Jedi Federation?!

Well, on Dec. 4, my twins will be 7 years old. They were born in 1999 during the big "Turn of the Millinea" Baby Boom. No, I wasn't trying to get pregnant at the time...we were on vacation to St. Augustine, Florida and lo and behold we went to Margaritaville one too many times and two weeks later...BAM! I was sick...so sick in fact I thought I had the stomach flu, but nope a quick couple of tests in the lab showed that my blood bHCG levels were over 5000, which was odd, because I knew I couldn't have been that far along.....Then at 12 weeks the doctors ordered an ultrasound. I was measuring bigger than what I should be according to the dates I told them....hmmm....Well one little touch of the probe to the belly and there they were....little arms and legs kicking! Waving to Mama!

Soooo, where this lengthy story is going is: they along with their sister Katie - Birthday Dec. 11 (yes, poor planning on my part) are having their Birthday party Friday evening, as I don't work this weekend and next weekend I do. We're having a big bash repleate with Pizza, breadsticks, pop and cake and overnight guests. Should be a fun, fun time....I figure if I continue to repeat it, I'll believe it!

What's up with the dubious title of this post, you ask??!! Well see, as I had to explain it to my good friend Harmien....they are totally into Star Wars. We have seen the movies (all 6 of them) at least 100 times each. I'm not kidding! They reinact scenes from the movies between the two of them. Jacob is always the "bad guy" be it Darth Vader, Darth Maul..etc. and Ian is always the "good guy". They've done this for years...at least since they were 4. Anyway...Jacob is really into dressing up like Darth Vader. He has the mask that makes the breathing sounds and says 7 different pharses from the movie....the cape and all of its splendor. Year before last Halloween, he had the Anikan Skywalker padiwan suit. This fall he asked me if he could have for Christmas a Jedi Robe, one with a hood. The hood apparently is VER Y important to him, because he kept saying it over and over, it's got to have the hood. I said well "we'll see", which he then promptly told me "We'll see, means no!" After Halloween, my husband found some sort of robe with a hood and bought it on clearance....thinking that this would appease his appetite for a Jedi Robe with a hood. Well he wears that thing constantly...so much so, it's trash now...you know how cheap costumes are made. So we contacted the Jedi Federation (its what we told them when I was taking their measurements and they asked me why I was doing it), seems as if the Jedi Federation is on backorder...I guess Jabba the Hut sat on some sewing machines...and the rest is history. SO anyway, I am now a Jedi Federation sewing master, I am humbled, believe me.

I have researched and combed the web for any sort of pattern. I've looked at countless pictures of ObiWan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, and all the other assundry Jedi Masters trying to figure out how to best make one of these robes. Get a pattern you say, well I checked all the major pattern makers to find out that in fact Simplicity had a "Star War's costume pattern" with said Jedi Robe, however it was pulled because Lucas Media said it was an infringement on their copyright. I guess he wasn't getting a kickback from the sale of the patterns. Can't blame him....so anyhow...No patterns. So I made my own. I was dubious, see I am NOT a seamstress.. needleworker yes, seamstress...NO! Well, let me tell you from everything I read on the web (and there are many, MANY pages of enthusiasts out there). I found a reasonable estimate of how much fabric to purchase. I went to Joann's and found the darkest brown cotton I could find (now if it was authentic it should be wool of some sort....but I'm trying to do this cost effectively). I purchased 15 yards! The lady thought I was loco...but I'm here to say after I've cut out and sewn these together, I've used all of the fabric except about 2 yards.

The robes: are in my humble opinion FANTASTIC! LOL! I know that I'm bragging...but I don't do it often and I am just tickled with the look of them! I thought I was going to mess up and it would look awful, especially since I was making my own patterns and had spend $35 on fabric that is brown.... And you know the stress that the Jedi Federation appointed me sewing master (not apprentice...but MASTER!). Well in the end it all worked out. My dear friend from work said I should make some to sell on eBay! I told her that I could make up certificates of authenticity by saying sewn by the "JEDI FEDERATION Sewing Master" ! lol!

Along with their new Jedi Robes they are getting the newly released Light Sabers. Now we have a whole arsenal of Light Sabers already, but apparently these are spring action light sabers and they have new sound effects and better colors...or something...anyway, they were released for sale about 3 weeks ago and I was there ready to buy them. We got a red Darth Vader for Jacob and a blue Luke Skywalker for Ian. I can't wait for them to open their presents on Friday to see what they think of their Jedi Robes, see we told them the Jedi Federation was backed up and they'd be lucky to get them to Santa by Christmas.......Do you think we need to go to confession over this?! LOL!

NO stitching news, besides I'm working on a secret gift for a friend. I've decided NOT to stitch my project Fall Gifts by CHS over 1...after I did An's scissors fob...I thought I needed to re-evaluate that project! Plus my eyesight suffers after a session of over 1 ~ YIKES!

