Updates from December, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Noreen 4:01 pm on December 1, 2017 Permalink  

    Each day I check out local weather via the Internet. The last two days have been forecast for very little wind. It’s a good thing I have been greasing my face and lips for my walk to ward off wind burn. The wind has been brutal from the south. I am determined to continue walking while the county road’s surface is dry. I had thought about a treadmill. I really enjoy getting outside and girling up for 40 minutes of thinking about what my day is going to bring.

    Thanksgiving day I had help in my sewing studio. I had a long range project in mind. Kersten cut about 40 pieces of stabilizer to fit the oval embroidery hoop and Kevin cut the same amount of fabric in 12″ squares. When Carrie and Megan came the day after Thanksgiving Carrie sized up my sewing table and out to the potting shed we went for four more bricks to put under it. She was right. I do need to get my knees somewhat under the table top if I am going to put in any amount of time. Ya gotta love elfing from your kids.

    This week with Dennis and I having gotten Christmas taken care of . . . guess where I have been? Being able to grab a sheet of pre-cut stabilizer and a piece of pre-cut fabric . . . I am comfortable as I can be at my sewing table. Priceless!

     
  • Noreen 1:02 pm on November 30, 2017 Permalink  

    Too Soon – Too Fast 

    Dueling Sewing Machines (400x300)

    Megan was determined to use the sewing machine when she would come to visit. As luck would have it, we both were able to sit side by side and stitch and visit. Priceless.

    My grandchildren are growing up too soon, too fast.  I realize this is the design of our Lord’s world.  I would like to drag my feet a bit, but it’s not going to happen.  December 2nd, Megan will be 14.  Dennis and I have grown up with Megan teaching us all about what it was to have her ideas brought out, her ability to express herself and best of all endless hugs.  With Carrie and Megan spending some time with us on Stauffer Avenue over the Thanksgiving weekend, we couldn’t get over her sense of responsibility and adapting to being in Jr. highschool.  Best of all was her enthusiasm in creating sewing projects that were spot on.  Eden Prairie isn’t that far away from Stauffer.  A bit under two hours and the trip is complete.  Megan commented that she wouldn’t have her license for driving for another two years but there was more sewing with Grammie in her plans.  It cracked me up when she commented that she might have to learn the Metro Mass Transit for visiting us in the mean time.  Megan honey, I don’t think the Metro Mass Transit will ever reach that far. 

    Soon 14

    This last weekend was a joy watching Megan man my updated sewing machine . . . and she nailed it. These fourteen years have gone way to fast, way too soon.

     
  • Noreen 4:49 pm on November 27, 2017 Permalink  

    The Day Was Good 

    Somehow I had a busier day than I had expected. Of course when the laundry basket is overflowing, it can’t be denied. Though it’s not hard pushing buttons, they still need to have someone sorting the clothes and they don’t start themselves. I had it timed perfectly. By the time I had my walk completed, the washer was just in the last of the spinning.

    Time for heavy food is over. I boiled some eggs, chopped an onion, opened two cans of chicken breast meat in water, pulled out the Mayo and . . . there . . . I had a good snacking dish that was healthy. Time to keep track of the carbs. I knew that I had gone overboard over Thanksgiving. Time to get back on track and I am doing it for no one else but me, myself and I.

    Old Hoops

    Sharing from times ago and from new stitiching projects.

    A trip to the post office and I am done with holiday mailing. Actually two trips to the post office as I had an incomplete mailing address on one of the packages. I don’t go overboard but I feel good sharing some embroidered items with some nieces and a nephew. In times past I couldn’t bring myself to toss Mom’s and Great Grandma Laura’s embroidery hoops. With these mailings I am lightening a bit of my stashes.  It seemed the best way of fulfilling my desire to let a few family members know that they were in my thoughts while I was stitching.

    With Megan and Carrie spending several days on Stauffer doing some stitching, Dennis and I have a plan for a trip to Mankato to fill in some places that need a bit of extra lighting in the sewing studio.  As Dennis said, we are going to spend a few extra dollars and “get the good stuff.”  

    Our Christmas tree is lit and our home feels “just right.”  There is no where in the world I would rather be . . . right here on Stauffer Avenue.

     
  • Noreen 5:55 pm on November 26, 2017 Permalink  

    This was the culmination of the Thanksgiving weekend. Dennis enjoyed the trade show at Jackson over the weekend and came home this evening having enjoyed catching up with all the ole traders from multi states.

