Feeling great!

Have you noticed the difference Daylight Savings has made? I have! I really feel the pull of hibernation in November when we move to Standard Time and can feel my body wake up in spring... wonders that are more pronounced this year since we've moved back home. I love it!

Today I anchored my new extra large cutting mat acquired at Tuesday Morning in CA before the move. The grid measures 33" X 60" but you can see the borders make it larger. Since I didn't want to adhere it permanently to my table with epoxy, I used what is common in earthquake country: Museum Wax. It's a necessary evil in California! Anything you want to make sure doesn't move during an earthquake should be "glued" down with this product. It's not a glue, but a wax... you scoop up a small amount, roll it in a ball and apply it to the piece and press it to the surface. It won't move!! EVER!! To remove the article, you twist it off! I don't plan on removing this mat for quite awhile so I hope this holds it steady for a long time. You can see through the mat where I've anchored it.

         

I got back to Scrap Quilt and Stitch's De Deauville to Cape Cod today! It feels great to handle fabric again! I've missed the creative side of quilting. I'm behind in this BOM by three months! YIKES!!! It's time I catch up!! I'll be preparing all 3 blocks before the appliqueing begins.

      

             

Since I need something to work on in the evening, I found this long forgotten piece I started in 2000! Yes you read that right: the year 2000!!! I attended Dalhousie University's Costume Studies in 1999-2000 and our year-end project was recreating costumes of the 1870s. While we were creating these beautiful costumes, I asked for donations of trims, fabrics, etc from all the students in the class and I put them together in a crazy quilt. You'll have to wait until it's done to see the final piece!

I'm nearing the end of this WIP (Work in Progress). It'll feel great to get it done and about time don't you think? It's a great reminder of a wonderful time spent sewing with great people, students and teachers alike. I can't wait to have this one done.

Today I'm linking with The Needle And Thread Network. Check them out and see what other creative people are working on in CANADA!

Toodles,

Lorette

March 13/2014: Also adding this to Let's Bee Social at http://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/ Go visit and see what this community of creative people are working on!

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