Winter Village now has a housing development!
I managed to put my books down and get up into the sewing room and make the first five houses for my quilt top. They were so easy to do, I am ashamed that I can’t seem to spend more time sewing lately. I have been so busy with other things, and not terribly motivated to sew lately. I will have to accept that extreme “busyness” is a feature of this time of year and just go with it! Even if I am not sewing prolifically, I will keep you in the loop as to what I am up to.
It has been so rainy and dark here lately. I am grateful for the rain of course, as we Californians always must be. However, the darkness is part of the reason why my sewing room isn’t terribly inviting. If it is a bright, sunny day, which, honestly, it is 80% of the time, my sewing room is beautifully illuminated by natural light. If it is grey, rainy, misty, and dark, however, it is another story. The overhead lighting in my sewing room is inadequate, and while the task lighting over the machine itself is very good, the cutting table and ironing station are not ideal for close work. I had cut out two entire houses on Sunday, thinking I was using the grey fabric, only to see that it was green when I had it in good light. So, I think it’s best to save my fabric and my sanity for days when the light is better.
I had a delightful day Saturday. I had nothing planned and was considering dragging out the vacume cleaner, when I got a text from Ryan’s wife Stephanie, inviting me to accompany her and Eva and Eva’s Nana Sue (my friend and pedicure buddy) to go to a local shop that was having a pre-Christmas sale and then go out to lunch. It only took me about a nanosecond to respond “YES!” What a nice thing to do. A boring day with no plans suddenly was transformed into something fun and memorable.
Several of you have asked how Dennis’ cataract surgery went, and the answer is GREAT! He had a checkup yesterday, and the doctor is super pleased with the results. He may not even need glasses going forward, and he has worn them since he was a very young child. She was able to correct his farsightedness as well as his astigmatism. It’s a miracle.
I hope your week is a good one, and full of all the best kind of “busyness”!
18 Responses
I am right there with you on both accounts, not inspired to sew and dark sewing room on cloudy days! I really need over head lighting, maybe one day! Hope brighter days return soon ☀️
We’ve been getting a lot of rain. I hope it lasts throughout the season and doesn’t peter out in January.
I have an Ottlite (floor style) by my ironing board. And I have three lights (office style desk lights) illuminating my cutting area. And I have a long ceiling light mounted over my sewing machines similar to what you would put in a kitchen cook area. I have two strong office desk lights by my work/planning table. And there is a regular ceiling light. I often sew before sunrise.
A friend of mine had multiple ceiling mounted lights installed in her sewing room. They are the type that simulates sun for depression. It makes a huge difference for her, Nov-March.
I have really good lighting over my sewing machine itself, but need additional lighting over the ironing station and cutting table. I need to look into getting a couple more Ott lights for those spots. Installing ceiling lighting is not going to happen, as it would spoil the aesthetics of the room should we move.
I have Stella brand lights. They are wonderful and don’t put off any heat. They have all kinds of adjustments like warm yellow light vs bright white. They are ridiculously expensive so I only buy on sale directly from them.
When I planned my new sewing room I had lots of overhead lights put in. The room is never dark but I still need task lighting. (shrug)
Oh nicely done, congratulations Dennis. No specs needed, wonderful and any extra issues sorted to boot!
Not to worry about the house colours – Tobermory on the island of Mull in the Highlands has multicoloured houses along the quayside! I agree with you on lighting on dull days. My room tends to be very cold, not part of the main house and because I’m not in there often, the heating is turned very low until I decide to have a “me” day or two. At the moment it is quick draw around shapes for cutting and sewing applique on the sofa.
I have seen pictures of that village on the island of Mull. So colorful and picturesque!
We used to go there a lot. So much wildlife, super fresh fish dishes – and Highland cattle on pretty much deserted beaches. Fond memories of that place.
Yay for a successful surgery and to not having to wear glasses. Lately, the only sewing I’ve done is alterations. I really need to straighten up my sewing room before I do any quilt projects.
I hope the alterations were for yourself. It is one of my pet peeves that people who “know you sew” ask for all kinds of alterations. When my husband’s mother was alive I was forever hemming pants, taking in waistbands and even attempting tailoring projects I had no business doing due to my lack of experience in those areas. The requests were not fun at all!
Lighting certainly is key when quilting or doing any hobby for that matter. I have an Ott light that illuminates my sewing machine and a floor lamp that I have LED bulbs by my cutting table. These two lamps work well for me. Glad to hear that Dennis’s cataract surgery went well and sounds like it was successful. So good to hear positive results. I may be moving in that direction myself in the new year. Thanks for sharing this information. Your Saturday plans sound great!
I am going to start searching for a good floor lamp. I’ve got a great Ott light that attaches to my sewing table, but a freestanding one would be so good by the cutting table.
Now we want to know where you shopped and what you bought!!!!!! Those houses are so cute….I love houses…..and trees. I will enjoy seeing this quilt come together. Such good news for your cataract patient. That surgery is truly a miracle. So happy for your husband…and you!
I’ve already got a fortune invested in holiday decorations so I didn’t buy a thing!
Here’s an addendum! A flosstuber that I watch regularly also talks about her reading and she has been loving the Emma M. Lion books for some months. She and her daughter share them. Our library has not yet added them to their collection, so I’m going to mention it to the librarians today!
Our small local library has a program that allows them to make patron requested purchases. Maybe yours will acquire those books! They are so good.
Nicole,
I had to chuckle when reading about your gray, I mean green house blocks. The other night I was hand stitching on a wool project thinking I was using a very light beige only to realize the next morning, in better lighting, that I was actually using a very light pink. I think it kind of added some charm and all that stitching is staying! Wonderful news about your husband’s successful surgery! Have a wonderful day!
Another successful cataract surgery! It’s definitely a game-changer & easy to get through. I’ve been using Daylite lighting recently. I have a couple of Ott lights as well, but I do like the options that Daylight offers. It’s such a nice example for Eva of families getting along despite changes in relationships. Ryan’s wife sounds like a very thoughtful woman.