Charity Sewing, Sewing for Others and Gardening for Me

I've done some sewing for people and pets in need and always like getting together with my sewing guild to work on charity projects.  Right now the ASG national project is sewing turtle pillows for Paul Newman's kids camps.  But I was especially touched when I heard about the charity sewing work done at Sharp Hospice in San Diego.  It's definitely a large undertaking but it could also be an idea for a small project for someone you know yourself.  Basically the volunteers sew a teddy bear from the garment of a loved one who has died.  There's a procedure with a standard bear format and then a questionnaire about how the family would or wouldn't like it personalized.  The hospice website has a wonderful journal of a volunteer who started sewing these bears.  Not surprisingly, she had some small struggles assembling the first ones.  (They do provide sewing demonstrations at the volunteer training since sewing skills might be a little rusty.)  Her completed bears make a loving connection with the person who has died and a simple way to keep a memory alive.  Sharp Hospice sewing volunteer journal  


Want to try one yourself?  Here's one of the many free bear patterns on the web.
How Joyful blog entry with bear pattern and instructions

Yesterday was a perfect day in the Lucky casa.  Mr. Lucky and I spent the breezy, warm, low humidity morning weeding, spreading compost and mulch and admiring our hard work.  I got to sew in the afternoon, finish a light summer book, Minding Frankee by Maeve Binchy, walk the dogs, do some more de-clutttering in the basement and enjoyed a terrific grilled salmon, roasted potato and coleslaw dinner, all made by Mr. Lucky last night.  A glass of wine on the deck watching fireflies and it was a simply delightful June day that I didn't want to see end.  But as one of my favorite sermons at church reminded me, this too shall pass.  Fortunately, it didn't pass without me appreciating its beauty and peacefulness.  So here are some backyard pictures to remind me of this day when life is not so easy:

Herbs in pots with tomatoes behind

The famous compost, black gold, bins behind the shed

June and July mean daylilies

How I propagate new hydrangeas.  Place a brick on a low lying branch to let it root to the ground.  Next spring, cut the connecting stem from the mother plant, transplant and water frequently.  Voila!

Astilbe starting to bloom, a variegated lace cap hydrangea just finishing and one of those four year old volunteer hydrangeas in the background

Our garden shed, once an indoor roller skating rink for the first owner when he was an amateur roller skating champ in the 40s.  Now half its original size.

Pots are in bloom all over the yard and deck....but will have to cut back those annuals in a week or two since they are getting leggy.

We are spending good times with several different friends over the holiday weekend.  4th of July is my absolutely favorite holiday...a parade, picnic and fireworks, all in honor of freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Here's hoping you have a happy weekend as well no matter where in the world you live.

Happy to be Avoiding Sewing

Should I admit this....I didn't want to sew.  You see, our front porch swing, purchased from Nags Head Hammocks on vacation with friends about 20+ years ago, seemed to need a brand new seat.  The macrame roping had gotten terribly mildewed so one of my summer projects was to buy outdoor fabric while Mr. Lucky refinished the frame.  Ugh, home dec sewing, necessary but boooooring.  Mr. Lucky took the seat apart and checked online to see about a new cover.  Whoa, turns out you can wash that seat!  He carefully undid the macrame from the frame and linked it together with plastic ties.  Put it in the front load washer while I was out of town and it came out sparkling white.   He completed the wood refinishing and hung it two days ago.  Looks like new....and I didn't have to sew a thing.  Don't tell him but I have another Kwik Sew shirt in the works to say thanks for saving me from that project.

Last night was my second visit to a local book group meeting in one of library branches.   I thoroughly enjoyed this late life romance taking place amidst a small village in England.  It's a first novel and perhaps a bit overly dramatic at the end but a good take on the conflicts of age versus youth and the new generation, tradition versus progressive values and immigrant assimilation versus cultural loyalty.  Major Pettigrew did just that, he grew through unexpectedly falling in love with the Pakistani village shopkeeper, Mrs. Ali.  Good discussion, interesting perspectives and a fun way to spend a summer evening.

New Rules

Source: Fabric Mart and Burkholder Fabrics

Sometimes Bill Maher's "New Rules" TV segment gets me laughing so hard I almost...(fill in the blank.)   My influence on the world is much smaller.  The only place I get to make the rules is in my sewing studio.  I love being the Queen of my sewing studio...although I wouldn't mind some serfs to do the clean up work.  As the Queen, I get to make the rules.  New rule:  what comes in, must go out.  That means for every piece of fabric I buy, one must leave, either in the form of clothing, a muslin or a donation/sale.  Based on that "new rule" I have to divest myself of ten pieces of fabric from last weeks' shopping.  Yup, done.  One new muslin, seven pieces in the giveaway pile so far.  (More on that in a later post.)

You see, I went to Fabric Mart, in person.  Yes, I know, I was supposed to only stop by briefly when I was visiting my dear friend for a few days.  And I did stop for a few minutes on my second day in the neighborhood.  I kept to my Fabric Mart commitment and only bought two pieces: a stretch poly in navy satin light enough for sheath dress lining and a stretch poly nylon for the same purpose....and only $.50 a yard.  I was able to keep that commitment because I had just been to the most amazing quilting fabric store....Burkholder Fabrics.  Yikes, I had never seen such a collection on one place.  I'm not a quilter but I love quilt stores wth their lovely colors, designs and amazing notions.  Burkholder      Yelp review with pics of Burkholder fabrics  I did buy two batiks to make two table runners for our dining room with a very simple design:  

However.... the second night in town I opened my email and saw that those FM rayon knits were on the half price sale.  I had just made a muslin of the Pamela's Patterns Cool Cardigan Draped Front jacket while I was visiting my friend and loved how it turned out.  That's my excuse reason for returning to FM on Friday, visiting with Sharon, Sandy and Chris and buying five knits and a silk cotton blend.  Now they're all washed and ready to join the sewing line up.  


