PROM

At last ..............it is prom day. Well that was last Friday, but I was certainly happy to see the day arrive. There was the dress that had to get done, the sashes that had to get done and the garden. A heck of a lot of stress for a few hours. BUT - this is PROM and to a certain girl - it was a BIG deal. Everything worked out OK. My hair is a bit grayer, but M was over the moon and that makes me happy.

So here goes - this is all about the PROM

THE dress (yes I know that slit is high  - well too late to do anything about it

My little girl - all grown up!!!!!!!

That Sammy - just had to get in all the pictures

 Oh - let's not forget Sparky for she was around as well

The PROM girl and her date - HI BERKE!!!!   (thanks to Berke and his friend for helping to get the garden in order)  I couldn't have done it without their help.

M and Berke

Some of the girls and their beautiful gowns

A few of the couples

Let's have some fun with this

The girls

The girls again - I think M talked to all the girls to see what colour dresses they were having and then she chose something completely different so we couldn't miss her!!!!!!

I have to say that I was surprised when I saw one of the parents that showed up. I used to work with Nancy many years ago - same company that Sandra worked for. I knew Nancy lived in the neighbourhood, but I had forgotten that her son was the same age as M. And what are the chances that they would be hanging out!!!!

M and Berke AGAIN

OH let me stand on the other side so you can see my slit!!!!

Group shot of some of the grads and their dates

The party bus arrives

So neat inside, but the air conditioning wasn't working well and it was HOT on that bus

Getting ready to get on the bus - that is a LOT of grads and their dates

Ooops - we missed a few - OK - I think that is everyone now

Yes M - you stand out in your red dress

The parents taking pictures of their kids - I just missed a really good shot by a few minutes. Got to be quicker next time

Getting on the bus

On the bus - HOT HOT HOT

 

Then my neighbour HAS    to leave. But she is afraid to back up behind the bus, so one of my other neighbours who was there to see his daughter off, volunteered to back the car out. Funny thing was that there was LOADS of room and she was driving a YARIS!!!!!!!

BYE BYE grads - have fun, but BE SAFE

And there you have it. The kids did have fun, the sashes got done and they were amazed by them. M won for MOST UNIQUE - at least I know one of them will last for a little while!!!!


Yes it was a bit of a sad moment. My goodness, my little girl is growing up before my eyes and soon she will be leaving home. Well she will always be my little girl and we will always have a good relationship (at least I hope so) and I see many fun times ahead.


On that note - I am out of here


Have a great day!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why machine embroidery is like having a baby.........................

Oh my - yesterday was a day I would like to FORGET. Well not exactly because it was M's PROM!!!!!   AND the sashes got done. I delivered them to the banquet hall at 8:45 PM - they were presented at 10:00 PM. That is a BIT too close for comfort even for me!!!!!!!!!!!!

And what happened???  Well - M got on the prom committee and I am not sure how it happened, but we became responsible for making the sashes. After much discussion and an initial shopping trip to Fabricland to find satin, we ended up going downtown to Designer Fabric to get the satin. The fabric was excellently priced and we had FUN shopping at Designer Fabric. I have to remind myself that parts of this process were fun.

Then we (I) managed to get the satin cut and the sashes were made. As I mentioned earlier - sewing with satin SUCKS. It frays, it is slippery - it is unruly - it is just a pain to work with.

The sashes

If I had known that sewing the sashes was the EASY part - I might have quit then!!!!!!!!!!!

As I was working on sewing the sashes, I casually asked M how they were doing the lettering. OH MY GOD - they were going to use glitter glue or something. I COULD NOT bear the thought of them using glitter glue on my beautiful sashes. OH NO  - WE can embroider the letters on!!!!!!!!  

Now I am NOT an experienced embroiderer - but I know my way around the basics. BUT if I had more experience, I would have appreciated the amount of TIME involved in printing off all those letters and I would have personally gone out and BOUGHT the glitter glue!!!!!

Tried to get the letters on the computer and the software wouldn't work. After uninstalling the software (with GREAT difficulty), and then reinstalling (again with great difficulty) (I'm thinking this whole sash thing was a TEST!!!!!)


In total, there were 155 letters and each one seemed to take forever. I can't tell you because then you would certify me insane and we can't have that!!!!!!!!   Hey - there are some things I can NEVER reveal!!!


So why is machine embroidery like having a baby - well I should qualify that - I didn't say giving birth - I said having a baby. There is a difference.

Just bear with me and you will see why...................

The sashes need to be stabilized in order to be stitched. After doing the first two - I thought this is crazy - I won't have enough stabilizer and it is wasteful to hoop each one separately so, I invented this..............

After embroidering one of the words, I carefully cut out the sash from the stabilizer. 

Then I carefully pinned in a piece of stabilizer to fill the hole. Don't tell the machine dealers - I am sure they would have a fit if they saw this. But hey - it worked just fine and just like changing a diaper!!!!

