housework. Yes, about once a year, I pick up a broom. After that, I needed a nap.
But I suppose you're wondering how I managed to waste so much time in an effort to stave off hated tasks. For one thing, I was obsessing over tomorrow's prompt for the FatMumSlim Photo A Day Challenge, which happens to be "Your Name". I was searching through my jewelry box for old discarded name tags from old discarded jobs I've held when I came across an honest-to-goodness treasure. These are my grandmother's thimbles. I totally did not know I had these. My mother must have given them to me at some point in time, but I can't recall when that was. In fact, as I looked at this image, I noticed that the right one has her last name "Maust" engraved on it.
My grandmother was an extraordinary hand quilter and she did needlework of all kinds. Here is an example (that I've shown many times) of her beautiful hand quilting.
She spent the last twenty years of her life or so battling a heart condition. It was believed that heart patients should stay quiet in those days, although today, I think she would have been encouraged to exercise. In any case, she could only be on her feet for 4 hours out of every 24 hours. As a very conservative Christian woman, she felt strongly that idle hands were the devil's workshop, and when she was lying down, she always had some kind of needlework in her hands. She did so much needlework that she actually wore a hole in her thimble.
I actually remember when I was a little girl how she held this thimble up to the light just like I'm doing here to show me the hole. Well, I was thrilled to come across these, although I have some others of her thimbles. I can now add these to my collection of treasured objects from my past.
So what else did I do today? Since I am sewing machineless, I used the opportunity to sandwich three quilt tops that need quilting. And I absolutely hate this process, so this actually does feel like a big accomplishment. Now that they are sandwiched, I'm more than happy to start quilting them as soon as my machine comes back home.
As I was doing these, I created a new rule of thumb for myself about the size of quilts I'm willing to free motion quilt on my domestic sewing machine. These quilts were all sandwiched on my ping pong table, which is my craft/sewing/cutting table. (Nobody ever uses it for ping pong, and so I claimed it long ago.) In any case, if a quilt is too large for me to use this ping pong table to make the quilt sandwich, then it is too large for me to quilt on my domestic sewing machine. I could get down on my hands and knees and make the quilt sandwiches on the floor, but I decided that was beyond my level of tolerance any more. Besides, my knees can't take it. It's good to have rules sometimes, especially when they work to one's advantage.
Quilt sandwiches awaiting quilting are Perfect Harmony,
Promises and Borders (although I'm changing the name of this quilt to "Divine Promises"), and
and Two Grandmother's Goose. I'll be doing this one first. It has been waiting the longest, and I want to finish it up.
I haven't yet decided on a binding for it, but I'm leaning toward this yellow stripe. What do you think?
Tomorrow I have some errands to run and I'm getting my hair cut. Oh yes, and I can't forget my Curves workout. If I have time to sew, I'm going to cut out one of my February NewFO projects. This wasn't on my original list, but I saw it in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of McCall's Quilting, and I added it to the list. (Well, I was just about to link to my original list and discovered it actually WAS on the original list. I guess I'm right on schedule!) I want to do more table runners this year.
I'm going to use these fabrics, all of which have been used in other quilts.
Time to whomp up some more exciting diet food for dinner. (Not.) Tonight we're having red beans and rice, which actually sounds kind of good right now.
15 comments:
Your family thimbles are sweet treasures for sure. I had my hair cut today, so needed it! Love the yellow for a binding.
How wonderful to have your grandmother's thimbles. I wonder what happened to my grandmother's. Long gone, no doubt!
Yes, I think the yellow striped fabric is just right!
And I'm with you for housework avoidance! And not crawling round on the floor to make sandwiches!
It is wonderful that you have your grandmother's thimbles and a wonderful memory. You got a lot more than I did today, I just sat around thinking about what I want to do, lol.
Debbie
I found my grandmother's thimbles today too! I had put them somewhere "safe" but couldn't remember exactly where. They were in her embroidery basket that I also have. I was looking at the embroidery floss that is in there. She paid 8 cents per skein(?). Is it skein for embroidery floss? Anyway, there are also some packages of embroidery needles that were 15 cents each. Maybe I should start reading my "teach yourself to embroider" book and start using some of this stuff in quilts for my siblings.
Your grandmother did exquisite hand quilting! What a treasure that you have her thimbles and the quilt too. Yes, I think the yellow stripe will be a perfect binding - I'm partial to striped and plaid bindings. You had a very busy day despite 'wasting' it - ha!
How fun to find a treasure you didn't know you had. Sounds like you had a very productive day even sans sewing machine. Hope it comes home soon.
You found a wonderful treasure in the thimbles. I like the yellow stripe for the binding.
Your wasted day sounds rather busy. Three quilt sandwiches and a little housework all in one day I hope that means you can reward yourself with some of your favourite activities soon.
Your grandmother's thimbles are a delight, such treasures to find and her needlework is so beautiful. It's the pictures of her work that has inspired me to make a DWR quilt (which could well be my February NewFO as I've almost got all the fabric I need for the top.)
I like your idea of the striped yellow fabric for the binding.It goes very well with that cute border fabric.
I see a sign all over the internet "A clean house is a sign of a broken sewing machine", I'm so sorry you had to clean. I like the yellow for the border a lot.
What treasures you found! That is wonderful. I really like the yellow for the last quilt - perfect!
I'm hoping you can pass those thimbles down to your granddaughter someday. You should soon be calling your Wednesdays "Waisting Away Wednesday". Right? Have a great Thursday.
OMG!!! That hole in your grandmother's thimble speaks a thousand words! That's an old thimble too - made of the good stuff they used to use! What a treasure you have there!
Love the yellow stripe for the binding on your Grandmother's goose quilt - very sweet like the quilt but with some texture added. Love your rule of thumb! I absolutely hate getting down on the floor to sandwich too! I need to draw the line somewhere as well. So far I just decide how I want something quilted, and if I think I can do it on my machine that's what I do, regardless of size. Maybe I need to rethink that.
LOVE the thimble find! What an amazing treasure! Great new rule! Yellow binding is a YES(!) in my book!
I truly enjoy seeing others take pleasure in treasures of the past. What a fantastic way to be connected with your Grandmother and something you enjoy. Thanks for sharing. That is going to be a pretty table runner. It sounds like you were pretty productive to me!
What a wonderful find! I cannot imagine wearing a hole in a thimble.
Good job on getting THREE tops layered!! I am so proud of you. The "if it's bigger than a ping pong table" rule is a good one too.
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