Some progress

I sat at the tire place while they finished up my car. I needed new tires and a realignment. Of course, a mile from the tire place as I was headed to the grocery store I hit a pothole! UGH!! It was full of rainwater so I couldn't see it. I got my groceries, stopped for gas then headed home. I didn't have much time to do anything else. I did press the zipper pocket pieces for the next four TBs while I did a load of laundry.

The thread I had ordered from Superior thread arrived.

Their Pima cotton thread is so nice; I like it better than Aurifil. The color range is more limited than Aurifil, but I needed some lighter colors and a dark blue for the TBs and PBs. The fatter spools are a general purpose sewing thread that I have used in the past and liked it. The spools were inexpensive and I will probably regret not buying more at one dollar a spool!

I got a few more scissor pouches interfaced at lunch yesterday.

What a weekend!

Friday night I finished up this set of TBs and PBs.

Saturday morning I worked on getting what I could done on this set of TBs and PBs. The pieces are quilted and the zipper pouch pieces are pressed. All I need are the zippers which I will order once I figure out how many and of what colors I need.

The rain let up a bit so I decided to clean up the front bed. It didn't take too long. Here is the before and after.

A runner showed up with the tablecloth that needed the name on it and it also needed hemmed. It was "hemmed" with blue gaffer's tape! LOL!

The runner was such a sweet young lady that I decided to put the zippers in two of the leftover small pouches that I didn't have zippers for back in April. I got these together before she came to pu the tablecloth. One for her and one for Nora.

After I handed off the tablecloth, I decided to go ahead and put the zippers in the last five pouches. These will be handy to have on hand for a little gift.

I worked on the next set of TBs and PBs, but I didn't get too far before I had to get ready to go downtown to see a show at the Akron Civic Theater. Another brother of mine is touring with Ray LaMontagne. The Civic is an old theater that has been restored. It is amazing!  The show was wonderful!

Sunday I work on the PBs a bit and then company showed up with another emergency sewing job. I needed to shorten the straps and put a slit in a dress for homecoming. The straps were so easy to do; they were not buried between the dress fabric and the lining. The straps were just surface mounted on the lining. Taking out the seams of the dress and lining took longer than sewing it back together. I sewed the dress to the lining so they would be one unit rather that each layer hanging separately.

Well then we had to go to lunch! We were all hungry since nobody had much of a breakfast and it was getting onto 1 PM. We all ordered appetizers - chicken nachos, fried pickles, deviled eggs, cheese curds - and an entre - cauliflower pizza, philly cheese steak sandwich, a salad with grilled chicken, and flatbread pizza. I had my leftover flatbread pizza for breakfast this morning. It was all very good!

I finished up four PBs when I got home. These are so cute with the pigs!

I had a thought of using fleece in the front panel and quilting it rather than using interfacing with no quilting for the front panel like I have been making them. I kind of like the fleece and quilted panel more - the one with the pigs. It does make for a more substantial feeling PB.

Making letters and TBs

The evening was full of interruptions, but I managed to get a few things accomplished. First was a load of laundry and then I worked on finding the materials I needed for appliquéing a name on a tablecloth. One of my brothers had called me and said he had a tablecloth that had been cut down and needed to be hemmed. It also needed a name on it with around 5" letters, any font, and in silver. I found the heat and bond, found some kind of shiny washable satin and had printed off the letters to size. I traced the letters on the heat and bond, pressed them on the satin, then cut the letters out so they are now ready to go. I will machine stitch around the letters to the tablecloth.  He will be dropping off the tablecloth when he gets into town. He is on tour with a musician and they are playing here this upcoming weekend.

I did get the next four TBs taped. One is now quilted with the flannel attached and the zipper pocket placed. I just have to press the self-binding and it will be ready to finish.

At lunch I got more fleece interfacing pressed onto the scissor pouch fabric. Here is what I did yesterday.  Looks like that one on top needs pressed again!  LOL!!

I now have a tray for the ones I did yesterday and all this week.

My plans for the weekend are to get that tablecloth done and handed back over while my brother is in town, go to the show, work in the yard if it isn't raining, and get a few more TBs and PBs sewn together. Have a great weekend!

Back to the sewing machine

It rained hard here yesterday morning and it was so humid throughout the day I swear you could cut the air with a knife! Thank goodness that last patch of grass in my backyard was too wet to mow because I was so tired. I stayed inside in the A/C and first cut vinyl for project bags. I had used the last cut piece, so it was time to restock my pieces and parts trays.

I needed the vinyl so I could finish two of these PBs. The other two have fabric fronts.

It is raining again here this morning and there is a chance for more today. I am sure glad I mowed the neighbor's side and backyard! It would take a long time for it to dry out as tall as it was. It doesn't look like we are forecasted to have any dry days for the next week.

Scissor pouches and still mowing

I had a pile of scissor pouches already cut out and a small pile of interfacing cut to size so I spent my lunchtime yesterday pressing on the interfacing. I also marked where to start and stop the sewing for the opening for turning.

As soon as I got home from work I changed my clothes and started mowing. I got the neighbor's side and his back yard done. They weren't getting home until later and I wanted to at least get this much done. All he will have to mow is the front yard. It is sloped and a pain in the butt to mow! I know this because I have done it before.

I then turned my attention to my back yard. First, I trimmed and then mowed. The grass was so long! I hadn't mowed the back in a couple months.

I got about 2/3rds of the backyard mowed and I was running out of steam. I had been at it for 2 1/2 hours. It was around 82, but at least there was a nice breeze and most of the backyard was in the shade by then. What is to the right of that line is left to mow and then I need to do some weed wacking along the woods line. I am going to try and get that finished up tonight if the rain stays away.

Yesterday one of the superintendents took me on a tour of the job site. I hadn't been there in several months. Here is some of the sound wall

Underneath the existing bridge that will be taken down soon

The existing bridge from up above with the new bridge to the left.

Cutting station at work and yardwork

I decided to work on cutting scraps for the scissor pouches

at lunch rather than wasting any of that time. I need to start getting the scissor pouches made in order to have enough to give away at my next cross stitch retreat. I brought two trays of scraps including scraps of iron on interfacing.

Here is my cutting station

I even made a little ironing pad and brought an iron! The iron was retired since it didn't steam well anymore, but for pressing the wrinkles or folds out of the scraps and pressing on the interfacing, it works just fine. Just getting some of these pouches prepped everyday will be a big help. I will take the prepped pouches home and whenever I have a few minutes I can sew a few together. I plan on taking the sewn pouches to the next show the band has and I will turn them right side out as I sit at the merch booth.

Last evening I worked in the yard. I still was sweating even though the temperature was 71. I dug up the rocks around the zebra plant. None of the rocks were over 15 pounds, so they were easy to pick up and move. See, unloading all those cases of water at work keeps me strong and able to pick up rocks! LOL!!

Dianne, I measured the root ball and it is 31" across! I was talking to one of the guys at work and he said he was interested in getting some of the root ball to plant at his house. I said, "bring and shovel and you can have all you want"! It is going to be a booger to dig up!

After moving the rocks, I trimmed my yard and my neighbor's yard. They have been on vacation for a couple weeks and the grass has gotten tall! I mowed my front and started on the side yard between our houses. Unfortunately the mower battery ran out of juice. My neighbor wasn't expecting me to mow and will appreciate what I did get done when they get home today.