wundermary says:

It's a Major Award! and Some Other Stuff.

2012-01-23T01:14:00.012-06:00

My friend Linda at Hello, It's Me, who is truly a versatile blogger, has given me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you Linda! As a show of gratitude, I am to tell you 7 little known facts about myself and then pass this award on to 3 other bloggers. Honestly, Linda is the most versatile blogger I am reading these days. Mostly, I stick to rather focused blogs. So, I will have to stew a bit on whom I will pass this on to. But, I will tell you 7 little known things about myself.

1. I dislike clowns. I despised them as a kid and I think they are creepy, now. Seriously, why? I just don't get it.

2. I am one of the best secret keepers on the face of the earth. I have no compulsion to tell others things; quite the opposite. If I am asked to keep something secret, I'll likely take it to the grave.

3. Scary films make me laugh. I think The Exorcist is one of the funniest things I have ever seen in my life.

4. I was in kindergarten when Sesame Street came on the air. Our teacher, Mrs. Donkle, told us that 'there was a brand new show on, just for us'. I thought she meant that quite literally and was shocked in first grade to find out that other kids besides me and my kindergarten classmates were watching it, also.

5. I continue to be amazed and disappointed by haters. I should know better by now.

6. I am constantly imagining structural loads in buildings and bridges I see.

7. In 2000, I stopped four lanes of traffic to pick up an injured hawk on the highway. He was later released and didn't seem particularly grateful.

If you are reading this, something you probably know about me is I am a little obsessed with my sewing machine. I've been working on gathering all of the vintage attachments that would have come with it and some of the newer ones that work on it. So far, I have been pretty successful. I am very near to having a complete style box for this machine and have also picked up a buttonholer, blind hemmer and a zig zagger.

I've also picked up a vintage manual, in addition to a Xeroxed copy that I feel better about actually using. Knowing that the machine needs some adjustment, I've decided that it would be a good idea to pick up the shop manual for my machine, also known as the Adjuster's Manual. Just today, I exchanged this series of messages over a Xeroxed copy of the manual being offered on eBay:

Me: Hi! I would like to know if this manual has detailed information on timing (or retiming) this machine. Thank you! M.

jimsterxxx*: yes. It is complete. It is a photocopy of the one and only ORIGINAL Singer shop manual for this make and model. If it is not in this manual it is not in any manual.

Me: I am trying to make out what is listed in the table of contents. Would you please post a clearer shot of the contents page? Thank you, Mary

jimsterxxx: We have sold hundreds of these manual as listed. Please don't buy sounds like you would be more trouble then the 4 bucks we make on the item.

Me: A simple "no" would suffice. I am dissapointed by your rudeness, I'll be sure to avoid all of your auctions in the future. Sincerely, Mary

jimsterxxx: NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is that "simple" enough for you?

Me: Certainly. I just downloaded it for free from the Singer site. Thanks for the encouragement. Sincerely, Mary

jimsterxxx: You should have done that to begin with. I am sure you were able to read the index and have all of your questions answered by them also.

So pathetic. Rude and doesn't even realize that he never answered my question, which is what caused me to ask another question. What is really sad about this is that this seller specializes in vintage sewing machine parts and accessories. I'm a buyer with a 100% rating. We should be a great match. But, I will avoid his items like the plague. I'm sure that's okay. He doesn't want to do business with a high maintenance trouble maker like me, anyway :P

*xxx represents three digits that complete the ID of this seller.

Out With the Old...

