hey y'all,
hope this finds everyone (all 4 of you) enjoying a relaxing holiday weekend. happy 4th! besides celebrating our country's birthday/freedom from the king's tyranny, etc., the 4th also means lots of SALES. which, when you get right down to it, that's all that matters, right? ;-)
bonnie and i did hit the junkin' trail yesterday, sans jannetta who is out of town on a family emergency. but before i get to my current junk pics, i'd like to update y'all on my recent "sew easy" sewing machine purchase of last blog.
first, i want to say a big THANKS to all you sweet, kind seamstresses out there who so generously proffered your time and energy to teach me a stitch or two. dana, cindy, shirley ... thanks a bunch. my plan was to take you ALL up on your offers and learn as much as i could. i had visions of fabric and lace and buttons and bows floating around in a cloud above my empty-skulled noggin.
the first attempt with my little "sew easy" darling yielded an actual, if not laughable, product.
i even played around with paper, cardstock, crafty stuff:
after my first session with "sew easy", i still had hope. and don't we all need just a little hope?
my second session with "sew easy" wasn't. easy, that is. nor was there any sewing, per se. just a lot of jammed thread, jammed needles and jammed fabric. oh, and my right index finger cuticle was stabbed about 1/2" deep by the needle. lots of blood, sweat and tears ... and plenty of cussin' proceeded forth.
let me just cut to the chase. i had several more sessions with "sew easy" and matters did not improve. if anything, they worsened. however, it wasn't until saturday morning at our first yard sale of the day, that i actually SAW the writing on the wall. it was v. clear and legible.
the seller had sewing notions, fabrics, threads galore. she is a seamstress. naturally, her sale attracted others like her (birds of a feather). i decided to tap into their combined knowledge and ask a sewing question or two.
"why does my machine keep jamming?"
they all perked up, so eager to assist. apparently, this is a common trait among the sewing species.
"probably your tension," one offered.
"could be your needle," another one added.
"you may not have the machine threaded correctly," the seller said.
"well, i've adjusted the tension, changed the needle and i'm pretty sure i've threaded the machine correctly," i replied to the group flocked around me.
as an afterthought, i added, "it's a "sew easy" machine."
WELL! as if they had been practicing together all their lives, the sewing birds began a perfect chorus of "ah hahs!" and "ooohhs!!" and "no wonder!!" in unison.
"THAT is your problem, dear. the machine."
i told them i only paid $15 for it at last week's yard sale ... to which they replied, "it was a complete waste of your entire $15."
yikes. i was just about to figure that out all on my own, but i'm glad i got their opinion on it. they suggested buying a kenmore or singer, but honestly, i'm rather numb to the idea right now. maybe after (IF) my finger heals (yes, i'm worried about infection, tetanus, lyme disease, diarrhea, constipation, fingernail sensitivity), somewhere down the road, i might consider sewing as a hobby again. but then, i might not.
found these sweet, old canisters at the GW bargain barn recently. thought about painting them pink, but now i'm thinking i'll paint just the lids pink.
also, stumbled across this AWESOME black vintage purse that was made in france! looks great with my eiffel tower artwork.
at the same sale with the sewing ladies, i picked up lots and lots and lots of pearly beads ... and single roses of differing shades. gorgeous, no?!
also snagged these gorgeous blue jewels and chandie prisms!
this yummy pink blossom was at the barn. got it with a bunch of other flowers for 25 cents. it was impossibly huge and unwieldy, but i fell in love. the cd is in the picture simply for size comparison and appreciation.
finally, here's a little beauty i found at the ladies of charity thrift shop (who, btw, are sometimes not all that charitable, if you know what i mean). their white tagged items were 50% off and this vintage chair just happened to have a white tag, marked $1.
is it just me, or does wimbledon seem to drag on and on and on ... what is, i miss jeopardy?!
love and hugs,
terry lee
ray, a drop of golden sun
me, a name I call myself
far, a long, long way to run
sew, a needle pulling thread
la, a note to follow sew
tea, a drink with jam and bread
that will bring us back to doe!
