Life and other things

Life .. I just learned of the death of a high school friend (it happened five years ago but I just read about it today). Interestingly, he lived in Mountain View, California (10 minutes from where I live) for some of his adult life .. we might have even seen each other at some time and not realized it. I would have like to have re-connected with him.

I posted that on facebook earlier and then realized that this might be the better forum to post about this, that those of you who follow me here probably know me better than all my "friends" on facebook.  I think I'll delete it -- DONE.

Anyway, I took a very different path after high school and haven't stayed in touch with anyone.  They all went off to college and I got married and had kids.  I'm just a little sad that I really haven't stayed in touch with anyone.  Seems like when I take a turn in my life, I leave the past behind instead of keeping some of it with me.

September is gone ..

So for this last weekend of September, I wanted to post some "goals" or perhaps plans for the weekend.

finish the jeans quilt
make some coasters/mug rugs
get a pattern to make a bag
make some pillow cases
clean the bathroom
estate sales (?)
make a yummy dessert
go for a walk with my husband
go to the movies
read

I don't know how much we can get done .. I'm going to sleep on it.

Here are a couple of pictures of the jeans quilt ... before putting the "borders" on it.  I didn't have a chance to work on it tonight, but there are still two days of the weekend.

15 Minute Challenge - September 25

I am, again, linking up with Kate at Life In Pieces for the 15 minute challenge.  I had a fairly good week, which included buying a "new" sewing machine.

Here's how my week went:

Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - another row on the jeans quilt
Thursday - nothing
Friday - two more rows, pinned a third
Saturday - more rows, I think.  Actually I think I ripped out a row and re-sewed it.
Sunday - finished original size of quilt -- but have decided to add two rows in length and width, so it will be about 48 x 68
Monday- got "new" fabric for remaining squares; cut fabric for remaining squares

I had meant to take a picture of the quilt, but didn't. I had hoped to have it done and only need to start snipping, but that's not where I am.

However, a generally good week.  To see how others have met the challenge this week, check out Life In Pieces, here.

Instant Messaging

I love when I send myself an e-mail and am then surprised to receive one.

"New" Sewing Machine .. Franklin?

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but on occasion, my husband and I go to estate sales on the weekend.  We like going because frequently you can get great prices on items.  Kind of a morbid sort of thing, if you think about it, so I don't.  We pick the estate sales from listings on the internet.  We have found that there are three types of estate sales: 1) estate sales that are really yard/garage sales; 2) estate sales run by a company; and 3) estate sales run by the family of the estate.  For the first type, I feel rather duped and have not found these sales to be particularly worthwhile.  The second type are also not particularly worthwhile, because the company selling the items are trying to make money, not get rid of everything in the house.  The estate sales run by family members tend to be the best.  The people running the sale just want to sell everything.  If they don't sell EVERYTHING, they have to do something with the left overs. These people are also usually, really nice and pleasant to talk/deal with.

But I digress.  We went to several this weekend and I found some pretty cool stuff. 

I got several items for my $1 goal from the list -- a Mouse Trap game ($.50), a puzzle of the U.S. ($.50), Madeline in London ($.25), and two baby toys ($1 each).  The baby toys were not a super good price (for yard sales) but still were much less expensive than if purchased new.

But the thing I was most excited about was this:

This is a Franklin rotary sewing machine (apparently sold by Sears & Roebuck before the Kenmore brand).  I don't know how old it is.  I believe it was made by White (same manufacturer as my treadle machine).  The scroll work is really intricate .. lots of Egyptian stuff, scarabs.  I didn't get a good picture.  I need a manual though to figure out how it works. If anyone out there has one or knows where I can get one, please point me in the right direction.

 

This is the cabinet the sewing machine sits in.  It needs a little repair but is kind of nice.  My YD needed a table/dresser in her bedroom and this fits perfectly.  I thought she would hate it, but she loves it!

Here's a shot of the inside of the cabinet.  There are about 20 different attachments for the sewing machine -- I have no idea what they are for.  Maybe I'll take pictures of all of them and see if y'all can tell me what they do.

Oh yeah, the cabinet/sewing machine cost $30.  I feel pretty good about it. 

Wordless Wednesday (almost)

Who knew beer bottles could be so cute?

15 Minute Challenge

I'm joining up again with Kate at Life In Pieces for the 15 minute challenge.  I didn't do much during the week, but on the weekend things seem to have picked up.

