~ Aug 2013~ Sew what... We've gotta find a way back! Part I!!

[tinkbell13]

I have to say that I love your latest bag! The creativity is amazing as always. I have to find some of that Fairy Frost fabric. It is just gorgeous!

Ugh for trying to decide to renovate/add on or move. Our last move was easy as we had no space to add on and we had everything renovated that we could. We needed more space so we had to move. We now have the perfect amount of house and a huge property for where we live, yet DH has been talking about putting an addition on the house! I remember you posting about your renovations and loved seeing the pictures of it. I like the plans you posted and the designer in me started coming up with questions I would ask if you were one of my clients. That is the story of our lives. We see plans and start coming up with questions and rearranging things in our head. That is why we will never add on to our house because DH and I would never be able to come to an agreement on what to do.

I love the idea for your fun project! I think it would be really cool if you made tree skirts for everyone using the same fabric. The idea that they are all tied together, just like your family is, is awesome. As for the stockings, the practical part of me says to go with the traditional stockings. The whimsical part of me says the elf stockings. I love the way those look and it is for Christmas after all, so why not go with the whimsy and fun!

I don't think you ramble at all. I love hearing about the girls, MM, Josh and yourself in between all the postings of your bags and your trip. I know I don't post all the time, but I promise I do follow along. I don't always have time to post or I am DISing on my phone and I sometimes have issues posting from it. But please continue to post as you have been. I enjoy following along.

[ConnieB]

Suggestions/ideas for your Christmas skirt:

How about putting the signatures on the UNDER side of the skirt. No, they won't be visible to everyone, but then again, the skirt would be covered with presents anway. That way the love and messages are known and treasured by the family, but don't affect the overall crisp feeling. Basically it's almost a double sided quilt....one with messages of warm wishes and one pretty.

Also...and this is from personal experience, lol......be sure to get some extra of the stocking fabric and save it. If they have more children over the coming years you'll want to make matching stockings for the other children. Personal experience was that when my brother and I were still toddlers, Mom made each of us beautiful stockings....Mom, Dad, brother and I. Then several years later "surprise" baby sister appears....fabric is of course no longer around.....sister grows up and by probably age 4 or 5 she wanted to know why she had a different stocking (store bought at that!). Such little things do bother children....same as the fact that by the time she came along mom was much more busy (and working!) and taking the kids to have annual photos done professionally fell by the way side....so we have 7 years of annual posed photos, and then none with sister. She has other issues, lol....but suffice it to say that by the time she was a preteen, Mom stopped hanging ANY stockings because she didn't want to hear it again, and she was too peeved to make another set, lol.

Congrats on becoming an aunt!

[cogero]

D i love the house ideas you have. G told me to make a list of things want to do in our house and we would start working on it. I am icky though since my dad is a general contractor though not for houses.

I love hearing your ideas and family stories.

[Restrasz]

I love hearing all about your life as well as seeing your new creations!,makes us feel like family! Have a great week end. I'm a little jealous of your snow,were getting lots of rain.

[Iamthequeen]

here for quite a while. I have to say that I am amazed by your creativity! I sew quite a bit and am currently focused on quiltmaking. Your ideas for the tree skirts are great. I love the idea of skirts and stockings made with the same fabrics for all family members. I second the thought to buy more fabric than you will need for future additions to the family - not just young ones, but as the girls get older they will add significant others to the family too.

One suggestion on your house addition. It really isn't ideal to enter a room through another room. Unless you plan to turn your current master bedroom into a craft room or office, I would suggest building a wall and adding a hall way through to your new master bedroom. Not sure that will work with the location of the current doorway, though.

[NiniMorris]

Quick drive by post....

LOVE the signature Idea. Have them sign in festive colors...and add room for more family to sign. It will become an heirloom. You could also make it double sided...one side for signatures and one side without. Make sure the signatures side is just as beautiful as the one without...she gets a choice each year which side to use!

I also have a cute pattern for a birthday quilt. The borders are designed to be signed by the guests...the smaller version is to age 4, and the larger version to age 8. Since it is for hand embroidery I really should find the link and send it to you.

Your reno plans.. personally I would hate the kitchen away from the rest of the house. Several of the houses we have had over the years had a design like that. I gladly gave up the larger kitchen to a smaller one to be nearer the family. Just a thought! We are actually planning on tearing out the divider between our kitchen and dining room. Just making it a ginormous kitchen/keeping room. We NEVER use our dining room (too small for when the family all comes over) And everyone seems to congregate in the kitchen!