2011-12-27T18:58:00.001-06:00

and in with the new...to me. This is an excerpt from an email I got from a friend of mine, concerning the demise of her sewing basket:

"The subject was to be : 'I guess I'm all growed up now.'
It was a sad day when I finally had to discard the only sewing basket I've ever had...
I've had this little purple basket since I was 9.
Actually, I knew I had to do something when Rob described it as 'brown'.
Well, men tend to be colorblind, so that wasn't enough for me to dump this still functioning memento.
    Over time I have rewoven & glued the 'straw' back in place, glued & stitched the straps that prevent the lid from opening too far,
there is a safety pin holding one side of the handle to the lid...
   Still useful...
   What finally set this in motion was a cat knocking over a Spider plant that was rooting in water.
Landing, of course, in the open sewing basket. When I dumped out everything, I saw how torn & stained the lining was.
Help me say goodby to a dedicated, loyal, trusted friend who, over the years, stood by silently, ready to serve...
Whew - I need a moment..."
AW! She also went on to comment that her brother has a replacement for her. "I haven't asked why he has a rose colored sewing basket in his possession, but you know my brother." Ha, I do know her brother and that makes it quite a bit better!

This all made me think about my first sewing basket, which was a gift from my grandmother when I was quite young. Maybe five? I still have it and it is a little tattered, too. I rediscovered it packed away at my mom's a few years ago. It no longer contains sewing materials, just a few oddball mementos of my grandmother. It sits on a shelf in my sewing room.

At a yard sale in 1985, I picked up a NOS hatbox style sewing box from the 50s or 60s. I seriously chiseled the lady down on it (I was so poor back then!) and it has been my box ever since. When I pulled it and my first box out for photos I realized for the first time what my friend had discovered: they're kinda icky! It's funny how we think they are so precious that we'd never want to let go of them. Someone else would probably find some of the contents of interest, but, not much else.

The image at left is part of my Christmas haul: my husband purchased these old needle cases for me. How awesome is that? Things like this are not expensive and I am sure the sellers aren't retiring to Hawaii off of the profits. But, it's nice that they came up for sale rather than hit the curb.

I always find it is interesting what people do and do not value. As an avid yard sale/ flea market/ junk shop/ garbage picker, I do appreciate the fact that some people understand that some things have value to others and pass them on in a usable fashion, rather than destroy them. Case in point: I made mention today of a stellar vintage mink-lined rain coat that I garbage scored in the 80s. I was glad to get it for free. But, if I hadn't been there, it could have easily gone to the dump.

My husband also picked up this Singer Puzzle Box. It is not in the best of shape and it is missing many of the attachments. I think it's condition is fine and I was especially interested in it because it contains a gem: the item to the far left of the second compartment down is a shuttle for my Singer 27. I now have a spare and that is a great thing! I've also ordered a reprint of the 1906 Singer Attachment Manual, so that I can begin refilling this box. :)

For Christmas, I also received this intense jello mold of Liberty Lighting the World. Seriously, short of a winning lottery ticket; it doesn't get much better than this. I hope Santa was good to you, too!

More photos are here.

Chocolate Dipped Cashew Crescents.

2011-12-20T19:13:00.005-06:00

Today, I decided to get my Christmas cookies done.

Last week, we carried out our 4th Annual Cookie Swap at work and I made Chocolate Dipped Almond Crescents; they looked identical to these. In preparation for that baking session, I asked Eric to pick up some nuts for baking. I asked him to get almonds and another type of nut, maybe pecans. He brought home a pound of raw cashews, in addition to the almonds.

So, for today's cookie, I decided to use the cashews. I toasted them in the oven, then ground them into a meal in the food processor. I stopped them just at that point where they were about to become paste. I make my own nut butters, so, I've already met that point of no return. if you haven't ever tried this, it is the point where all of the nut meats stop rotating in the bowl and suddenly press up against the wall of the processor, spilling over at the top.

I decided to make some changes to the Almond Crescent recipe I had found online and this is what I came up with:
1 c. unsalted butter, plus 2T, room temperature
2/3c. granulated white sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
Cream these together, then add:
1 1/2 c. cashew meal (approximately 1/2 lb raw, unsalted nuts)
1/2 tsp salt (I grind mine very fine in a mortar)
2c. white flour
Cut together until you have a moist meal that holds it's shape when pressed together. If your room is very warm, you may have a dough with a soft texture and that is fine, too.