Thank you for all the kind comments on the ornie I sent to Myrna. They are much appreciated and make me feel good all over!
Until next time!

USEBB Ornament Exchange Received!

Well I received word from Myrna that the ornament that I made for her was received in good condition! Whew! My first exchange is under my belt and I all that I can say is THANK HEAVENS! Here's the low down on what I stitched. It is the featured design from Country Cottage Needleworks that was on the front cover of the Just Cross Stitch Magazine Ornament Issue 2006. Myrna said her main tree was in whites and blues, after I read that, I knew exactly what I was going to stitch, especially after I read Myrna's Wishlist and saw that she had some Little House Needleworks patterns picked out as well! I stitched it with DMC floss on 28 ct. Raw Linen. I stuffed it into a small pillow ornament and bound the edges in twisted white cording with gold beads. I thought it turned out well. Isn't it the cutest design? I love CCN and LHN designs! This was quick to stitch too! I sent along some goodies in the package to Myrna, however, I forgot to take a pic of them, so we'll just have to wait to see them when Myrna posts them on her blog! I'm glad you liked the ornament and goodies Myrna! It was a pleasure to stitch for you!
Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day!
:D

Happy Thanksgiving!

My rush to get things done before my family piles into the car to get to our parent's home is underway....

I've been straightening the house so that it is spic and span for our return Friday evening. We plan on putting up our Christmas tree once we get back home. In the meantime, I plan on doing a little R and R at my Mother's house the next two days. It will be refreshing for me and a much needed break from the everyday grind.

Before I close, I would just like to mention a few of the things I'm grateful for in my life. First of all, I'm thankful for my family - without them (no matter how much I have to hustle and bustle around after them) I'd be nothing. My husband and children mean the world to me and I love them so much. I'm thankful that we have a safe, warm home and that we can always return to it for restoring benefits and togetherness. I'm thankful that I have such good friends to lean on both present in my everyday life and in blogging. Without friends to share good and bad times, would be misery for me. Lastly I'm thankful for my health and the health of my family. God has been good to us. I thank Him for his presence in my life and the many gifts he's bestown on me, I am many times unworthy.

Well dear friends, I am so thankful for you and your visiting my little piece of cyberspace. Your comments and kind words humble me. I so enjoy reading them all and I thank you for taking the time to read my little blog about my life and works. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Sincerely, Vonna

P.S. Just a FYI, I've got my 5 Pay It Forward participants!

Dawn

Annemarie

Carol

Michelle

Wendy

I've already finished a project and sent it to Annemarie! As I was doing it...it just seemed that it was for Annemarie. So heads up An! Please don't be critical it was my first try at this finish...LOL! I'll get something made and sent to you other lovely ladies in the next few weeks/months..... :D

P.S.S. I mailed my USEBB Ornament Exchange yesterday! My partner should probably have it in her hot little hands on Friday. I'm anxious to see what she thinks, this being my first exchange :D

Until next time, have a wonderful, restful holiday! :D

Avoiding this like the plague, but.....

Ok, I've been avoiding this like the plague, but.....now how can I?? In the true spirit of the upcoming holiday season, I've decided to take the Pay It Forward Challenge. Why?! you ask...am I a copy cat...well probably, but in my way of thinking here is the real reason: I've met so many wonderful people doing this blog, reading other blogs, or visiting other needlework places on the web ~ so I want to pay that warm, fuzzy feeling you give me back! Please leave me a comment and then send me a note with your snail mail address to: pfeiffers6 at sbcglobal dot net What will happen you ask? In the next 365 days you will receive from me a totally handcrafted item...it may be a scissors fob, it may be a tuck pillow, it may be some polymer clay button embellishments that I've made, it may be hand dyed fabric to stitch on...it may be one of many things....the only thing you have to do is Pay It Forward by posting this on your blog and doing the same 5 random acts of kindness to others. I hope to hear from 5 of you soon!
Have a great day :0)

Sunday and nothing to show....

Well, I've been absent from posting lately....I'm not in a slump, I've been stitching away, just nothing I can show you because it's either gifts or exchanges, so.......I have nothing to share with you as far as stitching goes...but here is a picture of my darling girls, they were messing around last week one day and I took a picture, I thought this one was particularly good, it shows their big blue eyes to perfection!
I've also been VERY busy! The fall product sales for both Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts are in, so I've been busily sorting cases and cases of nuts for the Girl Scouts and popcorn for the Boy Scouts. My house looks like a fast food drive up window, I've had so many people in and out of here picking up their sale products. Then I was the co-organizer of a Girl Scout overnight at our Girl Scout Camp this past Friday night and Saturday morning. I didn't do much really to organize it, was just support in buying and hauling out to the camp enough food for 50+ people and trying to be the "hostess" for all the troops coming in to share this overnight.

