A New Table Runner

I've finally gotten down to my sewing room, and I just finished a runner for the shop featuring the Honeycrisp line of fabric from Dear Stella and the Waffle Time pattern by Atkinson Designs.  It's the perfect runner for August and September when you want something late summer/fallish without pumpkins.  

The pattern is the perfect showcase for that gorgeous fabric in the center.  It's too beautiful to cut into smaller pieces.  Feels good to be sewing!  ♥

Nothin' Much . . .

is going on here, hence the lack of posts.  Cooking, dusting (well, that's pretty amazing!), ironing, laundry; that about says it all.  And you thought the fun never ended here at Miller's Last Resort.  

I did capture this picture of the full moon rising over the butte the other night.  It was beautiful!  Love, love, love summer evenings.  What a gift!  ♥

  

Jammy Grammy Stitches Again!

The phone rang last Tuesday and it was Ann, asking if Jammy Grammy was still in business.  I said, "Of course she is!"  The weather had heated up and little Daniel was in need of some summer jammies--my specialty.  

I found some fabric left from the big boys jammies a few years ago and was able to stitch up a pair in short order. Ha ha, short order--get it?  :-)  A trip to Wally World netted me a pack of little white t-shirts and I embroidered a matching design so I could deliver a set before they left for a vacation at the lake.  

I had to shop for more fabric for the next two pair, and found the perfect embroidery designs to match.

They'll be back tomorrow night and I'll be able to deliver them to the little man.  I think he'll like them!  (By the way, when I finished the little blue boxers, I realized they were my 48th pair!!  I think it may be some kind of record?  And yes, I've kept track:  I started in 2002 with a little pair for Ryan and from then on he, Cameron, and Keaton got new sets as needed.)

Happy 4th of July!

God bless America, land that I love, 
Stand beside her and guide her 
Through the night with a light from above. 
From the mountains, to the prairies, 
To the oceans white with foam, 
God bless America, 
My home sweet home. 

-- Irving Berlin

July, And It's Summer!

Just snapped this photo a few minutes ago.  

Yes, here in the west it's HOT, even in our corner of the world.  I am so thankful for air conditioning!  Of the four houses we've owned, two had it and two didn't.  If I have a choice, we always will.  Heat and I have never gotten along--it makes me physically ill and always has.  In the old (olden??) days when I was growing up, I tried to hang out in the coolest, darkest corner of our house and just read.  Thankfully the pool was close, so afternoons were spent there most days and that seems to work, too. Later, when we spent our summers at a Forest Service Ranger Station, the river ran right beside it, so afternoons were spent at the beach.  Beautiful, cool, clear water!  Well, I'm too old the public pool (don't want to frighten the children!), and no river runs by, so our air-conditioned house in the answer.

I finished a new little project the other day using the leftovers from the small patriotic Schnibbles quilt I made for the living room.  Our family room continues to be morphing back to it's original function (more on that in a minute), and I decided the chest Dan made years ago for a coffee table needed a little runner to spruce it up. 

I like it!  Just the umph needed to make me smile.  Yes, gentle readers, the family room is now just a family room. If you'll remember, about a month ago I was frustrated and attacked some areas to improve what had become the "dump room."  Well, it seems I inspired my sweetie, too, because he decided to move his office to a bedroom down the hall.  He'd been intending to do it for years, but you know how that goes.  Later.  :-)  Anyway, over a series of days, the area where he's worked for the last five-plus years was cleared and it's made such a difference!!  I am in love with that room again!  I keep going down there and watching TV (DVR is the greatest!!!) and fluffing the pillows on the sofa! 

Life is good.  ♥

Catchin' Up (Again)

I don't know why I get in non-wordy moods, but I do.  I'll tell myself it's way past blog time, and I'll answer, with, "And so?"  (I'm wordy like that.)  Anyway, I've forced myself to start a new post, so we'll see what develops.  

In the new truck category, I'm pleased to report that we're getting all the gizmos figured out.  Dan is loving his new ride, and I'm so glad because every now and then I feel like I hounded him into buying it.  

Meanwhile, to our complete amazement, we've entered the twenty-first century TV viewing-wise and actually have a DVR now.  We got it last Thursday and it took until Sunday night for me to have enough time to try to figure it out.  Fortunately, Ann and Eric have one and I've used it when Daniel says, "Want to watch George?" (That would be Curious George.  And yes, Grammy would.)  I was quite dismayed to discover, however, that we had been supplied with a DVR that had belonged to someone else until quite recently, because it was almost full.   Of questionable content.  Ugh.  So I spent my first hour of use figuring out how to remove the programs.  (And for those of you wondering, yes I did let the provider know of my unhappiness and they offered to do several things to make it up to us.)    I am happy to say that I have successfully recorded several shows so I'm on my way to becoming proficient with this new machine.

I told Dan I don't know what's gotten in to us, but in addition to the new truck and the DVR, we also bought a new camera.  So far, I've been able to take photos and get them on the computer, so that's encouraging.  

And last, we now have caller ID!!  Now when "Rachel, from Card Services" calls, I can just ignore her!  What a gift!  

And so, that's today's update here at the (new and improved) resort!  ♥

A Little Sewing

Hmm, I should be down on the NordicTrack, but I'll make this fast.  I teach embroidery club at the shop this week and amazingly enough, I came up with a project (a potholder) two months ago and made up a sample.  But I didn't write the instructions.  Bad! I needed to get those instructions written up, but I couldn't remember exactly how I made it.  So, on Saturday, faced with a diminishing time frame, I headed down to my sewing room and commenced to recreating my project.  

Actually, it was a good thing because I was able to try a couple of different thoughts, so now I have two samples to share and participants can see the difference and take their pick of methods.  Here's a picture of my two.  

The one with blue batik binding is my first sample.  (An interesting geometric truism is at play here:  I assure you that both potholders are exactly the same size, but the one with brown binding looks long in the middle as your eye travels up the center, and the dark binding around the outside edge seems to make it contract and look smaller around.  Thinking of you, Mrs. Towles!!)

I've had a circular sewing attachment for my Berninas for years and I was pleased to be able to use it on this project.  Worked like a champ!  

And now, I'm off to huff and puff!!  ♥