Cabin Fever

My neighbor and I were talking yesterday as we were shoveling snow. He said to me that he was ready for some flowers to start blooming. I thought I might have to make my own blooms show up. So here are a few. This is one of the first cool blue colors of Spring. I call them Maiden Hair Iris. Not sure of the correct name or the botanical name for them. Rich colors and they smile at you when they open in the Spring  

These lilies are such a pretty pink when they are in full bloom. This is a later blooming Summer variety. They smell wonderful. I have divided the bulbs many times on these and they still grow like crazy. My husband thinks they smell like a funeral parlor when you go by them. What does he know? Ha!

This is a weed or we call it that here. It is a member of the Carrot family. We call it Queen Ann's Lace. It reseeds itself along the road ways and it is light and frilly waving in the wind. Many use it as a filler in fresh cut flower arrangements. If placed in colored water. Meaning water with food color added it takes on  the color of the water as it sits in the colored water. Nice for using in wedding flower arrangements. Or shower party arrangements on the table because you can use the colors of the wedding party to color the water. 

We talked yesterday that at a couple times this last couple months that the temperature in my home town was the coldest in the lower 48 states and it was colder than Anchorage Alaska. The weatherman on TV said it was the coldest in the country one day. 

I have had enough cold and gray days. Talking about rain snow mix in the next couple days then temps in the 40's where it should be for this time of year. Here we are going into Lent and still snow and below freezing temps. 

I think today even though it is cold I may go do some window shopping. I sure don't have extra money with all the high utility bills I have paid out this Winter. Wishful thinking window shopping, but it gets me out of the house and some ideas for the future.       

Well I spoke to soon

Well I spoke yesterday or ranted about taking care of your machine. Mine decided it was on strike.  It would run , but in slow speed. I decided to get the vintage Pfaff out and it had a bad cord on it. That will get fixed one of these days. I do have my Featherweight I can sew on and I also have a Pfaff that is about 20 years old that is strictly straight stitch. We took my regular machine apart oiled and cleaned everything and it works fine now. The cabinet needs cleaning today and then I will be back in business.  

I came across this image on Pinterest and it was interesting to me. Yes it looks different, but if you look at the hexie in the center and the logs around it they are just half hexies. This could be and interesting to go project. You can use many scraps up or have a color plan set aside. It would really be pretty done in 30's and 40's prints. with a light colored center. With so many specialty rulers out there it can be cut with a rotary cutter and ruler and make quick work of a stack of scraps. 

I'm always looking for quick and yet different images to break down and make items out of them. I think this would be interesting in a small piece like a table topper. 

We have talked about changing our living room around. We have a large dining room table and curio cabinet on one side and a huge couch and two chairs on the other side with the TV. When we moved it the last time we made cable connections on both sides of the room so we could move it. In the Summer time the West window in the afternoon gets the sunlight and it can get really warm on that side of the house. 

On the East side we have a ceiling fan. Makes more sense to me to be comfortable if you can make changes. As we move we get all the cleaning done and then it is done for quite a while. When you have big pieces of furniture you don't move them out of the way every week to clean behind them. Well at least I don't. 

I woke up at 3 am. looked out and it is snowing again. We are in the middle of a 1-3 inch weather pattern. So we will see how this one pans out. 

Stay warm and safe. Spring is coming. Well at least that is what they are saying. Chris  

Nothing pretty going on here

Laundry, dishes and ugly things like that are my list today. Laundry is washed and dried, but needs folding. Then I need to get supper fixed. The meat is out thawing out now.

This morning early I was doing some machine stitching. I got some more strip piecing on my border pieces done. Had to stop and clean my machine. Then I realized I was using thread that I need to finish quilting the string quilt with. I need to change needles and change thread. I have some other similar colored thread for piecing which will be fine.

I watched some videos on You Tube in the last couple weeks on sewing techniques for quilting and I'm confused. I guess believe what you want to or what works for you. The subject was domestic machine quilting and the topic was machine sewing needles. One said do not use Universal needles and the other said to use them.

I worked for The Singer Company many years ago and they had two types of needles. A regular sharp needle for woven fabrics in different weights to work from organza to denim. Then they had what they called a Ball point needle. It worked for single and double knit fabrics. It would separate the yarns in the knit and not break them as a sharper needle would.

Then the language changed to universal needles with the Germany made needles that I don't think are made in Germany any more.  So many things that were made in Germany or England are now made in China. Needless to say do I need to make anymore of a statement on that.

Many of the older Singer Vintage machines that many are buying for their piecing require a Singer Needle.The shaft on the needle is smaller and makes a more perfect stitch. Some try to use the Universal needles and they get skipped stitches. It isn't as long as the Singer needle also.

