Today was a day to re-group in the sewing studio. Tidy, tidy. Dennis and I did do errands at noon. Not so much snow falling, but the winds were driving it from all directions. Last night I brought up some quilting books to thumb through. I have never done a log cabin quilt pattern. I will have to spend some time with my fabric stashes and see if I can come up with what is needed: 5/8 yard of six dark colors and 5/8 yard of six lighter colors, complimenting the entire grouping. I know it will need to come out of the stashes, as I have promised myself to use what is on hand. Are there other fortunate people who have had their friends or their friend’s families bestow fabric stashes to them as gifts? How can you not work the imagination to make the most of those gifts. As I peek out through the windows down here in the sewing studio I see the wind is letting up, but I also feel that the cooler temps are settling in. I am a weather watcher . . . right through the windows here on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
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Noreen
The Vikings Are Proud
Today was a good day as the Viking t-shirt quilt for Burke is completed. 85″ x 85″ is not the largest quilt, but when you factor in the high quality of the t-shirts (weight), plus the batting and the backing . . . it was plenty for me to herd around under the sewing machine needle. I like to have the back of the quilts look sharp as there has been plenty of money spent on the total list of supplies. I sent Burke a text, “It’s all yours.” I have no doubt that whoever he is installing a furnace for today will have him working up until finish time with a smile. Burke’s is the first non-family quilt to be leaving my sewing studio. I did work on a pricing schedule for doing embroidery for others, and after today, I will be doing likewise for quilting. I do enjoy the entire process from selecting fabric and colors, right down to the hemming. It is the peace that passes all understanding.
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Noreen
Vikings – Under the Needle
The Vikings t-shirt quilt is under the needle and there is no going back for me. I only do a few of the blocks and then a rest of the arms and shoulders is taken. I have no time frame. It is going well, but man oh man, is it heavy and bulky. I have had many breaks on this project in the last several days. My brother-in-law called yesterday morning before I even had a drop of coffee in me. I realize there are times when my sister’s husband needs to have some one-on-one after her death. I can do that and I can be there. Yesterday afternoon, nephew Brett texted until I had to recharge my phone battery. Lots of “what if . . . “, “should I . . . ” in his quest for good quilting. Today, I had been up with one cup of coffee in me when long time friend Renee came over. Four hours later we had all the world’s problems solved. Dennis had headed to a trade show a few miles to the north. When the home was quiet, I did come down and begin the quilting process. As I said, all is going well with the project, and thus, all is well on Stauffer Avenue.
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Noreen
This was a very telling day. A friend had ask me to embroider two separate motifs onto two t-shirts. I have never worked with t-shirts, but now was as good a time as any to try it out. The motifs designs were chosen by the friend along with the size that they wanted of the finished product. I went into this with an open mind and a willing heart.
I have been in the sewing studio for seven hours and there is still 15,000 stitches to go on the last design. The grand total was close to 100,000. I don’t have any negative felling about this. There were times when the machine would be running the same color for 60 minutes or better. I decided that this would be a wonderful day to clean the entire basement. I could keep an ear out for the sewing machine’s need of a thread color change or if the bobbin needed refilling.
Tomorrow “Complete Basements” will be coming to do the annual check of our sump pump, and I know he appreciates as much room to work his magic as possible. Another good chance for cleaning and sorting and even pitching a bit. The annual visit is so important as the life time warranty is null and void if the annual visit is not honored. For as much rain as we have had and as much as the sump pump is still running, that is a gamble I am not willing to take.
In the meantime, I spent some time on my computer here in the sewing studio and am working out a price list for future embroidery requests if they happen to occur. I don’t anticipate that there would be a huge demand for one time designs, but today is proof that it does happen. There is the cost of the purchase of the design from online companies selections, and then from there it is costs per 10,000 stitches, cost of thread, prep of item, etc. I don’t plan on getting rich, but I don’t plan on always doing it for nothing. This was a day of food for thought. In the meantime, Dennis has supper covered, my basement is nice and clean and I will have a friend that will be happy. It will be interesting to see if there is an offering of any type of re-reimbursement. That’s okay, I’ll be ready next time.
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Noreen
Grammie’s Time Out
The top of this Viking’s t- shirt quilt is complete, meaning this Grammie is calling a time-out. Lots of measuring, sewing, trimming and second guessing. Thanks to Dennis for helping with the cutting of the t-shirts and the border fabric. The measurement of the top is 85″ x 85″. With the benefit of this sewing machine having the assist on the pressure foot for keeping the fabrics moving, not having to lower and raise the pressure foot manually and not having to cut the threads manually, I can tell by my hands, arms and shoulders not being weary after working on this for three days. Each little feature on its own may not sound like a lot, but in the end, it is telling. It was a thrill to be able to iron seams and not have the project pull off of the ironing surface. Again . . . a win, win for the old body. The lights in the sewing studio are dimmed as I type. Tomorrow is another day for planning and scheming for the backing and batting process. Or . . . it may just mean a day off.
