Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from September, 2018 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 5:46 pm on September 21, 2018 Permalink  

  Five, Six . . . pick up sticks. After a late afternoon of winds and rains that you couldn’t see across the street yesterday we considered ourselves fortunate. There were some large branches down to the ones that are annoying when it comes to the lawnmower. We have a huge pile to either burn in our neighbor’s fire pit or take out to the tree dump. Choices. We got it done and it felt good. Dennis had on a down filled jacket. Yes, Dennis thought it was quite chilly.

  Late this afternoon I had a cup of cold breakfast coffee while in my rocking chair in the sewing studio and considered my next project. I am not exaggerating when I say I have kept track of some yardage of fabric from Mom for decades. Today, the decision was made. The fabric is designed for white cotton bed pillowcases. It was milled in a circular tube. I have enough for two generous sized bed pillowcases. I sat in my rocking chair contemplating getting an embroidered design of some type in the hem of the opening of what will be a pillowcase. Getting the hoop and stabilizer in an enclosed area is something I have not tried yet.

  I would love to know how this fabric was milled. I have watched YouTube on general milling and weaving of quilt fabric of all types, similar to the rug loom Orlin and I used to operate, only on a much larger scale. I can’t envision weaving to make a tube. Well . . . that may be my next search on YouTube.

  It felt good to be outside today and the very best part . . . our 1,100 lbs. of garden dirt on the north side of the house did not wash to any degree. It all stayed put! Our neighbor’s rain gauge gave us a total of 4.5 inches over a period of the last several days. Yup, the neighbor across Stauffer Avenue has a huge pool of standing water. I can only imagine the farmers’ plight. The winds no doubt really did a job on the corn stalks.

  Dennis and I will sleep well tonight.

   
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  Noreen 3:35 pm on September 20, 2018 Permalink  

  A Test 

  I have watched quite a few television shows that feature test kitchens for recipes and kitchen gadgets.  They have been entertaining and helpful.

  Today the sewing studio did a test of its own.  Stabilizer and machine embroidery goes hand in hand.  Stabilizers are needed to allow the needle to punch that embroidery thread in between the warp and the weft hundreds of times.  Both layers are then put into a hoop to allow a taut surface for the embroidery to begin.  Well . . . stabilizers come from multiple companies and each one has specific instructions for various fabrics and how many stitches in each digitized design.  Daunting to say the least.

  I enjoy doing dish towels, singularly or in sets of seven.  The days of the week have always been popular.  When I began doing dish towels Mom had several patterns intended to be ironed on.  Embroidery floss was a must in every household.  I still enjoy my collections of embroidery floss even if I don’t use them often.  Once the design had been ironed once . . . that’s all folks.  That at point is when we collected the milk hauler’s carbon paper receipt from the daily pickup to trace the pattern on multiple times.

  

  The orange was done with a sheet of water soluble, the green with the brushed on soluble.

  Digressing: Early in spring I decided to put my scraps of water soluble stabilizers to use.  I crammed them into my 1/2 pint fruit jar and then added water to the fruit jar.  As the stabilizer dissolved I kept an eye on the consistency.  When the amount of water that I had added had the solution like wallpaper paste, I deemed it done.  I had two dish towels to do my test on.  On the towel with the green thread, I had used a brush and brushed the liquid stabilizer on the back of a portion of the towel, allowing it to dry before hooping it.  It was hooped as a single layer.  The towel with the orange thread, I used a sheet of water soluble stabilizer hooping both layers.  I really had to take an up close look.  There wasn’t a discernible difference in the end result or the quality of the stitching.  It had been a good test.

  Granted.  These were towels that had cost me $1.29 each.  Would I go with this if the stitched design was one with over 20,000 dense stitches . . . no.  Would I go with this if the stitching was on a purchased garment with no chance of a do-over . . . no.  This little honey jar of mine will come in handy for simplistic stitching or when I think the sheet stabilizer I am using could use a little punch of extra support in an area of dense stitching.  That would need some preplanning to make sure the fabric had dried after the brush application.

