Quilting and Stuff by Knitnoid

Category Archives: House

My Brother’s Visit – February 2025

March 25, 2025 6:43 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I have the best brother.  Last month he visited for a week and worked his tail off helping me with odd jobs around the house and installing the custom vanity he made for me. He discovered when he opened his trailer, Bluing  had stowed away for the trip. Needless to say, Butterscotch was not a happy camper when she saw him.  Bluing stayed in the trailer all week, but got to ride up front on the way home.

If the vanity and odd jobs were not enough, he came bearing gifts.  Coasters and a cutting board made from scrap lumber for both me and my sister-in-law.

He suggest olive oil for the board and the colors just popped.

The first order of business was getting the vanity installed.  This included removing the old vanity and cutting a wall access to cut the water off to the shower if needed.

Then we called the countertop folks to have them come measure and fabricate the top.  This left 4 days to do odd jobs around the house.

Two wall hooks were made.  One is in my closet and the other in my bathroom.  He milled and shaped the wood at home then attached the dragonflies when he got here.  They are from Lowe’s.  Have I mentioned the wood is from a walnut log he cut himself?

It’s the same log that my mantle was made from. Another odd job was hanging the pictures over my mantel. That’s Gracie on the left and Butterscotch on the right.  The photo in them middle is from my trip to Scotland last year.

He fixed the bedframe.  Originally he thought there was an issue with bed rails, but it turns out only shims were needed between the bed rail and the footboard and headboard.  He says it no longer feels like the bed is going to collapse.

One of the last things he did was paint my cabinet doors using various shades of turquoise/teal paint to help decide what color my new kitchen cabinets will be.

Also while waiting for the vanity top to arrive he did the following odd jobs:

  • Stabilized my IKEA fabric cabinets. They are now connected to each other and to the wall.
  • Reattached the gutter flashing
  • Cleaned the gutters
  • Fixed my mailbox
  • Put up 2 ceiling AC vents
  • Stopped the toilet from rocking
  • Deepened the grooves in my file drawers
  • Fixed the loose curtain rod in my bedroom
  • Replace a smoke detector
  • Re-assembled a desk in my sunroom
  • Moved a file cabinet for my sister in law
  • Cut some 2 x 4s for my shoe class

The marble top arrived on Thursday afternoon, then he finished the vanity area.

  • installed the backsplash – the tile matches the shower which he installed last year.
  • added the walnut trim to the top of the tile and marble
  • installed the faucet
  • Installed the mirror, including making the frame
  • installed the magnifying mirror
  • installed the towel ring
  • touched up the wall paint – apparently my walls are not square so the cabinet was a tighter fit than expected.

The final thing he did was drop me off at Walmart at 6:00 AM Sunday morning on his way out of town so I could catch a ride to AQS Branson.

Posted in: House

What I’m Working on Wednesday – 2/26/2025

February 26, 2025 1:40 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

I’ve fallen behind in my blogging.  Next week my brother is bringing and installing this custom vanity he made me! So, things have been a bit busy around here.  I’ve had to prepare notes for my Vice President since I won’t be at the meeting next week. My brother said he didn’t see why I couldn’t go — then I sent him the list of things I want us to accomplish. He threatened to just ship me the vanity.

So as far as my Goals for last week — I missed all of them. I don’t have any quilting goals for this week.  Although, I will be folding the quilts which are currently on the guest bed. After I get that done, I need to start on my sunroom and kitchen.

My brother will be here for a week, then I’m going to AQS Branson to help at the Ritzy Quilting Company booth.  When I get back, my kitchen renovation starts.  So, in the next 10 day – I need to clear my kitchen and utility room and before that I need to make space elsewhere in my house to everything.

Stash Report for 2/28/2025

I’ve mentioned I’m making 2 quilts for my SIL to give to her sisters this Christmas.  Well this is the backing for the 2nd quilt.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 8 yards (I converted my wide back to 45″)
Fabric Added to Date:  40 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 0 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 10.825 yards

Net Fabric Stash: 29.175 yards

Maybe I’ll get off another post before I leave for Branson, but if not, I’ll aim to post something on March 21st.

