Just 3 Things | #27

Boy! It's been a week! A cousin of the Mister's came to visit us this week and we all sat around the table chatting for a couple of hours. It was so good to catch up and just 'chew the fat' as they say. We also spent a little time at a ball field watching our youngest grand do her thing. She was a shining star in our opinion. (Of course, they always are, aren't they?) The big thing is that she got the game ball. I don't know if it was because she made a double play or because she was a big hitter but I do know that we were clapping and cheering from the fence and the excitement for us was much like it must have been for her in the photo below where she is holding that game ball!

The Treasured Game Ball

Time spent with family is always something precious. Then, another day this week we went to the insurance office to discuss some updates. There have been changes made in laws and changes in our community regarding property value. So, we spent a couple of hours sorting through all of that. The pesky birds worked through the netting that the Mister has zip-tied to the truck and he had to make some jerry-rigged updates there. I also added some reflective ribbon to the mirrors and radio antenna. We are not giving up the fight!

- What I've Been Reading -

One of the ways I volunteer in an effort to give back to the community in which I live is that I serve as the secretary of the local, non-profit perpetual care cemetery. It started as family cemetery and grew to be a little country cemetery that provided a final resting place for folks who lived nearby. 

The historical marker that is located at the cemetery.

The list of folks on that marker includes a few of the Mister's relatives. So, when his father died, he promised that he would serve on the Cemetery Association and look after what his forefathers had begun. Then, last year, the fellow who had been serving as manager passed away and Mike decided that he was being called to step into the job. Now, a portion of his days will find him answering calls from relatives of loved ones buried there, or calls from folks who are wanting to purchase a final resting place, and sometimes calls for other various reasons. His duties include overseeing that the grass gets shorn, that the grave digger knows where to dig, that monument companies place grave markers in the proper spot, that fallen tree limbs are cleared away, that there are no fire ants setting up residence, and that sort of thing. His job is one of making certain that the landscape there stays presentable and welcoming to those who visit and maintaining a list of owners and 'residents' of the cemetery. 

My volunteer efforts support his works and are to help maintain the documents of those who have purchased ownership, to keep a record of meetings held by the Cemetery Association Board of Trustees, and to record information about those who are buried there. When I volunteered to serve as the secretary and keep the records, I thought it would present tasks that needed to be undertaken sporadically. However, I soon learned that the records were an amalgamation of notebooks and loose papers documenting the information. There were some digital records but far more hard copy records than digital. So, with today's world, I decided to maintain the organization that was begun years ago in regard to the paper documents and to scan and upload a copy that would also live and could be accessed in the cloud. 

This means that I have loads and loads and loads of pages that I have been reading, deciphering, and organizing. The tasks have sort of taken on a life of their own. I have learned an immense amount of information about the folks who are my neighbors and their relatives. The Mister has helped me to make connections and learn more about the history and original homeplaces of people in our community. It has truly been a blessing to me as I navigate and organize all this information. Together, we have learned so much about people, the cemetery, and our community. We have also learned an immense amount about people and their values. So, this past week I have been reading cemetery deeds and certificates of ownership. I've been scouring through spreadsheets and linking uploaded documents. I've been searching online and finding current addresses and contact information. What started as a curiosity about a year and a half ago has become a true pursuit. The spreadsheet that has garnered the most of my attention this week is a mailing list that I am preparing so that I can notify family members and owners of lots that there will be a public meeting for the Cemetery Association Board of Trustees to share all the news about what has been impacting the cemetery in our little town. This has not been leisurely reading to say the least!

- What I've Been Watching -

We've been getting our money's worth out of older series lately and getting our money's worth out of our Amazon Prime membership. Mike found the series Unforgettable last week. Poppy Montgomery plays the role of a NYPD detective who has a special ability to remember everything. I didn't realize it but there really is such a rare condition. This article is an interview with Marilu Henner who is one of the few people who has it. And here I am, I walk into a room and cannot even recall what my reason for going in there might be!

