Sewing Sunsets

We recently adopted a dog from a local rescue group.  The foster mom had named her Spot, but due to her sweet personality, we decided to name her Angel.  She is a very sweet dog, but boy did she have her foster mom fooled in other ways!

This dog has an extremely high energy level and I can barely keep up with her.  Yesterday was a particularly interesting day for both of us.  I had forgotten that Angel is much larger than our other dog was so when I left the room for a few seconds, she had managed to get into my cereal bowl.  Several times yesterday, she got on the couch, went cushion diving and managed to eat things that she found under the cushions in the couch.  It was raining and cold here yesterday so we couldn’t go out for our usual morning walk, and Angel seemed restless and bored, so I think that’s why she kept getting into trouble. 

Yesterday afternoon when I went into the kitchen to start cooking our supper, Angel decided that she would continue jumping on the couch and then go cushion diving again.  I would come into the living room to check on her and find her getting into everything.  She chewed on everything she could find yesterday, and no matter how many chew toys I gave her, she would soon lose interest in those and much prefer to chew on the coffee table, stair banister, the trim on the couch and chairs, or even the carpet.   I finally had to put her in her crate for about ten minutes yesterday afternoon so that I could finish cooking our supper.

This dog seems to need several long walks every day, but the weather does not often cooperate.  I prefer to walk on the treadmill for that very reason.  Hmmm….. I wonder if Angel could learn to walk on the treadmill, too? 

Even though Angel was getting into everything yesterday, she did sleep for a couple of hours in the morning and that allowed me to get some ironing done, and I got to do a little bit of sewing.  Of course, as soon as I started to sew, Angel wanted to be in on the action as well and came up into the sewing room. She was pretty good–for maybe 30 seconds —and then she got bored.  Perhaps if I taught her to sew, she wouldn’t get bored so often?  Of course, I’m not sure that doggies can really learn to sew……

Due to Angel’s antics, among other things, I haven’t had any pictures to show you lately.  I hope to remedy that situation soon–if Angel will let me, of course.

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

Today I need lots of sewing therapy, but I’m not sure whether or not I will be able to engage in such therapy.  My doggy is a sweet thing, but has much more energy than I do, and it seems that her energy level is especially high in the mornings.  A nice, long, brisk walk would help settle her down, but here in my area, it tends to be cold and rainy far too much during the year.  While we all know that rainy, cold days make wonderful sewing days, they are not especially good days for walking doggies–or people either, for that matter.

For the moment, my doggy is settled and I just may try going into the sewing room to sew for a bit.  Surely my doggy realizes that sewing therapy is important to me—right?!

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

Yesterday, I mentioned that some friends in Dallas are moving back to their home state of New York in a few months.  We also have friends here in Northern Virginia who are moving back to their home state of Ohio.  These were people that we met when we first moved here a little over two years ago, and we quickly became very good friends.  Our husbands had some things in common at their respective jobs, and Sandy and I both love to sew, which is part of the reason we bonded so quickly.  It’s always nice to find a another sewing friend.

This past Friday, my friend called me to tell me that they were leaving for Ohio in about a week and she wanted to say goodbye.  We chatted for a while and then ended our phone call, both thinking that we would not see each other again.  I almost didn’t answer that particular phone call because my Caller ID indicated it came from a local hotel.  I’m glad I answered!   I found out that my friends here had sold their house and were living in a hotel while preparing for their move back to Ohio.

Yesterday, Saturday, my husband and I went out our usual activities, which included going to lunch at a local fast food restaurant.  I had spotted an empty booth and had sat down when I noticed my husband talking to a couple in the booth behind ours.  When I looked, I saw my friend that had called me on Friday!  We joined them and had quite a nice visit.  It was such a nice surprise to get to see our friends before they move away. 

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I would really like to engage in some sewing therapy, but even though my dog is a very sweet, good dog, she still has enough puppy in her that I must watch her very closely right now.  It shouldn’t be too long before she figures out that she is in her forever home and will settle down a bit.  Of course, she does seem to have lots and lots of energy ……  

Getting a new dog has been one change in my own life and I am seeing many changes in other  areas as well.  I recently connected with a friend in Dallas and discovered that she and her family will be moving back to New York in a few months.  This was quite shocking news to us since they have lived in Dallas for a very long time and we all thought that they were settled there forever.  We met when we moved to Dallas over ten years ago, and we all became very good friends.

The move to Dallas all those years ago was very hard on me because I had never lived anywhere other than my home state of Arkansas.  Because we moved in the summer, we didn’t have the opportunity to meet many people, so the girls and I stayed in the house a lot and I spent the summer  sewing–a lot!  I guess that is when I began to hone my sewing skills and fell in love with sewing all over again.