    Today Carrie and Megan returned to Stauffer Avenue. Success! Megan finished stitching up what she has planned for her to give as Christmas presents. All she needs to do is literally keep it all under wraps until Christmas. Just between you and me . . . she would have liked to have sneaked my sewing machine home with her when she left. Tomorrow Megan will be back in school with the busy routine of a 7th grader and stitching will take a back seat to her violin and skating lessons while getting the usual homework done.

    It’s been a busy great weekend and I am ready for a bit of a sedated week. I checked the schedule and there is nothing. The older ones on Stauffer can handle it.

     
  • Noreen 4:35 pm on November 25, 2017 Permalink  

    Small Town Shopping 

    Colorful Scraps3 (Small)

    My contribution to “Small Town Shopping” was to drive to Sherburn to the Old Alley Quilt Shop. This king sized scrappy quilt top needed to have backing material bought as well as batting. When Aunt Lorraine was here in June, the quest was for us to use this particular stash of bight fabrics. I have a hard time with something this large under my sewing machine. Plus . . . I have a free long arm quilting session with a value of $75.00 to use. I believe Sharon quoted that the long arm quilting would be $98.00 plus the cost of the backing and batting. She charges $.01 per square inch. All in all it will be a good value to have a quilt ready for someone. While there I picked up some stabilizer to have on hand. Yes! I participated in the shopping in small towns.

     
  • Noreen 4:31 pm on November 21, 2017 Permalink  

    A Day to Reflect 

    Without opening my eyes this morning, I was sure what I had dreamt had actually happened. I had dreamt we had snow and a lot of it. Outside the wind was howling through the tall Evergreen rattling the wind chimes. No snow, but the computer said it would have a wind chill of six above zero. I decided the 25 mph wind would not be good walking weather.

    With that being said, I did pay homage to my shoulders and hands today. I had completed two quilts in the last three weeks.  I set deadlines for myself and as I completed the tasks at hand, it was very satisfying. I didn’t hurt myself, I decided to take a break from the sewing studio.

    Dennis encourages my sewing studio to the nth degree. What Dennis would not approve of, and he has verbalized this, is putting quilts together and stacking them on a shelf. This year there have been twelve quilts stitched with care and love and given to family members. I have never in Carrie’s 50 plus years made a quilt for her. As it turned out two quilts were given to her as . . . it just turned out that way.

    Four quilts went to Dennis’ great granddaughters. Addison, Ava, Bella and Josie received pretty much the same pattern, but each had their name embroidered on their own treasure.

    Dennis’ granddaughter, Sadie, wanted a t-shirt quilt made out of remembrance of a fallen hero that she served with in the military as well as he being a high school mate.

    Dennis’ granddaughter Amy had saved many of her son’s clothing for a quilt to be made out of those who represented Oliver as he was about to turn four.

    When we attended a graduation gathering this summer, I knew I would have a great nephew who would be there who was moving into his first apartment after finishing his vo-tech training. Tyler took note it was done in fall colors, just as his birthday is in fall. Sweet.

    I have a nephew that is an over-the-road trucker and Jason received a quilt for the sleeper in his truck.

    Yesterday two quilts were sent off via the post office for two Schafer nieces.

    I had planned on doing Carrie’s quilts. The rest just fell into place. It’s been pretty special that several friends’ fabric stashes have ended up here on Stauffer Avenue. Very little fabric for these twelve quilt tops needed to be purchased. I watch JoAnn Fabrics for 50% off for quilt batting. Many of the backs for these quilts have been pieced. Through all that our basement got a bump with new windows, an air system and getting a vapor barrier put in place for a portion of it.

    Don’t you worry. I have some very special quilts put on a shelf for family members. They may not need them today, but perhaps when they do need a quilt, I may not be able to handle the project. Hell’s bells . . . that’s not in my tea leaves . . . for a long, long time. That is the main reason we purchased the Bernina Embroidery sewing machine. Cutting, piecing and handling bulky quilts to finish it from start to finish can be difficult on the shoulders and hands. This sewing machine can serve me well no matter what the arthritis dishes out.

    What can I say? I feel so fortunate and blessed.

     
  • Noreen 5:44 pm on November 20, 2017 Permalink  

    Just about a shirt sleeve day out. The first thing on my list this morning was to hit the sewing studio and get two quilts wrapped and packaged up for the mail. Both quilts headed out to two of Orlin’s nieces. One is in Wisconsin and the second in southeastern Minnesota.

