Sewing, laundry, rain, chauffeuring and did I mention sewing?

I am happy to report I have finished: 1 wedding dress, 6, I think it was 6, bridesmaids skirts, 2 skirts for the brides cousins and 1 mother of the bride dress in the last month and a half.  2 days before I completed the wedding gown I was contacted by a young woman who was given my name by Helle, she needs not 1 but 2 dresses for Prom.  So I will be making this:

She wants it slightly modified with spaghetti straps and a low low back.  I'm just glad the fabric isn't sequins but rather a lovely silk and embellished lace.   I will be using a Butterick Pattern 4657 and modifying it.  I find when I am crunched for time this is the easiest method.

After checking out tons of patterns I decided this was the closest to the style. 

This is the second dress she has requested, and yes the skirt will have feathers.  This one she wants in black. The bustier top will not have the jewels on it since again they brought me fabric that is already embellished.

This is another pattern I have had in my collection for some time and have wanted to make it forever.  I found some gorgeous cotton fabric that just said Easter to me so why not make it now?  My Sweetie and I are planning to head to Viva Las Vegas Weekend in April and vintage clothing is needed.  This is Butterick pattern 4790 from 1952.  It was called the "Walk Away Dress." You can read a brief history here.  It was easy to make with just 3 pattern pieces and then binding. I love the fact that some of the pattern companies are reissuing vintage patterns.  I love them, the dresses are so feminine.

Here is the fabric and the binding, now to search the closet for some shoes that will go with this dress.  














So for my Sweetie who has a great sense of humor and since I rarely sew for him, I found an outrageous  fabric that I will be making a Hawaiian Shirt out of.  The fabric is called Mirage and I purchased it at Michael Levine's in Downtown LA.   I also found buttons made from coconut!

That is everything that is on my sewing table at the moment.  Monday I peaked into Jordan and Jonathan's room and realized the laundry is up to my hip.  It has spilled out of the hamper and is threatening to overtake the room.  Jonathan was doing the laundry for himself and his brother but has decided it's for the birds.  So I guess it's back to me.  I hate laundry.  I don't mind folding it but I hate sorting and remembering to take it out of the washer then put it in the dryer.  I hate that after I fold it, instead of putting it away my kids will leave it on the dining room table and just take what they need for that day.  There has to be an easier way. 

It has also been raining quite a bit.  I'm not crazy about winter but some of the positives about it: warm jammy pants, my hubby's sweatshirts, my mother's beef stew, wearing boots, my new polka dot coat, hats and the mountains (hills)behind our house get covered occasionally by snow.  During the cooler times of the year the tops of the mountains (hills) also get covered by the clouds blown in from the ocean.  I love this, when my kids were little we started calling it the "cloud monster" because of the way it crept over the top of them.  Lately I've taken to calling them the Misty Mountains.  I've been rereading Lord of the Rings in my spare time. 

The rest of the time seems to be taken up by chauffeuring kids here and there.  To school, from school, to Church, friends houses, jobs and doctor appointments.  I cringe every time I have to get gas.  OUCH!  If this keeps up I'm investing in horses for the boys.  At least I am grateful that I no longer have to travel 10 miles to the grocery store, we now have one 2 miles away, along with a gas station a bank and Subway!  If I'm feeling ambitious and weather permitting I may even walk there.  I believe somewhere in my garage is one of those old lady shopping carts.  Notice I didn't say ride my bike, the hills in our community still defeat me.

The above photo is of Cameron's big toe on the left side about a half inch above the joint you can see the break.  The doctor said it's healing nicely and he should be back running in about 5 weeks.  Hard to believe he managed to go hiking with his Scout Troop last Friday and Saturday up Mt. San Jacinto. Go Cam!
  
So that's life this week, the kids are out of school next week for Spring Break, I will need to start a list of projects for them.  Our friend Kurt Rose is extremely ill and in need of prayers. My son Andrew reports that he is well and has been on his Mission now 8 months! Where did the time go?  I continue to feel blessed that I have a family that loves me, a (repaired) roof over my head, food to eat, clothes to wear, cars to drive and good friends willing to celebrate or sympathize with me.  But most of all, I am grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord Jesus Christ in my life.
Terri

Proof that I sew

Pirates of the Caribbean purse I made at the height of the craze, sold it on Ebay.















Sock Monkey apron, will post soon on Etsy

Ashton in her Queen of Hearts costume, this was a few years before the Tim Burton version.  She was emphatic about it not looking like the Disney version.

