Today they took away my mattress . . . .

Yes, today the G-Men unceremoniously loaded up my wonderful pillow top matteress and box spring and hauled it away. It was a little traumatic, seeing my wonderfully soft and comfortable, pale blue satin pillow top be casually thrown into the back end of a huge truck, never to be seen again. I loved that mattress!

Oh well, on to bigger and better things. The carpeting seems to be drying quite nicely, only after another truck pulled up yesterday and sucked the living daylights out of the carpet and pad! The remaining water and moisture in the carpeting was removed by a "disaster" expert, and then sprayed thoroughly with a disinfectant to kill any bacteria. I hope it works. We're desperately trying to save this carpeting because it's only a year old, and was put down after the last flooding episode. (We thought last year's flood was a fluke and it would never happen again.)

Sorry these posts are not too interesting, but I thought you might like to know our progress. Below are a few pictures of my worldly possessions standing in the garage. Minus of course, my blue satin pillow top.







Severe thunderstorms are predicted for tonight, and that's all I have to say about that.

Father's Day . . . and still a little more rain!

I'm sorry I've not been posting this week, but I've been battling some major house flooding.

Yes, it happened again this year, almost to the day, when the flood waters in the back yard entered my little abode and wreaked tremendous havoc!

I live in the lower level of my Daughter's house in the suburb of Brookfield, WI. The property is perched on a hill, but there happens to be another hill behind us. Last June, around this time, we had a torrential rainstorm that dumped about 6" of rain in just about an hour. Well, the water came flowing down the hill into the back yard, settled in the lower part of the tiered yard, filled up the window wells, burst the windows, and literally poured into my little apartment.

With the quick thinking of my Daughter and some neighbors, we were able to salvage most of my things. It was declared it a Federal Disaster area, so you can imagine how it looked.

Fast forward to this past Thursday night, and the same thing happened! Another torrential downpour, flooding everywhere, even in Downtown Milwaukee, and of course it poured down the hill into my little apartment AGAIN! Excuse me for screaming. Thursday night we had more heavy rain and storms, and more water.

Needless to say, we've been cleaning up ever since. The carpeting is soaked to the max, and all of my belongings are in the garage, awaiting their return, which will be determined only by how quickly the carpet dries.

I'm already missing the whirring sound of my sewing machine, and looking for something to occupy my time until I can get my foot on the pedal again. I'm going through sewing withdrawl and hopefully, I can find a support group to carry me through these tough times.

Wish I could post something more interesting, but that's it for now. The clean up process has begun, and now it's just wait, wait, and wait some more. Maybe I'll get out the old knitting needles. . . I hear knitting is making a big comeback!

New Hobo Bag for Etsy Shop

This is the newest bag in my Etsy shop. I love this bag! Great size for a Hobo, with plenty of room, but not too much. The colors are perfect for Summer. Toasty Mocha (nice neutral), and pretty turquoise, in sort of a retro pattern. Lots of pockets inside for all of the little things you like to keep close. Check it out!

Thanks for posting, it's appreciated.

The Saga of the Blue Fleece Pullover. . . or my thrift shop makeover

I love browseing through thrift shops, and I try to schedule at least one day a week for a visit. At one of my visits, I happened across this great Eddie Bauer (pricey when it was new) Blue Sherpa fleece pullover. The price? $4.99. It was perfect! It was warm (Wisconsin winters can be brutal), a little fuzzy but not too fuzzy (sherpa is non pilling), wonderfully made (good quality), and very comfy. It appealed to me instantly and I brought it home. That was three years ago. I have worn it once.

Now, did it not meet my expectations? Yes it did, however, for me it has its drawbacks. I don't enjoy pulling it over my head, and it has no pockets! I can't live without pockets! So alas, it has been hanging in the closet for 3 years, crying for attention.

This weeked, even though the temperatures are nearing 70 degrees (finally), I decided to revamp this pullover so it would be ready for next fall and winter. I have some ideas, which have been inspired by a few of my favorite blogs, and maybe I can execute them. This project will have to be squeezed in between my Etsy shop and some other custom orders, but hopefully the process won't be too slow. I'll need your encouragement, and if you have some ideas, be sure to post them!

Stay tuned for some of the gory details, whilest I manipulate and carve away at this pullover!

What's your favorite Sewing Gadget??

I love gadgets!! I'm always looking at those new little things that may help speed up my efficiency and neatness. These are a few recent items I've added to my arsenal.

Reading from left to right: A new seam ripper . . . the seam ripper and the awl are from Fons and Porter. This seam ripper has a larger head on it, not like those little ones you get with your sewing machine, so ripping very lightweight fabric is a little touchy. Much too big. However, it's great for heavier weight fabrics and quilting cottons. What I really like about it is that the end is like a giant eraser, and picking out the leftover stitches from the seam is quick and easy.

The awl . . . In all the years I've been sewing, I've never had an awl, and boy was I missing out. This little tool is so handy for protecting your fingers when you're getting close to your machine needle. Just use the awl to manipulate the fabric before it runs under the needle. It will help you keep the seams flat, both on top and under the needle, hold your fabric when you're in a tight spot, and for whatever else you might need an extra finger for. It's great for poking holes for eyelets, or to start your grommett hole. You'll find other uses for it too.

The scissors . . . I love these little snips! With these old eyes, I often think I'm snipping threads close enough, but when I photograph my items in a closeup, I can see sometimes, that I've missed the boat. These little snips are made by Havels. They're lightweight, have a spring action and the blades are very sharp. The wonderful curve to the blades lets you get really close to the surface of your fabric for perfect thread snipping. These are great if you do a lot of embroidery too. There's always a lot of jump stitches to cut, and very close snipping is a must for a beautiful finish. I've tried other types of curved scissors, but these are the best.

Lastly . . . The tweezers. No, you can't do your eyebrows with these, but they are absolutely wonderful for picking out those tiny little stitches you can't get out any other way except with a tweezers. The very pointy little ends let you grab the tiniest of leftovers. I really love this gadget. Don't know the brand name on these, but be sure to look for them at your sewing center or your fabric or craft shop. Embroiderers, you will love these too! They're perfect for picking out the bird's nests and redos that sometimes happen. Also great for picking out those little bits of stabilizer.

Hope you enjoyed this post, and let us know what your favorite sewing tool is. Have a happy Wednesday!

New Hobo Bag for Etsy Shop

Since I've been back from my vacation, I've been working feverishly to restock my Etsy shop. This is the latest addition and, I have to say, this is a honey. I didn't think I would like such a large bag, but I'm lovin' this one! Not too big, but plenty roomy. Nice gussett on sides and bottom for extra space. Three little pockets plus a home for your cell. Fits perfectly under your arm for security.

Every Fashionista website will tell you that the Black and White color combo is really hot for Spring and Summer. Make sure your next purchase is a black and white combo, and you'll be ready for the red carpet! Have a fun day, and keep me busy by posting a comment. It's appreciated.