We have been holding off on moving...because I hate the thought of having to pack up all the STUFF that we have! (I still have a complete storage room in the basement FULL of my mom's stuff!!!) In our area NOW is the perfect time to buy/sell.... inventory is starting to get low, builders are back to work, and the interest rate is way down. But probably not happening right now...I would love to move to a different school district so I could put Mr D back in public school....


Nini

[nowellsl]

Originally Posted by DMGeurts

You know... Sometimes I just wonder if I ramble too much, and I include too much from my personal life in this PTR? It seems that most people aren't interested my real life updates, vs. when I post pictures of my bags... So, if you all would rather - I can stop updating so much - and only update when I make something new?

NO, don't stop rambling! I love hearing about your family and MM! Don't change a thing! That's what makes people love your pre trip/trip reports so much.

[DMGeurts]

Originally Posted by tinkbell13

I have to say that I love your latest bag! The creativity is amazing as always. I have to find some of that Fairy Frost fabric. It is just gorgeous!

Ugh for trying to decide to renovate/add on or move. Our last move was easy as we had no space to add on and we had everything renovated that we could. We needed more space so we had to move. We now have the perfect amount of house and a huge property for where we live, yet DH has been talking about putting an addition on the house! I remember you posting about your renovations and loved seeing the pictures of it. I like the plans you posted and the designer in me started coming up with questions I would ask if you were one of my clients. That is the story of our lives. We see plans and start coming up with questions and rearranging things in our head. That is why we will never add on to our house because DH and I would never be able to come to an agreement on what to do.

Thanks Loree (did I spell that right? I've been having name issues lately)... Please ask away - I am so frustrated with all of this, and my mind just won't rest.

Originally Posted by tinkbell13

I love the idea for your fun project! I think it would be really cool if you made tree skirts for everyone using the same fabric. The idea that they are all tied together, just like your family is, is awesome. As for the stockings, the practical part of me says to go with the traditional stockings. The whimsical part of me says the elf stockings. I love the way those look and it is for Christmas after all, so why not go with the whimsy and fun!

Thanks! I am glad you like it, I am really excited about it. Although, it seems like such a small project - but I think it's a bigger project than I think it is.

I am leaning towards the elf stocking too.

Originally Posted by tinkbell13

I don't think you ramble at all. I love hearing about the girls, MM, Josh and yourself in between all the postings of your bags and your trip. I know I don't post all the time, but I promise I do follow along. I don't always have time to post or I am DISing on my phone and I sometimes have issues posting from it. But please continue to post as you have been. I enjoy following along.

Thank you... Sometimes I just feel like I share too much and people are sick of hearing about me and my life... Especially since I don't share everything (it may seem like I do) - so I think that people get the impression that we don't have any problems, or that I am bragging about my life - when really I am not, I just don't share the bad stuff - ya know?

Originally Posted by ConnieB

Suggestions/ideas for your Christmas skirt:

Thanks!

Originally Posted by ConnieB

How about putting the signatures on the UNDER side of the skirt. No, they won't be visible to everyone, but then again, the skirt would be covered with presents anway. That way the love and messages are known and treasured by the family, but don't affect the overall crisp feeling. Basically it's almost a double sided quilt....one with messages of warm wishes and one pretty.

I thought about doing that, but I wasn't sure if they would "get" it? What I am thinking is that I plan to do tree appliques (the puffy ones), and I will have each person put a message on a tree before I applique it to the skirt... That way, the shape they need to stay inside is still there, and I can add the trees on at any time.

Originally Posted by ConnieB

Also...and this is from personal experience, lol......be sure to get some extra of the stocking fabric and save it. If they have more children over the coming years you'll want to make matching stockings for the other children. Personal experience was that when my brother and I were still toddlers, Mom made each of us beautiful stockings....Mom, Dad, brother and I. Then several years later "surprise" baby sister appears....fabric is of course no longer around.....sister grows up and by probably age 4 or 5 she wanted to know why she had a different stocking (store bought at that!). Such little things do bother children....same as the fact that by the time she came along mom was much more busy (and working!) and taking the kids to have annual photos done professionally fell by the way side....so we have 7 years of annual posed photos, and then none with sister. She has other issues, lol....but suffice it to say that by the time she was a preteen, Mom stopped hanging ANY stockings because she didn't want to hear it again, and she was too peeved to make another set, lol.

Congrats on becoming an aunt!

