Category Archives: embroidery blanks

The Boy King

RTutCostume

NEWS FLASH: IT’S HERE!!!!  SEE THE MUSIC VIDEO FEATURING PHARAOH ROBERT, HIS PYRAMID AND HIS EGYPTIAN WALKING SISTER, LAUREL CADE, AT THE END OF THIS POST.  BE PATIENT WITH THE BEGINNING.  ROBERT INTENDED THIS TO BE ABOUT HIS PYRAMID BUT HIS FATHER TRIED TO MAKE IT ABOUT ROBERT THE RELUCTANT.
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What a bargain grandchildren are! I give them my loose change, and they give me a million dollars’ worth of pleasure. ~Gene Perret  
I get at least that much pleasure from mine.  Lately, 5 year-old Robert has been generating pleasure and entertainment at an alarming rate.
His fascination with Egypt seems endless.  He got over Max and Ruby, The Wiggles, Transformers and even Spiderman in less time than he has spent pursuing his interest in this ancient country and its culture.

Last week, he wrote a short story as part of a school assignment.  Of course, his chose for his subjects Egypt and a pharaoh.

Later, he enlarged this (very brief) story into a play (one act) whose star role was played, of course,  by none other than Robert Charles, Himself.

He and his mother made his costume, a tunic ( read: pillowcase) with a wide circular paper collar, tie sash belt and wristlets .

Pharaoh Robert chose to pose for this playbill in front of the stairs that go to his homeschool classroom.  The staircase is reminiscent of the pyramids he saw last week at Epcot, though, he was quick to point out,  this sort of pyramid with stairs would be Aztec, not Egyptian. Continue reading

Goodbye Sewing at the Beach 2011

This incredible week of fun, friendship and sewing classes is over. And what a memorable time we have had!

I was privileged to be part of the faculty which included  Connie Palmer, Jan Kerton of Australia, Kathy Farmer, Jane Briscoe, Margaret Fain and my wonderful, talented, wild and crazy roommate, Terri Click.

Their classes included Jan’s exquisite handwork projects, most notably her underwater landscape quilt, Kathy’s camisole and celtic heart, Jane’s faggotted romper and elegant etui, Margaret’s vintage sachets and mug mania, and Terri’s tee shirt pattern drafting and kumihimo bag handles.

The variety of projects amazed me.  There was truly something for everyone, though everyone seemed to want everything.

Each day, mid-morning and afternoon, students trekked to the hospitality suite.   Stocked with homemade goodies,  fresh fruits and vegetables, the suite was a comfortable and welcoming place to visit with old and new friends.  And talk about sewing.

On the 16th floor, lunch was served in a private dining room that overlooked the ocean.  Continue reading

Dance Bag

One of Laurel’s Christmas gifts was this new dance bag.  Almost three years ago, I embroidered a sweet pink bag with pastel ballerinas.  Dirty and stained, it apparently has long since passed its expiration date.

Laurel’s 6 year old taste has gone over to the wild side, likely the result of glitzy marketing that targets her age group.  Though I prefer the look and mood of the old bag,  I have to remind myself  that I am sewing for Laurel.

The shiny, new, waterproof, black bag  should be impervious to stains, like the huge red blotch brought on by a leaking bottle of  Gatorade that she planned to finish after dance class.

Continue reading

Christmas 2010

Our Nutcracker Sweets. Robert’s black pants got left behind at home when they packed to come to our house. He doesn’t match, but he still looks handsome.

What a fabulous Christmas celebration we had!  Both of our children and their families were here Christmas Eve day, as well as another special young family who joined us with their 3-month old baby and 3 year old. With 8 adults and 5 children, it was glorious mayhem.

I bought this leather strap of 4 antique sleigh bells (2 hang on the back of the wreath) at our church bazaar in 1972, when Bob and I were newly weds. They had been donated by a family who removed them from the old family barn before they moved to Glenwood 25 years before that. At the time, I never dreamed that hanging them on our front door every Christmas would be a family tradition. Nor could I have known that they would become a family treasure.

Our son-in-law, Super Chef Harvey, brought two enormous to-die-for lasagnas for dinner.  Even Robert, the pickiest eater in the world, ate two servings.  With hot-from-the-oven gingerbread and whipped cream for dessert, everyone dined in holiday style.

After the children were “nestled, all snug in their beds,”  we plucked the antique sleigh bells from the greens at the front door and rang them loud and long, passing  below all the children’s windows.  Laurel rushed down the stairs declaring that she had HEARD them!!!!!  Santa was coming!  It was just magical.

The greenery, however, looked a little bedraggled after the bells were put back in place so hurriedly.

At 6:45 Christmas morning, Alastair wailed “Hi!”   “Mama!” again and again until everyone was awake.  This was an early reveille for the adults who had been up until 1 a.m. stuffing 5 stockings all “hung by the chimney with care” and assembling Robert’s pyramid and Egyptian army soldiers.  Continue reading

Is it too late to be good?

"Is it too late to be good?"