I had a delightful visit with my dearest girlfriend.  We attended her very fun book group evening where we discussed "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese, my favorite book of 2010.  Besides fabric shopping we sewed together, talked up a storm, visited a terrific Pennsylvania diner and ooohed and ahhhed over Lucky who came along for the ride.  Now I'm way behind on blog reading and commenting but filled with happy memories.


Postscript:  For those of you not in the US, Bill Maher is a writer, comic, social satirist and political libertarian with a late night show on cable TV.  I'm probably to the right of Bill Maher politically and find he can go from wonderfully insightful to snarky rather quickly, but he does make me laugh out loud when he skewers the left and the right and all our human craziness.  So if you are not familiar with him, here's a link to his latest "New Rules" show segment.  You may not wish to read this if you are easily offended.
Bill Maher May 17, 2011 New Rules

Knock Offs with a Little Culture on the Side

Finished the handsewn bow and ruffle for this latest Pamela's Patterns T shirt, this time with the V neck front.  I was inspired by this Kate Spade top
Kate Spade inspiration top
I'm not sure how the inspiration shirt fabric is attached to the the front.  I did handstitching which is visible on this soft knit.  If that bothers me too much I might go and some beads in those areas for some bling later.... but most likely I'll wear it as is.

My knit is a very soft cotton poly blend from Fabric Mart which was probably destined to be a nightgown or perhaps a robe.  But I loved the shell pink color and thought it would be appropriate for this ruffle look.   It is a little clingy for a knit top but so very comfy.

Auditioning the bow and streamers on the dressform

Since I'm explaining my knock offs, here's one for Lucky the rescue dog.  We've started training classes on Saturday mornings and this is his Dollar Store hack collar.  It's a design based on martingale collars which slip over your dog's head and let you correct the dog then release the tension.  The generic ones have a collar release to size it for your dog but Lucky's is custom fit for him.  I used a $1 leash that I cut up following a very old martingale that belonged to Sam.

Martingale dog collar inspiration:
Martingale collar

Last week was also a week of culture in our house.  We saw this wonderful play at the Olney Theater.  I don't have a musical bone in my body (but I am a great audience) so I was wondering how I would respond to a play based upon a string quartet losing one member and gaining another.  Fascinating play.  We are all part of groups, at work, in our families, and we all influence....and annoy....one another so the topics covered are quite universal.  Thoroughly enjoyable evening especially since it started with dinner across the street at the ever popular Olney Alehouse.  My brother and his then girlfriend introduced me to it maybe twenty years ago and I've enjoyed the opportunity to dine there whenever I'm in that neck of the woods.  Back then it was my first time trying their lemon tahini salad dressing and it's still a winner.


My next cultural event was a limited  select movie theater  showing of an HD filmed version of Steven Sondheim's musical, Company.   An amazing cast....Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Steven Colbert (yes, that Steven Colbert) Martha Plimpton, Christina Hendricks, to name about half of them.  A girlfriend and I had a night out and were blown away.  We felt just like we were in Lincoln Center watching the performance...from the very best seats.  I could never have afforded tickets to this limited 4 show engagement but got to see it just a few miles from home, how cool is that?

Company by Steven Sondheim movie trailer

Burda 7618 In Process

You seldom see me posting pictures of myself wearing the several muslins that I may make up on the way to a finished final garment.  First of all, it's already a challenge to get Mr. Lucky and me in the same place along with some daylight time, a camera and the latest sewing creation.  I must figure out a tripod location one of these days.  Secondly, hey, it's the Internet and I get to edit these pics, after all.  It's tough enough to look at myself without make up and with sweaty hair after my daily walk....why would I want to share that with the world?  But OK, for you, gentle readers, I will make an exception.


This is my latest entry for my next JAM project.  No one has reviewed this envelope pattern but I do recall that it was first seen in BWOF a few years ago.  Does anyone know which BWOF issue?   

My other sewing related news this week is a result of the latest Joann's Firefly sale.  I went in looking for the new Butterick bust cup size patterns and since those were already sold out, I consoled myself with this dress....and with the 50% off coupon and this book.  I bet most of the instructions for most of the flowers in this book are somewhere on the Internet...but now they're conveniently in one place for me.

Speaking of flowers, the day lilies are starting their blooming season, right on time for the last day of school here.   I'm always reminded of the wonderful start of the seemingly endless summers of my childhood when I see two sights in nature...these day lilies which my father had growing in our yard and this berry.

I don't know its real name...I called it a mulberry when I was young.  My best friend and I would stop at a tree (they grow on trees, not shrubs) on our way home from school and enjoy eating the ones we could reach.  This year their taste is quite bittersweet.  My friend and I lost touch after she dropped out of college with me after her freshman year.  We hadn't seen each other in 40 years but I've thought of her every school end when I taste those berries and recall 12 summers  of our friendship.  She never returned a call in the last 10 years and last fall she died tragically and terribly of the addictions that had destroyed her young potential and her life.  I only hope that those laughing, happy children I saw yesterday have longer, happier lives than she did.