What the hell is wrong with it?

If you sew or quilt, there's one thing you have in common with everyone else who sews or quilts: someone always needs something repaired, resized, replaced, re-something. There's no avoiding it. At least in my case. 

Summer is the worst time. Everyone has a few minutes to visit or stop by and with them come the favors. (Funny how few of those favors are repaid.)  

I had a stack of favors waiting for little things: a button, a few stitches, a patch, those kinds of favors. Then there were the bigger favors: let out a few seams, lengthen a skirt, replace elastic, those that require finding the seam ripper. 

Then there was this favor: repair or replace a broken zipper on a fancy leather bag. Geez, I don't even own a fancy leather purse! No one will even give me their cast-off fancy leather anything! "But, you know, can you do something with this?" I almost said no. Just hmm, not happening. But I'm a pretty awesome person and a great MIL, so I agreed to try. 

Wait, allow me to first explain that the bag just appeared in the studio one day. Plopped down on the sewing machine table like it's part of the decor or next in the queue. Not a note, a request, a phone call. Just the bag. Was I supposed to search the thing looking for something to repair? No way. I plopped it on the other side of the room. With an out of sight, out of mind sort of mentality. Passive aggressive, maybe. Eventually the owner asked, plain as day mind you, "Did you get my bag fixed? I need it tomorrow." Damn, that girl's got nerve! 

So, because I am the most wonderful MIL in the world, maybe even since the beginning of time, I asked, "What the hell is wrong with it?" Except, I said it meekly and humbly and called someone sweetie and smiled the whole time. (Apparently the only place my rough talk occurs is in my head.) Luckily the broken teeth (on the purse not the person) were all at one end of the zipper. I just hand-sewed over the zipper teeth to close off that part. The bag doesn't open quite as much as before, but the repair barely shows, cost only my time and was much easier than replacing the zipper.



Within the hour this purse was added to the stack of completed requests of summer will-yous and by now everything has been returned to its rightful owner, including (but not limited to) school uniforms, jeans and khakis, anything made of that fiddly knit that is supposed to wick away sweat, too-short shorts, a pair of flip flops (go glue!) and this ridiculously expensive leather bag. 





All I can say is some Marcotte kids better pitch in some money and get an expensive leather bag under the Christmas tree come December. And it better have my name on pretty paper. Or a shopping bag. Even a gift card will do. Oh heck, who am I kidding? What I'll get are more will-yous!

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Watermelon

Milly turned one year old a few weeks ago and Dusti gave her a birthday party (of course) at our house since, conveniently, no one was sleeping here. All of the kids had just moved out, and we had not moved in.

Milly's party theme: You're one in a melon. Now, how cute is that? There was a watermelon-shaped cake, watermelon-shaped cookies, reds and greens and a few seeds. A precious red tutu! What more could a one-year-old want?

It finally occurred to me that if Pinterest is having an affair with watermelons, it may have a few watermelon quilts. Yes! Are you at all surprised?

One quick trip to my "heart, quilts" Pinterest board, and you can see these and almost 8,000 other quilts. Yes, I may have a Pinterest problem. 

How to run errands the easy way

I had a few errands to run today. It's was such a beautiful day, too. Perfectly sunny with a little breeze. Maybe a little warm for my preferences, but that's what the shade is for. 

A lion keeping watch over the train as it rolled through Bunkie.

How to make the best of a chore I normally dread? Turn it into a beautiful day. Really. Just appreciate the scenes, especially the ones I wouldn't normally notice.

A corn field harvested and plowed before winter

Along the way I looked around and found a few especially interesting scenes around our little parish and thought I'd share them. 

A cotton field after the machines made their passes

Can I do this all time? Of course not. But I can make an effort much more often than usual. Because if we look closer and think about the places and people we do see, we can find beauty and feel joy. And what can be better than that?

Water lilies on the bayou outside of Cottonport

Before saying goodbye, I need to say "Happy Birthday" to our sweet grandson, who is 17 today. And take a look at these two silly girls who helped us celebrate with him last night. 

 Millie is growing so very quickly, but then who would believe that this boy, who we call Puppy when he was her age because he did his teething on the furniture, is now a young man? The beauty holding the tyke? Jolie, who is now in high school. Are yours growing up too fast? How do we slow them down?

Sunday Quilt Inspiration: Waterparks

Summer is here and waterparks are an important, fun way to spend a summer day. These pins are from a simple search not a particular board, but you'll see that there are plenty of rides, slides and pools from around the world and everyone makes for great fun.

Disney World FL

Bali

Beijing

London

Dubai

Ohio

Bulgaria

Gulf Shores AL

So scary that I couldn't look long enough to determine the place!

Summer themed quilts are always fun...

Happy Summer! I hope this inspires you to make a summer themed quilt. You can find these and many other on my "heart, quilts" Pinterest board.

Hats Off, Hats On

Last weekend I decided to attempt a cloche hat. I've wanted one for quite a while despite the fact that I really don't look good in hats. I like hats. I have even been known to wear them. But wear them well? No, actually.

Exhibit A
There will be no Exhibit B.

The hat almost works. It's a little big, but it covers my head. I just don't like it as much as I thought I would. Mostly it's hot. 

I guess I'll have to wait until this business of the middle-aged heat wave finally passes. I had hoped 57 would be the magic number but apparently I have to get "upper" in age. 




Ah, I digress. Apologies. The cloche is my dream hat. Not the straw hats that I must wear in the Louisiana summer. Cloche hats are cute, sexy, and fun. Straws are utilitarian, sun fighers, blah if you will. 

I mean, who doesn't love a straw hat when the rays are hitting the part in your hair at 100 degrees? Ever had a sunburn on your head? The part-in-your-hair part of your head blisters. When the heat is that bad, the tops of your ears melt. Nothing short of a straw hat the size of a tree can handle that job. 

Preferably a well-worn, beaten up old straw hat. One with a string so you don't lose it when you pass out. Because in the South, passing out is the only thing you're allowed. God forbid that you whine a little (or a lot). 

Inside band and label

When the temps are 105 degrees, you are most likely sizzling on metal stadium seats. Trees don't grow in those kind of places; they have more sense than that. 



Southerners? Oh no, we don't have the sense of a tree. We go to little league games, Nascar races, football and soccer games and all manner of sit-on-a-hot-metal-seat events. Hats come in handy at those places. Hats and umbrellas. And sunscreen. Don't forget the sunscreen. Oh, and water. A towel to put on the seat. Yeah, that towel is pretty important to the hiney-end; no one wants a cooked hiney. 

Years ago (okay, many years) our boys were teenagers. They are athletes. As parents of three boys, we've bleachered every sport. In wind and rain, in sweltering sun and, once, in a November ice storm. The ice storm was bad. The August sun shining in my eyes at three in the afternoon--the bleachers absorbing heat all day long--was the absolute worst. 

Thank my lucky stars, I'd remembered my entire ensemble: a big red straw hat, a reflective silver umbrella, water, sunscreen and towel. I was the only momma in the stands. (Really. It was a scrimmage and some distance from home.) I did pass out (it's a requirement, remember?) during which time, my ears and eyelids melted.  Soon after, the seat of my pants burst into flames. Yep, I got a little hot but a big red hat saved my life. Too bad it couldn't save my toosh.