Halloween Treats, No Tricks

Truthfully, there was one needed trick -- grabbing a photograph before they all disappeared!

There is something about Halloween that just makes it impossible to avoid the candy aisles at the grocery store.  I am fortunate enough to live near a Central Market with large seasonal candy displays.  The candy is available by bulk, so you may purchase just a taste or whole bag.

I classify it as one of life's simple pleasures!

I am not normally a huge fan of licorice, except for these little Halloween Licorice Pastels.  They combine just the right amount of licorice and sweet candy coating!

New, at least to me, were Pumpkin Spice Malt Balls.  The white chocolate pumpkin spice coating surrounds a crunchy malt ball.  Yummy!

But the best was yet to be.

Chocolate covered candy corn!

It is only in autumn that I actually crave the childhood treat of candy corn.  Add a little chocolate, and who can resist? 

Since the candy dish is emtpy, and my tummy is happy, therein lies the answer!

Hoping your day holds treats of the very best kind!

Blessings

I learn, as the years roll onward

And leave the past behind,

That much I had counted sorrow

But proves that God is kind;

That many a flower I had longed for

Had hidden a thorn of pain,

And many a rugged bypath

Led to fields of ripened grain.

The clouds that cover sunshine

They cannot banish the sun;

And the earth shines out the brighter

When the weary rain is done.

We must stand in the deepest shadow

To see the clearest light;

And often through wrong's own darkness

Comes the very strength of light.

~Author Unknown~

Pink Ribbons for Special People

~Dorothye Moore~

Dorothye, who would later become my mother-in-law, was diagnosed with breast cancer only weeks after her son and I first met.

Following a double mastectomy and a year of treatment, Dorothye was declared in remission.  We were blessed that she remained cancer free for almost 14 years.  The cancer would then return as very painful tumors on her spine.  Electing not to undergo treatments, we bid farewell to a beloved mother, mother-in-law, grandmother and friend in July 1999.

Dorothye was really the first person, with whom I was close, to be diagnosed with this dreadful disease.  That is rather remarkable when one looks at the statistics.  Since then, the lives of many friends and other family members have been changed by breast cancer.  With them, my life also changed.

I am beyond grateful to say that the majority of those brave women are still living full and active lives today.  Great strides have been made in the research and treatment of breast cancer. 

There remains much work to be done.

Living in Dallas, I was able to be involved with the early days of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  Friends and I would volunteer hours and manpower preparing for the annual Komen Luncheon, usually held in October.  Soon, races and other fundraisers took the place of the annual luncheon.  Instead of dresses and suits, we donned our shorts, t-shirts, and running shoes, heading out onto the streets of Dallas.  We ran for those who could not.  We ran with those who were so grateful to still be able.

~One in eight women in the US will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime.

~Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women in the US ages 40-59.

~A woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes in the US.

~An estimated 207,090 women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the US in 2010.

The good news is there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors alive in the US today, the largest group of cancer survivors in the country.

There should be more.

No family should know the sorrow of having a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt or grandmother diagnosed with breast cancer.  No friend should have to witness the fear or tears of another fighting this disease.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

There are many ways to support breast cancer awareness, research, treatment and patients. 

If nothing else, please offer a prayer for those courageously fighting their own illness today.

May we someday know a world where the C word is not the dreaded one of Cancer, but a joyful one such as Celebrate.

Meet My Machines

A reader recently left a comment inquiring what type of sewing machine I had.

Unfortunately, there is no way to access an email address or blog to answer her question, so hopefully she will read this post.  All of you also get to meet my machines!

This is the Singer machine on which I learned to sew and my mother made many clothes for herself, my sister, me and a few fortunate dolls!  She also repaired many a knee and seam on my father's weekend work khakis!

In later years, Mother would upgrade twice to other Singer machines.  However, this is the one I especially remember from my childhood.

I do not use it much for sewing, but keep it for sentimental reasons.  I do believe that many of the older machines have the prettiest straight stitch, and I have used it to stitch very straight stitches on very fine fabrics.

During college, Mother gave me a very basic sewing machine. 

  I managed to mend many garments for myself and college roommates and whip up costumes and decorations for my sorority's rush parties.  A few years later, it would churn out simple home decor projects for my post-college apartments, and our first home.  I created a dust ruffle, bumper pads and special sheets and blankets for our son's nursery. 

