Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from January, 2018 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:27 pm on January 7, 2018 Permalink  

  Buttons 

  

  The button tree really got shook for this project. I am pleased with the placement of the buttons as they were held in place with a bit of glue so I could get them under the sewing machine. I don’t as yet have the perfect answer for hanging them for the best show. This 12 Days was embroidered on gray fabric. The one previous was done on white. I have two more options to try out to see what Dennis thinks is “Best of Show” in regard to color combinations. Measured once, measured twice but the next one will need more work in the embroidery at the top. The “s” comparison in the banner measured out 1/8 difference. Bummer!! There is always a challenge and that is what makes life and projects worth while doing.

   
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  Noreen 6:42 pm on January 6, 2018 Permalink  

  It seems the little dash to the left of the temperature reading is becoming a normal. I am still holding onto keeping March in the near future. The minus temps don’t define me. I know it comes every year about this time and I know it does not stay.

  Working on sewing buttons onto a project is always a challenge for me. I need to back up on that comment. Sewing them on is easy with my Sears Kenmore sewing machine, sewing multiple of them on in a straight line . . . now that is something else. I thought about it for some time. I found myself in the storage closet of the basement. Never did I think I would reach for a glue bottle with my stitching. It was a water based glue but fast drying. I put the project on the ironing board where I could measure once, measure twice and then put barely a dab of glue on with a toothpick where the button would go. Of the 57 buttons, I tried it out on five buttons.

  Waiting for the glue to dry had me doing laps around the two church tables. Low and behold it has shown me it will work for the entire amount of buttons. Putting on a dozen or so of buttons is going to be the limit as I don’t know how much shuffling of a quilted project they can take before falling off. I have my work cut out for me tomorrow. Nothing is as satisfying as working the gray matter between the ears when you can’t change the cold winter.

   
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  Noreen 3:40 pm on January 4, 2018 Permalink  

  A Snow Pushing Day 

  Flurries are in the air and it gives pause to pushing some snow as getting fresh air and some exercise.  Our winter seems to be snits and starts on snowfalls.  Nothing heavy.  Compared to the east coast, I’ll take this every time.

  My experiment wall hanging is complete.  Am I totally satisfied?  Of course not.  I have yet to meet or visit with a quilter who they feel their faux pas are not glaring.  At least the prom dress fabric is out of the stash designation.  The brass washers and beads are acceptable as buttons.  I do have a hanger on the back of it.  I do need to find a better way to hang my finished wall hangings when I do the photo op.  Oh for the challenges of domestic crafters.  If all were perfect, there would no doubt be a label indicating it had been mass produced in China.  My projects give me joy in experimenting as to what I can do and how I can do it perhaps differently.  Yes, also with a bit more articulation.  My children know that some of my “end results” may beg the question as to whether I had both eyes open or not (smerk). Using the stitch design one by one also worked well for binding the design block to the batting and backing.  

  All in all this will be ready to share next Christmas.  I did do these embroidered designs of the “12 Days of Christmas” on several other types and colors of fabrics.  Hopefully, I will gain insight on techniques that will better serve the end result.

  It’s time to use that snow pusher and clear the driveway before chicken tittes are fixed for supper with a side of green beans.  Sounds good to me.

   
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  Noreen 4:54 pm on January 2, 2018 Permalink  

  Day Two of 2018 

  Yesterday I began peeking in closets and storage areas.  This Friday our recycling bin will be filled and awaiting the truck.  Not so much that I pitched items, it was all about getting rid of cardboard that may have held groceries that we had bought in case lots from Sam’s Club.  Some items from our bedroom closet needed to be taken downstairs and put in storage totes that were less than full.  On day two of 2018 there are empty spots in our bedroom closet and I see bare shelving in our storage area in the basement.  It’s a good thing.  

  In between time I was thinking through a project that I have started.  This is a project that I experimented with fabric that had been left over from a prom dress in times past.  Not enough gold buttons on the button tree to get the job done, I used brass washers and beads to make my own buttons.  Today as I was organizing storage areas, I hit on an idea with which to quilt within the nine inch squares of the project.

