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Post by choney2 on Apr 29, 2024 9:56:25 GMT
Good morning and Happy Monday!
All crafters are welcome here as we discuss crafting, life and our weight loss journey. Crafting includes actual hands on crafting, such as crochetting, knitting, sewing, quilting, needlepoint, painting, jewelry making, etc.....plus reading craft catalogs, craft blogs, watching craft you tubes or other crafting videos, chatting here about crafting,chatting with another person about crafting, playing a musical instrument,reading craft emails, thinking about crafting, organizing crafting supplies, going into craft stores or the craft aisle in a store ,researching a new quilt shop, attending craft fairs,or any other activity that inspires or directs your mind toward a crafting activity- even visiting us here to join in our posts!! There are plenty of days in which the closest we get to crafting is a visit here, so even if you have no time to craft, we would love to hear from you. And one of us is never going to buy a fat quarter bundle again!
We welcome newcomers to our friendly discussion! So glad you are here!! Please feel free to stop in and say hello!!
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Post by choney2 on Apr 29, 2024 10:09:12 GMT
OK this feels so strange, how did it get to be almost May already? (So the year is approaching half over??)
CJ- hope that you had a nice Sunday. Did you start final assembly of the jelly roll quilt?
Ruth, hope you found that waffle stitch afghan ( the knitted one you were looking for) and I hope that you were able to make some sense of the unfinished hats,figuring out which ones you would keep and which you would rip out. you have been busy going through your stash and UFO’s- I wonder if you are seeing a bit more organization in your craft cave.
I did piece the backing to the blue quilt (the quilt I want to finish) and did one more practice attempt with the quilting ruler. Right now I think I will do one or two more practice blocks, and I do feel like I am getting the hang of it. Again as this quilt is for me, it does not have to be perfect!! Then of course no quilt I would make would be perfect… ha ha ha
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Post by cj59 on Apr 29, 2024 15:53:43 GMT
Hello - Hope everyone is doing well today and having nice weather. The heat wave is here now - it was in the 80s yesterday and supposed to be that way through Wednesday. Ginny - I'm glad you liked working with the ruler for the quilting and I hope you can get your quilt done. I don't care if my quilts are perfect either, I just enjoy the process of makign them. It's really nice that your children and grandchildren are so close and that you get to see them so often  Ruth - Sounds like you have done a lot of organization, I know it feels good to have things all in one place. That's a great idea to pull out a hat at a time. I hope you can use that pretty waffle stitch piece for something. I made a sample small shawl with a skein of yarn that I really like and it's so pretty, but looks like a doll's size. I sure wish I'd bought more of the yarn back when it came out but I'm glad to enjoy what I made. I finished the quilt top yesterday using the jelly rolls and don't really like it  I'm sad I used that pretty jelly roll for that quilt, but oh well, it's done now. Today I hope to catch up with my Temperature quilt and also make the house tops and maybe the trees for the rest of the year, so they will be ready to assemble once I know the daily high temperature. I ran the vacuum this morning, this house is bigger in a way than my other one even though it's one story, so I try to keep on top of the cleaning (something I hate to do). Last night I saw another small ant (I'd seen one a week or so ago) on the table near my couch, so I cleaned all around there. I have to learn where the bugs are in this house, I knew where they were in my old one. I have silverfish in my bathroom, they are so yucky! I've tried to block off their access from around the baseboards and I also put out some glue traps. I can't really do anything invasive and I don't want to spray bug spray. Do you guys have any other tips for dealing with them? Take care and I hope we all get to do some quilting this week |
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Post by Ruth on Apr 29, 2024 18:02:14 GMT
CJ, I've heard that borax works and I think it's true. one year ants were really bad here so we tried the borax and soon after there were no more ants.Glue traps work great too esp for those silverfish. We mostly have spiders. Spraying or even dropping drops of peppermint is supposed to keep insects away also.For the borax I had 20 Mule Team borax so used that. The borax works by the ants taking it back to their nests supposedly and kills the young ants. Oh and we also have a lot of termites but luckily not in the house but they love our wood pile that we have for the woodstove and any other wood thing we have outside.
Also CJ, I'm sorry you didn't like the quilt top after you used your jellyroll to make it. I always hate when I've made things with nice yarn and I don't like the finished product.
Ginny, I'm glad that the ruler is working well for you. As far as perfection goes, well it rarely happens for me either. I've finally learned to accept a little imperfection esp in things that no one would even know had an imperfection.
