Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from June, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 11:29 pm on June 19, 2017 Permalink  

  Company is Coming 

  

  This afternoon Aunt Lorraine from Arizona will be coming for a visit. Her daughter Chris from Lakefield will be delivering the goods. I already have her checked into the Super 8 for three nights. Lorraine has an agenda and I will put out my taxi hat for several days. This is the first year she has flown into Minnesota and not had her own vehicle for motoring through southern Minnesota. I believe that at the age of 86 a bit of TLC is well deserved. Thursday of this week we will be taking Lorraine to her son Mark’s home near Stillwater. Many adventures for Lorraine. The photo of the two of us was taken five years ago at her granddaughter’s wedding. Lots of water over the dam for both of us since then. Fun times for us two quilters is about to ensue.

   
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  Noreen 3:31 am on June 15, 2017 Permalink  

  Pondering 

  While I was doing my walk this morning, I was pondering on the process for finishing up a scrappy quilt.  It was pieced and quilted and now what to do for the binding.  I was pretty sure I had some blue in my stashes that would work if only I would have enough.  Ideally the binding should be cut on the length of the fabric rather than the width.  The length of the weaving is stronger and when hands are tugging a quilt up close to their chin the binding takes quite a bit of a beating during the life span of the quilt.

  When I found my way to the sewing studio, the first thing I did was pick out some fabric from the blue stashes.  I chose a deep blue that would finish off the last of the baby blue border.  The second thing I did was turn to my laptop here in the studio and check out several YouTube videos on bindings and hemming.  I wanted to get the best advice on this binding as possible because . . . Dad’s all time favorite saying to us kids was: “You don’t have time to do it right and ‘By De God’, I don’t have the time for you to do it over.”  Perhaps in German the “De” was another word, but out of Dad’s mouth it was “De.”

  Here we are just about supper time and the project has been finished and I like it.  It is truly a scrappy blue quilt from my stashes with many different prints in various tones of blues, blue blacks to indigo blues with just a splash of baby blue to tie it all together.  I can never go wrong if I work with what I have on hand, keep Dad’s advice always close by and I gotta say . . . “Love those YouTube videos.”

   
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  Noreen 4:11 am on June 12, 2017 Permalink  

  A Slow Sunday 

  

  The threat of thunderstorms kept me in the sewing studio for the better part of the day. A little after four I put my walking shoes on and headed down the county road. It didn’t take me long to realize how heavy the outside air was hanging and it did look to the east as if it still had some rain in it. I cut down the walk a bit and came home via the back on Stauffer Avenue. It gave me a chance to check out our backyards. There are a lot of tree tips that have blown off the trees and one larger branch that took out the concrete bird bath. Compared to what we had taken in from the earlier news programs, we have been fortunate. We could have used a bit of rain as the grasses are showing the hot winds.

   
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  Noreen 3:51 am on June 10, 2017 Permalink  

  Lights will soon be shut off here in the sewing studio for the day. With the help of Dennis the backing, batting and the top of this colorful quilt are basted, ready to be put under the needle for some quilting stitches. That next process I need to ponder. I could not believe how much vinyl is infused in little kid’s shirts for that purchase appeal. You can’t put an iron to it when piecing quilt blocks. You can’t be guaranteed that the sewing machine presser foot will glide over it. It does add a lot of weight when all is said and done.

  First things first and that will be using the Swiffer on the floors to pick up all the wayward threads off of the concrete floor. Working with the batting on a flat surface is a pain in the drain. The old fashioned quilt frames cannot be beat. Each layer would be stretched taut with dozens of thumb tacks. Nice and tight made for a good finished product. Using our two church tables makes a bit more work, but still gives a good look to the quilt when all is said and done. All in all, I am a very content individual here on Stauffer Avenue, sharing all endeavors such as today with Dennis. It could be worse: sitting up at the bar doing pull-tabs or taking the shuttle to the casino. We are quite the pair of hermits.

   
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  Noreen 3:14 am on June 9, 2017 Permalink  

  It’s Been a Day 

  

  Quite a bit accomplished today in the sewing studio. It does make a difference by being out of bed by seven and getting the walk in early. Ya well, it was already 70 degrees at that time. Back to the accomplishment of the day: red border material will be cut tomorrow for the perimeter. The shoulders, arms and hands are saying, “Enough already.” Now if only I had a handle on what to fix for supper. I could do celery and peanut butter . . . that would go over like a lead balloon with Dennis. Come to think of it, he has had the entire first floor to himself today. Maybe he has supper covered.

   
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  Noreen 3:47 am on June 5, 2017 Permalink  

  Working the Project 

  

  After a very warm walk, I gladly headed for my sewing studio in the basement. Using a blanket stitch, the t-shirt portions are being sewn onto the gray backing with red thread. Of the 65 blocks, I have 20 remaining that will wait for another day. It is time to head to Subway to pick up some lazy Sunday supper. It’s a good thing.

