Me, Myself and Memories

Updates from January, 2017 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts

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  Noreen 4:27 am on January 6, 2017 Permalink  

  This was a very telling day. A friend had ask me to embroider two separate motifs onto two t-shirts. I have never worked with t-shirts, but now was as good a time as any to try it out. The motifs designs were chosen by the friend along with the size that they wanted of the finished product. I went into this with an open mind and a willing heart.

  I have been in the sewing studio for seven hours and there is still 15,000 stitches to go on the last design. The grand total was close to 100,000. I don’t have any negative felling about this. There were times when the machine would be running the same color for 60 minutes or better. I decided that this would be a wonderful day to clean the entire basement. I could keep an ear out for the sewing machine’s need of a thread color change or if the bobbin needed refilling.

  Tomorrow “Complete Basements” will be coming to do the annual check of our sump pump, and I know he appreciates as much room to work his magic as possible. Another good chance for cleaning and sorting and even pitching a bit. The annual visit is so important as the life time warranty is null and void if the annual visit is not honored. For as much rain as we have had and as much as the sump pump is still running, that is a gamble I am not willing to take.

  In the meantime, I spent some time on my computer here in the sewing studio and am working out a price list for future embroidery requests if they happen to occur. I don’t anticipate that there would be a huge demand for one time designs, but today is proof that it does happen. There is the cost of the purchase of the design from online companies selections, and then from there it is costs per 10,000 stitches, cost of thread, prep of item, etc. I don’t plan on getting rich, but I don’t plan on always doing it for nothing. This was a day of food for thought. In the meantime, Dennis has supper covered, my basement is nice and clean and I will have a friend that will be happy. It will be interesting to see if there is an offering of any type of re-reimbursement. That’s okay, I’ll be ready next time.

   
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  Noreen 5:02 am on January 5, 2017 Permalink  

  Well, what’s a body to do when I said I was taking the day off. I did listen to the news and abided by the advice that all older people should stay indoors if possible. I could work with that. I put away one of my main pet peeves when working at sewing projects. I sorted through my stick pins and threw away all the bent ones. It happens when I force pins through multi layers and, yup, there the bent suckers are to be picked up again only to be passed over. Out they went. May not seem like a worthy thing to do with my time. Believe me . . . butt deep in a project that needs to be kept in place there may be only one chance to secure it before it slips into a do-over.

  Dennis’ nephew, Brett, texted, and texted – complete with photos. Finally he came over and needed a sounding board. He is anticipating purchasing a long arm quilter on Craig’s List. We checked over the spec info, compared what there was on eBay, and then checked some more. The compete purchase package at $1,300 seems too good to be true. It would not surprise me if he doesn’t make a trip to Bloomington in the next several days. A fellow with a seasonal concrete business that likes to stay busy. I like that. Better than the bars, pull tabs, or casinos.

   
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  Noreen 5:26 am on January 2, 2017 Permalink  

  Purple is Here – 

  

  Purple is here and I don’t mean the artist “Prince.” Though the photo does not allow them to appear all that purple, the Vikings t-shirts that are both purple and black have been cut up and I am now working with sizing them after the stabilizer has been applied. My sewing studio had bare tables from Friday evening until this Sunday morning. I surely can’t let all the creative juices escape by a total air exchange.

   
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  Noreen 5:04 am on January 1, 2017 Permalink  

  So few hours left in 2016. I am finishing up the year in a good place. I don’t want for anything. My health is good. All my titanium parts are serving me well, as long as I honor them in how they were meant to enhance my life. My mind tells me that I am 30 and am invincible. Ya, right. My gate is slower and a bit wobbly sometimes. I am thankful that I know I have to keep my mind sharp. I warn Dennis that at times I might not be as patient as I should be. In my defense, there are many things that are under the umbrella of being the “detail person” here on Stauffer Avenue. I don’t anticipate having anything change in 2017. What I anticipate and what the Lord has in store for me . . . well, we all know how worlds can change in a heartbeat.

  May God bless each and every one of us going into the new year. May we live to his glory.

   
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  Noreen 3:55 am on December 31, 2016 Permalink  

  Why So Long? 

