Pumpkin Making

Happy First Day Of Fall..........

                        

I'm showing a little love for fall this week. I watched several You Tube videos on making pumpkins for fall decor. I decided on the ribbon mesh pumpkin by combining a few ideas from several videos and then tweaking with my own touch.

I bought the supplies at a recent Hobby Lobby stop. 

• Orange ribbon mesh 21" x 30'. The $9.99 roll is 50% off, so only $5.
• Pack of pipe cleaners. Cost a couple bucks.
• Really only need a spool of trim, but I'm a sucker for any all trim. And always 50% off at Hobby Lobby. I spent $15 on trim. One roll at $5 would have worked.
• Hot glue gun and scissors you have.

Cut the orange mesh in about 12 inch lengths. At the end of the roll I had cut 28 strips that are 21"x12". 

To begin make 4 sections of the pumpkin with 7 strips in each section 

Roll each strip in its natural form and twist a pipe cleaner about 2" from end. Nice and tight. 

Attach the next 6 strips in same manner. Lined up close to each other, nice and tight, twisting pipe cleaner around. Extend each pipe cleaner with another to keep it consecutive. 

After attaching 7th rolled strip, start 2nd pumpkin section in same way, then 3rd and 4th sections. 

That was the top of the pumpkin you just attached together. Now take each section and attach each 7 strips together in same manner to form the bottom. Keep bottom rolled strips in same order as top that you just attached together, keeping them close and tight. 

Now strips at the top and bottom have been connected in each of  the 4 sections. Ready to connect each section.  Twist closely and tightly the hanging end of the pipe cleaner to each section on top and on bottom. 

Push finished ends into the pumpkin on top and on bottom and shape as needed.

Hot glue a circular piece of the burlap trim on the bottom to give a more finished look and will stabilize it for sitting.

Hot clue stem and leaves cut from your choice of trim. I used printed burlap and shiny ribbon. 

What you think? 

Final measurements of the pumpkin are:

12" high

19" across the top

53" around the pumpkin.

Use your imagination for other options like put a string of lights that are battery operated in the inside of the pumpkin or attach it to a wire wreath to make a door wreath.  

Monday

A trip into town went a little like this:

Drop off two chairs and an ottoman at St. Andrews Mission, which is like a Good Will but locally owned and run by a church. We kept the dog.

A stop at Hobby Lobby to specifically purchase some upholstery foam which they did not have so I wandered around and purchased some items to make a fall pumpkin. Wait till you see it!!! I'll post about it soon. 

Cruise thru the mall looking for anything on clearance I might like and then on a whim went into the hair salon in the mall and got a hair cut. 

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Back home to clean house and cook.

And it ends

It's been four weeks of mawmaw daycare after the Louisiana Great Flood 2016. It's come to an end with pre-k/daycare school resuming on Monday,  after the school was flooded and now repaired and resuming classes.

It's sad and sweet. Sweet to see the kiddos grow in statue and learning and developing into their own little selves as they face their world at pre-k/daycare again. 

So to face my sadness to let them go back to their normalcy we took to the zoo for the day. 

All area kids have trickled back to school and their regular schedules since the flood, so the zoo wasn't crowded at all on a Thursday. The weather wasn't as hot in the mid morning and a little cool breeze came and went. The animals were mostly tucked away napping or eating their morning snack. 

The Tigers were the best on this day. Pacing front and center for us a close up view. 

It was a perfect look to go along with our LSU Tigers football weekend. 

Tigers and giraffes as always my favorite of zoo animals. 

Couldn't get enough of the tiger view. 

The giraffe was far away and wouldn't come see us. 

Time out for a snack. 

Back on the trail again. 

There were air conditioned exhibits for the snakes and aquarium exhibits. The petting zoo and playground was next. 

Water features peaked their interest. 

Making our way to the train station for a train ride thru the zoo. 

All aboard!! Waiting to pull out. 

Nice to sit and ride for a while and take in the scenery all through the zoo. ,

A trip to the souvenir shop was a must for me. Then loaded up and stopped for a late lunch. 

My readers can breathe a sigh of relief now. No more grand kiddos pictures for awhile. I have to find something else to do everyday. 

