Day 19 - Even More Sunflowers

My sunflower wall quilt project isn’t the only place you’ll find sunflowers around here. Look what I found in the garden today.

After a standard winter of cold weather and last week full of nothing but rain, today the sun came out. And so did the volunteer sunflowers, sprouting from last year's leftovers.

Day 18 - Sunflower Sewing on a Sunday

After putting the sewing room back together and after getting my fill of The Waltons on TV, I got to work on a new sewing project.

We've had an old wall quilt we picked up at the Idaho Youth Ranch Thrift Store years ago. It cost us no more than a couple dollars (cuz cheap is how I roll) so we didn't feel like we were wasting our money by hanging it outside. It has been on one of the walls of the front porch every summer, getting a little bit of rain and a whole lot of sun. Being it's now pretty well faded, Ed's been bugging me to make a new one.

I thought I'd only get so far as picking some bright new fabrics for a new one, but once I put on my headphones I really started to get to work. (Yay me for having batik fabrics to work with.) I knew I wanted to change the design so I looked at patterns in books and on the Internet. Even Ed got in on the action, sending me photos of ones he liked.

I went with none of those ideas and went with my own design. I still have more work to do, but I was able to make some good progress on a Sunflower Sewing Sunday.

Day 17 - A Leaky Faucet = A Messy Sewing Room

Well, what a topsy-turvy day it was. Or a mixed up room it has become. Or maybe it’s just a doggone mess I have on my hands. All thanks to the dang shower faucet.

This one...

The hot water side has leaked almost continuously for the past couple years. I’ve replaced it a couple times, had periods where I kept a screw driver in the shower so I could easily pop off the cap and tighten it (see the rust?) and even had a plumber come out to try and fix it. But he couldn’t get it. 

He did have a recommendation, though. A big expensive, $1,600+ recommendation. Thankfully today we were able to work around the high price tag, but not around the hard work. The day started with my sewing room being torn apart so he could access the shower - from the wall of my sewing room.

Since he was already tearing things apart in there to contain the leak we decided to upgrade to a single faucet handle. Pretty, isn’t it?

What’s not so pretty? The mess I have to clean up and the work I still have to do to make the wall look somewhat normal.

Oh yeah, and then I still have to put everything in the sewing room back in the right place.

What. A. Mess.

Day 16 - Back and Forth Sewing

It was a back and forth day of sewing. My mom and I did some back and forth texting about sewing, that is. Measurements, suggestions, and photos went both ways as we worked our way through our sewing project.

(Although I didn't send my messy photo. Probably shouldn't even show the mess I got myself into.)

What were we making? Face masks for ourselves for those times when we have to go out in public.

My mom used cotton fabric on the front and an old sheet as the lining.

I used the same fabric for both the front and the lining. My red and white floral one with the red binding doesn't fit as well so I'll give myself an F on that one.

I think I'll make a couple more of the good ones. If so, I'll turn one of them into an upcoming Tutorial Tuesday.

Stay safe out there. Wash your hands and keep those hands away your face. And wear a mask if you think you need to. Just don’t take them away from medical personnel and those who truly need them.

Day 15 - Do It Until You Can't Get It Wrong

A while back I heard a quote I really liked. I'm familiar with the practice makes perfect and practice makes permanent. This new quote made even more sense to me.

Do it until you get it right. Then do it until you can't get it wrong.

I searched everywhere today to find out who said it. I found several variations, but not the exact quote. (I'm thinking it was on an Oprah podcast but can't be sure.)

I wish I was getting close to living the quote when it comes to making throw pillow slipcovers for my daughter. I still have to measure and remeasure. Sketch and resketch a pattern. Turn the paper over and try again. Cut out paper patterns and arrange. And rearrange. And rearrange again. Sew seams and rip out seams. After the couple dozen slipcovers I've made her in the past year I should at least be able to get one of them right the first time through.

It still takes me most of the day to finally get two pillows done. Glad I have the time (and patience) to make pretty things for her house. I'm also glad I have a daughter who appreciates the work I'm doing.

Up next on the sewing machine is a project I never in my wildest dreams ever thought I'd have to make. But after seeing the doctor this week, it's one he thinks I should be wearing when leaving the house.