Art, Craft and Needlework, November, 2023

[Nancy]

Okay it has been a week I have not been anywhere for a week and a day as far as I can figure from my done list.
Been trying to not get groc. every week.
I talked to lots of people today!
I did lots of writing while I have been home.
Family all has heat now as far as I know.

Of course except me one person from out of the area reliting said some systems need a bit of adjustment.
So I closed the curtains and the bedrooms kgot the heaters resituated and turned on the tea kettle and went back to my
no heat regimen, neighbors said they had a gas water heater and that was the hardest.
I have been without a water heater and know how to boil water on the stove and add cold with it for a bath.
One guy put in a tankless electric water heater.

I am over my mad now and simmered down took a couple of shorter walks and that helped.
Today getting out helped.
Now that I have restocked the pantry I can bake bread I have 3 min loaf pans so will try those next!

[Nancy]

The HEAT IS ON! My theme song today.

Did my am writing stuff.
I 've had a 'plot twist" to my planned writing ideas from prayer planner war binder to the
current situation on the theme at the top of this post.

Trying to get back on track but first I need to bathe the dog counting the rain shower from God!
S2s & wash my hair.

Mop vacuum/ nope raked leaves instead!

I have bags I got for going to coffee shop I put my stuff in and do my work at home walk around LOL!
Gota luv pretend.

So I will see if the zippers are the right size that I ordered when they come for the pouches got 10" ones they have bigger ring pulls on them.
My sewing room will be more fun with heat in it.

[Harriet]

Nancy, more fun in the sewing room - gotta love it! Things arriving for sewing are smile-makers, too, so I hope the zippers work out just right.

I've cut out the large center circle fabric at 20 inches, pinned it to a thin facing fabric and ironed the freezer paper template to it. It dawned on me that as I sew around it on the machine, I need it to stay level, so the freezer paper won't come unstuck. So, I built up the area beside the machine with books, a very large slick one on top. This way I think the piece will travel along at a slide.

Looks kinda makeshift but I don't care about that. Later when I work on more of the top at a time, I may have to go back to the old sewing desk so that I have more flat area. (Machine sits down into that, but sitting at it is uncomfortable for tops of my thighs. Maybe I should get some "lifts" to raise the height, but then it wouldn't roll. Thinking.)

Spent some time looking at assembly-line types of small sewn gifts. This lady just posted a video of her work yesterday and linked below it to some variations of it. She made 9 "mug rugs" in 4 hours - good grief.

[Harriet]

The leveling worked, but I must not do that for larger pieces - I was barely able to keep the circle traveling around without bending and losing the "hold" of the freezer paper.

About getting a quilt quilted by machine:

Learned that the lady who has machine-quilted for me in the past has stopped doing anything except "edge-to-edge", nothing that goes along with the pattern of the quilt, or is hand-guided. Nowadays, that type is being called "custom". So, I glanced around the net and several were saying they needed long advance notice for custom, or even needed to have the quilt top in their possession a long time with a lot of leeway in when they would get to it.

So dd and I got a little more serious about choosing soon, and she chose a husband-and-wife team who machine quilt together, with only one per week being custom. I contacted them, and they had ONE (count 'em one) spot on their schedule the first half of next year. Happily, it is 4 weeks ahead of the wedding, so works out fine. I took that opening and that's one thing off my mind. They don't ask any money in advance. I hope the quilt turns out well and they become a shop I can recommend.

Btw, I still recommend the lady who does only regular long-arm quilting, who is very good. She just can't keep doing everything, and the simple work is easier on her. Her shop is called " The Quilters Station - Where Quilts Get Finished! ", and she does have a (rather slow) website.

[Nancy]

Items are not on time for delivery no worries except for the let down.
Pen refills covered by the spares I am trying out another brand and they are fine.
Zippers not to worry as the is my Dec, project.
Thinking I might wait on non essential items till after the Cmas. rush.
Did some writing today now that I'm past the 1/2 way point it is not as fun. Just saying.
Sipping tea.

Downton abbey movie is on net flicks now.

[Harriet]

Tying up the loose ends when writing is always a little more like work than the first when you have all the ideas, Nancy, but so worth it. I'm sure you'll still find fun in it. My disappointment when I bought pen refills was that some favorite pens either didn't open or didn't seem to use the same kinds of refills. The ones that did work were very helpful.

Found "risers" for the sewing machine cabinet for cheap. They are 1.5 inch. We'll see if it helps.

Found out that dstepdil has 3 different sunflower decorations in her kitchen and dstepson bought all of them for her, so they both must like them. Thinking about making her a gift of sunflower hot pad, if I take a little bit of time out from the big project. I had thought about limiting homemade gifts in size so that they would also make package decorations, but this would be something practical.

Made a cardboard template for the pattern pieces, anyway. Even if I don't make that, it's nice to have the template.

[Nancy]

Oh Harriet I luv sunflowers! Good luck with that project! Sounds awesome.
I have the supplies for my sewing project the bag and pouches.

I am sticking with my writing project getting it back on track is good.
It went well this morning yea for that. Had to refill some pages for this week glad I did that.
Lots to process.

In Jan. the church has a prayer focus as does other 4 sq. ones too.
I will continue with it making a note of it here in case I get derailed with that project during the holidays.

[Nancy]

I am looking forward to some other projects next month.
I did complete another hot pad yesterday yea!
It is not perfect but usable.