  The best part of my test was that I can continue learning how to make use of my resources.  Dennis likes that idea of waste not; want not.  Gotta love that cowboy’s input into the sewing studio.

   
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  Noreen 4:08 pm on September 19, 2018 Permalink  

  I have issues. I have had such a great run at getting things done outside with Dennis helping. Bang! Damp weather sets in for several days and I have a challenge in shifting gears. It takes awhile of wandering around the house to find what I want to settle into.

  There is a reason why we have been knocking out the work outside. Some is fall work getting prepared for a change in the seasons and some of it was what had been put off from last year. Nothing serious; nothing putting us in harms way . . . just homeowner responsibility.

  The reason for our working together is that I have a partner this fall. Most of last year, Dennis was not present in our day to day schedules. The carotid arteries, that seemed to be impossible to diagnose, and the massive amount of medications that had been prescribed trying to fix what was wrong, resulted in Dennis sleeping his days away. Since the end February, when the second carotid was repaired, I have seen improvements right along. The carotid surgeries were not an instant fix. His brain needed time to adjust to the flow of blood and then figure out how it was going to send signals to him as to what his days would, should and could be like. Oh, there are still naps, but not to the extent of getting up at eight, sitting down for a nap at nine, getting up at one in the afternoon and catching a nap in the afternoon in his patio porch and ready for bed at nine.

  Dennis being 81 allows for naps. With the digging out of gardens, hauling in dirt, cleaning out garages, repairing Santa; Dennis has been right there. He bought a 1968 tractor and worked on it and is working on it.  He is present in each day. The prescribed medications have been drastically reduced. This has been a good run at fall. Dennis is amazed how good he feels. He is moving, he is visiting friends and today he decided to make one of his amazing hot dishes for supper.

  I found my niche in the sewing studio today and my issues went away.  I had not put the embroidery module on the sewing machine since June. It felt good to work with threads. Dennis brought down coffee and even played a few games of Solitaire on my 10-year-old Dell laptop. Life has always been good on Stauffer, but this fall “good” has a bit of a different feeling.

   
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  Noreen 3:12 pm on September 15, 2018 Permalink  

  Persistent Summer 

  Get that outside work done!  Stepping out this morning, it didn’t feel like a typical early morning.  It felt like a tropical morning.  All we needed to get done was to lay down some grass seed on the black dirt that we put down yesterday, rake it lightly and give it a sprinkle of water.  Done! Outside work . . . done.

  After every finished large sewing project the sewing studio needs some time spent in it putting away extra materials and getting those loose threads vacuumed.  Nothing feels more wonderful than starting a new project with the surrounding area tidy, organized and clean of fuzz and threads.  It feels like you are in a . . . sewing studio.

  When we were working in the patio porch with the Santa repair and the shelving for rafter cat rescue, we talked about several items that we had too much emotional attachment with to give away.  After today and using Murphy Soap wipes (lots of them) we are feeling like we have remodeled our home, upstairs and down.  Dad loved doing woodworking.  Taking it up as a hobby after he hung his farming days up, he did well.  The room divider Dad had made from lumber he had milled from the old chicken barn on the farm.  His shop was complete with a plainer, router and multiple saws.  He had fun stuff.  Originally this divider was used in our living room.  With the advent of a much needed small office corner we didn’t have enough extra real estate to divide, and it had been used in the patio porch as a divider between the porch and the pickup.  Originally our small kitchen was built when there were no electrical appliances.  It was a place for a refrigerator, a cooking range, a small table and possibly two chairs.  Dad and Mom came with the answer to the lack of space.  The microwave stand was the answer.  Why had it been taken out of the kitchen?  The wall behind the cooking range was stressed from decades of hot steam on the plaster.  When it was time to try and salvage the area, the stand went out to the patio porch for ease of working.  By the way, there isn’t that much extreme cooking that goes on in our kitchen as of late.  Eating lighter, eating less of the stove top cooking. 

