A Long Overdue Finish and Machines I Love

Yes, yes, I know - it's been another month since I posted.  Where has the time gone?  Well, I am not sure where it's gone, but it blew by in a nanosecond!!  It's been like a real whirlwind around here.  DD's theater performances, my sister's visit and we're now on the home stretch in getting DS out the door for college next week.  So all things crafty have been put on the back burner to simmer.  But I do have a finish!!  Woo Hoo!

Sun and Moon

The Scarlett Letter

DMC threads and 35 ct. Edinborough PTP Legacy Linen

Now seriously, this poor piece should have been finished a month ago.  There's just not that much to it.  But, besides the time constraints lately, that border was a nightmare (many frogging issues going on with that border), and as I mentioned in my last post, if I put arrows on this thing to point out mistakes, you wouldn't be able to see the poor design.  But I'm happy with it, so to me it's a wrap - mistakes and all!!!

In my delirium of finishing something, instead of going back to something that I had been working on before (like Mary Allen - sorry Loraine!!), I started a new Adam and Eve piece since I just love those two people in Eden, so I started Ann Hall (pix flinched borrowed from the SL site):

And this is how much I've accomplished so far:

I'm loving this so far, but wonder how long it's going to take me to get burnt out on this border.  We all know that I am "She Who Hates Borders",  but so far it's been fun!

Quilting/Sewing has just about come to a dead standstill.  I did manage to get one block done for my Month 3 of the CWC quilt (and I'm at least three or four months behind).  This month I have to make four blocks (with a lot of those dreaded HSTs).  Block 1:

Block 2 in pieces because I made a mistake and the block came out too small.  Easily remedied, but still lying on the cutting table in pieces after pulling it apart:

Blocks 3 & 4 still in pieces.  What can I say?

I also started a fun project - or what I thought would be fun, but I ran into some problems with the pattern (I hate when that happens) and only have it partially put together after thumping my head against the table because I thought it was I making the mistakes, not the pattern's fault:

What is this you wonder?  Well, I'm not saying right now, but it's the beginning of a couple things - now collecting dust on the crafting table.  Sigh - how I would love some sewing time!!!  So that's it for craft things for me in the past month.  Pretty pathetic I know.  But I'm hoping that in another couple of weeks I can get back to sewing.  I really miss it.

My sister came in for a week or so and we did our normal antique/barn sale thing.  I really didn't find all that much, but something fun that did happen before she came had to do with those machines I love - sewing machines.  First a couple that I found recently, but not while my sister was here:

It's a Lindstrom Little Miss Sewing Machine.  It was made in the 30's and the little girl is suppose to be Shirley Temple.  I was so excited to find it.  It still works and is in pretty good shape.  You'll see on the hand wheel that someone wrote their name on it.  I can only make out the first name - Winoma.  Makes you wonder about the little girl that used this machine.  Then a couple weeks later, I found this tiny machine:

The hand wheel actually turns and the needle still goes up and down.  And better yet - it was only $1.00.

But the biggest and most exciting purchase was this:

A vintage 1951 Singer 301 machine!  Woo Hoo.  I've wanted one for a long time.  There is a wonderful story concerning this machine.  It involves a little bird - a little Bluebird to be exact, and a friend.  And luck was on my side in looking for things at just the right time.  I'll share that story the next time because the story still isn't over, but I was just overjoyed at my new acquisition!!  I've been so busy that I've barely gotten time to test it out (just a test run on my kitchen island of all places), but a quick run of it sounded so nice - it purred like a kitten.  And she came with a name - Samantha.  Hopefully it will be in its new home by my next post.  