- What I've Been Working On -

I have been working on 'practice projects' with my new sewing machine. I've embroidered a tea towel for myself as I was testing out different hoops that I have to go with the machine. I've learned that placing the item in the hoop is the most difficult and frustrating part of any project. I followed a recommendation to try a magnetic hoop and the machine went wonky on me. I was afraid I had messed something up but when I tried a non magnetic hoop, it worked fine. So, now I'm not sure if the reason the magnetic hoop didn't work is because it is larger than my 5x7" hoop or because of the magnetic-ness of it. I'm debating on trying a smaller size magnetic hoop because that makes keeping things straight, centered, and taught so very much easier. Of course, the hoop is a bit pricey for me to just order it without putting some thought into it. Do I want to spend that much on a hobby? 

I am just enamored with how beautiful the embroidery stitching is with this machine and I love the finished products even with some of the mistakes I'm making when I am nit-picking at my expertise. Now, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate a beautiful piece of hand-stitched work by any means. It just means that I like them both!

I hope we get some rain this weekend even though I have been enjoying these warm, sunny days. Of course, the Mister has said if it rains he wants to go to a cattle sale. Maybe I should hope for sunshine in order to protect our pocketbook...

Organizing Machine Embroidery Supplies

There is nothing I like better than to be organized. Since I knew going in that my new sewing/embroidering hobby and sewing machine would have plenty of accessories and supplies, I was a bit proactive and began looking for ways that other folks had organized their supplies. I also just searched online for different ideas using key terms. Here is where I have landed...for now.

When I got the sewing/embroidery machine, I also grabbed up several spools of pre-wound bobbin thread. They were dropped into a shopping bag and rolled around loose in there for several days. I knew that I would be ordering more of these but I needed a way to keep the ones I already have organized. Plus, I will probably be winding different thread colors onto bobbins for sewing projects where I want the top and bottom threads to be the same. So, I searched, clicked, and added a nice little clear storage box to my virtual shopping cart right away.

Bobbin Spool Box

The first thing I knew that could get out of hand is a thread supply. When I purchased my machine, I also bought a small starter kit of embroidery thread. My initial thought is get just the basics - sort of like a basic box of crayons - primary and simple secondary colors. (I wish my grade school art teachers knew that such a thing had stuck with me!) Those ten spools were just dumped into a plastic bag. I also ordered a starter kit box of different thread colors. The starter kit seems to have all of the colors that are used for projects in the manual and the designs that are pre-programmed into the machine. They came in a nice box and were packed efficiently. However, I knew that I would want to be able to see the colors clearly and read the assigned numbers easily. So, this box would not work as a storage organizer.

 

Embroidery Machine Thread Kit

When I got home and began my first practice project, I knew I had to get something to corral the thread right away! In my search, I had noticed that there were some handy clips that would help prevent the unravelling of the spool and tails of thread trailing around everywhere. So, I added those to my virtual shopping cart. They sort of remind me of slap bracelets that were fun for kids to wrap around their wrists. They are made of silicone and just hug the spool to hold the thread in place.

Thread Spool Huggers

I also knew that I needed an efficient way to store and organize the spools of thread. Each color is assigned a number. So, when following a pre-created design, sewists can simply look for that number of thread in a rack at the store and purchase the exact intended color to create the design as it is shown. I debated on storing my thread by color family at first - shades of reds, shades of blue, etc.. Then, decided to just keep it numerical and follow what the manufacturer had started. I looked at pegged racks that could be hung on the wall but I was afraid that something like that might make my office seem cluttered. So, I landed on clear plastic bins. I knew that this would also help prevent the spools from getting dusty and would make it easy for me to see the different colors and their numbers when searching through my stash. My original crayon box set of ten colors that I brought home are 1000 yard spools. The starter kit of colors has 550 yard spools. The 1000 yard spools are a bit taller and wider than the 550 yard spools.

550 yard spool on the left and 100 yard spool on the right.

I ordered a small stackable storage organizer. There are several different sizes and I decided to just go for a simple three layer bin to give it a try and knew that I could order more when I needed to do so. It works perfectly for the 550 yard spools.

Twenty 550 yard spools

I love the way it keeps all the spools tidy and makes it easy to see the number for each color. I love how it stacks and snaps together and that it has a handle for easy carrying from the closet or shelf to the sewing table. It is just perfect for the 500 yard spools. However, the 1000 yard spools are a bit taller and wider and it doesn't work as well for them. 

Stackable Clear Storage Organizer

Maybe I could use this sort of organizer for the larger yardage spools but it would not be as efficient because I would have to space them out and leave some spaces empty. Plus, that extra wee bit of height made it iffy about snapping the box together tightly. Below is a comparison of how the different size spools fit into the organizer.