Working with clean hands, roll balls about an inch in diameter, then roll out, shaping the crescent with tapered ends. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet, with at least an inch between them, as they will spread a bit. How many cookies you get from this recipe depends on the size of cookie you make. You will get about 4 1/2 dozen with these instructions. I made larger cookies last week, resulting in 3 1/2 dozen per batch and did not have to alter the baking time.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the bottoms begin to brown. Let them sit on the sheet for a minute, then slide the entire sheet of parchment onto a firm surface and allow them to cool before handling.

Melt your chocolate over low heat in a double boiler. To help it dip smoothly, add about a T of vegetable shortening for each bag of chips used. I'm a fan of Ghirardelli semi-sweet for dipping, but, you should use whatever you like best.

Dip your cookies at least half way, I think of the end as a little handle. I sprinkled some of the nut meal on top of the wet chocolate on some of the cookies and I thought that was a nice touch. You should probably have a baking assistant for this, though. I found the chocolate was getting hard by the time I could get to it, myself.

Melt your white chocolate in the double boiler over low heat, also. Transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a fine tip and pipe the tops of all of the cookies in the design of your choice.
I worked in shifts, transferring pans of cookies onto the (unheated) porch to cool. While I was out there I saw this! But, it didn't amount to much; the grass is still green.

At the outset, I thought I might like a Cashew Crescent better. Cashews have a higher fat content than almonds do and their flavor is so subtly sweet. I wasn't disappointed! I doubt that I will return to the Almond Crescent after this; I may even try pecan and hazelnut versions.

Photos are here.

Look What I Got! II

2011-12-15T17:56:00.003-06:00

I've been shopping.
I'm a bit of a sucker for old sewing notions.

Recently, I decided that I needed to get a buttonholer for my Singer 27 and went on a bit of an internet search for one. I did some research to find out what ones would be compatible with my machine, then I was all over Ebay and Etsy, looking at different ones. I almost went for the "Jetson's" model. But, I found this one from 1930 or so and bought it instead. I like the fact that it doesn't attempt to hide it's mechanical nature, you make the needed adjustments yourself. I also like that it is more in keeping with the vintage of my machine. Of course, since I was paying for shipping anyway, I bought a couple of other goodies from the same seller that will end up framed in my sewing room.

These buttons strike me as especially funny. Of course I think the card is amusing and is a great companion to the Swagger Pearls. But what is really funny to me is that the buttons are of terrible quality and horribly mismatched. Perhaps the seller attached some buttons to flesh out the card? Maybe she got it that way, herself. They could've came from the store as a cut-rate product; there is absolutely no manufacturer information on them. It's not that I feel ripped off. I paid five dollars for these with an eye to the image and would never consider using the buttons. So, it's all good.

This embroidery base is actually not on a card, but, a flimsy piece of paper. It's amazing this stuff survives at all. Since it has no printing on the back, I'm likely to mount it to a heavier piece of stock to stabilize it for framing.

I remember looking at stuff like this with my grandmother in the five and dime. They were in drawers with a sample stuck to the front and you'd look through and get the one you wanted. Sometimes they were in little glassine envelopes, sometimes they weren't. You couldn't market anything like that now; it would get torn up.

All in all, it's been an exciting mail day, here. A total of three packages arrived, all containing notions. One of the packages contained the magnetic snaps I ordered for my Minoru jacket. So, I officially have everything I need to get underway with that project!

More photos are here.

Singer Model 27, 1905.

2011-11-14T12:08:00.001-06:00

This is my beloved machine. I picked this beauty up at a yard sale for $20.00. They looked like they were delighted to get that much out of this old relic. I felt like the cat that ate the canary. I love it when everyone goes away happy.

