Hi everyone,
It seems this ice and snow storm has highjacked my brain. I was kind of in a fog today… just looking out the window, watching my hubby working in the very frigid cold temps today with his battery-operated pole saw and taking a few pictures. I couldn’t seem to get focused on doing anything in my sewing room… We haven’t had mail for a week and I miss it. I didn’t work on any shoes today but did find some fabrics that might work for a few of the shoes. I think I may just sell some of the shoes separately, otherwise, I’d only be sewing Ruby Red Fashion Friends outfits for Valentine’s Day. That wouldn’t be fair to the other dolls I have. Right?
So I’ll just randomly and in no particular order show what pictures I have on my phone and maybe answer some of your questions.
This is what is left of our huge Heritage River Birch tree that Kristoffer bought us many years ago and planted it when it was about 6 feet tall.
My hubby was using his battery-operated pole saw to reach as high as he could to bring down the limbs that were dangling. There are still some of the big limbs that are hanging on too tight and we’ll have to wait until the ground isn’t so saturated with snow and ice to get his truck or our neighbor’s tractor and pull them off. Then eventually the tree will have to be cut down.
These are 2 fabrics I thought would work well with the 2 pair of shoes I picked out.
The red hearts and green fabric looks familiar and I think I may have a dress for Kirsten cut out of it already. I’ll have to check on that.
This next fabric and the leather too, are a dark rose or maybe a dull hot pink, if you will. It’s very pretty, but not red.
I’ll just add this in here right now… and it may be the reason I have been sort of out of it… I am having that surgery on my leg this Friday… I’m a bit nervous… trying not to be, but I am. You are awake, but sort of in and out, because they want you to be awake so they can talk to you about the pain and if you feel anything. I found out the needle they use to numb your leg all the way up as they are putting the catheter in the vein, in about 12 different places, is an 18 gauge needle. When George heard that, he looked at me and said, “That’s bigger than what we used on the cattle at the Bull Test!” THANKS HONEY! I really didn’t need to know that!
Okay, new subject… I’ll respond to some comments from yesterday’s post.
Linda, we haven’t had mail all week either. Fed Ex did leave something my hubby had ordered, but we never heard the truck. I think he must have stayed out in the road and not pulled in our driveway, but just brought the box up to our front door. Our birds have been going crazy over the feeders. My hubby stocked up on some extra feed for them when we heard snow was coming.
Sasha, Thanks for your encouragement on the shoe making efforts here. I found some other shoes in the mix that I had made before and they are AWFUL… there is no way getting around it… some of them are just plain terrible, but I guess that’s how we learn. If I had stopped sewing when I had my first failure, I wouldn’t be doing what I am now… So thanks for that reminder and for the nice compliments!
Rosemary, I’ve even started dating the shoe patterns; that way I know which one came first by looking at the date on the pattern… Yes, I do sew the shoes together by hand, with a thread used for leather stitching. I use the saddle stitch with a needle at both ends of the thread and go back and forth pulling the thread tight to get a nice stitch.
Joy, I think I WOULD like to do a post on my shoe making journey… I first made some felt shoes for Ten Ping when I got her and that was 10 years ago… back in 2015. I did make a few that were pretty awful and I had the nerve to send them with the outfits I made them for. I do have some pictures. Everyone would laugh… I do!
The propane camp stove is just like any other kind of gas stove… If you see someone with a big tank in their yard, they have propane in it, most likely and use it just like we do, only on a smaller basis. It’s just a small container of propane which hooks to the stove. People use gas stoves all the time and don’t have to have a window open. You can’t smell it in the house when we use it and if you are safe and use it like you are supposed to, it is as safe as can be.
As far as being safe, my hubby is the ABSOLUTE SAFEST person I know… he knows “everything” about being safe…from electrical wiring, using the correct wire, being safe with food, throwing out of date things away, he’s careful around electric lines, water and power tools, fumes in a house, funny smells, installing GFI’s in kitchens and bathrooms, not mixing things that shouldn’t be mixed, he wears eye and ear protection, he doesn’t put up with mold, he is a very safe driver, he plans for things and makes sure he has everything he could possibly need if something happens, when we go on a trip he takes maps, water, some food, he always uses sanitizer on his hands, he makes sure things are sturdy before getting on them, and he takes really good care of me too! Some of our friends call him MacGyver and it’s pretty true!