Top bin has 1000 yard spools and bottom has 550 yard spools

So, it was accept that the organizer will be a bit less efficient for larger spools or go back to the drawing board to find something that works better. I searched for different options. I finally landed on a double-sided organizer that has adjustable compartments. 

Double-sided storage box

I can remove every other divider and the larger spools fit alright. Notice the three smaller spools in the lower left corner and how much better they fit in the compartments, though. The box is a bit strained when I snap it closed and the spaces are not used as efficiently as with the other size thread spools and the organizer for them. It will work for now, though.

My next organizing task will be to find the perfect way to store the different sized hoops and the stabilizers. 

I'm wondering...

Today I saw a post in social media that made me chuckle.

I don't know if it was the spelling error, the unfortunate wording, or the lack of punctuation that made it most humorous. 

If I was still a classroom teacher, I would post this on the board and ask students to revise it. I would also ask my students to respond as if they had the desired item. I'll bet we would get lots of different revisions and voices expressed for this one!

At this point, I'm wondering if the searcher found the lunchbox that was desired. If so, I'd love to see it. I've never seen a lunchbox that could drink. 

Today I noticed... A Violet Transformation

Earlier this month I posted about the promise of one of my violets. I've been enjoying the blooms for a few days as I sit at my desk and do volunteer work. 

A little over a month ago, I spent some time with another of my violets to repot it. It had produced an offshoot or baby plant that had sort of taken over. The parent plant had developed this woody ort of stem and the leaves were curling up. I was sort of afraid that I was going to lose it. The original plant is one that was a baby produced by a plant that my son and daughter-in-law have. They got it in a dish garden sent to them when my Daddy died. So, I was glad t get a baby from that plant for sentimental reasons. Plus, it has the most beautiful deep bluish purple blooms. Below is a photo of what my plant(s) looked like in late February.

You can see the parent plant on the right and how it was developing that tall stem and the leaves were starting to curl. By mid-March, it looked like the photo below. So, I ordered a couple of flower pots to use as a new home. The pots I ordered were advertised as African Violet self-watering ceramic pots. 

When I began to take the plant(s) out of the pot, the parent plant broke away. So, I wound up leaving the baby in the original pot that my son and daughter-in-law gave me. I just added a little African Violet soil to fill the pot, watered it and set it back in the kitchen in front of a west-facing window. Below is how that looked.

Then, I took what I had left and went to work. I broke the top of the parent plant's woody stem off and planted a piece that was a couple of inches long into the new self-watering pot. The leaves were curled and it looked pretty sad but I had hopes that it would develop a root system and bounce back. Below is a photo of the sad little violet parent in its new pot.

I still had a long piece of that woody stem-like piece and a few leaves. I snapped the leaves off and put them into a glass of water to see if I could propagate a new plant like that. Then, I buried the remainder of the plant in the other self-watering plant filled with some African Violet soil. The photos below shows what I had left

leaves in water on the left and the stem I buried on the right

I've seen no action from the buried piece. It still just looks like a pot of dirt. I think I will wait a couple of weeks before I take action, but I probably will dig it up and throw that piece away. A couple of the leaves in water got all limp and pitiful looking and I tossed them out. The remaining leaves have not developed a root system either and will probably get tossed as well. Today, I noticed that the parent plant in the new self-watering pot seems to have revived. 

similar view of the top of the sad, parent plant that was shown above

side view showing stems and leaves stretched upward

The leaves have uncurled and the stems and leaves seem to be stretched out and reaching for the heavens. It looks like a healthy plant! All I have done is add a bit of water into the bottom of the pot from time to time and left it alone. It is sitting on a table in front of an east-facing window alongside the parent plant of the violet I've had for years (the parent of the first plant shown in this post).

What an amazing transformation! I am so happy to have saved the original plant. 

