Oh HAIL No...

This past Thursday we had a hail storm to be all hail storms here in our town.  I was at work 30 miles away and wasn't here for it, but Andy was home.  He knew that I wouldn't believe him about how big the hail was so after it stopped he went out and grabbed some and put them in the freezer to show me when I got home.

I put an extra-large egg beside them so you could see the size comparison...

The siding on our house got damaged on the north and west sides, the metal roofs on the two sheds and carport we put up 3 years ago got heavy damage, and both of Andy's cars were sitting out and got damaged.

I don't know if you can see it, but the entry doors to the sheds look like they were pelted with gunfire, though none of the dents made holes...

Andy's Subaru Forester...

Andy's Subaru Baja...

A lot of people lost the windows of their cars like our neighbors did...

Insurance adjusters have descended upon our town and you can see their business cars everywhere as they check out the damage for their customers.  We already have our appointment set up with our adjuster in the coming week.


On a lighter note...
When my friend gave me the quilt tops a few weeks ago, in the bag was a sandwiched "quilt" that was in the process of being tied.  The top and backing were just large pieces of ugly 1970's-looking red fabric but I noticed that what they were using for batting was actually a vintage quilt.  I decided to remove the ties and check out the quilt.  It was in fairly good condition except for the edges.  It had a "knife-edge" finish around the edges and it just didn't hold up to the wear and tear the quilt received.

I cut off 2" all the way around the border and then added a traditional border.  Here is what it looks like now!

The fabric is fragile from age, but it is now a usable quilt again!  

Loretta

Another Project Done...

Quote for the Day:

“Focus on the journey, not the destination.

Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

~Greg Anderson

Over this past week, I've finished another customer's project.  This time it was just replacing the binding on a vintage quilt.

A lady contacted the local quilt store in Clarksburg, and asked if there was anyone that could do repairs to the applique and binding on some vintage quilts that an aunt had made.  Janet, the quilt store owner, contacted me and asked if I was interested.  I contacted the lady and told her that I didn't do applique, but I would gladly repair the binding.

I met up with her and talked with her about the quilt.  These quilts were made from a kit back in the 1930's-40's and the fabrics are all solids.  It was going to be difficult to "match" the solid blue.  She insisted that she didn't want a reproduction print used because she wanted it to look like the original, so that greatly decreased the options of fabric to use.  

I was able to find ONE fabric that matched...a sky-blue batik.  And wouldn't you know...there was only 1 1/4 yards left on the bolt...it would take 3/4-1 yard for the scalloped binding.  Wow.  That was close!  LOL

The old binding came off easily because it wasn't put on well to begin with.  From there, I just added the binding to the front of the quilt by machine, as usual, flipped it over to the back and hand stitched it down.  

Here's a picture of the new binding up close to the original blue fabric that was also used for the scallop in the middle of the quilt.

I think it's a pretty close match!  :)

The applique still needs repaired, but she'll need to find someone else to do that.  Are any of you local quilters interested in doing the repairs???  Let me know if you are and I'll put you in touch with the customer.  :)


Since I don't have a quilt in the frame right now, we are taking this opportunity to start the switch-a-roo of rooms upstairs.  First step is to move our bed into what used to be Erin's-room-turned-quilting-room.  I've purchased a rug this week to put down on the hardwood floor and it is currently in there "relaxing".  It'll take a few days for the roll-up marks to relax out of the rug so it will lay flat. 

Until then, we've got heavy items around the edges, coaxing them to lay flat!  LOL

I'll post more pictures as the transformation takes place!  :)

Loretta 

Patching the Patchwork...

Quote for the Day:

"A stitch in time saves nine."

~Dr. Thomas Fuller

Hmmmm...I was always under the impression that Ben Franklin was the originator of that phrase...but when I researched it I found out that it was first recorded in Thomas Fuller's Gnomologia, Adagies and Proverbs, Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British, 1732.  

Wow!  I guess you really DO learn something new everyday!  LOL

Today I did a combination of decluttering and a "fix-it" project that has been on my "to do" list for several months now.

Here is a picture of the rocking chair that is in the office space (our office is in the upstairs landing...which is an area of about 9' X  9' at the top of the stairs.)  

This rocking chair is the one we bought when I was pregnant with Paul, my oldest child.  I really don't have a place for it anymore, but for obvious sentimental reasons I just can't get myself to part with it.  :)  Know what I mean, Jellybean?  But as Peter Walsh would say, I'm obviously not treating it the way I feel about it.  If I treasure the chair for it's sentimental reasons, then I need to take care of it properly.  (It's not just it's sentimental reasons, either.  I'm in LOVE with rocking chairs!  I think they are the best invention since sliced bread!  I own 3 rockers and one glider!)

But as you can see, it is loaded down with a stack of "stuff" that I need to deal with.  There are "pilers" and "filers"...and unfortunately, I'm a "piler".  BUT...("everyone always has a great big but" as PeeWee Herman said in one of his movies...LOL)...I come from a LOOONNNGGGG line of "pilers".  It's in our genes.  There!  I have an excuse!  :D

So today I tackled "the chair"!  

The pictures that were on top are getting hung in the sewing room where they came down from (when I painted last August!  LOL)  And this bag of vintage quilting scraps will be "released into the wild" by going intp the yardsale box.

"WHAT"???  Loretta is getting rid of something having to do with QUILTING?????  I know, I know...but these are some things that I picked up at an auction and they turned out to be of poor quality fabric so there is nothing I can do with them.  But there may be someone out there who knows what to do with them to make them usable and can use them.  If they don't sell at the yardsale, then I'll donate them or pitch them.


The other item that was on the chair was a vintage quilt that I've had for several years.  It's a beauty!

Then it got some tears in the binding...but just in certain areas.  I'm pretty sure I know how they got there...and I'm pretty sure one of my children knows, too...but he's not talking!  :P  

There's actually 4 different areas on the binding that needed repaired.   So today I decided to tackle them so that we can put the quilt back into use.  (Yes, I do use my vintage quilts.)


I have a box of leftover bindings from the quilts I make...

...I know, I know...it's a disease!  LOL   But I blame it on my genes again...having been raised in a poor household by two parents who grew up during The Great Depression.   I can't bring myself to throw out any piece of fabric that may prove useful in the future.  :)

Anyway...see that cream-colored muslin in the lower right-hand corner?  Well, it blended perfectly with the muslin in the vintage quilt so I put it to good use!  

I'm very happy with how the repairs turned out!   And I'm glad that I can now put it back into use because it really is a nice quilt and in great condition everywhere else.

BTW...I have a "quilting buddy"!   Lady, our Boston terrier, has a bed under my sewing table and LOVES to lay in it when I'm in my sewing room.  

She used to lay on the rug by the wheels of my sewing chair, but that proved to be too dangerous.  So I bought her this bed, put her favorite blankie in it and now she loves to lay there to keep me company!  :)  Sometimes she'll even go in there and sleep in it when I'm not in there.

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave a comment to let me know you were here and to let me know what you have "released into the wild" recently!  

Loretta