I got my dongle today! It's for the D-1 machine. I'm going to try it out tonight after work, hopefully. I can't wait to get started!
In other news, gas is up to 2.80 here, with lots of rumors saying it'll be over $3 by the weekend, and $4 "soon". Bah, I'll believe the $4 thing when I see it. In the meantime I'm not driving home for lunch everyday, and that seems to be saving me quite a bit. Instead, I go sit in the lobby and work on quilts or knitting.
I keep reading more and more stuff about Katrina, and I can't believe the devastation to New Orleans. I know the other southern states got hit pretty hard, but I've spent more time in NO, so it's closer to home for me. I used to fly in and out of there on a regular basis...it's a neat little town. Not that I'd want to live there, tho. Just visit. Regularly. Anyway, thoughts and prayers to people that have lost everything, including family members.
The Holiday Grand Plan (www.organizedchristmas.com) got started on Sunday. I have a list a mile long of things to be done this week, but I think it's going to make a big difference in the front of our house. I want to paint our front door, and repaint the threshold. I need to pull some ivy out of the front flower beds, too. Right now it's looking like rain, but I hope it doesn't. I have clothes on the line!
Speaking of clotheslines, does anybody else still use them besides my mother and I? I love the smell of laundry straight off the line, and Carl's mom recently told me that even in winter she'll hang things out for a little while. They freeze, but then she tosses them in the dryer to finish drying, and they still smell like "outside" a little. I'm going to try that this winter, I think.
In the meantime I want to get some mums for the front garden, and maybe some asters. I'll probably pick up some bulbs to plant, and that will be the extent of my fall gardening. Need to change the flag out front, too.
Last night we drove down to Chatham to visit Capitol Coral. I'm in the market for a peppermint shrimp and I need some Flatworm Exit. They didn't have either one, apparently the hurricane is stopping stock from getting here from Florida. Guess I'll try again this weekend, but in the meantime I'm ordering the FWE and hoping it works good. I'm starting to think about upgrading my tank, too. Oh come on! You knew it was going to happen sooner or later, right?
Ugh, back to work.
Mom was there this weekend, we went to a tax seminar Saturday morning. Talk about a snoozer, but at least it's over for the year. After that we hit Joanns sale, and I got some sewing needles. She got embroidery thread and I made her 2 pillowcases. Had lunch at Applebees, stay away from that oriental chicken bowl. Yuk!
Friday night we went to Doyle's for the auction. Carl bought 2 more guns, which I'm picking up today. He got a pretty good deal on them. Guess that's more incentive for me to get the reloading room set up, huh? :)
Yesterday after Mom left, I cleaned windows and the fish tank. I have flatworms which haven't been too bad, but now they're getting there. So I'm doing daily water changes this week and hoping for the best. I don't want to resort to a chemical, but I might. I'm starting to think about setting up the 55 gallon.
I went through the entire day today thinking it was Wednesday. I think it was because I stayed home from the auction last night, and we always go auction-ing on Wednesdays. So TGIF-tomorrow!
A month ago I went to a Private Quarters party. I ordered a really nice featherbed, which I still don't have! Now I've found out that it won't be delivered until September 16th, possibly. I'm glad I put it on a credit card, at least I can dispute the charges if I need to. In the meantime, I can't recommend this company to anyone.
However, if you're looking for software to use to convert embroidery files into .shv format, I CAN recommend annthegran's Catalog software. It did a great job, and if I hadn't already ordered the Customizing Plus software, I might decide to keep using it. But, I think I'd rather stick with the Viking stuff since I can then use their other software down the line if I decide to.
My mom is coming to town this weekend. We're going to a tax seminar Saturday morning. What should we do for the rest of the day? I want to go to Joanns and pick up some things I've been needing, and then I guess we're going to the mall. It's funny, I live 10 minutes from the mall, but the only time I go is when she's here.
Okay, off to work on the quilting!
So I haven't been writing much, because I've been sewing! Since I got my new machine, I've been working on a new quilt, finished up some old ufos, and oh yeah, I did clean out my sewing area. Someone recently told me that if you have more than one sewing machine, that makes it a studio instead of a sewing room.
I've been working on a quilt project that I picked up while doing the East Central Illinois Fabric Shop Hop in July. It requires the use of Thangles. In case you don't know what they are (www.thangles.com), they're pieces of paper that you pin to your fabric, and then sew on the dotted lines. It's supposed to help with the construction of half square triangles.