Just 3 Things | #26

What a busy week! There were lots of moments of enjoyment, for certain, but there were several tasks that just needed to get taken care of as well. I got the chance to view and listen to granddaughter, Lydia's spring band concert since her parents live-streamed it on the school's YouTube channel. There were so many beautifully played pieces and I am so glad that I didn't miss it altogether. Being in the online audience is not nearly as good as sitting in the room with the musicians and experiencing the notes bounce all around but it was still a nice concert and I didn't have to miss it. I also followed along to a couple or three ballgames of grandchildren's by logging on to Game Changer. I really wish I could be there for all their events, but with ten grands, that is almost impossible. Both teams celebrated wins, by the way, and our little players seemed to shine. One turned a double-play and one pitched a perfect three-inning junior varsity middle school game. I'm so glad that they are feeling a sense of accomplishment at things they love and for which they work hard to improve their skills. My volunteer works, our doctor appointments, and even our battle with the birds are tasks which take up time that might not have been a blip on our agendas in years gone by but do make things around here seem busy these days. 

- What I've Been Reading -

It just so happens that both of the books I've been reading this week include amnesia issues. I'm wondering if that is why I have been forgetting a few things lately. I'm still listening to Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera. I'm getting a bit better at listening but I still find that I am better at listening when I am taking a walk than I am when I'm multi-tasking and folding laundry, or cooking, or something like that. I guess that I've spent years of ignoring things and letting it be background noise and I don't really listen. I really like how Tintera reveals little bits and pieces about characters as time goes on. I also like that there are different formats and voices telling the story. At some points it is as if the podcast is revealing the story and at other times a character is speaking to tell the story. 

I'm also reading Caroline B. Cooney's Unforgettable. It is an alright young adult novel. I don't think it measures up to some of Cooney's other books. I think my personal favorite is Code Orange but I also enjoyed Flight #116 is Down. Many of my students loved her Janie Johnson series which began with The Face on the Milk Carton.

- What I've Been Loving -

I have been playing practicing different stitches and creations with my new piece of equipment - my sewing machine. I started off by adding a decorative monogram to some checked napkins that had been here for quite a while. I chose the design because I thought it was a good combination of adding decorative embroidery as well as lettering. 

I stitched the same design on six different napkins. Each one is a wee bit different from the other. I guess that goes along with custom work to a certain degree. Not a single one was completed without some sort of mistake learning experience. On the first one, I did not have a thick enough stabilizer under the fabric. For the second one, I accidentally tapped the stitch button after I had finished the design and it started all over again with the last color - blue. This allowed me to learn how to make the machine go back and start again after I had hooped up and loaded the next napkin. 

For the third one, I forgot to change the thread color. So, the blue flower wound up being stitched in green. On the fourth one I inadvertently skipped a color and spent a little time learning to cancel the design, reload it, and skip the colors that had been completed. On the fifth one, I honestly don't recall what mistake I made with the next one. For the sixth one, the bobbin ran out of thread. So, I had to cancel the design, remove the hoop, load a new, full bobbin, reload the design, and skip some colors. It was good experience and I learned a lot but it made the project go on for multiple hours instead of taking a bit more than an hour. 

I learned that this pre-made design would look pretty as a simple monogram without completing it by adding the flowers. Plus, I learned just how large the largest option for a ready-made design turns out. Since I had no new investment in the napkins and I was provided learning opportunities, I am marking it up as a good experience. Plus, I have some napkins that Mike and I can use every day that are pretty. Win! Win!

This is a somewhat larger learning curve than a lot of things I have done lately. However, I am truly learning loads and loving the precision and smoothness that comes with stitching with this new machine.

- What I've Been Working On -

I've been doing a bit of cleaning and organizing. I know that I don't want my new sewing machine accessories and supplies to get out of hand and clutter up the office. So, I have done some cleaning out to make space, shuffling furniture to make it more efficient, and sorting and organizing to make things most tidy and usable. I realize from watching my mother and daughter and their sewing endeavors that the different supplies need to be handy and easy to reach when one is stitching but also need to have a place to call home in order to keep the different pieces and parts from getting lost or broken. So, I'm in the process of moving a cabinet that my Daddy built into the office to be ready for a helper to hang it on the wall. 

I've ordered some storage tubs and begun to organize items as well. I'll create a separate post for that but there are just so many options and ways to organize threads, stabilizers, and other supplies. I sort of feel like that by planning and trying to get ahead of it all, I can keep things in better shape. I know that cleaning out and planning out organization really did make my remodeled kitchen work better and stay cleaner as we use it. Being organized also makes me look forward to jumping in a working on different projects, too.