    Orlin’s brother Eugene and his family were having a tough time with children that were his, hers and theirs. Carrie and Kevin were mere toddlers and our family would grow over the summer months. Evelyn was about nine and Joyce was thirteen. There were challenges to say the least. It brought us face to face with working hard to understand what the girls were going through at their age with the home environment they were accustomed to as we were working through going from diapers to training pants and getting our kids to sleep in something other than cribs.

    We made it through and the best part was there are more soft memories than harsh ones at this time in our lives. Orlin has been gone a bit more than ten years and the girls have my email address and they use it when a bit more support is needed in their lives. The scrappy happy quilts made me happy to make and then send on. I have always told the girls to save the best and leave the rest. They are now wives, mothers and grandmothers. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Joyce and I would have serious conversations about make-up and pierced ears. What did I know of such things at that time. Nothing as far as Joyce was concerned, but we did find compromises.

    After the quilts were wrapped this morning, I headed out into that warm weather and the two-mile walk melted away as I thought about those summers when Orlin and I were barely aware of what babies needed let alone troubled family members.

     
  • Noreen 2:31 pm on November 19, 2017 Permalink  

    It’s Not Care Bears 

    About this time of year Mom would be busy in her sewing room.  Homemade gifts from her were cherished.  Her “New Home” brand sewing machine was in a south bedroom of their farm home.  Quietly without any interruptions from the chores that needed to be done inside or out she would make inroads into her list that she had built since the holiday season that had gone before.  Mom had gotten that machine brand new and totally loved it.  If we happened to pop in on Mom and Dad unexpectedly there could be heard a door close and Mom was in the kitchen quicker than we could get out “Hello.”  A particular Christmas in the early 70s brought about Care Bears.  They were all the rage.  I wonder how many trips Mom and Dad had made into Hutchinson to get just the right amount of plush fabrics in enough colors for the grandchildren.  Hand stitched names on the tummies of the Care Bears completed the process.  Oh, there was no way Dad was going to get left out.  When we popped in there might be bits of the poly fill caught on his flannel shirts.  Nonchalantly he would brush them off as the coffee pot was put on.  I can only imagine how diligently his large hands worked to fill the limbs of the Care Bears for just the right amount that would be needed for the kids to cuddle with.  Hmm . . . it seems like yesterday.

    Here I am, almost fifty hears hence, and I can keep busy with my sewing.  Well . . . some of what I have gotten into is not 100% sewing.  In today’s world the electric sewing machines have expanded into being marvelous computerized sewing machines.  For years I pooh hood that I didn’t want anything that had a lot of bells and whistles as I most likely wouldn’t use all that it was loaded with.  I wanted to sew forwards, backwards and also do the zig-zag.  The fall of 2015 the fever hit and I was almost pronounced DOA.  I decided to read the huge instruction book from cover to cover many, many times.  The sewing machine dealer meant 120 miles round trip and popping in for a class was out of the question.  Slowly, new things were tried.  Two years later I am so enjoying the doing and the learning on an ongoing basis.  I listen to family’s conversations and following in Mom’s footsteps by making a tick list of their interests.

    Palkia (Small)

    I found a site on the Internet with the computer that for the whooping amount of $9.57 I could download a Zip file with over 60 embroidery designs.  There was someone who I knew would enjoy something done up in one of their interests.  It sure in the heck is not sewing Care Bears.  I am in the world of Pokémon!  Grant it, all the images were about 3″ x 4″.  The designs instructed color combinations that were not true to their characters.  I have jumped the hoop and have learned to work with a downloaded program of manipulating designs and adding lettering.  We are going from 3″ x 4″ designs to 5″ x 8″.  Who knew!!  Thanks to having a laptop and a printer that is of the 21st century, I am on board.  The enlarged image can be loaded onto a flash drive and plugged into my sewing machine.  The character via the internet can be found to be printed so I can see the image with the correct colors.  I did have to realize that a font that is not quite so dense will work better.  I will slowly continue getting my designs stitched out and then do the “quilt as you go” technique for a quilt.  No time frame, no rush . . . just this content person in her sewing studio.  Ya . . . it’s way past a sewing room.

    Maybe tomorrow I will be mending Dennis’ PJs or working on piecing fabrics for a quilt.  The best part is . . . I am learning that the only limit that there is to growing my love of fabric, fuzz and thread . . . OH, there is no limit!  

     
  • Noreen 4:50 pm on November 18, 2017 Permalink  

    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.

     
  • Noreen 4:14 pm on November 17, 2017 Permalink  

    Keeping Busy 

    Home 17

    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.

     
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