Andrew as Two-Face based on "Batman The Animated Series" not the recent Dark Knight movie. 

Costumes left and center are my work.  Helle makes her own.

I was feeling saucy in my pink courtesan costume.

I make a lot of stuff in pink!

And finally, John and Andrew as Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompa!  I had to go back in and tailor John's jacket since I measured him wrong. 

Washing Machines, Giant Boot, Broken Toe and Theater, and that's just 1 week!

I thought when I quit my job and decided to take a semester off from school that I would have more time...Silly me!  I feel busier than ever.  I feel like I usually do when final projects are due but that feeling seems to stay with me all the time now!   I'm busy but the house is still a mess and laundry just never seems done.  Speaking of laundry my washing machine gave up the ghost.  After 10 years and countless loads of laundry it decided it had had enough. The spin cycle stopped working, during a load of towels.  Yeah, try wringing those out by hand.    My sweet hubby, who is way too good for me, purchased a new one for me.  The drum is a bit deeper than the old one so I have to be careful I don't fall in when I'm emptying. 

This is the new model, we considered one of those front loading machines but John and I are opposed to anything that forces you to use specially formulated products to use them.  John hates Apple for this reason.  I like top loading machines, when I was a kid we had an old fashioned front loader that was a washer and dryer in one machine.  Yeah that sounds cool until you consider that you have to wait for the load to wash and dry before you can start another load.  We also lived in an apartment for about 2 years with an even older machine that had an open drum and a wringer.  I saw one just like it at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. it was circa 1950's.  At the same time my washer died child #4, Cameron, broke his big toe.  He was at the park with friends playing football and kicked a cone, the kind used in soccer for marking the goal.  What he didn't realize was this cone marked the metal base of the soccer goal, so thinking he was kicking plastic he kicked metal.  There goes the track season. 

Here is a picture of his toe, he realized I was taking his picture and hid behind a pillow.  This isn't the first time Cameron has been broken.  He broke his arm running through the house a few years ago, he broke an arm skateboarding at a Cub Scout Meeting and broke it again doing something else that escapes me at the moment.  When he was 3 he tried to cut the grass in our backyard, he was barefoot and tried to use hedge trimmers.  He cut his toe instead, 3 stitches.  Recently, he got into a fight with a kid who wouldn't leave him alone, finally he decided enough was enough.  Cameron won but I still needed to pay to replace 3 broken brackets on his braces.  A word about our family stance on fighting:  With 4 boys fights are hard to avoid, especially when 3 out of 4 wrestle or plan on wrestling.  At least with wrestling it's a sanctioned sport and the coach teaches them to control their anger and use it on the mat.  Which of my boys doesn't wrestle? You got it, Cameron.  So back to fighting, our policy is don't start it but if you must fight finish it.  I call it the Top Gun Method, "do not fire unless fired upon"  or if you want to get more street, the Men in Black Method, "don't start nothin won't be nothin."  The one thing my wolf pack does understand is this, while it is perfectly acceptable to beat the snot out of each other at home, in the world at large you always have each others backs. 

So the same day I went to the urgent care with Cameron, I stopped at Lowe's to compare prices on new washing machines.  While in the store I came across this giant boot. (36"high)  Why does anyone need a giant boot?  Do you use it as a planter?  A decoration? Have it handy in case Paul Bunyon stops by and needs a right boot?  Where was the left boot? Did someone buy it?  So many questions.  Why a cowboy boot? Why not Converse high tops or a construction boot?  Okay I'll stop.  After Lowe's it was back to the high school to pick up #2 son then the junior high to pick up #4 son.  Finally back home to fix my hair and get ready for a fun girl's night out.  I usually don't do too many of these since my favorite playmate is John.  He's my best friend and the person I would rather spend time with. But the occasional girl night is fun. 

So here I am with my friend Helle, (pronounced Hella) in Pasadena.  We went to dinner at this hole in the wall Mexican restaurant called La Fiesta Grande on Colorado Blvd then we walked over to the Pasadena Playhouse.  We purchased our tickets an hour before curtain because they drop the prices to $15.00 per ticket.  It's a gamble to drive all that way but we figured we were good since it was Wednesday.  We had seats in the 6th row, not too shabby.  At the left is us sitting in the courtyard waiting for the doors to open.  This was Helles first trip to the Playhouse and my second.  John took me there a month ago for a romantic evening out.  Loved it and the play so much I decided to go back and take Helle since she loves costumes as much as I do.  Oh the play was Dangerous Beauty.  We had some rather tall men sit right in front of us, luckily the one in front of me fell asleep during the first act and they left during intermission. Yay!!!