I'm glad to have opportunities for volunteer work these days. Even though those volunteer duties tend to take more time than I ever dreamt they would, it is good to have purposeful tasks to take care of from time to time. Fulfilling doctor appointment commitments and such also seem to take up more time than I might have realized when I was squeezing them into a too-busy schedule. Now, instead of stopping off to have my eyes checked after work, I find that we are showering and dressing for them and preparing for them as if they are day-trips - and I guess they are. We give up our leisurely morning tea and news reading for grabbing a bite and dashing out the door. I am still ever so thankful to be able to schedule my time or just have a quiet day where the beds get made and reading a book and laundry fills the hours. So, our busy may not be the same as the busy-ness that we used to have or that our children or others now have but, busy or not, I'm thankful to be able to enjoy all of the experiences that become opportunities for us - online concerts, ballgames, as well as trips to the ball field or completing volunteer tasks. I could do without a battle with the birds but that is temporary, I guess, and better than having to trek off to work each day. I hope you have a restful weekend and thanks for stopping by!

A New Piece of Equipment

I got a new toy. 

Ahem.

I got a new piece of equipment.

I had been operating in a sort of handicapped manner. I was using an older sewing machine that was purchased years and years ago. It was inexpensive and all that I could afford at the time. It has served its purpose and is limping along. The back up option no longer works and sometimes it is a hit or miss if it will zig-zag consistently. I decided that I really would like to upgrade.

I was sort of inspired by Leslie Saeta from My One Hundred Year Old Home. She recently shared about her Craft Room Upgrade and her new-to-her embroidery machine. Now, I have wanted an embroidery machine for years, but like Leslie mentions in her post, they can be a bit pricey and shopping for what I might want was rather confusing. 

I consulted my daughter and she gave me some tips because she has her own small business where she offers some machine embroidered goods. Her advice has been quite helpful to me because she knows me so well and knows a bit about the things I like and would like to stitch up. So, I surfed online and did my research. Then, I trekked off to visit the shop where my daughter gets her sewing machines serviced, Angus Sewing Center.

The gal there was so helpful at showing how to use different machines and explaining what options are available and giving tips for what to use to have the most success. So, I left with a new machine - a new piece of equipment to use in my endeavors. 

(Total aside: The Mister has a full machinery shed with all sorts of hay equipment that was an absolute need for his farming endeavor. So, I am 'justifying' myself at needing an upgrade in equipment sort of like he does when he gets a new piece of farm equipment.)

I brought home a Brother SE2000 Combo Sewing and Embroidery Machine and some accessories. My old sewing machine had been set up back in a dark little corner of my office. I knew that I wanted my space to be more efficient and inviting for my sewing enjoyment. So, as I mentioned in a post earlier this month, I worked on the office to make it better serve its purpose and accommodate for my new upgrade.

My upgrade can be seen there to the left of the desk. I can still enjoy the views outside the window and I have plenty of space to work. I can set needed items on the corner of the desk for easy access. For now that has been the perch for the operator's manual and extra spools of thread while I'm working on a project. 

I'm using the gifted typing table that has my name on it and it works just perfectly. It is just the right size and is sturdy but doesn't have space for me to set a bunch of junk on it when I'm not stitching. The boxes below it are currently holding the embroidery attachment and some of the accessories that came with it. This works fine until I have a better organizational idea of how often I will use them and where I should store those items when not in use. 

There has been a learning curve to using my upgraded equipment. I've already completed a couple of projects and have learned so much in the process. I love the precision that it provides when stitching. I've done some repair work to sew up a few rips. I love the simplicity of the way it fits together when changing out the embroidery deck and the sewing deck. I already love the options it provides for embroidery projects. My first embroidery project was adding a design to some napkins. I learned about the sizes available by completing a couple of practice samples and learned lots more things about the options the machine offers that I will share later. I tried out a couple of fonts for embroidering names and monograms and sizing that it offers for that. Then, completed a simple project for one of the grands to apply what I had learned.

A headband made from an old T-shirt and personalized.

I must say that I am so very grateful to be able to have the time and the opportunity to indulge in such a fine piece of equipment. It is rewarding to create something from scratch and even when a project doesn't turn out as perfectly as I imagine, I am grateful to be able to give it a try!

Today I noticed...A post labeled as Success Tips.

Early voting starts today in our area. Get out there and try to make a difference.