ARRRRRRRGH!

Sometimes I hate my sewing machine!  Today I was trying to embroider a name on a simple burp cloth.  I've done it a million times.  The last embroidery I did was with Charlie Kate's quilt.  Since then I've just done straight sewing.  Anyway, The first two letters in the name sewed out perfectly.  It started a lower case "n" and then the clinking began.  Which in my case means birdnests or the top thread just bunching up underneath the fabric in the hoop.  I picked out the messed up stuff, rethreaded the top thread, took out the bobbin and looked for threads caught in that area -- nothing.  I rolled back the stitiching to  before it messed up and started restitiching.  Within 30 seconds clinking.  I did this two more times.  Then I put in a new bobbin, changed the needle, rethreaded everything and tried again --- clinking.  So, I've put it away for the night.  I don't know anything else to check and I don't know why it sews perfectly and just all of a sudden messes up.  It just seems to me it should start off messing up if something is wrong because of what they tell you to do to fix it -- like rethreading.  If it's threaded wrong it should show up right away.  Anyway, I'm frustrated and stopping for today.  I'll call the Bernina store tomorrow and see what they suggest.

G'night all,

HOW DID YOU SPEND YOUR HOLIDAY?

This post is late in the writing but, none the less here it is.  Last Monday was a federal holiday so school was out.  I'd forgotten about it  until Michael asked if I could keep Avery since she didn't have school.  I said I'd love to and asked Avery why she didn't have to go to school that day -- "It's "Marther" Luther King's birthday," she said.  So, here are some pictures of what went on at my house on "Marther" Luther King's birthday.   It turned out to be the first sunny, non-freezing day in about a week and a half which was definitely a plus. The ice was gone on the pond and the fish were actually swimming around.

Toby was enjoying the sunshine -kind of reminds me of Ferdinand except there are no flowers to smell.

 

Avery and Vail -don't you love the gloves -- Vail had worn them all day Sunday and then had them on again -- she's pretty much worn them all this week.  I think she sat in front of the washer and dryer for awhile waiting as Jennifer had to was them one day.

Avery read to the girls.  She did a good job too.  You can see Vail rubbing Katy's ear in the next picture.  She does that when she is tired. 

After lunch Jennifer and Micah went home for a nap and the girls watched Beauty and the Beast.  Then it was outside again until we went back to Jennifer's so Avery could meet up with her Dad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IF YOU LISTEN YOU CAN HEAR ….

the quilting angels are singing a resounding chorus of Hallelujah!  I have officially finished the red and yellow quilt.  It is in the washer as we speak and will go in the mail Monday.  WooHoo:)

I’ve even sewn the label on but that was after I took the pictures.

Now on to other things.

WEEKEND COMPANY

My brother Jay, his wife Cheri, daughter Jessica (she’s visiting them for 2 weeks to help Cheri paint their new house) and Jess’ daughter Mabry came for an overnight visit this past weekend.  What fun we had.  Jessica made “super” capes for all the cousins and they flew through the house for a while with their capes on.  We enjoyed visiting and eating and visiting for the short time they were here and my handy-guy brother brought his tool belt and installed my under cabinet cd player for me while he was here.  Thanks Jay!!

Here is a picture(I didn’t take many but Jessica the camera buff  took lots) of me with my new BFF Mabry Grace and her pal Sheebus .  Mabry likes to take her Gampa’s hat and put it on backwards – you know like one of the guys.

I STRUCK GOLD TODAY!

Today I stopped at Lowes to pick up a sanding block and as I was wandering around I found a display of the neatest item.

 

Several several years ago I got a chest from my grandmother that according to family legend history , came over from England on the boat with her grandmother and contained all her worldly possessions at the time.

At some point this appeared.  Except the ring went all the way around.  In my excitement today, I started working on erasing it without taking a picture of the entire before.

After about 15 or 20 minutes this is what it looks like now. As you could see from the package, it looks like a treated dust cloth.  You just rub and rub with the grain of the wood and the ring eventually disappears and the cloth turns black.  I’m sure that’s due to the century years of dust build up.

Isn’t that great!   Now I don’t have to leave an open book or a crocheted doily on the corner of the chest unless I just want to.

IT’S A BIRD!

A couple of weeks months ago my niece sent me some fabric birds. I was very excited about putting them up but couldn’t decide exactly where would be the best spot So I put them in a safe place. Then, when I did decided to put one in my sewing room the birds had hidden themselves from me I had misplaced the birds. I found them the other day and finally this afternoon one of my birds has a perch. Can you find her?

I plan to put the other one in the den so it looks like he is sitting on the big star on the wall. Since I’ll need a ladder to do it, I’m going to wait til I have a spotter. I’d hate to be found laying on the floor moaning “help I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” I am a klutz after all. And by the way, they are so easy to stick up on the wall. I may make some more of these cute little birds and put some in the bonus room or somewhere else.

THE NAME OF THE GAME IS PROGRESS

Progress has been made. From this

to this

and this

to this

and these pics hung also – the little ones by the door to the master bath and the dog sleeping on the bed print in my office alcove.

Plus, a lot of stuff has found its home. I've narrowed my four bins of fabric yardage and a lot of scraps down to two. Some of it is stored in a different place but I've probably got a bin plus a little more to get rid of at my garage sale. I think tomorrow I’ll be able to finish most of the rest of the putting away in my sewing room and finish organizing my desk. I've also gotten some more of this quilt quilted. (I did the first part of this post in Windows Live and then added this last in Blogger --- hence the difference in picture sizes.)

And someone bought and already picked up my old desk. Yup, progress has been made.

GUESS WHERE I AM

It’s 11:30 and I’m sitting at my new (to me) desk in my pj’s  posting on my blog.

 

  

There is snow falling outside the window and sort of sticking  and Toby is snoring on his bed,

I’m listening to a book by Nelson DeMille on my IPOD and all seems well with the world and then I look up and see this.

    I need MISSION ORGANIZATION LITE.  Is there such a thing.  What looks like a huge mess that needs purging  is mostly fabric and sewing things I started organizing and got interrupted and haven’t gotten back to and moving things around to make room for my desk and not straightening back up.  Then yesterday when Rob and his friend delivered my desk, I had them bring up the vanity/desk I got for $10 at  a garage sale almost right after I moved in the house and put it in the sewing room.

  So, I’m going to do my best to get most of this stuff put away in a permanent home between today and tomorrow …… that’s after I finish enjoying my new desk:)

MEET THE CARDINALS (and maybe a new desk)

ADDENDUM AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST

Mr. and Mrs Cardinal surprised me with an early morning visit.  I was totally unprepared – still in pj’s and hair not combed.  But, as luck would have it they were only interested in a little drink from the pond

 

and the view from the tree off my back stoop.

  Then it was off to see the neighbor.

In other news, I’ve been looking for a desk – a little cottagey or shabby chic to replace this –

I couldn’t resist throwing papers all over the desk and really junking it up.   Oh wait, I didn’t have to – it was already like that.

I need more room  than my old spinet desk provides.  I always used this as a piece of funiture to hold some pictures and maybe a small vase and a couple of candle sticks but now I need a desk that will hold desk stuff like bills, receipts etc.   I think I’ve found it --- (on Craig’s List for $150)

  

I’ll let you know later today.

I did get the desk.  I’m excited to get it here – hopefully tomorrow – and get it set up.  I think I’m going to try using my old “cornshed” bookshelf as a hutch.  If I like the way it works, I’ll probably paint it white and do a little distressing as the finish on it is almost black.  We will see.