Miss Loreen's Schoolhouse

Knitting Socks!

It's been awhile since I have knitted so I thought I'd have a go at it once again.  I made a wash mitt from some great cotton.  Knitting only--no purling!!  The pattern was on the paper band that goes around the ball of yarn.  Simple and fun.  Nice while watching the old boob tube!  Does anyone remember the toy "Boob Tube"?  When I was a kid, my friend had a set of Boob Tubes (now doesn't that sound funny??) and I wanted some in the worst way.  I never did get any but my friend shared hers with me.  You had to have two people to play the game.  You had to get all the little balls down to the other end before the other person.  Don't know why I was so intrigued by those things but I could play for hours.

Anyway, I've advanced on in my knitting to a pair of socks knitted from the toe up.  The yarn feels great just to work with so my tootsies should love the socks.  As I was reading the instructions in the front of the book, it mentioned knitting with two pairs of circular needles.  It sounded a bit dangerous to me and I had images of not being able to get the sock off the needles when I was done due to a big tangled mess.  Then I remembered the internet.  Why not look for some instructions or maybe a video showing me how two circular needles worked to make one circle.  I "binged" knitting videos and found a fantastic site with a video showing me exactly what I wanted to see.   Check it out if you're trying to knit or trying to remember how to knit!  http://www.knittinghelp.com/

Can't say "keep sewing" so today it's
keep knitting!!
loreen

Update on Bunny Hill Designs - Tisket, Tasket

Finally, some of us (not me!) have finished the 2009 BOM from Bunny Hill Designs.   I loaded up the pictures for all of you to see.  Cute as can be!!  Bunny Hill has a new BOM series for 2010 with snowmen and it looks like another cutie!  Hope all of you join in the fun with this year's BOM.

If any of you have finished some of your blocks or your whole quilt, send pictures along and I'll add them to the Bunny Hill album.

Keep sewing,
loreen

More Aprons

Today I've added pictures of a couple of aprons to my Apron album. I put these together for my Chef daughter.  They were panels so it was quick and simple. A nice break from following along with a pattern or working my way through a big quilt.

I have a bunch of cloth book panels that I've picked up over the past few weeks for my grandson.  For awhile I couldn't find a cloth book panel to save my life and now I have about six of them to do.  I have one finished so I'll have to sneak it away from Caspian to take a few pictures!

Keep sewing,
loreen

Veggie Table Runner

When I was a kid, we had to do alot of canning in the summer when whatever vegetables were ready for picking.  In New England, we didn't have any such thing as air conditioning so canning could be a very hot process depending on the weather.  Of course New England is known for having cold summers as well but generally, as luck would have it, I don't recall any of those cool days when it was time for canning.  Once I was all grown up and had my own home, I continued canning.  I especially loved the bread and butter pickles.  Wonder what I did with that recipe?? I remember one time I tried my hand at dill pickles but found only one person was brave enough to eat more than a few.  Vlasic doesn't have to worry about me taking over the dill pickle market!

I've just finished "canning" the easy way!  My newest pattern is a quick and easy table runner with "cans" of veggies running down the center with borders of fabric and a little rickrack on each side.  Check out the "Sewing Projects" album for pictures.  

Here's a link to a recipe for bread and butter pickles you may want to try your hand at.  I remember my recipe had onions in it and though I don't like onions, I have to say they always tasted good in with the pickles!

Bread and Butter Pickle Recipe

Happy sewing,
loreen

Sewing Necessaries

Finished up two projects this morning!  A needle keep and pin cushion made from feedsack fabrics (reproductions).  Love those feedsack fabrics!  Last year at the Houston market, I was fortunate enough to see loads of real feedsack fabrics.  There were feedsacks that were actual panels like we have today.  Some people still call these panels "cheaters" since some of the piecing work is already done in the print of the panel.  I didn't realize that panels have been around for such a long time!

I've started a new photo album called "Sewing Necessaries" where I'll add more of these types of items as time goes by.

Keep sewing,
loreen

It's Monday!!

Hard to believe I'm thankful for a Monday! Short explanation is we are trying to go through all my mother's stuff in my garage and seemed to only make a small dent in the pile.  It didn't help that it started raining so we had to close the garage door then it stopped, then it started and so on. 

So now that it's Monday or should I say "SEW" now that it's Monday, I can get back to sewing samples of new patterns I have designed.  Hopefully, I will have a few pictures for you to see later this week. 