  

  I have looked in awe and been in awe of these ironing board extensions when they were showcased in quilt shops for several years. Why did I put this off? All I needed to do was fly it past Dennis and here we are not but five days later and I feel like I have a whole new outlook on getting projects laid out and ready for ironing or sewing. When what we have been struggling with becomes the final straw . . . action is taken. It is just a bit above waist high . . . easy on the back with the size being 56″ x 24″. We took our time and all three layers needed for it to have some loft in the finial surface came out wrinkle free. I couldn’t handle the stapler, but I sure could stretch the fabrics for Dennis to plunk a stable in. A good old Mary Proctor product that was new in 1962 is now the foundation of a 2016 update.   Not many items make it 54 years with many more years now to be enjoyed.  Fantastic.

   
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  Noreen 5:41 am on December 30, 2016 Permalink  

  A windy breezy day on Stauffer Avenue. There was no full moon last night but then there are just some nights when rest does not take us over for the hours when we need it. Dennis may have caught up with some “winks” today in his recliner. We were dog sitting Sandy’s dog Tix today. Tix and I made sure to stay in the sewing studio. It didn’t hurt that Tix had a few Honey Nut Cheerios as a treat. The snow has dropped considerably these last days, making room for more that is bound to come. I have a huge pot of chili going for supper and I think there may be some for several freezer containers. As always, life on Stauffer is good.

   
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  Noreen 5:37 am on December 29, 2016 Permalink  

  Dennis and I are home from the big city of Mankato and very thankful when that Stauffer Avenue sign appears and then the next right is our driveway. I have picked up another embroidery project as of the UPS delivery today. I do enjoy fulfilling family member’s dreams and needs.

  The sewing studio isn’t even going to get it’s light turned on today. Enough is enough. Tomorrow Dennis and I will put on the top layer of my new ironing board surface. Sounds silly but this is huge. Fabric all comes at 44″ wide and often times worked with it folded at 22″. Working with t-shirt blocks that are 14″ to 16″ that need stabilizer, the current surface did not allow for a block to be stabilized without moving it for an overall ironing, thus allowing for less than a good finish.

  Life is good when Grammie is busy. This is the very same sentiment that I heard from my Mom. She told me how important it was for her to feel like she and what she could do for family was still needed. I say “Amen” to that.

   
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  Noreen 9:45 am on December 28, 2016 Permalink  

  A Productive Day 

  

  We have had a great productive day here on Stauffer Avenue. Dennis’ shirt has buttons on the sleeve and we fixed the Baby Jesus on the Oak Christmas board that Kevin had made in the . . . way back days when Kevin had a wood shop in the chicken barn of the South Branch farm. Nephew Brett was over for his quilting tutorial. He has the will and I have the words. My 1962 Mary Proctor ironing board is getting a new cover. Overson Lumber cut half inch plywood that is 56″ x 24″ and that will lay right on top of the ironing board.  No more working with the peek of the ironing board. We first covered it in felt and it now has two layers of cotton batting on it for some loft. I could not have worked the stapler and . . . then Dennis came down into the sewing studio. Tomorrow when we hit Mankato, I will purchase some silicone fabric for the final cover. Ya know . . . the fabric that is shiny silver and doesn’t scorch very easily. It has been a great day and right now Dennis just took the hotdish out of the oven. Gotta run!

   
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  Noreen 4:27 am on December 26, 2016 Permalink  

  A Christmas Day of rain, sleet and a few snowflakes. It was a day for peace on Stauffer Avenue for Dennis and me as we knew everyone of our family members were safe and sound. All that is left to remember is that every day can feel like Christmas if we keep our hearts open for it to come in.

   
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  Noreen 5:05 am on December 24, 2016 Permalink  

  We are good and safe road warriors. We traveled to spend a portion of the day with Megan and Nicholas in Eden Prairie. We drove in rain with road conditions good. When we got home this late afternoon, our temperatures here at home must have been cooler as we are now showing about an inch of new snow.

  The metro family is good and it is always fun to see their home as they have decorated it for Christmas.

  My ole cowboy comes home after being gone for a day and I can almost hear his heels click as “there is no place like home.”