Failing Brakes and Other Bits...

Did I mention that my brakes failed on my car?  It wasn't a huge deal when it happened, as I was on a street that isn't busy, I was close to home, and I was not going very fast (cuz there is often radar set up there).  My brake pedal went from normal to going all the way to the floor.  Oops!  I was able to stop, though, so I turned my car around and drove home.  I was without my car for 10 days, which was not fun at all.  Thank you to Kim and Maureen for helping me with necessary errands (grocery store and pharmacy).  Thankfully, that is now behind me and all is well with my car...and my world...once again.  Whew.   

  
I haven't been doing much since the weekend.  I want to, but the few things I have tried to do did not turn out the way I thought/wanted.  I hate when that happens!  I am going to give it a rest and do some knitting.  I am making a winter scarf for myself...simple and (hopefully) difficult to mess up. 

I made a linen napkin yesterday.  Just one.  For myself.  I am trying out an online linen fabric shop...linen to use for doll clothes, napkins and whatever else might strike my fancy.  It's been washed once and is very soft...so far, so good.  This color is 'ginger'...I like it a lot. 

The weather has been very cool this week.  I don't mind the cool temperatures, as long as the sun is out.  Great walking weather, for sure.  I do like Autumn..it's just that Winter follows it.

Tag has been doing his usual...laying around with his warthog.

This bottom photo makes my eyes fill with tears.  Classic Tag/warthog posture.  

My two sisters are coming to Wisconsin in 3 weeks...one from Maryland and the other from Colorado.  We will have time for a 'sister's night', which I am very much looking forward to.  Sitting around together is a time we all enjoy.  I am in the process of planning and making several gifts to take with me...for my sisters, and for a few others I will see.  I'll take photos, but won't be able to show the gifts until after I get home.  

Tomorrow is going to be a gorgeous day, weather-wise.  I have lots to do and it's always better when the sun is shining.  I hope you have a great day, too!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Friday Finishes...

Though it was a short week - haha...why do I say that?  I don't work, so this week was really no different than any other.  Yes, I know it was Labor Day on Monday, but I had no plans, so...

I have a couple of things to show off you.  

But, before I do that...take a look at Tag doing a stare down with his warthog!  I took this photo last night and it cracks me up as much this morning as it did when I took it!

When I am sitting in my big easy chair, Tag brings his warthog over for me to throw for him.  He puts it on the ottoman and then flips it with his nose and the warthog rolls toward me.  Well, last night, it rested in an upright position.  Tag backed up and there he sat...a stare down!!!  I hope you find this as humorous as I did (and do).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so on with the finishes.  First of all, let me say that I have not been putting Serger Sue to good use.  But, that is only because Naomi Janome pointed out to me that she, herself, has an overlocking stitch in her bag of tricks.  I've been trying that out on doll clothes and I like it very much.  It is much easier to change threads on Naomi Janome than on Serger Sue and I only need the bobbin and spool...not 4 separate spools.  Ya know?  Serger Sue has been left to lanquish...and she doesn't like it one little bit.  So, to keep her quiet, I made a cover for her.  ha!  

Because sergers are oddly shaped, I decided that a simple throw it over the top and tie the sides was the best way to go.  I had some leftover HSTs from my last quilt, so I used them for the front of the cover.  I used white cotton for the back, as well as for the underside of the cover.  I did a minimum of quilting and I actually had matching green and orange threads!  I stitched a line on each side of the zigzag edges and I stitched random lines on the back.  I used some leftover strips to make the ties and to bind it with.  Easy Peasy!

front

back

  
The other finish I have to show is an outfit I made for 16" dolls...for Emma to model.  I modified a dress pattern in a few ways for the top...well, for the bottoms, too.  On the linen/cotton blend pants, I added a strip of fabric to match the top.  Nothing fancy, but I thought it added a little more to the cuteness factor...don't you think?  ~grin~  This will be listed in my Etsy shop. 

 

I need to practice sewing with knit fabric, so I may work on that this weekend.  Otherwise, nothing much is going on. 

Have a great weekend!


"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Mini Wonky Charms Quilt...and TagEButt...

 I love this boy...

the (brown) boy and his warthog...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished quilting and binding this doll quilt.

It measures 15x18 inches before laundering.

front

 back

my label

That's all I have for today!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

The Tail of Two Dogs...

