I arrived home last night from visiting my sister in Missouri and my mom and I had such a great time! We really did! I’ve got many pictures and so much I’d like to share with you but I have to take care of what was waiting for me when I got back home first. I need a day or so to re-group and get my thoughts together. I also want to get Ten Ping’s dress finished so I can show you. Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts while I was away visiting…I did answer your comments…
On the way back from my nieces wedding (in PA), this past May, we stopped at my brother’s house and he had a sewing project for me. He had built his 5 year old twin boys and their little brother this amazing outdoor play set with slides and swings and climbing areas.
[If you click on any picture, it will enlarge…]
They love to play in it but my brother said the canvas topper would not stay on. It had these little tabs of Velcro that were supposed to go around the pole and then grab onto the other side of the Velcro. It was fine if the wind wasn’t blowing but if the wind blew…off went the cover. It was a pretty poor design. My brother and I got out there in the top of the play set and tried to figure out a way to make the topper more secure. He thought if a piece of cording could be laced in some buttonholes it might pull on the pole instead of the canvas…so we took down the topper and I brought it home with me. It was one of those tricky sewing jobs that you “think” you know how to do but you just can’t quite get a handle on… (anyone????) When we were up in the play set, it seemed like I understood what he meant but when I got home and just had this flat piece of canvas, I wished I had paid closer attention to what he had said. Well, long story short, I had to finally call him and you should have heard him trying to explain it to me over the phone!! It was as if all my sewing skills went down the drain. We talked and talked and I had him get a piece of paper and fold it like the canvas was in order to let him know what I was talking about… in the end, he sent me these two pictures and I got it… Thank goodness he’s an engineer…and thank goodness he’s good at drawing his ideas on paper…because when I saw his pictures I understood. This is what he sent me…
As you can see from his drawings, he wanted the buttonholes on each side of the pole and then a red cord was going to be run through them to catch the rod on the top of the play set. In the end, I wound up making 38 buttonholes to lace the cording through! (Can I hear an UGH?) No, it really wasn’t that bad…I got in a rhythm and it didn’t take much skill after all…just some patience and some measuring to get them the same distance apart.
He just sent me these pictures of the play set with the topper attached and laced through from one side to the other. He said it was great and the boys loved it. YAY!
When I got home from visiting my sister there was a box on the table from my brother. He had been someplace and found all these vintage hankies and sent them to me. There are over 30 of them and many will make nice aprons for Kirsten’s dirndl’s or collars for some other dolls. I was so surprised and thought it was very nice of him to think of me to send them to! He knows the way to my heart! Thanks Bob!
The second thing waiting for me was another box from one of my subscribers…Judi! She emailed me last week and said she would like to send something to me for Ten Ping. So I’m thinking in my mind… a little teddy bear, maybe a Panda bear, perhaps some little prop that she found, maybe a fat quarter of Asian fabric that she thought was pretty.
Well, the box was quite heavy, and I knew there was more than a teddy bear inside. Imagine my surprise when I opened it up and there were 23 fat quarters inside! (18″ x 22″ fabric squares or 1/4 of a unfolded 1 yard length of fabric)
Actually there are more than just fat quarters…some pieces of fabric were 1/2 yards and one was a full yard! And there was this little baggie of trims too!
I was so surprised and almost felt like saying, “it’s too much, Judi, it’s too much!” The prints are all on the small side and are very pretty. It’s funny too… I have SO much fabric, but I don’t have a single piece like what she sent me.
So thank you Judi…you have blessed my socks off with this gift! I will use them to make some pretty doll outfits and hope you’ll be watching to see them! Thank you again…
Now, I’m going to put the link to the post about the Giveaways that I had on yesterday in case anyone missed it…it’s about my upcoming 1 year Anniversary for this blog!
You can see it by clicking GIVEAWAYS Coming Soon!
See you tomorrow…and it’s GREAT to be home!
Blessings, Jeanne
Just one more thing…today my hubby has his Cystoscopy to check on the bladder cancer he had in 2013. He’s had this procedure done every three months since he was diagnosed. If anyone would like to add him to your prayers today, I would appreciate it very much.
That is some play set that your brother built, Jeanne! What a great father he must be! And to have you for an aunt—–those little boys are lucky for that too! Well, I guess no dolly things for them, but you certainly did use your sewing talents for those little boys! What a professional looking job you did!
Those hankies are just marvelous! I remember getting hankies all the time when little, but what did I do with them all? My uncle even brought me some from China during the war! I do have a few still in the birthday cards I got when little, that my mother saved. I can’t imagine giving my granddaughters hankies for much of anything now, but boy, your brother hit the “hankie jackpot” with all those! Lucky you!
Judi is such a sweet person to send you all those fabric quarters! I think I’ll send her my address—just joking! Wow, you have a BUNCH of choices now and how fun to just sit there and match pieces up for ideas! You have a very generous group of subscribers!
Prayers will be said for George, rest assured about that! Looks like today will be a beautiful one and I can’t wait to get outside and work in the yard after days of rain and heat and humidity!