Laura, I’m glad you liked the bird videos… I took about 4 different videos but that one had the most “action” if you will. My hubby came in today from walking Reuben and asked if I had seen his “Swan Dive.” I told him no and he said he really took a dip in the ice…his feet just went out from under him. The ice was hard! :o( I will be glad when the snow and ice are gone… This has been enough for me for this year…I’m ready to see the grass already!
Barbara, Well, I think you have more faith in my ability to fix these shoes than I do… If I could make them narrower it might make them better… Maybe someday I’ll have a doll that has that size feet!
We have a gas water heater but an electric stove… we we can take hot showers and do dishes, but can’t cook. Insert the propane camp stove. It really worked great and we almost had a gourmet meal yesterday using it. We set it up right on top of our stove and just treat it like any other gas stove.
I’m so sorry you caught your hubby’s cold… maybe you can just catch up on some much-needed rest… naps are good when you don’t feel wonderful. Hope you feel better soon and can get out in that sunshine!
Marilyn, mixing chemicals is something my hubby is very safe around… that poor man you knew from Korea, and your neighbor who mixed the 2 cleaners… glad they were both okay…
Thanks for your kind compliments on my shoes. It has been tedious at times teaching myself how to make leather shoes, but there is something in me that just really enjoys it… I guess if I didn’t like doing it I would have quit years ago… but I’m still loving it. In fact, I have a new tool and a new flower punch coming soon in the mail… just a few more things to add to my leather making skills.
Speaking of tools… Remember a while back when we were doing lots of trim work and you sent us a gift and said maybe we should buy a nail gun? And remember my hubby asked me if I could ask you if we could use it for something else… I don’t know if I ever sent you a picture or not, but this is what he put it towards…a stand for his compound miter saw. The picture was taken though my kitchen window… back before the snow and ice came. He’s “using” it on the wood project! Just wanted to let you know we LOVE it!!!! He uses it ALL the time! :o)
Sissy, thank you for your kind words on my shoes! I’m trying really hard… someday I want to make NO apologies for my shoes and make no excuses or have any reason to call them clodhoppers! :o)
I’m glad you are feeding the birds and getting some sewing time in… Valentine Dresses? Valentine’s Day is one month from today… EEK!
Hope you are having fun and enjoying yourselves!
Well, that’s it for me today…
See you tomorrow,
Blessings, Jeanne
Hi all, guess I forgot to look at the blog last night before I went to bed, so will comment here on both of them.
Jeanne, your doll shoes are coming along really well. The fuchsia pair with the little flower decoration is my favorite, and I love them with the gingham fabric you show. The fabric with tiny hearts would be perfect for Valentine’s day!
I love the bird video, too.
Barbara, I’m with you on the gas stove, gas water heater, and gas furnace! I also have a gas dryer. Of course, when Ron was working, that’s what he did–customer service work on gas appliances!! So of course he would have gas appliances!
Oh, Jeanne, your poor birch tree! I hope you will be able to replace it, come summer.
Thank you for letting us know about your vein surgery; I will be keeping you in prayer, and also your husband, and your doctor and medical team!!
Well, I need to get to bed because I have to get up EARLY tomorrow (well, 8:30 is early for me!! LOL)–it’s the opening of online registration for our annual sewing expo!! Starts at 9, and I want to be all ready to hop on the computer and hopefully get my first choices of classes!! I’ve had my hotel reservations for several months already.
Oh, I love both the fabrics and shoes you have paired together, Jeanne! So cheerful! I can’t wait it see what you do with both of them, and it WILL be two different outfits, won’t it?
Valentine’s Day is coming so quickly! While my dolls are sledding and skating, I am trying to finish up taking down the Christmas decorations. No sense running around in this weather! Our driveway is a sheet of ice, but driveable once we get to the street, then everything is cleared off. We are holding off on getting the driveway cleared off by others, since the going rate is $100 an hour, and there is thick ice underneath which makes it so much harder to get up. Snowblowers and shovels won’t do it! So we are stuck until the ice melt starts working and it gets warmer.
So glad to hear you are having your surgery and getting it over with! Just think about that, getting it over with! You can be assured of my prayers, Jeanne!💕🙏🏻
Jeanne, I will be thinking of you and praying for you during your surgery and recovery. I’m glad there is a solution for you leg.
Boy, your trees sure took a beating as I’m sure many of you experienced in your own yards. I’m hoping no more heavy snows or ice storms come through.
I’m so glad that Jeanne, is going to have the surgery Friday. Other person recovered very quickly and has not had any further problems when he had his procedure done some years ago. I’ll be thinking about her Friday for sure.