I briefly mentioned Curly Sue in an earlier post (see it here).  I have been stopping by her house (to give her a potty break) on my way home from work since 2006 (I think).  Now that I am retired, I take a break from whatever I am doing and drive about 5 minutes to her house and spend a bit of time with her and make sure that she potties.  She was about 1 year old when she was rescued from a puppy mill...where CS spent the majority of her days in a crate with her brother.  Needless to say, she was fearful of almost everything.  Her owner, Sheri, has done an outstanding job of exposing her to various situations...and I would say that CS is fairly normal at this time.  Sure, there are still some incidents that make her run and hide, but for the most part, she has learned how to handle the situations she encounters.   

For instance, my little iPhone kinda freaked her out for a bit...stopped her dead in her tracks, it did.  But, she got over it. 

We have always wondered why she was named Curly Sue.  Being a Beagle and all, she has not one curly hair on her.  

I am in charge of brushing her teeth and trimming her nails...lucky girl.  ~grin~  She doesn't really like having her nails trimmed (what dog does?), but she behaves during the few minutes it takes.

 Today, she and I decided that a selfie was way overdue!  So, here you are...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then, there is Tag...aka brown dog, Tag E Butt, chocolate puppy.  As you probably know, he does love his warthog.  When he received a new toy - Nanny Hoot Owl - he sort of ignored his warthog.  Of course, there was the question of whether or not Nanny Hoot Owl would become his new favorite.  Well, I want to set your minds at ease...after several days of hardly looking at his warthog, he was back to playing with it today.  Whew.  ~grin~

In this photo, he is making the choice between the two.

 

And, here he is 'woofing' quietly at his warthog.  He had a jolly time playing with the warthog, throwing him around and pouncing on him.  I feel safe in saying that he will remain faithful and true to his warthog.

The end.  (Now, if I was really clever, I'd have a photo of someone's back end to insert here.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am very excited...Kaylynn is coming for an overnight tomorrow!  I haven't seen her since before Christmas, for pete's sake.  We have FaceTimed a few times, which is really fun to be able to do with her now.  

I hope you all have a great weekend!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Photos and Projects...

I never tire of taking photos of Tag (& his warthog).

I started a little embroidery project...

This is Curly Sue...the dog I potty each day.

Here are two little wooden toys (for dolls) that I had custom-made by Jessica, Etsy shop You're Inspired .  The puppy is named Tagalong.  The magpie is not named. They stand about 3" tall and are just the cutest things, ever!!!  One day, I may share the story of the magpie with you...hopefully in the near future.  

magpie and tagalong

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a bunch of sewing to do for members of my family.  I keep putting these projects off, but I really do need to get at them.

The list:
*two sweatshirts to convert to jackets for my aunt
*two skirts need linings for sister Jill
*special stitches on a plastic canvas needlepoint to finish for sister Jill (I don't even like plastic canvas stuff, so am not sure why I was asked...or why I agreed...to do this)
*two pillows for me Mum and sister Julie for their new chairs
*a 'road trip case' (using the music fabric shown in an earlier post), *two skirts (one for my granddaughter and one for sister Joyce's granddaughter...actually, I volunteered to make those).

I think I have a problem with saying, "no".   

AND, now that Naomi Janome is home again, I started working on me Mum's quilt.  I have all the strips sewn together, am in the process of pressing them and then will cut them apart so that I can rearrange them and sew them back together.  ~grin~  (Isn't that what quilting is all about?  Cutting fabric apart to sew back together in different configurations?  Yup.)

I always have something to do!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OH!  Big news!!!  I now have business cards!  woohoo!!!

That's all I have for now...have a great weekend!



"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

What's Up! Wednesday...

What's Up is this...I wanted to post a few random photos I took in the last few days.  Don't be getting all excited, though...they're not that much of anything!   ~grin~

Tag lays in the strangest places sometimes!

Sister Jill sent me a glass tray thingie to put my stuff on...

 

14" Pillow...first one finished!

Backed with a premium muslin...

LOVE this pillow cover!!

Mr. Warthog already needed surgery.  He is MUCH loved!

He no longer has tusks, so I needed to sew up the holes.

New loungewear...not my usual colors (and they don't quite match each other)!

Did I tell you I got one of these for my birthday?  LOVE it!!!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Merry Christmas!

 

Tag is a happy boy...

he has two new toys.

A warthog (his 5th one over the years)

and a duckie!

Thank you to Aunts Julie and Jill.  

Merry Christmas to you all!

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.". Jeremiah 29:11

Mutant?

My Tag is so dang smart!

I know you already knew that.

