Progress slow and frustrating here at home.  Good news we can take a hot bath in the tub in Amanda's bathroom.  There are no other plumbing fixtures in there.  Yesteerday my husband dry walled and today I am to paint the walls.

Friday night I painted our bathroom, a lovely peachy-pink.  Today he will be tiling around the shower stall.  The cabinets are all in.  But we still need to do the floor.  Plumbers to be back on Tuesday to finish and then HOPEFULLY the house can be put back into some order.  Next Friday Amanda will be moved back home!  BUSY, BUSY week ahead.!!!

Marietta

Only hot water. . .

The plumber did start work on Thursday. He came again yesterday promising my bathroom would be back together by Friday eve.  Then it came to I would be able to shower with hot water by Friday night.  Today, Saturday, I have hot water at the kitchen sink, to my dishwasher and washing machine, but unable to shower.  Nothing done in the bathroom but the floor pan to the shower and new drain in.  They do not work on the weekend, therefore, we will be showering outside with the hose.  I was not too pleasant to live with on Thursday, but yesterday afternoon I went to my daughters apartment to do some of the packing up for her move and being with her seemed to help me get a grip back on life.  Every room in the house has a HUGE mess and stuff everywhere, but there is NOTHING I can do about it until this bathroom mess is complete.  Since I am really unable to do anything else I have decided I need to create something this weekend.  I have decided to paint a denim jacket.  The challenge will be to be able to get to the things I need!

To add to the emotional stress of all this, or perhaps this is really the root of the problem- It is Father's Day weekend.  And this year my Father is gone.  So I am feeling pretty sad about it.

So I will create and try to save my sanity!

Marietta

Well, I have not been keeping up with my blog, obviously!.  The last several weeks we are busy moving things around, cleaning out rooms, garage, etc in preparation for our daughter moving back home.  In the middle of all this, our hot wate pipe, under our house broke.  We have not had hot water for the past 3 1/2 weeks as we tried to decide if we wanted to do some remodeling in the bathrooms as well.  So today, the plumber is here to start work.  My husband tore out a lot of dry wall, etc last eve.  The house is is MESS and really starting to get to me!  We have 2 weeks before Amanda moves back in, so hopefully we will be back in order by then!. 

I have several creative ideas to work on when I am able to get to my craft supplies!

To better organized days- Marietta ;-)

The Three Bears

I received a sewing machine for Christmas when I was about 10 years old.  I used it to make doll clothes.  I later was in 4-H club sewing and took sewing in Home Ec class in high school. I felt a lot of pressure in my learning to sew.  My mother has been sewing since she was 4 years old! (now 87)
She, of course, is a beautiful seamstress and a perfectionist.

At age 18, I was making myself a short terrycloth romper.  My Mom told me there was NO way I could put it together wrong!  Guess what? Of course it was wrong and I DESPISE ripping out--so the romper was never finished and I gave up sewing for 7 years.

In the height of country decorating, I fell in love with Teddy Bears.  My husband started our collection of stuffed Teddies with two Gund bears, Rory and Cory, as a gift to me one Christmas.  I came across a pattern for a bear made from fabric.  I decided I would give sewing a try again. So I proceeded to make a bear and WOW it came out cute!

I started making bears for a wonderful lady who had a gift shop in her home.  I progressed to dolls and bunnies, as well.  over the past 25 years I have made over 200 of these bears!  The fabrics change with the current trends, but the pattern has remained the same. 

I never tire of creating them!

These 3 ladies are my latest creations.  Visit them and other things I enjoy crafting at my etsy shop.

etsy.com/shop/polkadotcherries

Marietta  :-)

Finished jacket!

I broke my word on not buying anything to put on this jacket.  I purchased some "Glam It Up" rhinestones to do the scroll work on the front.  I wish I hadn't!  I didn't pay attention to the price.  I had looked at several items and I thought these were about  $ 4.99.  When I got home and looked at my receipt they were  $13.99! (To justify somewhat there are 300 and I did have a coupon.) They are time consuming to place, but then you iron for 20 seconds and they are set. They come in several different colors.

I had also purchased 2 sizes of flat back pearls in the scrapbooking department.  I decided to go ahead and try it on the fabric with Bling 'n Beauty Glue.  Wearable art glue.  In hind sight I wish I had tried using this glue on the Say It In Crystals- but  another time -another project!

Polka dots were added to the collar with Scribble fabric paint in iridescent white mist. After seeing how well they turned out, I wish I had stuck to my original idea and used the paint to make the dots for the scroll work.  Learn from your mistakes!  The simple approach most often is the best one!

Next step- to put my ruffle attachment on my sewing machine.  I got the ruffler about 6 months ago and have only used it once- but what a time saver!  It will gather or pleat depending on the setting you use.  I tore white strips of fabric.  Tearing gives a soft, shabby look.  Only down side, there are A LOT of loose threads that need to be pulled and pulled and pulled some more!

I pleated the the white strips and hand stitched them to the pocket and pocket flap.  I machine stiched the ruffles onto the bottom of my sleeves.

Sorry this one is side ways- my husband didn't realize :-)

Keep those old jeans, they come in handy for all kinds of projects!

I tore a strip out of the pant leg and pleated this.  When using the ruffler you need to double the amount of finished fabric you need.

The denim ruffle was machine stitched at the edge of the buttons.  I used the left over denim blue rit dye and the toothbrush and brushed it over the piece.  Since this had come from a pair of pants, the color was a lot lighter, so the dye helped blend the piece into the jacket.  Once the jacket  was dry, I embellished the pockets.

Once again items from the scrapbooking department, a lovely rhinestone and wire flower was glued to the pocket with the Bling "n Beauty glue.  I used one the small skeleton keys, it peeks out from under the pocket flap.  I sewed an iridescent pearl button into the buttonhole.

My husband thought the sleeves needed more.  So I machine sewed white, pregathered lace over the white ruffles. He was right- much prettier!

For the finishing touches I added  hand turned roses, made from the same torn white fabric.  There are lots and lots of tutorials on the internet for these and very easy to make!

The roses were glued to the buttons on the bottom back.  With the Bling 'n Beauty glue.

I added some of the flat back pearls to one of the keys on the back of the jacket using the art glue again.

The back!

All finished!!

Knowing when to say, enough is enough is the hard part!

My faithful helper, our calico kitty Gemma.  She LOVES ribbon, tulle and fabric.

Just like me!   :-)