Saturday, July 5, 2014

Country Living & FNWF July

 We moved to western Colorado from San Diego over 9 years ago now and needless to say it was a big change. We traded a 900 square foot 2 bedroom 1 bathroom 1 car garage 1954 house for a 2200 square foot 4 bedroom 2.5 bathroom 2.5 car garage with a 1200 square foot shop (our California house would fit inside the shop!) on 2.5 acres. We went several years before I even furnished the whole place and we have completely renovated the inside. We do live in a subdivision where you can have livestock and we receive irrigation water, but it feels like suburbia.

Every now and then we get a reminder that we live in the country especially during the summer. Our neighbor's two 4-H pigs got loose the other day and were hanging out in our side yard. My hubby and I were not exactly sure what to do...They were pretty large and hard to herd and pretty much ignored our clapping and calling trying to lead them home. We also were a little leery because we have seen the movies and know that some pigs will eat humans (remember Hannibal?)!
I called my neighbor and they came to retrieve them with a big stick and they swat at their faces to get them to move along. The pigs were overheated and had done serious damage to my neighbor's place as they had been loose for awhile. They can dig 4 inch deep trenches with their snouts and chew on irrigation pipe, but they were a little too tired by the time they reached our place to do much... We learned something about pigs and admired their strength!

The other morning the crop duster began to fly overhead at 7am buzzing a nearby field. I was glad he was not here at 5:30 like sometimes.  Country living!
 Last night was Friday Night With Friends (FNWF) for July because it was the first Friday of the month. Even though it was the 4th of July, I stayed in and sewed the night away because I had a deadline. I needed to finish this sewing bag for my friend, Lindsey.
Her birthday is tomorrow and we sewed today, so I had to have it ready to bring with me. I got it done and she loved it. I used all brushed cottons from my scrap bins. I embroidered it in black perle cotton and hand quilted it with a cream perle cotton. To see what others worked on for Friday Night With Friends, go to http://stitchingcubbyhole.blogspot.com
 Since I was heading over to Lindsey's for a sewing day, I got to try out my new Stanley 3-in-1 Rolling Workshop also known as a mobile sewing center. I had seen this over at http://fabrictherapy.blogspot.com/2014/06/home-depot-to-rescue.html and she had borrowed the idea from.http://thehappyzombie.com/blog/?p=635 My celery/mint 1961 Singer Featherweight's carrying case has a cracked handle that I am afraid to use. This wheeled tool chest is available at Home Depot for $36.97. 
I bungee corded my cutting board onto the back, but it kept slipping to the ground. I think if I add a bungee cord to the top through the cutting board's handle it will stay in place.
  A few weeks ago, I saw that Pug Mom had some good ideas here http://pugmomquilts.blogspot.com/2014/06/quilting-tools-and-tip.html about what to bring with you for sewing get togethers. I am trying to have a complete set of all my tools, so all I need to do is grab and go. I am still on the lookout for a power cord plug like Pug Mom showed.
My machine fits perfectly in this bottom portion and I put a small table topper quilt around the machine for padding and then I will use it to place my machine on top of for sewing.
This is the middle container and I have loaded it with my sewing machine supplies like thread, sewing machine needles, pins, bobbins, snips, etc.
The top portion has a removable tray that I loaded with scissors, a rotary cutter, and a measuring tape.
Below the tray was a perfect place for my sewing project and my rulers. 

This worked great today and I could locate everything easily. I want to make a coordinating thread catcher, iron bag, and table topper for my mobile sewing center. I also think I need to girl up the rolling tool box with some stickers, so I will be on the lookout for some...

I am working on a couple of baby quilts and will embroider tomorrow for Slow Sunday Stitching be sure to stop over there to see what everyone is up to http://kathysquilts.blogspot.com 



22 comments:

  1. Your stanley travel tote reminds me of my old scrapbooking days!!! Loved your pig story too! Also good to know I'm not the only one who stayed in on the 4th. :)

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    1. Thanks for rejuvenating this one at Tuesday Archives this week...the pig story is always a good laugh!!

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  2. Love the bag you made!
    Stanley looks amazing - I too had a travelling tote for scrapbooking but nothing for the machine as yet - visiting pigs is not something that happens every day!! I didn't realise they could do so much damage either!

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  3. Pigs are definitely not something i would expect to see in my garden. How lucky you are that they did not do any damage.
    Your little bag is gorgeous and will be a lovely gift.
    I am impressed with how well the tool box works to transport your machine a sewing supplies. Much sturdier that normal sewing trolleys.

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  4. Love that bag... what a great gift for your friend. Good idea to use that tool box as a rolling sewing caddy.... really handy for workshops. Our garden is often awash with sheep or cows... no pigs though thank goodness. Don't you just love country living!

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  5. I enjoyed this post in its entirety, a little home, a little sewing and a little sharing tips. Very enjoyable indeed.

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  6. Love the storage container and that is one pretty bag, and while I feel bad for you I did have to laugh a bit about those pigs! Now that's one critter that I've not had visit me here : )

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  7. Yes, pigs can be mean and destructive, but they are so darn cute when they are little piglets. Glad they made it home safely! My daughter lived in San Jose for a while and yes Ca homes are smaller and oh so much more expensive. Love the bag you made and your Stanley tote is perfect for a quilter on her way to a retreat.

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  8. That mobile sewing cart is wonderful! great for a retreat or just going out to sew with friends.

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  9. ha ha, pigs in your garden! That's so funny... I live in a city centre so I only get pigeons, oh and 4 rabbits, but they live there so I know about them. Love the rolling sewing centre. We don't have Home Depot and those are about £50 over here as my husband bought one (for his tools , not his sewing, the boring man!). You could mod podge fabric on to the outside, that would make it really unique...

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  10. I love the rolling cart idea. You have all your supplies in one place! Great!

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  11. Hi Tanya! I've purchased cord reels at Lowes and Home Depot. You can also order one on Amazon! Glad that you found some of my tips helpful! I was thrilled to be mentioned in your blog!

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  12. Wow, such a clever idea to use a stanley tote! I don't necessarily travel with my machine at all but want to join our local quilt guild so maybe I'll start. I'll have to look into this to see if I could make it work with my machine. Thanks for sharing at Anything Goes Monday!

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  13. Neat bag with great fabric choices.

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  14. Very cool set up for mobile sewing!
    Enjoyed the pig story... that's not something you'd see every day!
    Thanks for linking up!

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  15. Lovely bag you made for your friend..
    Great idea to use the rolling toolbox for your workshops.

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  16. Love your gift ! She will, too.
    Pigs on the loose can be scary... my aunt had a big pig try to push her over. It was loose in the neighborhood for over a week.

    Susie

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  17. I love, love, love my new sewing bag! Thank you so much. It's just my style and with all those interior pockets I'll be all set up for our next sew day. Can't wait for the quilt show on Friday. See you then!

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  18. That bag looks great!

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  19. Thanks for sharing this one at Val's! I've seen posts about that Stanley work chest and am psyched to know a FW will fit inside it. Great way to travel with your quilting!

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