Under the sea-quinns. . .

Guess what costume Punzie’s considering ? Luckily, I got dozens of patterns for the bottom part, it’s just a matter of picking out the best and snagging some fabric.  Bent three needles shortening that dollar headband – 70¢ with my coupon ! – I bought yesterday. Still not sure why that kept happening, I was going slow and careful. Needed to be replaced anyway. The shorter, cut-away piece is just big enough for a Barbie skirt, so yay, bonus ! When asked about the ribbon scrap tied around her wrist and through her fingers, Punzie thought that it must be hard to hold and carry stuff underwater, so the ribbon and knot might help. Plus, it looks cool. Creative one, our Punzie. 

Decided that fichu I made is just too big for them, so I gave it to Timey and Dottie and Chatty – I think D’Ella wants it, too. Gonna rework it in the smallest size, but maybe in color this time. Got a spool of neat fuchsia trim on markdown that I’d like to use, and I won’t need as much fabric. Not even sure why I want a fill-in lace collar so much – Belle’s village dress fichu was just a plain white kerchief – but why not, since I got a pattern and yards and miles of everything I need, and it doesn’t take that long. 

Beloved Hubby wasn’t feeling well today, so while  he and Dearest Son slept, I returned the Frozen coloring book to JoAnn’s – and discovered that they don’t accept returns on clearance goods. However, on learning I just wanted to trade them for other clearance stuff – namely, a couple more blind-bag dog tag necklaces – they made an exception for me. Got the piping I wanted, and they let me use a phone-book Hobby Lobby coupon for 40% off. They only had about three colors of the stuff, good thing I wanted green ! 

Had another 60% off any non-discounted fabric coupon, so I looked around a bit. Since I was still thinking of Punzie’s costume, I borrowed another headband, in case I saw something that’d work with it. Nothing in remnants (still confusingly priced), nothing in markdowns. However, over in Performance Fabrics, I found something gorgeous – and it was even prettier on the front ! It was also possibly the most expensive fabric I ever bought at $24.99/yd, but half a yard at 60% off made it doable. Put the headband back, and left with three more necklaces, the piping, and the stunningly amazing fabric for less than $7. Yaaay !  

Gotta take M & FIL to their appointment in OldTown tomorrow – their usual ride is probably tired, he hasn’t been returning calls, and they’re too broke to even offer gas money. Ah, well. I’ll get to go to the thrift I like, maybe go to that grocery store with the good $1. aisle. Hopefully, I can also pick up my Pyrex from our last visit, too. Think I’ll tie a string around the steering wheel, so I don’t forget.  

New goodies ! Old brokeness !

Darn JoAnn’s got me again ! Lured me in with the promise of a 60% off one item coupon, plus a 30% off everything else at regular price one, and I still spent $25. ! But, to be fair, the very patient and kind cashier not only used those two coupons, but another 40% off any single non-discounted fabric cut, so really, my purchases should have totaled $38.68. Even more than that, once  you realize half my spur-of-the-moment purchases were already off the Markdowns shelves. . .If everything had been normally priced, my stuff woulda been $47.10 ! So, to be clear, I am far from upset at JoAnn’s – unless you count that they have too much irresistible stuff ! It’s me I’m mad at. I always find waaay too much to buy there ! 

But I got pretty much everything I need for those upcoming projects. Gorgeous white crepe-back satin for the Leia costume, red marine vinyl for those heart keychains for the cardiologists, white marine vinyl for darn near everything, some new, inspiring trims, and some markdown Frozen stuff. Yes, I needed another coloring book, and the blind-bag dog tag set, and  that new Elsa fabric, so there. 

Only thing is, I completely forgot to check for piping. And I have a pattern that uses it that I’d like to try soon. Well. Since Dearest Son and I don’t have any plans for Tuesday, and I’ll have a (very) few bucks left, and the coupons are good through Wednesday. . .

While I was in line at JoAnn’s, Hancock Fabrics sent me a coupon. Sorry, Hancock’s ! You haven’t had red marine vinyl in, well, ever, and there’s just nothing there I want right now. 

One good thing about spending so much at JoAnn’s – I didn’t stop at Big Lots or Michael’s, or Sprouts on the way home. However, I did stop at McD’s, at Beloved Hubby’s request. I just got a Happy Meal, and shared fries with my double McDouble-eatin’ hubby (Dearest Son got a 10pc Nugget Meal, his fave), and got a Hello Kitty Puzzle Keeper. Or rather, I have a simple puzzle and one of my dolls has a pink plastic cat head-shaped piece of luggage. Wonder if I could get Punzie’s gown in there.

Yeah, I really should have ironed it. . .

