How'd It Get to Be Sunday Again?

I must've blinked.

Anyways I've been playing with someone a lot. One of the rare moments she's not in motion.

I finally got to make some practice molds for the mini club workshop last Thursday. I was going to be teaching everyone how easy it is to use 2-part silicone mold kits, so I needed to play with the material first.

Those two little white smudges on the quarter are actually mini piles of rice. Those took a while to make and I'd been waiting to do so when I had molding compound handy. Now I won't have to make them again unless I loose the molds!

We had part of our sewer line back up last week. It happened when the washing machine drained, so that's been fun to clean up. No, not really. Thankfully the water didn't make it into either studio area or two where the computers are set up.

I've been working on the bras for the dancers too. They're coming along nicely. Just need to do fittings and tweak everything before I cut the real fabric. I really should get pictures of the muslins, but I keep forgetting to. Besides, kitten pictures are more fun.

Gotta get back to work. See you next weekend!

More Distractions

Mostly of the wee feline persuasion. Purr-suasion perhaps? Anyways, Ellie Bean is putting on a healthy amount of weight. I've been trying to convince FuzzyHusband to let her stay, but that's still up in the air. She does have a place on the waiting list for the no-kill shelter, but I'd rather her stay here. She's a love, most of the time, when she's not being an ornery kitten.

Also she and Mercedes adore each other. Can you see Ellie's foot trying to reach Mercedes from the other side of the door? She knew Mercy was in the hallway.

I had yet another birthday this past week. Funny how those things keep coming around. Himself brought me flowers when he got off work early and we went to see the second Kingsman movie. Loved it!

I did make myself a birthday cake, but didn't get a picture of it. I used the Wilton butter cake recipe on their website, but I made a chocolate cream cheese icing.

I'm working on some pattern alteration at the moment. It's nothing major, just adjusting a bra pattern for a couple of the burlesque dancers. Once I get the mock-ups sewn up, I'll start with photos. I still need to get pictures of the new designated sewing area downstairs.

That's all for now. I"m hoping to be done with the mock ups this week and get the real bras sewn in short order. I've also got to prep some stuff for miniature club this coming week. We'll see how that goes.

See you next weekend!

Distractions

FuzzyHusband and I were headed out for our usual Wednesday evening pub visit and stopped at Walgreens to get him his flu shot. Our plans were changed when this wee thing was seen running through the busy parking lot.

According to our vet, she's between 4 and 5 months old. Her adult teeth are coming in and she actually lost some baby teeth this evening. She's a bit on the small side, but we don't know how long she was in that "island" of land in a triangle made by three 4-lane streets. Also she's not microchipped, which is a bummer. The vet and I weren't sure if she was dumped or somehow got lucky dodging cars after accidentally getting out of her home. She's in great health overall and too clean to have been outside for long.

I've been checking the area we found her in for "lost" posters, posted on Facebook and other social media, and called the county's animal control to see if anyone's reported her missing. So far I've gotten nowhere. FH also left our contact info at the pharmacy in case her family went looking for her. I'll try again next week a couple more times. If someone's missing her, I want to reunite them.

FH hath decreed she may not stay permanently, but we're fostering her until the legal stray hold time is up and our local no-kill shelter has an open spot. Happily her FIV/leukemia test came back negative and she didn't have fleas that we could find. Once she gets to TAPS, they will get her all her shots and get her spayed.

I kind of wish we were keeping her because, well...

Mercedes will be so very sad when Ellie Bean is gone. *sigh* Pixel will be glad when the "interloper" is gone. Artie would eventually be friends with her if she wasn't quarantined while the deworming kicks in..

In other news we were able to rent a pickup truck yesterday and haul away the dead couch and a bunch of detritus from the garage. Our neighborhood rents a big dumpster twice a year, so everything that could legally be tossed in that needed gone was taken. So much more room in the house!

Per FH's idea, we've set up a large table where the couch used to be and have created a sewing area for me. The recliner is still down there for him to sit in and my desk chair is quite comfortable, so we can still watch the occasional movie together, but now the dining room can be fabric free.

Artie seems to believe the new bedding I set up for Mercedes is his.

I found him in there last night when I went down to feed Victor. Goofy cat.

That's all for this week. There will likely be more kitten pictures next weekend. I'm not sure how long Ellie Bean will be with us, but she's too cute not to photograph!

We Won!

The carpet is saved! The gallon of enzyme carpet cleaner that I poured all over the problem area really made the difference.

Also we (at the Festival shop) finally got to the box containing the little Christmas tree I designed a couple months ago. So it's done, along with 32 other 2.5 ft- 3 ft trees and 4.5 ft trees. We're going to be working on a 7.5 footer today, once I make this post and drive over there.

Not much else exciting is happening. I'm still waiting on bra supplies from Canada to arrive. FuzzyHusband is off on a business trip, so I get to make my own schedule for the most part. Artie has a definite opinion about his daddy being gone.

Not sure what I"ll get into this week. There's always cleaning and laundry to do, but I'd like to finish my wall quilt and get my great-nephew's quilt pieced before I have to start on bras in earnest. We shall see.

Take care!

Almost Missed It!

This last week has been insanely busy. His Fuzziness and I spent all day yesterday moving furniture, vacuuming, and shampooing the carpet downstairs. The hope is that we won't have to give up and rip it all out to escape the odors left by two naughty girls. Yes. Those naughty girls. *sigh*

To be fair, Mercedes was likely never properly house trained and we've just been incredibly lucky up until recently. And she checks out ok at the vet, so it's not a urinary issue. So we're handling the behavior side of things and trying to salvage the carpet. Pixel on the other hand decided to start marking when we brought Mercedes home. It was her protest then. Things are better now, but spot cleaning just wasn't getting the results we needed.

