Today is all about learning how to coordinate design images with the desired size with fabric and the correct stabilizer for embroidering. Hmm. The design as purchased does not display the correct thread colors . . . as per the ONE that knows. Forget the sewing mindset and get online and seek and search the images to find how it should look using my correct thread colors. The easiest thing was to print it out. Hard colored copy in hand, tomorrow will tell the real story. I enjoy a challenge and any project that I turn out needs to be the best that I can do. It’s a good thing I am patient, have lots of time, a good choice of thread colors and that there is no deadline. It’s a good thing.
Updates from Noreen Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
-
Noreen
-
Noreen
Keeping Busy
Today was the day to finish this scrappy quilt. The lavender seemed the perfect fit for the backing and the binding. No materials were needed to be purchased and it was a satisfying project. I enjoyed doing the free motion quilting in the borders of the quilt. In a perfect world this 68″ by 88″ project is as large as I enjoy working with the most. Working under the lights in the sewing studio took away how gray the day is.
-
Noreen
It was a raw southeast wind today. The first time that my eyes teared up and of course with hands that are encased in gloves and topped off with mittens the tears just had to fall. I know I had a tissue in my pocket but my huge covered hands could no way fit into the pocket. But . . . on the up side, these last several days I have not perspired through my clothes. I have no idea how far away the corn husks had come from as they scurried across the county road. In my younger days I might have tried to pick as many up as possible to make corn husk dolls. Ya . . . my sister and I tried every type of craft possible that took no capitol. By the way, do any of you still have the Christmas trees we made using Styrofoam bases covered with dyed chicken feathers? They were just fantastic! It was beyond Dad’s head as we all got together and did the last of the heavy hens for the freezer and Elvera and I were slowing the process down as we were choosing the best of the breast feathers to save. Yup, cheap but classy.
-
Noreen
We had a great trip north to my favorite sewing shop in Bird Island. Karen and Al are turning their shop over to daughter Amanda and her husband Kelly. While Al and Karen took in the Bernina show in Las Vegas to keep up with all the new technology that is coming, Al came down with H1N1 flu, swine flu as we are familiar with. The bottom line when all was said and done and time had lapsed to try and regain his health, he was down to having two weeks to live. It came out in the news that the strain of flue was running rampart at that time. Al’s lungs remain very fragile. He is teaching his son-in-law the repair ropes. Al and Karen are moving to Duluth in January, as it is touted as having the cleanest air for such health issues.
I know I will enjoy working with Amanda and promised to see her and Kelly in six months. I came home with some new items to try working with my HP Notebook and existing designs on my flash drives. I can change the size and/or add multiple rows of text choosing so many different fonts, it will be hard to decide. I have had the HP Notebook since Christmas 2015 loaded with Windows 10. I would not be able to tackle this download if my Dell with Windows 7 was still my #1 laptop. Humph . . . things do have a way of falling into place. Go Grammie!
-
Noreen
It may have gotten to high forties today, but with rain, drizzle and enough gray to make huge elephants it left something to be desired. Fog is setting in over the supper hour. We have a road date tomorrow, heading for Bird Island. Every six months the sewing machine is taken in for a grease job and oil change . . . so to speak. I do clean it often and oil it to the degree that I can. I know Al will have it all but turned inside out working his magic. With the fog setting in this evening, I am happy about our 11:30 appointment. Of course we need to leave home early enough to stop along the way for a cup of coffee and a “Hi.”
My track phone was needing the 365 day air time to be bought. Locally if the brand is not Verizon, track phones cannot be worked with. I surprised myself by getting the job done via the Internet with just a few prompts and just as many minutes. My original program allowed 400 bonus minutes every year when I bought 400 minutes for $97.00. Humph . . . I now have 3,025 minutes. That is not to say I use our land line phone to any degree. I am not a phone person but the cell phone is more of a safety precaution to have on my person when I am on my daily walk . . . or to find Dennis when I have lost him in Sam’s Club.
Well, I had best get that sewing machine packed up for a huge day on the road tomorrow.
-
Noreen
XYZ Completed
Perhaps things happen for a reason. Today Dennis and I moved a few things and the XYZ plan was the best yet. My church tables are totally open for laying out quilting items. We did need to carry in four of the many bricks I had carried out in September. The stury wooden table was a bit low to sit up to it. When we were in the potting shed for the bricks I snapped up a paper holder that we have had around for a long time. The freezer paper that I like to use for mailing items to family now is in a proper holder and it is on the table on the north wall. I have, and Dennis told me the same thing . . . holding onto the cardboard freezer paper box and pulling the paper out of the box for a clean cut . . . sooo doesn’t happen. We have had us a great day here on Stauffer and considering we were down to plan XYZ, my plan is to hunker down and enjoy the sewing studio at will.
-
Noreen
Go to Plan XYZ
Hmm. I was to be sitting in my red chair on the south end of the church tables while running the embroidery unit. While I was doing straight stitching . . . all was well. Today I wanted to do some embroidery work. The church tables are not stable enough. With the embroidery unit moving back and forth, doing various stitch patterns, I feared all of the shaking, vibrating and jiggling would harm the sewing machine. This trustworthy solid table is where the machine is happy. In time to come I will shift things around and get this table over by my red chair as that is where all the sewing supplies are. I thought I had everything worked out with the new sewing studio design. Not! Plan XYZ will need to take presidency. Shimmy, shimmy shake is not what my warranty would cover on the sewing machine.
-
Noreen
Yup, Indian Summer is here. We enjoyed a trip to Eagle Lake to celebrate a great grands 3rd birthday. Grandpa Dennis had his first piece of Dairy Queen ice cream cake. It was great to get home just as it was getting dark. There’s no place like home.
-
Noreen
Yesterday the northwest wind blew me down the county road that heads east as I walked. It was a bugger bucking it coming home. Today the wind coming from the southeast made me pull my neck wrap over my mouth. Admittedly it was nice being blown home. As I rounded the corner coming off of the county road, I found myself humming “She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes, when she comes . . . ” Dennis was waiting for me and helped me peel out of the multi layers of socks and mittens and then proceeded to pull the neck wrap over my head. I was chilled but not cold. When I checked what the temps were yesterday and today and then was brave enough to see what the wind chills were, I put my big girl sweat pants on and gotter done. I feel if I take the cold as it comes, my chances of walking until the road surfaces are no longer safe are pretty good.
-
Noreen
Dennis and I have been checking our insurance coverage on various levels this fall. During the open enrollment for health insurance we decided to make a visit to our fellow that we purchased our Medicare supplement from. The policy we currently have was initiated when Dennis turned 62. Medicare coverage started at that age. When I retired in 2009, I signed up for the same coverage with the same policy. Blue Cross/Blue Shield has served us well. We never have had a co-pay for any health issues. Denis has had a helicopter ride, I have had two shoulders replaced plus what our meds have been reduced in price with the present policy . . . totally covered. Well . . . the original policy was taken out nineteen years ago with Dennis. Digging a bit we decided to change, not from Blue Cross/Blue Shield but with a newer policy that has been offered for the last five year, with a few additional benefits at a bit of a savings in premiums. Hey, $90.00 in total savings, is a . . . savings.
Insurance is important and in today’s world there is a penalty if it is not had. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t. We talked in length about the change. We talked in length that we don’t want our children to be put in a situation where they see our lifestyle challenged due to health care costs. Our children have enough on their hands in today’s world without additional worries. Enough said.