New Handcrank, Bur Oak, and VCQ

Singer Model 128, 1920, before

The James – My Lyric Muse

Elkton Bur Oak

Fabric Bowls by Kathleen Christy

My Fabric Bowls

This has been an exciting week – at least for me!  On Wednesday I drove my mom to Charlottesville for a luncheon with her friends – 23 of them!  Our hostess had mentioned this Summer that she had a handcrank sewing machine on which her mother had made all her clothes.  She showed it to me last week – a bit neglected, but salvagable.  I asked her what she was going to do with it, and she replied “give it to you”!  You see above the before photo – my mechnically blessed partner and I are gradually restoring it.  Already with just a good oiling the parts are moving much better.  Today I found and ordered a service manual with diagrams, which should be here shortly!

On Friday, as three days of rain finally began to taper off, four of us quilters headed to the quarterly VCQ meeting in Harrisonburg, VA, via route 33.  Typically I would go I64 to Staunton, then north on I81.  However, there’s a 300 year old Bur Oak in Elkton, just over the Skyline Drive, and I harbored hopes of finding acorns!  My buddies humored me and we searched all under the huge ivy-besieged tree, in the drizzle, to no avail.  Maybe next year!

Saturday the sun came out, finally!  That morning I took a fabric bowl workshop at VCQ taught by Kathleen Christy.  She was a good teacher and the class was excellent.  She provided kits, and a new sewing machine needle!  All seven of us students finished two bowls in two and a half hours.  The class was based on the books by Linda Johansen: http://www.lindajohansen.com/

Earlier in the week I finished my Blue Muse project for the VCQ Minds Wide Open Challenge.  I’m very pleased with the way it came out. I turned it in yesterday, and it was well received by my fellow quilters.  Once I find out where the quilts will be exhibited, I’ll pass the word. 

Have a good Sunday – I’m off for a walk to soak up some sunshine!

Blue Muse Update

Erato Finds the James

Blue Muse Takes the Waters

The Lyric Muse Was Here

My piece for the VCQ Minds Wide Open challenge progresses!  These are my three practice pieces, and attempts to include the muse of Lyric Poetry, Erato.  She’s sometimes shown with a wreath of roses and myrtle in her hair, thus the rose petals. (In case you can’t tell what those pink specks are!)  Not sure which, or if any, of these approaches I will use.  I welcome your feedback!

Here’s where the actual challenge entry stands.  I’ve done some of the quilting – more still to go.  The tree branches, like the muses in the practice quilts, were printed on organza prepared for inkjet printers, Extrav Organza by Jacquard.  I’ll do some stitching over them – not sure yet how much.

Graves Mountain Lodge

Wednesday the Fedites, our informal group of retired Federal Reserve ladies, made an excursion to Graves Mountain Lodge, Syria, Virginia, for lunch.  It had been raining here steadily for two days, so I thought the trip might be rescheduled, but our fearless leader for this event was not deterred!  And I’m so glad – it was a lovely sunny day with dramatic clouds, and we had a wonderful time!

On the way up and back we stopped at the Tastee Freeze in Gordonsville – it used to be picnic tables under a roof, but now all is enclosed with an extensive menu.  Check it out if you’re traveling north from I64 on Virginia route 15.

Our other stop en route was at Yoder’s Country Store, fully stocked with any Menonnite food stuff you might crave.  At the farm next door, conveniently located next to the store parking lot, were goats, chickens, and a pen of turkeys!  Which is where I spent most of our short visit.  Store is on the right of route 230 heading north, just before you get to route 29.

Graves Mountain Lodge has been one of my favorite places since our high school MYF group spent a weekend there, in the days before time.  Meals are served family style and the food and service are first rate.  Doesn’t hurt that it’s just a few miles from Old Rag, one of Virgnia’s premier hike/rock scrambles. In the early 90’s our IT boss at the Bank took our management team to Graves Mountain Lodge for a planning session.  We actually did some planning, spent the night in the rustic rooms of one of the lodge accomodations, then climbed Old Rag the next morning! 

On this most recent trip, in addition to lunching at the lodge, we visited the Apple Barn and stocked up on fresh apples.  Also they had some very nice fresh gourds, at a good price, so I brought home a couple.  After lunch, as we were (eventually) leaving the dining room, we met up with three other couples just leaving – and two of them were Fed retirees!  Which required extended exchange of greetings and news.  In all an excellent trip.

Free Wicker

Bottom of Seat

Before photo

Interim Solution

Comfy!

So I was just driving down the street, minding my own business, when this poor wicker chair cried out for rescue.  It was upside down in the trash can, and looked to be salvageable. I pulled over and did an inspection.  Frame didn’t look too bad.  Hauled out the cushion – yuck!  It was coated with black grime and damp.  Noticed at that point that the garbage truck had pulled up to the house next door – decision time.  I plopped the cushion in the chair and sprinted for my car. 

Digression: All kinds of things will fit in my car.  I cart the whole of the Dan Springs Collection vendor booth in it twice a month, not to mention other feats from time to time.  However,  on this day I was to pick up my granddaughter from preschool, so there was a child seat in the back.  Those things must be at least the size of an elephant. 

Back to our story: After several attempts, I admitted to myself that the wicker treasure was not going to fit in the back seat.  As I contemplated alternatives (drive slowly with the door open to the pool parking lot, maybe 500 yards, and stow for later retrieval; leave on the side of the road and go home for the truck; etc.), I tried the front passenger seat.  Success!