Off to sew,
loreen

Enough already!!

About a week ago, I decided it was time for a new computer.  I needed a larger screen for digitizing embroidery designs for sewing machines. Over the past few months I researched and researched trying to find the best for the least.  What a boring time that was!  The other day I had to go to Office Depot to mail out a few more boxes to my sister so I thought I'd check out the computers to see what might be on sale.  To my delight, there was a sale and rebate on just the computer I needed.  It took me a few days to get down to the business of loading in all my programs for digitizing, quilt designing, drawing, etc.  I finally got it done.  I couldn't seem to put my hands on my drawing program for some unknown reason and set that problem aside for the moment.  The following day I fired up the new laptop and what happens?? Nothing, there was no hard drive.  It died a sudden and painful to me death.

Back to the store I go with my new dead computer.  Fortunately, I still had the box, paperwork and all the pieces.....must have been an omen!  Now back home again with a new computer so that I can start all over again loading program after program after program.

I'll confess that I have most everything loaded on but not all.  I still can't put my hands on my drawing program which, I might add, is the most expensive of the lot of programs I own but I've decided today I just can't think about the gruesome outcome of that mishap.  There's always tomorrow at Tara as Scartlett would say.

That story ranks right up there with my next story!  My friend a few towns away was getting rid of his washer and dryer.  I've been without a dryer for about five or six months now.  Since my kids (grown) seem to think the dryer is a way of ironing after they've loaded all their clothes in at one time, I have refused to run down and buy another "iron" for them to use.  Of course, we have a clothes line and great weather and I enjoy hanging out laundry.  I know, I know.  That's not for everyone but I like it and it gets me outside with no need to think much.

Back to my story.  I hire a couple of guys to go get the washing and dryer, remove mine and replace them with the new ones (ok, not so new but working).  Fortunately, they brought the dryer in first.  I thought while they were taking out the old dryer and fetching in the washer, I would check out my new dryer.  I happened to notice that the plug was much smaller than the big 220 outlet I had been using for my old dryer so I mentioned it to the guys and was told that there was a new code, blah blah blah.  The long and the short of the story is that the dryer the guys picked up for me is gas.  GAS, did anyone think to mention that????  Now I have my old washer/dryer (not working) back in their places and another washer/dryer (GAS) on my back porch.  Now wasn't that a fun way to spend fifty bucks!!

I think today I'll just pretend it was simply a bad dream and make sure I don't go near my back porch for a few days.

Happy sewing to those of you who are,
loreen

Caspian Update

It's hard to believe Caspian has already had his first birthday! 

One minute he was happy to be held, the next he's up and running around and the last thing he wants is for someone to hold him from his fun!

Not much sewing here!

As you can tell from the lack of news or blogging on my end, I haven't been sewing much.  Been busy with "life" stuff.  My mother decided she wanted to go back to New England so took care of that after she got out of rehab, etc.  Now she is happily snuggled in at my sister's house.  Thank God for sisters!!  The poor girl now has the task of the too and fro of doctor visits, meals, etc.  It's a tough job and Mommy tends to make things a bit more difficult than necessary, enjoying it all the way!!  Hopefully, I can get up to visit soon so my sister can have some time off and do something fun.  At least she's still talking to me......so far!

What a ordeal it was selling my mother's house.  First a deal, then not.  Then another deal, then not.  Over a period of six months as each deal came and went, the price got to be lower and lower.  A few weeks ago, we finally had another contract but it fell through.  The following day we had another contract with a closing date 4 days after the contract.  What a mad rush to get all of the furniture, furnishings, knick knacks out in 2 days time!!  My "movers" cancelled Saturday so that only left Sunday.  Needless to say I was a bit anxious Sunday wondering if the movers were going to show up.  An hour later than planned, they finally made it with a U-haul truck.  Thankfully, my daughter had already gone through all of the closets and small stuff some time ago.  We had to send up several boxes to my sister's of my mother's knick knacks so we got that done first.  Then a trip to Goodwill and, unfortunately, a bigger trip to my garage!  Did I mention that it was about 92 degrees out that day??  With the help of my sister and brother-in-law, we finally got all documents signed, sealed and delivered and now the house belongs to a nice family who come from the same New England area we do.  Small world isn't it??

Now back to sewing!
loreen