Friday, October 31, 2014


                                                             My “MAN” Cave

       Well, the proper cutting table was actually delivered, dear hubby built it and it is now in my sewing room! On Saturday he bought shelving for me and up went my toy sewing machines.                                                
     We also found a corner shelving unit (it is supposed to be for closets but oh well) that I can use for my tiny tv so now it lives there instead of on the end of my ironing board. The tiny tv serves its’ purpose, but Magic Mike was sure not as fun on this tv as it was on the big screen!
   I mostly use the tv for background noise, but in this case you need to be watching the screen- haha! Maybe I need to move the binoculars in there for when it comes on again. Of course Silence of the Lambs was on a hundred times this weekend, and I watched it every chance I could. And I wonder why Amber likes creepy movies.  She is her mother's daughter!

     I practically lived in there all weekend! I sewed on some more Sew Together Bags, which you can see on my cutting table in the picture below. I also started a new Boxy Pouch Bag and got a new embroidery project ready to stitch- because I need more hand embroidery projects-NOT! Darn you Terry for that J I also started a quilt top for a friend of my daughters’ baby shower. I made myself use what I had- and I must say I need to add pink to my stash. I did not have much to choose from! We did run a few errands early Saturday, but after that I only came out to eat- bless Bob for cooking for me all weekend. I must say it was difficult to come to work today. I just wanted to keep my pj’s on and stroll into my little piece of heaven and sew some more! Poor Bob- he used to at least see me on the weekends.
    I did find a piece of fabric I had that had already been hemmed- I think I used it for curtains in my old sewing room. I think I am going to shorten them and make a valance for the window. I will have to watch the placement of the rod- I can’t cover up my Tom and Jerry picture!
     So, without further a-do here is the finished room it all of its’ glory. Sorry for some of the pics- I am still trying to learn how to take better pictures!






 
 
 
So, how about sharing pics of your "man" cave? Please post a pic from your sewing room in the comment section below!

Monday, October 20, 2014


                                                     Perfect Fall Weekend
  This past weekend I taught a beginning hand embroidery class at my LQS. It was a great class- I gave sweet Rhonda all sorts of embroidery tips and techniques that I have picked up these last 30 years. We went over stabilizers, different stitches, fabric selection, etc. It was a fun class- she is a Crabapple Hill junkie, too!

  This is my most recent finish-my friend Eileen quilted it for me- didn’t she do a fantastic job?




 
  I also finished quilting another quilt for a friends’ mom-it is kind of a secret so I can only show a snippet of the quilt. I only have one more to do for her and then I can send all 3 off to her.

 

  Friday night we had our upstairs neighbor down for dinner and drinks. Hubby made some awesome mac and cheese, green chile to pour over it, garlic bread and pumpkin lasagna for dessert. It was yummy! We also drank lots of wine- well, Jen and I did- Bob was a good boyJ.  What a lovely night-but it was sure hard to get up early Saturday for my teacher meeting and class! Oh well! We had a great time! Here is a pic of the lasagna-doesn’t look too pretty as it doesn’t set up well, but it was tasty!

 
   Of course the big news here in this state is a certain quarterback breaking the record of my most favorite quarterback ever. I guess since my lover Brett is ok with it I am, too. Peyton is very deserving of this accomplishment, and by all accounts seems like a very good person. Congrats!

   It was sure beautiful here this weekend- I don’t remember seeing this much color last year. Reds and oranges are everywhere! I just want to be outside all the time J

   Happy Fall Everyone!

Thursday, October 16, 2014




                                                                    WEEKEND O’ FUN

   So, I got to hang out with my sweet buddy Terry Saturday and what a great day we had! We hooked up for breakfast then proceeded to visit 2 quilt shops. I resisted all I could until I got to the register at the first shop-and there was a sample made up of this little quilt-

 

    Too freaking cute!
    There was also a sample done up of this pattern-


 
   They had a kit done up of this one as well.  I actually had the kit in my hand before I saw the sample, looked at it and put it back. But, once I saw the damn sample I had to get it.  I was trying to decide which kit to get when I heard the little bad voice in my head say- “Go ahead- buy both- you deserve them both”- and the little bad voice won.


I got the Halloween one done last night- now I better get going on the snow one!  I loved making the little shoo fly blocks- and the kit had plenty of fabric and wool in it. Nicely done Laughing Ladies Quilt Shop!
   Then off we went to the 2nd shop- after a much needed and deserved trip through the Starbucks Drive through. I found this great fabric collection at the shop- and I think it will make a great Sew Together Bag. I cannot stop making them!




 
     I got to sew in my sewing room Sunday afternoon- all I can say is aaahhh. It is so nice being in the room, with the cats keeping me company (though George thinks she is smaller than she is and keeps knocking shit over)and sappy movies on the tv. However, I did find that on Saturdays there is usually a Will and Grace marathon on, and on Sunday- SOAP!! Yes, SOAP! I remember how scandalous that show was in its’ day- my goodness- a gay man on tv? WOW!  How I loved Benson- and Billy Crystal was fantastic.  One of the episodes that was on was the one where Burt thinks he can be invisible- freaking hilarious! I may never come out of my room on the weekends again!  Sorry honey!
 


Happy Sewing Everyone!

Sunday, October 12, 2014




         AND THE SEWING ROOM SAGA CONTINUES---
   So, as of Wednesday night I had moved the tall bookshelf into the sewing room and put in on the east wall north of the window. I figured the ironing surface could be on the north wall by the door, and the cutting table would be in the middle of the room. Unknown to me, this was a very flawed plan.