Little rompers, pants and shorts, Halloween costumes and super hero capes came to life with the assistance of that machine.

Making costumes for Dallas Junior League's Ball, our major fundraiser, my machine and I stitched into the wee morning hours turning out an assortment of sea themed garments for Makin' Waves!  After stitching yards and yards of sequins, polyester and chiffon, I almost swore off ever taking another stitch.

Shortly afterwards, both Mother and Grandmother passed away only months apart.  I was determined the art of sewing within our family would not die with them.

So, I purchased my Pfaff 7550 in 1995.

I had fallen in love with smocking and heirloom sewing along the way.  I wanted a machine with the capability of heirloom stitches, such as Point de Paris and Entredeux.

This was the first computerized machine I had owned, and the learning curve was steep!  I took all the classes I could find.  I poured over pages of Sew Beautiful and Creative Needle, learning all that I could.  I began attending Martha Pullen's School of Art Fashion in Huntsville and local SAGA workshops.

I especially like the built-in walking foot of this machine.  It will always hold a special place in my heart, as the machine that introduced me to heirloom sewing.  I still use it quite often when stitching special little garments.

Of course, then I needed an embroidery machine!

I first purchased a Viking Rose, which I loved except for one thing.  It only accommodated the smaller embroidery hoop, and many designs and monogramming required larger hoops.

Approximately eight years ago, I traded up to the Viking Designer 1.

This is the machine I use for much of my sewing.  I truly love many of the features.  However, I must be honest and admit there are many features that I don't use, and probably never will!  I definitely do not use this machine to its fullest capability, and that is a shame.

It is the machine that has created all of the embroidered or appliqued items I have shared.  Like my Pfaff, it also has heirloom stitches that I use.

When I opened BessieMary approximately five years ago, I purchased this Viking Interlude 435. 

I wanted a smaller machine to keep at the store.  It has also come in handy when traveling for classes and sewing events.  I really enjoy the simplicity of sewing on it.  However, it does not have any heirloom stitches, which poses a problem if I wish to attach lace or Swiss embroideries with the Point de Paris or Entredeux stitch.

Those are my machines!

Well, there is a serger that is banished to the floor of my sewing room closet.  It and I do not seem to speak the same language!

Unless all of these machines suddenly quit, I do not foresee purchasing a new machine anytime soon.  While there are many wonderful new machines on the market, many offer features that I would simply never use.  So, I am quite content with my somewhat obsolete machines!

I do hope that the inquiring reader will stop by and let me know that she has received the answer to her question..  Hopefully, I did not bore the rest of you!

Not Such a Scaredy Cat!

I just happened to find this darling shirt recently, and loved the little glow-in-the dark face!  It reminded me of fun glow-in-the-dark garments that my son wore so many years ago.  Unfortunately, the glow-in-the-dark print seems to prevent the true colors and cuteness of the shirt to be captured in photographs.  So, just use your imagination that those eyes have almost the exact yellow glow as a cat's eyes in the dark.  Those cute little ears and nose are really a bright orange!  The shirt also has little crochet trim around the wrists and neck.  Just sweet and not frightening at all!

Black is not my favorite color for young children.  Halloween is an exception to that rule.  I selected a Michael Miller by Paula Prass, Cobblestone in Black, for a pair of little ruffled pants.  The pattern is Jackie Clark's Britches and Bloomers.  The ruffle is edged with orange medium rick rack.

It looks a little like a costume now that it is completed, but Halloween is all about imagination and fun -- and candy!

Fabric, pattern and trim for pants available at http://www.bessiemary.com/

Blessings

Reflect upon your present blessings,

of which every man has many;

not on your past misfortunes,

of which all men have some.

~Charles Dickens~

The Great Pumpkin in a Small Size!

Do we ever grow tired of Jack's toothy grin?

I think not!

I selected Children's Corner Lucy, View B, and shortened it to tunic length.  Fabric Finder's orange and white polka dot twill was the perfect background for Ellen McCarn's Ready to Sew Applique, Punkin' Face!

The bottom edge of the top is trimmed with jumbo black rick rack.

I purchased a pair of little black knit leggings to complete the ensemble!



Now, this is making me hungry for candy corn, and all things pumpkin and spice!

~All fabrics, trim, pattern and applique available at http://www.bessiemary.com/