Birthday Gift Albums

I've been a busy little scrapper this last week making gifts for a couple of upcoming birthdays. Next Friday is my honey's 50th birthday so I used the journaling prompts and design ideas from Bree's "It's the Little Things" class at ScrapFreak.com to create an all journaling chipboard album for him. (It's kind of mushy because it was originally intended as an anniversary gift. LOL)










Our "foster daughter's" birthday is two days later so I printed up a bunch of her prom and graduation photos and put together an album for her. This one is all photos with the only journaling inside the covers. I've left a small space on each page for her to add some journaling if she chooses.











(GEEZ-O-PETE! Three tries and the photos still uploaded all weird! I guess if yoiu really want to see this one you can look at my ScrapFreak gallery. :sigh: )

Our youngest daughter's birthday is tomorrow but she isn't getting a scrapbook album. She is getting Rockband for Wii because Mom wanted an excuse to buy it! :D

This Is Who We Are- the page

Yesterday's post finally gave me the kick in the pants to actually create the scrapbook page. I spent half the day fiddling around with my pics since none of them were all that great being that they were taken from quite a distance from the stage and all of them had distracting sound equipment that couldn't totally be cropped out. I finally decided on a small print of the man who spoke the words and a 5x7 group shot from the grand entrance that better displayed the color and variety of the clothing.

"This Is Who We Are"

I've been meaning to turn this into a scrapbook page since July 4th but, since I have yet to get around to it, I thought I would record it here so I don't forget. A few years ago our city's Independence Day festivities changed sponsors and organizers. One of the changes made to the celebration is that, in recognition of the fact that the place we hold our celebration is a place sacred the Anishenabe, some of the people of the Three Fires open the festivities with a drum circle and dancing. One of the men spoke about the clothing worn for the ceremonies and I found myself moved by his words: "This is not a costume. A costume is something you wear when you are trying to be something that you are not. These are our best clothes. THIS IS WHO WE ARE."

The JW Marriott

Kim won a 4th of July package from Centennial Wireless (the main sponsor of GR's Independence Day festivities) for an overnight at the new JW Marriott hotel downtown.
This pic is from directly across the river at the musuem.

This one is from later in the evening taken from Ab-ne-be-wan Park.

Kim, Kacie, Stephanie, and Jason standing at their window waiting for the fireworks to begin. (On the left second from the top. Jason has his arms in the air.)


The JW reflected in the tower of the Amway Grand.


The view from the 22nd floor was just fantastic. Unfortunately my pics aren't that great because of reflections in the glass and shooting toward the setting sun. :( They show the people filling the Pearl Street bridge and Ab-na-be-wan Park In front of the Ford Museum as well as the pedestrian bridge the fireworks are shot off from.

Here ya go...

Me in the new dress after the day at Silver Leaf and the long ride home.

The Medievalish Dress

Is finished! (Unless, of course, I decide that it needs further alterations. lol)Your going to have to wait until I wear it to Silver Leaf on Sunday for pics of me wearing it, though. I didn't take step-by-step photos for a proper dress diary but will try to summarize what was done.
I used Butterick 4827 (sz 14-20) and cut it from some red silk curtain panels lined in cotton that I had found on clearance. I cut the silk and cotton as one and treated it as one layer during construction. Since I have narrow shoulders and a large bust I cut the shoulders and neckline at a sz 14 and bust and flared skirt at sz 20 which allowed for no ease at the bust. Since I have thin arms and wrists I cut the sleeves from the sz 14 pattern. I did not use any interfacing nor did I use the lacing "plackets" called for in the instructions.
I made the dress up pretty much as directed except the I did the facings with just a layer of the silk and stitched my lacing eyelets through the dress, lining, and facing layers on either side of the back opening offset for spiral lacing. I fit the dress over a modern minimizer bra not being brave enough to try for self-supporting. The dress fit well across the bust point but gapped badly above and was loose below. I took in the princess seams going into the armseye about 4" total to eliminate the gapping and curved the seams from the bust to the waist in a bit more for a better fit. That part was relatively painless. I ran into trouble when I attempted to fit the sleeves into the armscyes. Even though taking in the bust had decreased the opening of the arm hole it was very difficult getting the sz 14 sleeves to fit the opening and they just didn't look right. I ended up cutting a second pair of sleeves in a sz 20 which were MUCH easier to sew in then tapered them quite a bit for my small wrists. The sleeves aren't anywhere near as fitted as I've seen in paintings or garb galleries but will wear them as is this weekend then decide if I want to take them in any further. I did include the small train on the back of the skirt but hemmed the front to just skim the ground rather than puddle. I just didn't want to keep lifting my skirts or trip on them as I walk on the uneven ground at faire. I finished the hand stitched eyelets today and tried the dress on over a linen smock and added a belt. In the photos I've seen it seems the ladies wear their belts slung low across the belly. When I tried that the dress bunched up a bit under the belt being that it flared from the waist. I took in the front seams a bit more to make the torso fitted to just above the hips and that helped the dress to lie smooth under the belt.
Now I am ready to move on the the headwear. I'm leaning toward a hairnet, barbette, and fillet but that might change before Sunday.

Chickie's Blog Challenge

You can only type ONE word! Not as easy as you might think. Copy the questions below, change the answers to suit you, and blog. It's really hard to only use one word answers.

