Not the American Girl, Rebecca… my daughter, Rebecca.
She buys and resells items, (I wonder who she gets that from???) on a couple different platforms, (Poshmark, etc) mostly clothing, but sometimes she finds things that have part of a seam that is undone, or the buttons need to be tightened up, or the waistband needs to be restitched, etc, etc. She usually brings a pretty big bag home with for me to sort through, with her, and we’ll decide what is the best way to fix things.
This bag was FULL with all her alterations…
We worked last night and today getting things wrapped up… Here is part of what we got done…
… a long furry scarf hat that needed the pom pom stitched back on the hood part a little tighter…
… a black tapestry jacket that had a one inch section of the set in sleeve that needed restitched…
… a black and gray paisley skirt that needed the button repositioned…
… a black tee shirt that needed the old hem taken out, because the stitches had snapped, and then restitched…
… a pair of denim shorts that needed to crotch restitched…
… a black and hot pink floral skirt that needed a hole repaired under one of the belt loops…
… and LOTS more in a bag she’d already packed away…
… threads pulled to the other side of sweaters…
… a new button sewn to a pair of corduroy pants…
She was finding the threads for me and laying them out on a table…
We had fun talking and dreaming about new dolly outfits while I sewed. She was pulling up some new ideas on her phone and showing me. I think Easter is going to be grand this year…
We still need to find 4 new buttons for this green wool jacket… (one button is missing)
She wanted a new soft furry pillow, similar to the size of the cowhide one I made her last year for Christmas. She was going to try and find some kind of fabric she liked… until she got into my furry stuff and found a piece of brown, really soft faux fur that she said would work just fine.
This is the fabric we used for her new fur pillow.
She brought 2 medium sized feather pillow inserts she had from home, and we emptied the feathers into a pillow case outside, then used the covers from them, sewn together to make one long pillow insert. We went back outside and filled the 2 sewn-together covers with the feathers. It made one big long pillow and was really pretty. She already took it in the bedroom, so I don’t have a picture to show you.
The only thing left to do is sew the buttons on the green jacket and she wants a new longer leather strap on a purse she brought from home. I have the strap already and will “custom” fit it to the length she wants.
We are staying busy and know our time is running out so we are making every minute count. Tomorrow is the old Thrift Shop here in town.
I gave her a $55 gift certificate and she’s been waiting for a day to go there.
So that’s what we’ve been up to…
Now, I wanted to share a picture from Linda… of her pretty Christmas Wreath.
Thank you Linda!
Well, I better go… I need some extra sleep tonight! :o)
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Well, you have certainly kept yourself busy with all those mending projects! Hope you get a picture of Rebecca’s new pillow to share with us, Jeanne!!
Linda, your wreath is just lovely! Thanks so much for sharing the picture!
Kathie, yes, I seem to be getting over the bug. Still coughing some, but at least not so hard, also not blowing/sneezing, etc. like I was. I took Mucinex for 3-4 days (not as many per day as you’re supposed to, but enough to do the trick), and that really helped, too. I was actually surprised!! (And also surprised at the SIZE of those things!! Talk about horse pills!! yikes!!)
Life has been a challenge of late, what with doctor appts./changes of others, a GOM hubby (Grumpy Old Man) who wants to come home because he has lots of “projects” he “needs to do” (what? He can’t tell you. Can he do them? Probably not, not any more….), and wanting to be moved elsewhere, etc. I wish there was a guide book for this stuff!!
But today I actually got a little shopping done. Still not full energy but improving.
It looks like a lot is purchased with a Mom in mind who can repair things. Great job, Jeanne. That was quite a load. Yes, help with the tree! 🎄 I’ve been thinking of George’s Nutcrackers myself. 💂🏻My grandchildren went to see The Nutcracker in Houston this year. a wonderful rest of the visit. Merry Christmas 🎄!
Linda’s wreath is beautiful and very creative with using the ornament as a feature, especially since it’s lighted.
Hang in there, Charlotte. There are books written about dealing with the situation. Social Services can probably recommend some and give you some ideas. That’s what they’re there for. Sometimes people are unaware of the services they offer. A consult with a gerontologist might be helpful. It certainly did for my mother when a granddaughter wanted to move in with her husband, two children, one 18 and one two years old, and a dog after my father passed away! Didn’t happen. As we left the office, the gerontologist whispered to me, “I don’t envy you.”
