Friday, March 11, 2016

It's in the hoop


Finally the backing was assembled and the quilting has begun.

I did have one big snafu though.

I have a container with fabric marking tools, pens and pencils.

For the darker fabrics, I love my karisma pencil with the thin white lead ... even though it gets used quickly and the last centimeter will not hold so has to be tossed out.

Karisma makes leads in yellow and blue for lighter fabrics but they don't come off as easily as the white which disappears as you stitch over it. Well, in my container there are a number of pens, blue and purple, made by several companies. The blue comes out with time and the purple stays longer but both wash out with a touch of water.

Well, I started with the purple because often the blue lines fade away before i get to them. The first pen I used was a bit tired and soon gave out so I reached in the box for another one. OOPS! when I went to wash out the ink with a paintbrush dipped in water, the lines did not disappear. Looking at the pen again, I found somehow a permanent marker had been stashed in the container.

Well, I am not going to redo the whole #7. Maybe it will fade with time. I don't think the baby will be bothered by the lines but I am a bit miffed that I made the mistake. There are many kinds of pens and the writing is all in Japanese. It may be that someone else moved that pen to my box as I doubt I ever even bought a purple permanent marker with two sized points.

The plum tree is still blooming in a wild and disorderly way.

I think this is what happens when you can't afford a professional tree trimmer and your ladder is too short to reach the upper branches.

Anyway, I am still enjoying the sweet scent of those little flowers.

This picture was taken during days of cold and rain.



Note the pink snow on the street below.

And as you may notice my sweeping duty will go a long way up the street as there is just as much on my neighbor's pavement as mine.








Neighbors in the other direction seem to have planted some bulbs in their weed bed.


(As a weed-aholic I always find this long bed of weeds hard to pass by ... and admit to reaching in and removing some that were tossing seeds along our street).

These are very tiny and look like what we used to call, "Johnny jump-ups".
Since each is single, they are probably just small daffodils, but they were a joyful surprise this spring. Now, if only this family would get serious about the weeds in the other ten meters or so...






The magnolias on the street to the station have begun to open their blooms.


They always start with the tree to the East that gets the most sun.




And last night's Cub Pack meeting took longer than expected.

I had made five kits of stools for the cubs to assemble as a team.
They had to saw the long bars for the sides and bottom, sand the pieces, and glue and nail the sections together.

The hardest part was hammering in those nails without bending them. They did work together well as a team, and even were able to decide who would get to take the finished stool home.

That meeting was LOOOOONG and I arrived home long after bedtime. I gave up the idea of dinner, walked Nikko around the block and went to bed.

This has been a busy week but all the stuff on the list has been done except for one ... that is a Skype call with the kids. (not easy when we are taking in areas between Boston and Tokyo.) well, and then the rest of the day's items and maybe even a bit of quilting ....

12 comments:

  1. I have done that with a black marker, on a stitchery project but more because my brain wasn't working and I started drawing the design with permanent marker, lol. Luckily it was for stitching so I just tossed it and started over;) Love the flower photos, so beautiful and I am seeing a few buds on the trees, so won't be long. You amaze me with the things you do for the boys, they are learning skills that most people have forgotten.

    Debbie

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  2. OH - hate it when I do things like that - but I'm sure the baby won't mind one bit. Your days are certainly full - be sure and take time to relax and take care of yourself missy. Your cub scouts are doing a great job - what nice boys. The flowers are so pretty - we are inundated with wonderful daffodils these days too.

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  3. Hi Julie, I found this on the web . . . love all the flowers, especially, well it's hard t say especially, but I am awed by the magnolias! Check the web for more ideas.
    Remove Permanent Marker from Fabric - Remove Marker ...
    www.goodhousekeeping.com/.../cleaning/.../stains-f...
    Good Housekeeping
    Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent/vinegar solution, blotting frequently with a dry cloth until the stain disappears. 5. If the stain remains, sponge the stain with rubbing alcohol. Blot to remove the stain.

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  4. Daffs and Magnolia, sure signs of spring up your way. Love the numbers blocks, hope the marker isn't in that box now. And the stools, do you really cut that wood by hand and get all the kitsets done by yourself? Enjoy your warmer days. Hugs from a cooler NZ.

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  5. it is so frustrating when you do something like that .. but as you say baby wont mind .. so just don't look at that part!! lol x what beautiful colours are appearing for your walk/brushing session xx

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  6. Oops! Hope it does fade. Can you embroider over it?
    The Spring blooms are looking lovely.
    The cubs look like they are having a great time. What an achievement.
    I hope you slept well.
    Yes, we have to keep track of the time for Skype calls, too. And of course be aware of when daylight saving starts and finishes, as well.

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  7. Oh shame about the pen. Hope it's not too distracting. Lovely plum tree you have there. I haven't seen them very long time.

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  8. Hi Julie, I wonder if a little organic solvent - like nail polish remover, which is acetone - would take out the pen marks? Sounds like it is not water-soluble so an organic solvent might work. It could be tested on another piece of fabric first. Just a thought.

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  9. Dear Julie,
    I'm sorry I have not been in touch or commented in a long time - too busy.
    Japanese pens are excellent, but it can be hard to know which contains what kind of ink. Won't the purple lines on no 7 be just charming? One way to hide the inked line is to whip the quilting stitches!
    You are so good at making meaningful projects for your cubs, you are a great leader.
    Enjoy spring and its flowers.
    Thinking of you.
    Queenie

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  10. I like your baby quilt with the numbers, very cute. I think it is wonderful that you work with the cub scouts and always teach such creative projects. Do they speak English?
    Staying so busy helps keep your mind off your heart aches. The cub scouts are very lucky to have you as their leader. Love from Georgia.

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  11. Try some Oxiclean on that ink. Let it soak for a day and then wash out.

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  12. So sorry about the pen. LOVE that owl by your quilt!

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