Kal-El at six months! It's amazing to me because I remember having both a 3 month and a six month cake to celebrate his mama's first year milestone dates; simply because I still couldn't believe she was here. Now she's the mother to this beautiful creation. Every new picture I see I want to drop what I'm doing and go play with him. Or just hold him. It goes by so fast!
Another thing going by fast is this week. Aw, heck, they all do. This week is "Sweat Week" for the youth group at our church. Every day this week the teens are meeting up at church and going off to do different works of service. The minister and youth director were kind to invite Jacie to join them, even though she's not officially in youth yet, so I thought with Philip and Jacie both out of the house for most of the day I'd get a lot done. Not yet! (lol) Monday was B's day off so after we dropped off children at church we headed out to the landfill to recycle old paint cans. That errand turned into a sightseeing drive, a great lunch, and a lovely day with my love without children arguing in the back seat. I spent yesterday putting away Shakespeare and started organizing crafts for camp next week. Oh, and I read a book. I wanted to start it and take it to camp with me but once I started I couldn't put it down. ("Girl with the Pearl Earring" by Tracy Chevalier) Today I must attend the funeral for a dear lady from church. She passed on Saturday; less than two weeks after her 100th birthday. Maybe there'll be some time this afternoon... if I don't pick up that other book I meant to take to camp!

It's funny-- the show is over but it's still here. All over my front hallway, sorted into piles for whites, colors, bleeders to wash separately, and a really huge Dryel pile. I did take the suits to the dry cleaners. The going is slow because the washer has developed a habit of not shutting off the water after it fills so my back room becomes a river if I don't catch it!. Fortunately, the water runs right out the back door. Unfortunately, this means I can't just put a load in and walk away to do something else. I've just about got the timing down so I'll know when to check on it. The dining room still has all the VBS supplies-- they're still out because I have to figure out what I'm going to use for camp. I'm planning for 50 but I never know 'til I get there just how many kids there will be. The 'youngers' and I re-organized their room and I cleaned up the cave. I've mentioned before how I can't seem to start working on sewing projects after a big show until I've messed around with the organization. I just have to do something new to it. This time I moved around some oil painting supplies and found new drawer space for buttons. I started on some new pincushions for the shop and cut out some new smocks. I closed the opening in a bunch of stuffed fleece ornaments I started in, oh, February?! I did manage to get a small, store-bought blanket embroidered for my grandson that my daughter had brought up a couple of months ago. That just might be a record for me! There was one hiccup in the second "K" when the thread ran out; I'll just fix it by hand.
The sad part is--- even with all the cleaning and moving and sorting and putting away I've done in the cave, I still haven't found the remote control that disappeared a couple of weeks ago. There's the buzzer. Time for another load.

Pssstt...

Hello, cave? Remember me? I'm sorry you're piled with laundry instead of the quilt squares and pincushions and smocks I promised we would do this summer. Shakespeare is almost over and so is VBS since they're both running this week--- which means I am running wild too! The little one we have been caring for for two years (supposed to be a few months, remember?) is moving far away tonight so we won't have her pulling on your hanging fabric and re-arranging the thread spools. We will miss her terribly. Just three more days and life will be a new, quieter routine. For at least a week. Did I tell you about camp, and the trip for a wedding, and...

