Cold, Cold, Cold!

Poppy is settling into her new home well. Her first night with Jessie's family, she went into her crate by her own choice around 9:30 and slept all night without any issues.

She is very people oriented - here she is asking Kyle for some love while he works. (In case you're wondering, she got that attention. Hah!)

https://youtu.be/0np7NDjR_PI

Playing with her new toys from Pepper and Tammo.

https://youtu.be/AHL9YMAKZhg

Greeting Cambria when she comes home from school. (Look at that tail - those circle wags!)

So far things are going very well and I hope that that continues, both for Poppy and the family.

Speaking of family... how can this sweet girl be almost three months old?

She smiles, she giggles, and she is just cute as pie. I can't wait to meet her. Maybe this summer? Fingers are crossed.

These two cannot be old enough to be grandparents. But here we are. And they are loving being Elsie Mae's grandparents.

The weather here has been cold, cold, cold. And it's going to get worse - warnings are already up for tomorrow for dangerous wind chills as low as -20 below. I'm thinking the schools will at least have a two hour delay if not a cancellation of classes. (I've been retired seven years now and I still watch the weather with kids in mind!)

It's been a rough winter and poor Tammo and Pepper are not getting much exercise. Truth be told, they really don't want to be out playing frisbee in this snow, ice, and cold temps.

They both enjoy snuggling and we don't mind a couple of warm puppies nestled against us. We're chilly, too!

Zoomies around the couch have to do for now.

In some ways, the weather has been a plus for me.

I finished my eighth chemise, a size 2XL.

This one has the gold and paste (rhinestone) sleeve buttons. 

I have an XL in progress right now, and then will make a size L as soon as the fabric arrives. (I have already gone through a 15 yard bolt of fabric for chemises this month!)

The burn from my carelessness around my iron is healing but still tender. It was worse than I'd thought. There is a shallow groove in my arm - I hadn't realized the burn had gone so deeply when I burned myself.

Today's plan? Nashie and Mama are coming for the day and that will keep us happily busy. I have a bone scan over at the hospital and then will run to the vet to pick up a refill of Pepper's meds. 

I also want to top off my gas tank before the temperatures plummet today.

And then I am going to snuggle with the dogs and Craig and let the storm hit.

Hot chocolate, anyone?

Making Progress, a Mistake, & More Icy Weather

After nearly selling out at last year's Feast of the Hunters' Moon, this month it was okay to just start sewing whatever I wanted to work on. The size didn't matter, the block print patterns I selected didn't matter - I needed to restock almost everything and so I could get to work without  taking inventory.

I hit the tipping point this week. While I still have many items to make, it was time to stop randomly sewing and check what I have already made and see what I still needed to sew.

I started with the trade shirts, my biggest seller. Ten are completed, including two kids' shirts.

Then I looked at chemises. Six are finished with two more cut out and prepped for stitching up.

I took note of sizes and the number of each that I had in one list,

and then made a second list of what I want to be sure I make in order to have a good assortment for the Kalamazoo event in mid March. 

I also looked through my patterns - I was planning to draft a 2XL pattern for a chemise, but I had this nagging feeling that I already had that pattern. And I did - I found it in some things my mother had sent me. It was labeled "queen," the old, 1980s catch all size for larger women.

I laid it out and put the XL pattern pieces over the queen sized ones to compare them. I was right! The queen sized chemise pattern from my mother was the next size up from the XL. Queen is what is now called an XXL or 2XL and the size I'd been looking for.

It's now cut out and prepped and ready for sewing.

Notice anything familiar about the fabric weights I am using instead of pins to hold my pattern pieces in place? (Aside from the very obvious magnetic pin cushion, LOL)

They are Yankee Candle toppers! I usually have a candle burning while I am in my office or sewing room and as I was disposing of a depleted candle, I looked at its topper and had a light bulb moment. (Er, candlewick moment? Hah!) Why not try that topper as a fabric weight?

It worked very well, so I have begun saving them for use when I cut out patterns.

This week's work was very productive - three new chemises. Since all but the most recent are already pictured above, I'll just show the one I completed Friday afternoon.

This is a size XL

with sleeve buttons of silver and "paste" (rhinestone).

I was doing the final pressing and was ready to close down the sewing room for the evening, and I guess my mind was too much on our evening plans to go out to dinner with Lisa.

I set the iron down, went to remove the chemise from the ironing board, and bumped my arm into the edge of the hot iron.

Oooo, did that hurt! Luckily I just grazed the side of the iron but it was a good reminder to not get preoccupied with other things while using it!

My plans for today may be changing. Lisa just texted me and said that it is very slick outside - we had snow and ice again last night. Right after her text, I got one from Leslie who also said the roads were very bad.

I was going to get some flowers and head to the cemetery later this morning. A friend lost two children on this date years ago, and I do that for her every year. I'll see what the road conditions are later this morning but if I have to postpone going to the cemetery for a day or so, my friend will understand.

Wish me luck and stay warm!