Josephine Sews

Friday I finally finished my last memory quilt.  It took me about 8 months to start and about 3 weeks to finish. This one was really difficult to even start - maybe because it represents the last death.  Hers was the 3rd in a 4 month period and they were all in their 50's.  Maybe it was because I chose not to attend her funeral.  By the time her death happened I was spiritually, mentally, and emotionally broken from deaths and other life circumstances and could not take another funeral.  In any case I have completed it and it seems a burden has been lifted. Val started and completed an associates at a local bible college.  She had turn in her early retirement papers and was planning to retire and move in September.  She felt  God was telling her to prepare to move back home.  What she didn't realize (nor did the rest of us) was that God was telling her to get ready for her heavenly home. She passed away July 4th.  I thought that day was amazing because it was her independ

I have gotten better sewing knit fabrics but I still struggle.  One day I will actually read the books that I have bought to help me with this issue. I did manage to avoid stretching my fabric this time. Lekala 4608 Lekala 4608 How I did It Everything came from my stash - ya.  I am patiently waiting until I can buy new garment fabric.  I used 3 different fabrics on this one - a scuba knit (print), ponte knit (black), and a light weight corduroy (orange). Sewing knit scares me because in the past I would always stretch the neckline and hem.  In the past I never pinned the fabric pieces together but this time I did and I went a little overboard with the pins but it help to prevent the stretching. Neckline with One Should Seam Sewn Bias Binding Strip for Neckline Bias Binding Pinned to Neckline Bias Binding Stitched and Turn to Inside Adding the binding with only one should seam sewn made it super easy to put it in but the remaining

Oh how I am loving Lekala - patterns that fit.  I won't go into a whole bunch of detail on this one because I have already done a previous detailed  reveiw . My Version 2 of Lekala S4006 Lekala S4006 How I did It Everything came from my stash - ya.  I am trying to be diligent and not buy anymore fabric until I use what I have in my stash. Again I used a stretch corduroy, Sulky 30 wt cotton blendables thread, and one of my many decorative stitches. When I was doing the top stitching on the back yoke I had the stitch to tight and it created a "ripple" effect across the seam.  I did my best to attempt to iron it out but to no avail.  It is no longer a mistake but now a "design feature". Ripple on Back Yoke One additional change I make to this version was I doubled the hem length.  On the first version the sleeve hit right at the bend in my arm and I did not like that. Sleeve Collar Area Top Stitching Front Hem Top Stitching

My Favorite Picture of Her One year ago today I awoke to the sound of those dreadful words "I need a crash cart" and then "code blue".  I looked at my brother (he was in ICU also) and realized it wasn't him and my first thought was please don't let it be Toto.  As I step out of my brothers room I realized it was Toto - she was in the room next to my brother. As I watched in shock while the doctors and nurses worked on her the realization suddenly hit me that she was gone.  As this realization settled in my mind I realized I was gasping for air because I felt like I couldn't breath and I was suddenly aware of the tears streaming down my face. I remember a nurse and a chaplain trying to get me to leave the ICU area and with intelligible words and pointing I was finally able to communicate that I would not leave because I had a right to be there because of my brother and that she was my friend. The nurse told me I needed to slow down my