Although I don’t have a ton of photos, I’m going to post the ones I have (aside from the “project” photos, which I fully intend to post separately). However, I’ll start with a photo of the project because I *love* how it turned out. Remember my corduroy coat, the one I liked so much that I ended up with three different sizes? When I gained a lot of weight, the coat no longer fit me (it was a size medium which was a little small on me). Thanks to Poshmark, I found it in sizes large and extra large.
I wore them for a season or two until I lost weight and they have been in a bag in the garage ever since. I love making things with old or unused clothes, so I decided to turn the coat into a bag. I used the faux fur to make cat beds and then used the corduroy for the bag. I also used a men’s dress shirt for the lining (and outside pocket). I had never sewn piping before, so I decided to try that too.
| This is what the coat looked like before. |
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| And this is the bag I made with it! |
Its not cute? Jerry totally fell in love with this one and I think it could be used as a “man bag” to use as carry-on luggage. (Jerry got the job he really wanted and it will probably involve international travel.)
Speaking of sewing, I now have a new sewing machine! To make the most of credit card cash back, we put literally *everything* on one credit card and then pay it off a couple times a month. We never carry a balance, but we get 1.5-5% cash back on everything (including bills I pay with the credit card). I’ve always thought of this as my “bonus” money for taking care of finances and paying bills on time, etc. I let the refund accumulate and then “buy” something I really want, without feeling guilty. (I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about buying something, but I think it’s ingrained in being a mother.)
Anyway, I had a little over $1,000 in cash waiting and decided to buy a sewing machine. I did a lot of things with my old machine and it worked well; but since I’ve been sewing a lot lately, I wanted a machine that would make it easier to go through multiple layers of denim and interlining. I was torn between two opposite ends of the spectrum regarding which machine I wanted: a super basic “workhorse” straight stitch machine or a digital machine with embroidery and all the bells and whistles.
As you know, I like simplicity, especially in electronics. I decided to go with the basic machine. One of the things I *really* wanted was a big gap between the needle and the machine; I hated always trying to squeeze projects into that space while I sewed. It was really overwhelming trying to choose a model.
After reading a million reviews, I ended up purchasing a Juki TL-2000qi. (I bought it in Ken’s Sewing Center online and would definitely buy from them again – great customer service, some extra accessories, *and* the lowest price). The machine was “only” $700 (I put that in quotes because my budget was $1000, not because $700 is cheap! ha), so I bought some accessories to go with it (presser foot, throat plate).
It is not beautiful?! 😉 I almost cried the first time I used it because I couldn’t believe the difference! It’s like sharpening your kitchen knives: you know how you don’t realize how dull they have become until you sharpen them and realize that life is better with sharp knives? Yes, like this. It’s like the difference between cutting an apple with a butter knife and a sharp paring knife.
The table/cart I have it on is not pretty, but I put it together one morning because I was worried I would drop the sewing machine if I kept carrying it. Several months ago, I purchased a couple of table leaves at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore; They were solid oak and I bought both for $5. So I ran them through the planer and glued them together to make the table top. Then I simply made a frame with some 2x4s and wheels for easy mobility. It’s not pretty, but it’s perfect for my sewing machine!
Anyway, enough of that. I’ve been using it all the time and I love it.
The craziest thing happened a few houses away from us and our neighbors captured it on video. The dike on the street separates the marsh from the road, and it is quite high (and very steep, although it doesn’t look that way in the photos). Well, a drunk woman flew down the road in a truck, straight into the levee, and basically tore up half the levee as she crashed into the swamp. (Did I mention she had three kids in the car? Luckily, they weren’t seriously hurt.)
There are children who play in the street ALL THE TIME. Not to mention people walking dogs and riding bikes etc. This happened around 3:00 in the afternoon, so he’s very lucky he didn’t hurt anyone else.
Noah and his girlfriend went to IKEA one day and she sent me this photo saying, “They have plant-based meatballs at IKEA!” He was so excited that they actually ordered them (Noah and Rose are not vegan). They said they were “amazing”; I always feel happy when people enjoy vegan food. And especially when they are open enough to try new things like that 🙂
Eli gave me the most beautiful flowers for Mother’s Day. I’ve always said I’m not a “flower person” (I don’t want anyone spending money on something that won’t last), but the fact that Eli even recognized Mother’s Day on his behalf made me feel good. And the flowers *are* very pretty!
Eli went to “explore the city” with his friends at an abandoned factory and said it was really cool, so he returned to Jerry and Noah. I’m too much of a “rule follower” and decided not to go, but the photos of him were really interesting. There were tons of personal items left there when the place closed.
This is a bag that Ken’s Sewing Center sent me free with my machine. I didn’t even know they shipped it! It’s a really nice wheeled bag. Chick and Duck like to be pushed around, lol.
Every time I finish a bag of some kind, the kittens like to crawl into it. It happens immediately. (This patch bag was actually kind of practice for the *real* patch bag I wanted to make.)
These are a couple of photos I took before Eli’s prom. I love this! He and his friends were standing between poses when Jerry said something about it looking like a proposal was about to happen, and it was like they were totally on time: one of his friends pretended to pull out a ring and propose to Eli while His other friend seemed surprised and excited. They didn’t even know he was taking this photo. Very funny!
Kids today have no idea what this is. Jerry and I had to explain ourselves!
I’ll end with this stunning photo of Phoebe looking like a feline goddess. Noah’s girlfriend sent me this to show me Phoebe’s new necklace. (Phoebe is so quiet that she’s easy to trip over, so they gave her a collar with a bell on it.) She is still doing great and I know she is happy there. I went to cut her nails last week and actually watched her eat an entire container of wet food!
And that’s all I have for now. Have a great weekend! xo