I did think of that... And I am hoping that I have enough... Total, with all of the fabrics I plan to use - I have about 12 yards, so I think I am OK? I do plan to expand on my idea a little bit, and I think I am doing one skirt for us, one for Josh's dad and step-mom and one for Brian... Stockings for everyone and they will all be done in coordinating fabric. I plan to have B&M sign their trees when they come with the Little One next fall - and I hope to trace the LO's foot on to a couple of trees for our skirt and Josh's dad's. Now, let's see if this all falls into place like my brain says it should/

Originally Posted by cogero

D i love the house ideas you have. G told me to make a list of things want to do in our house and we would start working on it. I am icky though since my dad is a general contractor though not for houses.

I love hearing your ideas and family stories.

Thanks Chiara. I am super picky too... I know exactly what I want, and no matter what I do - I can't make it all work - for that matter - I can't make any of it work.

Originally Posted by Restrasz

I love hearing all about your life as well as seeing your new creations!,makes us feel like family! Have a great week end. I'm a little jealous of your snow,were getting lots of rain.

Thank you Ruth. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Alli and MM are out playing in the snow right now. MM reminds me of the girls when they were little - the first snow fall, they were in, out, in, out, in, out... Melted puddles of snow all over my floor and piles of wet snow pants/hats/gloves/boots/coats all over the place. MM, minus the snow gear, is in, out, in, out, in, out... And it's only 8:30 am. He is loving the new "toy" outside.

Originally Posted by Iamthequeen

here for quite a while. I have to say that I am amazed by your creativity! I sew quite a bit and am currently focused on quiltmaking. Your ideas for the tree skirts are great. I love the idea of skirts and stockings made with the same fabrics for all family members. I second the thought to buy more fabric than you will need for future additions to the family - not just young ones, but as the girls get older they will add significant others to the family too.

Welcome - and thank you. Thanks for the reminder... I did think of B&M's future Littles, but I didn't not think of my own girls adding into the family... Thinking I may need to go hunt down a few more yards.

Originally Posted by Iamthequeen

One suggestion on your house addition. It really isn't ideal to enter a room through another room. Unless you plan to turn your current master bedroom into a craft room or office, I would suggest building a wall and adding a hall way through to your new master bedroom. Not sure that will work with the location of the current doorway, though.

I totally agree... We are not sure what our current Master bedroom would turn in to - as of now, it would be nothing... Possibly a reading room/extra TV room/storage. And since we really don't have the "need" for another bedroom, Josh and I were actually talking about just doing a lower level addition for the kitchen, and not adding the upper level at all? It doesn't make sense to add something that we don't need. He said we could turn our current bedroom into a new sewing room for me - but to be honest, I like my sewing room, and even though it's small - it is the perfect size for me and what I do. I like that if I leave my scissors on my cutting mat, I just have to turn my chair around from my sewing machine and I can reach it.

Originally Posted by NiniMorris

Quick drive by post....

LOVE the signature Idea. Have them sign in festive colors...and add room for more family to sign. It will become an heirloom. You could also make it double sided...one side for signatures and one side without. Make sure the signatures side is just as beautiful as the one without...she gets a choice each year which side to use!

I just ordered REAL fabric markers yesterday. I knew you would approve. I ordered 2 sets, so that I can send a few to Brian and Myrthe, and not be missing any colors at home, just in case they don't make it home next fall like they plan to right now.

I did post my current tree skirt plans above - I'd love your feedback on my newest idea.

Originally Posted by NiniMorris

I also have a cute pattern for a birthday quilt. The borders are designed to be signed by the guests...the smaller version is to age 4, and the larger version to age 8. Since it is for hand embroidery I really should find the link and send it to you.

What a cute idea! I really want to make a baby quilt for the new expected Little One, but I am not sure what to do right now, since we don't know if it's a boy or girl. All I know is that I will be sewing like crazy between orders for the next year!

Originally Posted by NiniMorris

Your reno plans.. personally I would hate the kitchen away from the rest of the house. Several of the houses we have had over the years had a design like that. I gladly gave up the larger kitchen to a smaller one to be nearer the family. Just a thought! We are actually planning on tearing out the divider between our kitchen and dining room. Just making it a ginormous kitchen/keeping room. We NEVER use our dining room (too small for when the family all comes over) And everyone seems to congregate in the kitchen!

I totally get that. As of now, I just have no idea what we are going to do???