 

Posted in: designwall, goals, House, Stash Busting Report

Stash Busting Report – February 14, 2025

February 14, 2025 10:49 pm ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

Although the yellow might make you think of my Quilt Studio, this is in my brother’s wood shop.  He sent me this picture this afternoon of the doors of the vanity he is making me. Aren’t they gorgeous? They are walnut and most if not all of the wood came from the same tree/log that my fireplace mantel did.  My brother kiln dried the wood then milled it.

Now the stash report.

Saturday on my way home from the MQA meeting I stopped in at Ritzy Quilting Company and picked up another Dahila layer cake for my Living on Cornbread quilt.  I really need to get back to that.  Per my calculations, a layer cake contains about 3 yards of fabric.

 

On the usage side, I pulled 1 3/4 yard of fabric from my stash for the backing of the President’s Challenge quilt.  I’m still ahead, but i saw a gorgeous piece of backing earlier today.  I don’t have a quilt for it yet, but it’s my colors.  I may be making the drive to Crystal Springs and bringing home 2 new backings for quilts I haven’t even conceived of yet, they are that beautiful.

Fabric Added Since Last Report: 3 yards
Fabric Added to Date:  4 yards

Fabric Used Since Last Report: 1.75 yards
Fabric Used to Date: 9.625 yards

Net Fabric Stash: -5.625 yard

 

 

Posted in: House, Stash Busting Report

My New Vanity

February 6, 2025 9:05 am ⋅ Leave a Comment ⋅

My brother is building the vanities for my bathrooms. I was expecting him to bring the larger one to me towards the end of this month.  Imagine my surprise when I get a the following message from him:

I can have both your vanities delivered to you 2 days

I freaked out a bit.  I have a busy weekend with the state quilt guild, the big football game and hosting Bunco.  He then sent me this picture.

and told me some assembly required.  He’s still planning on delivering by the end of the month.  I’ve ordered the sink and faucet. They are arriving today, but I didn’t have drawer/door pulls.  So I ordered them last night.

These are very similar to the ones I got for my office.

The door and drawer fronts are not correct in this drawing, but I think this is the configuration I’m getting.

Posted in: House

Chilhowie Pillowcases

April 5, 2023 11:52 pm ⋅

When I was gathering fabric for Chilhowie, I didn’t think about pillowcases.  As I was cleaning up my space a few weeks ago, I found 3 lengths of fabric left over from the wedding quilt I made a couple of years ago.  I had thought about pillow cases for that quilt, but didn’t make any as the quilt was big enough for a pillow tuck. You can see that quilt HERE.

Anyway, I opted to go with the seafoam and lavender fabrics, reversing the cuff and case as I only had a yard of each fabric. All I need to do now is clear out the bed room and set up the bed.

I’m closer to setting up the bed than I was last week.  The electricians came today and started installing lights in the den. They’ll be back in the morning, then I can call my contractor back to do install the rest of the trim and touch up the paint. Once that is done, I can begin moving the stuff out of the bedroom.

I looked for Gracie this morning in the closet. When she wasn’t there I assumed she was under the bed (I didn’t look). Turns out she took refuge in a record cabinet in the living room. I found her when I was looking for the doorbell that will be installed tomorrow.  I was able to coax her out, but she beat me to the bedroom and seeing the door closed hid in my office closet. I finally got her into the bedroom where she hid in the closet.  She does not like strangers.

Posted in: Gracie, House, Pillowcases

A Little Bit of This and That

January 9, 2023 9:23 am ⋅

I had grand hopes of having my Chilhowie top finished, the Log Cabin finished, and perhaps even the Pizza Box top quilted.  But the last few days since I checked in I’ve done a little bit of everything so nothing is finished.