Now, I don't claim to be the best quilter in the world, but I don't think HST's are difficult...but I DO think that having to pin 2 pieces of material plus a piece of paper on top is tricky. I haven't noticed any improvement on my triangles, but mine didn't look bad to begin with. What I don't like about this project is that instead of doing flying geese blocks, which is what it's supposed to look like, we have to use the thangles and piece 2 hst's together to get one flying geese unit. Weird, and I doubt if I continue piecing them this way. Triangles are just not that hard, especially if you measure and then square up the blocks (something I end up doing, Thangles or not!).
Listening to: Sarah Vaughan - If You Could See Me Now
Reading: The Viking instruction manual
Drinking: water
And also...why my husband rules, too (yay, honey!). We were at Doyle Auction tonight, and they had a Husqvarna Viking Designer 1 machine (sewing for you non-cool people). Anyway, they sell for around $5000 new, and I snagged this one for $1550. From what I can tell, the embroidery unit was never used, and the feet were still sealed up in the original bag, so I doubt anybody ever sewed much with it. Several people congratulated me on my way out of the building, for the excellent deal I got. I think I'll not be sleeping much tonight.
So far it's working fine. I think my Mom wants to buy my regular machine, and probably the Snoopy embroidery machine. Pictures should be forthcoming.
Also, I managed to fix the problem I was having with the Kenmore. Actually, it fixed itself, I turned it on and all of a sudden it worked. Go me! Now I can start working on the new Quilt for the Cure project, but I'll be doing that on the new machine now. What should I name it? Ole or Sven?
I think I'll be beside myself for a few days....
Listening to: Jay Leno
Drinking: nothing
Reading: instruction book!
We did make it to the fair last night. And it didn't even rain while we were there. Carl got to talk to the Shopsmith guy, who didn't impress me even a little bit when he explained that the manual comes in two languages: English for the men, and pictures for the women. Little did he know that Carl just bought one of their machines a couple of weeks ago for his dad at an auction for $175.
I think Carl agreed that the butter cow scene is kind of creepy this year. Otherwise we mostly visited the political tents and collected free pencils. And we did make it to Judy Baar Topinka's party.
As we were driving home I saw a giant streak of lightning to the west and was thankful we were almost home. We had nice storms move through, but the heat index is going to be 105 today anyway.
Yesterday at lunch I managed to get some work going on the dishcloth I'm knitting. I learned how to purl! Today I have to go pick up Carl's bday present (yes, it's late but he just told me this morning what he wants!), so no knitting for me. Tonight we're going to an auction, so I should get some work in then.
Alice woke me up in bed again this morning. She had crawled up the covers, I guess. Anyway, she was laying right next to me, snoring.
I am so far behind in laundry it's pathetic. Hoping to take the bike out for a ride this weekend. Maybe Sunday, the high is 80 for that day.
Listening to: Paul Simon - Slip Slidin'
Drinking: Caffeine Free Diet Coke (I know...what's the point?)
Reading: www.sewingworld.com
I think we're going to the fair tonight. 'Bout time! Last night we went to the Glenarm auction. Carl got a box of Victrola records for his dad...then found out his dad has an Edison, not a Victrola. Oh well. He also got some kind of power inverter for the (as of yet non-existent) camper. At tomorrow night's auction there is supposed to be a Viking embroidery machine. I'm trying to figure out how much I'll go on it. I don't really "need" it, but I'd like to have one to see if it's any better than the one I already have. That's sick, right?
Carl's been working late almost every night this week, trying to finish a project that was due today. I'm making up my list of stuff to do at the fair tonight, presuming the weather holds and we actually get to go. I think this year's fair is kind of weak. No tech town, the dive show is new and not improved, no camper show. Also, I couldn't find the x-games stuff but I've been assured it's still there, so I definitely want to check it out. And I can't find the Vita-Mix lady! I was sure this was the year I'd get one (well, probalby not...).
In other news, I finished the scarf I'd been working on with the Noro yarn. It's definitely the shortest scarf ever knitted. However, I think it'll be fine, it looks pretty enough. I need to take a photo and post it.
How sad is it that I've started adding lines in calls that say things like: note to self, check line 1627 of this program...just in case I forget what I was supposed to look at. I must be getting old. 32 in 3 weeks. Carl just turned 37 yesterday. We had pizza. I think he's getting a right-angle drill. It was that or XM. Today he's in Bloomington getting more credit hours for his PE license renewal. I miss him. We usually email each other 50 times throughout the day. "What are you doing? What are we doing tonight? What do you want for supper? Did you see this idiot (insert webpage here)? Do you want one of these (insert other webpage here)?"
