A Little Fall Color!

Finding fall color when you live in the desert can be a challenge, but we managed to go up in the mountains for a bit of "leaf-peeping" and exercise.  Taking the kids along always makes it interesting!

Our Moms said we could go for a hike if we behaved ourselves.

Ollie was a bit of a challenge cuz he was interested in everything!

For Pete's sake, Ollie, if you fall in that stream....  how did you get out there?

"Ollie, come down!"  "Here, let me get you."

"See Tansy, a sparkle rock.  Mom says it's Mica, but my friend Micah
 isn't here, so I don't think it's his at all."

Mom said there's a mouse hiding in this pinecone
and I can see his hind legs and tail.
I'll just wait till he comes out.

See Mom, we're being good!

Ruthie makes a "leaf angel!"

"Ollie, lay down and we'll bury you in pretty leaves!"

"What, Mom?  No, we're not 'up to' anything....."

"Dogpile on Ollie!"

Outside of a little "derring-do" with crossing
the stream, we've been good today!

Just your average little angels.....

A Fun Discovery at Our House....

So, Gia, Sasha, and William couldn't help but notice something new has arrived at Casa Murphy.  Of course, they had to have a look!

William, Gia, and Sasha: What in the world is this?
Gia: It says "Ye Olde Sew 'N' Sew Shoppe"
William:  Maybe Mom got it in England!

Sasha:  Mom said it is her new dollhouse room that she made with lots of help from Auntie Marlo.
Gia:  Yeah, a LOT of help from Auntie Marlo, I'll bet!
William:  Well, that's kinda silly because she doesn't even HAVE dolls!
It seems funny she'd make a doll house.

Gia:  Mom says it isn't a toy, which is good cuz she's a grown-up and they don't play with toys.
Sasha: yes, she said it is just to look at, but she sure seems to be playing with it a lot.

Sasha:  Look, a tiny door with bells and an "open" sign.  Maybe we can look inside closer!

William: Isn't this the little rock and flowerpot Auntie Margo gave Mom at the festival?
Now I see what she wanted it for!

William: If my trashcan was this full, Mom would make me empty it.
The store has a tiny thimble full of trash!

Gia:  Ooh, look, a little jar of gum balls!
Sasha: Where?
Gia: there...right next to the scissors and zippers
William: I wish they were REAL gum balls....sigh....

William: Lollipops, too...a whole jar full...and we can't eat those either.
I'm going to see if Mom will buy us some candy for real.

Gia:  Look at the tiny little embroidery floss on my hand?  Isn't it cute?
There's a whole tray full of them!

Sasha: Mom likes the picture on the wall that says, "Too much fabric?
I think you meant to say too small sewing room."
William: well, this is certainly neater and more organized than Mom's Sewing room...maybe she should work more on that and less time making little rooms!

Sasha: There's just so much to see...my favorite is the cute little package...
the store must do mail order!

Gia: My favorite is the cat!  He looks right at home and has balls of yarn
to play with if he gets bored.
Sasha: And look on the counter by the register, someone is using their credit card!
William: Mom must be shopping here!

Gia: Mom put this here cuz she says that's what she always sees when she wants
a specific card of buttons!

William:  Hey, they accept credit cards...Mom says that she should always leave
her credit card home, but she never does!

Gia: I could look in here all day; there's so much to see!
William:  me, too! I hope the babies don't discover this or it could go badly.
Sasha: Oh, boy....I hope Mom has thought about that!

August challenge.....

Hi, all,

Things may be going from bad to worse as I continue to work on Festival 2019 stuff, but don't tell Punky B.  She got a raw deal modeling last month.  Now, this month....well, you'll have to have a look!

So, then, Sophie, you won't believe it....she dressed me in a PAPER BAG.....
Sophie:  no, kidding, a paper bag?  That's kinda mean!

Me:  Oh, Punky!

Punky B:  What do you need, Mom?
Me: Do you want to model my August challenge items?
Punky B: for real, this time?  You promise no more paper bag dress?
Me: Definitely NOT a paper bag dress this time!