1. Where is your cell phone? purse
2. Your significant other? Tom
3. Your hair? flat
4. Your mother? dead
5. Your father? missed
6. Your favorite thing? chocolate
7. Your dream last night? absent
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? travel
10. The room you're in? hotel
11. Your hobby? crafting
12. Your fear? disability
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? retired
14. Where were you last night? Watertown
15. What you're not? dishonest
16. Muffins? blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? health
18. Where you grew up? Michigan
19. What are you wearing? pajamas
20. Your pets? sweet
21. Your computer? laptop
22. Your life? busy
23. Your mood? content
24. Missing someone? yes
25. Your car? Escort
26. Something you're not wearing? shoes
27. Favorite store? Meijer
28. Your summer? hot
29. Like someone? no
30. Your favorite color? blue
31. When is the last time you laughed? today
32. Last time you cried? yesterday
__________________

Just in case...

you were checking for pics of the finished chiton and/or "medeivalish" dress that I promised to have up by the end of the week- I've decided to save them for something to do while Kim drives us to Wisconsin and back for the scapbooking retreat the end of this month.

Scrapping!

I'm not feeling so hot today so I just stayed in my jammies and scrapped all day. I created this page for the PageMaps contest at ScrapFreak using some of my photos from The Feast of the Strawberry Moon.

I used a photo taken Saturday of Kacie standing on the pier in the wind for the ScrapFreak Pink Paisley contest. I haven't officially entered it, though, because I like it but I don't totally love it and might make something else before the entry deadline.

Still the ADD Costumer!

Yup, I changed my mind again! LOL Remember the "medievalish" Butterick pattern I was going to make up in the pink poly satin but I ended up using the pink to line the black coat? And remember the red dupioni curtains I bought with the idea of making them into a Venetian gown? Well, I decided last week that I really need something to wear to Silverleaf (which, even though they advertise themselves as a Renaissance faire, is really more of a Medieval Fantasy Faire what with their King Arthur theme last year and Robin Hood this year) and since the pattern has inappropriate princess seaming the inappropriate slubbed dupioni would be a good match. The dress is finished except for doing the handstitched lacing eyelets. Even though the dress itself isn't all that historicaly accurate I still don't want to use metal grommets. And for even more proof of how ADD I am- I had to run to the store yesterday for red floss to do the eyelets and, of course, I had to wander the aisles to listen for any fabric calling my name. I bought some green linen that may or may not eventually be turned into a period appropriate "cotehardie" dress and some very soft drapey purple cotton that is being made into a Roman Chiton. Yeh, I didn't feel like doing the handstitched eyelets so I started in on a handstitched rolled hem instead. Go figure. Be looking later this week for pics of the finished "medievalish" dress and the chiton.

Happy Father's Day!

If you are fortunate enough to have a Daddy, give him a big ol' hug and tell him you love him. My Daddy died when I was four years old, 42 years ago, and my Grampa died when I was 18 and I still miss them both!
While we were walking the boardwalk in Grand Haven (Coast Guard City, USA) yesterday these bright red flowers caught my eye so I had to stop for a closer look. They were left by Seaman O'Mally's children. He was one of only two survivors of the sinking of the Escanaba.

Feast of the Strawberry Moon

We spent a couple of hours checking out a late 1700's historical re-enactment in Grand Haven today. It was interesting but the best part was the scenery. :D





Yeh, there were other people there. But the middle-aged pot-bellied guys in three layers of wool weren't nearly as much fun to photograph.

Transformation

I finally got around to altering the "corset style bodice" I had made for me last year. When I recieved it, it was huge on me. So huge that I could lace it completely closed and still spin it around my body. I sent it back and got it made a bit smaller but I still wasn't happy with it. I was told by the seamstress that it wasn't intended to offer any support and I should wear a bra with it. Um, no. So I wore it once and tossed it to the bottom of the bin where it stayed until Joann needed something to wear to Mayfaire this spring. While it wasn't too large for her, it still had problems. When the corset/bodice was pulled up so that the waist was at the right level the front neckline stuck out funny and curled over.


I decided to add some boning to it the prevent the curling. The corset/bodice had been made with one piece of metal boning center front and one on each lacing edge in the back. The corset sat on my work table for a couple of weeks while I debated whether to add the boning on the diagonal like my boned bodice or straight up and down like my corset. I ended up deciding on diagonal boning and used heavy-duty cable ties. I guess this would be the place to note that the metal boning in the corset was replaced as well because it had cut through the fabric after only two wearings. It cut through because the cut ends of the boning were left sharp and unfinished!!!

Adding the cable tie boning greatly improved the look of the corset but the front neckline was still a bit too high and wanted to stand away from my body so I lowered it and inch or so.

I don't think that the end result looks too bad.

"Grandkids"

There was a benefit dinner and auction held for Max on Sunday. Kadymn and Lucas were there with their parents. Kim brought Max's sisters, Taylor and Rhyan, home to spend the night so we took lots of photos of them playing on Monday.







Oh, just so you know...

(Rhyan loves Gramma Cindy and Gramma Cindy loves Rhyan)

Festival

We spent the afternoon at the Festival of the Arts today where I took a TON of photos. Here are some favorites. :)










More tomorrow.

Proud Moment

I've known her less than a year and only recently welcomed her into my home but can I tell you proud I am of this young lady? The odds were stacked against her but she stuck to it and earned her high school diploma!