Yesterday, it wasn't stitching properly. So, I decided to work it over. I went to the Singer website and printed off the owners manual, which is available as a free PDF. I then oiled the dickens out of the machine and put a new needle in. Suddenly, the stitch skipping was worse. This is the sole statement in the manual on skipped stitches: "See that the needle is correctly set (see page 5), is not blunt, bent or too fine for the thread." I rechecked the needle position. I changed the thread. I fiddled with the tensions. It would stitch fine at a very slow pace. At a reasonable clip, I had big gaps of missed stitches. I opened the shuttle door and ran it by hand. I tipped it up in the case and ran it by hand. Everything seemed fine. I had horrible thoughts. What if the shuttle is too worn and no longer sits right in the race? Who would I take this machine to that would have the knowledge and patience to look at it? What if I can't use it anymore?

Okay, if the shuttle were so worn that it was having a hard time picking up the top thread, wouldn't a heavier thread be better? So, I pulled out the dual duty thread that I bought for the Minoru jacket, loaded some on the bobbin and threaded it up. Worse! So much worse! I sat and meditated on the machine. I think: There is no chip standing between me and the function. It is so simple; the answer has to be there (cue Zoolander moment). I look at the needle I replaced. I look at the needle in the machine. I look at some of the other needles I have. The one that came out of the machine and the one that is in it are a hair longer than the ones in the side pocket. There is no mechanism for the tip of the needle to collide with. What if the needle is too short? I adjust it down a bit and clamp it in place. Voila! I need to go buy new, longer needles! So, we buzz away through some canvas. Beautiful! I can't wait to sew this jacket.

Woot!

A Blog Post about other Blog Posts.

2011-11-13T00:56:00.005-06:00

I went to the fabric store today. Because, I am planning on taking part in the January Sew-Along of the Minoru jacket. I have been shopping for some water resistant outer gear and haven't been thrilled with the fit and/or features that are available in my price range. So, I was delighted to see the pre-sale and Sew-Along notice for this pattern. I've looked at some really great vinyl coated cottons and waffled over whether I should plow ahead and make a waterproof version of this jacket right off, or make a less expensive version as a trial and save the uber unforgiving (and pricier) fabric for a second run. I've opted for the less expensive version, first. This chocolate/jade medium weight canvas was $3.95 a yard. I'd also flip-flopped over a beautiful poppy print. But, it was a little loud and since the laminated fabrics I've been eyeing are quite loud, I think I'll save the attention grabbing fabric for the rain coat version. The flannel pictured here will be the underlining.

I bought this fabric at Hancock. The sales lady was really helpful. She helped me pick out a fusible interfacing (I rarely use the stuff), and was great when it came time to select a zipper. They did not have anything that I really wanted. I need a 30" separating zipper for the size I am making and I want it to be metal. She pulled open a stock drawer and whipped out an order pad. What she handed me was an order form for a custom zipper from Custom Zips, in Norwalk, CT. So, I am going to pay a bit more. But, I will be getting two zippers that will be matched to my fabric. The front zipper will be a separating two-way. How awesome is that?

I haven't even gotten the pattern yet and I am already planning on what I am going to do to it to customize it. I've already decided that I will piece the neck/collar differently, so that the zipper is covered by a fold. If the cuffs are elasticized, I will create a seam line at the upper edge of the casing and stitch in a gathered piece to mimic the look. I will then use that seam to add in an elasticized draft guard. I like a darted elbow, but, I do not see one on the illustration. I will be inserting a micro fleece guard on the inside front and up over the top edge of the zipper and a storm flap to the outside, too. I also want to engineer a button-out hood and liner. Speaking of the linings; that is the fabric I chose, at right. It has absolutely nothing to do with the exterior of the jacket. But, it made me laugh and will likely make me smile every time I put on or take off this jacket.

I also picked up this leopard print while I was at the fabric store. I am still obsessing on the factory wrap and want to make it a couple more times. This is a very lightweight cotton and should be very comfortable to wear. Lauren at Wearing History Patterns, was kind enough to send me the newly updated instructions for this pattern. I think she did a nice job of updating them for the modern sewer. Also, her new samples really look great. I think I am going to have to make up view 2. It looks so adorable in blue gingham, it is irresistible!

