The Sewing Mom

My dad was in the Air Force for many years and so our family moved often. Movers take great care when boxing things up but the occasional nick or scrape can happen. Mom and Dad’s furniture took a beating. When I lived in California, my parents decided that they needed to find a good home for their grandfather clock before their next move. Since I lived close by it and had a spot in my home that was the perfect place for a clock, I became the new caretaker of the clock. If mom and dad were trying to keep the clock from moving, it went to the wrong person because I have moved several times since receiving the clock. Ooops!

I have found a good source of information on how to prepare the clock for moves. My clock is similar to the one shown on the Howard Miller page at 1-800-4clocks.com. It has weights that have to be handled properly before the clock is moved. If you take the proper steps to remove the weights, you should not have a problem moving a clock. The blog has a great post that sums up why I love my grandfather clock. Clocks In Every Room describes my sentiments as;

A grandfather clock in the entranceway of a home - welcomes visitors with warmth, elegance, and sophistication. And the song of the grandfather clock as it marks the hour fills the entire home with melody.

I enjoy having a grandfather clock.

I was in the mood to sew today, so I put off getting on the computer until after I started and then completed this purse project. This zipper closure purse measures approximately 10″ x 5 1/2″ x 3″.

I began with 5″ charm squares and cut them down into rectangles. I then created 6 rows of 4 rectangles. Using an 18″ x 20″ piece of lining fabric and same size batting, I began sewing the rectangle rows on top. It was an interesting method and I’d never done it this way before, but it worked by sewing the strips together while quilting through all the layers at the same time.

I then crafted the handles from 7″ x 20″ fabric, stitching them onto the purse pattern just before sewing on the zipper, a surprisingly easy feat! I’m not fond of sewing zippers, so I tend to shy away from patterns that use them.

Finally, I sewed the ends closed. It sort of all came together like a puzzle. It was actually quite enjoyable!