Besides my sister's visit (and I'll show you my meager antique haul next time) and DD's theater performances, my son turned 18 and leaves next week for college.  To combine the two events, we celebrated both occasions with a cake.  I'd like to take credit for the decorating of the cake, but I haven't decorated a cake since my kids were young.  I left it up to the bakery:

Go Nick and Go MSU!  Actually, I was really hoping for a cake in Maize and Blue (U of M's colors), but he's going to college and that's all that matters.  Speaking of which, he still hasn't heard from U of M, so maybe there's hope in the future.  I told his sister that she really needed to give him a kiss for his birthday, and she did - notice the hand between her and her brother's cheek - so she doesn't get cooties or something:

And then her falling over after doing it laughing:

Kids - what are you going to do with them?  Anyway, I know that she's going to miss him a lot, although she did confide in me that she was going to turn his bedroom into her shoe closet!  LOL

Well, that's it for me!  Sorry that I haven't been leaving comments on everyone's blogs.  I have managed to get in and lurk around, but honestly no time to comment.  I did figure out what my blogging problems were - using another search engine.  Seems Safari decided that it didn't like blogs any longer, so I switched to Google Chrome and it works like a charm!  Anyway, after I get my DS off to college, things will settle down around here.  It's a lot of work getting these kids off to college, and my dining room looks like a disaster area with all the boxes ready to go up to school.  But he'll be gone in just 9 short days (sniff, sniff).   I'm sad and he can't wait!!  

One thing I did realize when I did have time to get into blogs, is that I'm coming up on three years of blogging!  I'm having a hard time believing that!  And now am over 600 followers!!!  Wow, where did everyone come from?  I can't wait to have some time to visit all your blogs and see what you are up to.  So in light of 3 years of blogging and the new followers, I'll probably have a giveaway to thank all of you for the wonderful comments you have left and encouragement when I've needed uplifting.  Maybe not quite on my blogoversary, but soon after.  

Hope that you have a wonderful week, and thank you for all your comments even when I do fall off the face of the earth for a while.  They do mean so much to me!!

Back to Business (Lots of Pics)

I can't believe that it's been almost a month since I posted a stitching update.  But I haven't stitched much in the past month, so maybe having the Accquilt giveaway was a blessing in disguise.  It's been a busy month (when isn't it busy?), but I have gotten a little bit done here and there.

I've been working on Sun and Moon:

Sun and Moon

The Scarlett Letter

Not too much accomplished for a month, is there?  I have to tell you that this sampler has been giving me all kinds of fits.  I was going to take another picture and put arrows all over it where I've made mistakes, but then you wouldn't be able to see the sampler!  Seriously!!  It's been one mistake after another - like putting that border in on the left five times!  Yep, five times and it's still not right.  Well, I know my limits and I'll just do some fudging somewhere along the line.  Like I've said before - small samplers and I don't play well together.  I just don't know what it is.  I've been also working on the Mary Allen sampler, but it's just more words and just words are boring for a photo op, so I'll show a picture of that next time around.  And no mistakes on her so far - but she's a bigger sampler.  I don't understand that!!

And I've been doing some quilting - and - I FINISHED THE FARMER'S WIFE BLOCKS!!  Ya Hoo!!  Here are the last ones in all their glory:

Whirlpool and Windblown Square look suspiciously similar, don't they?  Well, they're the same block just different fabric.  I don't know why there two of the same pattern, but the quilt is big enough that you'll probably never notice them.  But, do you know how excited I am about this?  At least 18 months in the making and they're finally finished.

I was so excited that I snuck down to the sewing cave and started putting them together.  I couldn't wait (helps that the weather is hotter than Hades around here and it's cool down in the cave). This quilt is going to take a long time to put together, but this is how far I managed to get:

Four blocks pieced out of 111.  Yes, 111 blocks!  And you know what?  I want to do another one!  Sick, I know!!!  This quilt is going to be huge - well, maybe not huge, but Queen sized!! I can't wait to get this one finished, but I have a funny feeling that it's not going to be until fall sometime.

Other fun things that have happened is that my son came home from Spain.  He had a wonderful time and can't wait to go back again (hopefully, on his dime)!  And sweetheart that he is, he brought me back some goodies:

Three pair of scissors from Toledo (the tape measure is an antique find)!  Was I excited?  You bet!  I only asked for one pair, but he knows how much I love scissors so he brought me three.  He also brought me a Matador spoon:

I don't collect spoons, but if my son is going to become a world traveler, I guess that I will!