Recently, a vintage fair pin was featured over at V for Vintage. I think these pins are fascinating. Back in the 30s and 40s, it was common to find vendors at county fairs that specialized in this type of wire work. They would make up common names and sentiments to draw people to their booth and would make whatever name you wanted, on the spot while you watched. This example here belonged to my mother. It was made for her at the Vernon County Fair in the early 40s.

I've been fascinated by this pin ever since I was a kid. This year, I have begun learning to do wire work. I have been working on making pins and closures. I haven't yet attempted to do a name. But, I am going to begin working on this. I'd very much like to learn to do these. I've even found a source for the square wire.

Does this Hat make me Look Crazy?

2011-11-09T11:17:00.012-06:00

So I cruised ahead as planned and made Simplicity 4700. This is a pattern from my mom's stash that has always fascinated me. Over the years, I've looked at it numerous times and thought about making it. Recently, I ran into this design for sale here and got to see what it looks like made-up, for the first time. So, I pulled out my mom's pattern and traced the pieces off. I hadn't remembered that the instructions were missing. So, I scrutinized the images of the hat, trying to determine the construction method. I thought that it had an inverted box pleat at the back. So, I contacted Lauren at Wearing History and inquired after the directions. She directed me to the pattern on her site and I ordered it (and the 30's Toppers, too!) so I could have at the directions and stash away my mom's delicate copy.

Generally speaking, I don't leave much of anything alone, when I am supposed to be following directions. After I had traced this pattern off and looked at the photos of it online, I decided that the brim was probably much too large and scaled it down. I decided to do away with the gathering at the sides and I considered making the false front more narrow. For whatever reason, I left that alone. I also lengthened the tails of the scarf by a couple of inches and rounded out the angular hems. So, when the directions arrived, I was ready to put this thing together.

I am very glad I picked up the directions. It is only three pieces, but, the construction is not that intuitive. Now that I've put it together once, it really wasn't hard. But, the scarf attachment at the edge of the brim is really quite ingenious and not exactly what I thought it was, judging by the images. The notions list calls for tailors' canvas. I used a regular medium weight cotton canvas from JoAnn Fabrics and that worked fine. I also employed techniques that are commonly used in modern baseball hat construction. I stitched the canvas and the underside of the brim together in concentric rings, then attached the upper brim fabric right sides together, trimmed close to the stitching, then turned it, favoring the upper edge. I assembled the upper front in the same manner.

This pattern was designed to be cut from either purchased fabric or a 24"x24" bandana. I am sure it appeared most commonly in the bandana form and would look a heck of a lot better in that than this wacko fabric I chose. But, the Monopoly fabric is 100% cotton, has the lighter weight I was after and it was a piece that I wouldn't have cried over if this didn't turn out. I wore it a bit at work yesterday, just to give my coworkers a laugh. The giant "false storefront" effect is too much! So, I am going to tinker with this pattern a bit more. I plan on changing the size and shape of both the upper and lower brim and fiddling with the scarf a bit more, too. I've got some rayon challis I'd like to work this up in. Not only would the lighter fabric be nice, but, historically a good choice as well. Synthetics were booming in the 40s; the war had made silk a scarce commodity. I feel a new era of Scarf Cult coming on!

Pictured here is my 1905 Singer. It was manufactured in Elizabeth, NJ on October 2nd, 1905 and it just had a birthday! If you have an older Singer machine that you would like dated, just send the serial number to talktous@singerco.com and they will tell you all about it.

Buster was my coach as I worked on this project. He was so thoughtful to remind me to take breaks while I worked. It was very kind of him to sacrifice his own comfort for lap sitting, belly rubs and ear scratching so that I would not become fatigued. Now I must move on to new sweaters for the boys. I just looked up and it is snowing!

More photos are here.

It's so Nice to be Sewing, Again.

