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. 

From the workshop---Window Bench

    Even though I seem to have been asleep here lately, Sir Old Man finished a project recently.  The window bench  to match the bed.  You can see it is already being used :)
  We made the trek to the apple orchard last week with a short stop at Foam and Fabric  to find  fabric to  cover the seat cushion.    I found some fabric too....but I will save that for another time.
 






 On to the details......

  The wood is cherry to match the bed.  No stain was used, instead he fumes the wood.  The natural wood reacts with the ammonia and darkens to a rich patina in a few days.  Then a sealing finish is hand rubbed in and sanded down.  In this case, 3 times. 
   The stretcher bars have a slight curve at the base, and the end slats are wide. 

   I love the small detail he added to the end of the end post.  It's a much softer effect than just squared off.  Sir Old Man adjusted the original pattern to fit the space under the window.  And before anyone asks the original pattern is from Wood magazine October 2010.  No idea is the pattern is available anywhere else.   










 
  This photo is probably the truest color for both the wood and the cushion.  The cushion is 2'' high density foam wrapped in a double layer of batting.  It is stapled to a 1/2'' piece of plywood which is screwed to the frame. 

  So.....ta-da!  A beautiful addition once again from the woodworking shop of Sir Old Man. 

From the workshop----no drooling please

   The last 2 weeks got away from  me.....Sir Old Man made it safely back with a full suitcase of laundry!  It took a couple of days to get things back to normal, and run errands, etc.  Then a week of something scheduled everyday.  And time  to sew or blog completely escaped me. 

   Today's project to share comes from the wood working shop of Sir Old Man.
It has been a UFO project for about 2 years.....everything else got put ahead of it for one reason or another.  No drooling, please.

  A Mission style cabinet  now fills this spot in the sun room.   He made it of oak, which he once again fumed with ammonia to achieve the color.  No stain, just the natural reaction of the wood to the ammonia.   He had to do a second closed fuming tent session to get the color he wanted.

      He tracked down and ordered the period reproduction hardware.  I love the lines of it. 

  A single shelf behind the door, and beautiful drawers on glides for easy closing. 

  Please notice the drawers are flush to face of the cabinet.  And there is a very nice, even reveal around each one.  I had a lesson or two about the difficulty of attaining this.  Pennies were used to ensure the spacing was exactly even. 



  I figured that if he could endure lessons on matching points and even stitches, I could learn about flush drawers and those details. :)



Perfectionist that he is, even the inside of the drawers get a sanding and finish. 
  Of course, that makes it all the better for me when loading or overloading them!  And no cheap plywood here....he uses a very costly baltic birch  for the drawers.  It does not warp or twist.










This photo is a truer color of the wood.  It is such a beautiful golden honey tone.  With exposure to daylight, it will darken and age to a deeper tone.   The appearance will be pure vintage Mission style in a few months. 

  I spent the afternoon gathering place mats, and table runners from the far corners of the house.  All the seasonal runners and mats went into the long bottom drawer.  Behind closed doors went the many place mats and runners for daily use. A smaller drawer for mug rugs too.  And the top drawers for extra cutlery and serving pieces. 
  This is the heirloom piece of his workshop.    I may need to add extra insurance to cover his work! 

  The rain has arrived and it is so nice to hear the splatter and drips out side.  We have been so dry for almost 3 weeks.  Good day for some stitching.....happy stitching. 

Scraps and collage

     While I really need to straighten up the sewing room,  I did not have the motivation.  I wanted a little play time.  So I made an even bigger mess and did some cutting  and fusing for a collage. 

  This is really just a trial/test piece.  I need to hunt and dig for more interesting fabric for the background.     The actual floral arranging was easy and went together rather quickly.  Better than what I can create in real life. 
  Plus I now have a better idea of the type of prints to use and dig out for the florals.  And I need to add some shading areas around the pitcher vase to create depth.
  Then the next step is to get every edge stitched down.  Time consuming, indeed.  But this will make a nice small wall hanging.





