Water troubles

Last Thursday, the city came around and read the meters (gas, electric, water) as usual.   Some time on Friday a supervisor came by and re-read the meters.  I came home late afternoon to find a "lovely" red tag on my doorknob informing me of high water usage... more than double our normal use!  UGH!

There was no water running in the house... and yet the meter was spinning away!  I turned the shutoff valve in the basement... and still the meter was spinning! That meant there was a leak somewhere between the meter and my house. Since there were no puddles in the yard, best guess is that the leak was under the concrete slab the house was built on.  I opened the phonebook and was able to get two repair quotes before dark(one extremely high and the other comparably quite low) and the advice to call the 811 number and have all utility lines marked so work could start ASAP.  I waited for a third quote by a plumber highly recommended by one of the girls in my church group.

Scott learned his trade working with his dad, and took over his dad's business when he retired.  He is licensed and insured and a pleasure to work with!

First, the outside work.  Start with some hand digging near the house to avoid the gas line.    



Then pull out the trencher to dig across the yard and down 18in (below the frost line) to bury the new water line.

new line running under gas line into house

 

Outside work complete. 

Next, inside he capped off and removed the old incoming pipes and filter from under the bench in the center of the house in my quilting room

and hooked into the lines near the front of the house and installed a more easily accessable filter in my sewing room closet.

I'll just get a small tension rod and make a curtain to hide this rather than installing a wall with access door in the side of my closet.

Mission accomplished!  and the meter is no longer spinning like a top!

March

You know that old saying.... in like a lion out like a lamb
Well, we are having our lion...the dreaded four-letter word fell here in TN last night...SNOW!
You know the stuff... where all you have to do is hint at the "S" word and everyone in town runs to Walmart for TP, milk and bread! Even when we lived in VA, just mentioning the "S" word or seeing one flake could start a panic run.  Schools would be delayed or even closed the night before the first flake fell!  Coming from New York, I never understood it... still don't.  I know, we don't have massive amounts of removal/salting equipment here.  The school buses have all those hills and hollers to drive.  But we don't have massive amounts of snow here either.. and for the most part... the roads are usually melted clear before lunchtime.

We had maybe an inch last night... and it's sticking only on the grass!  The roads might be a little slick until it warms up in a couple hours... you just have to drive carefully.  Schools are closed here for Spring Break so no panic here, but all across middle TN they are closed due to inclement weather.  

I haven't gotten any quilting done this week.   Our church rummage sale is Friday so we have been busy taking donations, sorting and pricing.  The rainy weather yesterday gave us time to catch up with all the donations.  The snow today will probably mean a slow day too.  The nicer weather on Thursday and Friday should, hopefully, pack our tables full. (I'll get some pictures today tp [post later)

Construction on my daughter's home began Friday with digging and pouring the foundation.  Monday and Tuesday had the contractor laying the bricks.  Today, the college kids arrive and the plan is to lay the flooring.
 

I think this foundation is complete.  Flooring is next.

supplies for the flooring

 I will stop by later today to document the progress.

***UPDATE***
I was incorrect... the foundation needs about three more rows of blocks added.  Hopefully that will get done tomorrow.  The footers also have to be constructed.  The college kids are heading into Nashville tomorrow to see the sights (they are from PA, IA and IN) They will be back and ready to work hard on Friday!

I think this group is from IA

making saw horses to be used at various build sites

roof trusses for backyard shed

Not sure what these are for.  Someone suggested they might be shelving for the Habitat building

 

Totals 2013 February

I have had a busy month, trying to move forward on several UFOs and prepare some projects for entry at the fair, FCE and Junior Womens Club upcoming cultural arts programs.

Handwork:

Three years ago I bought this gorgeous teal yarn and found a pattern I liked   ("King Charles Brocade") and began knitting this afghan.  There is a lot of counting of knits and pearls for each row so I could only work on this with full concentration.... that is why it has taken me so long to complete. I am finally finished and it is ready to enter.

I also finished blanket-stitching the fusible wording on my basket sampler wall hanging and it now quilted and ready to hang.






Machine Sewing:

Last fall I began working with my son's group making applique quilt blocks for a banner to hang in the activity room where they meet.  With only two blocks remaining to be complete I began arranging blocks an deciding on a layout.

The inner border is now attached, and I am making progress on the borders for Easy Street.  I've stitched together 2 borders worth of blocks and half done with a 3rd border.  These little 3" finished blocks are so cute and I'm looking forward to a finished flimsy!