During those early years in Dallas, I also noticed that many people were moving for a variety of reasons.  Many were changing jobs or had been transferred; some were returning to home states due to family needs; and some were moving for a variety of other reasons.  I always thought it was odd that this “shifting” of sorts seemed to be going on for the first few yeas that we lived in Dallas, and then everything seemed to settle down and few people moved.  Now, after living in Northern Virginia for a couple of years, I’m seeing the same changes happening.  People are moving away from areas that they may have lived in for a very long time.  It’s really a very weird feeling to have noticed the same type of changes happening all over again.

The last time people were still relocating, we kind of got left behind in an area that I would have preferred to leave.  This time, I hope we are included in this same wave of moving because my grandchildren live much too far away from me and I don’t like not seeing them very often.

I am actually a person who does not like change very much, but sometimes change can be good.   I started this post talking about our new dog, which is a change in our house.  Our 14 year old Sheltie mix died this past October and I have grieved for her very much.  Even though I wasn’t sure that I was 100% ready, we adopted this dog a week ago and she has already brought much joy to our lives.  She has made me laugh at her antics and she has also made me feel less alone, which is great.  I’ll tell you a little more about her another time, and I’ll post pictures.   This has been another ending and new beginning that I think about a lot.  When Shandy died, it was the end of a 14 year old friendship here on earth and that made me very sad.  Now I have a new beginning with a new, very sweet, and very active! dog.  I hope we have a very long friendship, too.

Right now there seem to be sew many changes for lots of folks and while I know that the endings can often be very bittersweet, I also know that the new beginnings can be full of joy and fun.

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I actually did get to sew a little bit yesterday.  I guess you could say I had a “pocket” of time to sew.  The dog behaved herself, but I don’t think she was feeling well because today is a different story.  At some point, I really need to be able to get back into the sewing room for some much needed sewing therapy.

 In the meantime, here is a little more review about sewing patch pockets.

After sewing the hem of a patch pocket, I like to press in the sides 5/8 of an inch.  I also miter the corners, which is really quite easy.

I use the seam gauge to press up all sides of the pocket at 5/8 inches.  Then I open out the corners as shown in the picture on the left above.  It’s quite easy to fold the corner in, shown in the middle picture, and then fold the sides in so that a mitered corner is formed (picture on the right above).  Once I have the corners mitered, I press the pocket well, pin it to the garment and sew.  I like to use the edge stitch presser foot to sew the patch pocket to the garment because it sews very close to the edge and looks really nice.

 More detailed information about sewing patch pockets and mitering the corners can be found at www.sewseamless.com/Page26.html and www.sewseamless.com/Page27.html

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I think my doggy is finally settling down and beginning to realize that she is in her forever home so maybe I can actually start sewing again soon!  Yay!  Today is the first day that I’ve been able to work in the computer room without her getting into everything.  Today may be a good day to give sewing a test drive and see how she does while I’m working in the sewing room.  That will be a new experience for her and may take a few days for her to learn that mommy really does need her sewing time.

 Since I haven’t done any sewing, let’s try reviewing how to sew patch pockets. Summer is coming and many little girls like to wear sundresses. Patch pockets can be made of the same fabric as the dress and blend in, or they can be made of a different fabric and designed to stand out in some way.  Either way, patch pockets are very handy–for little girls and adults.

I really enjoy sewing patch pockets because they are quick and easy to sew. When I sew patch pockets, I finish the top of the pocket with the serger so that there are no raw edges when the pocket is hemmed. 

The first thing I do is measure the hem with the seam gauge and then I pin the short sides and sew them.  I clip the corners diagonally so that a nice sharp corner can be created when the pocket is turned right side out.

After I sew the short sides and clip the corners diagonally, then I use the point turner to help create sharp corners on the pocket hem.  I press well and then sew the hem down by placing the edge of my presser foot on the finished edge of the pocket hem and putting my needle all the way to the left.  This helps sew a nice, even hem on the pocket. 

After sewing the hem, there are a few more steps to preparing the patch pocket before sewing it to the garment, but I’m going to save that for another post.  More information about how to sew a patch pocket hem can be found at www.sewseamless.com/Page26.html

My doggy is being very good this morning and because I want to keep it that way, I need to go take her on a walk.  Who knows?!  She may be so grateful that she will let me sew today. 

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I am still very busy with my doggy!  She makes me laugh, but she is a lot of work right now.  Poor thing is scared of the car, and we are trying to remedy that situation and ease her fears.  We took her to a great natural dog food place last night and she shivered during the entire car ride.  Once we got there, she was fine, and she was much better on the car ride home.