It's a nice day here. It's not too hot but also not too cold. That works for me. Today I think I need to do a little vacuuming. I plan to vacuum most of the house but I'm pretty sure I'll run out of energy before I get it all done. I did work on the new afghan last evening
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Post by choney2 on Apr 29, 2024 20:12:53 GMT
Speaking of vacuuming, my son bought a new vacuum as the old one has started to show its age. (It still works fine but the hose attachment is now duck taped in place, stuff like that) I used it on Saturday and was totally shocked at how much dirt it picked up! And I usually vacuum once a week.
CJ- wow that really stinks that you put all the work into the jelly roll quilt and are not pleased with how it turned out. I do remember the pattern and the blocks laid out…guess my question for you is can you rework this quilt somehow, add sashing or a border, something to rescue the project? I know how much work you put into these quilts and would love to see you find a way to salvage the quilt, because you really do like the jelly roll. Silverfish? Yup, use borax and glue traps. Works like a charm…do you have a dehumidifier? They like moist environments and humidity. And seriously I would get ant traps and put them out. Vacuuming does get rid of what you see but what you want to do is eliminate the colony and an ant trap is needed for that. I had a seasonal problem with ants about 2 weeks ago, put the traps out..saw an increase in ants for a day or so (as they were attracted to the traps) and now they are pretty much gone- so the traps did their job.
Ruth, well a nice day for you is probably too hot for me. (We went over 80 here🤮). But I am glad you are finding the temperatures comfortable. Were you able to make good progress on the new afghan? Hope you got some vacuuming done…one room at a time is fine even if it takes a bit longer.
I still want to practice with the ruler, but if I use that I need to decide how to quilt the border ( which honestly I would be able to use the ruler on and just continue with that). Nope, not perfect but I do like that I have been able to finish my quilts myself and not need a long arm service.
Ds has to go back into to work the graveyard shift and then a day shift….and his allergies are acting up. I doubt I will get any crafting in today, took DGS to the park (and we met DD and her little ones there). The boys ran around like they do for 3 hours…fun to watch them having fun.
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Post by gramma15 on Apr 30, 2024 4:08:50 GMT
That vacuum cleaner sounds really great,Ginny. If you don't mind posting what is the brand? We have one new one that's still in the box. Dh has bought 3 in the last 3-4 years. I have one good one but it's so heavy that I can only vacuum maybe a half room before I have to stop and rest so no I didn't get vacuuming done today after all but I did move some things out of the way so that I could vacuum there. I'm going to use one of the two lighter ones.
Yes it is fun to watch little boys playing together and running around. I loved watching the two in Indiana playing.The youngest has a LOT of energy.
The afghan I'm working on now is really easy. I'm doing it with yarn that I want to use up so will make it until the yarn runs out. I have two skeins and each has almost 600 yards and it's one that has a lot of "holes". It's a filet type blanket. The person who made the video used a J hook but I wanted my holes to be smaller so I decided on an I instead but now wish I'd used an H. I have two skeins of this same yarn in another color so I might make another with the smaller hook.
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Post by choney2 on Apr 30, 2024 9:58:44 GMT
Good morning,
Ruth, the vacuum is a bissell - Ds bought it at Walmart. What I love about it is that the canister that collects the vacuumed up dirt is super easy to remove and you can see the disgusting dirt that has been vacuumed up. Mind you I have 2 cats, but neither is long haired and the one is a rather small animal. Still what this vacuum pulled up is pretty amazing. No I am not paid by the vacuum brand, but my first room to use it on was my bedroom. The old vacuum is really tough to push on the bedroom rug…and I found this new vacuum very easy to use in that room. And I have had great vacuums- some pricey ones too over the years, and find that the pricey ones do not work any better than a more basic one. But that is just my experience. Good to hear that your current afghan is easy to make and that the pattern is pretty. It sounds very nice- and I think I would do as you are doing and use a smaller hook. Most of the time I do that anyway and find that an H size hook is my favorite.
Heading to Lowes this morning, I want to pick up some supplies for a wall repair and also to clean up where I took a dead shrub out over the weekend.
CJ- hope you slept well and are finding another project to quilt.
Yikes…pollen count is high here. My antihistamine is finally starting to work this morning.
