Time flies!

2013 was an event filled year for me. My fourth grand, Cayson, was born April 5, 2013.
My Daddy fell, breaking his hip, while having a heart attack one week after I started the school year. Sadly, he passed 8 days later on August 29, 2013. He died on the Thursday evening before Labor Day. The cemetery would not open and close the grave on the holiday weekend. So, his funeral was on Sunday, his burial was on Tuesday.  Long, long time for the process.
5 days later, Buck's dad was in the hospital with pneumonia. He was in for two weeks, including almost a week in ICU.  A month later he had to have triple bypass heart surgery, with another 2 week stay.
 During the heart stay, Buck's mom is diagnosed with two broken vertebrae. She had surgery on Jan. 9. 3 days for this hospitalization.
I had left knee arthroscopy to smooth out damage from arthritis on Halloween. On Dec 26, the Dr gave me a diagnosis of severe spinal stenosis, sending me to a neurosurgeon. I'm in a second round of PT, one for the knee and now one for the back. The neurosurgeon will inject steroids where a bulging disc is impinging my nerve roots at L4/5.
I started this school year teaching SpEd fourth and sixth graders. I was moved to fifth grade math and science general ed the first week of Dec. On February 3, our administration reorganized our fifth and sixth grade teachers, putting me in science and social studies for Fifth and Sixth Grades. We have a very difficult group of students this year. I have 115-120 students, two grade levels in each subject, two sections of each grade. I teach eight classes each day.

New baby Cayson David Jones

I have a new grandson! Cayson David Jones was born April 5, 2013.  Jenn and David are now parents of three. Brayden and Abby are over the moon. Joe is campaigning for him to live with him, not at home.

Easter 2012 Pictures by Emmy Fusilier, Brayden is said the rabbit ate his flower.

 Abby found the butterfly print. She insisted that he wear it today.

Go way, it's my picture!

Vaness need 'little man' panamas for Joe

Pillowcase dresses are so cute. I'm sewing quite  a few this week. I have a new go to dress!
My dresses have a ruffle at the top and a band at the bottom. They also have a button and buttonhole elastic for growing room. I use a steam iron as much as a sewing machine during constuction of these dresses.

Here's how I do things:
Measure the target child from armpit to knee. This is your finished length (FL).

A little figuring will determine the length of fabric to cut for each dress.
The ruffle at the top and the seam at the band adds 2".
The only variable is the width of the elastic for the chest. Add the width of the elastic (WE) to the total.
FL + WE + 2" = cutting length
For example: Abby needs a dress that is 18" long. I am using 1/2" buttonhole elastic. So 18" + 1/2" + 2"= 20 1/2". I will cut a piece of fabric 20 1/2" long.

My dresses use the entire width of the fabric. Abby's dress is cut 20 1/2" by width of fabric (wof).
Now for the band. I like the looks of a 4" band. So I cut the band 9" by the width of fabric.

On to the sewing! Fold the dress right sides together matching the selvedges. Sew a 5/8" seam making sure to backstitch at the beginning and ending of the seam. Fold the band, and sew as for the dress. (NOTE: make sure the dress and the band are the same width. One seam may have to be a bitty bit bigger than the other.)

Press both seams open. Fold the band wrong sides together matching cut edges. Press flat. I use lots of steam, but that's just me.  Pin the band to the dress right sides together. Stitch using a  1/2" seam. Press seam towards the band. Press the band towards the dress. Sew a straight seam around the band, a generous 5/8".  (See pictures.) The raw edges of the dress and band are enclosed within this seam.
This makes sure that the dress won't ravel, and the hem will NEVER fall out.

Now for the top of the dress. I put buttonhole elastic and a button in my dresses.
Fold down, wrong sides together, the top edge of the dress 1/4". Press flat. To make the casing for the elastic, I fold the pressed edge down the width of my elastic and 3/4" more for the ruffle. Press this flat. No sewing yet.
At the seam, mark for a buttonhole near the bottom fold of the fabric. Sew a buttonhole that your elastic can fit through. Sew a button beside the buttonhole. I put my elastic under the button as I sew it on. (The elastic goes inside the casing with a safety pin attached. The pin will allow the elastic to be threaded through the casing once it is sewn.) Cut open the buttonhole. All this is done before sewing the casing for the elastic.

Pin the casing into place taking care not to catch the elastic. While pinning the casing, pin the ribbon ties also. Sew a straight seam around the dress at the pressed fold. Moving the elastic as needed, pin the top edge of the dress. Sew a 5/8" seam to create the ruffle. Thread the elastic through the rest of the casing and out of the buttonhole. Button the elastic on the button.