  Today both of these items are back in high use.  With having people come and visit the sewing studio, the divider was the perfect portable answer for some privacy in regard to the plumbing area.  When Kevin had tightened up the wood rockers for us we had taken them down into the basement for him to work on.  I realized how wonderful it was to take a break from an active project to sit, rock away and ponder what the next step should be.  Dennis has his rocking chair in the patio porch and I have my resting space.  We never realized how many square feet we have gained on the kitchen counter by not having the microwave sitting upon it.  There are times we make adjustments to our living areas and end up coming back to what makes the most common sense.

  It was an uncomfortable day outside but we sure have had a great day indoors.  I am counting on next week for some comfortable weather so the 12 bags of Walmart dirt can come out of the back of the pickup.  There is more to be done before fall is done.

   
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  Noreen 3:35 pm on September 14, 2018 Permalink  

  Objectives Met 

  I am not fond of having to set the alarm on my phone.  When Dennis goes out to our VA clinic each month, that means Grammie has to set the alarm.  Sure as shoot, that would be the morning both of us would sleep in, I mean really sleep in.  Seven was the time we had agreed upon and seven was the time I shook the sheets to get Stauffer Avenue up and running. 

  I knew dang well what the forecast was for the day.  A forecast that would mean I would not be doing anything outside after twelve noon.  With coffee in hand and dressed for getting dirty I tackled those ten bags of garden soil that had been sitting on the north side of the house since Sunday.  The objective was to cover the rotten clay that had begun our landscape project in June.  With all the rain, the clay had a chance to run off from the slope that we had made from the foundation out to the remainder of the yard.  Man, did it run.  Man, did it make a mess on what had been nice grass.  The ten bags were just the right amount to cover the clay.  Dennis coming home from the VA came to give his opinion.  It was a good review.  After checking things out Dennis decided that the remaining area needed some light tilling before we used up the Walmart dirt we bought yesterday.  A bit of roughing up and then a covering of garden dirt might be just the answer before we mess with the grass mousse.

  I had had enough with my dirt work and I cleaned up and went into the sewing studio.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see Dennis making passes from east to west, from north to south with the Mantis electric tiller.  I stayed put.  He did not need to be interrupted or have any of my comments.  Let the fellow to his work!  He was wise to take several breaks as the afternoon humidity was nasty.  By the time Dennis came in for some iced tea, I was finishing up my quilt top.

  In days of old the five piece crazy quilt pattern was all the rage.  In finer circles, many used velvet cloth and each seam was embellished with hand embroidery running the lengths.  I had decided on blues and putting them together in such a way that they resembled pinwheels.  I enjoyed doing something different for the border and yes, sewing seams on the bias is a challenge so as to not stretch the fabrics.  What can I say!  The top is done and the borders are very happily lying flat.  I will be tucking this away to meet my December appointment at Old Alley Quilt Shop.  With the top being 100″ x 100″, I will gladly have Sharon long arm this.  My arms had all they could do to wrangle the bulk to finish up the borders.

  Here it is suppertime and all of our objectives have been met.  It’s a good feeling to get a workout and see some great results.  It will need to be a bit cooler before the Walmart dirt is broken in to.  That will also give the hard crust dirt that Dennis busted through a chance to get some air.

   
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  Noreen 5:12 pm on September 13, 2018 Permalink  

  A true return of summer complete with humidity. I am holding out for next week when it promises to be a great fall comfortable week. We decided to make a trip to Walmart today. All garden supplies are half off. We are making headway on landscaping the north side of our home. Tomorrow we will be unloading another twelve bags of garden dirt on the west end of the patio. With the electric tiller working up the surface of the dirt it will work well to put down a layer of soil and then trying out the seeding method that Dennis is ready and loaded for. He has talked about using the seed that is incorporated with a foam mousse via the garden hose. Time will tell. The north side of the house needs some TLC. There is nothing like getting some dirt under the fingernails.

