Firefly skirt

There are no fireflies on the fabrics yet it's the firefly skirt. Why? Because I know it will be the princess skirt and princess skirts make me think of Faith Hill's Firefly song.

Fireflies (written by Lori McKenna)

Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them princes
and made myself a queen
Before you knew me I traveled
'round the world
I slept in castle and fell in love
Because I was taught to dream
I found mayonnaise bottles and
poked holes on top
to capture Tinkerbell
and they were just fireflies to the untrained eye
But I could always tell

Chorus:
I believe in fairytales and dreamers dream
like bed sheet sails
and I believe in Peter Pan and miracles
anything I can to get by
and fireflies

Before I grew up I saw you on a cloud
I could bless myself in your name and
pat you on your wings
Before I grew up I heard you
whisper so loud
"Life is hard, and so is love, child"
Believe in all these things
I found mayonnaise bottles and
poked holes on top
to capture Tinkerbell
and they were just fireflies to
the untrained eye
But I could always tell

(Chorus)

Before you met me I was a fairy princess
I caught frogs and called them prince
and made myself a queen
Before you knew me I traveled 'round the world
and I slept in castles and fell in love
because I was taught to dream



E, I hope you will always see Tinkerbell in the swarms of fireflies, that the memories of this skirt will be followed by memories of being a queen (but not of Butler, that's Aunt Jan's title.lol), of sleeping in castles and that you will always believe in miracles and Peter Pan. As Great-Grandma S. would have said: "Wear it in good health, my dear."

And yes, this skirt was really made in an afternoon. About an hour give or take a smidge. I still have a touch of finishing work to do when the ribbon arrives. The girl lives in skirts, so I imagine she will ask for another tiered skirt at least. Nothing like watching the stash dwindle and knowing the finished product will be well-loved. Better than chocolate.

Note to the baby-sock buyer (blogless)...if you want baby colors, you special order the yarn and pay for my time instead of the flat $5/pair rate. No one twisted your arm..you asked if I'd sell some. Custom orders cost more. A LOT more. Remember that,if you can. Also, remember circumstances dictate I stay at home with the family so this is my way of making a few extra $$ once in a while. I'm not 'fortunate' like you: no kids at home, steady job and tons of free time. My time is worth more than you are willing to pay most of the time. I take pride in my work, the time to do the job RIGHT...you get what you pay for. A lesson I doubt you have learned yet.

KWIW

Knitting while I wait, what a novel idea to some folks. This morning, while keeping Hubster company at the ER (again), I knit baby socks. Each nurse ooh'd and aah'd them as if socks were something new and exotic to them. I just smiled and knit on, happy to have thought to throw the stuff in the tote bag the day before for some swing knitting. Note to self: remember to put notebook back in tote bag!

Hubster is in a lot of pain due to a bulging disk...pain which is nearly unmanageable at this point. Another change in pain meds and the addition of steroids for the inflammation will hopefully get us through the weekend and to a follow-up with the family doc. Send healing thoughts his way...or shotgun shells mine. lol.

Well, Blogger finally let me upload photos then won't put them in order. Figures. Anyhow, another bag finished this morning. It begged for a photo shoot with the twin from yesterday (which is going into the mail this weekend on an adventure). Miss E has been begging for a tiered skirt so I dug out Kwik Sew's Sewing for Children master pattern book and went to work this afternoon. She is delighted with it so I can overlook the flaws like uneven gathers and just let her enjoy it. I will be calling the Bernina dealer next week about a gathering foot since E wants more skirts like this. I have no ambition to sit gathering for hours at a time to accomplish these. bad momma points, I know. Oh well.

Knitting pictures will be tomorrow if y'all can stand more baby socks. That's all I have knit this week. An hour per sock, roughly, so that's evening tv knitting after the sun goes down. I am thinking of joining a summer sock swap (I forget the name of it) but not until I am 100% sure knitting mojo is back to stay a while.

