New Flooring-Day One

 I have the best Family & Friends in the world!  Ten people showed up last Saturday between severe thunderstorms to help us move everything out of our house.  We rented a 24' U-Haul and also filled two 20' open trailers.  I had most rooms cleaned out and only had large furniture left.    

Dear Hubby helped me re-paint three rooms and partially gut a bathroom.  What have we gotten ourselves into?

I really think I have too much "stuff".  You don't realize how much you have until you have to move it.  I am seriously thinking of minimalizing the contents of the house.

Flooring delivered

Girl M. will be moving into this room.  Boy F. picked this wall color 10 years ago.  It's called Sweet Tea but looks more like UPS brown!

Dear Hubby bought me a paint sprayer to help make painting easier on me.  I have yet to use it since Girl M. loves power tools as much as me! 

Primer coat #1

Everyone said "You have a lot of lamps".  I don't think that's a lot but it was funny 3 different people mentioned it.  I didn't pack the lamps hoping they would be safer on the hearth than crammed into a truck.

Living room emptied

Dining room looking into my sewing room.  The flooring looks nice in these pictures but believe me they were what we could afford 10 years ago and are cheap.

Dining Room

These photos really lie.  The carpet is 25 years old and is gross.  It might look nice here but, YUCk!

Master Bedroom

Looking into my sewing room, there is a closet.  On the other side of the closet wall is Girl M's room.  We are having a doorway cut out so make my sewing room 2 rooms!  I AM SOOOO EXCITED!  I've needed more room.  After trying to see if I could fit all my stuff into Boy F's room I realized it wasn't much better.  Dear Hubby suggested I just make two rooms.  One will be for fabric and one for machines.  He's the BEST!

Sewing room

I miss sewing so much and look forward to decorating & organizing my sew rooms.  

Today the construction company showed up at 7:30 AM ready to start tearing out all the old floorings (7 different ones) , fix any flooring issues and maybe start on the walk-thru.  

We hired Two Cops Construction.  Isn't that a woot!  They were Deputies with the Sheriff's office and both we to work in the construction business.  I must say they have been on time every time they met us.  

I forgot my coffee creamer in there and dreading running in to get it!

Two Cops Construction!

More pictures tomorrow!

Thanks for listening to my "not sewing" adventures today.

Until next time..............

Bonnie

January in a Fog

 Hello February!  I am now 5 weeks post-op and starting to get my stamina back.  Some days are better than others. I try to rest periodically during the day but not nap as much.  It was a very exhausting, cloudy minded month of January!

On the sewing front I sewed two fails and one success.  The two fails might have been from post surgery brain fog and measuring myself  3 weeks post-op.  DON'T EVER DO THAT! 

I tried the Winter Wear Designs Amuse Boho Dress.  This dress was huge!   I tried taking it in.  Over 2" on the side seams & a 1" dart at the top of the sleeve, but I ended up trashing it.  I was frustrated & disappointed in myself. I thought moving on would be better than fighting anymore with this dress.

Next, I tried a Butterick pattern? I don't have the pattern number because I've packed it away.  Sorry.  This dress fit much better since I shrank a few inches from my last measuring fiasco. But it looks like a sad maternity dress/nightgown.  I debated whether to finish it or not and decided to trash it too after I serged the center front into the side seam!

Than came Sinclair Patterns Harper Cardigan.  I am in LOVE!  The fit was perfect!  I did take me an entire week to sew it up.  Just moving the ponte knt fabric & laying it out on the cutting table exhausted me. It took an entire day to print out the pattern, a day to tape it together & cut it out.  My arms & chest were sore after 3 days of sewing prep!

But it was so worth it!  I really like the cardigan.

I don't know what to do with my hair.  I know it's in that awkward growing out phase but it's bad!

Ugggh! Horrible hair days!

One of my chickens gave me a dinosaur size egg!  It was a double yoke too!

Dinosaur egg?

Dear Hubby's retirement is going good.  He has been working 5 days a week, from sunrise until after dark.  I miss him dearly but I figure he might as well make a little money while he's able & the work is there.  He is looking to have his pacemaker replaced sometime late March/April.  He'll have about 6 weeks recovery then hopefully we'll be taking a trip sometime in May or June.

Feed for the heard

Dear Hubby & the Heard

Dear Hubby has generously gifted me new flooring in the entire house!  We currently have 7 different floorings!  There's good and bad to it though.  The contractors are going to do our entire house of 2000sqft in a week.  That includes removing all the old flooring, installing new flooring and new baseboards.  So not only do we have to move out, I have to pack & move everything!

