Random Notions - Sewing!

I woke up to a beautiful overcast day, only to have the sun shining by 9.  Argh. 

I would like to start out today by sharing something I ran across while clearing things up:

This is a fiberglass drapery panel, cream colored with brown silk screened Joshua trees.  Along with this panel, there is a note typed up by my Aunt Frances (copied exactly as she typed it)-

FROM: article in the Review- Journal Newspaper, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sunday, March 11, 1956  page 30

HOSPITAL PROGRESS TOLD MEMBERS OF AUXILIARY

pix of Mrs. Laura Dodd, left, displays her winning Joshua tree design for draperies in the new wing of Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital to hospital executive housekeeper, Mrs. Constance Cannon, and administrator, Russell Tucker.  Director esXX estimate a saving of more than $1,000 by use of the exclusive design.  Review-Journal photo head line reads: WINNING DRAPERY PAINTING

Dr. Ralph Hemington, chief of staff at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital was guest speaker for the Women’s Hospital Auxiliary meeting held Wednesday morning in the recreation room of the hospital.

          Dr. Hemington stressed the progress made....... etc. on hospital....

.... rest of the info on hospital, etc.

Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital is now known as University Medical Center (UMC).  Mrs. Laura Dodd was my maternal grandmother that I was named after.  You can see that my desire to be creative is inherited; I just wish I was as talented.  She painted some lovely things and in the future I will try to add a picture here and there of some of it.  This drapery panel has been stored in a plastic grocery bag for a couple of years – I thought I should give it a more fitting place in an archival storage box.  Someday, I will get to the library and try to get a copy of the actual article with the picture.

Back to current events - I was so anxious to get back to sewing, I decided to take out anything that was not in its final resting place in the room, with the exception of the desk I can’t get out until my fantastic son-in-law returns from California to take it apart for me – and bring Athena back in and sew something!  Besides the UFO’s, I have a few things to do.  In addition to the last 2 change purses, I need to make 3 sewing machine covers – get rid of those crappy plastic things – and use that beautiful celestial material I posted a pic of yesterday to make a laptop cover.  Since that lovely material was staring me in the face, I needed to make the laptop cover first!

This is what I had done a while back with this-

I had cut it in 2 pieces so when sewn together, they would both be face up.

This is the fabric I chose for the lining:

So I got out some interfacing – I used the fusible fleece on the lining, and just a medium weight on the outside fabric.  Right off the bat, the medium weight didn’t want to stick to the celestial fabric.  I pulled it off and used a lighter weight, which stuck just fine. 

Then, I found a long dark blue plastic zipper that matched the outside fabric perfectly.  I tested it to make sure it was going to work.  I put it in perfectly.  I tried to close it- and it split.  Putting on my close cheaters, I took the blasted thing out.  Looking for another zipper, all I had was another exactly like the first.  I tested it several times before deciding that the first one was just defective, fingers crossed.

It worked!  Perhaps a small victory, but a victory nonetheless.  So I got the sides sewn up, and turned and pressed it- and it came out really nice.

I grabbed my little laptop to put into it- and it doesn’t fit - just the tiniest bit too small.  <sigh>  So downstairs I went, to show it to Mom.  She said she liked it – I asked if her tablet would fit into it.  It does – so it is hers.  Good thing I have some of this fabric left to try again.

It was so nice to sew again today.  However, as I walked through the hallway, where everything that needs to be put away is sitting temporarily, my joy is short lived, knowing I still have to take care of that.  <sigh>