Then using my plastic template as a guide, I very carefully pinned the sash in the right place on the stabilizer

Programmed the machine (OK - so I hit a button and it did it automatically) to stitch around the perimeter of where the lettering would go. Two reasons - to further stabilize the satin and to make sure I had the letters in the right spot before the embroidery got started.   Just like buckling the baby into the car seat!!!!

Used TWO different hoops to help speed things up a bit - here is the small hoop 

And the MEGA hoop  (a bit like having twins because there was now TWO  pieces of stabilizer that needed to be changed)

A finished sash  (ah - but NOT finished) - Oh no - that stitching around the words had to be removed and then the stabilizer had to be removed as well.  That was like cleaning up the baby before grandma comes to visit.

And let's not forget that you MUST keep a watchful eye on the baby because they can very easily get into trouble. Like the thread breaking, the bobbin thread running out, a needle breaks - you get the picture.

Watching the thread as it comes to an end. Yes - I had some trouble at the beginning and end of some of the spools - not all, so in some cases, I had to watch it and stop the machine just before it ran out. 

Here they - all cleaned up - ready to sew together to form the sash

At one point, I was ALMOST desperate enough that I almost asked DH to help take the stabilizer off, but then I thought - who am I kidding. He will likely cut the sash and then I am screwed!!!   But I did learn that there are TWO kinds of stabilizer. I was using tear away stabilizer and the cheap stuff I bought on sale at Fabricland was AWFUL - it did NOT tear clean, while the stuff I got from the sewing machine dealer was a dream. Lesson learned - if the price is too good to be true - it likely is NOT a deal.

And Mani - LOVED being PROM QUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The floor around that area was a mess. No time to aim for the garbage pail. There were threads everywhere - I was just tossing them wherever!!!!!!

Went through almost TWO packs of needles. The darn thread would get caught and then break the needle. Hence the babysitting required. 

Almost EIGHT spools of thread

Numerous bobbins

What I really needed and would have helped was a BABY MONITOR. I was trying to do the garden at the same time so if the machine stopped - I had no way of knowing. Even though there was a lot of stitching - there was a LOT of downtime which is why it took so long.


And the worst part - I went WAY OVER BOARD on the sashes, but there was no turning back once I got started and I just had to plow through.  Oh well - Miss Bamford called me a supermom. I was laughing in the car on the way there. All I needed was a cape (made of satin of course) and I would have been set!!!!!!!!!!


Bottom line - I always do one big HURRAH for any school M has been at and this was it for High School.

The garden got done, the dress got done, M was HAPPY and that is what it is all about. Me - I am happy too, but VERY CALM through the entire process despite all the issues. I MUST be getting old!!!!

This was from a couple of days ago - even M got down and dirty in the garden.............

And in case you are thinking that Sammy is looking up in admiration..................

Nope - M has food that Sammy wants!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The second quilt basted (maybe I posted this already)

 On that note - I have tons to do today, including packing!!!!!!!!!!   And one last quilt and that table runner.



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    (Twenty four hours left - thank goodness, I have been busy - no time to even contemplate what I am about to do!!!!!)



Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The mother of all TO DO lists

In case you are wondering what is happening in my life today - well have a look at this..................

It is PROM day at our house. And I woke up to this list. Never mind that I am already going nuts with the sashes - more on those another time and the customer stuff that is almost done.

I am managing to sneak in a few spare minutes BETWEEN my "TO DOs" so I can post a couple of pictures!!!!!!!!!!!!!   I laughed - but we (I) have done the first two things on the list. Picked up the dress - looks AMAZING - dropped M off at the spa for the day and AT LAST - I have peace and quiet.

Well not exactly - I had better get the things done on her list or I am in BIG trouble. We have 60 people arriving at 4 PM. ACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the sashes are being presented at 10 PM. HECK - I have loads of time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    When I have a few minutes later tonight - I will tell you the story - it is pretty funny and my new motto - K.I.S.S.  - that is all I can say - K.I.S.S.


In case you are wondering about the quilts - yes I am still working on those as well. I managed to get BOTH quilts basted and they are already delivered.

Basted quilt

I got another quilt quilted yesterday .

Customer quilt - trimmed and the binding is stitched on. Just need to add a couple of sew on patches and this one is DONE. 

That leaves ONE quilt left to quilt and ONE small table runner that a good customer of mine popped by with. I couldn't say no. Well I could have, but she was desperate and brings me lots of stuff.


And look at these ADORABLE serviettes that Lois brought me at the pot luck. I LOVE THEM - will save for a special occasion when I get back. Can't save them forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  OH - I know exactly what to do with a few of them. Can't tell you.

On that note - I have a busy day and there is NO TIME on that agenda for blogging. God forbid that she sees me sitting down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!    Can't imagine what it will be like when she gets married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Have a great day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!