Two Days Later

 

Two days after I sat on my porch steps and watched the sunset on a 70-degree day, it snowed.  The high for the next week is 45, and we will only be in the 40's for two days.

I realized today that in my getting my yard ready for winter mode that I hadn't taken in the hoses.  I guess tomorrow will be soon enough.

My energy just drained away today.  I realized that my iron is in the car after using it for a church project two days ago.  And, it felt too cold to go outside.  I also have non-perishable groceries in the car after picking up groceries on a busy Friday. 

The groceries can wait, but I need that iron.  I read somewhere recently that quilters use their irons every day but never iron clothes.  That's about right. 

Reairs One and Two

I was asked to repair the quarter-sized hole in this quilt, that has daisies scattered around.  This is the repair, with a new daisy.  Because the quilt is two-sided, I was careful to change the color of the bobbin thread when I changed the top.

Only thing is, during one of the thread changes, the edge of the quilt flipped under the hoop and was embroidered down.  That led to several thousand tiny stitches removed and then repair number two on the quilt edge.

I'm showing the edge from arm's length, when the repair hardly shows at all.  There is some machine darning and satin stitch repair.  Up close it's more visible, and I feel bad about that.  Pretty sure, though, that anyone who does a lot of machine embroidery has had at least one similar thing happen.

Luckily for me, cotton is more forgiving than knits when it comes to taking out embroidery stitches so this had minimal damage.

Fall Miscellaneous

One last lovely sunset before the rain starts tonight and the temperatures drop.  The picture is disappointing, the sunset was really pink and orange and gorgeous.

Maybe soon my pictures will be prettier - I need to replace my iphone 6.  The battery has no life at all.  Well, maybe an hour.

Thank you to my friends in Pennsylvania.  You know who you are.  You came up big.

Thank you to my friends in Kentucky.  You know who you are.  Rand Paul is back, but the abortion amendment didn't pass, and I'm proud, and a little surprised, about that.

I had one last day of working in the yard.  There is always more that could be done, of course, but this is enough and I am very content with what I've accomplished.

My neighbor's big oak tree looks barren of leaves, the raking is over for this year.  

Last night at the end of the day I was too weary to go to the basement to get my sheets out of the dryer so I put on flannel sheets from the linen closet.  I kept waking up in the night, thinking that they felt really weird.

The rain should start during the night tonight, and we need it.  It is so, so dry.

At the end of the day, I sat on the porch steps and drank a West Side Holiday Ale.  When I bought it I thought I was buying a holiday beer from West Sixth.  This is ok, though.

And Four More

 

Four more Moda sampler bocks.  One isn't "right," and may just remain that way.  I have two more to finish.  I've seen finished quilt tops online and all of them look nice.  So either all these blocks go together well or, maybe, those that didn't weren't posted.

I'll have enough of my layer cake fabrics (10" squares) to finish the last two blocks.  They may not be the fabrics I'd choose, but there will be enough.  And really, with the generally randomness of what I've chosen I don't think it will matter.

It's another pretty day and maybe this afternoon I can do a little more yard work.  The fall clean-up is going well, but I'm tired . . . not because of the clean-up but just because of life.  The time change, too many unfinished projects, a late evening.

That late evening, though, so worth it.  Nora's last band competition.  The weather was warm, but it was so windy and gusty that the drum majors'  ladders were held in place by some strong guys, just in case.  The band finished third - it was a competition of the biggest bands so they did well.  And the next day they got up and marched in the Veteran's Day Parade.

I Didn't Need This

I so didn't need this vintage class 21 Husqvarna Viking sewing machine.

I'd sort of had my eye out for one of the little green Elna grasshopper machines, but this one is better for me.  It fits right in with my other Vikings.

It sews perfectly, seventy years after it was made.  It has many of the same features as the machines today, just without the touch screen.

Will I sew with it?  Probably not often, but I'll still love it.  I'd like to think I am one of those quilters who peacefully sews quilts on a vintage machine, but I'm not that peaceful.

Cost was $50, but it came with an unopened package of green Viking bobbins (which it doesn't use but my newer machines do) so I'm calling it $40.  I think it was a bargain.

November Banner

 

From now until Advent.  Once again, I wasn't happy with how this looked, not enough contrast, but people seemed to like it so I probably won't do any adjustments.

November 1, and that feels exciting.  Trick or Treat was like usual - maybe six little ones.  A group of six older kids walked on by - were my eight steps too daunting?  Hey, guys, I had the good candy!

I'm planning on using this week's warm weather to finish my yard work.  It's that almost magical time of year when we have warm temperatures prior to the final cool down.

How can this be?  Maybe ten days ago I was tearing some foil from the roll when I got a "foil" cut from the edge of the roll.  Like a paper cut.  It kept hurting and I realized that there was a tiny foil splinter in my finger.  Just so happens that I have lots of needles that can be used for splinter extraction.

Why do we use needles and not pins for splinters?  Are they slimmer?  And is it really necessary to sterilize the needle with the flame from a match?