   
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  Noreen 3:30 am on June 3, 2017 Permalink  

  The Heat of The Day 

  They weren’t kidding when they said it was going to be a warm day.  This morning, trying to walk in a fair amount of shade, I headed down one of the side streets that is lined with many trees.  The problem being the traffic with many detours around and about is horrific.  Not all lots have sidewalks.  Those that have sidewalks may not have them in good repair.  Getting the toe of my walking shoe caught on an unexpected tip of a sidewalk block could cause me much recovery time and pain.  I’ll get this figured out.  There may be a need for me getting out my handy dandy straw hat and wearing a long sleeve shirt to protect from the sun as I do my walk on the county road.  That route is so peaceful and enjoyable.  Not so much having to stop at all the intersections of the streets here in town.

  

  These knit items are so characteristic of what little boys wear: colorful and wild.

  Having more than one basket full of eggs is something I can advise for any retired person.  Too hot outside? Down to the sewing studio I can go.  The amount of items needed for this project is 67.  Today I finished putting stabilizer onto those 67 items.  The time has come to cut fabric that will have these toddler t-shirt squares sewn onto.  First things first.  The sewing machine needed a grease job and oil change job after finishing the peachy colored quilts.  Talk about fuzz that was caught every which way under the stitch plate.  That is a testament of the quality of fabric that I used in those four quilts.  Oh, the quilts will last.  My goodness if the feed sack quilts that Mom made are still around, these too will last.  The fabrics purchased in big box stores are printed on a “grunge base” that is less quality and so therefore less expensive than what is sold in a “Quilt Shop.”  You never have to worry about pre-washing fabric that is purchased in a quilt shop.  The colors will not bleed.  Walmart and JoAnn’s . . . it’s a gamble if you don’t rewash . . . and who doesn’t need to wash a quilted project now and again. Bottom line, you get what you pay for.

  Back to Oliver’s quilt: Dennis is going to be on call to help cut the fabric for the base of the t-shirts and he is so appreciated.  My hands and arms can’t thank him enough.  All in all it’s time to call it a day and get those Beans and Weenies ready for supper.

   
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  Noreen 2:15 am on June 1, 2017 Permalink  

  Good Ka-Noodling 

  

  I have had very successful ka-noodling, aka: brain teasers. Some of Oliver’s treasures for his quilt were larger than others. Out came the graph paper. 8″ blocks will surround the larger 10″ blocks. It did hurt to cut up such beautiful clothes for this project. Dennis and I both commented how both of our kids were raised with hand-me-downs and they kept getting handed down until they were mere dust rags. That was then and this is now . . . a work in progress. Ironing stabilizer onto 57 items to then be cut to the correct sized block will be the next step. Slow going. You can bet that as the days progress, I will be taking advantage of a fairly long patio coffee break each morning after my walk. The walks will allow for me to continue ka-noodling as the challenges in this project arise.

   
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  Noreen 3:32 am on May 30, 2017 Permalink  

  I can take a lot when it comes to weather and temperatures. Today . . . it is raining this late afternoon and it would not surprise me if there were ice crystals included.

  Thank goodness I have multiple tasks that I can turn to on days such as these. I hightailed it down to the sewing studio. Last week Dennis’ granddaughter sent along a huge tub of her son Oliver’s toddler clothing from age one to three years old. She is wanting a quilt made up of the memories that so many of the items evoke. First thing was to nail down with Amy as to what colors were to be predominant and the size she was anticipating. When I hefted the tub of clothing I was not surprised when she said it would be nice to have a double bed sized quilt.

  At the end of this day, I do have the grid drawn out on paper and know that I will need 64 eight inch blocks for this quilt top for it to be 84″ x 84.” Keeping in mind the small size of many of these knit items, it is quite a stretch – I should say, quite the shrink, from working with knit shirts from my friend Burke this winter when he brought over his Vikings t-shirts. Sixteen blocks made the 84″ x 84″ for Burke.

  There is no time frame on this project. Amy is having a little girl in October and I know right now her focus is elsewhere. When this weather straightens out, my focus will split between yard work and sewing studio work.

   
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  Noreen 2:33 am on May 29, 2017 Permalink  

  Extra Help Always Needed 

  

  Working on some mail-ordered shirts for myself, I readily put to use some great finds that Kersten and Kevin found for me. Brand new in the wrappers these sewing aids were the perfect helpers to help re-size sleeves. I have no idea if the Weaver Pres-Kloth Company is still in business. I learned to use these items when I was in Home Economics in high school during the late 1950s. Somethings just cannot be improved upon.