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Wednesday 4 January 2017

It's been an eventful holiday season......

full of good and bad.  It's too easy to focus on the bad, I haven't been on the computer much and I have got behind in my emails and visiting, maybe I'd better explain using the sandwich technique.

First some good news, you are not going to believe this, guess what I got for Christmas?  A NEW SEWING MACHINE!!!

I kid you not, and after all the fuss I made about Baby too (well, I couldn't call her anything else now could I?).  But not any old sewing machine, no, it's a..........



1937 99K Singer Sewing Machine

A gift from my daughter, isn't she thoughtful?  I'd better explain, she knew I wanted a vintage hand crank machine and found one locally, a 1929 99K (the K means it was made in Scotland, it's the same machine as the 99 I think), but but had no cover.  By the time she researched how to restore it and had worked it for several weeks she couldn't part with it, so she found another, this time with the original cover, it even has the key and the original instruction book.  It didn't have any extra feet though so she gave me the ones that came with hers, complete with labels which is which.

But, on Christmas Day my beautiful Indi had a relapse of her meningitis.


Indi

She immediately had her steroids increased to 30mg a day, a huge dose for such a little dog, although a lot less than when she was first diagnosed.  If you didn't know dogs can and do get meningitis which is almost always viral and the treatment is usually steroids (some dogs need a form of chemotherapy too).  Dogs who get meningitis are usually under a year old but a few are older, Indi was 2 years 9 months.  So far she has had two MRI scans and two spinal taps as well as another scan various blood tests and a stay in hospital, thank goodness for insurance.  If only my tale ended there, but no, she has now developed pancreatitis due to her long term steroids.  She will be ok, we caught it early,  although she is now on another three medications.

Ok, some more good stuff.  Guess what I was doing over the holidays?  You won't believe this but after talking about it for nine months I have finally..........


finished my sewing room!   It's not very big and alright, it's not quite finished, it needs some more storage boxes and I have ahem, a little more sorting and tidying to do, and my design wall is causing one or two problems, but I do have furniture.   Want a tour?


This of course is the wonderful horn table.  I had to order a new insert for Baby but unfortunately it was a smidgeon too big so I had to send it back, I am just waiting for it to be returned.  There is room for my big cutting board and it is also where my rulers go.  Just don't look under the table, that's still WIP land.


My lovely chair, beats the old dining chair I used to use, the seat tilts, the back tilts, and it goes up and down and round and round,  wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


Ikea Kallax units, a four by two and a two by two, lots of cubes for my storage boxes.  I had some of these already and bought a few more, there are two Ikea large boxes in the middle for big cuts and backing pieces.  The medium size have individual colours in, well, most have two colours in until I get a few more.  One has solids, one has large scraps and the smaller ones have either WIP's or equipment in, it's work in progress just now.  On each shelf I can get two large boxes, or one large and two small, or four small.   On the top is my tabletop ironing board, if I need a bigger board I use the household one but the small one works most of the time.  You can see my new vintage Singer machine on top complete with cover.


Billy bookcase, this is my craft book collection, mostly quilting with a few embroidery, my machine manuals and a DMC colour chart.  I keep my old iPod here with the dock, I quite like some low volume music when I stitch but anything else and I loose concentration.  Notice the cake tins that are not to be used as cake tins I received from my husband?  The top one is full of safety pins for layering quilts, the next one has all sorts of little things thrown  stored in there and the larges two are full of small scraps.  Next to it is my embroidery stand.


This is where the design wall will be, on the right hand wall when entering the room and next to the table, but I'm having a bit of trouble, I'll keep that for another day.


The cupboard is another WIP, it still needs some organisation, but I have a four by one unit here.  At the moment it has some WIP's and UFO's and assorted odds and ends, but Rome wasn't built in a day and wait until I get some quilts up, it will look stunning, the room, not the cupboard I mean.