I’m sorry to hear Ron is having such a hard time, Charlotte. He just misses what is familiar and living with strangers is hard. My grandfather felt the same way when he was no longer able to be at home. A totally different situation than yours since you can’t physically help Ron and he has falling issues but, my grandfather’s second wife whom he was introduced to waaaay too fast after my grandmother died when he was vulnerable by another family member put him in a nursing home after he had a heart attack and was bedridden. I can still recall him saying ” I guess I won’t ever see my house again” when we came the first few times. We tried desperately to have him move in with us, but she held the POA and wouldn’t have it so we drove 3 hours one way each weekend to visit, stay overnight at a relative’s , visit the next day, and drive home. After he died she auctioned off all the house contents a week after the funeral and vanished before we had a chance to get anything. The house was in my mom’s name. That’s why I cherish those family items we received many years before. We did take some familiar things to the nursing home for him. Maybe if Ron had more things from home surrounding him that might help or something to feel “useful”. At least you are very close by. Certainly not trying to offend so please forgive. I’m just seeing it from the other side.
Just from showing us what you two have been doing, Jeanne, we certainly know you aren’t sitting there twiddling your thumbs, wondering what to do with yourselves!! Rebecca seems to have inherited a few things from you! Sounds like you are getting a lot done!
Is your Christmas tree up yet? That’s something she and Karn can do for you and George to repay your both for your expertise and time! It’s not the Christmas season until we see your tree and wonderful nutcracker collection lined up on the fireplace!
Good for you, Charlotte, in getting some shopping done! I’m still not done, but there are only 24 hours in a day, and it goes so fast! Glad you are feeling better! Good luck with your GOM!!
Thank you Charlotte, for the ocmpliments of the wreath, and for showing it, Jeanne. I only sent it because Joy wanted or needed a picture of it to help her make hers. It is several years old now, but has held up quite well. The little church has a battery to light up, but I hardly ever try that since it is in a hard to get to place.
Thank you Jeanne and Linda for sharing that lovely wreath photo. I am not creative at all, but can try to replicate someone else’s work, so hopefully, I might be able to put together a similar wreath here. And I had forgotten that it had battery lights in the church. Thanks, Linda.
Wow, that’s a lot of stuff to repair. I think Rebecca would find taking a sewing class useful. She might find it fun. It would be so helpful in her business and probably a write off too. So, with the costs involved in resale clothing etc., like shipping/postage/Venmo or Poshmark fees etc. is there much profit? Very curious as there is a lot of stuff around here that needs to go. 🙂 Other person’s mostly. Ha ha. 🙂 I think I’d love doing resale, especially, if it involved thrift store shopping. I used to do that a lot. All of those “saves” that Jeanne did are fabulous. I’d love to see the purse strap revival. 🙂
And on to some last minute pick ups around here. Such a busy time.
Hi Joy. yes if you could get rid of a lot of other person’s stuff you would have more room for dolls! Yay! LOL
Yes, definitely need more doll room around here. 🙂
My Chinese-American daughter-in-law started sewing lessons recently at age 60! She really loves the sense of accomplishment and being able to do things herself. She hesitated for decades, thinking she wouldn’t have the patience for it. My only advice was to read the directions before, during and review after sewing so you’ll remember how you did it.
That is a wonderful story. A late sewer, but I’m sure her work is lovely. 🙂
Evidently your daughter never learned to sew? I have 3 myself, and none of them (wanted to) learned either – sigh. Well . . . . . let me rephrase: the youngest one is the only one that ever showed ANY interest in learning. She’s also a teacher, so will always have a limited income (not that sewing saves any money these days!). We did some lessons a couple summers ago, and I had hoped that she would continue this past summer, but alas, her schedule was too busy. I’m prepared to give her my older Bernina (1130), but I want her to understand how to use it. Not to mention, she doesn’t exactly have a lot of room to set it up – Sigh. Where does your daughter buy the items she resells? I assume thrift stores? My (baby) daughter ALSO shops at thrift stores, and a sewing machine could potentially help with any “problems” that she may come across.
What a beautiful wreath, Linda. The little snow dusted church is perfect.
Lots of things to repair. Good thing Rebecca’s mother is a seamstress. I’m sure you two will have a lot of fun, Jeanne.