2011-11-01T13:12:00.007-05:00

Over the weekend, I cleared the shared work area of my jewelry making supplies and set up sewing machines, again. I dug through my stash and laundered some fabric, so that I could get to work on some hats for work. That's not a big or glamorous project. But, they are something I need and a great place to start. First up was this bouffant, in fabric that I'd forgotten I had; perfect for Halloween. I had to draft the pattern, first. It was fun to do a small project and I will be making more of these.

Then I moved on to the 1940s factory wrap. I pulled it out and copied the pieces onto heavier stock. I do not have the directions. But, I looked it over well and scrutinized the illustrations and I think I have it figured out. We shall see, since I will be doing a mockup, this week. I am hoping I will like this as much as I think I will. I am thinking that this will be an excellent work hat for me.

Last Thursday was the reception for the unveiling of the 2010-2011 Hospice Quilt. I cut out of work early, so that I could attend. When I got there, the place was mobbed. I hung back a bit, then got in line to check out the quilt. It's pretty nice! It has some great squares.

I was surprised that the quilters had decided to use the squares at a larger size than they had designated in the instructions. So, the design on my mom's square is off, since stuff that should have been out of sight is not. Mostly, I was a little taken aback that they'd left in the basting that designated the edge and the stabilizing basting, beyond that. The quilt will hang in their office for the next year. So, I'm going to go down there armed with my embroidery scissors and remove the basting. My mom never would have had basting show on the front of a piece, so, I just can't have that!

Photos are Here.

I Guess Summer is Over...

2011-10-24T14:59:00.009-05:00

I've really enjoyed my clothes line and my Champion Stay-Open Clothespin Bag. I know it won't be long before I go back to using the dryer and will lose that fabulous scent line dried clothes have. It has been unseasonably warm, in the 50s and 60s during the day all this last week. So, I am going to enjoy it while I can. Apparently, I am not the only one that feels this way. We have a number of flowers that have popped out blooms in a last ditch attempt to savor the sun. We have lilies, echinacea and sun flowers that are blooming right now and I have seen violets in the last couple of weeks. The grasshoppers are huge. But, the birds know what's going on. They've suddenly accelerated their feeding schedule. The sunflower feeder was only getting filled maybe once a week this summer. Now, it is empty by the second morning.

Knowing that it is migration season, we have set up a landing pad and feeding station for our traveling hummers. I wasn't able to find an entirely red plastic table cover. So, I settled for this classic checked style and picked up some of that Krylon paint for plastics. Eric sprayed a huge red circle onto the cover, then gave it a red and yellow center. We are hoping that it reads as a beacon from overhead. Eric also welded a shepard's hook to a clamp, which we then attached to the edge of the table. So, there is no mystery where to go, once you get here. I have no idea if it has provided a respite to any travelers. I hope so.

While I am thinking about birds, Eric experienced something a little disturbing last week. We have a resident great horned owl that lives at the edge of our yard. Apparently, (s)he cruised very low over Eric and the dogs as they were out for their evening outing. Eric said (s)he was very silent and the dogs didn't even know that it had happened.

So, now that we are spending more time indoors, we are pressing ahead to finish the living room. Last week, we finished prepping the walls and faux finished them with one shade of pale green and two of pale blue. We then hand painted tree silhouettes onto two of the walls. The window trim has already been finished and is back on. The mop boards are close to completion. But, before they go on, the floor will get refinished. Then, the crown moulding will go up and we get to move back in! That sounds so good. We have a pin ball machine tucked away that will make it's way in; so much fun!

It's also this time of year that I want to work on sewing projects. Of course, I need to get busy with dog apparel. I've been inspired by the block I did for the Hospice Quilt to start collecting squares for an autograph quilt. I've already arranged my first block swap! And, I want to make some hats. I have the pattern for this 1940s work hat. I think I will redraft it a bit and figure out some fabric for it. I am thinking of using some designs from my WW II era Thermographs (also from my mom's stash) to design some fabric on Spoonflower. We shall see. I am also quite taken by this 1950s design. I plan on drafting this as well and rendering it in Sonic Fabric. I've also been scheeming on taking apart my wedding dress and reworking it. It went together a little slap-dash at the time and I'd like to rectify that.