Another thing this poor dog doesn’t really like is her crate.  I’m actually ok with not crating her at night because I feel that she will do just fine, but when I leave the house is a whole different thing.  Today I need to leave the house for a couple of hours and I am wondering if I can get her in her crate or not.  It took both my husband and myself to crate her last night.  I would prefer to just confine her to a small area of the house, but this house is so poorly designed that I’m not exactly sure how I’ll accomplish that either.  She is afraid of the wood floors except for right around the front door.  I can gate off the hall and close the doors to the computer room, but the opening to the living area is wide and I don’t think the gate is wide enough unless we get two gates.  Personally, after another week or so, I suspect that this dog could have the run of the house and be fine. She just needs to make sure that she is home forever right now.

I tried going into the sewing room yesterday and letting the dog come in with me, but that didn’t work well.  We’re going to try again soon because I have lots of sewing projects that need to be finished and a few more sewing projects that need to be started as well.

I was hoping to review some sewing that I’ve done recently and show pictures, but since there have been some recent software updates, I can’t quite figure out how to post pictures here.  That’s another learning curve I’ll have to master.  n  I don’t like change very much, and this last change in the software program is my least favorite so far.

I can see that sewing therapy really needs to be in my immediate future, but I’m not sure that the doggy likes sewing yet.

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

So far, I haven’t been able to spend any time in my sewing room because my new furry doggy friend is keeping me very busy.  This morning I caught her eating a Q-tip.  She had probably eaten at least 1/4 of it before I caught her and got the rest out of her mouth.  I think part of the problem in the mornings is that when she isn’t in the same room with me and can’t see me, she gets into things.  I try to work on the computer in the front room every morning, but at this point, that isn’t working so I changed tactics and came into the living room to work on the laptop.  The dog settled down and was quiet, which is good.  However, a lot of the programs I need to post pictures and such is not available on the laptop.  So for now, there won’t be pictures for another day or two.

Even though I’m not doing much sewing right now, I am having fun with my furry friend. She really is quite funny and smart and she has made me laugh a lot.  Also, she is very good for weight loss plans.    I’ve lost about two pounds since we got her on Saturday.  That is great and puts me nearer my goal weight.

I need to go exercise my furry friend and later today, I’m going to run a very quick errand and I want to put her in her crate while I run my errand.  She needs to learn that I will come back to her.  I also hope to be able to take her in the car with me sometime, but she still associates the car with something unpleasant, so that will take more work.

When I  can post pictures again, I have some neck pillows, tissue holders, and other small decorative pillows to show you.  Those items will be Mississippi bound–all destined to go to Odyssey Healthcare.  Odyssey (www.odsyhealth.com ) is a hospice and a wondeful organization.  If you are looking for a place to volunteer by donating hand crafted items or engaging in other volunteer efforts, this would be a great place for that.

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com

I can see that it may be a little while before I get back to my sewing.  My new furry friend is a wonderful friend, but needs a lot of attention and correcting right now.  She’s very good, but tends to want to eat everything she finds, and this morning, I’m concerned that she got into one small thing that may hurt her.  I was watching her, saw her pick something up and before I could get to her to see what it was, she had crunched it and swallowed.   Gulp–that’s me, being nervous………….

So far, this little dog has done very well and I just don’t anything to upset the apple cart right now.  She doesn’t make me nervous, but the people at the rescue group make me nervous!

When I can resume my sewing, I may have to put this sweet little doggy in her crate for a short period of time so that I can concentrate on my sewing projects and not have to watch her so closely. 

I can also see that this dog is going to need lots more exercise than her foster parents thought she would need.  She is quite active in the house and I can see long walks in my immediate future.   That’s a good thing, except that the weather here is not very good most of the year, and I don’t like walking in the rain and snow.

I am going to have to get going now because after this dog eats and takes care of business, she needs lots of playtime or a long walk, (sigh–it’s raining here again this morning….) in order to expend some energy and keep her from getting into things.  I just caught her chewing up her blanket and taking a chunk out of it.  I did manage to get the fabric away from her before she digested it. 

Remind me again why I wanted a furry friend….

Happy Sewing to those of you who can sew right now.

www.sewseamless.com

I promise to post a picture of my new furry friend soon.  She seems like a really great dog and I just can’t imagine anyone giving her up or not wanting her for some reason.  Just like people, this dog has a history and a story.  Someone must have loved her once because she already seems to be responding to some basic commands.  However, I also see a little fear in her eyes sometimes.  Eventually, I think she will learn how to trust again.

I had planned to crate train this doggy, but she seems to want no part of that.  Maybe she associates it with something unpleasant.  Hubby bought her a bed of her very own last night and she seemed to just know that it was hers.  She slept on her bed all night long and didn’t wake me up until this morning when she needed to go outside.  She’s a very good dog.

While we will have some adjustments to make this week, I don’t think it will be too long before I can resume my regularly scheduled sewing.  In the meantime, I’ll take pictures of my almost completed sewing projects to show you.

Right now, I think I want to go play with my new furry friend.

Happy Sewing!

www.sewseamless.com