Thankful Thursday ~These Special Photos ~The Little Things that Make Me Smile

First, there is this special little baby bump.

The expectant parents recently participated in a 

professional photo session and shared the photos with us.

Since they live so far away, 

I really cherish any snapshot (or snapchat) of baby's progress.

Today, we have another reason to celebrate.

A reward for his hard work,

Nick is receiving a promotion.

You all remember that a year ago,

we were together to celebrate his graduation from Weapons School.

And since then, Nick has also earned a graduate degree.

We are so proud of his accomplishments.

Congratulations, Nick and Amy.

We all have so much to be thankful for!

Take care,

~Natalie

What'cha Workin' on Wednesday ~Stitching Pillow Covers ~Clothing Construction 101 ~The Centered Zipper Application

I have been sewing for over 50 years.

While majoring in Textiles and Clothing at NDSU

I met this dear friend.

We took every Clothing Construction class together.

Thanks for being an awesome lab partner, Debra.

Our daughter has a project in the works,

she is making pillow covers.

She lives on the east coast, and I live in the Dakotas,

so I was helping her last night on FaceTime.

Since pictures are worth a thousand words,

I decided to construct a zipper sample today...

(Hopefully this helps a little)

Measure your zipper from the pull tab to the zipper stop.

This is a 7" zipper.

Also check the width of your zipper.

If you have an oversized zipper, you will want the seam allowance 

to be wide enough to accomodate your zipper's width.

Reinforce the end of your seam, 

then change the stitch length to baste the zipper opening area. 

Press the seam allowance open and flat.

Postition the zipper face down over the basting,

checking frequently to make sure it is centered over the seam.

Pin in place...

make sure the pull tab is up.

With a contrasting colored thread,

by hand, stitch the zipper in place.

This is an important step.

In the past, I have thought I could save time by skipping this hand sewing, 

but I would always end up taking my zipper out and starting over.

Take long hand stitches on the far outer edge of the zipper tape.

These can be long stitches and don't have to be perfect, 

as they will be removed.

Make sure to sew close to the edge and double check to 

make sure you are also catching the fabric seam allowance.

It should now look like this.

Now, without the pins the zipper is flat and secure.

Plus there is a guide so you can do the topstitching 

from the right side of your fabric.

I am going to topstitch a scant 3/8 inch from the center.

Using my zipper foot, and seam gauge as a guide,

I machine sew, with matching thread around the zipper.

Start at the top of the zipper.

At the bottom, pivot and count the number of stitches to the center.

Then count again, so you know when to pivot to go up the other sice.

Stitch up the other side.

My machine sewing is on or close to the hand stitches.

Those red handstitches allowed me to sew from the outside 

and make sure my sewing was straight.

But, also gave me the confidence that 

I would not sew off the edge of the zipper tape underneath.

With your seam ripper, remove the contrasting hand basting,

and the machine basting in the zipper opening.

The finished centered zipper.

Lucy thinks that this was the most boring blog post...ever!

Take care,

~Natalie

Where the Weekend Went ~The Bison Win ~NDSU Football is Heading Back to the National Championship Game

The Semifinal Game

We snagged some great tickets...row 2, seats 17 & 18

Check out who was in row 1, seats 17 & 18

Our neighbors from down the street!

We all drove nearly 3 hours from home 

and found ourselves sitting together.

It was so fun to spend the weekend with good friends.

We three had a quick burger and brew at The Herd and Horns

right next to campus.

The atmosphere in the FargoDome was electrifying.

And the Bison gave us plenty to cheer about.

This wasn't the first time we've had some football 

fun with Alan. This photo was taken on Veteran's Day.

The Gold Star Band put on a special halftime show that day,

that paid tribute to our military.

Not to mention, another Bison win.

We were not able to secure tickets for every game,

so then, we cheered from home.

It is a bit more leisure, with a second cup of coffee.

Plus, I get to prepare our favorite tailgating snacks.

Hubby's workbench in the mancave makes a great buffet table!

We have that "special" cord to hook our computer to the TV

to watch the game.

But, I cannot tell a lie.

It is way more fun to watch the Bison play from inside the dome.

These were great seats, thank you to Keith and Cathy.

And then, the morning after the big win...

it is time to get up, get going, and get back to work responsibilities.

Cheers with a BLT Bloody Mary

and  hearty breakfast at Lucky 13.

(Yes, that was a BLT sandwich 

on top of my Bloody Mary!)

Best wishes to everyone,

for a wonderful week

of Holiday Cheer.

Take care,

~Natalie

The Blog Worthy in my Life ~Where the Time Goes ~This Retired Teacher's Report

Two weeks have passed since my last blog post.

Where has the time gone?

Thank goodness I snap a photo everyday, 

to remind me of the blogworthy in my life.

Summer...my favorite season.

I shall miss the warmth of Sunshine on my Shoulders.

And, I am not alone.

Winterfest Applications were due.

I delivered mine, in person, to the Arts Council office.

I like the excuse to return to this old building.

For twenty-five+ years, I parked in this parking lot and

walked into the Old Central High School.

Oh, how I miss that Home Economics department.

It was fabulous.

With my Winterfest Application in the hands of the Committee,

it is time to go into crafting overdrive.

I am currently working on a new batch of these wine bottle giftbags.

The garage project continues,

cleaning, sorting, and organizing the storage area.

I have discarded the out-dated curriculum guides,

and these binders remain.

Does anyone need one?

Certainly a highlight, are the trips we make to Fargo to

visit my Alma Mater.

We enjoy a little tailgating at hubby's favorite

The Wurst Bier Hall.

And then, at my favorite tailgating spot,

with my Kappa Delta Sisters.

There is not a bad seat in the dome.

Sometimes our seats are in the rafters.

However, after halftime,

we can often find available seats much closer to the field.

So close, it feels like we are a part of the play!

"Sunday Funday"

The new mancave has become our favorite place to watch

our favorite professional teams...

the Vikings, the Eagles, the Patriots...

and of course the Minnesota Twins.

Football Snacks for Everyone!

Then we discovered this!

My parents both celebrated their birthdays in September.

My dad would have turned 99 on Sept. 28th.

My mother would have been 97 on September 23rd.

This year, of course, they celebrated their birthdays 

together again in heaven.

This photo appeared in my newsfeed this week.

One cannot turn on a tv without hearing 

news about North Korea.

Please keep our military and their families

in your thoughts and prayers.

Take care,

~Natalie