My view of the stage during the first act.

Other stuff going on:  Todo Sushi in San Diego, one of the best places I have ever gone to they had a roll called the Jojo Roll, we got a kick out of that since that's what we call Jordan.

He said that is not his roll since it has shrimp on it.  His roll would have salmon on it. 

Here is the beginnings of a fun project Cheryl and I worked on last Tuesday for her daughter Lacey,  This is a brooch bouquet in the larval stage.  It's pretty much done but I don't want to post any photos until after the wedding.  Less than a month to go.

And finally the beginnings of Lacey's wedding dress.  I am doing the final touches on it and I will hopefully be done with it today.  It looks gorgeous and I'm pretty sure it is what Lacey and her mom envisioned.  I seriously had my doubts when I first cut into the lace.  The photo at the left doesn't do the material justice.  Bad lighting. 




So that's the week in Couture, I pray that the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan will get the emergency assistance they need quickly and that our Father in Heaven will comfort them during this time of loss and devastation.  I hope that we take a lesson from this and have or get all that we need to survive a disaster. 
Take care,
Terri

Wow, it feels good to take off my shoes...

Yesterday I mentioned that I was headed to LA to check out the costumes at FIDM and to find some fabric for a future Renaissance Faire costume both goals were accomplished.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day, the weather was perfect as you can tell from this photo of the Eastern Building on Ninth Street.  The Eastern was recently converted into lofts, pricey and in the heart of downtown but I'm happy the old building is seeing some life again. 
 

The movie costumes were amazing, one of the things that always fascinates me is how tiny they are.  Ellen Page is super small!  I love the detail work that I saw in the Academy Award winning costumes from Alice in Wonderland.  I was hoping to see the costumes from Black Swan but no such luck.  They did however have on display the costumes from Clash of the Titans, Inception, Burlesque, King's Speech and Last Airbender which I'm told were much better than the movie itself.

After the Costume Gallery we headed over to the FIDM Scholarship Store, I scored 3 yards of black and white polka dot fabric for $3.00! I will add it to my stash and use it when I think of something to do with it.  While in the store Cheryl, Lacey and I found some vintage-y looking brooches and rings we plan on making a brooch/silk flower bouquet. If you haven't seen these you must check them out, try  here  These things are super gorgeous.  We wandered down the street from FIDM to the garment district and found ribbon, more jewelry and diet coke.  We met up with Lacey's fiance, his dad and brother to outfit them with new suits.  I like the idea of purchasing a suit that can be worn again instead of renting a tux, considering the deals on suits from my man Tebbi at Sina Suits how can you go wrong?  He even has a tailor on site that will do the work in about an hour.

So after all the shopping we ended up at Phillipe's the Original for french dip sandwiches.  I am a second generation patron of this fine establishment.  They have been in business since 1908.  My dad loved the place and passed it on to me.  I have in turn passed this tradition on to my kids.  My hubby is also a second generation patron.  His dad grew up in LA and loves the place.  I know that LA has some great restaurants but given the opportunity, Phillipe's lunch counter is where I will end up.  I love every thing about the place, the ceiling fans, the sawdust on the floor, the lemonade, the candy counter, the long tables that guarantee you will sit by a total stranger who may be homeless and was able to pay $.09 for coffee or Francis Ford Coppola you never know, but most of all, the sandwiches with their special homemade mustard.  HEAVEN! 

Today we attended church.  Due to responsibilities my husband and I have for the last 2 Sundays I've had to stay in my Sunday wear.  I have different classifications for my shoes, some are wear anytime all day long like my favorite summer flip flops or my Uggs, some are every few days is fine but not everyday, some are 3 hour shoes (the length of time I am at church), some are 3 hour but I better be sitting down for 2 hours and others are what in the world was I thinking?!?  Last weeks shoes were 3 hour shoes ( I was in them for 8), today's were more the fine every few days but I believe I will be barefoot the rest of the day. I love Sunday afternoons, I usually try to get a nap in somewhere, I am a true believer in the siesta being of Mexican descent.  The other reason Sunday is awesome?  I get emails from my Missionary son.  He is 19 hours ahead of us so for him it's Monday.  He gets 1 day a week called P day (preparation) to write family, do laundry, go shopping or whatever he needs to do to get ready for the coming week.  Today he emailed me this:

I want you to know I've been thinking a lot about you. I had a conversation with Sister Mautz before she left about having children serving missions. She said that it was a little sad because she felt like she never really got her children back. I thought to myself that you'd never "get me back either" but that's only because you can't get back what you've never lost. 