HI Linda,
He IS a truly wonderful father and gets out there and plays with his boys like nobody I’ve ever seen. He’s the same age as my hubby so he’s not really a “young” dad but he sure is “young at heart!” It was so sweet of him to get those hankies for me… it was like Christmas!
Yes, I was so surprised at Judi’s gift to me too! I never would have guessed it! They are all folded just the way I have my fabrics folded so I can easily add them to the right color section and be all set!
Thanks for your prayers Linda. We just got back from the doctor, and Praise the Lord, it was a great report! For the first time since September 2013, he can now start doing his Cystoscopy procedure every six months instead of every 3 months!!! He is thrilled!
Thanks so much Linda,
Blessings, Jeanne
We have almost the same kids playset come with the house we just bought, only a little smaller. Glad to see that you were able to understand your brother’s pics. 🙂
That gift of fabric and trims is wonderful.
Prayers being sent. I remember when he was first diagnosed and you had posted on Playthings about it. I was so glad to hear he made it through and I will continue to pray for his health.
Thank you Christine,
We’ve had a great day already and it’s only 2:30!!! Thank you so much for your prayers. It is wonderful news and my hubby is elated!
I was glad I got the topper figured out too. It was a bit hard to figure out without being there to “try it on” the playset and see if I had it right.
Yes, aren’t my new fabrics wonderful? I don’t know which one I’ll use first….so many choices!
Thank you very much for all your kind comments and prayers you’ve prayed for my hubby, Christine!
Blessings to you, Jeanne
I will definitely say a prayer or two for your husband today, Jeanne.
It looks like you had a great “welcome home” with two gifts waiting for you. Fun, fun, fun! I love hankies and have a few, but can never get myself to cut into them, so I admire them in their box every now and then. What a nice gift of fabric from Judi too.
What a creative solution to the swing set awning problem. I never minded making buttonholes; they always seemed easier than installing a zipper.
Have a great day back home. Hope you can finish Ten Ping’s dress.
HI Cindy,
Thank you Cindy… we just got back from the dr. and got a wonderful report!
It was so much fun having 2 presents to open… I enjoyed both of them tremendously! I used to be afraid to cut my hankies too, but now I look them over very carefully and figure out which bottom section is the best and go for it!
I took pictures of my buttonholes I made in the topper but I guess I deleted them accidentally because I couldn’t find them… oh well… it wasn’t that important to show.
I’m hoping to get back to sewing too… Ten Ping is up next as soon as I get hers done…she’s been patiently waiting on me…
Thanks Cindy,
Blessings, Jeanne
Of course, first off we are sending prayers your way. We pray the results will continue to show that George is clear and free of this terrible “invader”.
I love all the wonderful fabric you received fro Judi. It’s enough for the begin a healthy stash in itself !! It will be fun to see what you create with these lovelies.
HI Jeannie and Jack,
Thank you for your prayers for my hubby today. We got a good report and he doesn’t have to go back for 6 months now. It’s been a long wait for the 6 month procedures instead of the 3 month ones! He is super excited!
My new little pile is wonderful isn’t it? I think it’s neat that I didn’t have a single one of them either. I thought I had ALL the fabrics out there… not really…but sometimes it feels like it. I can’t wait to see which one I pick first…
Thanks Jeannie,
Blessings, Jeanne
Absolutely saying prayers for George and keeping him in mind all day.
I am impressed with the tarp covering the little boys playset after you reinforced it. It looks strong and nice and neat. Everything you sew is so neat and precise. What a sweet gift of hankies from your brother. How nice of him. I’m sure you have fun with those.
What a wonderful gift from Judi. And they are all very pretty. Among the material sent, is that fabric with a holly design??
Enjoy your day home and rest!
Blessings.
HI Paula,
Thanks very much for your prayers today… we got a wonderful report and he doesn’t have to go back for another Cystoscopy for 6 months now… he had been going every 3 months. Needless to say, he was quite excited!
Well, that playset topper just about got the best of me… I was stressing over it. I think because I couldn’t see myself how it was going to work…but just had to trust that what I’d done would work… I’m so glad it did.
I had to go look again to see if you were right about a holly fabric, and I didn’t see one… but in the day light they sure are pretty. I couldn’t pick a favorite if I had to…
Thanks Paula,
Blessings, Jeanne
I will include your husband in my prayers, Jeanne. I am a cancer survivor, so I know the worry that goes with.
I am blown away with your gift from, Judi. What a generous reader! Ten Ping will be thrilled. Have you shown the fabric to her yet? I’m sure she will have a favorite and you will know it when you lay her on them.
Your brother really knows you, to pick up vintage hankies for you. How thoughtful of him.
HI Jevne,
Thanks so much for your prayers… they are truly appreciated. I try to stay as far from the worry part as I can… today was wonderful news! He has now moved into the 6 month slots for his Cystoscopy’s and he is very happy!
No, I haven’t shown Ten Ping the fabrics yet… she’s waiting patiently for me to finish her navy and rose dress. I think I better wait and show her later.
Yes, I think my brother got me the perfect thank you gift… vintage hankies are something I look for every time I go to an antique shop…a few more to add to my collection now! YAY!
Thanks Jevne,
Blessings, Jeanne