  While I am waiting for the temperatures to settle down, I have a project to finish in the sewing studio. The studio has been ignored for some time. As I have often mentioned, a balance in my day makes for a happy Grammie.

  Hmm. The days of hearing “Grammie, Grammie” seem to be lost. Dennis says he just hates it that Megan and Nicholas had to grow past those cherished days. That’s okay. Memories can’t be taken away from us.

  On the down side, we needed a new coffee pot. We don’t spend a lot on pots. As long as we can program them, there are choices well under $20.00. I got the new pot set for the time and when it is to go off in the morning. I poured in a huge amount of water to have it run through the pot before using coffee grounds. Slow reflex on my part . . . the water was running out of the bottom of the pot as fast as I had poured it into the reservoir. What are the odds! Dried and re-boxed that in a heartbeat. The receipt and a huge notation on the box awaits the next trip to Mankato. Dennis suggested I visit the Shopko store here in St. James until we make the next trip to Mankato’s Walmart. Life in the fast lane.

   
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  Noreen 3:55 pm on September 4, 2018 Permalink  

  Sure Nuff 

  In 1954 the Sure Nuff Company in Minneapolis must have had an extraordinary business.  We got in on one of the goodies when we got a request on Sunday to come and help Kevin and Kersten lighten the load in their garage that they are working on.  We were assured the box would fit into Dennis’ red pickup.  It did as long as we left the end gate down.  At that time we did not look into the box.  We set the box into the patio porch and that is where I read the label off of the original box as it came from the Sure Nuff Company.  Today Dennis couldn’t take it anymore.  The two miles of rope that the box was tied up with released the contents.  In all his glory, standing tall was Santa Claus in person.  Kevin had mentioned that it was motorized but not so much in today’s time.  

  Dennis’ son-in-law came over this morning and I exited stage left.  I was curious but I also realize when puzzles need to be solved, too many questions can cause a situation.  Dennis came in and gave me the go-ahead that I could come out.  Santa Clause was rotating at the waist and waving with one arm.  I did send photos off of my camera to Kevin and Kersten at various points.  I was remiss by not taking photos with my camera.  Oh right . . . I admit it.  I have no idea how to get photos off of my camera onto my computer, thus very few photos are taken with my camera.  

  
  Tom took his leave when he was assured the motor had been checked and was working.  The clothes had been taken off and now it was my job.  With a soft brush on the vacuum, I began taking off a few layers of dust on the velvet.  Surprising the fabric was in good shape, still vibrant, but fragile.  I did repair one place on the jacket at the neckline where I knew the hair would cover it after all was said and done.  The batting that was pressed cotton, pressed at one time, was taken out around the shoulders.  It literally fell apart.  I substituted new quilt batting.  It was a struggle to get the clothing on as the arm that moved with wiring couldn’t be manipulated to any degree while getting enough fabric for dressing the other arm.  It was a tight struggle without putting too much pressure on the fabric.  As I look at my photo, I see that I need to adjust the belt and the front of the jacket a bit.  My next quest will be working on portions of the beard.  The beard is fiberglass.  I can attest to that as I have some itches on my hands.  The main objective has been met.  Santa twists at the waist and waves with genuine spirit.  None of the four footed observers were impressed.

  Needless to say the laundry I had started earlier was on hold.  As the box is original that will be the next project to make sure Santa has his own dressing room while he is mellowing out.  We do tackle what is presented to us and have a ball doing it.  What happens is that Dennis gets going and before you know it, he has worked me out of a project and is looking for the next task.  This project was amazing to work with, something that is 64 years young with many years yet to put the zing into Christmas.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

   
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  Noreen 6:06 pm on September 3, 2018 Permalink  

  Neither Rain or Shine 

  Neither rain or shine will hold Dennis down from contacting his “people.”  Dennis had a visitor this late afternoon in his patio porch.  I feel a trip to the lumberyard is forthcoming.  I will hold my breath, bide my words and try to visit the site only when I am invited.  It never gets boring around here.  I kept my head down and stayed in the sewing studio.  I missed out on the 2 inches of rain. 

