By Heidi Emmett
I just realized I had not even turned the calendar to a new month. Sigh…I feel so miscombooberated! (YES, it’s a word, my word) And then the weather got really hot. 95 degrees or thereabouts every day for days and days (I am grateful to have A.C. AND solar, but we don’t run our A.C. at night). So all my thoughts of designing, creating, purge the closets, sew ALL the projects I have cut out, work on two more “proto-types” for new patterns, dust (what’s that?), etc. went out the dirty window(I still need to wash them). I had enough energy to walk the dog (barely as he likes a fast pace), and read.
Weather has changed, thank you thank you! and my creative juices are overflowing. To the point where I work on this project for 15 min., bored, move to next project, hey, what’s that piece of fabric sticking out of that tub, oh wow, I forgot about that piece, it would make a great Zephyr Jacket, found what I wanted to go with the original piece, bored, next project, and on and on. I have seen so many “squirrels” lately that I’m getting “squirrelly.”
So today, since I can’t seem settle down on any one particular thing, take a look at some of the things I’ve been sort of working on. Ha, ha.

I love this rectangle top (the working title). I made it umm, four years ago? Maybe more. It will be another “patternless” pattern (just rectangles again, like Off The Grid Vest. I want to get this pattern done. It will be another perfect PDF pattern in my Etsy shop, DesignsbyHeidiEmmett. It is super comfy to wear and so cool on warmer days.
Check out the pocket (use your favorite scraps, and all rectangles, of course). And the bracelet. It starts with the linen scraps, hmm…maybe I’ll include how to make one in the pattern too.

The back is the same as the front (except for the pocket). Sew, here’s an idea, spill something on the front, just turn it around. Ha, ha.

Different topic now. Here is our number #1 son (are only child). We are so proud of him. Scary proud (whaat? does that even mean)! Well, this is me as a Mom speaking right now. Here he is with a grin that can’t get much wider. He has completed another solo (and back in the air)landing at different airports He has to log in a bunch of landings and takeoffs at different airports before he can take the written test that will give him his actual pilots license. He called a few months back to say he would be soloing for the first time very soon. NOOOOOO!!! Don’t tell me That! Deep breaths, prayers for safety, more deep breaths. All rightie then, but you may tell me only AFTER you have COMPLETED your first solo.
And yes, same son, the very next weekend finally getting a chance to race again. There is a great track in Willows, CA for racing on a regular race track or a dirt track. About five years ago, our son took me as a passenger (in a different car) on the dirt track. Dirt flying everywhere as he peeled around the corners. I HAD THE BEST TIME! I laughed so hard I nearly peed my pants. I still want a “beater” car of my own and try it myself some day. Dirt or track, you are racing against your own time.
Sometimes it’s BMW’s only, Miata’s only, etc. out on the regular track. Our son’s favorite is the regular track. Long story short, it will be two years ago this November that he has even raced. His pride and joy a BMW, M-class that he bought and rebuilt himself to race, burned up in the Paradise, CA fire (he had it stored at a friend’s home in Paradise). He said he lost just a car. But his friend’s home(where he was leaving the car for just a week) and his business burned up. Absolutely devastating fire. An aside here: Ron Howard just released a documentary about the Paradise fire so look it up. Ron Howard wanted to do this documentary as his mother-in-law had once lived in the town of Paradise..
Our son had 3 other friends that he raced regularly with. One of them called our son and asked if he was ready to race again. Cory said he would LOVE to but still had no car and could not afford the time or money to build one right now (he had just started not one but 2 companies which are super stories themselves but for another time). Two hours later he got a call from another of the racing trio and that racer said he’d just purchased another car that he loves to race now and that if our son would take him out for a beer, the car above, would be Cory’s. Yes, people, all that for a beer!!!
We really wanted to watch our son race this past weekend, but as you can see above our dog, Riley had other plans. The big “owwie” wasn’t his fault and it was more of a puncture wound (but eww, ick, the Vet had to make it bigger to get it all cleaned out) . This picture was taken a few days later. I rolled his favorite tennis balls to him and he didn’t budge. He’s fine, fine, now, even back to doggie day care (2X’s a week), where he plays and plays all day and just loves it! He even has a girlfriend there and her name is Daisy.

Then a few days after Riley’s episode, Rex, above (he’s fine too, but..), I was out at 10:00p.m. to call the cats in (we have two you’ve seen them in other posts) for the night and this odd looking thing, animal? came walking up the driveway. That can’t be Rex I thought, he’s fluffy. It’s tail was in the air but so skinny. Rex was moving very slowly (but when a treat is involved to get him in the house, he wont miss it). Whaatt!!? He was sopping wet. How? Where? Then I remembered, my husband was repairing our hard sided Spa cover and had covered the spa with just a tarp, no tie downs (to make it taut). I ask this my readers, Do our best friends (our pets) have Guardian Angels? To this day, we have NO idea how he could get out but we thank God that he did.
Have you ever grown Italian sweet peppers? This is my first year. I had no idea they got this big and oh so sweet. Wish I’d planted a couple more bushes. Peppers freeze beautifully. Wash, cut in half, take out seeds, dry them off and pop them in a freezer bag. I feel so smart during the winter months when I pull a bag out of the freezer to use in my favorite Chili or Spaghetti sauce.
I decided to start a new Zephyr Jacket sample. The big parasol fabric will be the body of the jacket and the little parasol fabric will be the front collar piece. It will go together fast, maybe this afternoon. (yes, the big parasol fabric is the tiny corner I mentioned seeing in my box)
But first, it’s Friday, and it’s summer, so I’ll be taking my Mom out to lunch at the Happy Apple Kitchen in Chicago Park, CA . My mom lives on our property in a Granny house. She is 89 years young I am so grateful that she lives on our property. Thank you God that she is so close by. I’ve been thanking God so much lately. Gratitude is an important component of our lives or if not, it should be. Even when it feels like things are falling apart all around, being grateful allows me to let go of the things I have no control over and let God take care of them. He’s in charge anyway. I’m certainly not. Here is my Mom’s favorite verse from the Bible, “Be still and know that I am God.”
I love summer flowers. On the left are pink petunias with white spots and the limey green plant is Creeping Jenny, and a grass of some kind in back. Waaaay too bright of a picture. Noon is NOT a good time, I know that. But they looked so happy. Thanks for stopping by. Big hugs and make some time to find 5 things to be grateful for. Heidi
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