Stitching Sunday

I got three more ornaments done.

It's officially time to start packing for my trip to the Houston quilt show. I bought a Mac Notebook and hope to get more regular about blogging now that I won't be spending all my time working on a house.  I've made of list of  booths to visit with familiar faces and I've add new phone numbers to my Iphone of ladies I hope to meet at the quilt show. I'm pretty sure I'm going Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The preview on Wednesday is a possibility...isn't that Halloween? Sounds like a great place to trick-or-treat.

I really just want to bask in the total positive energy of quilting. 

I'm linking up with Kathy for Slow Stitching Sunday. It's great to see what everyone else is working on...always lots of progress made each week.

Stitching Sunday

I've started a new set of Bucilla ornaments. I hope I can finish the set before I leave for the Houston Quilt Show. This set is fairly easy...not a lot of embroidery which I find is the most time consuming part of a kit. These ornaments revolve around the theme of Santa's Workshop.

A Choo-Choo Train...

Now it's time for me to pat myself on the back. It seems an eternity since I did any quilting...and I can't wait to set up my sewing room in Paris. But here's a list of what I've managed to accomplish in the past two months with our new house.  Most of it with the help of a wonderful handyman. 

Stairway Railing installed...must still be stained my me.

Custom closet shelving installed. It all needs to be stained by me.

It took me about 10 days to get the master closet stained and polyurethaned. The rest of the closets will have to wait.

Dog kennel constructed.

Wednesday the studio floor was officially completed and I have started moving back into my space.

No photos...but I also got a few other things done.

House numbers installed on the exterior.

Hardware installed on all the cabinetry.

Snow stops installed on our metal roof.

Room cleared in the garage to store the '78 Corvette.

Security system installed.

Cleaned up the deck for winter...cleared and stored the planters, raked leaves.

New washer and dryer installed.

Animal heads and artwork hung on walls.

Windows measured, pleated shades ordered. Hanging shades scheduled for this week.

Trips to the dump. Trips to donate goods we don't need.

Continual unpacking...repacking...unpacking...repacking...

And the toughest part...sending Tonka and Jenny to their new home. They are doing very well and although I miss them I don't have the horrible sadness that comes with the death of pet...I just miss them and get a little teary-eyed every now and then.

I've been a bit stressed...a bit grumpy at times...and pretty tired. This week will be spent taking care of final "busy chores." Getting a new driver's license. Changing my cell phone service to an international plan. Getting my Bernina packed for shipment by a professional packing business. Buying all the stuff we need to ship to Paris (lots of chunky peanut butter, personal care products we like, all the stuff for my Paris sewing room, lap top to connect me to the everyone, printer, home office supplies...you get the idea.) 

Almost time to start the next chapter of my life. 

Stitching Sunday

Some more of that white stuff showed up at our house yesterday...

It's really cramping Santa's style.

Might have to make an igloo instead of a sand castle.

These adorable ornaments compliment this stocking...

The beach sounds like a great place to be right now.

In Transition

Hope you noticed the change to my blog. I'm trying to put a happy twist on a tough week. Sadly, the dogs have left our home and as a consequence...they aren't a prominent part of my blog anymore. I will share any photos their new family sends my way...I will need a little Bernese Mountain Dog break now and then.

As fate would have it, the dog kennel just got put up the day before I gave the dogs up. It's right off my studio. It will have new inhabitants in about five years. My husband and I have already started a list of names for puppies...mostly French names. My current favorites are Gaston and Isabelle (Belle for short). I love the music from Disney's Beauty and the Beast. I know Bell doesn't wind up with Gaston but it's a good name.

Not much of anything going on at our house but scrapping glue off the basement floor. It's slow and tedious. I have to use a heat gun to soften the glue...then scrap. My arms and hands are beyond tired. But...looks like tiling will start of Tuesday. I had a few moments of panic when I thought the tile I had picked out was all gone. I found three pallets at one of Anchorage's three Lowe's...what a relief!

There were a few idle moments when I found time to work with a needle. Santa got his beach umbrella. The sand castle is sew close to being finished. It requires a toothpick for a flag...I didn't have any and it took me several trips to the grocery store to remember to buy some. 

I'm joining Kathy's Slow Stitching Sunday. She has a blogger from France that has linked up too! It is a small world.

Try, Try, Try Again

Here's the current status of my studio. Half of the wood has been pulled up. I am almost done packing up everything.

Hopefully the other half of the wood will be pulled up today. Almost everything is now on wheels so it won't be a big deal to move stuff around. Getting that yellow glue up has been a challenge. Looks like a heat gun will work. 

Plan C

SO...given the fact that this is a basement I have decided the best flooring option is a water proof tile. I'm hoping to get this right! We have slate tile throughout our house but it's not a good surface for tables and carts on wheels because of it's rough and uneven surface. So the least expensive option is a porcelain tile. Shipping to Alaska adds a lot to tile prices...you can pretty much double the price from lower 48 prices. It's a nice sized space...about 540 sq.ft. I started out with a tile supplier...lovely tile...not so lovely prices. Next...Lowe's and Home Depot.

I think lady luck is on my side this time. At Lowe's...way on the end of the tile aisle...hiding underneath some other tiles...I found exactly what I was looking for. There were four pieces available unboxed for purchase so I bought them and I am convinced they are perfect.

Looks great next to the paint...I do not want to repaint so this makes me happy.

At the threshold to the studio this tile will be against slate tile...looks great!

And then there is the bathroom off  my studio that has tile floors...looks great against that tile too!

And the best news...$2.02 per sq.ft. I don't think I can find anything cheaper. And there is plenty of the tile available at a second Lowe's in Anchorage. After I double check with my handyman on measurements I will be buying it. Of course my handyman also does tile work. I just might get the tile installed before I leave...one less thing to get done this summer when I return.