  Though our town is small, we are quite self-sufficient.  Dennis was in need of a pair of jeans.  Wrangler is the brand of choice as the Shopko brand is lacking for a good fit.  With that being said, you can’t always get the exact size that’s needed.  As long as the waist measurement was correct, I could soon fix the length.  I am not fond of shortening jeans.  The flat-felt seams are a bugger to sew over while maintaining an even hem.  As I got into the project I realized that this was the first heavy denim pair of jeans I have hemmed since getting my new machine.  I took my time and kept the needle coming along the hem line and I’ll be jiggered, the pressure foot walked right over the thick welt of having the denim folded over twice for the hem.  Also amazing was the fact that the length of the stitches remained constant.  I had my foot placed gingerly on the power pad thinking if the needle did break, I wouldn’t have pieces of it flying and then not finding all the parts.  I have celebrated the pleasure of this sewing machine every time I use it . . . but this was the frosting on the cake. 

  So, tomorrow there will be commotion in the patio porch and it will be interesting as to what will transpire.  If Dennis is happy . . . why not!

   
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  Noreen 2:35 pm on September 1, 2018 Permalink  

  The Crazy Pattern in Blues 

  I have many pastimes that I enjoy.  The days are never dull.  The first thing I check out is what Dennis’ plans are for the day then I work around them.  Today the tree dump was open so that was a no-brainer.  Out went the last of the plants I had dug out last week as well as multiple branches and twigs that have fallen out of the Maple tree with some fairly brisk winds.  On that note we have put in a call to the tree service that helped us out a week or so ago.  Our huge Maple needs a bit of a manicure. Twice we have been lucky with large branches breaking loose during a wind storm with no damage to our potting shed or patio porch.  It’s time to tidy up a few of the large trunks that are listing towards the buildings.

  

  Five fabrics and the pinwheels go around and around.

  No matter how much the sewing studio is used, it is never as sweet as when I am piecing a quilt top.  The process is very quieting and each piece a precise size to meld to the next.  I had been working on a border for this blue crazy pattern.  Yesterday, I got the opinion of the metro girls: Carrie and Megan.  I am taking their advice and today I will begin cutting out the pieces for the border.  Three different fabrics making four distinct patterns, all cut at a 45 degree angle.  The end result will be a straight edge of all four sides.  It’s a good puzzle.  I am contemplating that the size should fit and cover a full sized mattress easily for the border to be a great drop on each side.  I can enjoy this puzzle as right now there is not a twit of anything that needs to be done outside.  It’s time for both of us to kick back and take the day easier than we deserve.

   
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  Noreen 5:13 pm on August 31, 2018 Permalink
  Tags: Carrie ( 12 ), Megan ( 9 ), Nicholas ( 6 )   

  The beginning of the last long holiday weekend of the summer. Our surprise was a visit from the metro kids. Carrie, Megan and Nicholas spent the afternoon with us. What a treat. Megan had a sewing project that we needed to get nailed down so that when she went to purchase her fabric she would get the proper amount of yardage. It is hard to believe that she will be having her 15th birthday in December. The teachers will have a challenge with Nicholas. What happens between the ears comes so easily to him. Nicholas will be 10 in November and has a kind spirit. The need to compete while participating in sports does not interest him. Right now he is anticipating playing golf next season as he and his dad got quite a few rounds in this late summer. While Megan thrives with ice skating events that she had this summer, Nicholas’ highlight was kayaking on various lakes in their area. This visit will be the last for some time as the school year will be off and running on the 4th of September. It was a great day.