Best case, we won and can stand to be in the tv/computer area of the house again. Worst case means we won't be gagging and coughing when we rip it all out.

Other than that, I'v been getting things prepped to start sewing some bras for two of out local burlesque dancers. Also for myself as I'm tired of having to order from overseas to get bras that fit.

The decorating committee for Festival of Trees has been back in the shop this week.  I forgot to get photos though. Whoops. But lots of new things are ready for the auction!

Oh! I almost forgot about the newest mini! I can't show a photo because privacy, but my niece had her first baby on Thursday! He's gorgeous! Now that he's here and safe, I'll be starting his quilt soon. Probably while I wait on bra making supplies to arrive from Canada.

And with that, I"m off to enjoy an extremely late steak dinner with FuzzyHusband. See you next weekend!

A Message From Pixel

We're taking the weekend off. Mom's finally not decorating Christmas trees or having invaders in the house. I'm making sure she has lots of time to pet me instead of doing laundry too. Zzzzzzzzzz

Still Crazy Busy

Busy Busy

Can't Even....

I'm taking a break this week, after watching the complete devolving of sanity, dignity, and what I was raised to believe were American values.

I was taught that it's ok to believe something different from one's neighbor, because this is America. You can disagree, but for goodness sakes be civil. And try to focus on where we're similar instead of dividing each other where we're different.

Apparently some people are forgetting that we're all human beings.

Five Ways from Sunday

That's how my last week has gone. So much to do in short amounts of time. I finished up the sequin encrusted wrap skirt and got it delivered, but I forgot to get a photo of it. Picked up stuff for the next sewing commission in the same trip.

Some how manged to get the samples for the miniature club project whipped together. Total eleventh hour situation there. Also one of the bananas in the bunch has a broken end. Whoops.

We had company come in from out of state for the weekend. Because of critter allergies they opted for a hotel, but I still had to remove copious amounts of dog hair and bits of sequins from the house. I hadn't seen them in forever, so I was really looking forward to the visit.

FuzzyHusband and I took them all around town this weekend. First Friday was in full swing, so our eyes got to feast on beautiful things. For our bellies, we had ice cream from a small, family business. It's our favorite place to indulge. They specialize in interesting flavors. I chose pistachio (my all time favorite) and sweet corn. So yummy!

I didn't take many pictures this weekend because I just plain forgot to. Was having too much fun. Also was being worn out by their child's energy levels. I wish we could bottle it and use it for ourselves once in a while!

Something I did get a picture of are the gorgeous hand-dyed fabrics my friend brought for me. She's always played with dyes, but she's only recently been moving into dying textiles in full force. Aren't they fabulous?

From left to right she used: cochineal, madder root, turmeric, marigold, basil and over-dyed with red cabbage, and blackberries. I'm going to have to come up with a special use for these.

But for now, it's time to put away the second round of dishes from breakfast, get back to the laundry, and think about dinner. See you all next weekend!

More of the Same

Avery's pillow was finished and mailed to his grandma last week.

Now I'm covering a wrap skirt with sequins. It would be easier to just make a skirt with the sequin fabric, but that's not what I'm being paid to do, so covering it is.

The design team now has 39 Christmas trees [nine 7.5', fifteen 4.5', and fifteen table top], 9 "hearth and home items [centerpieces, etc], and 4 wreaths designed. I've excited because this is the first year I've designed a tree! It's boxed up and ready to be put together.

Lastly, I noticed a visitor yesterday and snapped a picture.

That's all for this week. I need to get back to the sequin insanity. See you next week!

Glitter, Sewing, and Baking

It's that time of year again. Time to start planning and decorating for Festival of Trees. I've come home many days now, covered in glitter. But the shop is ready for us to start designing tree themes now.

I'm almost done with the little pillow for my sister's impending grandson. Just need to cut the back sections and put everything together.

And finally, I tried out a new recipe last night for cream cheese brownies. It's from America's Test Kitchen, we have the giant recipe book, and... WOW! So good! Someone (not me) couldn't wait for them to cool all the way before he stole a wee bit off a corner.

That's all for this week. How everyone is staying cool in the heat!

Happy Birthday, Pixel!

Bubble Bubble

We've got 10 gallons of hard cider in carboys now. Half is a straight hard apple cider, the other is an apple-cherry cider experiment. The plain apple belongs to one of the guys at our local Makerspace. FuzzyHusband has been teaching members how to brew.

Cherry-apple

Plain apple

That's all for this week. FH and I need to clean up the kitchen now. ;-)

Eratta

As far as my writing goes, I'm being encouraged on multiple fronts to consider publishing a book of my poetry. So I'm slowly figuring out what pieces would be good enough, which need polishing, what are "good examples of practice" (aka rubbish), and pondering thoughts for new poems.

I did make a lovely salted caramel sauce last Sunday. It was perfect on top of the chocolate cheesecake... and on fresh fruit, potato chips, pretzels... ;-)

Pixel found Artie's hiding spot and claimed it for her own.

I've finally started in on a little pillow my sister asked me to make for her impending grandson. It's 5" x 6", sized for a wee rocking chair she's refinished for the nursery. I found the font I chose somewhere online.

Now I need to make piping, cut out the letter appliques, and put it all together.

See you next weekend!