OT Yards and cubic yards

It is that. When I'm doing more original, or non-commercial pattern pieces

- and have the fabric - it's always part of the fun figuring out where I'm cutting, to make sure things match properly. At lunch yesterday, Donna & I were talking about this kind of thing - and me pointing out to my SIL that the no doubt pricey, custom pelmet in their breakfast room had been done with the flowers running the wrong way (upside down). Similarly - the back of two armchairs. She was definitely not happy. Pelmet - easy enough to fix, but.....

Ellice

A friend in the UK bought some very beautiful, hand painted, French wallpaper and took it home. It was an Audubon type thing of various birds.

Her trusted old wall paper man came in to apply same to a large kitchen/livingroom type of room. Her surgery was attached to the house and she saw patients all morning then came over for lunch and viewed work done so far. All the birds were hanging from the branches lol She stopped him and I guess the French roll their rolls of wall paper the opposite way to the English and he was quite unmoved when she asked "Couldn't you see something was wrong on the first sheet when you saw birds hanging from the branches" to which he said "I just take what you give me and apply it" - cost her an arm and leg to get back to the shop and commission the artist to paint more !

Ouch. I have a vision of this, another of those horrible lessons learned. My DA, for her first condo when she'd gotten married had gorgeous hand-painted wall-paper for the foyer and living room. The decorator actually decided to have the large motifs - it was some kind of scene with columns and statuary in the foyer, then flora/fauna in the LR - cut out. I think they only wasted a roll as they had to get someone other than the paperhangar to cut the large column motifs out. Pretty interesting that it did finally end up hung correctly. I was just a kid so I don't remember all the details - just there was much angst involved.

ellice

When I left the RAF in 1973 I handed in my greatcoat. It was the same one that I was issued with in 1961 when I was 12 stone (168 lbs) but in

1973 I was about 18 stone (252 lbs). Fortunately I'd never been on a parade involving greatcoats since my Boy Entrant passout parade in 1961!

You wouldn't think, being RN, David would have had much occasion either but he was once called in to lead the band into the castle in Edinburgh. He said he felt chilled and nervous wondering if his voice would work when he had to give the order to halt. He hadn't even marched in years lol He couldn't figure out why no brown job was available for the task.

Yes, exactly!

Well, the "to do list" has gotten longer. Before I move the sand cherry, I have to have two pines cut down as the blister beetle struck again. Actually about 6 trees will come down all told. Some I'll have the stumps ground out, others won't. The new shape of the bed can get roughed out before the arborist and crew do their work.

I need to "get rid of" some daylilies and my buddy John from hockey is going to trade me mulch for them. That means loads and loads of landscape fabric first.

Cheryl

Sounds good! We'll talk off-line to arrange something...

sue

DH & I were going through some things in the basement. There's a box of fabric, mostly cotton, of fabric from the same era. Blue with red/ white something-or-others (flowers, IIRC), orange/green/beige paisley stuff and some (probably about 4 yds...I was planning on making bib overalls with it) brown wale-less corduroy, red/white/gold plaid, beige/lt. blue plaid, among other things. If anyone's interested, let me know...I'll be happy to pass it along! Otherwise, it's going to the church rummage sale in a couple of months....

I also have patterns from the 70s, I think size 8-12 range, empire- waist dress, bell-bottom pants & jacket, stuff like that.

Joan

Those empire waist dresses are in again.

And I recently bought a pair of purple bell bottom jeans. They were on final closeout sale, aka cheap, and I just couldn't resist.

Here in the land of the funky, retired old hags peddling buy on tricycles, nobody thinks it's odd and it sure is better then wearing an old, ratty mink stole.

Lucille

What an image.

I hope they are a nice bright purple.

Cheryl

No-kind of subdued and more lilac. I'm little and can get away with a lot.

Hey - I could take some new dayliliies - and have plenty of landscape fabric.

Ellice

I bet you look just swell. Honestly, I have to say, that my DA never looks haggy - she dresses younger now than she did when she was my age, IMHO. But, not inappropriately - just kind of fun.

I never understood the desire of the South Floridians to dress too warmly. Some years ago we went to my niece's Bat Mitzvah - which was quite dressy but black tie optional. And about 80 degrees out - in June. I had nice hand-painted silk handkerchief hemmed 2 piece skirt/top - very chic, and light weight. One of my other relatives from up north and I were laughing, as I think we and 1 guest (that of course my DSIL made fun of) were the only appropriately dressed women. There was so much black, heavy, wool and fur trimmed I couldn't believe it. These women looked like they would pass out just on the walk to the car! IIRC the reception was a late afternoon - not a late evening thing. Something to do with venue timing - which is why I was even more amused.

Ellice

Ok - colors?

I dress almost exclusively in pants nowadays, with a skirt once in a while if I'm going sonewhere more special. And yes, I do know what's appropriate. I no longer wear the very short shorts I used to love and have gone to longer lengths or capris. It just isn't pretty to see an old lady bend over with her tush hanging out.

I definitely can relate to the clothing some of the women wear for formal occasions. That, and the ton of heavy jewelry around their chubby, sweaty necks, always makes me duck behind something so they don't see me smile.

Lucille

I'll never forget the first Christmas after we moved to Tampa. The weather was C-O-L-D.......for Florida, that is. Apparently it went down below 40F overnight, but by the time we were getting ready for church it was 45F. So, I went out in a Pendleton fine wool sweater and a tweed suit.

Arrived at church and you couldn't MOVE for fur stoles, fur jackets, and full-length fur coats. (And you could smell the mothballs).

I suppose...if you've got it, flaunt it. And they sure didn't get many chances to wear those furs.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans