Hello Spring Break!

April 2, 2024

Finally! A Monday to call my own for the first time in nearly three months. It’s spring break! Most of the Atlanta metro public and private schools are out this week. A lot of folks typically get out of town for spring break – not me! Hubs and I will hopefully enjoy lighter traffic as we commute to our volunteer activities this week.

Today, I’m headed to the SQTM in Carrollton to help organize things for summer quilt camp and have lunch with some of the other volunteers. The rest of my week will be spent immersed in quilting activities, spring cleaning and finalizing our taxes. Nothing too strenuous.

Details for an upcoming quilt retreat were also sent yesterday. I’m so excited! Found the perfect mini-quilt to make for the retreat swap! And now add a toddler quilt to the quick turnaround list: my niece and her husband have a court date later this month to finalize the adoption of an 18 month old girl they’ve been caring for since she was a few days old. Welcome to the family, little one!

Below is the finished bench pillow sample I made for an upcoming class at the SQTM:

My pillow is 14″ x 28″. It’s smaller than the usual 16″ x 38″ size popular with Kimberbell, Riley Blake Designs and other designers. Remember, you are the boss of your bench pillow. You can make it whatever size you like. Pillow inserts are available in various sizes. However, you may find it cheaper to buy a yard of muslin and a 2 pound bag of Polyfil to DIY.

Bench Pillow Resources (free):
Moda Mini Charm Bench Pillow. (14″ x 28″ size)
Polka Dot Chair. (16″ x 34″ size)
Smaller Bench/Lumbar Pillow (14″ x 24″ size)
Missouri Star Bench Pillow tutorial (video)
Envelope Cover for Rectangular Pillow (video)
Standard Envelope Cover (video)

If you want to get really fancy and/or spend some moolah:
Kimberbell offers tons of bench pillow resources geared toward embroidery machine owners.
Riley Blake Designs offers bench pillow kits (no embroidery machine required).
Shabby Fabrics offers video tutorials, books and kits.

Your tipping point on repair versus replace?

March 28, 2024

This definitely applies to our sewing machines, but here we’re going to be talking about cars.

Since retirement, we’ve “invested” in keeping my 8 year old SUV with 135,000 miles in good repair. Our thinking, guided by our mechanic, has been it’s cheaper to repair than to shell out $45-$60k for a new vehicle right now. In theory, that makes total sense until you get stranded one too many times or the amount you’re spending on car repair no longer makes sense. I’ve been advocating for new wheels ever since my SUV started acting crazy last summer and left me stranded several times. (I used AAA 3 times for a battery jump over a six month period). It took today’s bill for a catalytic converter and EVAP purge valve replacement for hubs to finally agree it’s time to start looking look for my next vehicle. The plan is continue driving it until the next time it needs more than routine maintenance. I’d rather be proactive and have a replacement vehicle in mind so we’re not scrambling should we need to move quickly to replace my SUV.

My previous two vehicles were an Acura and a Lincoln. They were a better deal than their Honda and Ford siblings, which is why we bought them. I loved driving both of those vehicles. Unfortunately, “luxury” brands are more expensive to maintain and repair. This time, I think I’ll stick with the plain vanilla Toyota or Mazda that my mechanic recommended.

Photo by Lee chinyama on Pexels.com

A circle of giving

March 23, 2024

This morning Sadie & I ventured to Mostly Mutts Market, a resale shop that supports local pet rescue. Leashed dogs and their well-behaved owners are always welcome. A friend had posted on FB that all of the fabric precuts were 50% off, so of course we went!

Mostly Mutts received the fabric donations when fabric.com closed its doors in late 2022. I scored these three Riley Blake jelly rolls for $8.00 each. My purchase helps a cause I support (pet rescue) and the items I purchased will be made into quilts for my guild’s community service endeavors. Shoppers and volunteers experienced a little Sadie sunshine while we shopped. And Big Girl now has another place to go that’s pet-friendly. The best kind of win-win in my book!