Sewing?  Yes! I did get a little done, 


I finished the Meadowmist Mystery instructions for December.  Only I seem to have lost two of my blocks, haven't a clue where they are and yes, I'm sure I did four each of the second and third one.  This is why I need to be more organised, if I had put them straight into the box I wouldn't have lost them, I probably picked them up with some other stuff, I'm just trying to remember what else I was working on.

I did a little more stuff too but some is secret so you will have to wait until later in the month and some is barely started, although you may have noticed something on the design wall..........

So that was my Christmas and New Year holidays, the good the bad, and the indifferent.   We all have our coping mechanisms and one of mine is cleaning and reorganisation, this time my sewing room reaped the benefit.   One thing you can be sure about though, in this life everything is transient and next week or next month Indi will be much better, my sewing room will be more organised, and I will have done more sewing.

So until then,
Smiles from
Kate x

Linking up with
Lorna @ Let's Bee Social
Kelly @Needle and Thread Thursday
Sarah @Can I Get a Whoop Whoop?
TGIFF hosted by Laura @Quokka Quilts
Amanda Jean @Crazy Mom Quilts







29 comments:

  1. Love the sewing machine story and how cozy your sewing room is looking! Perfect lighting with the window right there and the sloping ceiling over the shelves...love it.

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  2. Your daughter is the best! What a great find! Your sewing room is looking good. My table is almost exactly like yours. I love having my mat right next to me. My room is stalled right now, waiting for a couch to go away (2 more weeks)! I'm so sorry about your puppy!! It isn't fun when they have problems like that. It is amazing how attached we become to those four legged friends...ours has declined the past 6 months rapidly. It's very hard to watch!

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  3. What a thoughtful daughter! It's also awesome that she likes sewing enough to want to keep the first one for herself;) Your organization makes me jealous. I keep trying to clean and then the next moment I make a big mess again. Some day I will show my room and it will be clean, LOL

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  4. I just love it when artisans show their work space. I was thinking I needed to buy more storage space when I stumbled onto the idea of storing my fabric in an empty dresser. It has worked perfectly!
    I will show a sewing room update once I unpack my new machine and new sewing table.

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  5. Hi Kate! Sorry to hear about Indi, I hope she's better! Your new sewing machine is gorgeus! Thank you for the tour in your studio - it looks beautiful! x Teje

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  6. Kate, I'm so sorry to hear about Indi, but glad to hear she is on the mend. I think your daughter should be up for daughter of the year award after giving you that sweet little Singer machine. And I'm having a bit of sewing space envy :) Your sewing room is looking great! I would never want to leave that space.

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  7. I like your colors for the Meadowmist Mystery - hope those blocks show up soon! Great new work space : )

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  8. I love your approach to the good news/ bad news. Using a sandwich method! Yes, we should always do that because for the most part, there is more good than bad. I hope Indie isn't suffering. If she is happy, then it is worth the trials of all the illness and medications.

    Love your space Kate. It is just wonderful. Mine is a bit of a wreck just now. Hopefully I will get around to organizing it soon.

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  9. Your sewing space is lovely! I like all those IKEA shelves. I only have a couple that go with my table, but one day hopefully I will have room for more.
    Sorry about your puppy. It is so hard when our furbabies get sick.

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  10. Oh my word Kate, your gorgeous Singer is the same as my gorgeous 1938 15k Singer (called Mary). I've had her a couple of years now and use her virtually every day (here's how I found out about her http://www.dawnchorusstudio.com/getting-to-know-mary/). I'm still totally smitten, what a wonderful Christmas pressie!

    So sorry to hear about Indi and hope she's doing well. I had no idea dogs were susceptible to the virus too, will her youth help her to fight it off? It must be such a worry, but it sounds like you're sure there'll be a good outcome. x

    And to complete the sandwich - I'm just a teensy bit envious of your very well organised and well stocked sewing room. Any space for a little one?!

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  11. Enjoy your awesome new space!!