Hoping our featherbed gets here soon. I ordered it through a Private Quarters party almost a month ago.
So ready for Friday. And I miss Carl. :(
My to-do list if we Don't go to the fair:
sew binding onto butterfly quilt (starting to feel guilt that this isn't done...sure sign that I'll do it soon)
go through freecycle stuff in 3rd bedroom. Make giant pile and one offer post.
sweep and mop kitchen/dining room floors
That's enough.
Listening to: ABC - Be Near Me (XM)
Reading: www.organizedchristmas.com
Drinking: water
Went to the Glenarm auction last night. Imagine my surprise when I turned around to see a replica of the sewing desk I got for my Mom the last time I was there! At first I thought she'd dropped it off on her way home this weekend, since I was sure there couldn't be another like it. Then I noticed that this one had all of the knobs on the front. So I called her and asked her if she wanted it. Ended up taking it for $1.
Carl also got some tools (big expense for the night, tool box and all for $6), and a book by Ted Owens, called "How to Contact Space People". He paid $1, apparently somebody is trying to sell them for almost $200. If anybody wants this one for $200, mail me (haha!).
Decided to bring my lunch to work today so I could save gas. Yeah, me. I also brought the scarf I've been working on (knitting), so maybe I can finish it. It'd be nice to be able to work on knitting projects at lunch so I don't have to feel guilty about doing it when I'm at home. I think my next project will be some squares for the afghan project here (local yarn shop takes them and has somebody put them together for afghans for the homeless). Speaking of homeless people, and I certainly don't mean this as a slam, but since when are they not known as homeless, but as "resource-challenged"?
Listening to: XM, the 80s, Styx - Mr. Roboto (yes, I have no shame)
Reading: email
Drinking: Diet Mt Dew
TGIF! The state fair started last night, and I finished going through all of the yard sale fabric.
I really thought this was going to be a good day. And then when I went to get in my car this morning I smelled gas. Like, lots of it. I thought the car might blow up when I started it or something.
Anyway, turns out that when I went to pick up the butterfly quilt last night, on my way back into the garage I think I must have run over the used oil bucket Carl uses. So we have an Exxon spill (less than 5 gallons, thank goodness...I didn't want to have to report this). I'm thinking about leaving work at lunch to go deal with it. What's worse is that when I backed my car out of the garage, some of the oil dripped off the door onto my car :( Sucky
However, my Mom is coming to town tonight for the weekend. We're hitting the fair tomorrow. I have a bazillion things to do before she gets here, but it should be fun. We're going to the "as seen on tv" building first, I think. For some reason I am a total sucker to buy junk (and it really is junk) at the fair. Somebody should stop me, really. Normally, that person would be my mom, but she's just as bad. I think we're going shopping tonight when she gets here.
I haven't been to the mall in ages, other than Hancocks for fabric. Actually, I take that back. I did go to the new Linens 'N Things, and World Market. I can't decide if I like LNT or Bed, Bath and Beyond better. I ordered a feather mattress from a Private Quarters party a few weeks ago and it hasn't arrived yet. I'm getting antsy...I want feathers!
Knitting is going well. I'm still working on this scarf with the stripey yarn. I'd love to say what kind of yarn it is, but the tag is written in Chinese or something. Anyway, I really like it.
Oh, and the butterfly quilt is finished being quilted! That was really fast! Anyway, I thought it turned out really well, she used a small butterfly motif, and it looks perfect :) Now I just have to get the binding on it. And the new Hancocks-Paducah catalog came this week. Just in time for me to order something new!
Actually, my next quilt will be the Quilt for a Cure project that was handed out at the shop hop last month. I thought it was going to be for my Mom, but the colors are a little too feminine, even for her. Pink and green. Oh well, I already have the blocks, might as well do something with them.
Listening to: Winamp - Peter Schilling (Major Tom) I'm Coming Home
Reading: quilting magazines from the Great Yard Sale(tm)
Drinking: Celestial Seasons Lemon Zinger (not that great)
Ok, reinstalling the blog software, had problems with permissions (surely something I managed to screw up).
Just testing for now. Had to go to Walmart this morning, to get storage bins for a giant mass of fabric I got at a yard sale a few weeks ago. It's been sitting in one of the spare rooms until now, when it has to be cleared because my Mom is coming for a visit this weekend (and it's in her room).