The needle that was recommended for the machine is the one you should use. The type of fabric you are sewing on should have the right needle to preform it's duties correctly also. Go back and look at your machine manual or look it up on line and see what type of needle you should be using for the type of machine you have.

Another issue is the machine oil you use. Should be an oil for sewing machines and not a 3-in-1 oil. That is not the same. Just like your car you need certain weight oil to use in your car and the right oil for your sewing machine. Also oil has a shelf life. Did you know that? If it turns yellow and not clear it is old and can cause gummy parts in the machine. It isn't that expensive and if you have a lot of oil in your container you haven't oiled enough. My theory is if you have yellow oil give it to your husband to oil hinges. Also if you sew a lot if you haven't used it up before it turns yellow you are neglecting your machine.

On to old vintage sewing machines. Make sure when you purchase one you check your electrical cords. If they are covered in fabric like covering they need replacing. Make sure you have a sewing machine repair person that can replace old cords. You don't want a fire. Same way if you have an old iron or waffle iron. It isn't worth the risks.

If you can stitch on a machine before you buy at a garage sale do it. There are parts on line on eBay and other sites. I know I bought a vintage machine and only paid $13 for it and I made over $5000 with the machine making doll clothes. They are tanks and they are work horses if you find a good one. Many times they haven't been used all that much other than for mending. Every household had a machine for simple rips and tears.

I have a Vintage Pfaff that I need to do more piecing on and save my other machine. I might try and see if I can fit the machine in my desk. It uses the same size bobbins as the present machine. The only thing different it isn't a top loading bobbin it is down below, but as the desk sets
I can get to it easy.

Do you use a vintage machine? Vintage meaning 20's-70's. Or a treadle machine? I want a new machine, but mine work fine for now. Keep on Keeping on and sew to  your hearts content. Chris

Ok not a lot to show for a weekend

A little hand work. Not sure I like this combo. The light colored fabric is on the outside and the darker in the center. It will have to grow on me I guess. 

The Kaleidoscope quilt top needs borders. Not sure what I was going to do. Since have decided to make a keyboard scrappy border to be one of the jumping off points on the quilt. Then it was how do I make them straight. I had these left over strips of paper from cutting 4.5 inch squares for the string quilt. 

I decided it was 3.5 inches wide. Good size border strip material. I started taking 1.5 inch strips and piecing them onto the paper so I can then straighten them up and have my borders all neat and ready to go. This way they won't be veering off to the left or right or have a slight curve to them to make the quilt lay wonky.

I even pieced some of the strips. Hey it is scrappy why not.  I have to go to the store today and get a few things and then I need to dig in and clean some. Talk of snow again today. Not sure when and how much I get tired of looking at the weather news anymore. It is what it is and we can't change it right!

My sewing room is a disaster. I have to work in here to get some of this mess under control. Stay warm and safe Chris

She got a baby to love

She had another birthday party today. She got a baby of her own.

She pulled a dresser drawer out of the main dresser today and it fell on the floor so she isn't innocent. She will give us a run for our money this next year.

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.

Party is over

We had good food and everyone over ate. Two desserts and it was fun.
Autumn got as Mickey Mouse potty chair and she was so excited over it because it talks to you. She used her new/old highchair. She sat in it real good and it was the perfect size.

It is snowing like a banshee right now. I am tempted to go to bed early because of a head ache.

The tow older kids could Skype us while everyone washer today. Autumn calls Taylor, Tay. She gets the biggest kick out of seeing them on Skype. It helps to have a bond since they are so far away.

Stay warm and safe. Chris

Cake is made let's have a party

Birthday party today. Celebrating a belated birthday and one today and one tomorrow.
I just finished the last salad and now dishes need cleaning up. The meat has been cooking all night long and one salad was made yesterday. Simple food, but isn't dishes we eat all the time so a treat.

Last night sat and did some more handwork. Now this morning I need to pick up pins needles and scissors so little hands don't get hurt.


She hasn't been in the best of moods. Her teeth are bothering her and she has been out of sorts. I have said the first two years of their lives are not fun. Teeth, shots and normal growing pains.

March 1st is here. Are you as ready for Spring as I am. Kids have Spring break in a couple weeks and we won't be done with snow by then. We are to get 3-5 inches of snow today. Last night we got about 1/2 an inch.

Well off to get the snow off the drive form this last round and then in to clean the kitchen and living room floors. You know threads are everywhere.What is a quilter suppose to do. Clean all day or sew???? I guess you can guess what I do. Not cleaning------yuck. Chris