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Post by cj59 on Apr 30, 2024 20:19:00 GMT
Hello - Hope you are both doing well today. It's hot here again, in the high 80s. I'll be glad when it gets cooler again. I turned on a desktop fan last night just to have some air in my living room. I'm not ready to turn on the AC yet, I'm still getting over the high electric bills from the heat over the winter I have a good vacuum too, but it does pull me around some it's so powerful. It's much easier vacuuming at this rental house because the carpet is flatter than it was at my old house where I felt like no matter how much I swept it never looked clean. I've been wanting to get one of those stick vacuums, where the canister is at the top. It looks like it would get into the smaller spaces easier, but I don't want to spend the $300-$500 for some of them. I've just been watching to see if I can get one below $150, in case I end up not liking it. Thanks for all the suggestions on the bugs. I went to Lowe's today and bought some ant traps and also picked up more glue traps since those are working well. I try this before I use the borax. I caught a daddy long legs spider in the bathroom yesterday! The glue traps in the garage are working but there sure are some scary looking spiders and bugs being caught out there! A few weeks ago a little lizard was caught on one. I felt bad for it, just wish it hadn't come into the garage. I didn't get to any quilting yesterday or today. I get the feeling I want to work on things and then I just feel weighed down like it's too much effort to get the supplies out and work on it. I sure miss the way everything was set up at my old house. I also think I'm a bit depressed and that doesn't help Take care |
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Post by choney2 on Apr 30, 2024 22:57:40 GMT
CJ- what can you do to make your current house set up more like things were at the old house? I wonder if there is a way you could make it easier on yourself, and some way that you can make it more comfortable to quilt there- reworking a furniture layout or perhaps even picking up another table or sewing cabinet. Of course these are just ideas…but your quilting is important to you and it would be nice if you could be more content crafting in the new house. I pray that with time, and perhaps even the sale of your house, that this house will become home…and you will not feel so out of place there. Glad you got to Lowes (hey, I was at Lowes today myself!!!) and picked up the necessary supplies to take care of all your unwanted house guests. My Dd just bought one of those stick vacuums, and I suspect she got it from Sam’s club. While it is not meant to vacuum up a whole box of cheerios that a kid might spill (bad example but you know what I mean) she LOVES it and uses it very frequently. I will see if I can figure out what brand it is…I know her she would not spend a ton of money on it.
Today I did spend a little bit of time investigating getting an additional ruler for the blue quilt (the one I will be finishing soon) and might end up at the quilt shop with Jane on Thursday.
Ruth -hope you had great weather today and got some vacuuming done- if that was your intent.
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Post by Ruth on May 1, 2024 0:36:11 GMT
I'm glad you both were able to get to Lowe's. It sounds like you both found what you needed. We have no Lowe's here but we do have a Home Depot, Menard's, and another home improvement store Sutherland's. We use a lot of glue traps both here and In Indiana. I never thought about Lizards getting caught on them however I've never seen a lizard inside in Indiana and we don't have lizards right here in the vicinity of our home.
CJ, You've had a major change in your life along with problems that change brought about. It's not easy to adjust. I was very depressed when we moved here from NYS. Don't be afraid to discuss your depression with your doctor if it persists. There is no shame in taking medication for depression if needed. If you had diabetes you would take meds for it if indicated and the same should go for things like anxiety and depression. As time goes on you will find a way to make your quilting area more suitable and comfortable for you.
Ginny, I'm glad your antihistamine worked for you. This is sure a bad time of year for allergies.Is the ruler you're investigating different from the one that was missing for awhile. After being here with you quilters I've learned there are a lot of tools needed for serious guilting. I used to think that quilting just involved cutting fabric then sewing into blocks and sewing the blocks together.I also never stopped to think about how a large quilt could actually be quilted and that outside help such as longarmers or sending to a place that quilts for you...at a price of course.
Most of my vacuum cleaners have been Bissell. I can't, however, say that I've had good luck with them. The ones we have now clog easily and have to be taken apart to clean out the chunks. We do empty the canisters frequently so it's not that we let them get too full. I didn't vacuum today because I did some other housecleaning chores instead.
Have a great evening everyone
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Post by choney2 on May 1, 2024 14:09:56 GMT
Just to add to Ruth’s comment….there is nothing that says that a person who chooses to take an anti depressant must be on one forever. For some individuals (and I have a friend who is one of them) short term therapy is a good choice to get over a hurdle.
I have been taking an antihistamine for about a month now. When I travelled to Florida not that long ago, I started then, knowing that the tree season had already started then. Tree allergies are among the worst of the seasonal allergies (my allergist told me that a long time ago) and in conversation with my doctor he told me that its best to start taking the antihistamine and stay on it, until that “season” is over with. I also know that its easier to get control of the seasonal allergy and maintain control, instead of waiting for symptoms to become severe and then its a 3-4 day process for the medication to finally control the allergy. I cannot say that I feel 100%, but it’s as good as it will be with such extremely high pollen counts.