PB:  OMG, I have been fooled again!!  Moooooommmm.....
Me:  sorry, sweetie, I am designing shoes for the festival, too, and of course they're top secret, too!  BUT,  I do have a little surprise for you....a good one, this time!
PB:  excuse me if I am a little bit skeptical, Mom....

PB:  Woohoo!!  It may not be a new style, but it is a new dress nobody else has worn!!
Me:  yes, I made that for your sister to wear at the festival, but she was always modeling for the CFA and never got to wear it.  So, you are the first to wear it and you can keep it as long as you want.  I won't even sell it off your back this time!

PB:  See what a great model I would make, Mom...this is my "looking into the future" pose....

the design challenge....oops!

Yes, it has been awhile since I posted, and I have stayed incredibly busy!  Find out what has been going on, with some help from Punky Brewster....

Me: Punky, it is your turn to model this month! woo hoo!

Punky B: oh, boy, Mom, I have been anxious to have a turn ever since
Auntie Di challenged you to make up a new design  a month!

Punky: May I just say, "What the heck, Mom?"

Me: Sorry Punky, I've been designing the souvenir outfits for next year's festival,
but they are top secret!

PB: Totally not fair, this is just a shapeless paper bag....
Me:  here, I'll fix it up real nice for you, sweetie...

PB:  Very funny, Mom!

Well, at least Punky B has gotten to model the new outfits (2) and so she's seen the TOP SECRET outfits, which is making her feel a bit better.  I think I owe the poor kid an ice cream cone, though. It was a bit of a mean trick to play on her!

Once I get the souvenir outfits under control, I'll get back to designing and filling orders!

April's Challenge!

Here we are in very late April (next to the last day? yes, I'd call that late!) and I finally have my challenge garment done!  My friend Diane challenged me to make something new every month for a year and so far, I am hanging in, but just barely.  

I had seen a child's dress with a fox face design on it. I could picture Sasha in that, so I gave it a try. 

original child dress

I wanted to make it a "culotte" (those of us who wore those in the '60's will know what that is!) but alas, I misjudged and poor Sasha was getting a serious "wedgie."  So, off with the bottom part and it was turned into a dress.  Since I had used a scrap of fabric for this sample, I was running out of fabric, necessitating a contrasting band.  (which I actually think is an improvement.) So, right about now, I was asking myself, "Having fun yet?!"  There are definitely days....

the final product

Catching up!

Hi, everyone,

I've been negligent on the posting, altho I have been busy sewing and creating!  I took up a challenge by a friend (Hi, Diane!) who created a new sweater design or pattern every month last year and plans to do it this year, too.  Well, that sounded fun and not too hard, so I accepted the challenge.  She now has my complete admiration!  It has been harder than I thought and it is only March.  I am now caught up and will show what's new:

January:  a baby shoe style in 2 different forms...a sewn on sole, and an "applied" sole as the late Jean Jensen used to call them.

simple mary janes can be made in any color!  this is the applied sole style

I did hard soles on the shoes but could do soft soles as well

February and March:  

I decided to sew something new instead of doing shoes.  I am counting altering patterns as my "something new" as it usually takes me the better part of a day to test a pattern and then alter to get a fit I like.  You have probably noticed I like a tight fit with very little ease.  The pictures below show the test pattern (on Cora) and then the final dresses that resulted (the off white ones).  Perhaps you can see the looser fit and lower armholes of Cora's dress.  I tightened the neckline, made the bodice smaller and raised the armhole quite a bit.  Once I had something I liked I made the white with green trim from a vintage table runner and the gold trimmed from 2 placemats.  

For this month's pattern, I tried another "ready made" and again found it too big overall.  It was shown with a huge pair of gathered shorts that I didn't bother with as I knew that I wouldn't like them.  So, on the shirt I made the bodice smaller and also made the sleeve ruffle smaller, altho the consensus is that it needs to be smaller still.  One cute thing about this pattern was the peplum, which was nicely proportioned, and it has a small dip in the back which I thought was cute!  

My photography skills are challenged enough without some help from a wee photobomber!  Here's some outtakes!

Hank, what are you doing here?!

Hank, don't kick, come with me!

oh, aren't you the clever one?!