New Dress

Nooooope, don't wike it.

Thank goodness for Easter break! I've been sewing for Abby again.

She has wanted to wear the butterfly fabric since she has seen it. I had several pieces to show her.                                                                       "Nooope, nooooope, noooooope, don't 'wike' it. Noooooope, I wanna wear it, Mamaw!"

  I bought several yards of each in order to make some pillowcase dresses to sell. Several people are asking for my dresses. I'll sew some up and see. I found buttonhole elastic in the local Wal-Mart. Now the dresses can be adjustable.

My favorite dress pattern for Abby



Lots of variations can be made with this pattern. Its Simplicity 2574.

More dresses for Abby!

Just a better picture of this little dress.

Simplicity 2574 is my go to pattern for Abigail. This dresses were all cut from the same pattern.

This little plaid dress has the front yoke and straps cut from the square yoke view. The yoke and straps are one piece. The pleated skirt is directly from the pattern. However, I used my one piece back that I cut from butcher paper. The facings were cut from the pattern. I generally don't use those tiny facings.

Simplicity 2574, again. This time I used the one piece front and and back butcher paper patterns. The lace was sewn down the front and the ric-rac was added before any other sewing was done. I made this dress following the same steps as the
others.
I made the facings using the dress front and back pattern pieces. I have a line drawn on the pattern paper about 31/2" down from the armscyes straight across to the center front or center back.

How do you make those dresses?

     I'm still sewing for Abby. I had planned another dress for her, but she had different ideas. She liked the teddy bears with flowers, and she liked the 'widdle birds', but she loved the owls and butterflies and flowers. She kept bringing the owl fabric to me to talk about. She showed her brother, and cousin, and her papaw. She wore the owl outfit home today. It was Simplicity 2684.

Dress Tutorial

This is an easy dress to make. However, basic sewing skills are necessary.
 I start my dresses with a pattern. I have little interest in drafting a pattern. So I buy them. Abby is wearing a 1/2 or a size 1 in Simplicity patterns. My current go to pattern is Simplicity 2574.

make sure to match sewing line

2574 has separate yoke pieces for the front and back of the dress. Most of Abby's dresses have a solid back. I simply pin the yoke pattern piece to the dress skirt pattern piece.

I've used the patterns so much, that I needed to make a butcher paper copy. I traced around the pattern pieces and cut them out. With the front made into a single piece, a longer yoke can be made.

I cut a bodice piece from a solid yellow to compliment my focus fabric. I turned the bottom edge of the front to clean finish the edge. I also cut bottom bands to finish the bottom of the skirt.

Pin the yoke to the front of the dress. Pin only aroud the neckline and the armscye. Seam each armscye and the neckline. DON"T SEW THE TOP OF THE SHOULDERS.

Clip the curves very close to the seamline. Pull the seam line straight to make sure the clips are adequate for the garment to lie correctly.

 

Turn the front of the dress right side out. Press, making sure the seams are pulled out as far as possible.

 

After a little practice, sewing in a zipper will take less than 10 minutes. No, that's not a typo, TEN minutes. I always make a single lap zipper opening. It seems to cover the zipper best.

Mark the length of the zipper for the back of the dress on the seam allowance. Baste the back dress opening closed. Cut the thread at the end of the basting. Stitch the rest of the back opening closed using the normal stitch length. Backstitch at each end of this stitching. Press the opening open.

With the bottom of the dress away from you, and the wrong side up, put the closed zipper face down on the right seam allowance. (Make sure the dress is not under the seam allowance.) Baste the zipper to the seam allowance. Stop sewing as you approach the zipper pull and open the zipper. I find it best to leave the needle down in the fabric while I ease the zipper open past the presser foot. This will allow you to make a straight seam. Finish basting the zipper. Turn the zipper face up, forming a fold in the seam allowance. Stitch along the fold close to the zipper teeth. Press the zipper and seam allowance flat (like it will be in the finished dress). From the right side of the dress back, beginning in the 'ditch' of the seam at the crimp of the zipper, sew the zipper in using a normal stitch length. Stop sewing as you get to the zipper pull again. This time you will need to rip the basting stitching out to be able to unzip the zipper past the machine's presser foot. I find it best to leave the needle down in the fabric while I ease my seamripper an inch or two past the presser foot. Finish sewing the zipper. You are done with the zipper!

Turn up 1/4" hem on the bottom edge of the facing. Stitch into place.
Pin the facings to the dress backs. Fold the center back seam allowances over the zipper at the neck edge. This will make the neck edge finish cleanly. Stitch the facings as you did the front facings. DO NOT STITCH THE SHOULDER SEAMS. Clip seam allowances.