Tuesday - nothing
Wednesday - nothing
Thursday - nothing again
Friday - worked on jeans quilt
Saturday - worked on jeans quilt
Sunday - worked on jeans quilt
Monday - worked on jeans quilt

I've got nine out of the fifteen rows completed on the jeans quilt.  If I keep at it, I'll have all the rows done by this weekend.  I am planning to add two more rows lengthwise and two more width wise, as well, to make it a little bigger.  I haven't cut those out yet, but I will.  Those rows will be all white denim and the backing will be more of my leftover flannel.  I'm excited about the way it is turning out.  I learned that I really need to pin before I sew each square.  On one of the rows, I only used a pin at the top and those square came out really wonky (another word for messed up).  I'm ignoring them but will not do that again.

I think my reluctance to sew is all the effort it takes to get started.  I have to bring all my stuff out.  Then I have to get the machine out of its bag and set it up.  (That really doesn't sound that bad, does it?) But I have to wait for the boys to go to bed if I really want to sew, or I have to be a mean grandma and I don't want to do that.  Someday I'll have more time and then I'll be sad that I don't have little ones around.

This is my substitute machine in its bag.  It's my daughter's sewing machine.  Thankful that I have it to use.

 

and here's Cooper!

Used Jeans ..

Here are some pictures of the progress I'm making on my jeans quilt.  It's not a gift for anyone, I just wanted to try something new.

Here's my box of supplies that I take to my sewing area.  It now fits into the box, oh except for the batting.

 

Five rows are completed now.  There will be 15 in all.  here's the pattern I'm using.   Now that I read it, it will be 40 x 60 -- that's pretty small.  I don't know if I should make it bigger or just be happy with it.  It's bigger than the one I use on my bed, but still pretty small. 

Here's the back.  I was going to do a diagonal pattern and then decided I would do stripes. I kind of like the way it's looking.

CHEESE!

Wordless Wednesday

15 minute challenge

Tuesday - cut white blocks, started on batting
Wednesday - nada
Thursday - cut batting blocks (only 50 more to go)
Friday - zip
Saturday -made 10 blocks/one row
Sunday - zilch
Monday - 10 more blocks, another row (sewed 2 rows together)

I sewed 4 out of seven days this week.  Couldn't seem to put two days together, but I did start sewing the jeans quilt.  I'm not sure it's going to be big enough.  Haven't decided what I'm going to do about that, probably nothing.

Anyway, click here to see who else has linked up with Kate at Life in Pieces.

9/11 Remembrance

 

Ground Zero - 2005

 

Ground Zero - 2012

the jar .. goals .. etc.

I briefly read through someone's blog, here, where they mentioned that they wrote down all their goals/ideas and then drew one a day to decide what to work on.  At least that's what I understood -- maybe not one at day.  Anyway, that sounds like a really good idea that I'm going to do tonight soon, maybe this weekend.  I've got Christmas presents, last year's and this, quilts, pjs, pencil cases, sewing kits, and other things that I really want to get to.  So this might be a way to motivate me.  Takes the decision making out of my hands.

I'll let you now how it goes.  Plus it's a good way to put my new canning jar to use.  ooh, maybe I'll use colored paper.

Wordless Wednesday

(Airport Fun!)

15 Minute Challenge

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things .. by sewing and linking up with Kate at Life in Pieces and the 15 minute challenge.

Tuesday - cut 30 blue jean squares

 

Wednesday - nothing

Thursday - cut backing squares

Friday - cut more blue jeans squares (8, I think)

Saturday - nothing

Sunday - bought two pair of jeans at a yard sale to cut up; cut more blue jeans squares (need 15 more) and backing squares (need to count to see where I stand) -- need to start cutting the white denim squares and the batting squares

Monday - washed and ironed white denim

This coming week, I plan to finish cutting all the squares and then start sewing them together.  never made a rag quilt before so this will be interesting.

quick goal post

here are the things I want to accomplish this weekend:

Cut out all the blocks for my jeans quilt
Clean my closet
Clean the linen closet
walk with my husband
Start on the tetris quilt

Three days to get this done.

9/5/12 - update.
did not finish cutting squares/blocks for  jeans quilt :~O
cleaned closed :)
cleaned linen closet :)
took walk/hike :)
didn't get started on tetris quilt :(