Picture night

Last night was picture night for "As You Like It". That's when the director grabs a couple of pictures to send to the newspaper for publicity purposes. I hate picture night. For some reason, no matter how much I try to prepare for it, it never works right. Because of the shorter turnover time between the start of rehearsal (when I meet and measure the actors) and opening night, there is no way I can have EVERYTHING picture ready two weeks before opening. It's just not going to happen. So I have to have as much as possible done because I never know until just before what he wants for pictures. I concentrate on the principals, for sure, and maybe a quirky character that takes longer. Invariably, it seems I am just not where I want to be for the pictures. This time, I got conflicting lists of the scenes/characters he wanted to photograph and the frustration level rose. I arrive at the theatre early to dress those selected. Always there are a couple of actors who were sure they were supposed to be in the picture and when I have to tell them they weren't on the director's list their feelings are hurt. I feel bad. Frustration rises. An actor says he came in early because he was told he was to be photographed. I know nothing about it. Frustration rises. The director asks if a particular character can be dressed 'right now' for a picture. He wasn't listed and is particularly difficult to fit. "Can't you just throw him in something?" No, he is not a standard size and I am not a magician who can make clothing appear. Plus he is one of those 'quirky' characters that I designed a particular look for. So he says ''Can we photograph him tomorrow?' "Yes, absolutely." Okay. Moments later--- the actor is ordered to the photographer with a prop hat and having his picture taken. Frustration level hits the roof! I know the director needs to get this done but what he doesn't seem to care about is this: That picture is representative of MY work. That's what people will see to entice them to come to the show. They'll think "THAT is how the costumer saw that character?" It's not me. It's not my work. It's not my vision. There will be 'real' pictures taken later for archive and scrapbook purposes but very few will see them. It's frustrating. I hate picture night. Of course, I never get any pictures because I'm running around like a chicken with it's head chopped off. So I'll leave you with a shot taken at sunset from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It's calm and peaceful. Unlike picture night.

Home again!

Had about a week away to attend my sister's wedding and visit with family. Nice time! Our only issue was what Jacie would wear since she prefers boys' suits and I prefer she look at least a little feminine. We settled on a jacket and capri set, she chose a lavender linen-type and we bought a lace trimmed tank to wear under. Her jacket does have the 'peek-a-boo' lace strip down the back as in the pattern picture but I didn't get a picture of that!



I also had the pleasure of making their cake-- it's just stacked layers and fresh flowers (that matched the bouquets) to decorate. (Chocolate w/ icing filled on the bottom, white w/ sliced strawberries filling in the middle and marble/ w/icing on top. And the weather was gorgeous! Now-- back to Shakespeare!

Working on Designs-

"As You Like It", Shakespeare in the Grove 2010, is officially underway with the introductions and script reading last night. I got my sketches done. They're never exactly what walks out on the stage but they're in the ball park. I have a terrific helper this year-- she is already working on one of the designs and she's raiding her own stash for fabrics! So cool! I have had people express interest in helping with costumes before but they usually fall through. This one looks like a keeper! (And it doesn't hurt that her son is in the cast... the helpers are a lot easier to find when that's the case.) The picture shows my dining table during the designing stage-- the script, lots of paper, pencils and erasers, a few copies of vintage pattern envelopes for go-bys, Prismacolor pencils and a really large glass(es) of iced tea. Golden.

An outside project

One of the things I really wanted to complete this spring was this display. It sits to the right of our front door to welcome folks and give 'em an idea of what we're about. It started with an old sewing machine my sister gave me. It had been in her garage for years. It was in it's original table but, sadly, the wood was so badly warped and mildewed it was not salvageable. Since I couldn't save it, my dad helped me remove the machine and the iron treadle/stand and pack it in my little Rio for the trip home from NH to VA, where it sat on the porch since last September.


Last week, B and I bought some wood to make a tray and I hit the treadle with a touch of flat black spray paint. I wiped it down to remove the dust and cobwebs but I didn't try to cover up or remove the rust. I liked the look.




We stained the tray and while it was drying I cleaned up the machine with some Mr. Clean. I should note that there was no hope of using this machine- it would need a complete re-build so I was okay with re-purposing it for decorative use! I had to use a light touch with the Mr. Clean so it wouldn't ruin the paint. Then I sprayed it with a clear protective spray.



I secured the tray to the treadle base, set the machine on it with some scrap wood to level it and arranged some flower pots I had around. I chose flowers and vines that would offer color and green fill, as well as different levels try it make it pretty and interesting. The flowers represent my husband (the aforementioned 'B'); he loves his flowers. (The cow is also 'him'!) And I figure if you've been reading me, you know what the sewing machine stands for! This picture was taken the day after planting. It has since filled out a little more.


I think the amazing part of this whole project was I dreamed it up on the ride home from our visit last fall--- and less than a year later it has actually come to fruition. That HAS to be a record for me! Thanks, B!