Presents, Patterns & Teeth.

So may milestones this week!  

Happy 25th, Kelly!

[insert picture of hot pink slippers and fierce skinny jeans here]

Happy 30th Jonas!

New Used Ashland Banjo (!)

[insert also Lap Steel Guitar, and Trampled By Turtles concert]

And happy Teeth Popping Through to EMMYLOU!!

[insert cranky baby noise here]

What a week it was!  

Especially for Ms. Lou, who, as of last week couldn't yet sit herself up.  She's now standing on her own, falling often without too many tears, and looking at her feet wondering why they aren't doing her bidding.  And her bottom two teeth popped in!  I'm sooo happy for her - she has been in misery the last week or so. Yay Emmy! 

And yay me for scoring this bananas cute pattern off eBay!

Vintage McCalls 6944

Gah!!!  It's a size 2, so I'm hoping it'll be perfect for next summer.  I'm thinking she ought to trade in that basket of apples for a pail of Rhode Island Clams for steaming in Charlestown!

Source

Ahhh... summer.  Already miss it.  :)

Off to make nice with my new sewing machine and Jonas's new steel guitar.

;) 

   

Wherein I Whine.

So since the untimely death of my Brother and subsequent replacement, I've had the task of getting acquainted with my new friend, a Singer.   Please, to meet her:

We're both sort of giving eachother the stink-eye for whatever reason (what hers is, I couldn't gander a guess), but in honesty - she feels a bit sturdier than my Brother did.  I'm sure we'll be fine.  

The one thing I don't think I'll get used to or ever come to like, is the Crouching Shuttle Hidden Bobbin.  wtf.  Going from a drop-in bobbin to this?  I don't recommend it.  How am I supposed to know when I'm low on bobbin thread?  It just seems like the only way you'll ever find out that your out of bobbin thread will be in a frustrating and time-consuming way. 

That said, I feel good about the amount of metal parts to this machine.  I think only the outer bits are plastic.  There's a sense of security in that, for sure.  And I suppose the fact that it doesn't have a puppy on the front could suggest that I'm moving up in the trade.

Gosh, I'll miss that pup though.  :)

And on a related note, I am definitely in the market for new camera, as mine is still on deaths door.  Still a black screen when I turn it on and aim.  It's like 5 years old anyway, and has seen the World (6 States) so I don't feel too bad about retiring her, rather than getting her fixed.  I'm thinking I'll save my pennies up for this Bad Larry:

I die.

It's like my old 35mm, but digital - no film! (and not in pieces on the cobblestones of Italy!) 

I am going to wait and research a bit more about these hybrid-type cameras.  I'm not really sold one way or the other on cameras.  Some people swear by manual - some by digital.  I want the performance and photographic quality of a manual with the convenience of a digital.  Obvi, I need something that can easily go from camera to computer - so a film camera is pretty much out-the question.  

Is this the one?  I know at least a few of you are into photography, so any suggestions would be super!

Oh, hai!  I stand!

Oh boy, are we in trouble now.

Emmylou stood up today!  And Didn't. Stop. All. Day.

Within the span of three days, she has mastered sitting herself up, kneeling up unassisted, and now STANDING!  With like, very little support!  Ahhh!  

And, oh my god, does she LOVE it.  She is so proud of herself!  She looks around to make sure all in attendance are taking note of her brilliance.  And, yeah, we are.  :)

When I put her down for bed tonight, she immediately stood up and peered over the side of her crib.  Horrifying!  I laid her back down and then crept around in the hall outside her room for a while just to make sure she wasn't going to try any funny business.  At this rate, she's going to have choreographed a Tap routine by like, next weekend.  

Yay, Emmy!  Congratulations!    

NooooOOOOoooooOOo!

I was going to call this post 'My Brother has Died', but that's clearly in poor taste, even for me.

My BROTHER XR7700 has died!!!

By absolutely no fault of my own...

...

...

...the feed dogs just stopped feeding!  Disaster!

I was making another pair of tights.  I wasn't 100% happy with the pair I made for little Sophia last week, because I cut them on the wrong grain.  Rookie mistake - I'm really getting used to making them!  I thought the fabric was equally stretchy all the way around, but it wasn't, and so I ended up making a pair of Chinese Finger Trap Tights.   Not what I imagine Rae had in mind whence drafting said Tights.

Anyway, in my hurried state on the morning of the party, I
a) didn't switch to a stretch needle,
b) was using stitches/feet I'm uber-unfamiliar with, and
c) was way over-confident due to how specfabulous the first pair turned out.

That there above is a recipe for disaster.  And I sure cooked up a good batch!
She's going back to the store Friday to hopefully be exchanged - she's still under warranty, thank heavens.

So, now I've got nothing to do but clean the house and take new pics of Miss Lou.  Both overdue anyhow.

Love to all!