Originally Posted by NiniMorris

We have been holding off on moving...because I hate the thought of having to pack up all the STUFF that we have! (I still have a complete storage room in the basement FULL of my mom's stuff!!!) In our area NOW is the perfect time to buy/sell.... inventory is starting to get low, builders are back to work, and the interest rate is way down. But probably not happening right now...I would love to move to a different school district so I could put Mr D back in public school....


Nini

I know - I have no desire to pack or move any of this STUFF - I have the same problem. But I agree, now is the time.

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I really appreciate everyone's opinons on our house remodeling dillema.

I posted a photo of our existing kitchen layout on Facebook, in the hopes that someone will respond with some great idea that we just can't see.

The dimensions of the ouside walls are 23' x 13' - so the area we are working with is very small. And due to the various walls/doors everywhere - all those things must stay. We cannot move our downstairs bathroom walls at all, because all of our upstairs plumbing is enclosed in them. So, unless we gut the upstairs too - we are stuck with this set up.



To give you an idea of just how small that space is by the fridge/stove - here's a photo taken a few years ago (it was right after we put in the new windows - so that back wall hadn't been finished yet). As you can see... When the dishwasher is open - you can't walk to the back portion of the kitchen or the bathroom at all. Same with the stove. The fridge does open all the way.



Then, last night, I was on Pinterest (um, for hours) and I found this - which with a little bit of modification, could work in our space:



But the more I work with it, I can't make anything work.

Grrr... I just wish my mind would rest about this - I am so frustrated and I want a solution.

Josh just came in (I've only been working on this post for 3 hours - gulp), and he offered another solution, which is viable... Instead of doing a kitchen addition - we could do a smaller main floor bathroom/laundry room additon... Reroute all of the upstairs plumbing, and turn the entire current kitchen/dining/bathroom space into a kitchen... It might actually work??? Similar to this:



So far, I am liking the 3rd idea the best - it seems to be the most viable and cost effective solution.


************************************************** ********

Yesterday, Josh and I went "out n' about" - we went to a few stores, then we got a few groceries to get us through the Winter Storm Warning today.

Afterwards, I went up to my sewing room for a bit and worked on my current bag. I plan to go up there again today and finish it up.

Last night, we watched The Christmas Story while I sat on the laptop and surfed Pinterest for kitchen ideas.

OK - I need to stop obsessing over this and get to work in my sewing room...

Then snow is falling beautifully, and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

D~

[Disney9.9.10]

I haven't read everything yet, but thought I'd pop in and say hi! I'm glad to see another late 2013 PTR. And your dog is soo cute I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Rufus. That must have been so hard.

[aboveH20]

Originally Posted by DMGeurts

Love, love, love this bag...

I used the Fairy Frost fabric again - and I know you can't see it in the pictures, but this bag SPARKLES! It's so cool and fitting!

I love how both appliques turned out... The Castle on the front really does have a "dream like" quality to it.



D~

I your new bag. I've said before that the castle is my favorite ride. You've captured it perfectly and I love the fabrics you've chosen.

Originally Posted by DMGeurts

I have a fun project on my mind, and I am not sure if I have mentioned it here yet? Since the announcement of the Little One's arrival, I've had a fun project in my head... I really want to make the new family a set of coordinating Christmas stockings and a tree skirt for next Christmas. I am hoping to work on it through out the year (I would also like to make a set for us, and another set for Josh's dad... but we will see...). For Brian and Myrthe's set, I had a huge idea last night, but I am not sure how it will look. You know how some people (Nini & Marianne) took quilt squares to WDW to have the characters sign, and then made them into autograph quilts? Well, I would like to take the quilt blocks to family gatherings, and have the family members write a little message to Brian, Myrthe & the Wee One that I can incorporate into the tree skirt. I think it would be a great "touch of home" for Brian, because I know he misses the family over the holidays. I told Josh about it, and he said it was a "great idea", but then he just went about what he was doing. So, I am not so sure about it.

Then, I am debating between doing Elf stockings similar to this... Only using the coordinating fabrics from the tree skirt...



I am really leaning towards the Elf stockings, just because Christmas in The Netherlands just seems to be a bit more whimsical - and I think they would be fun.

D~

It's a little creepy to realzie that you've been peering in my family room window. I made these stockings last year when senior son's girlfriend joined us for Christmas. I machine embroidered their names on, but "erased" them for this posting to protect the innocent.



It was a free pattern from somewhere on the web.

