Details!

When we moved to the farmhouse in 1998 from Ontario, this small space was an ill-designed bathroom where the counter was much too tall or too big for the space and the toilet was facing the door and way too short. Both were removed and the space was turned into a closet. The redesign and renovation of parts of the farmhouse in time for our retirement made us decide to bring back the bathroom.

Today the accessories went in. Now we need to decide what to hang on the wall...

Speaking of walls, there is little room at the farm for a quilting design wall. Next to Lolah sits a large shelving unit where we've stored packed boxes that won't be touched until the future garage gets built. Storage, as I've mentioned before, is at a premium and we're trying to find creative ways to store our belongings and hide unsightly boxes. While researching curtain hanging equipment, we came across this cable system that could hang from the ceiling. It was worth a try and since it wasn't all that expensive, it wouldn't break the bank if it didn't work.

This morning, DH helped with the hanging and voila! a new multi-purpose curtain which by the way is composed of 2 tablecloths: it hides the boxes and serves as a design wall! This will have to do for now. I could have ironed the tablecloths if I knew in which box the iron was packed!! :)

This leads me to Peppermint Place... the last corner block's applique is done! Now I need to get my sewing machine into its proper place so I can get back to this quilt. It's already been too long since I've had a chance to work on it...

I must say that my eyesight is either getting bad or the lighting here is different. Perhaps maybe both statements are true. Since I like to work at machine sewing during the day, although there hasn't been any of that since before the move, I leave my appliqueing for evening work. I already need readers but I've longed for magnifying lenses for quite some time. Have you seen those advertised in the quilting magazines?? The ones that cost $900+?? I would love a pair of loops but I won't spend that kind of money for them.

For Christmas, I put several inexpensive options on my list and received 2 of them:

The first is a 20X magnification pair with LED lights. They aren't suitable for my purpose. The lights are very bright though! But they're too strong and the work has to be very close to see anything clearly.

The second pair is much more suitable, it has an LED light that pivots and has an extra magnification lens on the side that can rotate into the rectangular lens to add extra close up when needed. The headband is articulated at the sides with screws that tighten the "cap" to your desired reading angle and also allows you to flip it up out of the way without having to remove the whole unit from your head. The only draw-back is that the "cap" can easily flip down and will land on your nose if you don't re-tighten the screws. I like these and despite this little drawback, I'm quite happy with them. I haven't had to use the extra lighting but I know there will come a time when I will and it will be a welcomed bonus!

Details... there are plenty to deal with, to add, to adjust, to perfect when you move... one such detail was what to do with a table at which we've enjoyed many a meal here at the farm! It was a conference table we purchased in 1986 when the school of nursing across the street from us was selling their furniture before closing. It had seen better days but was still solid and serviceable. It weighs A LOT and we've moved this everywhere but to Los Angeles!

Years ago we took a belt sander to the top, stained it, then added 14 coats of polyurethane. There's not a hot cup or pot that could damage it!! Indestructible! It has a few issues though... it's a little high for a dining table although that's what we used it for; and it's too low for a proper cutting table; it hurts the back! So what to do with this table??? We didn't want to get rid of it... it was perfect for cutting fabric at a proper height... so we added wheels! Swivel and locking wheels.

I love it! I can spread out my projects and fabric and cut away... I believe I might want to add an ironing station at one end but I'll wait awhile before deciding that. Details... little ones make me happy! It doesn't take much! 

Looking at the bay last week when fog rolled in on the bay! Interesting phenomenon!! 

Just another detail... but boy! Am I happy to see it!

Toodles,

Lorette

One week later!

Our mover/driver was unable to get up the driveway because of how low and long his trailer was. DH had to rent a Ryder truck to unload by the road and then drive it up to unload in the house. What should have taken 3 hours took 8 hours! Everyone was tired by the end of the day!

