All The Single Patriotic Ladies

Has it been a whole week since Maddy came home from Girl's State??!   CAN'T be!!  But you know what my week has been like...  I guess it was a whole week...  

It was so good to see her again, even from a distance.  Caught her on my zoom lens walking over to the main area.  Doesn't she look swank?  (she's the one in sunglasses trying to keep from tripping on her blue dress *and to get the sewing ladies involved... that's the prom dress I made her last year*)

 

Chit chatting with Dad.

below - with a friend from our high school who also attended.

 

All the girls gathered at the flag pole for the final lowering of the flag.  It made me feel good to be around so much patriotism!

 

It was kind of like Hogwarts where the kids were all assigned various made up cities.  Maddy was in the city of Hindeman and made so many new friends.  Her FB friend number jumped by a significant number since then, but not just from this city.

Each city had it's own theme song, special handshakes, etc...  Unfortunately I kept missing their Hindeman song but managed to zoom in enough to just get some general girly hub-bub...

Maddy was voted onto the city council and was a state representative! 

Below the whole of Girl's State filed onto the stage while singing and regaled us with a selection of songs that they learned that week.  It was beautiful and I cried a little... knowing what a fabulous experience this was for her.

 Then after a super long wait at the mere two over worked dorm elevators 300 girls times 2.5 (to allow for parents) and times another 1.5 (to allow for siblings that wanted to see the rooms, we finally got her out of there and home again, home again!

There are a group of young girls who are out to change the world, coming right up!

May God bless America! 

Find Daughter!

Well, Maddy is off to Girls State!  After church on Sunday, I dropped her and a friend who was also attending. 

So ever since then the only communication I have from her are texts that say, "Wake me up at 6 ok?"  or responses like "No WAY!" when we texted that a friend of hers is now working at Subway and again "No WAY!" when we asked if this meant we now get free sandwiches from there.

I've joined a group on FB for the event and have been scouring the photos for pics of my girl.  There are over 200 girls there this week...  And I've seen her in two so far!  They've been posting photos every day.

Don't think she's a mayor or I would have seen pics of her getting sworn in.  I'm sure she's holding out for a governorship office of some kind if not Governor herself! There's also the butler or Lieutenant Governor... 

Didn't everyone watch Benson!

So today instead of Where's Waldo?, we're playing Where's Maddy?  

We'll start off easy.  

1) Pic I took of Mad and her friend J while dropping them off.  Taken with my cell phone in the glaring sun.  I accidentally chopped off their heads...

2. back left against the wall.

 3. No clue.

4. Bottom left.

 5. Haven't the faintest!

6. Your guess is as good as mine!

 And let me know if you see her in any that I had no clue!  I only have a few ideas as to what she was wearing on those days...  

Good luck!

SEW professional, if you squint.

 Report of my sewing adventures.   These items may not appear all that glam from a pic and hanging on a hanger, but they look very cute on the recipient for which they were made.

The striped dress above is based off of the dress below.  I have some handwork to do on the neckline yet, binding to put around the arm holes, an invisible zipper and hem to put in.  I know what I have to do just not exactly when I'll get to do it.  Maybe a little more over lunch today. 

Tiffany loves the style of it but when Maddy jumps up and down whilst wearing it, Tiffany's eyes start to hurt.  She wants a dress similar anyway...

The above skirt picture was taken too close to the window and pinned to a hanger.  There are no spots on it.  Honest!  I'll be making another of these in black to round out another outfit for Mad.

The skirt has a nice kick pleat in the back so she can move!

The fabric below matches the above skirt nicely and will be a shirt made with the tutorial I told you about yesterday.  Made from silk scarves but in this case silky fabric squares, then hemmed.  Then Maddy can belt it, wear a jacket over it, whatever.  

Maddy came home from a friends yesterday with one of her dressy jackets.  I think we have almost one outfit put together now... well, as soon as I finish the black skirt!

And to round out the blog for my non-sewer friends.  Here is Leon sleeping in his daddy's arms while Ryan plays Diablo 27.  He's three months old now!  How did THAT happen?!  And he's teething.  His daddy was an early teether too, popping out two teeth on his 16 week birthday.

As for today.  The kids are awake, dishes are done, laundry moved ahead, puppies are still kicking.  I'm just hoping for a quieter day at work.  It's been heck...

Actual Sewing Ideas!!!

Girls State is coming up!!!  Less than 4 weeks now...  I need to make some professional type clothing for my daughter who could very well be elected a mayor or governor!  WHO knows!!

A couple days ago, I pulled some fabric from my stash that looked nice for a few items.  Maddy finally had a chance after school yesterday to look over it and came up with these ideas. 

THIS

 will become this. I plan to dye a yard or so for the top to be different than the bottom.  So probably black and pink instead of black and white for the top.

It's got a exposed zipper back, but I'm not sure we're gutsy enough for that yet.  It might just be an invisible zipper...

Then!...This

 will become a skirt like this!  Easy easy waistband and a skirt she'll use for a long long time!  Click on the picture and it will take you to the blog that has the tutorial on how to make it.

 

She also liked this navy with white polka dots.  We're thinking maybe a simple short sleeved blouse that she can wear with white shorts or skirt.

The newest Burda magazine came a few days ago, so she's got some pages dog-eared on that as well.

But we're going to start with the skirt and see where we go from there.  I've got an ASG meeting this weekend and will find out some more info on the dying aspect of the black stripe stuff.

What do you think about these ideas?  What sewing plans have you got?