(wry grin) Learned something interesting about new DP&M Punzie – she really never got played with. Since she was on the Arena table, I used her to paper-fit a pattern I was noodling around with, and I can barely raise her arms. Her elastic-strung joints are that tight. The ones I’ve bought used (Belle, Tia, Aurora) have more relaxed shoulder joints that allow their arms to go out somewhat, not just up and down and around. Merri and Punzie are much more stiff, and they creak, too. Poor doll. Hardly ever played with (which is obvious when the crown is still attached) but had demolished hair anyway. 

As for today, well. . . don’t ask me why I’m snurfling around looking for more patterns for doll clothes when I have thousands if not millions, and I have projects and untouched patterns up to my hips, each clamoring for attention with the devotedness of a feeling-neglected housecat. Spent a good chunk of the latest hours altering a printout (the one I was sizing with Punzie), and still downloaded four more, and hey, I’m almost to the bottom of that Pinterest page. . .

Or why I just couldn’t wait to get to Dollar Tree today, unless it was that we had a few bucks. Snagged a package of three small tote bags, a packet of 32 heart-shaped faceted faux gems, a pretty, slightly glittery black hand-fan that wouldn’t look out of place in the background of a budget Jane Austen adaptation, two bags of Frozen candy, two shades of pink t-shirt for Dearest Son’s ‘commissioned’ doll dress, a jar of pickles, and a bag of cheese popcorn. I was just crazy ! 

As for him, Dearest must also have been feelin’ the cray-cray, as he spent $5. of his own money there, mostly on treats, but he got a pack of MLP trading cards that came with stickers. So he was pretty happy.

I didn’t stop my wild spending spree there, though. Snagged three more keychain embroidery designs while they were on sale – got the two ‘heart’ ones for my cardiologists and crew, and a ‘snowglobe’ one, and hope to try out all three this week. My ‘fun money’ arrives Tuesday, and I’m hoping either Hancock Fabrics or JoAnn’s has some good red vinyl, that’s all I need for the keychains I wanna make for the cardiac crew at the VA. Hoping I won’t have to order it, but I have plenty of time in case, before my next appointment. 

Even with the 25% off discount, I spent a fair amount of my weekly funds – woulda spent 90% of it without the sale ! – but long as there’s still a bit of a jingle, you know I’m gonna spend it somehow. Another site is having a 50% off sale, and I’ve already marked my choices. Just don’t wanna spend the whole thing in one day, but I had to hop on those keychains, sale only lasts through tomorrow. So, by Monday, I’m broke again, with new inspiration – and I’ll have some more for fun on Tuesday !

As night fell, and we all went to our own amusements after dinner, I decided I had to sew something or I’d go nutz. Nutzier. Whatever. While that fichu pattern from Jen Wrenne’s latest download looked a bit iffy, I found m’self wanting to make something lacy. It’s in her Week 4 free pattern bunch – theme is antique French dolls and their stuff. Pulled out some plain white cotton and some likely lace and went to it. While the design was made for AG dolls who are a bit larger across the shoulders, it came out better than expected, but I think I’ll shorten the next one a bit. I’m sure it’d look fantastic layered over a big ballgown, but I don’t make many of those. 

And, yeah, I really should have ironed it. I’d do that now, but that’s the one disadvantage to having our wall-mounted ironing board in the living room – both Beloved and Dearest are napping in there !

You'd think I'd be more jazzed, since it's Friday, but naaah. Meh.

Kind of in a funk again today. I should be happy I haven’t found anything new to want in the last few days, but it’s kind of disheartening (and uninspiring) to see nothing that really makes me go ‘Oh, yeah ! I gotta have that !’ . I’m actually seeing a lot of repeats and fan stuff for shows I couldn’t care less for if I actually put in an effort to. 

Anyway, don’t mind me. I’m gonna go sew something, in hopes of shaking whatever’s harshing my psyche and tamping down my need for creativity. Really should go to a fabric store Saturday, while Beloved Hubby’s working, but I don’t really want more fabric. I just wanna be where it is ! 

If you haven’t snagged your Friday Freebie from Pixie Faire, you might wanna. Today only, score a download of their Oxford Square coat pattern. It’s boxy and simple looking, but would be great in tweeds – and as one commenter added, lose the hood and you’ve got an excellent lab coat pattern for free ! If you haven’t been there before, there’s lotsa freebies, from Barbie to Karito Kids, and there’s an AG doll giveaway, too. Can’t beat free – I’ve altered several of theirs to fit the DP&M girls, and next month, I’m buying (gasp !) a Disney Animator’s pattern I’ve been wanting. Look around when ya get time, but act fast if you want that coat pattern !