It's been an interesting week since to say the least. It all started off on the wrong foot... DH slipped on the ice the day after the movers left and injured his ribs at the site of a previous injury suffered on a bike tour in July 2012. It'll take a longer time to recover from this one no doubt; I just want him to recover completely and quickly. Unfortunately, he refuses treatment of any kind which includes medication to deal with his pain. I can't change his way of thinking, I can only support him in his decision and his chores.

Because of his injuries and limited mobility, he's been unable to help much in the way of emptying boxes. That activity has been mine which is just as well as I can take my time and plan what and where to store and what to donate. This old farmhouse lacks a good storage room! That will change as we prepare to start our big construction plan this summer. First off will be a garage/workshop with storage room upstairs. That will greatly relieve the tight space we live in today. In the meantime, we have to make do with what we have.

 

Lolah now sits comfortably in her room, on the frame; we thought she'd be safer set up! It was a big job in tight quarters surrounded by boxes but we managed. Our contractor installed ceiling LED track lighting above her bed which will greatly improve visibility in the North-East facing room. We could keep our contractor busy here for the next few years. My thoughts of loading a quilt will have to be suppressed for a little while longer as I continue to clear a path around me.

I don't want to offend anyone who has experienced this winter's record snowfall but we've really enjoyed the last three storms to hit our area. We've been away from this for the past 13 yrs and we really missed it. It was exciting to watch... we were like little kids going from window to window marveling at Mother Nature. The snow started falling on the day the movers were here. Luckily, it was near the end of the move when it began. Then Sunday's storm was fantastic: almost 18 inches of snow and blowing snow with winds so strong that at times, we couldn't see our car in the yard. A few days later another 6-8 inches fell overnight. What beautiful scenery snow creates! 

The trees surrounding the house were all dressed in white... it was fabulous. Friday's rainfall and yesterday's beautiful sun, warmer temperatures and a good breeze have melted more than half of it already and our yard is again mud. We do have snow in the fields and the forecast is for more deep freeze temperatures so winter isn't over yet. Thank you to our wonderful neighbor who comes by to clear our driveway!  

The wonderful thing about all these snow days is not having to go anywhere. LOVE being retired!!! Being retired also means we can sit and watch the Olympics without guilt! Canada does a much better job at reporting the games than the USA! We've just finished watching the hockey gold medal win of team Canada against Sweden! What a game!!! YEAH CANADA!! Both men and women hockey GOLD medal winners!!

After all this excitement it's back to unpacking and setting up the sewing and scrapbooking rooms...

Toodles,

Lorette

Bear with me a little longer please!

Our move from Southern California to Eastern Canada has gone well!

We trekked across the US for 7 days with only 1 day of bad weather. The movers were here to deliver our belongings 2 days ago; the internet was installed the same day and yesterday, the satellite dish for TV reception was installed. We seemed to be getting back to regular communications until our land line phone went dead! That's life in the country...

Please bear with me a little longer. I am amazed at the number of boxes we have; this is an old home and the requirements of that generation were very different from ours. It'll take time to find a way to store our belongings, hopefully not too long.

Lolah is sitting on a comfortable bed while awaiting her own space. I'm sure she'll look very pretty in her new room.

Toodles!

Lorette

Can you smell them??

Oh! The familiar smell of boxes and packing tape! How I have missed you! NOT!!!

But there you go... this is what we're up to these next few weeks!

Our realtor and stager visited yesterday and we took down all the artwork from the walls...

Boy! do the walls look bare!

Then we set out to reposition the furniture in every room... some will be delegated to the storage unit and thrift store if no one in the family claims them.

Today we'll rent another storage unit and pack up the artwork and start thinning all the bookcases, shelves and cupboards in the main living areas. Plans for this weekend are to put up the Christmas tree here so that right after Thanksgiving, the realtor's photographer can come do his bit!

