Running Around Day

I left this morning for my Bernina dealer which is 1 hr 25 mins away.  I needed to get my sewing machine cleaned & oiled.   Usually I take it so it is there by Saturday and the owner of the store takes it to back to the suburbs for her husband to do the work during the week.  Then she brings it back to the shop the next Saturday.  A week without the machine.  Argh!

So I knew it needed to go in and figured I have enough other things going on in the next week (a day on a long-arm…. 🙂  ) that this week would work.

When I emailed the shop owner, she said that her husband would be IN the store on Thursday so maybe I could get it back the same day.

Yippee!!

Nothing like saving me an extra 3 hr drive!!  🙂

So I left this morning at 9:15.     The wind is a bit less but still pretty strong.  Crossing those passes, the High Crosswind warning signs were a bit harsh to read today.      I actually had no traffic to speak of and arrived at 10:30.

However, the owners hadn’t arrived yet so after a bit of visiting with the store manager, I settled in with some handwork.   I ended up stitching down the bindings on 2 more table runners.

They arrived about an hour later and he was working on my machine by 11:45.   At 1, I got up and wandered around the store.   An embroidery magazine begged to come home with me.   (wasn’t worth it… I’m done with it already.    )   But that was my only purchase there.

Finally, my machine was done, the receipt was filled in, the bill was paid ($50 for cleaning), and I was on my way.  It was 2:00.

I was starving!  I am on day 3 of a headache.  Our cupboards are bare.   I had no snacks with me.

A 30 min drive landed me at a subway for a cheat and a not very fun lunch.   Then on to swim.   I hope that was good for me.   At least it was warm & the showers were hot.  🙂

After swim, I took my 3/4 full back seat to Goodwill.   I hope some people are happy with their new-found treasures.  🙂

Then groceries.  I was later than normal.  It was 5 p.m. when I checked out.  Not everyone else was there but almost.  😦

I should have taken my camera to spice up this post.  But really I prefer 2 hands & 2 eyes on that winding road.   The trees are mostly bare.  Only a few here & there on a hillside still had some colored leaves.

Here is your tidbit…

Since I last had my machine cleaned in Feb 2009, I’ve put on 2.5 million stitches.

Nearly 8 million stitches since I got it about 5 yrs ago.   I think these numbers are fun.  🙂

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New Books

A few months ago (really??? I’m so slow!), I made some things for my dear friend in Brazil.  To repay me for the postage and supplies, she paid me with an amazon gift card.  What a novel idea!!  I loved it and it is such an easier way for them to send money back home for things like this.

The gift card sat with me for a bit while I mulled around what to get.  🙂

Last week I put 3 books in my shopping cart.

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….I thought this would have good ideas for my months of borders for the Round Robin fun at guild.

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…. Another choice for aiding in the Round Robin at guild but really just lovely ideas for any time.

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…This is brand-new, hot off the press, and I had put it in my cart waiting for the release.  It is all about using plants and other natural items to dye fabrics.  It is very fascinating once I :blech: over the environmental bits.   I’m not even sure I’ll do any of these methods but will consider it.

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I really like the chapter on solar dyeing (go figure!  🙂 ) and want to try that sometime.  Of course, I have had NO need for lids on my pickle jars so let one go out the other day with the trash.  I’m doubting anyone wants to go dumpster diving for a lid.  (especially for me…)

Seriously, there is a chapter called, Mud Pies and Cow Patties.   In lieu of getting cows again, Phil offered to call a friend with cattle and figured the farmer would let me walk the pasture.   LOL!!   I think not!  But of course, you’d be the first to know.   🙂

The Eco Colour book is my favorite so has been officially dubbed the book I spent my gift certificate on.  🙂   Thanks dear Reader!!  (((abracos)))

The other books came along for the ride.

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Out of the Closet

To the burn pile —

 

{“someone” mixed up some piles, I heard, and put dumpster boxes in the burn pile….

 

and there were spray paint cans there….

 

welllll…..

 

you know the rest of the story.

 

 

*all involved are safe!*   They both thought it was riotous! }

>rolleyes<

 

This is part of what is going to Goodwill.  (It is OLD  batting.  If I know you and see your quilts IRL, you can’t have it!  Blech!)

This is from my gigantic sewing room closet.   Yeah for cleaned out room!

I found & am keeping —-

“Skunky” (a birthday present to me on my 5th birthday when we were in California for vacation)

This lino print I made in Jan or Feb 1980 in Mrs. Schuman’s printmaking class.   It is my first born nephew.   I’ll save it for either his wife or mom to claim.  (hint, hint)

A few remnants of K’s days in kindergarten —

A quilt from the early days —  the blocks finish at 2″ and this is traditional piecing, no paper piecing yet.   🙂

Please tell me now what color will be the “mauve” of the future so I don’t buy any!!!  LOL!

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Old Quilts

In August, I bought a box that included 2 quilts at an auction.    I’ve washed the quilts now twice and they still smell a bit musty but are workable at this point.  My, the colors are so much brighter!   🙂

August picture

One night I was too tired to quilt but still up so started taking apart the bow-tie quilt.   First I clipped all the orange (yucky) ties.  I wondered if they tied it to cover up the mismatched blocks.   😉    The border from the top was wrapped around as binding.  I really hoped I’d find a treasure inside but not yet.   Just an old worn blanket for batting.