 


NOTE- the mini blinds are being replaced-. A certain lard ass of a cat kept getting into the blinds and breaking them- thanks Newman!

 
   As I was tracking my cutting table delivery Thursday morning, I once again looked at the description. I finally noticed the table height- 30”!!!  What the hell! Why would you call a table a craft table that is only 30” high? I sure wish I could read. So, in frantic texts to my husband I told him to refuse the table. BUMMER! They do have another one that has a tad less storage, but it is 36” high- now we are talking! And , the best part is that it is cheaper!
  When I got home last night, I started screwing around in my room. I had an a- ha moment and figured the new table could be against the south wall to the west of my flannel board. I had thought the cutting table had drawers on the front and back, but it does not, so now I can shove it up against the wall. Perfect! More floor space! I got my trusty measuring tape out and  SHIT- in addition to the craft table covering up part of the closet, there was not enough room to put the cutting table there. Now what??Well, if I move the bookcase to behind my sewing machine, I can use that east wall for the cutting table. It would fit perfectly! So, there I am, unloading that damn bookcase, AGAIN. I move my machine down a bit, throw the bookshelf in and re load it. AHH- a beautiful spot for my cutting table.

 
As I was sitting on my ass watching a few minutes of Breaking Amish (don’t’ judge me- I always wanted to be Amish and this shows me why I could never cut it- though they do seem to have potty mouths so I just might fit in!) something came to mind. That cutting table has shelving on either end, and if I put it against that east wall I will lose that storage. Dear God- shoot me now.
Out comes the measuring tape, AGAIN, and yes indeed, the ironing surface will fit on the empty spot where my cutting table was going, and the table will fit where my ironing surface was. Of course, by now it is 9:30, but this chick cannot stand it. Back into my fricking room I go, and start moving the whole ironing board set up. Of course, it is not just a board.  There are 700 drawer units under it that I need to move as well, along with all of the crap I had piled on top of it that does not have a home yet. And, of course the units are too heavy to move with the drawers in them so I have to take the drawers out, move the unit, then put the drawers back in. And I had to move the sewing machine table down a few feet as well. Thank goodness the surge protector for my sewing machine is long enough to reach my machines’ new location! It is always good when things are long enough-J

 
    Today my handsome man is grabbing some shelving from storage, and then I can start moving my fabric into the closet. It will be so wonderful to get it out of all of those tubs! I hope it all fits!( a gal could only hope)
  That will be all the moving/re arranging in there for now. I do need to come up with where I am going to store all of my in-process kits/not started kits. I think if I sort through all of my crap I can come up with a drawer or 2. Hopefully the new cutting table will be here in a few weeks, then I can get some more things arranged. Maybe I can start sewing  Sunday !WHOO HOO!
Have a good weekend everyone!

Thursday, October 9, 2014




                      And now the nest is empty----

  My youngest kid has moved out. Not far, mind you.  He only went a few miles away to move in to his dad’s home. He is going to help his dad spruce things up around the house. My daughter lives there as well, so they will have a great time. But boy- I what an adjustment! And he has only been gone a night!!


 

  It is so strange- this morning when I got up and was banging around the kitchen I realized I didn’t have to worry about being quiet so I would not wake him up-we live in a small place and I can be noisy! Just ask my hubby-hahaha.

 

  The upside is I finally can move all of my sewing stuff from the dining room area into his room. He is not quite done taking stuff- he only has his mattresses and a dresser left, but last night I worked around them. I steam cleaned, wiped all of the walls down, washed windows, and then I stole his tv and moved it into my bedroom- boy Tom and Jerry looked great last night on the 20 inch screen- not a flat screen , mind you, but way bigger than what I had! I can actually read the menu on the screen!(and the episode with Nibbles being a musketeer was on – Touche’ pussycat!!)

 

    Unfortunately, the kid showed up with his buddy and he proceeded to give me a hard time about moving crap in there and he had not really been out yet. Hey- his bed sheets and quilts were gone, so as far as I am concerned the room is mine! Of course, he was just teasing, and he hugged me when he left. I did shed a tear-but then I had more work to do! I unloaded my tall bookshelf- where in the hell did all those quilting books come from? Geez- and then I moved the bookcase into the room. I also moved my sewing table in there.


 
   There was a chair in his room that matches our living room furniture, so in the middle of all this last night we decided to move the living room around so the chair could be in the living room with its’ siblings. Thank goodness I had not put the steam cleaner away- or the vacuum! Now we need to move the bedroom around so we can put the dog kennel in there instead of having it in the living room. Remind me why I bought a dog kennel big enough for 4 Bernese Mountain Dogs – damn spoiled dachshunds!

 
      So,  now I am waiting to move any more crap in there until my new craft/cutting table arrives tomorrow.  ( But I cannot stand to have stuff half done so I bet all my crap will be moved by later tonight) I also have a plan for my design wall- and I still have to gather the supplies for that. The wonderful shop guy at work is going to cut me some wood trim to border it (thank you Fabian- you rock!), and I am going to paint it a fun color. Orange, maybe?? Purple?
   So, today I feel as if I have been hit by a truck! But at least I worked my ass off last night and feel like I deserved those 3 chocolate chip cookies I ate! Tonight I will earn at least 3 more-there will be more vacuuming and steam cleaning to do, as well as moving stuff into the sewing room closet.  I also may stop and get my supplies for the design wall so I can get that up this weekend.
    Hello Motrin my old friend-----( I hope you just heard Simon and Garfunkle, and if you don’t know who that is you are too young to be reading my blog LOL!)