Here's another one

This Little Light of Mine

Hee . . .

Still not done

but I don't really care. What gets done, gets done.

I'll be posting video & pictures over the next couple days--here's the first. Hm . . . I can't upload a movie. Must have something to do with the file format. Dang, I probably won't be able to mail them, either. Have to talk to Jeff.

In the meantime:

Sewing 911

That's what I'm calling my mom these days . . .

I got the zipper in Lauren's dress, and I'm satisfied but not happy with it. Luckily, her hair is long enough to cover the top. Now I'm glad we haven't gotten in for a haircut yet! Last night, I was about to cut out Sarah's skirt, when I realized that the plaid would be going in the other direction from Lauren's dress. It's hard to tell, but in Lauren's, the blue and green stripes run vertically, and the gold runs horizontally. If I lay out the fabric for Sarah's according to the directions (and I can't see a way around it), it will be the opposite. I'm probably the only one who would notice, so I should get over it and just get it done.

I still have to go to the post office (today!), make more cookies (I practically burned a batch of tarts last night, grumble), and do some more shopping. Also, the Christmas party at church is back on this week, so I need to make something to take to that (ate the hummus from last week), make some dessert to take to my Dad & Stepmom's for the 24th (Christmas torte and baklava are both totally out of the question this year), and more hummus & a veggie tray for the 25th.

Oh, here's a preview of the dress. The neck facing doesn't lie perfectly flat in this picture, but that will be fixed before she has to wear it anywhere. And yes, those are glittery ruby slippers she's wearing. They each got a pair, though I had to go to two different Target stores to find the right sizes.

Tuesday

Lauren's dress was going so well yesterday, that when I got to the zipper, I just stopped. Zippers have always given me trouble, although the last time I did them went better, because I, you know, followed the directions. Amazing what a difference that makes. But I was still a little intimidated. For the record, both velveteen and taffeta are not that hard to work with, but they both ravel like crazy. The pinking shears are my friends on this one!

So I'm going to call my mom and have her give me some tips/walk me through it first thing this morning. It'll be the third such call on this project, and those calls have really helped.

Then we'll head to the library and shoe shopping for the girls. I told Sarah that maybe they could get red shoes instead of black, and she was thrilled, heh.

I didn't get any cookies made yesterday, because it was a snow day, so dance class was canceled. The whole point of getting the cookies done was to take some to dance teachers. We'll see if class runs today. If it does, I'll try to get at least a few done. If it's canceled again, they're out of luck.

Sarah has Brownies tonight, and hopefully I can go shopping after I drop her off. But since Jeff is likely to be working late all this week, I might just bring Lauren home again. He got home about an hour late last night, but by doing this, he's more likely to be able to stay home all next week. It's a worthwhile trade off for all of us.

Monday Again

We made it to church yesterday, only about 20 minutes late, and most of that was because I had to get the car cleared off. Most of the roads weren't plowed, but our sub was the worst. Luckily, when I did get the car stuck, it was right outside church, so I got the kids inside and went back to dig out. A few people helped, and it wasn't hard to get me back on clear ground. Sadly, the roads were still bad enough that we canceled the Christmas program. It would be great if we could do it in the future, but don't know if that would pan out.

Today's agenda:

• sewing until noon
• cookies after lunch until dance class
• dance class in the afternoon
• (quick?) stop at the post office after dance

Crying Wolf

Every time there's a hint of snow, the local weather guys make a huge deal out of it. It's gotten to the point where Jeff refers to every rain or snow fall as "DeathStorm! 2007" or whatever year we're in.

Case in point yesterday. They were calling for four to six inches overnight, and with more today. It so rarely occurs, so I just hoped it was another case of crying wolf. Today is the one day that a huge mess of snow would be the worst, because we're supposed to be at church by 8:30 for rehearsal, and then back by 3:30 to get ready for the show.

When I woke up and looked out the window this morning (about 15 minutes ago), I saw easily half a foot of snow. At this point, I have no idea what we're going to do, but I'm going to iron the angel costumes, and make the hummus (supposed to bring an appetizer for the party), because if we make it there, and the show isn't canceled, I'm not coming home in between.

Thursday Progress Report

1. Angel costumes are assembled. "Assembled," I have come to realize, is not the same as "done." Though all the pieces are together, and the edges have been serged, I still need to turn up the hems/cuffs/collars, get some silver trim on them, and put a button & loop at the back of the neck. I predict that I will have an industrial sized bottle of fabric glue on Sunday, and not come home between practice/Sunday School/church and the show itself (about a three hour window).


