We disconnected our land line recently because the only calls we ever get are from telemarketers. Anyone we actually want to talk with has the good sense to call us on our cell phones. And with the dollars that would ordinarily go for the land line now freed up, it seemed as if we needed to hurry off to the phone store and spend that money! Good grief, if we didn't spend it quickly, you know it would just end up feeding my quilting habit, and honestly, I've been thinking of checking myself into treatment for fabric abuse. Phew! Glad that's off my list of things to worry about.
It's been a lazy weekend. There hasn't been much sewing going on aside from hand sewing. I'm just about ready to move the hoop on the Gingerbread Square block. I think I started out hooping the biggest part of the stitchery because I've been stitching and stitching and stitching without moving the hoop one iota.
There were lots of French knots in today's stitching session.
Yesterday I finally got a chance to start quilting the Blushing Aspens table runner. First, I had to brush and brush and brush all the accumulated cat fuzz off of it. I was surprised at how much Smitty's fuzz was clinging to it. Clearly, I'm going to have to cover these up from now on because that amount of fuzz was really not acceptable. He won't mind. He just likes how cushy it is.
I'm just sort of outlining along the leaves. I'm kind of practicing following a straight line. I've lined up the foot with the various lines (or whatever) to try to keep them evenly spaced, and I'm finding this is a good practice piece for next month when I'm planning to quilt the Doors of Ireland. I have some ideas for the Doors that will require me to quilt in a straight line, and I've been considering how best to do that. With that in mind, I've been in touch with my friend Marei who has the same machine I have (different brand names, though). I'll say more about that when the time comes. For now, I'm just practicing.
As for the table runner, it's about halfway done. I'll do a little more on it today, but I probably won't be able to finish it until Monday or Tuesday. I have a dentist appointment on Monday (oh boy), and so I don't know how much time will be left for quilting after that. It's possible that I'll be so traumatized that I'll need to come home and drink several shots of tequila.
Oh yes, and thank you to all of you who chipped in with ideas about how to do Tyler's block for the Live, Love, Teach quilt. Remember this one?
A lot of you had good ideas about how to do this (I love that about blogging!), but I think I settled on the suggestions of "works4me" who pointed me in the direction of a DMC variegated floss color that is going to work well for stitching the "Rainbow Words". As for the rainbow, which was the most vexing part of this block, she suggested this fabric from Fern Hill Gifts. The fabric is sold in one yard panels, and each panel has four of these "hurricanes" on it. This particular color is called "Hurricane: Tidal Wave". It also comes in a reddish tone. In any case, after seeing this, I started thinking I could do a reverse applique of the rainbow, adding some floss if necessary to bring out some of the other colors. The fabric arrived yesterday, and it is so pretty. I'm still waiting for the floss.
I was going to work out a swap with works4me, but then I decided to purchase a panel. It's so pretty. I know I'll use it with all those different colors. Of course, this might not work at all, and I won't know until I try making the block. Still, I think I'm on the right track, so thanks again, everybody. Great suggestions.
And that's about all I have for today. With the excitement of going out to breakfast this morning and getting new phones, coupled with the dark and stormy day we're having, I think I might need a nap now. Sunday naps are the best.
10 comments:
Have you missed having a land line at all? I ask only because I have been planning to discontinue mine for the same reason but just haven't made the step. Thanks.
No, Shirley, but it hasn't even been a week yet. We had an old cell phone that we reactivated and had the number ported to the cell phone. It's a lot cheaper than the land line was. We have it silenced and we check it each day to see if any important calls came in. So far, only missed calls, no messages, and nobody we wanted to talk to. We'll deactivate it again in six months when we're sure we aren't going to miss any calls we need to get.
I would love to stop paying for a land-line but after Superstorm Sandy it was a lifeline I no longer want to lose. I love, love, love your gingerbread square block. I pulled me right in. I just had to see how it was going. Blushing Aspens is looking good also. Your quilting looks wonderful.
I do love a pop of blue with an Autumn Hue!
Love the blushing Aspens runner.
Glad you love the Frond fabric as much as I do. Even if you hadn't ended up buying your own fabric, a swap would not have been necessary. Your blog gives me a lot of enjoyment, plenty for a small piece of fabric. :) I hope it works out for you as it sure seems to have all the right colours and swirls.
As to a land line - in August a huge storm came through the south coast of BC and we ended up without power for 4 days. Most of our neighbours have cell phones and they were having connection issues yet we were fine with our land line. Another thing to consider if people keep a land line is that they should keep an old fashioned basic phone since all the hands free ones stop working when the base loses power. We may have had no heat, light or cooking source, but we had a phone. :)
We never get anything but junk phone calls on our land line but need to have it for the security system. Yes, the alarm company now has wireless but there are several issues with that. Hubby has a simple flip phone. He listens to messages and answers it. He has not entered the smart generation yet and may never do so. The other thing is cost. Retirement is a different world and the cost of upgrading the system is equal to many, many months service. I might be able to find a way to do that but there's still the issue of the hubby who doesn't do computers. It's just plain easier to keep the land line.
Your gingerbread square is adorable. Your hand work is neat and tidy. I love the look of french knots, but personally have a hard time making them.
Just like everyone else, we keep the landline for after storms, I even have an old phone, almost a rotary, since without electric our handhelds won't work. Funny that you're talking about "hurricane" fabric and your comments are full of storm stories.
As usual, your stitchery is wonderful! It looks positively edible, to be sure.
Interesting designs on that panel - I could see using it in plenty of different ways, as well as the rainbow block. :)
I still have my landline - somehow managed to hang on to it during the dark days of un/under employment. I have a Bell slimline ( I think), with a sticker from 1983 & much prefer to use that rather than one of my wireless handhelds. I still am using a flip phone too. There are times I think I'd like to have a smart phone, but I guess the time just hasn't been right yet.
The fabric is perfect! Looks like you are moving along on multiple fronts, which some weeks is all you can ask for.
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