That poor River Birch is a very sorry sight. Some of the branches almost look like they were rotting from the inside. I wonder if it had some kind of a borer that may have contributed to it’s demise? Should you want to plant another, what I read said that in three years it would be twenty feet tall. Fast growing trees. 🙂
I’m very aware of propane tanks, heaters, and typical gas stoves that use propane. Propane tanks are the only heating method other than electric used in the Sierras. I even have a propane flame weeding wand. 🙂 It was the camping stove that triggered my worry. Here, they would only be used for just that camping outdoors. We had one when I was a child. I’d never heard of one being used indoors without super ventilation. But, sounds like George, knows about camping stoves etc.. But, I didn’t hear if you have a Carbon Monoxide monitor/detector? Here they are required in all homes and rentals. Don’t know about Illinois though? Please let me know if you don’t have one, and I’ll see if I can pick one up for you. Safety first. 🙂
LA is going to take a very long time to recover from the fires. They are still burning in many areas and are not all under control even now. However, with all of the fire help from other countries, states, and counties, they will get the fires controlled. Wonderful that so many have arrived to help in many ways, but the stories are heartbreaking.
On a lighter note, we were able to haul out an old flat screen tv yesterday and take it to the free electronic recycling day. Couldn’t believe how heavy the older flat screens are compared to the new ones. But, after I moved a lot of dolls, we were able to carry it out of the family room and down to the truck. Inside the old instruction manual, now only online, was the receipt. A very expensive tv compared to what great prices they have now. Kind of an eye opener.
We have those electronic recycling days here every now and then and we love them. It’s amazing how the old electronics begin to accumulate when you get new ones, especially if new things are coming out rapidly. Eventually you have to upgrade because the old won’t work any longer. When we went to streaming TV we had to replace our big TV in the living room. We decided not to replace the two other smaller ones and gave them to the grandkids to use for their games. Actually better than taking them to the recycling. They were actually repurposed.
I absolutely love the fabric with the little hearts! Can’t wait to see what you make with it, reminds me of Mary Engelbreit.
So glad you’re getting the surgery over with. Hope any after care is minimal, I’ll bet hubby will look great in his nurse outfit while he takes care of you. Another reason for him to be careful clearing the yard. So lucky that nothing damaged the gazebo because that large limb looks like it was very close.
Have a great day all and keep warm!
Love the heart fabric. It would make a lovely midwinter/Valentine’s dress. Maybe next year. The surgery comes first. What I learned from my half-awake cataract surgery is to make yourself very comfortable so you don’t have to move. My doctor remembered years later that I didn’t move. It makes their job much easier.
I’m glad that George got what he wanted and needed. I like giving money as gifts — it’s like giving possibilities.
When I was being prepped for knee surgery, I had my sister, Sue, stand by my head and tell me what I needed to know, since people forget that people who don’t hear well can’t hear them when they mutter. Finally they told her she might want to leave because they were going to use a needle. She said, “It’s fine.” They said, “It’s a BIG needle.” She said, “OK.” They got out the needle and waved it around ar her. She said, “Eh.” Good thing. I started to move and she said, “DON’T MOVE.” Sisters can be very useful. But you knew that.
Stay safe and well. We’ll look forward to upcoming improving health reports.
Will definitely be praying for a successful surgery on Friday. I know you’ll be glad to get it over with.
I like both the fabrics with their respective shoes. Can’t wait to see what you create. This time we’ll know what kind of doll, but which one will be a surprise.
So sorry about your tree. Would love to see a picture of it before the damage. Any news on your fountain now that George has been out and about?
As for catching up on rest due to my cold, I’ve been doing that. I napped from the time we got home from church and lunch Sunday until I came too about 6:45 p.m. The past two days I fell asleep during “Perry Mason” and woke up after 10 am to finally get ready for the day. As for secondary infections I worry most about strep and sinus infections. But I use my sinus rinse and throat spray and seem to be on top of things for the moment. And I am sleeping at night because I can breathe thankfully.
Warm week this week but temps plunge next week. Into the 20s at night. First heavy freeze this year. We had a year when all our outdoor pipes broke because the person who lived here before used PVC above ground. All that’s been fixed and our pipes in the house have never frozen so I think we’re in good shape. And when they put the addition on they put my washer water pipes inside the insulated walls. Before they were exposed outside when my washer was in the garage and if it was freezing I could not use my washer.