who aren't, so...

I also made up some Christmas prints into haversacks. I love this barn print and the decorated stalls.

This fabric was a bit of a surprise. I love sleighs and horses, but I meant to purchase a smaller scale print. But doesn't this larger print look good? (Another one that I had to be careful cutting so that the grey horse and sleigh showed in full.)

Lafayette has a huge Christmas parade every year (I've ridden my horse in it in the past) and these festive carts reminded me of some of the horse drawn wagons and floats there are in our parade.

This is a vintage fabric that I've used before. It always sells well. 

A second hunt scene - I cut it just a bit differently than the first and was able to to get four red foxes on it!

And a second haversack from the cameo fabric, too.

I have two more XLTs cut out that I'd like to stitch up today. (I'm ignoring that stack of 18th century fabrics for the moment, LOL.) However, getting much sewing done is going to be a challenge.

It's Wednesday and Nash and Molly spend most Wednesdays with us. Tammo will go crazy with delight, and he and Nash will storm around the house together when they are reunited. 

They will also go through the toys - there's nothing new, but you never know, right? (We have six, SIX!! of those green and orange snakes. Their favorite toy of all.)

And of course they have to mill around as they greet us and frisk our pockets for treats.

Craig will fix them all an egg apiece (sweet guy that he is, he cools the eggs a bit before handing out the bowls.) Note the "sharks" circling below - waiting is hard!

And at last things settle down and for the rest of the day, our "entourage" follows us absolutely EVERYWHERE.

Up since 4:30 AM and hoping to take a nap? Think again, Lynn!

The entourage is happy to help with that! They are available for snuggling, lying on your feet to keep them warm, and please don't stop belly rubbing as they nod off themselves. Oh, and so sorry, but there is no room on the bed - humans must sleep in the recliner or on the floor.

Having the entourage in the sewing room means stepping over dogs constantly, and most importantly, worrying about the iron. It's hot and it's heavy. If the ironing board gets jarred and the iron falls off (it's happened, although not when the dogs were present), a pup could get hurt.

I've tried shooing them out of the sewing room so I can work and they are bewildered and their feelings get very hurt. It's easier just to step over them and then iron after they go home.

So, not much sewing will get done today, but that's okay. I can work on my GLC show string and start pulling ponies to pack.

Besides, those dogs are sweet, kind, funny, and just the best company. I can give up some sewing time for them, no problem.