So Much For Sewing Today

   I had promised myself I'd take some time for sewing today. Yesterday was all about housecleaning and entertaining. Today I planned to relax. The morning started out very relaxing, with the husbeast taking me out for a nice breakfast at Shakabrah. I came home and started my rounds on the computer. I am a member of the Tacoma Area Freecycle but give away more things than I receive (which is a good thing) but today there was a posting for a purple shower curtain with a Celtic knot design.  Purple AND Celtic knots? Oh baby! I shot off an email with my phone number and a promise to head right over if chosen. 30 minutes later these were adorning my guest bathroom.

   Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure, but they absolutely scream "crazy old hippie chick". They work pretty well with my $10 garage sale print titled "Iris Pool" but I'm gonna need some purple towels. Love, love, love it.

   No sooner had I got home from Midland, hung the curtains and settled back in front of the computer, when an email came through accepting my offer on a sewing machine. The catch was I had to come get it NOW. So off I went to the Gem Heights area of South Hill, Puyallup. I arrived home with a new patient for my sewing machine clinic. I'm getting a bit too tired to begin a sewing project so I'll just have to show you all the goodies I got, yesterday, at the JoAnn Fabric's Columbus Day Sale. They had all their Simplicity patterns priced at 99 cents each (limit 10). Guess how many I bought!???!

   They also had all their red dot clearance fabrics offered at 50% off the last marked price. Which means most of this was just $2 per yard. Fabric prices being what they are, I couldn't afford NOT to buy all this. Right??? Seriously, though, I should not be allowed anywhere near a fabric store, for anything other than thread, for a good long time. I have so many patterns and so much fabric, it is getting ridiculous.

   I also have way too many sewing machines. You know what I don't have too many of? Sergers. I have a nice one that my friend, Marti gave me, but it is without a manual and I am too intimidated to try and figure it out. I also determined that sergers (at least the less expensive entry level models) aren't worth trying to  find used. The sellers want almost as much for a 20 year old serger as it will cost you for a brand new one. Which is why I ordered a Brother 1034D on Amazon, today, along with a The Complete Serger Handbook.  The serger will arrive with it's own manual plus a CD rom video. Happy Anniversary to me! I always know the perfect gift to get myself. ;-p

   Speaking of gifts, look what my thoughtful better half gave me. It is the work of a New York photographer. Love it! That's all the show and tell for today. I hope to have some actual sewing to show soon.

 

A Very Eventful Day

When I woke up this morning I had no idea the day would be so enjoyable. I bribed the husbeast, with an espresso, in return for his running me around on my errands. I had to go to the post office, to mail a couple of patterns, but I also wanted to go pick up a legless flamingo. Plastic, of course. It was offered on Freecycle and I've always wanted a plastic flamingo for my yard (Lord only knows why) so I jumped at the chance to add this poor amputee to my yard art menagerie. First order of business was to fashion him some proper legs. I found a wire hanger in the closet and, 3 snips of the wire cutter later, here he is.


Once at work things were pretty busy. Midway through the day a friend arrived with 3 boxes of wine bottles, some t-shirts, and a bar of her homemade soap. Sweet! As if that wasn't good enough, another friend arrived shortly after bearing a bag full of egg cartons, some empty jars with lids, and imported cookies from Deutschland. That's pretty wonderful, right? But there's more! The UPS man delivered my beekeeping supplies!!! Most of it is plastic frames and unassembled hive boxes and I won't get a chance to sort through it until Sunday. But here you can see the smoker, bee brush and hive tool on top of the middle box.


My bee mentor, Kristine, showed up and as we were hanging out who should waltz in? The Pipe Tart! A Facebook friend from Ohio. Now usually, if a female is into tobacco pipes, she's a character. And I adore characters. We had a nice visit. Before I knew it, it was time to head home. After I fed the cat I went in to check on my most recent wines. The apple wine is still not doing much (sigh). If it doesn't pick up in the next day or two I may just toss it. But the orange/banana wine is doing so well that I fear it may crawl out of the crock pot and attack me. It's a pretty robust ferment.