SEW WHAT???

TODAY, IN 1846, ELIAS HOWE

PATENTED THE SEWING MACHINE...

Upon reading this, I dug into my archives for these photos.

Looking beyond clothing displayed in the store window,

I was drawn to the shiny black, distinctive gold with 

accents of red & turquoise...

...a WALL OF SEWING MACHINES! 

These machines appear to be the same model & make,

but the only unifying feature is the color...

...this beautiful German-made Frister & Rossman sewing machine

was sold during 1907-1914

& was operated by turning the white hand crank...

a similar machine is currently being sold on eBay for under $300.

...don't you love the detail of this machine's intricate

gold-turquoise-red decorations? 

my mom's first machine was a Singer

(purchased in the early 50's)...

I purchased my machine (1972) from Sears (a Kenmore), 

which was recently replaced with a Pfaff...

my youngest daughter (Allie) bought a Pfaff

when she graduated from college... 

mom now uses a Brother...

to sew personalized pillowcases, place-mats, napkins,

table runners and wedding quilts!!!

I'm curious about sewing machine decals...

can anyone tell me about INDIAN head decal

(top picture)... reminds me of my DAD!

SEEKING BEAUTY...

replaying some of my favorite FALL pictures...

(the picture of the quilt - top right photo was taken by my daughter, ACE)

What do you LOVE about Autumn?

HaPPy BDay!!! LARS...

NESTING...

:: time to dust off the cobwebs ::

"Luxury need not have a price ~

COMFORT

itself is a luxury."

~ Geoffrey Beene, American designer

I absolutely love the experience of climbing into a bed that has clean sheets - especially, when I pull back the blankets to find crisp, smooth, tightly fitting sheets & NO WRINKLES...


Do you think of your "bed as a nest"??? I'm sort of like a mother-bird building my nest ~ layering the sheets, blankets and coverlet or quilt ~ tucking, fluffing and smoothing this nest... AND, I look forward to retreating to my nest each night... almost dreading that tap from JPE each morning, signaling me to get up!


We've enjoyed the company of Mom, Lauren, Jan & Perry, and Marcus this past month... they've all mentioned how "cozy" our guest bed is! I think it's the SHEETS!!!! or perhaps it's my mother-bird nesting skills???


Today's a lovely FALL day to "rebuild our nest" --- 

GOING IN CIRCLES??

Long Beach Quilt Show ~ July 2008 ~ photo by ACE

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; 

there is no recipe for living that suits all cases."

~ Carl Jung, Swiss Psychiatrist

My LIFE is swirling...

...although I have swelling on the top of my left foot, I have been able to slip on my "sturdy" (the Doctors word) Clark flats!! Good News!!

...the DOCTOR (recommendation) would like me to wear lace-up running type shoes ~ but I just don't think I can pull that off ~ considering they look odd with office attire. Urgghh!!

...AND ~ as much as I would like to be farther in the healing process ~ my "foot" seems to be taking it's "sweet-ole-time."

I feel like I'm "going in circles" ~ wearing a shoe (good day)! elevating the foot (end of day)! tender, swollen toes (Monday evening)! wearing the boot (tomorrow)!! GOOD NEWS - I haven't used the crutches in 2 weeks.

X-RAY on Friday! it's healing - but not fast enough!!! can't wait to be able to take 10,000 steps (where's my pedometer)?

WEEKWORD = ANTICIPATION

quillt pics taken by ACE @ Long Beach Quilt Show ~ July 2009

"All you need is deep within you waiting

to unfold and reveal itself. 

All you have to do is be still and take time 

to seek for what is within, 

and you will surely find it."

~ Eileen Caddy 

I can't wait for the COLORS of SPRING!!! 

OKAY - dust the cobwebs from your brain

and get your WEEKWORD hat on!

the word is...

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N 

are you eagerly ANTICIPATING...

...SWIMSUIT SEASON ???

...SPENDING TIME BENEATH A STARRY SKY ?

...THE WARMTH OF THE SUN & FRAGRANCE OF FLOWERS ?

...PEACE ? KINDNESS ?? CIVILITY ???