[nannye]

D, Do you know if the fairy frost fabric can be purchased online? I'm thinking you got it from Joanns? I searched but no luck, no time to look through each material. Did you get it at Joanns or somewhere else?
I'm hoping I can order some online.

[cogero]

Originally Posted by nannye

D, Do you know if the fairy frost fabric can be purchased online? I'm thinking you got it from Joanns? I searched but no luck, no time to look through each material. Did you get it at Joanns or somewhere else?
I'm hoping I can order some online.

I just ordered from fabric.com

[DMGeurts]

Originally Posted by nannye

D, Do you know if the fairy frost fabric can be purchased online? I'm thinking you got it from Joanns? I searched but no luck, no time to look through each material. Did you get it at Joanns or somewhere else?
I'm hoping I can order some online.

I get it from Fabric.com. I've never ordered it (or looked for it) anywhere else. I do know that their stock is pretty low right now.

D~

[kittylady1972]

Well I am zero help on the renovation ideas but I hope you find something that works for you!

I am so jealous that you have snow. There is nothing but cold rain here and the future forecast doesn't seem promising for any in our near future. Too bad as I'd love a little bit of snow for Christmas.

[DMGeurts]

Originally Posted by Disney9.9.10

I haven't read everything yet, but thought I'd pop in and say hi! I'm glad to see another late 2013 PTR. And your dog is soo cute I'm sorry to hear about the passing of Rufus. That must have been so hard.

Hi, and thank you. Losing Ruf was very hard on all of us. The girls hung his Christmas stocking by his ashes... It was very touching. We still miss him a lot - but MM has filled a gigantic void.

Originally Posted by aboveH20

I your new bag. I've said before that the castle is my favorite ride. You've captured it perfectly and I love the fabrics you've chosen.



It's a little creepy to realzie that you've been peering in my family room window. I made these stockings last year when senior son's girlfriend joined us for Christmas. I machine embroidered their names on, but "erased" them for this posting to protect the innocent.



It was a free pattern from somewhere on the web.

Hi Cheryl! I've missed you! I love how your stockings turned out! And yes, it is a free pattern on Mod Kids. I am very excited to make it, in my off time, I've been cutting out the squares for the tree skirt... I need to order more white.

Originally Posted by kittylady1972

Well I am zero help on the renovation ideas but I hope you find something that works for you!

I am so jealous that you have snow. There is nothing but cold rain here and the future forecast doesn't seem promising for any in our near future. Too bad as I'd love a little bit of snow for Christmas.

Thanks! We were hoping for a snow day for school today - but no such luck. Our school is always the very last to call off, and that bothers me a lot.

************************************************** ********

I had a nice sewing day in my sewing room yesterday, all that snow kept me inside.

I finished my latest bag set - I will have pictures posted this morning.

MM loved his first snow fall, and spend the entire day going in and out in it. It was like a whole new toy for him. He loved that the girls came out and threw snow balls for him - and the little bugger is quick - he caught each and every one of them. In the end - we ended up with about 12" of snow!

























Then last night, we watched National Lampoon's Christmas - a family favorite. I think the only Christmas movie we have left to watch is Christmas with the Kranks - which we are having issues getting to work in our DVD player. May have to go buy another copy.

Josh talked to his Dad last night. His dad and step-mom will be driving up from Louisiana late next week, they will be stopping in Misourri to caravan with Josh's uncle and aunt. His other uncle and aunt are flying in from Alaska, so like I suspected, it will be a HUGE family Christmas for us this year - and we are so excited about it!

I will be starting my last bag set before Christmas this afternoon (I have a dentist appt this morning).

I am not sure how I am going to get everything done in time for Christmas. Once I finish this bag set, I have an auction item to make (which I haven't even started yet - and my auction is scheduled for the 20th) and all the Christmas gifts for my family. I hate to say this - but I am seriously contimplating cancelling December's auction. If I don't cancel it, it will definately be small, because I just don't have the time. As Christmas is nearing, I am feeling more and more frantic about not getting everything done.

Not to mention Josh's tire cover... I told him 5 days ago, that if he wanted one for Christmas, he needed to find the blank ones he purchased... He has yet to give me anything at all - and I am quite annoyed by it, because it's all I have heard about since summer... How he has to wait in line with everyone else, and now that I have carved out the time for him - he doesn't have it ready. If I don't get it, he will then have to wait until next fall - because I just don't have the time. Men...

I guess that's it for today... I hope you all have a wonderful day.

D~