Bonnie released the final clue to Chilhowie.  The clues will only be available for a short time — my guess is the end of January 2023. Anyway, I need to make 4 more blocks and corresponding border and sashing pieces to finish the top.

When I get the Chilhowie top finished, I have the backing for it. I found it in my stash while digging for binding.

 

Binding was the challenge on the log cabin. The original plan was to carry the center fabric to the border.  I had been warned off using a yellow for the center, for fear it would leap out, but it doesn’t. However, I was afraid the yellow border would, so I dug through my stash and came up with these options.  Each of them had their advantage and disadvantage, but none were “right”. Facebook was evenly divided. So I went to my LQS to see if I could find the “right” fabric. It was suggested that I use the backing fabric and I was just about to walk out of the store when the “right” fabric was spotted.

 

This Kaffe Millefiore. It’s darker than the yellow so will “frame” the quilt nicely, but at the same time it’s lighter than my previous choices.  Finally, it has all the colors.  After my running around over the weekend I started working on the binding. However, in my haste to finish it up missed spots when machine stitching it down.  I’ve got to take another look at it.

In addition to finding the backing for Chilhowie, I found another 3 Yard kit.  I think this was a ‘contest kit’ at the Quilted Cow. They called it ‘Anthony’, but I’m calling it Dragonflies & Flowers. I am adding it to my WHIMMs page.

Today it the last day to post about the results of the Final Countdown tasks. Here’s my recap.

Day 1 – Choose something you can finish quickly and do it  Big dreams, but I finished my pillow – a UFO from 2008.

Day 2 – Clean out a storage area – I got all the books put up which were stacked in the “Quilt Studio Annex”. As I look at the before and after pictures, I realize that I had already started putting the books up and when I took the before.

Day 3 – Take a project inventory and devise a plan. Since my Quilt Tops and Quilts In Progress (aka UFOs) were already tracked, and I had my UFO Challenge List defined, I decided to work on my PIGs and WHIMMs and what that means to me. I’ve added two tabs at the top of my page. I spent a good bit of time digging though my stash cataloging my projects.  I still haven’t found everything.  Earlier I wrote down “Bubbles – 4/23/22 Have a collection of FQs, now need pattern”. I have no idea what this is, but I’m sure it’s bagged up together and when I find it I’ll add it to my WHIMMs page.

Finally, I’m gearing up to begin the next phase of renovations.  My contractor and I have decided to tackle the den next.  I’ve narrowed down my paint color to one of the 2 purples that nearly blend into the sheetrock.  The paneling will be replaced with sheetrock.  The doors will get trimmed out, ceiling accent lights will be installed and replaced, and new flooring and base board trim will be installed.

 

 

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Chilhowie, Final Countdown, House, log cabin, PIGS, Pizza Box, WHIMMs

Mid-Week Review

January 4, 2023 1:42 am ⋅

The Log Cabin is Quilted! Now to get it finished by Monday.

 

While the longarm was running, I had 2 projects going on.  I was stitching on Chilhowie.

And compiling my PIGs for The Final Countdown Challenge.  As mentioned yesterday I have a lot of PIGs. Much in the same way I divided my UFOs into WIP and Tops, I’ve decided to divide my PIGs into 2 categories.  PIGs or Projects in Grocery Sack will be those projects and kits that I have all of the fabric for the top and the pattern. The second list will be WHIMMs – Works Hidden in My Mind.  I’m defining those as projects aren’t quite complete — a stack of fabric I plan to use together, but haven’t decided on a pattern or maybe I have the pattern and some of the fabric. It might not be the ‘true’ definition of a WHIMM, but it is my interpretation. These are just some of the PIGs I have. I’m still looking for some that I know I have.

Finally, while I was digging around looking for my PIGs, I found some clothes that Betsy can wear.  These were my clothes. The blouse was worn with a red velvet jumper when I was about 18 months old. It fits Betsy nicely.  The blue jumper it a bit big.  My best guess is I was about 5 or 6 as I know my sister had a matching dress and my brother had a matching romper. Somewhere there are pictures of me wearing both outfits.