Press the facings away from the zipper. Press the back of the dress as you did the front.

 

At this point in the process, you have a dress front, and a dress back that is completely finished except for the shoulder seams. I sewed three buttons on the dress front. Topstitch the dress front edge.

Glue the trim over the line of topstitching. Glue basting really helps keep the trim straight. Much better results than pinning.

Now my sewing techniques take a turn from the traditional. Now, to work on the dress shoulder seams. Turn the back of the dress wrong side out. Slide the dress front into the dress back, between the dress fabric and the facing.

Make sure the right side of the dress front is next to the right side of the dress back.

 

Work the front shoulder seam allowance into the back. Meet the edges. Stitch the seams. Clip the corners.

 Pull the dress front out. Press the seams.




Stitch the side seams, fold the back facing over the front of the dress to make the underarm seam finish cleanly.

Stitch the seams of the bottom band. Baste 1/4'" from the top edge of the band to make a folding line for the hem. Pin the right side of the band to the wrong side of the dress. Stitch the band to the dress bottom. Press the band's top edge along the basting stitches. Pin into place, topstitch. Glue baste the band's trim into place. Topstitch.

Sewing for Abby

I've been sewing a lot for Abigail lately. Several of my friends have asked me how to do the dresses I've sewn. Here goes my best shot.

This dress is made from Simplicity 2574. The fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby,  the green ric-rac at Wal-Mart. There is three sizes of ric-rac on this dress, tiny, medium, and huge. The  buttons were in the stash.    

  

This pattern has a front yoke and a back yoke. I cut the front yoke out of a scrap from my stash. But, the fabric is still available.
I've already pinned the patterns down so many times I've almost worn out the pattern.
The pattern is a Project Runway pattern. It has several variations. One has a buttonband (flap) at the neckline with a ruffle. I left off the ruffle.
I will take pictures of the sewing process for the construction of the next dress I sew. See that post for details of my process. (Editted to add: See post "How did you make that dress?")
The ric-rac across the chest is sewn on after sewing the front yoke to the dress front. Press the seam towards the yoke. The first row of ric-rac covers this seam. The next two are placed by eye making sure they will be under the button flap.
Pin the button flap to the dress front before sewing on the front facing. I sewed the buttons on before the front facing also.
The tiny ric-rac around the armscyes and neckline were sewn on after the dress was completed. The jumbo ric-rac was applied after the dress was hemmed. (FYI, I use lace hemming tape just 'cuz I like it.)

Thanksgiving

Fall Birthdays are in progress. Brayden is now 3, Joe is 2, and Abby is 1.

Ryland Henderson Griffin

Ryland Henderson Griffin made his way into our lives Monday night, June 20, 2011 at 11:09. Ryland weighs 7 lbs , 9 oz and is 20 inches long. Both he and Rosalie are doing well. Snapper is doing well also. He was due July 10. Rosalie is glad to have him 3 extra weeks before she will return to the classroom in Aug.
   I counted up our family members, Ryland is Jack Jack's 14 great-grandbaby and the family now numbers 46. It's a joke that we come in HERDS when we show up.
As Ryland and Rosalie reside in one hospital here in town, my oldest brother is in another hospital across town. He has had a bloodclot go through his lung. He had a biopsy done on lymph nodes in his groin several weeks ago. He hasn't gotten to hold Ryland yet. Ry and Rosie will most likely be discharged before Ernest.

It's a boy

Ryland Henderson Griffin will arrive in July!

NEW BABY

Snapper and Rosalie are having a baby. Ryland/Sawyer will arrive in July. Gender will be revealed at her next doc's appointment.
This will be Daddy's (gotta count them up Brian, Justin, Meghan, Ethan, Emma, Mya, Breana, Luke, Allie, Bryson, Brayden, Joseph, Abigail) 14th great-grandbaby. We are blessed with children. Heck, we are b-l-e-s-s-e-d with family. Period. Daddy has 5 living children with 6 wives/husbands; 12 grandchildren with 8 wives/husbands; and 13th great-grandchildren. We come in herds when we come!!!