  There are so many options with fancy running stitches on the sewing machine.  Why use the running option of a stitch but rather start and stop the stitch and let it look like snowflakes!  Time out to turn on the sewing machine and seek and search options.  I have a “what if” cloth that I have used often to try out stitches or patterns.  Sure enough.  Taking the time to start and stop and figure out when to start and stop, I could use this stitch to quilt the nine inch block rather than using meandering or hand quilting.  A step up from using embroidery floss to tie a quilting project.  Tomorrow I will choose a light blue thread and see how many snowflakes it will take to do the quilting to hold the block in place with the batting and backing as often times, if laundered, you don’t want to take a chance of anything shifting.  Stay tuned on how it all shakes out.  It was a very good day even if it was too cold to run any errands.  I left that to the ole cowboy and his little red pickup.

   
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  Noreen 5:52 pm on December 30, 2017 Permalink  

  What a great day for burrowing in and finding busy work with a glance outside once in awhile. Yup . . . it’s still cold and windy. I was surprised that with the wind that I heard all during the night from the north that the snow had not drifted over the driveway to any great degree.

  Dennis ran away from home for a short time this afternoon. I was surprised he didn’t have a pickup full of cats with him as I am sure they are experiencing a bit of cabin fever also.

  I worked at the dining room table with my beads and brass washers on a project. Even with a heat vent for the sewing studio being open there was a chill in the air. Several more days of cold and then it will be different. Each day of winter in Minnesota can bring different. For me, I am prepared and have contentment. Preparing for such glitches in weather is the key.

   
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  Noreen 4:22 pm on December 28, 2017 Permalink  

  New Snow and Cold 

  When new snow comes and needs to be moved and it is one above zero, it is quite the combination.  The snow was dry and light.  Dennis and I used the pushers and we now have clear concrete.  Once tires meet snow on concrete . . . it is ice and will take forever to get it cleared.  I do remember a time when I was going to step into the car and my remaining foot slipped on the ice pulling my foot and leg to slam against the rocker panel of the car.  Owee, owee.

  It is not the type of weather that a road trip is a good idea for sewing notions.  I turned my button tree around and around and could not find what I needed for a project.  That had me at a total stand still.  Turning in circles, I surveyed the sewing studio.  I spied beads and man they were little.  When I got to the area where the office supplies were, I did see something I hoped would work.  Pairing up brass office supplies and beads may be just the ticket to continue with.  It will be quite time consuming . . . where do I think I am going in such a hurry.

  Dennis just came in and mentioned there were more snowflakes in the air.  We may be in for a bit more snow pushing tomorrow.  Slow and steady will get the job done.

   
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  Noreen 4:44 pm on December 26, 2017 Permalink  

  One Project Waiting 

  This scrappy quilt has been to Old Alley and is now ready to bind.  I have promised myself to take it a bit easy after Christmas, but it is reassuring that I always do have options.  I am also striving to remember the steps it takes to allow my thumbprints to be opened in a new window.  Very gratifying to see that “hand” when I hover over the image.  Whew!  It is a challenge sometimes for this ole gal to remember what my blog mentor tries to instill in me.

   
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  Noreen 5:25 pm on December 23, 2017 Permalink  

  Many Years – Many Memories 

  Today was a day of putting on the radio in the sewing studio listening to Christmas music and cleaning up of wandering threads, spools of thread in various colors and oh my gosh . . . stray pins.  It was almost necessary to go out and get Dennis’ magnet that he uses when we have had a construction project going on the outside of the house.

  I have been taking time to e-mail some of my cousins with wishes of a Merry Christmas.  I do keep up with several of the younger generation as well.  Two of Orlin’s nieces sent heartfelt messages when they received the quilts Dennis and I sent.  Remembering a Schafer Christmas at Grandma Schafer’s in Hector . . .now that should just about take biography of some sort.  Ester’s children, I swear to God, were not born with filters when it came to verbalizing.  It may be in the genes, God help us.  Frank, Elroy and Eugene were the three that could really make the rafters of the old home shudder.  Everyone had an opinion and the sarcasm came as easy as breathing.  Times long gone, many Schafer family members are gone.  There are many more wonderful memories than not.  The nieces and nephews are scattered, but with e-mails it’s still a wonderful thing to send out Christmas wishes.  I would like to be a mouse when in receiving such a wish, what memories are evoked within themselves.  It’s all good

  Several of my favorite Christmas’ were when we were farming and Carrie and Kevin were quite small.  Christmas morning was always a fiasco when the kids came down and Santa had been there.  My parents popped over one Christmas morning and we were all still in PJs.  It didn’t matter.  Kevin was strutting around in his dad’s new cowboy boots trying to stay upright.  Carrie was engrossed in the features of the Barbie Doll camper.  It’s all good.

