Christmas Dog!

Shadow is so tolerant.  I think for the next photo I'm putting on her red doggles!

Wow...time flies!

Seems like yesterday it was 43 degrees at 6 a.m. but it has been more than a month and this week the 40s is about as warm as it will get all day!

We have been very busy.  Made it to the Nellis AFB Aviation Nation event in early November...an awesome experience.  Got to see a B2 bomber up close and also see one in the air over the runway.  So many things to see and the weather was perfect.

Our friends, Doug and Carla, bought a house here in Pahrump and stayed with us while they were awaiting their closing.  It was nice for us to be able to return some of the hospitality they provided to us last year when we sold the Glenrock house.

Fred & Judy, Death Valley

Over Thanksgiving our friends Judy and Fred visited for a week.  We used their visit as an opportunity to go to Hoover Dam on the new road (and back on the old road), the China Ranch Date Farm and to Scotty's Castle.

Don't know how Mr. Foo found the location for the date farm back in the early 20th century because even today if you didn't have signs directing you you'd never find the place.

China Lake Date Farm

Larry at China Ranch Date Farm

We enjoyed Death Valley on our way to Scotty's Castle.  We're going to have to go back to attend the underground tour.

Scotty's Castle, Death Valley, CA

Larry, Shadow  and Suzanne, Rhyolite, NV

Thanksgiving Day was especially nice because we were able to share the day with Judy, Fred, Carla, Ray and Dean.  The food was good and we had plenty of turkey to share!

Right after Thanksgiving Larry began putting up the decorations.  Each day I think he is done and each day he finds some other pretty to put on display.

We also check out the garage/yard sales each weekend...and have scored plenty of items we needed and also some we didn't.  It is amazing the way people price things.  Some people want retail price for things they bought as 'investments' - even though the market is depressed. Some people try to sell stuff they should be taking to the dump.  Some people are getting rid of the possessions of dead relatives and JUST want it to go away!   Now if I could just find the perfect storage piece for the sewing room I'll be set.

I continue to sew...and hopefully one day I'll be totally happy with the results!

Chilly in Pahramp!

Our first morning where Larry needed gloves and ear muffs for his morning bicycle ride!

Quilted and DONE!

Finishing up some recent projects (two to go) - I really like the creativity of piecing, but the quilting part is still too new to be FUN!

Autumn Bounty

Two Fons & Porter patterns.  Fun to make.

Summer Sewing Projects

Now that the sewing room is together I'm getting the chance to learn new methods of piecing and quilting!
  This is a television watching lap blanket - the material is left over after making the covers for the couch arms and the backing is a $5 fleece blanket!

Spicy Spiral Table Runner 

A Spiral Christmas Tree Skirt -

 

Quilted Handbag

 Quilted Triangle Shopping Bag

 

Bargello Baby Quilt

 

Crocheted Angel Dishcloth

Turkey Wall Hanging

Autumn Leaves Table Runner

American Fractured Flag

Covers

In recent memory we have had leather furniture - great with kids and dogs.  We decided on microfiber this go around.  However Shadow loves sleeping on the head and arm rests and those areas tend to get dirty quickly so I wanted something to protect those areas from early wear and tear.  I looked at placemats, napkins, etc. but nothing was reasonably priced or a design I wanted.  To the fabric section of Walmart!  These are the result of my efforts - they have Shadow's approval.  The covers have fleece on the back so they kind of stick to the microfiber without having to have pins in the cushions!  (And some of the fleece was from a package of two throws purchased at a deep discount at the end of last winter!)                                                              

Pillows

Have you priced throw pillows lately?  Geez, I just want a pillow, not to pay someone's mortgage!

A little roll pillow was $33 at Bed, Bath and Beyond...and Walmart wasn't any better.  I also checked Marshalls but even theirs weren't priced right.

So I decided to make my own - and this is the end product.  The cost was $12 - even having to purchase a pillow form!

I also made the fabric pieces for the head area of the couch....I want to keep the microfiber as nice as possible.

I'm pleased with myself!

My Sewing Room - Almost Organized!

Lots of fabric! The dark wood sewing box on legs belonged to my grandmother Hazel.

The Dresden flower project is not quite complete - it needs to be quilted.

The fabric pieces on top of the machines are more unfinished projects!

Three machines for sewing - serger, embroidery and backup sewing machine!

The box on the floor goes away....and the spool racks are to be mounted on the wall.

Now the Janome Horizon is almost ready for my next project - cloths to protect the headrests and arms of the couch.

My Horizon - and sweet lime green chair!

The wood item is the base to my table.  The cutting mats will go on the table top.

Boxes of scrap batting, interfacing and fabric. Look at the big empty wall!

Next step will be to press all the fabric scraps!

Fabric scraps and boxes of thread for the thread spool racks.

The folding table will be stored in the closet when not in use.  The boxes of thread will be empty when the spool racks are wall mounted.

See the sewing basket under the table?  First time it has had 4 legs for 25 years!