Staying In Today

 The pets get me up at 5 for their breakfast and I happened to hit the porch light and saw this outside my studio. It must be about 6-7 inches, and still coming down. Good thing I have no where to go today.
A good day to bake something and make soup.



Even Chumley is staying in bed for the duration, toys at the ready.

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable Sunday, after having unloaded my feelings about wires here. Thanks for your support.
BBC America had a marathon of the mystery program Luther and I got to stay awake through all six episodes while I sewed the new cushion cover for my chair. I think that was very nice of them to air the show in the daytime, as I notoriously fall asleep after 8:30. See above pet feeding time.

It's starting to look like a set, but I need a cushion for the back and that requires some foam, so it will have to wait until I go into town.  There are still cafe curtains to make and if any fabric is left, some table toppers. It feels so great to get these made.
With the cushion in place I put up my feet and finished the 10th Eternity Scarf. Such a nice day.

Rant : Men and their sound systems

What is it with men and their sound systems anyway? Is it some sort of primal urge to have more shrieks and more reverberations than the next caveman? And if they can send a man to the moon, why haven't they sent mine yet? Can anyone show me a woman who would go through all this to listen to music, watch a film or just a TV program?
It has been a week since I 'suggested' that perhaps Dave could condense the wires and make the living room TV set up neater.

I don't see that much has changed. Ok, well, the dust has been redistributed and replaced with sawdust, bits of cable ties, electrical tape and styrofoam bits.

In the process of fixing all this it was decided that our current stereo receiver was on its last legs and had only two volumes, tolerable and rock concert. A few speakers (we have 8 just downstairs...more upstairs, all connected by cables and speaker wire) would cut out at times and this was the fault of the receiver, so I suggested he replace it. ( Was I wrong?)
Off he went to Chattanooga to Best Buy, after having scoped out the reviews on available units. He came home with a deal (a necessary attribute) and for two days set about hooking up all the stuff; TV, DVD, Cable box, internet router and the myriad speakers. This required drilling more holes in the back of the TV stand. Two more trips to town for more speaker wire and then the new receiver began blowing electrical circuits.
After this he still couldn't hear the TV through the receiver and decided it was all no good. Back to Chattanooga to return and replace. Meanwhile the pets and I walked through a mess of drills, tools, plastic debris and wires everywhere. Chum eats everything, so there was that too.

He came home with a new receiver and hooked it up in only a few hours, while I kept a good distance away, stifling my inner clutter-organizer. I would love to tell you that there is a happy ending to all this and we have found a miracle solution.
No. At least not yet. In the meantime, with the newer receiver hooked up (still no TV sound) he decided that the weight of the TV was too much for the stand and we really should replace it with something more sturdy. I had to agree, as the little stand from IKEA was never meant to hold a huge 42" flat screen like this. We perused the IKEA catalog but the thought of going there, three hours there and three more back, with impending snow storms forecasted, just didn't cut it. Imagining getting there and finding our faved choice was not in stock...fatal.

 So then we looked online at Target and then of all places Wal-mart which had the same stuff as Target. Interesting.





The thing about Walmart is that it is close, and one can return things in minutes if they don't work, don't fit or just are icky. So in a flurry of let's get this thing ordered, we picked this TV stand.

We went for a 60" wide base which will hide two wall outlets and as many cables as he can connect. I love how it says it has a cable management system in the back panel for easy connectionss and proper ventilation. What that means is that it has a big honkin' hole for each shelf. And there are more slots on the bottom for MORE cables and ventilation. The designer of this thing must know my husband.
One of the reviewers wrote that it was no-tool easily assembled (pray God) and that the tinted glass hid the components so well that they were invisible unless they were on and lighted.
Now we wait. Estimated delivery is 5-10 working days, when we will pick it up at our local Wal-mart.
This looks to be the month of walking through wires.

Adding the Skirt

 Really, the only reason to add the skirt was to match the white chair which also has one. I also had to use more of this stripe, as I have only a few more things to make and it works best here. Anyway, I am happy with how this turned out and now I am going to try it out for a few hours of knitting while I figure out what I will do to jazz up the chair and adjacent tables.

Chum has given it his seal of approval.

Customizing the Ottoman

The before picture, of course. The white ottoman from IKEA, now discontinued, but luckily I got mine just in time. But white is a bit difficult for keeping clean when feet and dogs use the spot. So it was in my mind from the beginning to cover the footstool and make it more mine.