As I spent the evening with my seam ripper and a good movie (Letters to Juliet), I started to think that maybe the fabrics are from feed sacks.  Those pretty feedsacks they used before I came on the farm scene.  (bummer for me!)   The border fabric does not belong and I think was added later.

 

I don't think this quilter believed in 1/4" seams.

 

So I went hunting online for some 1940 & 1950 fabrics.   I ended up winning 2 ebay auctions Sunday for some matching feedsack pieces.  Mostly a gray background with some cream & pink boxes.   I think that will make a new border for the quilt.

I’m considering keeping the backing fabric but will decide that later.  I have also thought of looking for a 1940’s reproduction piece for the backing.  And binding fabric… still up in the air!  🙂

I have it all ripped out but have left the layers together.  In fact, still spread on the living room floor.  The seams of the blocks seem so tiny & some have big stitches, I wonder if being together will protect the seams.   ???   I’m anxious to give it a good pressing too!

Sometime, this quilt will have a continued story.   🙂

While I was at it and so comfy on the couch under a more recent quilt, I grabbed the quilt top from the same auction (dresden plate sorta…) and started taking the “plates” off the muslin see-through backing.   Here, the quilter liked such teeny-tiny stitches!!  Of course, stitched on by machine and I think the stitch length was set at 12 per inch!   I’m sure it would be 14 if the machine had such a setting.  Argh!!   I worked on one block Friday night and one and a half  Saturday night after church.  This will be a long winter project!   🙂

Phil thinks the maker made it so they wouldn’t come off.  ha.ha.

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October Sky

There is just something about the Midwest sunset in the fall.  Lots of farmers out making lots of dust makes for better colors!

October 21, 2010

Just loving my fountain grass — thanks JP & K!  🙂

Even the eastern sky was colored!

And a sleepy hello from Nina ~

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My Dad’s Birthday

Today is my dad’s 87th birthday!

This is my dad with his older brother & older sister and their dog.  I think it is so cute and my kid pictures look like him here.   😉

We sent a box of snacks, favorite foods, gloves, & stamps which took the long way via Pittsburg but at least arrived on his birthday and not next week!   So far he has received cards from 15 of my friends with birthday wishes!  That is fun!

This was week 2 of his radiation treatment and that seems to be going all right so far.   His year 86 was tough; so we’re hoping this new year is a easier on him & the rest of us!

Happy Birthday Dad!  ♥

His fabric postcard with some hand-dyed fabrics.

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4Ps NY Style

I taught a workshop at guild on Monday titled, 4Ps NY Style.   Which translates to Paper Piecing without Picking Paper and we made New York Beauty blocks.    🙂

I left at 9 a.m. and the church where we meet is just 10 mins from me.   Class was from 10 – 4.

It is really nice that each one could have their own table to work at or they could share with their buddy.   We have a big open room to work in and I had my machine and demos in the front.   I did 3 different teaching times at my table and then helped them individually as needed.   (i.e. often  🙂  )

(one didn’t bring her machine but used mine most of the day)

Ann is always happy!!   🙂

 

a few blocks by the students

I was actually pleased and I hope it was a good thing that most kept working until 4 – 4:30.    At 5:30 we had a potluck for those from class as well as a few others that came to join us before the meeting.

The meeting starts at 7 but this year we’ve had “warm-ups” from 6:30 – 7 that are short demos on various projects.  We have 2 of these going at the same time and everyone can pop in as they arrive to  learn a new trick or see a new tool in action.

After the program at 7, we have a break for visiting & refreshments.   Then the business meeting and we end with show & tell.   At the beginning of show & tell,  we like to have the workshop participants show what they worked on.

Not everyone from class had stayed this long but here are 15 (out of 18) of them.   I took my MIL’s table runner (she was pleased to share it with everyone for the day) and my October LaPetite’ wallhanging.

I got home at 9:20 p.m.   Tired!!!

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Fabric Dyeing….Again

My last dyeing class of the season (since we work outside) was last Saturday.  I had 6 beginners and it was a great class!  I do a yard of fabric along with them so that they can see me do the next step.

I also end up with 4 fat quarters of my own but in a new variety of colors as I’ve gone last in the picking of colors.   This was my lot this time:

 

L-R: turquoise, fuchsia, boysenberry, and turkey red

 

A few days before class I showed that I was dyeing just small amounts (FQs) of fabric in zip bags.   This was the result:

 

light to dark -- marine

 

This made a great class example for choosing how much concentration of dye to use.   It was very windy so my fabrics on the line didn’t necessary hang nicely for display but it still allowed everyone to see a variety of fabrics I have dyed.

I’ll still do some more dyeing as needed but I don’t mind working in the basement or kitchen.  🙂

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Whee!!!

You will want to see my quilt on Barbara Brackman’s blog where she discusses the fabric designs. 🙂

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Another Kindle is Kold

Here is a Kindle Kover I made last weekend for a friend’s daughter, who is close in age to me.

I used a piece of my snow-dyed fabric.

This is the inside and the Kindle sits on the side with the straps & heart quilting design.   Since I don’t own a Kindle, I was glad she had hers along so I could see.

What I saw was that either the pattern is off or the Kindle shrunk!!  This Kover will return to me next week.  I’ll have to take it nearly all the way apart in order to redo the straps.    But I want it to work…. not have her Kindle sliding all over!! That wasn’t the point.   Hopefully, the exchange will be easier than her needing to drive to me and her mom/my friend & I will get lunch out together.   🙂

ETA: The cover has been redone and resized and is back home with the owner.   🙂

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