In a completely unrelated note: check out this deluxe topiary! Sometimes, I pass this place on my way to work. I must remember to photograph it in the spring. The cloud-pruned trees are a flowering variety and are lovely then.

More photos are here!

Crazy Autograph Quilt Square.

2011-08-02T11:27:00.020-05:00

My mom will have passed one year ago on the twelfth. I knew that there was an annual Hospice quilt in the works. But, it hadn't really registered. When I got the "last call" a couple of weeks ago, I was jarred into action. My mom's favorite type of quilt was the crazy quilt and she especially liked the autograph versions. So, I thought that would be the best type of block to make.

My first order of business was to run through my scraps. I pulled out bits and pieces of things that she had worked on; I had worked on; or, we had worked on. Then, I pulled out the embroidery floss. I've embroidered for the majority of my life and have a huge collection of flosses of my own. I also have a box that was my mom's and one that was my grandmother's. So, plenty to sift through, there.

In one of my boxes, I turned up a series of embroidered scraps. Years ago, my mom had showed me a crazy quilt tree skirt kit from the Herrschners catalog. I decided to make two of them for wedding presents, one of which went to my niece. I went through my mom's scraps and picked out pieces from clothing and items that she had made for my niece and siblings when they were growing up. I assembled the one that was for my niece and sent it off. But, the friend the second skirt was intended for divorced and the skirt was never assembled. I tucked the pieces away and had forgotten about them.

Seeing them again, I realized that they had some really weird karma. Not only had my friend divorced, but, my niece as well. I knew I could never put them into any other project. Figuring that nothing bad could ever happen to my mom again, this project seemed like the perfect home for them.

I picked over the fabric selections and whittled down my choices. I chose a reject block from a quilt my mom had made for me; fabric from three skirts I had made, including one that my mom had picked out the fabric for; some silk I had in my stash that was printed in my mom's favorite colors: red, purple and green; and a dress we had made together. I also added a butterfly to represent my mom's (and mine) interest in butterfly gardening and a print of a vintage valentine with a bee. I selected three of the aforementioned embroidered scraps that worked best with my fabric selections and Eric screen printed my mom's photo onto silk.

Doing this signature is a bit of a cheater. Traditionally, ladies stitched their own squares and swapped them. So, when you encounter an antique autograph quilt, you are probably looking at the stitching of the person whom the signature belonged to. But, for the purpose of a memorial quilt, I think this is fine.

I went through her old checks and picked out a perfect example of her signature as I remember it. I expanded it on a copier, then stitched through the paper onto the fabric. I then sprayed the paper with water and picked the paper off, leaving the basting behind. I used the basting as a guide to embroider the signature.

This particular piece of fabric came from a skirt I had made. She had really liked this fabric. I think it is especially pertinent because we had spent so much time looking at the stars. When we would go up north, we would stand out in the dark and stare up at the sky. The last time, we stood out in the road in our nightgowns. She was nervous about being seen. I coaxed her out into the road, telling her that we could hear and see any vehicle long before they could see us. We got a magnificent view of the Milky Way that night.

So, I cut an 8"x8" back piece and began trimming and basting all of my pieces into place. Once the base pieces were basted in place, I began embroidering the seams. I learned to embroider from my grandmother. But, I hadn't done any in a few years. Rather than dig around and look at some books, I just winged it from memory. I could have had a few more stitches. But, I stuck to the basics and did the first few stitches I learned.