Plus the foam top was pretty hard and stiff and needed more cush, so I added a two inch layer of foam, covered with high loft batting, plus a pieced quilted top. I ran out of time and energy for the day and will add a pleated skirt and welting later.  It's just pinned in place for now, and I'll try and sew it on straighter than this.

The Silver Bullet

And now the premier of my first publishable video from the new camera. The clarity is superb on my laptop but much gets lost in translation to Youtube. Nevertheless, you will get the picture, so to speak.
The pond has thawed and the goldfish/pondies are enjoying the fresh water at the surface. The pup is doing his usual frantic running. The plot is very thin, and the pup runs into the photographer at one point.

Hold my place

I am showing you the pillow top which I quilted yesterday, and then the new one I made yesterday, and then quilted. What I really wanted to show you was the video I shot yesterday with the new camera, but it has taken almost an hour to upload two minutes worth of video. I guess I should have paid more attention to the resolution I was shooting. Who needs HD video of a dog running around the yard?

I'll try again later. Off to knitting, lunch with my sister and a haircut....AT LAST!

Wow and O Boy!

I was totally surprised when the mail came and Dave handed me this box from Abe's of Maine. Who?

 I opened it and inside was this camera, with a bag, two batteries, three filters, a wide angle lens and a 16G memory chip. It was a late birthday present (results of late night shopping, no doubt) and I was floored. To me this says "You're a real photographer".

Luckily I had something to photograph...
Here's yesterday's quilt/pillowtop.23" square.  I was planning on hoping to make a reverse of the pink and green front, but these golds and aquamarines kept insinuating themselves onto my table, so I just got dragged along. I know you know what I mean.

 
Really, I have no idea what I am going to do with this stuff I am making but I am trying not to focus on that part, as the doing is so fun. I have NEVER made something that looks like this before. Things line up. And most of the points are not cut off. Shocking for a wonker like me. That's WONKER, not wanker, for you who know British slang. Anyway, the square I used to begin was less intense than the striped borders, so I decided it needed oomphing and will add these buttons to the flower centers. That ought to do it.


A few of you asked about my worktable. Here it is, and the picture links to the purchase site. I asked for the white legs and then bought my own casters, because I must move furniture and wheels make it easier.
The goofy part is the padding. First I layered cotton quilt batting over the formica (or melamine?) surface and then covered it tightly with cotton fabric. Then the whole thing gets a slip cover of white canvas. To keep it on tightly I sewed miters in the corners and serged the edges so there isn't any fraying,  and then pulled it tight with waistband elastic attached with safety pins.

It isn't pretty, but it works. I didn't want to staple into the top, so my solution was this dog's breakfast.
What goes on underneath, stays underneath.
Back to the camera. It has all sorts of capabilities and because it is a Canon, I already feel comfortable with its functions. Here's some examples:

Seven of the eleven goldfish showed up for a group portrait. And then standing there at the goldfish pond, I used the zoom lens to shoot the far across the road stand of trees. If a deer happened to be standing there, I am sure you would see it. Or an elephant for that matter.


And if one needs to count the threads in the fabric... that would be silly.

Back to Work

Enough with the cleaning binge, it's time to make something. This arrangement with the worktable and the sewing table in line is working for me. My new $15 chair from Target is the best one I have ever had. The back hits my back at the perfect-for-me spot and is so comfy that working seems effortless. I recovered my worktable with new canvas, clean and white and no fusing residue or dye spills.
The other day I sliced off 3" from each of my new fabrics and then dug out some previously stored strips and was all set. But where to begin? It took forever to make my choice since there were so many possibilities. My plan, what little there was of it, was to make something small to start, and let it get me back in gear. A pillow cover would work. Since we moved the blue couch upstairs, it needs pillows (Dave wouldn't agree) and I have been thinking that a pillow can be two separate quilts, and I can just play, with no expectations of grandeur.




 I am still way into green and pink. There are ten million variations of green, and I love every one. Pink can be hot fuchsia, red, pale or intense, and throw in a little yellow or orange and I am happy.
The new fabrics are so difficult to use, as one has that feeling that they are for something extra special. I gotta get over that thinking or I will never make anything from them.