2. This year's Christmas cookies will be: Pecan Tassies, Jam Thumbprints (a new recipe I'm trying for the first time), Chocolate mint-dipped Oreos, Buckeyes (peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate), Gingerbread men, and Sugar cookies (Kids decorated those yesterday at my Dad's house--I have pictures, but can't download them yet.)
   

I bought a couple boxes of butter & cream cheese, and powdered sugar & peanut butter, but I still need pecans and coconut, to say nothing of five pounds of dipping chocolate. I also need a bunch of tins or plates so that I can give them to people.


3. Christmas dresses are not begun. That's high on tonight's adgenda.
   
   
4. I took Lauren back to the ped again--her cough and drippy nose are better but not gone, and I still have to give her medicine at bedtime, on top of her antibiotics. So we got a scrip for a new antibiotic. Hopefully it does the trick.
   

Yeah

Six Chix

Tuesday Round Up

• Disco Astro Turf Christmas Tree Ponchos--check (took about an hour, Sarah even helped).
• Lauren to the ped--check.
• Antibiotics & a new digital thermometer purchased--check.
• School work--mostly check.
• Angel dresses--no check, will do tonight.
• Drool over new camera, take a gazillion practice pictures, curse the bad weather/lack of opportunities to use snow and beach settings--CHECK.

The camera is awesome; I love it. Lauren sounds worse today than yesterday, and felt crappy enough that she didn't want to go to the library for story time. Once we got there (had to return some books), she just wanted to go home, which we did. Did I mention that they're supposed to sing at their Christmas productions on Friday and Sunday (two different productions)?

Katie, I can't wait to see how those brocade dresses turn out--I might be talked into making one for Sarah's birthday.

Coming Soon: Kim's Crazy Two Weeks of Sewing and Baking!

Monday's To Do

• Take Lauren to the pediatrician. Her cold has hung on too long, and last night she had a fever.
• Buy a new thermometer, since the old one won't turn on--dead battery, I assume.
• Make five Christmas tree ponchos for church play--no sewing, yay for super fast! (I feel a little embarrassed that I tend to go all out for Halloween & Christmas for my kids, but for church, I take shortcuts.)
• Make 3 Angel dresses, also for church.
• School for kids.
• Get my camera (crossing fingers it's delivered today)!
  

Or maybe this

When I was talking to my mom the other day about the potential insanity that is the previous dress pattern, she gently slapped me upside the head through the phone.

• Brocade.
  
• Piping.
  
• A weird neckline that I've never tried before and probably defies at least three laws of physics.

On the other hand, I could make a dress that I can make pretty much blindfolded, and let some pretty, festive Christmas fabric "do the work" for me.

The JoAnn's I went to yesterday had this dress made in size six, with a black top. The bottom was some kind of fabric that I can't remember the name of. It had velvet Scotty dogs embossed onto it. Yeah, Scotty dogs are cute and all, but don't say Christmas to me. However, a beautiful blue/green/black plaid with gold shooting through it? Screams Christmas to me. Sarah: "I don't like plaid. I hate green." Last time I let her have any input on her clothing choices, I tell you. . .

I won't buy anything until the weekend anyway, when I can use my big coupon, and the pattern goes on sale. Anyway, I have five green capes to make (I bought glitter felt, God help me), and three angel tunics. I'm going to the dentist today, and tomorrow is the co-op Christmas party. Did I mention I have a cold? But the fact that I'm not making the crazy-making dress is a big, big load off my mind.

Masochism

I didn't make Christmas dresses last year. Didn't have time, and I was fine with what I bought for the girls, although Sarah's was so short that she only got a few months' wear out of it. I thought about making dresses this year, but was undecided. Then I saw Simplicity's 3588 again. One of the bodice options has the cheongsam neckline that I think is really interesting, and one of the fabric choices is brocade. Sarah's been drooling over brocade Asian dresses at a local store for months, and I considered this a viable alternative. I'd get a new, challenging sewing project, and they'd get dresses that they'd love and would really fit.

Still, brocade is a pain to work with, I've heard. And the fit issues that have given me problems in the past haven't gone anywhere. Sarah is about a 6 or 7 around, and is about 4 inches too tall for the biggest size in this pattern, an 8. Lauren is about a 3 around, and a 7 in length. So, a considerable amount of fiddling would be required.

I'm still debating, but the title tells which direction I'm leaning.