I Got Skillz

And I know how to use them! (Sung to ZZ Top's Legs - this is a link to a You Tube version of the song in case you are interested in hearing it.)

Anyway, back to my skills. 

Son called me the other day with a list of requests. Not for him. I already have that list! :) 

His GF loves cows. A year or so ago I knitted her a Caldwell the Cow Hood. 

 It is hard to see what it actually looks like laying flat...

 ...so I put it on a coffee can. I don't have a picture of her wearing it, but she loves it!

Her grandmother said she would like one for a relative so Son called me. "Mom, could you..."

The yarn got ordered and I have started knitting it. The hoof piece is done and I am starting the leg. 

My SIL's cousin and his buddy and the buddies wife have become friends with Son. They have helped him out with moving furniture, helping get the car towed in when it needed repairs after stopping on the side of the road, helping him hunt. They have figured out how to strap his wheelchair down and take him on motorcycle outings with them. They do other things together, too. This past weekend the buddy and his wife took him along to a Pumpkin Chucking Competition. Here another link to a video on You Tube. There are many more there if you are interested. Son appreciates all these people do for him so "Mom, could you make something for them to show how much I appreciate what they do for me". He is thinking Bowl Buddies or ??? Or anything else I could think of that would be a nice little gift to show his appreciation. Any ideas? Looks like I may need to order some fabric since I don't have a lot in my stash that reflect their likes (see purple sticky note on cow pattern). 

I also put my skills to use for myself today. I recently acquired another OK two, more sewing machines. My husband urged me to do this, I swear! A local school was selling some of their equipment - lockers, sewing machines, etc. - as a fund raiser to purchase newer items. The machine I already had is used almost daily for piecing and general sewing so I keep it pretty dusted off and cleaned. One of the new used machines is 

 just for retreats and sew days. It lives in the wheeled tote between those days so it is covered and protected. The other new used machine has the walking foot on it all the time so I don't have to change feet, which can be a pain since I have to remove the screw completely to switch out to the walking foot. My fingers are just not a nimble as the used to be and I drop that little screw several times before I get it back in. Since that machine isn't used as often I thought it needed a cover. So I made one. 

 I pieced some batting scraps.

 I found a yard of fabric in my stash and quilted it very simply just to hold the layers together.

I added the binding completely by machine. 

I usually don't do this because I can never get one side to look good. 

In this case that side will be inside and not seen. 

Now that machine is protected from dust until needed again for binding.

I had a little strip left over that I trimmed to 2 1/2" and put it and the leftover binding (that was leftover from another project) in the drawer of 2 1/2" strips. Yay me for keeping my sewing area clean!

And, my little visitor is back again today.