Here's the top of one side of the new pillow. I will layer it and quilt it after the other half gets made. 22" square. I left some plain parts for decorative quilting, otherwise it will be just stitch in the ditch. No reason to muck up the nice prints with stitchery.
Recently on Flickr I found two groups which featured pillows. My Lovely Pillow and Quilted Pillows. I hate to say this but there are some really nice pillows that got ruined with some really AWFUL quilting. O dear.

On the knitting front, I picked up my Lacy Baktus which I started before my arm got sore, and it is coming along nice and slow. I added a bobble at the one side, every four rows. Silk and Merino sock yarn, size 1.5 needles.

I have to say that I am glad the holidays are finally over and we can all be free of those hard sell TV commercials. Dave took down the tree, and now we can do something with the living room, like pick up the ten zillion puppy toys.
Hard to believe I have become one of those dog owners who cannot go to the store without coming home with something for the pup. ;-)

A Few Resolutions

As we leave 2010 behind and look forward to the new year I have made up my mind to stay on top of things. After the massive three days of cleaning and furniture moving, my back says "Don't wait til it gets this bad again."

#1 Sweep up after work. Back when I worked in the bedspread factory, we swept up the area around our machines so that the next morning it was pleasant to get back to work. (As if.) And now with a puppy who eats everything on the floor, it is more important than ever to get back into this good habit.
I should amend this resolution with 'and put it back where you got it'....like 20 pairs of scissors or rotary cutters in as many places, not to mention pin cushions everywhere. It is a good habit to be neater and I am going to try to adopt it.
I washed the floor and the baseboard and then asked Dave if he would repaint the woodwork when he next is looking for a project. He loves to paint and his knees work better than mine for being down on the floor.
It's so nice to have a man around the house.






#2 Don't let dirty dishes pile up. Yeah right. But so far I am  keeping up with this new resolution. It helps to have these soap handled sponges. I was reminded about them while at my sister's on Christmas. I knew they were under my sink, abandoned, but I got them out and filled the handles with Dawn and set them at the sink  ready to go. I even asked Dave if he would follow through with his dishes, since he eats during the night. Washing, drying and putting away are all a part of this new regime and this waffle towel is the best for drying. I have more like this in a bin...I'll be digging them out too.


I'll tell you this, I haven't mentioned dieting but when it comes to cooking up a big meal, I am going to be thinking twice. Immediate dish washing enters into the thinking now and so salads are sounding lots better than mega-baking, roasting and mashing. We'll see how long this lasts. ha!
#3 Dust. OMG.
Nuff said.

These wires are Dave's big project, which I have mentioned before, but he finally has heard me. If he has to have eleventy-seven speakers attached to the TV, I insist that he hide them, which means going into the crawl space and re-routing them through little floor holes which are already there from some previous arrangement.
What an improvement this will make...I hope.

Speaking of Dave, he has a 'suite' of rooms upstairs. We moved this couch out of my studio and added it to the dumping ground of excess furniture loft/guest/seating area. His bedroom is also full of speakers and now he has set up his electric guitar stuff like microphone and music stand and a zillion wires, in his closet. It's important for us each to have our creative spaces. Even with the doors all closed I can still hear him practicing all the way down in my studio.

+++++

I didn't plan to make housecleaning our holiday entertainment, but one little improvement has led to another and since it is winter, and we are stuck indoors mostly, might as well get 'er done, as they say in these parts.
And now it looks like somebody wants my attention...

Quilts of 2010

(double click to enlarge)

I admit I stole this idea from Malka Dubrawsky. But it's a good idea isn't it? It shows that I didn't just sit around knitting all year.
OK I further admit that these are not all quilted, but hey, I hadn't pieced anything as large as some of these, in YEARS, so I am counting those as important as the smaller completed works.
And one nice thing, some of these are sold! Woowoo!
I plan to do another Quilt Along with Melody in the icky month of February, and again I will just make tops and file them away in my 'won't it be fun to discover a whole bin of tops made by Melody' for someone in the great unknown future. I hope that finder doesn't think any of these represent my best work. I will try harder to actually design the patchwork this time around.
++++++
For New Years we had a super heavy thunder and lightning rainstorm which woke us all up at 3:30. But all the snow is washed away and the pond has melted and it feels like a clean world outdoors as well as in. Nice! And no hangover for me, also Nice.
Today I am going to piece something and knit something and hang a quilt somewhere.
Happy New Year!