  Sir Old Man made me a handy little gadget for Christmas.    A seam presser!  I saw one the Cheryl shared on her blog Teapots2quilting, and loved it.   She also shared how to make a magnetic pin dish---be sure to check it out. 
  Anyway, I drew off a similar shape pattern and he headed for the workshop.  This seam press is made of  scrap cherry  wood.  It does a great/wonderful/perfect job on the seams for the chandelier blocks:)


 

  My brother gave me new steak knives for Christmas.  But there was no room in the knife drawer for them.  A little shopping on Amazon solved my problem and I ordered a wooden magnetic knife block.  Sir Old Man pulled out the tools and hung it up this afternoon.
   Then......made the comment, "I see how they made this.  No problem.  I can get earth magnets." 
  So sometime in the future I expect another magnetic knife block will appear and hang on the other end cabinet.  Oh, heck, he could get slap happy and make them for Christmas gifts next year.  BTW, all recipients loved their serving trays. 
    Ok, I'm going to put away at least one stack of fabric today.  At this pace, I might get my fabric stored away in a couple of years.  Happy stitching. 

Cactus and woodworking

    Time to decorate I know.  Just a few items came out this year and we are using the simple small pre-lit trees.  Sir Old Man hung the door decorations. 

  I spotted this lovely red blooming cactus at the store this week.   I have several cactus---purplish pink, and peachy tone one.  But loved the red for a change, even if the red fades as the blooms age, it looks like holiday to me.




 

  Sir Old Man has been working on serving trays for gifts and this is the first one finished.  He has been experimenting and arranging wood strips for several weeks.  I think this one is walnut, maple and cherry.






 


    Different combinations give a different look.  He tries to make me pick a favorite and I can't.   They are each special and unique to the wood combination.
  The photos don't show how satiny smooth they are.  He hand rubs the finish in.  No stain is used after he fumes the wood to give it a mellow patina. 


 


   
   I was feeling much better after the weather cleared and spent a bit of time in the sewing room..  I added a few more blocks to the Scrappy Trips on the wall.  I love how you can not predict the result, you just never know what the outcome will be like.  And yet, it always seems to work.  Those crazy fabric combinations  can highlight and hide the ugliest of fabrics. 

  I spent some time cutting parts for more of the Chandelier chain blocks.   And woke this morning with pain...severe tendinitis pain in my wrist and thumb.  Guess that is a no-no......and combine it with the bad weather ---could be rain, or sleet, or snow----heading our way, I may be out of business for a few days.   I already feel it in my shoulder and feet. 
  I have cookies to make for the holidays.    And fruit cake bars were/are  in the plans for the weekend.  Maybe I can sew up the parts I already cut, and then teach Sir Old Man how to safely use the rotary cutter if I need extra. 
Happy stitching.

Small foot rest!

   I hinted that Sir Old Man was working on a couple of small things for the sewing room.  I have been asking for a nicer foot rest to go under the sewing machine / and the quilting machine. 
   Up to this time I have been using an upside down  soft drink case  as a foot rest.  Ergonomically, it keeps my legs at a 90 degree angle while sewing. 
 
   While he was at it, he re-worked the foot pedal rest and made it fit a bit tighter.  No sliding around now of the pedal while I am sewing.  There is also one of these in the works for under the Tiara quilting machine :)

 Made of Baltic Birch plywood with a natural finish.  The bottom support has a shaped curved edge so it can rock back and forth  :)    It sits at a slight angle that is comfortable.  He added grooves across the top to provide some texture to kept my foot from slipping.    The size is 10'' by 12'' and about 3 1/2'' high. 

 









   I love the improvement in looks compared to the old soda crate.  And it functions great!


   I have errands to run this morning.....so I hope to visit the sewing room later today and put it all to use. 
Happy stitching. 

A new tray

  I plan on piecing a few blocks today as I assemble more rows of the Boxed Squares.     Like the new work tray?  It's a nice size......
  Ok, it is not a work tray....much too beautiful for that.

  It's a new serving tray from Woodworking 101 class that Sir Old Man took recently.   Not that he needs a beginning class, but he wanted to learn the technique of choosing different woods and grains to create projects like this.
   Three woods were used.....walnut, cherry,  and maple.  To enrich the color he "fumed" the tray  with ammonia at the glue up stage. 