Tick-tock-tick-tock…..time is short.  But if I can squeeze out 30 minutes between now and the weekend, I am going to embroider two shirts like these, made by Judy Day for her grandchildren. They just make me smile and I’m certain they would have the same effect on others.

It may not be too late for any of my grandchildren to turn over a new leaf, but it certainly will be too late for Alastair to wear the shirt by the time I mail it to him.  So perhaps Laurel and Robert will get some cute duds like these.  Continue reading

Generic Gifts

In addition to all the gift giving for family and friends, the Christmas season always brings occasions where a small gift is needed for teachers, the office party, club or other group gift exchange.  I’ve finally come up with a few generic gifts, appropriate for just about anyone.

My stash includes a stack of linen guest towels, ready and waiting for holiday embellishment.  I’ve just begun working on a few, two for specific gatherings and a few more to have on hand for a last minute need.

Usually, my  time saving goal is to embroider the same design on all  towels.  But there are so many gorgeous Christmas designs that I cannot help but sample from several collections.  I’ve started out this year with a holly wreath from Sparkling Christmas by one of my favorite designers, Sue Box www.suebox.com.  As expected, it stitched out perfectly with almost no jump stitches.

Bob will take this to his office party next week.  I feel rather smug to have this done in advance.  Now, I’d better get back to Alastair’s almost-done Christmas outfit.

Early Thanksgiving

Saturday was a day of treasured memories.  Norman Rockwell himself never had it so good.  With their families, both of our children  gathered around the dining room table in the home where they grew up.  Bob and I were again grateful beyond words for all of our blessings.

The menu was traditional, with turkey, dressing, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and all the trimmings. A few years ago, we added a new item to the table and due to popular demand, it has become a regular.  Cranberry-orange relish is easy-peasy, can be made in advance and keeps for one week. The recipe is posted below.

 

The day began with everyone watching football as our beloved Gators tried to improve their performance in a disappointing season. At half time, the crowd moved outside for some action in the front yard.  Alastair surprised us with his strong 20 month old arm and both Robert and Laurel ran some pretty good routes.

 

our own sweet Sugar Plum Fairy

Half time also gave me the opportunity to pin up the hem in Laurel’s Christmas dress.  I think she will be prettier than the Sugar Plum Fairy herself when we attend The Nutcracker next month.

All three children clowned around, but as always, Alastair dodged the camera like a wide receiver outrunning a tackle.  Continue reading

Gobble Monogram Shirts

UPDATE:  Some new photos of all three in their turkey shirts…….

My grandsons’ Christmas outfits are on the back burner. This past week, I was tied up taking care of Alastair across the state.  His mother has been called into work at her job as a computer engineer for a full week, rather than her regularly scheduled two days, so I did daycare instead of holiday outfits.

I returned home Thurs. night, fully intending to plow full steam ahead on Christmas clothes, but now we are having an impromptu early Thanksgiving Saturday.

Ryan and Shelly were already on board because it is a regular football Saturday. We called Rebecca and Harvey Friday at dinner time to ask them to come.  They piled into the car and arrived late that evening with sweet Alastair sound asleep.  Having a baby tucked in the nursery crib is just one more thing to be thankful for.

It will be just like the real thing, though on a slightly smaller scale, as I have just begun cooking.  But with turkey, dressing, lots of trimmings, pumpkin and mincemeat pies and a day rife with college football games, the only difference will be that we are not celebrating on the 4th Thursday of November. Continue reading

Boo Bouh

Making Halloween shirts is just plain fun.  I have little enthusiasm  for  costume making, but a quickie shirt makes the grandchildren as happy as if I had whipped up Spiderman or Cinderella.

Amy Spriggs made the little white cutie on the left, along with the spooky hair bow.   She used the Bouh Bouh font in BabyLock’s Masterworks, CustomWorks and LetterWorks.

I’ve used the same font on a onesie for 18 month old Alastair.  His name is longer than Ashlyn’s and his shirt is smaller, so the ghosts were flocked together more closely. The Happy Halloween text is from Babylock’s Halloween collection.  It comes with a sassy little spider hanging off the bottom of the “y” in Happy, but with all those ghost it just seemed like overkill.  So I left it out. Continue reading

KICKOFF!!!!

baby Gator

baby Gator

 

At last, it’s time for football.  The first game of the year is awaited as eagerly as Christmas and the celebrations last far longer.  Few women outside the deep South understand the seasonal passion that pervades Southern  kitchens, calendars, wardrobes and sewing schedules.

 

1-kickoffAlback

 

 

But Millie, Judy, Amy, Suzanne and other readers know all about it and welcome this invasion into their every day lives.

 

my sweater for cool game days--why didn't I stitch Albert's sweater in blue?

my sweater for cool game days–why didn’t I stitch Albert’s sweater in blue?

 

For the enthusiastic and loyal fans among us, there are a multitude of sewing opportunities.  From team gear to tailgating accessories, my sewing machine has been humming for some time. Continue reading