All this with 11 people coming for dinner Thanksgiving day! YIPPEE!!! What a celebration we'll have!!! Perhaps we can enlist them to move some boxes before we feed them?? :)

I'm armed today... my favorite tools for the process of packing... I list everything in the box as I load them and photograph the contents then I number the boxes according to the room the contents were in. For example: Living room: Box no 1 of 30, Box no 2 of 30 etc is what would be on the box (30 being the total number of boxes in that room). In the notebook: Living Room Box no 1 would list the contents. No description of the contents is recorded on the box. It is so much easier at the unpacking stage to refer to the notebook, identify which box contains what you're looking for then go find the box. I've used this system for all our moves and it never fails to impress me how easy it is... sure, it takes time to list at packing but the rewards are there in the end!

Off to get some mirror cartons at the big box store... according to our mover, you can't find them cheaper anywhere! Even they can't sell them to you cheaper! Go figure! Used to be they would give you the boxes!! I guess the economy shot that down too.

Toodles!

Lorette

Something new, something old!

I'm sorry to have been silent this past week. It's been a busy couple of weeks with different projects.

First, our son and his wife are in the throws of moving to their new apartment. It's exciting for them and we wish them all the best in their new surroundings. One more day and the move should be complete.

Second, my DH decided to retire at the end of this year. THAT is exciting! This means 2 things for our immediate future: 1) we will be selling our house; 2) we will move back to the Maritime region of Canada! HOME AGAIN!! I can't tell you how excited we are to make this journey at the end of his career! Lots of planning and decision making... during the holidays no less!

With all this happening, you can appreciate how hectic it's been in our household. It's hard to keep your mind focused on quilting when everything else around you needs planning. However, I did get a chance to work on 4 projects since last weekend. Sometimes I need to escape life's "stresses" and hide in my studio... it soothes the soul and calms the nerves as well as it allows me time to solve problems.

These were my projects:

1) December Daily 2013 album:
I know! It has nothing to do with quilting but I'm also a scrapbooker/crafter. I followed along with Ali Edwards for the first time in 2011 but she's been blogging about DD since 2007! She does a phenomenal job at recording December memories and it inspired me to try to do something similar. That year, I got all my stuff together but sadly never got around to completing the album. The intention was there; I followed her and her many followers daily though and got to see some wonderful memory books develop and I learned a lot about digital scrapbooking. Last year, I was really excited to participate and realized my own album. You can see the pages here.
The secret to success and to enjoy the process is to pre-plan your book early: get all the pages ready to receive the photos and journaling. I intended to do it again this year, despite the changes in our lives at the moment, or perhaps because of them so that meant getting my book done before all h*** breaks loose. Ali Edwards promotes the sale of a kit for this but I like my own version; it worked for me last year and I think it'll be fine this year too if I keep it simple.
Two years ago, I attended the LA Printer's Fair in Carson, CA where they sold "left-over" cardstock for $25 per box. I bought 2 big boxes and 1 box at last year's sale. I'm all set for awhile! :) This is what I used to design my book. Check out how I made this year's album here! I will update the FlickR website perhaps not daily but often throughout the month of December... at least that's the plan!

2) On Monday, I completed the first of many table runners I will make. These are fun and quick projects. Photos were taken before the binding was hand sewn; that was Wednesday evening's handwork.

 3) On Tuesday, after watching inspirational Henna quilting video by Sharon Schamber at The Quilt Show website, I headed to my studio and surprised myself by loading a WIP (work-in-progress) on Lolah! This little moose and deer wall quilt was made several years ago and was intended for a sister whose name I had picked for Christmas gift-giving. As it happened, that year's family reunion was put on hold and so was the quilt. Until now!
I have yet to apply the binding but this is what I played with that day! SO MUCH FUN! Don't be too harsh with comments... this is my first thread play! :)

Since most of the classes I've registered for at Road to California Quilt show in January involve feathers, I thought it was time to try my luck at putting some in this 3in border. I do need more practice before I head to class!

4) I also finished the Peppermint Place snowflake blocks I brought with me on vacation. I had 1 remaining block to applique when we returned to LA.

Before I end this long post, I want to share with you a picture of the finished quilt promised in Wedding Quilt post dated 11/04/13. It will follow S&J to their new apartment today and may it bring them comfort for many years.

Toodles,

Lorette