...TAKING A SKINNY DIP ON VACATION??

As a reminder,  
WEEKWORD is OPEN to EVERYONE!!

Let me a note in the comment section that you are interested in posting 

your interpretation 

(poem, picture, drawing, story, quote, etc) 

of the WEEKWORD...

A-N-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-I-O-N

on your blog no later than Saturday April 9th.

Check THIS LINK for more information about WEEKWORD. 

Bet you're curious about what I'm posting, eh!

(a little hint ~ it's NOT what is suggested in the second quilt in this post...)

A WOMAN'S BEST FRIEND!

Lounging LOLA ~ 11.27.10

"The greatest love is a mother's; 

then a dog's; then a sweetheart's."

~ Polish Proverb

ACE took this picture at 
the INTERNATIONAL QUILT SHOW 
in Long Beach, several years ago...

same little face??

Do you think she knew a DOG was in her future?

OH, so cute!! 

"O-H" was the WEEKWORD selected by
Elena @ MY QUEST

OH, my... need a definition? 

• used to express a strong emotional reaction such as surprise, shock, pain, or extreme pleasure

• used to introduce strong reaction: used to introduce short phrases that express a strong emotion, such as anger, shock, delight, or triumph

• used to introduce response: used to introduce a response to what somebody has just said or asked

OH... so are you curious about who's playing

WEEKWORD? 

check in with

ELENA!

WHOA! WEDNESDAY??

image found at http://www.whittierhistoric.org/index.html

Can't believe it! Already Wednesday???

Thank goodness for strong legs! 

Last Saturday's Whittier Historic Home Tour was spread over 7 blocks!  The weather cooperated - comfortable enough for a 3/4 length sleeved top, jeans & tennies. Last year, I "melted" wearing flipflops, cropped pants & short sleeve shirt (& if I remember correctly, we all got sunburned - the sunscreen dripped from our bodies)...

Don't you love peeking into people's lives? we stepped into the five homes shown on the Whittier Historic Neighborhood Tour. 

My FAV = 1909 Craftman... the picture of the exterior doesn't reveal the magnificent restoration found on the inside. Luckily, the owner was our guide! she had "lovingly" painted the living room frieze (decorative border around the parameter of the room) with trees, birds & mountains... She spent over 100 hours painting the guestroom frieze (an ornate floral blossom typical of the Craftsman era). Talk about "detail" - the owners have spent 9 years sanding layers of paint off the doors, window sashes & baseboards. Unfortunately, photos are not allowed inside the homes!! but I did capture this photo of my mom & aunt...

Suited UP! & Waiting!!

Similar to quilt shows, people are asked to cover their shoes to protect the wood & carpeted floors...

*FYI ~ quilt monitors wear "white gloves" 

which protect the fabric from getting dirty 

when showing both sides of the quilt.

NO PICS ALLOWED! 
I didn't see that printed in the program 
until I had taken photos in the first house. 
Will share what I was able to capture... 

We started our tour with the 1938 Minimal Traditional style home ~ simple design = no shutters or porch on the exterior; the kitchen had scalloped molding (trimmed w/red paint) which resembled "Early American" design; also had a  red plaid cover on the kitchen's drop-down ironing board!! This home is in tremendous shape & has had only three owners since it was built!

Red & white kitchen ~ are you ready to listen to a soap opera & have a cup of tea?

This house featured a walk-in closet with a built-in vanity! love the glitzy mirror... 

BLOSSOM PASSION ?!@!

(May 29, 2010 ~ taken in Adrienne's garden)

"Every flower is a soul 

blossoming in nature."

~ Gerard de Nerval, French poet

Taking pictures of flowers
is a passion!!

I thought it was because

FLOWERS

are the colors of the 

rainbow

 (pic taken by ACE - Long Beach Quilt Show 2008)

  
they don't move (like a child)

they have unusual borders 

 they bring "good friends" to the garden

 AND

you don't have to tell them to say "cheese"

FLOWERS

provide serenity

for MY overstimulated mind! 

How do you deal with an
overstimulated mind?