I was going to slip it up on the front porch for later refurbishing, but was caught in the act and banished to somewhere out of sight.  Later on the back porch I removed three layers of upholstery from the seat, and tried a quilt as a temporary fix.  Yes!  Check later for  continuation of the saga….

Blue Muse

I’m finally getting started on my entry for the Virginia Consortium of Quilters Minds Wide Open challenge!  To get the link for you, I checked the VCQ website and found the deadline for delivery of the quilts has been extended from November 14th to January 2nd!  Oh dear.  I’ll just pretend I never saw that tidbit of dangerous info.  Meanwhile, here’s the link to the challenge details: http://vcq.org/mwo.htm

My inspiration is a photo I took of the James River, near the Pony Pasture, in February of 2005.  I’m still struggling a bit with how to include my chosen muse, Erato, love and erotic poetry.  And I thought the color blue requirement would be a snap, but my fabric choices are tending more toward gray and purple. Oh well!  I’m pleased otherwise with my progress! I love the photography.

While Eli was in school…

Lily and Grandpa

Lily with Grandpa’s Hat

Lily with her apple and Mom

While Eli was in school last Thursday, Julia, Lily and I visited with the Grandp Schus at Covenant Woods!  Lily entertained herself, and the rest of us!  Her special treat was an apple.  According to her mom, she eats them in a different pattern everytime – this day it was round and round from top to bottom.

Trip to the Country

Front of Glenn’s Log Home

Momma on Glenn’s Back Deck

Deer at Glenn Acres

Saturday I drove my parents to Scottsville to check on the progress of my cousin’s log home.  He started out in 2004 planning to do all the work himself from a kit.  Everything was delivered to his site, high above the James River upstream from Scottsville.  It’s a beautiful location – with a view of the river and the mountains off the back deck!  He has done a lot of the work, but he’s hired help from time to time to try to move the effort along.  And now its almost done!  He’s hoping to move in this year!!

After a thorough tour of the construction, we adjourned to my aunt’s home (his mom) in Palmyra for a delicious lunch.  As we were getting ready to head back to Richmond, several of the local wildlife stopped by!  They were not nearly as thrilled to see them as I was – the deer devoured their garden this summer and continually destroy the landscaping.  Great photo op tho.

Back Yard Wandering

Wheelbarrow of Impatients

Mystery Plant 1

Mystery Plant 2

Yesterday morning was cool and sunny (as opposted to this morning, which is sunny and chill).  I finished photographing a recently completed quilt on the deck then wandered into the back yard to check on my impatients and herb wheelbarrow.  The seedpod for the impatients is very similar to the touch-me-not, also known as jewel weed, and gives a satisfying pop! when pinched.  So after I popped all the plump seedpods I strolled a bit further and discovered a shrub with umbrels of bright red berries on the back fence!!  From my Shurbs in Color by A.G.L. Hellyer, it looks like it might be a Virburnum opulus compactum, but I can’t tell for sure.  The other intriguing seedpod shown in the photo I’d seen before, but don’t know what it’s called either.  I’ve sent both photos off to my master gardener friend – hopefully she can identify them!

Virginia Fall Fiber Festival

Herd Them Up

Sheep Dog

Move em’ Out

Shearing

Newly Shorn

Raw Fleece

Roving in woven basket

Knitted Lace

Hope you had a chance to see some of the studios on the virtual tour!  For those of you still making the circuit, scroll down to the next entry for a tour of mine…

This past weekend the Fall Fiber Festival and Montpelier Sheep Dog Trials was held at Montpelier Station in Orange County, Virginia.  I drove up on Sunday and had a pleasant time watching the dogs move sheep on command, learning about shearing, and shopping the vendor booths. 

I learned that the lanolin in the sheep’s wool is water soluable – which is why the fellow shearing the sheep frequently dipped his shears in water.  The water dissolved the lanolin and lubricated the shears.  He said he typically uses electric shears, but for demonstrations its easier to bring the manual set.  The particular sheep I watched him clip was significantly past due for a trim. The wool next to the skin had felted in many places which he said necessitated the manual shears anyway.

Click here for more info on the festival.  Dates for next year are October 2 & 3, 2010.

Virtual Studio Tour!

I love the light in my sewing studio – early in the morning the sun floods in and anything seems possible!  In the evening when I turn off the lamps, the glow-in-the-dark stars that dear daughter 1 cast across the ceiling when it was still her bedroom glimmer like all the wonders of heaven.  In between times, I have at my fingertips all the tools and materials I need to create and space to do it in.

My main studio is 11′ 8″ x 10′ 11″ with two windows and a large closet.  On the other side of the wall is the Annex (previously known as dear daughter 2’s bedroom), a library and planning retreat.  It’s 10′7″ by 13′x2″, also with two windows and a large closet.  When we need a guest room, the couch folds out to a bed.  If we need a second guest room, I wave the transformation wand over the studio, collapse the sewing table, and fold out the couch in that room. 

I’ve included overview and detail photos of the studio, and overview photos of the annex.  If you click on a photo, you’ll get a larger version and an expanded caption.  Enjoy the tour!  Leave a comment!  Thanks for coming by!

Studio: View from Door toward Couch

Studio: View from Door

Studio: View toward closet

Studio: View toward door from desk

Studio: View from Sewing Machine

Studio Detail: Desk area

Studio Detail: Thread and Singing Cows

Studio Detail: Tiny Stuff

Studio Detail: Primitive cabinet

Studio detail: closet storage

Studio detail: top of fabric chest

Studio Detail: Door

Studio – Treasures Shelves

Annex – Looking toward closet

Annex – view from door

Annex – Window View

Annex: Fabric chests