I also am a lucky participant in a 2nd head cold. I just had one less than 2 weeks ago, but lo and behold on Wednesday of this week, I could feel it coming on....my head has so much mucus in it I don't know where it is coming from. I feel like someone is sitting on my head and digging their fingers in, there is so much pressure and my ears are full of fluid, so sometimes it sounds like I'm underwater....yep, colds are great!
Ellie is still fighting her 2nd cold of the season, she's been switched to a 3rd antibiotic and is now on steroids as well for chest "wheeziness". Sadly Ian woke up today saying his throat hurts badly...(I looked, I think it may be strep) and my DH Keith is hacking up his lungs as well. This has been circulating through our family for the past month....such is the way of large families, we just pass it back and forth and all around....but perhaps if we get it early, then later this winter we'll be free from illness. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

My family will be travelling 110 miles south to spend Thanksgiving with our families....Thursday is my MIL's day (I go for lunch and early afternoon, then I get to go out with my Mom BYMYSELF!!!! for a movie...we're hoping to catch Queen) Then on Friday it's Thanksgiving at Mom's house with my side. We'll also hold small birthday parties at both families homes for the three big kids.....as they have birthdays in early Dec...Ian and Jacob born Dec. 4 and Katie born Dec. 11. We've found with this season, it's better that we celebrate with our families during Thanksgiving, and then we do our own party with friends in our home on their actual birthday....That way they get a whole bunch of little parties and since it's hard to have a birthday during the holiday season, they feel special too...

So, I'm getting heart palpitations reading my plans for the upcoming week...but it will get done, and what I just went through this week between GS meetings, product sales sorting, overnights, mammograms (had my first one this week...still waiting on results...), illness, it should PALE in comparison to the short week we have this week....but I still have to come back early on Friday evening so that I can work this weekend...cuts short the festivities, but that's life. Makes our short time with family that much sweeter.

So dear friends, if I don't write much in the upcoming days...please know that I still *try* to read everyone's blogs...I'm just so busy I catch myself coming and going....I think I'd like Santa to bring me a vacation for Christmas...a magical one, where I can just stay in my PJ's, no cooking, no babysitting, no cleaning, no driving anywhere, free from stress, but I can still be around my family....to make sure they are safe and sound, I won't miss them and I can just stitch and stitch, have my favorite Chinese takeout brought in...anybody know a place where I can get all of the above? Sounds so heavenly! Please send information to me if you do....
:o)
Until the next time....Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today I'm thankful for: Mucinex, Decongestants and Puffs Plus...what did people do before those lotion filled tissues, my nose would be hamburger if not for these wonderful inventions!

Stitching on: snowmen ornaments for teacher's gifts

Quick Finish

Here's a quick finish and another ornament off my list of "to do's"!!! This one is for my nephew Nicholas. This is a Lizzie Kate pattern and I stitched it on 18 ct. Aida (I've come to not care that much for aida lately, but I have a slew of it so I'm using it for ornies like this). I used WDW threads and I really like the way it turned out. I used the cardboard sandwich method again and although the corners in the middle aren't perfect....(argh!) I think it turned out ok. I've got to quit knocking myself up about things not being perfect. I'm not perfect, so thus the things I make aren't going to be "perfect"....I think this little ornie looks cute although the corners are not identical........

A big THANK YOU! for all the nice comments on my bedroom! I love blogging, as it makes my self confidence soar at times when I really need it! Glenna commented on the old sewing machine in my bedroom. I do have an old treadle sewing machine that is in perfect working condition...I sometimes even use it!....but the one in my bedroom is one that was destined for the scrap heap and my dear brother saved it. He cleaned it up and made it into a lamp...if you look closelyin the picture posted in my previous blog, you can see that there is a fringed shade over the sewing machine, that's actually the lamp part that is wired inside the machine! The table that it sits on was also destined for scrap, it was just the old iron bottom "legs" of the sewing machine. My brother saved those as well and put a beautiful piece of cherry wood on the top to make a table, so one Christmas about 5 years ago, I got the most beautiful handmade gift from my brother, a sewing machine "legs" table and a quaint little lamp made from an old sewing machine. It looks really cute together! Thanks Glenna for the comment and pointing out the machine so I could share this story with my blogging friends......now if my brother reads this blog he can get a big head! :o)

Rainy day today and dreary here in Indiana...the kids are out of school due to election day, they can't play outside, so they are restless. Ellie is restless as well because she got her 15 mos. shots yesterday...she's a little "crabby" :o) I'm trying to crank out some exchange stitching and Christmas gifts....so there ya go, a busy day!