  My dad loved Christmas.  He was handy in the workshop and he gave my mom all the time she needed in her sewing room.  Instant coffee was always ready with a Christmas cookie or two to go with it.  Having grown up in a predominately German speaking home, “San-tee Claus” is how “Santa Claus” came out of Dad.  Maybe the German dialect influenced it.  Doesn’t matter, I can still hear him say it.  It’s all good.

  I still have a few more e-mails to do this evening.  I can never wish too many Merry Christmases.  Dennis and I have been in the San-tee Claus mood for some time.  We’re just hanging out, taking it one day at a time and feeling very humble and thankful.  It’s all good.

   
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  Noreen 5:46 pm on December 20, 2017 Permalink  

  A Fine Day Has Been Had 

  I do believe in honoring medical notifications.  Today was the day I turned myself in for my yearly Mammogram.  The mammogram has never bothered me as much as some women have gone on and on about.  Mid afternoon, I got a call from the radiologist at the hospital and all is well.  There was no difference in the images from last year.  I had been able to see the images from last year to this morning, not seeing any difference, but coming from the one who knows what they are looking at brings peace of mind.

  Aunt Lorraine is spending two weeks in Minnesota for Christmas, coming from Arizona.  This morning we chatted on the phone for an hour.  She is staying at her son Mark’s home southeast of here close to the Wisconsin border.  We had not made plans for one on one as both of us had plenty on our plates without a long road trip.  Lorraine is a joy to visit with as we share our thread and fuzz experiences.  I mentioned to Dennis that I hope that when I am 87 I have as much zest for life as she does.

  I have been treating myself to toys recently.  A bit ago I shared that I had bought an additional hoop for the embroidery aspects of the sewing studio.  Well, I also bought a new acrylic Mylar sewing table for the top of the sewing machine.  The surround surface that came with the sewing machine hung onto the sewing machine by several clips.  Leaning on it with a quilt was not a stable experience as it would give.  This surface has feet . . . who would have thought!  I can tell you from first hand experience it is solid with a much broader area for projects to rest upon.  My Santa want list is now finished.  This Grammie is content, happy and will go forth sewing into the new year. 

  By the way, Dennis has not been left out of the Santa gift bag.  Too often we have been at medical appointments and Dennis needed his medical identification cards and I would hear, “They were in my other wallet.”  A new leather wallet that Dennis chose for himself to encompass all of his important cards will be here on our door step by Friday . . . and a new white t-shirt was also needed to keep him looking smart.  

  Neither Dennis nor I want for anything.  We believe WE HAVE IT ALL!  Our home is cozy, warm and welcoming.  Dennis has commented often we could take the 1999 Lincoln Town Car across the USA if we wanted.  Who wants to leave Minnesota?  Dennis went through the carotid artery surgery in October and is on the schedule to have the remaining carotid artery done in February as he can’t imagine not being able to take his little red pickup to trade shows and visit with other ole cowboys.  Yes, I say it often, but each time I mean it from the bottom of my heart: Dennis and I have a sweet life right here on Stauffer Avenue and the glow of our Christmas tree lights drives it home ever more so.

   
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  Noreen 5:42 pm on December 15, 2017 Permalink  

  Repairs and Shopping 

  

  Dennis and I came back from the sewing center in Bird Island with the sewing machine in the back of the pickup . . . sweet. It is repaired and I have been stitching for the last several hours. I also shopped. The gray hoop came with my sewing machine. Take note of the small knob with which to tighten the stabilizer and fabric for embroidery. Today I purchased from the sewing center the brand new hoop that Bernina just came out with in this particular size. Take note of the knob! Easily handled with arthritic hands and fingers and just a push of the side buttons to release. No more twisting that itty bitty knob. Bernina had listened to their customers. Great company. I knew there was a reason that we needed to go back to Bird Island today. My major elf Dennis didn’t bat an eye, and by the way, the lunch at the Athman’s restaurant was also sweet. Again . . . all is well in the sewing studio and with us older ones who get things done.