   On the back, I have him sign  with his branding iron that he got for Christmas a couple of years ago.

  Overall size is 11'' by 20''.  It has a very narrow edge band on the two long sides, and the lovely curved handles create the lip on the short sides. 
    I love having a tray like this for carrying things to the porch....much safer for me to hold onto.

  I think I should ask for a smaller version to use by my sewing machine to corral some much used tools.  Can't let him think one tray will be enough:) 
Happy stitching. 


 

More box blocks and lamp base

  I use several swing arm lamps for extra lighting when sewing and also quilting on the Tiara---aka Hot Legs.  A week or so ago, the one over my machine would not stand up and kept falling over.  I thought the spring has sprung...lol.  But no, the base support was cracked and could not hold the lamp upright.  Sir Old Man to the rescue---once again.    Scrap wood, glue, drill, sand....etc, and I had a new strong base support for the lamp by the sewing machine.   







 Since he had it figured out now, it was easy to make a couple more bases for the swing arm lamps over the Tiara.    These are the type that are screwed to the edge of the table and the base drops into the support. 
   No more sewing and stitching in shadow land!  And the wood is so much prettier than black plastic! 









   I haven't done a lot of sewing this week......mainly just more of the same.  By that I mean more Boxed Square blocks.    I have cut thru my boxes of cut strips for these 90 floral blocks.    Gulp!  I think I noticed one duplicate floral fabric.
  Anyway, these blocks will be 4 1/2'' finished.....so this would be 40'' by 45'' if sewn now.    So I need to decide if I want to duplicate fabric and go larger,  or hunt in the closet for more uncut fabrics,  or stay smaller in size and add borders.  We won't include the option of stash enhancement/shopping trip.  Not for floral fabrics...lol. 

   Seeing the photo.....I am leaning towards larger.....I really like this floral mix a lot.  I will ponder this question as I assemble some Crossroads blocks I had forgotten as well as stitch a few garlic knot blocks too.  Heavy rain predicted for the weekend, so it will be a good one for stitching.  Happy stitching.

October....and on and on it goes.

   I had 2 projects to work on this month........ The scrappy floral mountains is under the needle....only not finished.   I am about half way thru the quilting, and easy meandering loop.  I debated on trying something more complicated or with detail.   But common sense prevailed and I knew the florals were so busy nothing much would show, so why invest that much time.









   The other got finished...... the rail fence in florals.













   I worked on the leader and ender ---Double 4 Patch---as I assembled both of these quilts.   Talk about a bonus.....I will probably work on hourglass blocks as leader and ender as I assemble this one.  Never ending, just one after another.









   Bonnie Hunter released her colors for the Mystery Quilt......I sent Sir Old Man to Lowe's for color cards.  LOL, he was wanting to get nails for the nail gun anyway.    He needs them to make a couple more pumpkins for the front porch:)   The sun was quite bright so the photo is washed out.
   This is his first prototype.  Made from wood pallets, unstained raw wood.  He sculpted a stem  of sorts too.   He plans on a couple more that are taller.  I will get better photos too.

   We had a great visit with Chad while he was in town over the weekend.  He and Amber are now in Missouri and expecting a second child.  He noted the featherweight was out, and said he was so relieved that I was back to quilting.    So I am now perusing thru patterns for the next baby quilt.  I have an couple of ideas which I will nail down soon. 

I will figure out next month when it gets here......tomorrow.  Happy stitching, and eating chocolate.

From the Workshop---pullout shelves

  I have a large kitchen with lots of cabinets, and unfortunately only one bank of drawers.  Drawers are important to me now, as the bending over, stooping, or almost standing on my head is dangerous for me.  It could lead to losing my balance and a fall.   So I have been doing the wifely trick of whining :)

 

Ta-da!
Yesterday Sir Old Man began installing the first set of 4 pull out shelf drawers in the island!  They are full extension drawers with 4'' sides.  And they retract so gently and smoothly.

   The corner construction of the drawers are important.  It is a double lock joint. A long story to explain.
   The intention was to used half blind dove tail construction.  It is a pretty detail, and it is a strong joint.  Sir Old Man assured me about 3 weeks ago that he could whip them together in  a couple of days at the guild workshop with the new jig and equipment there.  