Before I leave I'd like to take a moment to encourage the American citizens, that read my blog, to get out there and vote! My DH and I (Ellie in tow) were at the polls at 6 a.m. this morning to use our precious right to vote. We all need to be aware of the sacrifices that people in the past have done to secure this right and stand up and use it to make our voices heard! Ok, that's all I have to say besides - My name is Vonna Pfeiffer and I approve of this message :o)

Decked out Bedroom!!!

Well, I stitched a lot this weekend....however nothing that I can show you....shhhh....they are gifts/exchanges....BUT I did get my new bedroom furnishings and I set it up Friday evening. I've always wanted a Matelasse bedspread and skirt....so here's the matelasse print, color=celedon: Here's the view from the right hand side:


And here's the view from the left hand side:

In our new home (we moved in May 30, 2006), we have 4000 sq. feet and three levels (walkout basement, main floor and then second floor), which we desperately needed with a family of 6. We had lived in a home with 1800 sq. feet for 10 years, of course we bought it newly married and w/o children! In our new home, I've had everything decorated for weeks, however, I never got around to doing our bedroom the way I wanted as money is tight right now. But I found a fabulous sale and got all the items seen (bed coverlet, bed skirt, shears, valances, pillows and shams) for a really, really great price. So early Christmas for us...my DH and I won't have anything to open under the tree this year at our house, but who cares! I've never had shear curtains in my bedroom before and let me tell you .....they're romantic, soften the light coming through the window and just beautiful! I'm throughly pleased with how it turned out. I even hung all the curtain rods by myself! Until next time....

Stitching on today: finish my USEBB Ornie for exchange and VoHRH

Today I'm thankful for Egyptian Cotton!

TGIF!!!!

Here is my start on "Giggles in the Snow" I had an intensive stitching day yesterday 11/2/04 - Happy Birthday An!....
Anyway, I got a really good start on this Mirabilia design. I love it and here's the story:
My Aunt Sarah passed away on Dec. 13, 2003, she was just 51 years old and died of breast cancer. She left two boys that she had adopted ages 13 and 12. My Mom is presently raising both boys along with a dear friend of my Aunt's, who is like an Aunt to me and my siblings. Anyway...when my Aunt was sick and knew that she was terminal, my Mom and her took a trip, right after Chrismas in 2002. It had snowed mightily the few days before their trip. When they arrived at their destination, of course it was snow covered and deep as well. The story goes, my Aunt Sarah asked my Mom to make a snow angel with her and then two grown women in their 50's, I might add, dropped to the ground and made snow angels together laughing and giggling the whole time.
The Christmas after my Aunt passed away, my brother purchased a figurine of two girls making snow angels. He gave it to my Mom. Of course their were a lot of tears when she opened her gift and she keeps it out all year long to remember.
When I saw this Mirabilia design, I had to have it to stitch for my mother. You see my Aunt was blonde and always wore her hair long, my Mom has brown hair and has always worn it short....my Mom's not too girly either and she always wears pants, so this design although supposed to be a boy and girl, looks just like my Mom and Aunt. (I'm making my mother sound like she's really masculine...she's not, just not into dresses and skirts :o) So I'm hopefully going to get this done by February, for my Mother's birthday....(I hope she doesn't read this!)

Ok on to happier stories......
Here's my trick or treaters....(including my husband) I don't know what he's supposed to be..... LOL!
















The boys are of course Batman...check out the "stance", Katie is Mary Ingalls, and Ellie is just the pretty princess that was saying goodbye, before the big kids went out...she and I stayed at home and passed out treats...she had a BLAST! doing that! LOL! She was so cute helping me and she never got scared of the scary kids that came, of course we didn't have a lot of scary people, we had a headless horseman, that was a little "bloody" but nothing really scary. We had a lot of Wonder Women...what's up with that....is it playing on some cable network again?! Lots of Disney princesses, most boys were Pirates (because of the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I think) and then some, I don't know what they were......
I was out of "treats" that we had purchased within 1/2 hour of starting...YIKES! but I luckily had some granola bars and tootsie pops on hand to pass out. We started out with microwave popcorn and an apple juice box as out treats, then ended up with granola bars and suckers...those last kids got jipped! We figured we had over 100 kids show up at our door! Next year I'm stocking up!
Well that's it for me today....I'm going to have a stitch fest today as well.....the kids are out of school today 1/2 day because of parent teacher conferences....so, with them home in the afternoon, Ellie is entertained so a little break for Mommy! I don't have to work this weekend so maybe, if I'm lucky I will get a whole lot of stitching accomplished! Have a great day and weekend!
:O)
Stitching on this weekend: Ornie for exchange *for sure* and one of my 4 WIPs, haven't decided yet....
Today I'm thankful for my digital camera...how did we ever live with them?!