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Friday, December 20, 2019

A couple of finishes



   Remember the panel quilt I started last month?

   Finished with flange binding in red with black.  I thought it really set off the "stained glass" style border.
  Once I washed it, the quilt softened up and got all nice and cuddly.  It is not large, only 48'' by 58'' but enough for a personal throw.




  The quilted texture shows better here.  I only did a large meander in the center along with some free hand outlining of the main motifs like the barn, deer and some trees.  I added a few swirls in the sky for clouds.  The center section is also outline straight stitched along the first grey border stripe.






 
   In the stain glass sections I used a loop and curl motif, very much like the effect in glass blocks today.
  And that red dot backing.....it got washed twice  in Dawn before I put it on the back for quilting.  I can't tell you how long it has been hidden in the stash closet.   I washed the entire thing when finished with color grabbers.....yea!  No bleed.


Holiday Dreams is complete.






  And what else is lurking around here......a little walk down to the workshop to see if there is anything there. 


  Oh my.....a pair of lovely gifts I see.  Small candle holders for tea light size candles.
Sir Old Man has played around with these, being quite hesitant to attempt them.  The first ones he saw were made of simple pine and only held the plain tea tight, not like these in glass.  He claimed to not be creative.  Like I use to tell my students, don't copy: find your own voice.  It will be fabulous.







   He dug through his scraps of wood, glued some up and cut things out.  Sounds like a quilter's process, doesn't it?
   I ended up ordering the router bit that was large enough to cut the hole to fit the glass tea lights.  And I ordered new scissors for me....win/win!







  Sir Old Man added the final detail all on his own.  I think he found his voice now.  Sanding and rounding over the edges was good, but he went one step further.  He added another pass of a different router bit  to create a foot at the base with this relief edge.







Two finishes make you feel so much better!











  As for the iphone saga......It did require a 4 hour trip to the phone store.  But it was solved with a full re-load of the software! Thumbs up for Apple. 
   No new phone purchase required.  I now have to sort out all the apps I use and get logged back on to them.  I am deleting those unused.  And sorting thru the nightmare maze of passwords.  As for the big provider called ATT....2 surveys filled out with only 1 star review given.  I wrote my saga on both surveys and included details about the less than helpful guy at the store.   All of this frustration over a software glitch.  Technology the bane of our lives. 
I am heading back to the sewing room after this.  I need a breath of fabric and thread.
Happy stitching. 

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

I met an angel today

  The season has rushed in upon me.  Some things got done, others left undone.  I thought I would be really making a lot of progress but instead I have only been limping along.

  I have been working on putting those crazy wonky courthouse steps blocks together.  They are in rows of 8 right now, with more to come.  I have to admit they really suit my mood and state of mind right now.  Nothing has to match....whether seam or color.....to make these work.

   This morning was a big disaster.  My plans were to bake 2 types of breads and then sew this afternoon.  Simple and pleasing.  Instead I got an alert from ATT that my usage was way, way over the limit.  HUH?

After 3 hours on the phone/chat with someone who lives who knows where, I final got transferred to someone who tried to help.  Another hour, and I was told to visit the store as the phone needed a physical fix.  A trip to the store front and the guy told me I needed a new phone.  He couldn't repair it.  Too many $$ and he walked off.  Believe me they won't like my survey answers.

  So we then headed to the Apple store at the mall.  Picture a completely full parking lot zoo, and suddenly a handicap parking space empties in front of you!  OK, something good here.  Unfortunately, the mall was a mass of bodies and I paniced in the middle of the food court.  By the time I got to the escalator to go down, I was having a total melt down/ panic attack.  Sir Old Man was not in much better shape at that point.
    A gentle soul, surely an angel sent to help us, was suddenly there.  She lead me to the side of the walk, got a chair,  and sent Sir Old Man for a coke.  She talked gently to me until things were under control.  Dallas was her name, and I doubt she will ever know what a magical moment of safety she gave me.  Thank you sweet lady.

  As for me, I am now home and phoneless for now.  Sir Old Man will venture to the Apple store tomorrow for help.