Sewing Day

So after my work day last Monday, the next day was for sewing for the new house.

Some  sewers met over the weekend and worked on some projects but not all the fabric had come in yet.  I was going to go on Monday evening after the work at the house but still.no.fabric.   ???   We were asked to come at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

The sewing was at a church about an hour from me.  I had thought it would be on site in tent city but then thought of all the dust in our machines and not good work spaces so was glad they had a church basement to use.

Karen is in green & I have on the pink stripes… far right side.

There were so many of us there!!  Several left after hearing we still had a few hours to wait.  I wanted to help sew and didn’t want the round trip so stayed there.  I was so happy that Karen was there so we enjoyed catching up on each other’s family.   Another perk of Facebook… reconnecting with those whose paths we don’t cross anymore.  (And those quick grocery store run-ins aren’t the same!)

At 4:00 our 1st batch of fabric and instructions arrived via Linda & Kathleen.   We made rod-pocket curtains for the front room.  There are 5 windows and each has 2 panels.

The curtain fabric is a smooth fabric, like a sateen but not too shiny like satin.  It is a modern black, white, and touch of gray print.  Lovely.  Then we were asked to add a linen strip to the outside edges and the bottoms.   Rust.  Linen.  Very natural & a bit knubby.  ????  No one there thought they went together.

I had been inside the house the day before and there are yellow walls in that room.  Very dark hardwood flooring and tan stones for the fireplace.

However, we completed our tasks and sent the panels off to be hung at 6 p.m.   We had plenty of time to wander outside, enjoy subway sandwiches, and take a drive to the mini-mart for a pop to get me through the night.  😉   I realized I hadn’t taken many pictures of that process – it wasn’t that exciting.  Then I realized none of it would be exciting!

(with Kathleen)

At 7:30 p.m. Linda arrived back at the church with more fabrics and more instructions.   This time we were sewing for the master bedroom which will be called the secret room on the show.  Remember I was in the whole house, there was no where we weren’t allowed, and the male star was gone most of the week anyway.  (get the picture?    )

Again the walls in the master bedroom are yellow.  (not as shocking as the outside trim tho.)   We made tan linen panels for the 5 windows and they had a black print on them.

Karen & I did a white linen with gray screen-print for a throw (just decorative) on the bed.

(This is our goofy-ness after spending too much time with this fabric!  The fumes… lingered through many handwashings!  Ugh!!  Not on my bed!)

Others made pillows from screen printed squares using a light yellow/gold linen for the backs.

(This was just a large piece they were going to frame after this sewer s l o w l y  machine stitched the cut out & yarn-dec’d flowers.)

The fabrics were nice.  Just not the color combo I would have chosen.  All the yellow with the white.  Sure.  Throw in the grayish tan in the curtains (and the pillow above on the right)and you lose me.  🙂

Karen found a bolster pillow form so used some of our white linen print to cover it.

She added old black buttons from her Grandmother’s stash to the ends!  🙂

Most of us were finished with the pillows and curtains by 9:30 and Karen & I left at 10 p.m.   Several stayed while the one lady worked on the wallhanging for the frame.

We were told we could bypass the road detour on our way back and sure enough, the police were fine with our sewing reasons!  🙂  The house was ALL lit up as we passed with lots of spotlights inside & out.  (This very busy east-west highway had been closed for the week, much to the dismay of nay-sayers in the area.)

Karen & I stopped at the V check-in as we were told we could get shirts for our sewing work.  Yes, I had one but was really fighting for Karen.  And mine has paint on it.  They were OUT of shirts!!  😦  We continued to our homes… I reached home at 11:05 p.m.  Yawn!!

My next thought for shirts was to go back on Thursday so Karen & I made plans to meet there once she got off work.   But during the day on Thursday it was announced that the V bus wouldn’t be running that day so we assumed the V check-in tent was gone.  😦

So I started emailing and got some response.  First an offer to take our shirts to the town we sewed in except neither of us live there!  So when I got on the computer Friday morning, an email from the powers that be greeted me with the news that their office had a bag with 2 shirts!!  🙂  Yahoo!!!  Karen was able to get them and I got mine picked up last night.

The shirts are HUGE but I pulled out my trusty Pamela’s Pattern to re do the tshirts into something for a lady.  🙂  I’m swamped this week so Karen will be sewing on hers first.

Oh what fun and a great experience!  I sure would love to know how the family is settling in.   The family came home on Wednesday.  My 2nd work shift had been cancelled but I could have ridden the V bus with my work shirt on which was a much shorter ride & turn-over time.  However, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go with the 5,000 others I thought would be there.

Part of me was sad that it was so close to me and I didn’t go.  However, they did say there were 5,000 – 6,000 there to welcome home the family.  I was glad I had stayed home.  I watched the coverage on the news and will watch the show when it airs.  Good enough for me!  Plus I was tired!!