The same day that Nick got home from Spain, a dear friend came into town - Robin.  We met up last year and decided to meet up again.  Her mother lives up in my neck of the woods, and she drives all the way from Maryland to bring her daughter up to stay with her.  We had a great time quilt shopping and antique shopping, and in my usual fashion I forgot to take my camera, but I did get one of her with my cell phone:

Not the best picture Robin!!  Sorry!  But we had a wonderful time and she came bearing gifts:

A vintage spool holder, a jar of vintage thimbles and Stitcher Girl socks!!  Love them all, Robin!!  We did have a great time and she'll be coming back up at the end of the month and is going to bring her daughter (who is 6) to see the play my daughter will be performing in - Suessical The Musical.

Anyway, we had a great day together, but I didn't find anything antiquey, although Robin came out of the shops with her arms loaded.  I wish I had taken my camera - she got some great things!

Last weekend, I spent a wonderful couple of days in Chicago!  I had the best time!  Unfortunately, no real pictures here either.  Well, there is one with me in it, but I'll spare you - I looked like something the cat dragged in - it was a hot day and my hair goes all beserk in heat and humidity (you get the picture), so I'm not going to show that one, but I do have one of this - All Saints:

Not the best picture.  I had heard of this store in New York, but had never seen it, so it was fun to see this one in Chicago.  Hard to get a good picture with the sunshine!  You know any store with a lot of sewing machines in the window will grab my attention.  And you're probably thinking I've lost it - with all the beautiful things in Chicago - like the shoreline and parks - I take a picture of sewing machines!

And speaking of sewing machines - I found another cute one a couple months ago at an antique mall that I had never been to before.  I keep telling myself that I don't need more than a couple....but, well, you know.....they're like potato chips and I couldn't pass it up - I love these little things:

A little nicked up, but I had to bring it home.  The needle is still in it and an old spool of thread on top.  

The big antique find recently was a new flower frog.  I had gone to an antique market a couple months ago and saw it and wanted it so bad, but the price.....well, it was a little high and I couldn't justify it.  But all I thought about after was that darned flower frog.  The market comes around every two months, so I woke up bright and early to be there when it opened last Saturday (envision one of those Christmas commercials with the women with their noses pressed against the store door waiting for the sales saying OPEN, OPEN, OPEN - that was me).  I found the booth, but no frog on the tables.  I was so disheartened.  But it pays to ask, right?  So I asked the woman who ran the booth and she told me she had sold it.  Again, my heart fell.  But then I asked again, trying to draw a picture of it.  A smile came over her face and she said that she did have it, in a bin, under a table.  She didn't have enough room to put it out because it was large.  So she went through the bins and in the very last bin there it was!!  COME TO MAMA!!  

LOVE!  I also found the tape measure for a mere $2.00.  But can you say LOVE???  Now I won't use this for scissors, although I probably could.  The frog is in two pieces:

The larger bowl measures about 14" and the frog itself measures 8" and both pieces are stamped on the bottom "Made in England".

So I could use it for scissors:

Or use it for it's intended purpose - Flowers:

I think this will be used for flowers!  Maybe!  

Well, that's all that's been going on this month.  I'll start posting on a more regular basis soon!  I have a lot of blog reading to do and hope to catch up with everyone soon and visit the blogs of my new followers.  I love finding people with the same interests!  And I want to thank everyone who entered the Accuquilt contest.  It was fun to have it and I was thrilled that Blu won (although I wish I had one for everyone who entered).

I  hope that you're having a wonderful weekend and if you weather is anything like ours (HOT!), you're inside stitching!

Stress Relief and Framing (Lots of Pics)

It's been another couple crazy weeks around the old homestead - drama, stress, you name it!  But in times like that, I seem to get things done.  Why is that?  There are times when I don't feel like sleeping as my brain is going 100 mph and having your mind focus on something that you enjoy doing really helps you not think about the stress and drama!   So,  I started two new pieces.  Yes, I know that I should continue with the January Challenge, but after knocking out Sarah (and I did want to knock her out, remember - or burn her?), I pulled out two that I've been wanting to stitch.  Not a lot of progress, but some:

Mary Allen Sampler - Samplers Remembered

32 count French Vanilla

NPI Silk Thread

I've been wanting to start this piece for a long time.  I am having a lot of fun with it being on 32 count.  I wanted it to fit into a specific space on a wall so 32 ct. fabric fit the bill.  Finally, after some back and forth about what sampler to stitch together, my dear friend Loraine and I decided to start on it.  We're going for a page of month (think I'll make it - me who never finishes a SAL?).  Loraine and I met last year at the Shepherd's Bush retreat and she has become a very, very dear friend to me.