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  12. Sorry to hear about Indi. That must have been really difficult. I'm impressed with how awesome your space looks.

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  13. I wonder why I get your posts so late! Anyway, your new sewing space looks like it's going to be incredible! Very organized indeed. Hope Indi is still improving. Glad to see you're on to some new projects. Can't wait to see!

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  14. Sorry to hear about Indi. :( But your sewing room looks great. You'll get the last bits sorted out soon enough.

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  15. First of all, your new machine is beautiful! Caryne did an awesome job restoring it! What a wonderful gift. Secondly, your sewing space is to die for! I know it has taken a lot of work and you've had to be very patient. Poor Indi! She's a beauty dog! I hope she feels better, soon. I have things go missing all the time! Often, it's something I just had in my hand! Your meadowmist mystery block is coming along so nicely. Lots of little pieces! I wonder what your secret sewing is! Thanks so much for sharing today. Great post! XO

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  16. Oh, your poor little dog! I sure hope that she improves soon and that she isn't too uncomfortable.

    Your sewing room is coming along very nicely. All those new cupboards look so fresh and clean, ready for lots of fun projects! I'm particularly envious of that super duper swivel chair :)

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  17. Glad to hear your sweet dog is doing better. Like babies, they can't understand and it tears you up. Your room looks great and so comfortable. Wait until you get piles more fabric. My storage units are behind stacks of boxes of fabric already. I was thrilled to see your Singer. It looks just like my mother's with the rounded cover, and the date fits also, but would say USA I suppose. She had a knee lever for it. Made me woolen coat, hat and muff outfit when i was about five. Good memories. Enjoy yours.

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  18. Oh, she is just lovely. I have an electric 99K, a featherweight, and my "modern" machine and I am on the lookout for a handcrank...I can't justify being a machine collector so my goal is one of each :)

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  19. I did not realise that dogs could get meningitis let alone pancreatitis. Indi looks so gorgeous and I hope she is improving.
    What a lovely daughter you have and such a great machine. You have have retreats together.
    Loving the look of your sewing space and hope it works well for your creativity.
    Here's to focussing on the good things as we start 2017.

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  20. Great sewing room tour, and yes, I agree, it all takes time. Curious on the secret sewing, and I spy a Valentine project...I did not know that dogs can get meningitis, and then to have pancreatitis on top, poor girl. Wonderful gift from your daughter - ha! Love that she kept the first one she found :-) I HAVE to get mine up and running. It's a treadle.

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  21. What a great tour of your sewing room! It must feel great to get it accomplished.Sorry to hear about your poor puppy. What a beautiful thoughtful gift from your daughter. Happy New year!

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  22. So sorry to hear about Indi's illness, I hope she is improving!

    How wonderful that your daughter found you your Singer machine .... and then that she kept the first machine she found!

    I love your sewing room, especially now you have your storage sorted, and it's such a good size too! I'm sure you will find those missing blocks very soon!

    Hugs, Barbara xx

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  23. Hope your little dog is making progress - such a little cutie! Love the fabrics you've chosen for your Meadowmist quilt - it should look great! Your sewing room looks overly neat, get in there and mess it up!

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  24. Sounds like a nice Christmas, with a little stress thrown in for seasoning. Hopefully, Indi is doing much better. Enjoy your new sewing space, you've got lots of fun possibilities there.

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  25. Lovely room. Many hours of pleasure ahead for you. Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed it

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  26. What a nice sewing room! I love the window you have and all of the storage, too! Thanks for showing us!

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  27. that is going to be a great block!

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  28. Just catching up (once again!!!) on my blog reading. I hope Indi is still well on the medication she now has to take - she is gorgeous!! So lovely to see you sewing room - so organised and functional - I look forward to seeing what you create in there this year!

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read and leave a comment, it helps me grow as a quilter and as a blogger. It also makes me very happy :)
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With smiles from,
Kate