'Nuther bag

Several days of a bit here and there sewing. I think I love this one the most so far simply because it is different.I do wish I had used a stiffer interfacing (should have followed my gut!) and that I could have found a more suitable handle. I like the look of the striped handles but would like a little more 'backbone' for this bag.

Need a laugh?

If you don't read JenLa's blog, head over there immediately. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. She has the funniest post and comments about the twisted things parents or siblings tell kids. I'm still chuckling.

There, I did my part to brighten the world today. Now go!

A Week's Worth of Knitting

Yup, an entire week's worth of knitting right there, folks. Baby socks which were frogged TWICE before I managed to finish one. Absolutely nothing turns out as it should lately. I thought seriously about packing the needles away until fall but that nagging voice in my head (in my good ear) kept saying "Swing and knit". Come hell or high water, I will find the knitting mojo again. And soon.

This has been one of the weeks straight from hell for me. The doctor said my ear is STILL infected and ordered another course of antibiotics. Fine. I can deal with that and that $45 office call. The first ER bill came today and I cannot deal with it. $177 and change for literally 2 minutes of work? It wasn't call-girl sex for heaven's sake! I probably would not be so p.o'd if the first time had cured the problem but we all know it did not. I followed the orders given to the letter so what gives? In the end, this ear will cost me over $500 out of pocket at least. $500 for an ear infection. Guess it is better than $500 for a hangnail. Still, that could be a lot of sock yarn. ;o)

Letter to a friend

A very dear friend came by today with the news that she and her husband are heading to splittsville. This is for her, even though I doubt she has the time to surf the blogs.

J****,
My heart aches for you and the kids. I wish I had words of wit, comfort and wisdom for you right now but my own hell marriage has left me void of most feelings and emotions of late. Maybe, just maybe if I share a bit, you will find the silver lining I have already spotted in your cloud.

You ARE the breadwinner. You HAVE been the breadwinner for 20 years and love what you do. That makes leaving your kids easier. I, on the other hand, have never, ever found a single job I love enough to feel that leaving the girls is ok. And I mean ok for me, not all the women in the world. You have insurance, benefits and a family who by all appearances, will support you.

You have the courage I lack. I have no problem facing the fact that Hubster is a slug most of the time, that he does exactly zip when it comes to our family, I just lack the courage to leave and start again. I mean, how does a 30something with no savings, no health insurance, no credit and a mountain of debt start again without a decent, steady, good paying job?

You asked me how a person could change so much. If I knew, we'd both not be in the sinking ships we are riding down. I know exactly, to the minute, when Hubster changed. I have foolishly told myself he would change back when xx was better or qqq changed. He is not the man I married. Sometimes I wonder if he is even on the same planet. I wonder if somewhere, at this very minute, there is man wondering if I exist as much as I am wondering if the man of my dreams exists. I am finding it so incredibly hard to believe there is a man anywhere who actually has the backbone to stand by his woman through thick, thin, heaven and hell anymore. Or do we all just live in a Hollywood generated dreamland, fooled by the silverscreen and fairytales?

I wish I could tell you that life after the man would be easier, that you would find the freedom and pride he has sucked from you over the years. That the kids would just wake up the day after it's final and be the happy-go-lucky kiddos I used to feed snacks to after school. That you'd find another, more perfect house in the country to replace the one you are giving up. That the Knight in Shining Armor is just over the ridge, waiting for you. That all your dreams are not being fed down the garbage disposal which will sure as shit back up all over your brand new, going-out-on-the-town-to-drink-his-memory-away dress, leaving a horrid stain mirroring the stains he left behind on your soul. Sadly, I cannot tell you a single thing other than the girls and I love you and the kids with or without the man. That my door, heart and arms are always open for you. And should, someday in the future, I see the man out of the crosswalk while crossing the street, his day will have come. God willing, I will be driving the dump truck and feel only the slightest of bumps when plowing his ass into the pavement.

Please remember that I have seen you for YOU forever and a moon or two. It's never been J**** and the man, it's been J****. You matter. You make a difference in lives you cannot imagine, ever. And remember, you deserve the best because you give the best in all you do. I am honored to call you friend.
With much love and not enough booze,
The other J.