Here's yet another story that proves it.

Back when this arrived at my doorstep

 

I recognized that it was a different type of warthog.

See the spots?  The darker areas of fur?  

Except, those are not spots.  

They are mutations!

This warthog was some kind of mutant.

Like a teenage mutant ninja warthog.

I kept a close eye on it.

And wondered what the difference was all about.

Well, the other day,

good ole Tag got to the bottom of it.

Literally.

He found that the mutant ninja was stuffed

with an unbelievable amount of polyester fiberfil.

And, that it had smuggled in a weapon.

A weapon of mass destruction!

Guess the mutant ninja was waiting for

it to come out the other end so it could be used.
To destruct.

No worries.

We're safe.

Now.

Thanks to Tag E. Butt,
Labrador Extraordinaire.

Okay, so the wmd?
It's really the grunt-maker

from the belly of the warthog.

What can I say?

Need to entertain the masses

(and myself)!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Merry Christmas

Well, here it is Christmas Day afternoon.

The festivities are over.

I went to son Matthew's this morning.

He made us a huge breakfast.

Conlan and Jasmine loved the tv/floor pillows.

I received a very nice framed photo of the kids

and a new mouse pad with a photo of the kids on it.

Love them!

Here's Conlan.

(aka up & coming rockstar)

In his suit, no less.

He asked for a suit for Christmas...

can you believe that?

An almost 8 year old?

Perhaps more Michael Buble than Jon Bon Jovi?

(Gotta tell ya, though...I've seen Jon in a tux...looks so good!)

Here's Matthew, hard at work.  Makin' bacon, methinks.  

And, here's Miss Jasmine, Miss Blue Hair (before her time...isn't it usually the old ladies that dye their hair blue?).

Unfortunately, those are about all the photos I took.

But, here are some of your favorite brown dog!

With a new...you guessed it...WART HOG!

From Santa (aka Aunt Julie)...

 

 

 He hasn't let it out of his sight.

It was a great day.

I need to finish up 3 gifts and get 2 packages shipped.

Then, I will officially be done with Christmas.

Right now, though?

I am going to sit and spend some quiet time reading.

In my jams.

Snuggled with Tag.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Poor Warthog...

injured animal photos ahead...

if you're squeamish about seeing

injured (stuffed) animals, 

you may want to bypass the photos.

{grin} 

Accidental injury!

By Tag E. Butt.

To his warthog.

 Not sure it's going to make it.

Lost a lot of stuffing.

Keeping a close eye on it
(& keeping it away from Tag)

until a surgery date opens.

Which may not come until after Christmas.

This may be the end of it for this warthog.

It is, after all, 3 years old...

which is very old for a much-loved toy.

One that has been carried around

both inside & outside,

chewed on,

cuddled with,

tossed up in the air

(by me for Tag to catch)

and has generally gotten 

a lot of use.

This warthog is Tag's
all-time fave toy.
Seriously.

It already had surgery once.

Remember this...last spring?

Well, this injury is much more serious.

It's a waiting game.

Just sayin'.

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

How It Is...

This is how not good I feel...I have not touched my sewing machine in several days.  And, when I did, this was all I could do...put the inner and outer borders on the quilt top.

Poor Naomi Janome.  I'll have to spend some time with her real soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know that Robert Plant has a new album out?  I hear it's #7 over at Amazon.com.  Not bad!  It's called Band of Joy and I must say that I think these songs are so well suited for his voice.  I like each and every song on this album.  Great job, Percy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, cuz I know you've been wondering about Tag's warthog...here is a photo I took of it last week.  I was sitting at the sewing machine and turned my head toward the dining room to see where Tag was.  Saw him laying on the sofa and then noticed that the warthog was apparently enjoying the music I was playing.  See how it's just sitting there, as if it doesn't want to miss any part of the album? 

(be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it)

Ya know...it's all I have.  {grin}

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might. - Ecclesiastes 9:10

Successful Surgery...

warning:  If you're squeamish about needles, you might want to avoid this post.  

I will not be responsible for fainting readers.

However, it's not a real live animal being stitched up...it's a stuffed warthog.

{grin}

All set for surgery...where's the patient?

Looks like the patient is all prepped and ready for surgery...

 Stitching him up...

Anxious Papa...

It's going well...

Still anxious...

The last stitch has been sewn...

Good as new & he'll never miss that tusk (not living in the wild, you know)...

Hey!!!  I told you that the warthog needed to rest for a few hours!!!