It’s Not the Circumstances but Rather the Attitude that Defines Happiness

“It’s not circumstances but rather attitude that defines happiness,” a badly paraphrased quote from The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (okay so one draw back to reading on an electric reader is that if you don’t highlight right away, it's almost impossible later to find the passage.) But the quote fits the day. I’m facing surgery today, so I must say this block is not my best work, but wow did it keep my mind in a better place yesterday. So it’s back to “Hop to it” on several fronts.

Bucket List Check off 6/100

Copper Frost

Note to self… when mass producing gift items don’t leave the task you least like doing until last, because in doing so you will find so many other weird and wonderful sewing projects to do instead.

Enter weird and maybe not so wonderful, but imaginative sewing diversion. Again I need to preface entries with the inheritance stash. I’m basically a Williamsburg Blue, Cherry Red kind of gal, but I’ve inherited a stash from an Art Quilting friend. I also hate the word stash. When you’re Williamsburg Blue and Cherry Red it goes without saying that your quilting tilts towards the traditional. What’s more traditional than using every bit of fabric from your 30 year accumulation of conservative buying? So, this inherited piece of copper frost has been a challenge that I had to meet. The cape was intended to be an elegant wrap for maybe a special night out at the opera, but it’s taken on a more Oriental / Harry Potter/ Merlin connotation…Wow, but isn’t that the essence of imagination….I like it!!! Okay back to work.

I may have to move into a childhood dream of mine...puppet making.....to be continued. (5/100)

Bucket List Check Off.....4/100

Bucket List Check off ....2/100

I use to be such a Samantha purist, and would only create outfits that were of the era. Notice the book entitled Children’s Fashions 1900-1950. Oh how I painstakingly researched each dress. Well I’m older, and have inherited a stash that is stretching my imagination. When I spied this wild print visions of gypsies danced in my head, and why shouldn’t Sam have the ability to play dress up. Things couldn’t have been all that different at the turn of the century….. au boulot as the French would say so the fun’s over back to work I go on the gifts…..In-between I hope to create 100 different doll dress…. Why? Just because I can….

Because I Can't and Because I Can

BECAUSE I CAN'T
Sewing up a storm, but they are all gifts so I can’t post…
BECAUSE I CAN
In another life I made American Girl Doll Clothes. I've saved a few just in case another VIP little girl crosses my path someday and
I Inherited a stash that is inspiring me on to my bucket list check off of making 100 dresses.

PS Dear Jane has been tucked away, doll dresses have become my palette cleaner du jour….. .

Time to Bag it

In class if the boys get a tad noisy I say, “Gentlemen” . Inevitably one of them will look up at me and say, “Start your engines?”
Well, “Ladies” start your engines because as of today August 29, 2010 there are only 118 sewing days left until Christmas. My two Berninas are going full tilt, so I thought it best to create a “Shopping Bag” to stash whatever OC creation I come up with this time……. So here goes…
I took the dimensions from a paper shopping bag, added interfacing to the bottom, straps and placket sewn to the lining to hold the straps. I made the straps longer than ones on the bag. I’m thinking next time I wouldn’t do that. I also had some of that plastic needle point canvass left over from the 80’s. I used it to reinforce the bottom, sewing it between the lining and main fabric. I also slipped some in along the top across the widest 2 sides.

Fait Accompli as the French would say.