Finally! The Bumfuzzle Crib is finished and on its way

I mentioned earlier that I was sewing a crib for the Bumfuzzles. Everything had been going along swimmingly until I ran into 'grommet trouble', and then things came to a grinding halt.

West Marine said it would take two weeks to get 72 grommets to me, and the Bumfuzzles and I agreed that this was just too long to wait.

In the end, two weeks was nothing compared to what we ended up going through!

The online company we dealt with assured us they had plenty of grommets in stock and would send them immediately.

A week later I received 6 grommets. Total. I needed 72.

Oops! Online company apologized for their mistake and said replacements were on their way. Right now.

A week later I called them and they promised to get back to me.

They didn't.

I called again and the service rep said the warehouse wasn't getting back to her with an answer.

Well guess what! I've literally worked with this 'warehouse mentality' in the past and they can kiss my a**! In a very polite tone (after all, it's not this chick's fault that the warehouse people are idiots!), I told her that this was unacceptable, and that the grommets had better be shipped to me, OVERNIGHT, at no additional charge. I also made some other vague threats about the rotten exposure they would get via the Internet if they didn't oblige.

The grommets arrived the next day!

A butt load of grommets!

Here is the long side of the crib with the privacy/warmth flap in the down position.

And let me mention right now that the 'cutting tool' that comes with these grommets is a joke! I doubt it could cut a hole in a piece of wet toilet paper. Luckily I had an 'awl like' tool that I got a long time ago for the purses that I make, and it did indeed punch through the canvas, but each and every hole had to be enlarged, by hand, with slightly dull scissors!!

My hands still hurt!

This is where one long side abuts the foot of the crib.

Here the flap is rolled up and held in place by straps that button at the top.

The middle is a mesh insert for ventilation

(once again, the X is my ironing board support, so just ignore it!).

I desperately hope this crib works for them and if it does, I'll let you know! If it doesn't, I may disappear from the blogosphere!

While I was waiting for the grommet shipment, I stumbled upon this pirate fabric and it called out to me.

So I made Ouest (the Bumfuzzle Baby) a little dress. Since I'm pretty sure her parents' don't read my blog I feel safe in posting this picture.

Oh how I miss sewing for my girls!! They are now 22 and 23 and somehow I don't think this would appeal to them at this time in their life.

I just don't understand why!

Doggy Day Care and a Sewing Project Hold Up.

When we deliver our Knotty Cat to Florida next month we plan on leaving Wilbur behind.


For anyone who reads this blog and knows how much we love our dog, I'm sure this is a bit of a shock. However, we're going to fly right back home and I refuse to stick my baby into the belly of a plane. Hans thinks I'm nuts and stated that Wilbur would be just fine, and then actually dared to roll his eyes when I said Wilbur was far too sensitive to survive such a trip.


However he changed his mind when I told him that the crate we'd need to buy, along with the cost of Wilbur's flight, would be right around the same amount as boarding him at Doggy Day Care.


So off we went to Doggy Day Care to see if our boy 'plays well with others', and would therefore be accepted as a boarder.


Wilbur passed, and believe me that experience will have its own post.


As for my stalled project. The crib I was sewing for The Bumfuzzles has hit the skids. In the middle of the sewing of this crib I called our local West Marine to ask them if they had six packages of 12 sets of brass grommets I would need to complete this job.


They didn't. And they said it might take them as long as two weeks to get them. So the Bumfuzzles found a site that said not only did they have them, they'd send them to me right away.


The package arrived on Friday and contained a grand total of six grommets!!! Not six packages of twelve, but six grommets!!!


I kid you not.


So until the grommets arrive there's not much I can do but I feel so bad because I know the Bumfuzzles would have liked to have their crib 'yesterday'!! Not next week.












C'mon. Do you really think this little boy wouldn't be able to get along with others??

Some great sailing book bargains, and a project.

Since our next 'Three Hour Tour' is scheduled to start this fall, Hans and I decided we needed to start gathering up some navigational tools.


Last week I found a Cruising Guide for Florida, The Gulf Coast, and The Bahamas on Ebay for $11.00 and I was happy with this as they usually cost around forty bucks. I love cruising guides; for me they've taken the place of what the Sears Roebuck catalog used to do for me when I was a kid. I can leaf through all the pages and dream about all the things I want (or now, the places I want to sail to). Although come to think of it, I never did get the vanity table complete with the cute little seat that doubled as a storage unit for your slippers, the egg incubator, or the nurse costume.

And don't anyone even think of telling Hans about the nurse costume since that's the last thing I want to unwrap this Christmas!

Here is the Cruising Guide along with a book about the Bahamas that Hans found in a Marina Library.

Yet one more thing to love about sailing is the Marina Library which is usually found in the laundry room.

All you have to do is swap out the books you've read, and pick up some you haven't. I have to say I read some books this summer that I otherwise never would have read except for the fact that I had no choice.

And I was never disappointed.

MapTech Chartkits!!! The absolute Bible for the sailor. We bought Norfolk to Florida, plus Eastern Florida and The Keys, off of EBay for $83.00 each. I hope that was a good deal, I know the usually cost around $130.00 each.

These charts show water depths, markers and buoys, bridges...I mean everything! You really can't sail without proper paper charts.

However, we're having a great deal of difficulty finding charts for the Bahamas!

Region 7!!!!

Region 6!!!!!

But where oh where is Region 9 (Bahamas) ??????

If only Sears Roebuck could help us!

My sewing project is a crib for The Bumfuzzles (a couple I found via the wonderful world of the Internet). Quest, the Bumfuzzle baby, is in need of a place to sleep aboard the monohull her parents have recently acquired.

This is one completed side of the crib (with a mesh insert and the X in the background is my ironing board support). I'll post a picture of it when it's complete.

If you want to be thoroughly entertained you need to check out their blog. This young couple threw caution to the wind, sold everything they owned, and set out to sail around the world. Who cares if they'd never sailed a day in their life before this!

And seven years later they are still living the life.

"Baby? What baby?" Wilbur wanted to know!

We assured him it wasn't ours. If it was, I'd be sewing a straight jacket.

For me!