After the basic outline was in place for the embroidery, I added the butterfly, valentine and orange appliqué. I then went back and embellished all of the stitches, interspersing the colors throughout the piece. I had wanted to add a chocolate colored ribbon from an Easter bunny, but I wasn't sure where I had put them. This piece had to be handed in on Monday, so I dropped it off in the afternoon. On Tuesday, I saw one of the little ribbons in the kitchen. I guess that means that I should fish around amongst my family and friends to see if I can get a few stitching ladies together for a swap.

More photos are here.

Do You See What I See?

2011-07-23T03:31:00.002-05:00

We have been having a heatwave. It has been in the 90s every day and horribly dry. So, I was pretty delighted to get rain yesterday and a rather substantial storm today. I didn't even mind that I had to go around and tie a few things up and stake a couple of others. While staking this milkweed, I spotted this Monarch caterpillar. It seems that our little guy didn't become a snack, after all. He is doing quite well.

Spotting this guy reminded me to take a look for black swallowtail caterpillars. At a quick glance, I saw three in the kitchen garden. In fact, we had about fifteen of them today. Our dill bed isn't as substantial as it should be and doesn't provide as much cover as I would like. So, we are likely to bring a few in to the safety of the porch. I am distressed at how few butterflies I have seen this year. One Monarch and two swallowtails just doesn't cut it for me. I'd like to foster a few, in the hopes of seeing more.

Photos are here.

Full Blown Summer.

2011-07-19T03:23:00.008-05:00

Summer is so seriously here. Everything is blooming, humming, buzzing and singing. Unfortunately, it is insanely hot and we are terribly short on rain. We have a bird bath and a fountain running. So, I think our birds are doing fine. There doesn't seem to be a shortage of bugs, either. This cicada popped out yesterday. He crawled out of this hole, which Buster was a little obsessed with. I really like cicadas. I love the way they sound and I think they are pretty cool looking, too. In North America, there are six different kinds of cicadas. But, I haven't yet found a guide with which to identify them. Yesterday's was green, unlike the orange ones we photographed at Great Serpent Mound a few years ago.

Eric put these drumstick allium in last fall and I am really liking them! So are the bees. They seem to be at them, constantly. We have no shortage of flowers to attract them, our garden has really improved in the last three years and has a nice variety of flowers blooming all season. But, we are not seeing as many bees as we'd like and virtually no butterflies. We had one monarch caterpillar on the milkweed and it seems that someone must have eaten him. I hope it tasted bad and made them horribly ill. Also in this shot is one of our flamingos. They started out as the black skeleton ones. We wanted the best of both worlds, so, they've gotten a paint job. Next, their bones will be coated with glow-in-the-dark paint, so we can have spooks at night.

Last week, I attempted my first tiramisu. I compared a bunch of recipes and found a good tutorial. I think I was fairly successful my first time out. I was patient about letting it sit for 24 hours and it was good. But, at 48 hours, it morphed into a sublime beast. Next time, I'll assemble two days ahead! I went to Aldi today and bought the last two packages of the lady fingers I had used. So, there will be a next time.

A few weeks ago, a tragedy occurred in South Beloit. A Lustron house I pass every day on my way to work went up in flames. The house had a garage attached with a breezeway and it looked like the fire had started in the garage. I am assuming that the original interior had been removed and replaced with conventional materials, since the interior of the house had clearly burned well. It doesn't look like the house is salvageable and this makes me sad. It was a little gem and I am sure it is only a matter of time before it must be demolished. If you are inclined, perhaps you could save some of it.

I found some photos that Eric had taken this spring of our early bloomers: They're here. The usual suspects are here.

Sun Spot.

2011-07-12T10:07:00.004-05:00

This spring, Buster began pestering to get us up around 6:00 am. At first, we were alarmed, thinking that he had to go outside. But, that wasn't what was going on. He had discovered that there is a sun spot in the living room and wanted to go lay in it, rather than hang out with the humans. Of course, we've had to put the kabash on that. But, after they've gone out at a more proper hour (after 8:00 am), the sun spot is the place to be. Here we have "Pushy" and "Me Too" in the midst of the post breakfast ritual.