I did find the one ruler, its a swirl pattern that makes 3 connected swirls… the possible other ruler I am considering is a curve, which I would use with another straight line ruler to create a pretty pattern. For me, it will be a decision which I think will better fit into the block blue quilt- which is a very linear quilt and I am looking to add some curves to it via how it is quilted. My random stipple is good (hardly perfect!) and I would love to see another way to expand how I quilt. Each quilter has a favorite part of the process- but I do not think any quilter really likes the binding. I do know of one quilter whose favorite part of the process is this quilting - using a long arm or ruler to take a lovely quilt top to something spectacular. I actually do understand that..
DD just took pictures of DGD using the baby quilt as her background. The pictures are adorable…DGD is at such a sweet age and has an adorable smile.
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Post by Ruth on May 1, 2024 18:05:00 GMT
Yes sorry I missed saying the part about a person not having to take that med forever.Thank you, Ginny, for adding that.
I know the pictures of your dgd with her beautiful quilt as a background are fantastic. Yes her age is just one of the really great stages an infant goes through. I love seeing the pictures and videos of my dgd who is about a month older than your dgd I think. They do a lot of short videos of her laughing.Next our dgds will be crawling then walking and all kinds of cute things. Maybe they even crawl already. I haven't seen any videos of mine crawling yet. She has so many people that hold her and carry her around that she probably hasn't even been on the floor.
I think I'm understanding the ruler thing now that you mentioned the curves, etc. And it makes me admire quilters even more with what you said about a linear quilt needed motion in the actual quilting.Since dh and I won't be going out during this coming summer I might get to some sewing and make basic potholders or table runners. They will definitely be very basic ones since I haven't done even any plain sewing since 2020
Have a great day both of you.
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Post by choney2 on May 1, 2024 21:47:49 GMT
www.youtube.com/shorts/W5X0Qe6jgj0This is a short video but illustrates (very repetitiously ) the use of a curved quilting ruler. It’s also using a long arm machine, which I do not have, but gives a general idea what I am hoping to do with a curved ruler. Hope it makes sense. Ruth, I have a really neat quilt as you go book, and making potholders (quilt as you go) would be a great project to sew! I can send directions to you, or I am sure there are some available on our best friend…you tube! Ruth and CJ, hope you both had an awesome day!
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Post by Ruth on May 2, 2024 23:05:47 GMT
Ginny, that is an interesting video if a little repetitive. I liked finding about how those rulers are used and also how the long arm works. Is today the boys' library day? Now I forgot what else I was going to say.Oh and yes, Youtube is definitely our friend but I used to dislike it. Now it's my place to get patterns and ideas. I never was very interested in doing Tunisian crochet but I saw both yesterday and today some really pretty things being made and very easy too. Just what I need is to add a billion more patterns to my bookmark's folders
We did find out when dh's surgery is going to be which is June 10th. He has to be there at 5:30. I have no idea why they want you to come in two hours prior to surgery time. I mean how long does it take to shave a neck and start an IV? Oh course there are the dumb questions they already have the answers too but still, I can't see how it takes two hours.
I also found out that my oldest granddaughter is expecting her third child. I guess she hasn't found out boy or girl yet but she does have 2 girls so probably hopes for a boy.
See you later. I hope you're both having a good day
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Post by choney2 on May 3, 2024 9:57:06 GMT
Ruth, congrats on the news of another great grandbaby!! Do you know approximately when the little one is due? Will you be making an afghan or something else crocheted for this little one? That is good that you have a date now for Dh’s surgery…is this a same day procedure (I kind of think not). The large window of time to show up before the procedure always seems absurd, but it is for the convenience of the hospital, certainly not you. There has to be some check in….and of course the nurse who shaves his neck and starts the IV will most likely not be waiting for Dh to arrive, and will probably have a million of other things to do. From what I have heard of and seen in hospitals recently, the convenience of the patient is not a high priority and much time is spent by the patient waiting for admission, treatment and discharge. Monday is library day for the boys. I forget how many weeks left they have left- it’s supposed to be a 6 week program, but the “instructor” missed one week and said he would extend the program another week for us.
Yesterday….I went to the quilt shop with Jane- she got the fabric she needed for an upcoming project, I was able to pick up the quilting ruler I wanted with a new ruler foot. Those things are crazy expensive (for two small pieces) but I had a coupon and they did have a used ruler foot/ruler combination so I did save some money on that. I will say that this ruler foot is a better quality than the one I have here already, so I guess it was a good purchase. Now I need to take the time to work with it and see how I like it.
CJ- how was your day? Have all the traps worked to eliminate the extra residents of your house?
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I'm sad I used that pretty jelly roll for that quilt, but oh well, it's done now. Today I hope to catch up with my Temperature quilt and also make the house tops and maybe the trees for the rest of the year, so they will be ready to assemble once I know the daily high temperature. 
