CATCHIN’' UP

 Addendum:  I definitely had a "Grams" moment.   I must apologize to Charley Kate for misspelling her name on her stocking.  Hopefully between now and when she learns how to spell it I'll get it fixed -- or maybe she will tell me not to worry about it and love me anyway  :)


Lots going on around the neighborhood.  Had company off and on last week since it was fall break at all the area schools.  The girls came over a couple of times and one day we played outside. 

Toby went to the vet for the 3rd time with his cough and had to have a chest x-ray.  He seems to be doing much better but they ended up putting him on a diuretic and a heart pill (both very very low dose) because of fluid on his lung and a possibly sightly enlarged heart.  Those along with his antibiotic means he is taking 5 pills a day.  But, his cough is so much better and they hope to take him off the meds once he is totally recovered.
Have spent some time at the sewing machine and some embroidering too.
I have 4 blocks finished (except for some of the hand embroidery) for the Raggedy Friends BOM that I’m working on.  Jen likes to embroider so she has embroidered one square and is working on her second  -- block #4.  I did the first one and have the 3rd waiting.  Here are the first three.  I really like how these blocks are turning out.
This is Block 3

Block 2

and Block 1

 
I’ve got two bishop dresses pleated and have started the smocking on the blue one.

I won’t tell you how many times I had to take out part of the first row I did (it’s not the top row but the bottom row– which will actually part of the middle of the smocking when all is said and done.  I don’t  know if it is just me or what but no matter how slow I go I always skip a pleat or a stitch or something.   BUT, once that first row is perfect, it is so easy to know as you go that each of the other rows is working out correctly.  My stitches are still not totally uniform  but they are getting better as I go.  My goal is to work on  the smocking every evening when/if I watch tv.  I hope to have both smocked by Thanksgiving.  That way they will be done by Easter:))
I also embroidered names on some Christmas stockings for my neice and also one for my newest grand even though she won’t be using it til next Christmas.

I actually did five for Julie but only took pictures of the first two.  Charlie Kates is an extra one jen had gotten a couple of years ago so I inherited it and didn’t have to make one from scratch. 
I also made a couple of towels to give as a gift to the son of a good friend who is getting married around Thanksgiving.
 
Tomorrow is clean-up day around here and then I can start messing up the sewing room some more.