Then, when I got tired of playing around with words, I started another A&E (always need to have one of those in the fire):

Sun & Moon Sampler - The Scarlett Letter

36 ct. Edinborough Sand

DMC Threads

This one is working up so quickly - except those pesky frogs came again.  The border is a little bit of a PITA as it's in two colors.  Where my needle is - well, I have to "frog" out all of what I already stitched below because it's one stitch off!  AUGHHH!!  But, as I've said before - I can't stitch a small sampler without those frogs coming to visit.

Then for those nights when I couldn't sleep, I did some slicing and dicing (luckily I stopped before I sliced and diced myself with the rotary cutter):

Oh, those little pieces in the Farmer's Wife quilt are going to be the death of me!!!  But, out of the 15 blocks that I needed to cut out so that I was closer to the Grande Finale, I only have two more to go! Woo Hoo!!  Then I can start putting this baby together.  It's been a fun 18 month journey with this quilt, but I think that I'll be doing a happy dance when I'm finally finished.  I still have the sashing to cut out, but the blocks are what takes so long with all the template cutting.

And I managed to pick up some framing and Mr. Tom the Framer didn't disappoint:

Elizabeth Clayton

I was hesitant about this frame, but Framer Tom assured me that I'd love it - and he was right - I do!!  And I also picked up Sarah:

Sarah Esh

I think the frame is perfect!  

So, why all the stress and drama?  Well, I won't bore you with the drama.  And I guess it wasn't really stress - maybe more apprehension.  I was just being a typical mom and realizing that my son is grown up - my first born.  My baby!  Not such a baby anymore.  He graduated from high school with Honors:

The baby picture is one of my favorites because that huge smile (actually looks like a lion roaring to me) is how I have seen him throughout his life.  Always with a big smile and a great sense of humor.  

I'm so proud of this young man!  He has worked so hard, taken so many AP classes (although the AP Bio about killed him), and he never flinched.  Just kept going and never complained even with all the late nights of homework (but teens are definitely used to late nights - right?  Although I think he'd rather have been playing Xbox).   He set goals and achieved them!  And he has barely given me a bit of trouble over all his 17 years (well...there was that one time........LOL).  As you can imagine, it was one of those emotional days seeing him walk across the stage to receive his diploma.  Then not two weeks later, it was time to put him on a plane to Spain:

All of the students seemed so excited to go - and who can blame them?  Me?  I was so anxious for him, but I survived (obviously if I'm writing this!).  It was hard making sure he had everything he needed especially when he assures me that he only needed to take a t-shirt and shorts - oh, and a change of underwear and deordrant.  For two weeks?  I know that men tend to be minimalists, but that was taking it a little far!  First reports from Spain -  the plane ride was way too long and all the buildings in Madrid are so close to each other!  That's all I got out of him - he's a minimalist when he talks too.  He didn't sleep on the plane and had been up for quite a while and he was ready for a shower and to hit the hay.  He's got a busy couple of weeks ahead of him visiting museums and cathedrals and a five day stay with a family there.  Such a chance in a lifetime!  But all of this is just a precursor to be sending him off to college!  I guess it's time for mom to realize that he's not a baby any more!

Well, I think that's all the news that's fit to report today.  With all the ups and downs of the past coulple weeks, I've also had some exciting news, but I'll share that with you next time!  I think I've posted enough today!  Oh, and before I forget - I'm still having some problems with Blogger and commenting and my wireless cutting out.  Now that all the end of the year stuff and getting my son off to Spain is over with, I guess I'll have to hunt down a new wireless. It only happens when I go into blogs, but this router is getting on in years, so it's time.  It's the only thing I can think of that could be causing my issues - beside the occasional Blogger blips that we all seem to be encountering.  So just so that you know, I have been reading, just unable to comment at times.

Hope that everyone has a great week.  And thank you again for all your wonderful comments and emails!!