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Noreen
Handy Hooks
My sewing studio is filled with all types of hooks. Hooks for embroidery hoops, hooks for spare scissors and who can discount nails that can work as a place to hook extra cutting mats. Today I am featuring my crochet hooks. At a time when my friend Lorraine realized her days of sewing was coming to a fast end, she gave me all of her sewing thread. My oh my, what a generous gift. I doubt that thread purchasing will be in my future any time soon. At that time it became handy to have multiple bobbins threaded. A bobbin dropped will roll and roll and roll . . . right to the floor drain. There is a definite reason my kids know I don’t throw out very many items that I have come by from friends and family. Many of these crochet hooks were from Carrie and Kevin’s grandmother, Esther Schafer. Not only do they make the perfect partnering of spool and bobbin, they evoke a lot of fond memories.
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Noreen
Why So Long?
I have looked in awe and been in awe of these ironing board extensions when they were showcased in quilt shops for several years. Why did I put this off? All I needed to do was fly it past Dennis and here we are not but five days later and I feel like I have a whole new outlook on getting projects laid out and ready for ironing or sewing. When what we have been struggling with becomes the final straw . . . action is taken. It is just a bit above waist high . . . easy on the back with the size being 56″ x 24″. We took our time and all three layers needed for it to have some loft in the finial surface came out wrinkle free. I couldn’t handle the stapler, but I sure could stretch the fabrics for Dennis to plunk a stable in. A good old Mary Proctor product that was new in 1962 is now the foundation of a 2016 update. Not many items make it 54 years with many more years now to be enjoyed. Fantastic.
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Noreen
Dennis and I are home from the big city of Mankato and very thankful when that Stauffer Avenue sign appears and then the next right is our driveway. I have picked up another embroidery project as of the UPS delivery today. I do enjoy fulfilling family member’s dreams and needs.
The sewing studio isn’t even going to get it’s light turned on today. Enough is enough. Tomorrow Dennis and I will put on the top layer of my new ironing board surface. Sounds silly but this is huge. Fabric all comes at 44″ wide and often times worked with it folded at 22″. Working with t-shirt blocks that are 14″ to 16″ that need stabilizer, the current surface did not allow for a block to be stabilized without moving it for an overall ironing, thus allowing for less than a good finish.
Life is good when Grammie is busy. This is the very same sentiment that I heard from my Mom. She told me how important it was for her to feel like she and what she could do for family was still needed. I say “Amen” to that.
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Noreen
Slow and Steady
It is a slow and steady process to quilt this under the needle. A lot of shuffling the bulk. As I take time out to rest my shoulders, I think how long this would have taken my Mom and the “Riverdale Quilters” to have hand sewn this. Even taking yarn and floss would be a long time if I were tying it. I like the slow and steady pace of my life. My gosh how it has changed. I will admit, this time of the year is always the hardest for me, and keeping extra busy helps. Orlin and I lost a son 43 years ago during the hub bub of the Christmas season. Amazingly, the loss comes forward on its own and for a reason. Holding Carrie and Kevin so close to my heart to help the hurt lessen. There is a reason for this season and the birth of Jesus does help heal.
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Noreen
The Snow Cometh
Just as predicted, the snow is here! I do have a few things to keep me busy. With that being said, I still have to take a peek every so often to check out the window. I have no idea what I think may have changed since an hour ago. I do have this “Trip Around The World” quilt ready to put under the sewing machine needle to finish up. This particular batting is the lightest weight I have worked with thus far. That settled: it has been deemed a summer weight quilt. I have been taking time out from the sewing studio to park myself nearest the best window light for some reading. A good thing I had checked out several books last week at the library. Another good thing to do on a day such a this is back up computers. I have a “Click Free Multi-PC” device for the two laptops that I have. It’s geared so that every 15 days I get a friendly message to take care of the backups. The notebook type laptop in the living room is the go-to for idle hands such as playing Solitaire, Hearts and keeping track of a quick flip of Facebook or emails. The old timer laptop here in my sewing studio has a lot of photos that I have cataloged over the years as well as all my embroidery designs. The cool part of now having the designs in well labeled folders is the ability to find a design quickly and be able to open it in a program that allows me to change the dimensions of each design depending on where and how I want to stitch it. The backup on this machine is critical as it is eight years old. When it finally boots up its last “Welcome,” I will most likely find out what dumping all these files onto the notebook will mean for me. I am not looking forward to it. Right now this laptop is only a few feet from my sewing machine and it is ever so handy. Yup it is still snowing and I hear Dennis about on the main floor. That can mean only one thing: supper.