Lastly, this month I've finally set these pieced and applique blocks into a wall hanging.  I still have to add the wide muslin border with some more applique and then a final pieced border.  Still a long way to go, but I'm making progress.



 
 WORK COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY
.....07.....customer tops quilted (YTD 1)
.....03.....customer quilts bound (YTD  05)
.....01.....flimsy completed waiting to be quilted  (YTD  2) Lucky Charms, Basket Sampler
.....01.....quilted flimsy (YTD  2) Lucky Charms, Basket Sampler
.....20......hand-work hours (20 YTD )

        Bonnie Projects
.....00.....cheddar bowties blocks hand-pieced YTD  0 ...  81 of 162 in 2012)
.....00.....cheddar bowtie rows stitched (YTD  0 .... 9 of 18 in 2012)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 1 hourglass blocks made (YTD 0 .. 21of 112 in 2012)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 2  3.5in string blocks made (completed in 2012 )
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 3 2in HSTs (YTD 0 ....120 of 175 in 2012)
.....08....Orca Bay Step 4 5.5in string blocks (YTD 08....24 of 32 in 2012)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 5 cut 350 triangles and stitch to part 3 (0 of 175)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 6 cut 2.5in squares and assemble Ohio Stars (0)
.....00.....Floribunda Blocks (12 YTD).... with parts completed to assemble more blocks
..............Talkin Turkey..... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Midnight Flight....1 block complete plus parts
..............Winston Ways... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Easy Street Steps 1-7 Completed in 2012
..............Easy Street Step 8 Block A (16 of 16)
.....................Block B ( YD 9 of 9)
....01...... Easy Street  1.5 in inner border cut and sewn
.....72.... Easy Street  square in square blocks  (72 of 116 YTD
............. Easy Street final purple border

Treadling

 
Last night I was watching Bonnie treadling away on Quiltcam and she was talking about her "Red Eye".  I have recently re-organized/arranged my sewing room (again!) and un-burried my treadle.

I was yard sale shopping a few years ago and picked up this gorgeous Singer "Redeye".  The grandmother I bought it from had sewn on it "for ages" but age and health problems left her unable to continue to do so.  Sadly, none of her children or grandchildren were interested in acquiring it or learning to sew.... That has worked out just fine for me!

The serial number G8546689 indicates that it was made in 1921.... a A Singer 66.

Looking on the internet I have found the decal pattern may originally have been called "Scroll (red)".  But the common names for it are "Red Head" or "Red Eye" due to the red eye-shaped design in the decal decoration.



It is in excellent shape for a 92 year old!  They sure don't build them like this anymore!

Some other general information I was able to copy off the internet:

The Singer 66 sewing machine produces a near perfect stitch. When sewing well the 66 will out-sew nearly any modern machine through a huge variety of fabrics from linen to lace, horse blankets to buckram. It is simply near perfect engineering but this came at a price. A Singer 66 was one of the most expensive sewing machines on the market costing several months wages.  Most sewers would opt for the smaller twin, the Singer 99, but for those professional sewers who wanted more foot clearance and space the Singer 66 was the queen. Expensive but simply the best.

The 66 arrived after nearly half a century of improvements and developments.The mass produced machine was introduced around 1900 and used the smooth oscillating hook. The hook mounted horizontally allowed the bobbin to be simply dropped into the machine. The simplicity of threading and perfection of stitch made the 66 an instant best seller. The high-arm clearance and sewing ability was second to none.

It ran from the 1900 right up until the model was superseded by the amazing Singer 201 in 1939. The Singer 201 was possibly the finest Singer ever produced. The smaller stable-mate to the Singer 66 was the Singer 99 identical except for size.

The British Singer 66's were adorned with three different decals. Firstly the Lotus petal; then came the Sphinx which was also used on the Singer 15k and a few other shuttle models. In America the red-eye pattern stayed with the machine whereas in Britain the Singer 66 had three decal changes.

The Singer "Red Eye" gets its name from the beautiful lenticular design used throughout its decoration. Several other machines earn names from their embellishments such as the Sphinx, Lotus, Memphis, Egyptian, etc.

Bonnie suggested starting with string blocks when learning to treadle... no need for perfect 1/4 inch seams....that is exactly what I plan to do.  I have a bag of gifted strings that need to be sewn!  

I'll need to research how to oil and clean her up a bit first; but hope to be ready to sew on her by the time Bonnie returns for the next Quiltcam.