Three rooms need paining before flooring is installed.  Two of those rooms have the most stuff.  My sewing room and Boy F's bedroom. (he's a packrat!).  Our bedroom will be getting a new coat of paint too.  

Packing up the sewing room is a top priority since I could do it slowly.  I have a lot of fabric!  Who knew??

I have to pack ALL this up!

This is going to take forever!

Halfway done!

Almost there!

Done!

I thought of switching rooms with Boy F since his room is bigger & he's hardly ever here anyways.  But I feel guilty.  He's been in the same room all his life!  But he's never here.  But I really could use the bigger room.  But he has just as much stuff.  But I really could use the bigger room.  But he won't be here forever.  But I really would love the bigger room!  We'll see how this turns out.

I hope to be back to sewing sometime in late February and maybe even in a "new" room.

Until next time...............

Bonnie

Hello From Recovery!

 Thank you for ALL the kind comments & words of encouragement after my recent surgery.  I'm on the road to recovery albeit a slow, winding, road!  But all is good and I hope to be back to my better self soon.

I've done a little straightening up in my sewing room and  by a little I mean little but I do a bit and then go rest for a while.  I'm bored, I'm tired, I want to sew!

I thought making two pillowcases would be a good start.  But it felt like I was sewing drunk.  My mind and hands did not communicate well. And my mind could not comprehend the burrito method of making a pillowcase!  Where have all my brain cells gone?  

Burrito Method Pillowcase cuff & trim

Turning out pretty well

One pillowcase

When I was finished sewing my forearms and hands were sore?! and I was exhausted so I took a half day's rest.  This is my nest.  My favorite recliner, usually with my cute little pug Bobo, belly pillow/back pillow and this enormous sized, truly wonderful heating pad! 

Two pillowcases

I took a shower and fixed at my hair.  I'm in the upright position (for a while) and acting human!

12 days post op

I do have a dress pattern printed, taped together and cut out.  It only took 3 days!  but it's a start.  I hope to get the fabric ironed and the pattern pieces cut out soon.  But there is no rush since I do not plan on going anywhere.

Thank you again for all your support, advise & words of encouragement.

Happy Sewing until next time.....................

Bonnie

Hiatus for a Hysterectomy

 

Well this year sure has been full of firsts & surprises.  I’ve been dealing with some “female” issues for the past year and my Gynecologist thinks a hysterectomy is my best option to take care of 99% of the problems. Too bad it won’t take away my menopause symptoms! 

I’m hoping to have robotic surgery and that recovery will be quick. Unfortunately I’ve read many stories of how rough recovery is. I’m a little worried but know that it will take time to heal too. 

I’m hoping this will be the start of a great “NEW” year for me health wise and this will solve a lot of issues. I wanted to loose a few more pounds before the end of the year but donating a major organ was not in my plans!

I think I’m most sad to put sewing on hold once more. Surgery was scheduled so quickly I didn’t have time to sew up a hospital outfit or a post surgery wardrobe. I guess I’ll just wear something “old”!

Be forewarned any fabric purchases made while on pain medication is forgivable! Lol!

Here's to a Happy, Healthy NEW YEAR!

Until next time..............

Bonnie

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas

and

A New Year FULL of Blessngs!

I Sewed!

 I am so happy I finally got to sew! The holidays make me feel so overwhelmed. I feel like I can’t keep up and I try to set aside “me” time everyday to keep me grounded. 

I purchased this beautiful Christmas plaid shirting fabric from Fabric Mart back in October with hopes to getting to sew something wonderful.  The fabric has a beautiful weight to it but cool enough for Florida winter.

I thought the Love Notion’s Rhapsody top would be a perfect sew to get my sewing mojo started again.  

I’m working on growing out my hair! Girl M said I’ve had the same hairstyle for over 14 years. Change is hard!

I hope to sew more soon.

Dear Hubby is loving his ranch hand job. His stress level has dropped & he said he feels 100lbs lighter. He says it’s a whole new “relaxed” world out there when you don’t have a badge on. 

Happy Sewing!

Bonnie

Camo & Safety Orange

 We’ve been hunting for 10 days straight! Is there any other color than camo & safety orange?

Dear Hubby’s official retirement date was December 1st. We were home, slept in “late” until 7am then our neighbor called and wanted to stop by to talk to Dear Hubby. At noon Dear Hubby had a new job as a ranch hand. He went to work at 2pm! Is that not the shortest retirement ever!

My working man!

I hope to get back to my sewing room soon.

Happy sewing 

Bonnie