I feel so blessed to have a son who is so willing to lose himself serving the Lord.  I'm grateful that our family is so close and we enjoy each other, are we perfect?  Definitely not!  But I am indeed grateful that my kids know where home is and that they love to be here.

This was a good weekend,
Terri

Before I forget...

I mentioned that I have some talented friends, here is one of them: Tricia makes some fun jewelry and she is quite reasonably priced!  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?aid=46286&id=100000579403688&fbid=179382332091079 

Thanks,
Terri

Family, you gotta love them.

 I decided that I would introduce you to my family, The family photo was taken at Church on Easter Sunday in 2009.  It's probably the last good photo that was taken of my family.  My friend Cheryl took this photo for us.  Of course with 5 kids the chances of one giving us a funny pose is always a possibility. I can usually get them to cooperate if I let them give me a goofy pose after we get the good one.  The funny thing is my favorite picture usually turns out to be the funny one.  So let me introduce you to my family.  From the left: oldest child and only girl, (how's that for placement?) Ashton,who also happens to be the oldest grandchild on both sides of the family and was the only granddaughter until she was15! Next is #1 son, Andrew, currently serving a Mission in New Caledonia. Next up, my hubby John, he is the best husband and father I could have asked for. Yours truly, then #2 son, Jordan, just turned 16 is almost as tall as dad now and can't wait to get his license. Next we have #3 son, Cameron, I'm not saying that Cam is the most handsome of my boys but he is the most charming.  In our Church, kids are encouraged not to date until they are 16, Cameron has had girlfriends since the age of 2! I've lost track of the number of girls who have told me they are going to marry him! When I'm annoyed with Cam I usually tell him he took my pretty, and that's why I'm not as cute as I once was.  Finally we come to #4 son front and center, Jonathan, since this photo was taken he passed me in height.  Did I mention I'm only five foot?  I'm wearing 5 inch heels in this photo.  Jonathan has been my buddy since he was born.  Of all my kids, he was the most mine. Let me explain, all of my kids loved me as babies but once I had fed them, they pretty much preferred other people, for Ashton it was Grandma, Andrew was Grandpa's boy, Jordan liked hanging with Dad, and Cam liked kicking it with Ashton. So understandably I decided this last child would be mine, and he was.  He wouldn't let anybody hold him but me, he was mine until I had to let him go to school. I think that was more painful for me than him.  So that's the family.

This photo is of my son Andrew and a family he met in New Caledonia.  Andrew updates us weekly on what he is doing and how much he loves serving the Lord.  My friend Sara just dropped her son off at the Missionary Training Center in Utah this week so that he could begin his mission, she said something very profound about the feeling you get sending your 19 year old son into the world.   She said that her heart was full but broken at the same time. And that is a perfect description of what it's like.  More about Andrew can be found here: http://elderajam.blogspot.com/
The joy that comes through when Andrew writes us is evident and I'm happy that he loves what he is doing.  I try not to miss our classic movie nights too much.  For more about my beliefs and information about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints go here: http://lds.org/?lang=eng.  I am by no means an expert so if you would like to know more I say go to the source.

Well I think that's good for now, I have to get ready to go to the garment district in Los Angeles. I'm going to stop by the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) to take a gander at the Academy Award nominated costumes then look for fabric for a new Renaissance Faire costume. (yay!) My friend Cheryl will be coming along, her daughter Lacey is getting married in April and her fiance and father will be meeting us in LA so that they can purchase new suits for the upcoming nuptials.  Did I mention I'm making the wedding dress?  It's coming together very well and I'm honored that I was asked.  I will post pics after the wedding, including photos of the construction.  
So I'm off,
Terri

Cranky Hag starts a blog!

So after stalking several blogs and encouragement from friends I'm starting my blog. I'm excited, a little scared and confused all at the same time.  I can't promise I will be an everyday blogger since I tend to be slightly OCD and ADD and I never know when a chicken will distract me.

Since my kids aren't crazy about me putting their lives in cyberspace and let's face it, no one thinks your kids are as cute as you think they are, I will try to restrain myself.  So that being said, let's just go on from here. And by the way, Welcome!