 

Wednesday Sewing Sisters

There are several members of our local quilt guild that, for a variety of reasons, do not go to the night-time meetings.  We didn't want to miss out on the social and sharing aspect so we organized a daytime guild meeting at our LQS in 2011.  With the closing of our LQS last summer, our day meetings came to a sudden halt.  By the time October rolled around, we were missing our gatherings and I arranged to use a room in our local library to gather and sew.  

Since many of us a guild members (some do attend the night meetings) we do share guild information, but we decided not to be a "guild" meeting with a specific agenda or project to work on.  Everyone brings whatever project they are working on and we sit and chat and sew.

Judy was frogging the ditch stiching she did last month

Peggy was pinning her cancer ribbon getting ready to quilt

Merry was handpiecing her apple cores

I stitched the inner border onto my Easy Street top.  It was nice having lots of space and bigger tables to work .

I also finished stitching this little wall hanging I began in a class at Becky's Quilt Barn last September.... you can read about it here:

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4545104586551376905#editor/target=post;postID=8659972040860552852

I returned home from class and got busy and it has been patiently waiting for me to decide how to complete it.  The problem is that it is too small for my wall and I don't have enough of that blue to make it bigger.  After consulting with the girls today, I have decided to add a wide muslin border and applique some flowers and or baskets and make a final scrappy border to finish this out.

It was a fun morning and I look forward to our next meeting.

Hope Banner

Several years ago, retired members of a local church realized that there was a need for a safe and supervised environment for post-high school students with disabilities.  These former teachers, nurses and businessmen gathered together, and with funding from their parish, formed Hope Academy.  Every Wednesday during the school year these 20-something individuals, with a variety of disabilities, gather together for a day of fun activities, crafts, games and meals.  This also provided a much needed break for parents of these special young adults.

The program began in a small house behind the church with four students, two volunteers (retired teacher and a nurse) with at one parent required to take a turn to attend each week to help.  This year we expanded to 6 students and added two more permanent adult volunteer and moved into the large activity room in the church basement.

We wanted to decorate the bare walls of the room with something that the kids could make.  The decision was made to make a banner to hang on the back wall of the meeting room.  I spent the first half of the school year working with each child, parent, and volunteer choosing, fusing and blanket-stitching applique blocks. 

Trey

Blake

Olivia

Suzie

Ashley E

Ashley W

Matthew

Carole

Margena

Becky

Barbara

Brenda

Carl

 

HelenMarie

Julie

 

Janey

I am playing with the layout and sashing right now.  
The two original "teachers" are in the top row on the left.  
The two new "teachers" joined us this year will be on the right.  
There are six current students in the second row.
The third and fourth rows are parents.
 

There are two blocks still being worked on by teacher/parent and I still need to cut cornerstones and applique "Hope Academy" on the blue panel in the top middle.  But I am finally making visible progress on this project!

Another Acquisition!

Today I was gifted with this beautiful, in a cabinet, Singer 15-90.  

Margena is downsizing... she and her son have swapped houses... his small two bedroom home was getting too small for his growing family and her 5-bedroom family house in the country was too big for her living alone.  Everyone is happier, but she is still trying to give stuff away that she no longer has room to keep.

This was her mother's sewing machine; she remembers making costumes and clothes for her children with it.

I checked on the serial number and found it was made in 1946.

 Look at the beautiful etching on this metal plate!

Some of the decals on the front and center of the base are worn, as is the finish on the wooden table... but this was a well used and cared for machine.

I'm not too sure about this motor and light.  I doubt they were original parts. The light is held on with this awesome chrome disk, but they just stand out as too different with their plastic-y white casings.  I'll have to ask when I see her next week what the story is.

But, look at what I found in the bottom drawer!  The original manual (which is how I know it's a 15-90!) and the original box full of assorted attachments!

Progress Report

I started this afghan three years ago as a tv watching - keep my hands busy project.  I love the teal color and haven't seen a yarn this color before (the picture doesn't do it justice).  The pattern is called King Charles Brocade.
I did two rows of double crochet around the edge... couldn't remember how to do the scalloped edging that I normally have done in the past. (sigh)

I added an additonal border to my Basket Sampler Wall Hanging to make it better fit my wall.  I'm in the process of blanket stitching the wording.... one step closer to a finish!

I spent most of yesterday cleaning up and organizing my sewing room.  I can now see my cutting table top!  I have now formed a plan for borders for my Easy Street quilt (with help from my online friend Cindy and EQ7).  

One block complete.... 115 to go!


This was a groundbreaking week for my daughter and grandson as they began work on their first new home.