Literally wrapped in prayer

I am on a blog-crawl this afternoon. I am enjoying reading blogs and my quiet time quite nicely. Both Brayden and Abigail are napping. Buck and David are in the new house finishing up the punch list. Jenn is working. In short it's me time.
I'm sure I'm not the only one to blog crawl. At least I call it 'blog crawling'. I start on a favorite blog, read it, and the follow that writer's roll to a blog I've never read before. And repeat. And repeat....
Then it happened. I found gold.
Backstory--I often sew or quilt for loved ones. My loved ones know that I am a praying woman. They also know that my sewing etc isn't often for sale. And that is limited to folks I care about also.
This blogger was quilting a quilt for a neice with cancer and the child's sister. She mentioned that she wrote prayers with a permanent fabric pen for each girl on the seam allowances of the binding to literally 'wrap her in prayer'. The girls would not know exactly what their aunt had written because she had sewn the prayers up in the bindings. But they would know there was a prayer inside their quilts.
What a treasure! Thank you Lord for sending this to me.

I lost a friend this week. Completely unexpected. Stunningly unexpected. Dan taught in the room next to me. He did have a chronic desease he had fought since childhood. He was fine at school Wednesday. He was actually participating in an online college class when he died. His wife of 5 years found him after she returned home from church. They had adopted a 2 year old four months ago.
Dan, I'll miss your smile and encouraging words. I was blessed by you daily.

Jenn and David will move out next weekend. Their new home is completely finished. I will miss late night snuggles with the grands, and early morning- fresh from sleep- hugs. Our home will be much quieter without the two little ones. Abbi learned to crawl and walk here, she celebrated her first birthday and Christmas here. Brayden mastered opening doors, both inside and outside house doors, as well as the door of the fridge.

Time passing

We took the grands to the Alexandria Zoo on 1/28/11.

We can do the wave!!!

Joe and Abby have matching carseats. Abby is tired of my taking pictures. She is only threatening to scream. No sound is actually being produced. She is too funny.

ICY ICY ICY

We were iced Thursday night, and Friday morning. We lost power about 9:00 am Friday morning. We cranked up the generator about 4:30 pm as it began to get dark. Our power was restored about 10:30 Saturday morning.

Brayden didn't understand the 'no power' concept. He wanted to go to the store and get a TV that would work.

The iced trees were beautiful Saturday morning in the sunshine.

2011

It has been a long time since my last post in May. Many things have happened here. David and Jenn moved into our home last August. They are building a new home next door. I love having them here, but our house has become quite crowded. They have a couple of months left in the building process.
Most importantly I have been able to grieve for Ann. I feel the loss of my sister still, but the hurt has blunted a tiny bit. Ann and I were born only 17 months apart. Most of all, Ann was apart of my life as long as I can remember. It's simply that I have no memories of before Ann was born.
On a happier note, all of the grands are growing like mad. Brayden has an amazing vocabulary for a 27 month-old child. Last week he was playing with a dinosaur. He said, "Mommy, it's a sighcertops." Mommy, not having heard Brayden try to pronounce the word triceratops, didn't understand him the four or five times he tried to tell her. "Mommy, it's a really big dinosaur." was his final word on the subject.
Joseph and Abigail are now walking independently. Joe will consent to holding my hand if I think it's necessary, but Abby does not want to be bothered. It is a fight to the bitter end to make her hold a hand when she walks. They are beginning to talk. They can say each others names, and Mamaw, Papaw, mama, dada, and BATH. Bathtime is a major event in our day around here. If the 3 grands hear a tub start to fill with water, they come runnning. The little ones are pulling at their clothes, and Brayden is shouting " It's my turn! It's my turn to take bath."

Long Time, No Posts

WOW! I cannot believe that I haven't posted anything in over 2 months.

First things first, it is now gardening time in central Louisiana. Brayden was very helpful last Saturday with the watering. The red bushes in the upper right of the picture are Bottlebrush plants. They are native to Australia. But do very well in my backyard. I also have old fashioned dark pink gladiolas blooming. Ann gave me those glads. In that same clump of stuff, I have some Summer Snow flowers that I dug from my great-grandmother's garden. My daddy's cousin was so gracious in sharing our heirloom flowers. It's just a guess, but these bulbs are flowers Grandma Stallings probably got from her mother's yard, or maybe from her grandmother's.

This daylily seemed to need more water than any other plant.

Then, after a long afternoon's work,

it was relaxing to run through the water

while Mamaw sprayed off the porch.

Joseph is rolling over at will now. He is trying his best to crawl, but only manages to circle. His belly is still stuck to the floor. It is really hard to crawl and suck your thumb at the same time.

Abigail is finally growing. There isn't as much difference in their sizes any more.

I have three finished quilts since my last post. I have done both of the cuddle quilts for the little babies. I also finished the flannel quilt for Joe.

Joe and Brayd tag-team Papaw. I think the match ended in a draw.