Oh, Yes, I am a New Woman!!  Wow!  A lot can happen in just a few weeks!   Two weekends of Homes Tour were a great success;  literally thousands of people toured our home and nine others here in Galveston.  The first Sunday, Rick and I were enjoying breakfast at a neighborhood cafe while docents led guests through the tour of our home.  But–is it ever a good thing when the House Chairperson calls your cell and asks, “Do you have a pet hummingbird?!”  It was a beautiful day–bright blue skies, swift breezes, and perfect temperature.  So naturally, I wanted to leave all doors and windows open and convey to our guests a sense of coastal living–you know, those lovely tropical breezes drifting in.  Apparently, that wasn’t all that drifted in. There was a hummingbird flying around our kitchen.   By the time we arrived to help, the little fellow had taken himself back outside.  Just the day before I noticed the hummingbird feeder was empty, but didn’t have time to fill it, so Rick suggested that the hummingbird was probably there to lodge a complaint!  Needless to say, that issue has been addressed. 🙂

The Galveston Historical Foundation had also asked Rick and I if we would host a dinner on Saturday evening.  They sold tickets, they provided a chef (who was marvelous), they provided drinks, and Rick and I gave a private behind-the-scenes tour of our home.  I only had two stress points–the timing and the number of guests.  Including Rick and I, there were fourteen seated at our long, long dinner table.  Coming up with fourteen place settings, etc. was not an option for me, but Martha Stewart says you can mix and match, right?  So that is what we did.  I said, “I don’t even have fourteen napkins that match.”  My friends said, “But you sew.  Somewhere in that stash of yours, you will find enough coordinating fabric to make fourteen napkins.”  And sure enough, I had been collecting French fabrics that complemented the French Second Empire style of our house and our dishes.

Yes, I seriously sewed fifteen napkins (just in case) and my friends had suggested using raffia for napkin rings.  I ended up tying raffia while sitting in bed at the hotel the night before.  Eek!  Then I decided they looked too Western and the next day I ran to Pier 1 for napkin rings which were perfect.  I said, “You know, hosting a dinner party for fourteen would be stress enough, but I don’t even know who I invited!”  Since tickets were sold, I had no idea who was coming but, oh, my, it was so much fun!  We had a very eclectic mix of guests, to say the least, and by the time we actually sat down to dinner, we were laughing and talking so loudly that the dining room echoed!   We made awesome new friends and had a blast.

I mentioned timing being an issue.  The Saturday tour ended around six, the chef arrived at six, and dinner was scheduled for 7:30.  After dinner, everything had to be restored to its proper place because at ten o’clock the next morning, the tours started again!  A very sad event occurred the evening before, which was that my father-in-law passed away.  He had been quite ill for a long time.  Rick was making funeral arrangements up in Houston during this same time, but welcomed the distraction of that Saturday evening.  With the arrival of relatives from Tacoma, we were soon grateful to be reminiscing with cousins and sharing awesome memories of a fun-loving, gentle family man, who lived to be 89 years and 5 days.

In happier news…  Due to a number of circumstances, we have decided not to sell our lovely home!  You know, it’s hard to part with something that has just received so many compliments.  Since Rick retired in April, he was anxious to get started on clearing the land we have in the Texas Hill Country and start building a weekend home.  The thought of moving was becoming an obstacle to other progress.  We really didn’t need yet another project.  Not to mention I will be keeping my awesome sewing room!

In sewing news we have the following:

I completed an Anny Bag that I call Rhapsody in Blue.  Created from Michael Miller, Phillip Jacobs, and Kaffe Fassett laminated cotton fabrics, this item was only at Tina’s a very short time before it was sold.

Another laminated bag that I just turned in to Tina’s is an Abbey Lane pattern (The Lucille Bag) that I call Bali Dancing.  I seem to be stuck on Phillips Jacobs, Michael Miller and Kaffe Fassett. 🙂  This pattern came together so easily.  I have always been happy with Abbey Lane patterns and anytime you have a question, they will respond very promptly.

A side note about the tours through our home… When we came home to deal with the hummingbird crisis, the upstairs docents asked me if I had business cards because so many people had enjoyed seeing the purses in my sewing room.  Long story short–I ended up selling two bags on Etsy.  I had to say good-bye to these little beauties:

After receiving more requests, I’m currently working on a few more of the bow style.  A great pattern by CraftApple.

Our son was home from Minneapolis and since his plane left at six in the morning, he just took a nap from midnight until two.  So, of course, wanting to stay up and say good-bye to him, I just sewed.  Ended up sewing until 4:00 a.m.  Here’s hoping your spring has sprung and you’ll be visiting your sewing/crafting area often!  Don’t leave your windows open without screens, or a little birdie may fly in to help you…