   Off he went.  The first day he returned home after 8 hours with the comment the router was acting up.   Being the nice person that I am, I let it slide when he said tomorrow he would be finished.    The second day he reported that he spent about 4 hours on the phone to the company about the jig and router, etc.  I said..... what, nothing is done.  UMMMM.....and you need more wood???    I am leaving a lot out because this is  a nice post but it was clear that the equipment was useless and costing me money for wood.  Sir Old Man is a nice guy, likes to help, was a service engineer for 35 years and thinks he can fix anything......and he almost can.
   What followed was a long discussion about taking care of our projects and not trying to repair the guild's equipment.  He is not paid to do that, and the maple for the drawers costs money.   Plus, I told him I had a computer and credit card and had found a site from which to order the drawers.  Cost was about $1200 .   Sir Old Man made the wise decision that pretty dove tails were not that important and he could make the wonder, strong double blind joints in his own shop.

    So these wonderful pull out shelves can hold a lot of dishes and bake ware.  The specs say up to 80 pounds.  And now those items that get stuck in the back of the cabinet are fully accessible.  And the good news for Sir Old Man.....only about 10 more to do!

   A great job from the workshop!

The 9 patch top

  A few rays of sunlight this morning gave me the chance for some photos of the 9
patch top.  Looking at the photos I had to giggle a bit.  I am sure Janet at Rogue Quilter will know why immediately.    She commented on my last quilt of circles  that she caught the colorwash effect I got by grouping the values together.     I really put this one together randomly.....with no thought to grouping colors or values.  And right off I see dark values at the top and bottom...lol.  It is who  I am and what I do.  I can't escape it.
   One minute I think ....add a border.  And the next I think no.  I am going with no border as it is 58'' by 63''.  That is large enough for me to deal with, any larger and I would struggle with it.   That's settled!



   I have been sorting through some magazines......For projects for Sir Old Man.    I found several, but these 2 I am very interested in.  The small cabinet is needed in the sunroom for storing table runners, place mats, and etc.  The bookcase.....we always need a bookcase :)
   A few projects should occupy him for the spring and summer.  A small system is going into the shop that should take care of the heat/cool and the humidity.  That tax refund at work....!

From Confessions of a Fabric Addict

    OK....I saw this at Sarah's blog,  Confessions of a Fabric Addict .   She created the cutest baby quilt in her Stunning Stars series.  So simple and so striking.  She used 6.5'' squares and shares a super tutorial.  This one is too good to pass by.  Be sure to visit and say hello.    I could see lots of variations....string stars on darks, plaid stars for men, and floral stars for me!!  Thanks, Sarah, for sharing.

 Happy stitching.

Pantry re-do is done

  My pantry closet was never large, but I was always glad for what space I had to work with after 26 years of no pantry in the old house.  The challenge here was wasted space.  The original 18'' deep shelves needed to be reduced in depth.  Items were easily lost in the back of that cave. 

  First everything was removed.  Wire shelves were cut down to 13''.  Once the closet was painted, the wire shelves and supports were replaced.  

 

   Cutting back the wire shelves, left a good bit of usable space on the side wall.  Narrow shelves there could hold a lot of small items.

  Sir Old Man designed side shelves and supports that he could fashion from wood .  He used cleats as support for the shelves.

   Just so you know how much work Sir Old Man put into this.....each side shelf had to be measured, cut and fitted for each individual space.   It seems walls are not square anywhere😒.

  A perfectionist he is, and was in agony over the gap in the miter for the un-square corner.  I finally convinced him that pantry police, like quilt police, will not be allowed in for inspection.







     The side shelves are in and working great!  Sir Old Man also added a metal clip to the end of each shelf that  locks into the wire grid shelving.  Believe me....those small shelves are not going anywhere.

    Then my work began, as I was filling the shelves.  I have a feeling that we will be moving and shifting things around for a few days before being finished.

   A quick idea to share.  Sir Old Man brought up an extra unpainted shelf.  Since I wanted nothing sitting or stacked on the floor, he simply placed the shelf on top of the floor molding.

  Now to get it all organized and enjoy the improvement.