Monogram Subscription Delivery

The 2nd month of a monthly subscription arrived. Very nice tote. Big. Neutral color. Now to have a chance to use it. 

I'm liking my monthly surprise delivery box. 

Getting Clean

I spent a few hours helping to clean for my flooded Sissy's house.

Upstairs didn't flood, but needs cleaning and refreshed from all the moisture. A few hours spent upstairs helped to make a little difference. I took charge of one bedroom and bath. And took bed covers and things home to wash for her.

Her house has a long way to go to be back to normal. But the process has begun. With over 4 feet of water, every item in her house has been pulled out. Half stud walls are left. Serve pro is in and doing their thing for moisture and mold. 

It looks better than compared to 3 weeks ago. 

So sad for all my peeps in my hometown area. 

Dog Sitting

Not only has my time for the past 3 weeks been providing daycare services for my grand children while the parish schools/pre-k/day cares are all in flood disaster mode in repair and rebuild to hopefully resume classes next week, but I'm also obligated to provide services to the grand-dogs as well. That includes putting taking them out for bathroom breaks, feeding, keeping them quiet during quiet time, and referring between the human-grands and the grand-dogs.

First, there's Macy and me. She's stays by my side cause the kiddos are a little rambunctious and she's not too thrilled when all of them are at her house. Plus her barking will wake the dead. 

And there's Molly. She is just fine as long as you're eating. She's going to bug you to death till you share your food with her. And her bark is too loud, also. When the pizza man rings the door bell there is no conversation to be had. Just pay the guy,  take the food, and close the door cause she's not going to stop barking. 

I alternate days at each kids house with all the grands lumped into that house that particular day. One kid got a new puppy this week. So that means more outside bathroom breaks and more refereeing.

His name is Max. Don't know if he's a grand-dog or a human-grand cause they are playing house and he's the baby. 

So far he's playing nicely. 

It's either me and the kiddos or me and the dogs. 

They even come to visit me when I'm not at their house babysitting. 

In the meantime, my at home Poochie-dog is enjoying her vacation from me.

And I haven't mentioned the outside grand-dogs yet. 

Throwing in some Baby Projects

I'm still in flood disaster mode with my people. Week three had me throwing in a few projects here and there. The Tiger Rock outfits for a photo shoot in the previous post and then baby quilts for two that Jennifer requested are finished. One for her co-workers grand baby and one for her sister-in-law/brother-in-law's new baby.

She supplied the fabric and she choose the trim from my stash. The babies are hundreds of miles apart and do not know each other which is good cause the quilts are  going to be just alike except for color of trim and the monogrammed name.

An animal print top. A minky backing. One trim light pink. One trim light green. 

These were easy to make. 

 Cut the top, bottom, and quilt batting into standard crib size quilt which the internet tells me is 42.5" X 52".

Sandwich the 3 pieces in order, pin, and mark into sewing square sections. I measured every 10" to form equal squares to be quilted. 

Machine Stitch the ruffle trim around each four sides. 

They're the perfect size and weight to make a comfy play mat or cover in the bed or stroller. 

Projects finished and on their way.

Tiger Season

In between time while my people are still in flood disaster/assistance/rebuilding mode and I in emergency daycare mode because all the parish schools and the daycare was flooded and being repaired, I was given fabric to make outfits for a "Tiger Rock" photo shoot to kick off the football season.

 We're purple and gold and tigers. I ordered iron-on flocked appliqués found on-line. I couldn't decide on just one so I ordered two designs and will let the mom choose. 

Two matching sister outfits of a dress and  pantaloons are made. Now have to decide on which applique and which trim. The appliqués won't have the yellow background. It's just what it's packaged in until it's in its final state ironed on. And don't know yet if ribbon bows and ric-rac trim or  buttons and hem border panel. The dress is fully lined with the contrasting fabric. 

The decision is in. The mom choose the full head tiger applique placed in the center chest area and the border panel along the hem and buttons on the shoulder flaps in place of bow. 

Ta-da!!! The final look. 

Buttons on shoulder. Extra bows for shoes or socks. And Tiger hair bow.

Only one problem now. The professional photographer that had scheduled the photo shoot for all her clients was a victim of the 2016 Louisiana Flood disaster and had to postpone the photo shoot. But they'll be ready when the show goes on.