Wildlife goes City

We live in small-town America, right on the edge of the "city" limits. From our dining room window, I can watch white tail deer about 1/5 mile away on the hillside. Routinely, we see wild rabbits and host a variety of birds in the yard. Remember, I grew up on a farm so wildlife is not news worthy normally. Until this afternoon, that is. Miss E was outside playing away, like she usually does, when suddenly she comes flying in the house yammering about a racoon in the tree ABOVE the dog. HUH? Sure as shit, there it was. Make it there THEY were. Two small racoons up in the tree directly above the so-called watch dog. (We won't discuss his lack of watching right now. He's elderly and well, was probably lonely) The first picture, the critter is very easy to see. I am not sure if J photoshop'd it or took it at night before they left (We hope!). The others you really have to look for them as I am not very handy with photoshop and J's in bed. The middle pic, the critter is in the "Y" of the tree, the bottom one, look in the leaves about the middle of the picture.


This is how we spent our afternoon, watching the racoons sleep and try to stay put during the stiff breezes. It was rather amusing but took me away from other things so I certainly hope they found their way home tonight and do not return since not only were they above the dog but also above the swing set which meant NO swinging for E all afternoon long. Ever try to take a swing from a 6 year old? Worse than when we were trying to take the pacifier from her!!

Never a dull moment, I keep telling ya'll that, don't I??!!

Needle Case

Hey, Bron!! Some pictures! Not exactly KIP but knitting related.


I do not know why I have lost the ability to take a better picture unless it is the cloudy late afternoon light. This is a needle case just whipped together off the top of my head using some lovely yellow scraps I picked up at my favorite quilt shop a while ago. The outside has both beautiful roses AND a scene of children with sheep (think shepherd and his mate). The inside is white muslin while the pocket is a very pale yellow ticking stripe. It will hold either straight or dpns, ties shut with white satin ribbon. And it is up for grabs! Price: $12.50 which includes first-class shipping within the USA. (I prefer Paypal but will consider other options, just ask) Please email me because blogger sometimes refuses to forward comments: sewjillquiltsATverizonDOTcom.

Similar cases will appear in this space as time allows (and if the first one sells). It feels stunning to sit and sew again. Although with my hearing loss, I am wondering if my machine is ok or if it just sounds "off" to me. We never really realize what we have until it is gone, do we?

Hectic, hazy days

Life has been hectic, to say the least. Despite being sicker than the proverbial dog, I kept up my committment to my fostering friend and provided both daycare AND a respite weekend for her. 6 kidlets when deaf in one ear and sick has to be the worst thing I have ever done. Well, second worst but that's another story entirely.

My ear infection has improved but my hearing has not begun to return yet. I hope to get in to see our family doctor next week for him to evulate things. Being deaf in one ear has been eye-opening. Being such a fan of music and living without it constantly is, um, heartbreaking. Having someone speak to me in public is an exercise in patience, especially if they are on my "bad" side. But hopefully, my ear will heal and my hearing will return.

I know Bron wants to see pictures. Sorry but there aren't any. Most of the knitting WIPS have been frogged due to a defect of some nature. And honestly, I have not had much time for knitting until the past few days. The extra kids need constant supervision. Can we say TIRING???

Sewing is on the front burner of late. E needs summer clothes like last week. Suddenly, she has skipped an entire size or two. (When did my baby get so big?) R needs a few things as well. Some she has made herself while others are left to me. Which is fine, she likes shopping the stash (thanks, Aunt Jan!) and we have enough patterns to fit her. If I only had a sewing room again, all to myself. I am threatening to turn "my garage" at the farm into a sewing studio/guest suite when we finally get moved there.Can you imagine 1 1/2 car garage turned into a studio just for sewing? French doors, add a window or two, an add-on heat pump and some cabinets and it's done! Not entirely sure what Dad will say, but I have a hunch he'll ok the idea once his new house is done.