In the background you can see my Christmas present.  My Den cabinets were installed before Christmas. I’m not sure what’s next on the remodeling — my bedroom and bath or the den.  They’ll more or less be back to back along the hall bath.  I need to reach out to my contractor and get him going again.

Posted in: 2023 Brandon Quilters UFO, Betsy, Chilhowie, Final Countdown, House, log cabin, PIGS, WHIMMs

Quilting and Box Shuffling

March 30, 2022 9:37 am ⋅

After a night’s rest I was able to resolve my tension issues and started quilting.  This is the first quilt I’ve done in almost a year.  Prior to this one the last quilt I quilted was April 4, 2021. Four days later I decided to move and I started packing.  This is the Mississippi Quilt Association‘s BOM from 2020.  They are running it again. The blocks are available HERE.

Boxes were moved, one at a time.  Books are heavy. They’ll hang out in the corner room until my bookshelves are built.

The front bedroom is the audiovisual library.  78’s, LPs, 45s, CDs, cassettes, DVDs, and VHS.  A box of LPs are heavier than a box of books — including the yearbooks.  All of this will be gone through and thinned out eventually.  This will go in the den after that room is finished.

The instrumental music library.  Clearly it all won’t fit in the piano bench.  I’m pondering storage solutions.  

I’m considering an Ikea Kallax.

I would use these inserts, put it on legs and fashion some doors.  But that’s a future project.

While shuffling boxes I opened the next to last box the movers packed and finally found my silverware.  I’m not sure what I thought was in the box.  It was not labeled.

I found MORE of the auction blocks.  These are smaller than the others.  I have enough for yet another quilt. I’ll sash them and set them on point after trimming them to the same size.

Moving all of the boxes means I’m able to setup my quilting space.  It’s not done, but I have a work space.

Last night the borders were added to the crazy quilt. I used straight pins to hang the quilt on the wall. I really need to get my design wall put up, but it’s on hold until the trim is caulked and that is on hold until my patio door is installed.

The quilt was loaded last night. This morning before work I started the quilting. I’ll do another pass at lunch.

Posted in: Go! Big Crazy, House, MQA BOM 2020

The Piano Arrived

March 19, 2022 1:05 am ⋅

My piano was delivered Friday.  I’ve also have been unpacking the boxes with breakables in them.  I think I have 3 more boxes of breakables in the living room and the flat boxes with mirrors, glass, and artwork to unpack.

Among the things I found were this bunny and lamb that my husband painted when he was about 12 or 13.  Now if I can keep the cats off the table so they don’t knock anything off.

This is a PSA.  Clean you sewing chair wheels periodically.  I wish I could say there was no thread left on the wheels, but all I can say is the chair rolls much better now.

I’ve been sewing on my  Singer Genie since I’ve moved. But earlier this week I pulled the bobbin case to clean out from under it (is this a theme?). I wasn’t able to get it back, so I it is in the shop.  Since Saturday is National Quilting Day, I thought I’d temporarily move my sewing table to where the longarm will go and pull out my big machine.

Now it looks like the motherboard is going out on my Quilt Designer. I guess I’m due for a new sewing machine – or two.

Posted in: genie;, House, Sewing Machine

Dinner Was Served in the Dining Room

March 11, 2022 9:07 am ⋅

Yesterday I moved the dining room furniture into the room.  I have the buffet centered on the wall.  There’s plenty of room at each end for the arm chairs.  They’ll be used when the leaves are in the table.

The china cabinet is on the living room wall.

The plan was to unpack the china and stow it away into the china cabinet.  However, when we moved it into place it was very wobbly – more than an uneven floor could explain.  I laid the cabinet down and discovered the leg supports were broken.  I pulled them off and we set the cabinet on this blanket so I could bring in the table.  I’m going to talk to my cabinet guy to see if he can make me replacement legs.

Dinner was leftover beef and noodles eaten at a table!

 

 

Posted in: House