1 2 3 Pool

Pool area. The bush in the back is going.  I'm exploring bedding choices.  

The Pool. 

Travel pillow

This is the finished binding.  I used a beginner binding instruction from a Better Homes and Garden quilting book.  This fabric came from Fabric Mart and was only about 20 inches wide, so it was really hard to use it for anything clothing wise.

 I made a pillow case for a travel sized pillow.

 I made a pillow protector for the travel sized pillow.  This is for a boy's bed.  It's small and good for additional neck support.

Our dog.  I'm currently waiting for the new Jalie pant pattern.  I'm hoping I can get some great pants to wear through next winter.  I also have a door curtain and some curtains to make.  

Love at First Stitch and Kwik Sew 3364

 This scarf is from the book Love at First Stitch by Tilly Walness.  She has instructions for 2 different sizes and this is the smaller size.  I used a poly chiffon from JoAnns that I bought years ago.

 Some of the Kwik Sew patterns have sashes included in with the patterns and I used one of those patterns for this sash.

This is the poly chiffon and I waited years before I used it because I just didn't like the feel of it.  It seemed to ravel badly.  It did press reasonably well and sewed well.  I wanted to use all of this up, so I made 2 sashes of different lengths and 2 scarves.  They fold up nicely in my drawer and I have one less piece of fabric in my plastic container.  I used my Viking 960Q on these after letting it sit for several months and it acted wonderfully.  I love that machine,

My next patchwork quilt in progress and the weekend

I made another basic square scrappy quilt top.  

 I used a lightweight rayon/cotton batting from JoAnns and a muslin backing.

 I did a basic stitch around the squares for the quilting.  I just need to add some beginner binding and it's ready for the TV room.

 Some backyard snakes and some snails.

 We got the backyard beds weeded and mulched.  The other parsley.

 The garden so far.  We will add in stuff here and there.

My husband used up the last of the blackboard paint repainting my old blackboard  He also took my vacuum cleaner apart and cleaned it up for better suction.

Lamp redo

Years ago, my mother gave me an old Knob Creek lamp.  She said it was an expensive lamp.  I've google it, and it's an old upscale Ethan Allen lamp.  The bottom felt was going so I re did it,  I initially wanted it larger, but in the end, made it the same size.

 This felt came from JoAnns in the decorating dept.  I used basic Elmer's glue.

Finished bottom lamp.  Yesterday, my husband hung a big picture my mother gave me and I have set this lamp on an end table to help me decide what kind of lampshade I want.  I can't wait to get the lampshade now.  I think we are going to try an LED bulb for the lamp.

I have not gone near my sewing machines.  I apologize to any sewists looking for something sewing related.  I've been doing a lot of reading, thinking and researching, but I must be in a lull.

First week June

This summer is moving a little more slowly for us.  

 We planted a flat parsley and another curly parsley.  The other curly is in with some shrubbery.  We've since added a banana pepper.

 My husband did 2 oil changes.

 He's in the middle of a wheelbarrow overhaul.  He's had this wheelbarrow for ever and wanted to give it a make over.  We'd like to do a bunch of dirt, mulch, and landscaping this year.  I really wanted to do some trim work on our house before Halloween.

 Went to big school to visit the counselor.  I got to see the Fashion Department for the first time.  I am so excited to visit again.  Oh my Gosh!

 I used to look DOWN at the floating barges.

 The lake water has come all the way up the columns.

Guess what.  It's been raining again the last couple of days, and will continue most of the week.  

Concrete

 My husband is doing some patching.  This is the cover for our water meter.

 This is the top part of our driveway.  There is a high tension cable underneath.  They use the cable to help keep the concrete level or flat??

 He swept all the dirt out.  Painted the cable showing to help protect it.  Then he put in a separator to help with the concrete expanding.

This one will need the shingle trimmed a bit when it fully drys.

 Neat and clean.

He patched this with a concrete filler and then covered that with some leftover concrete.  Brushed the cover with a wire brush, and painted it black again.

Our list

We are still working on the list.  We've been having freezer problems.  This is not good if you like to stock your freezer with sale items.  We called Sears and ordered 2 different parts that might be the problem.  We used one of the parts, this one below and called to see about returning the other one, an item under 15.00 dollars.  They are crediting our account and told us to keep the part.  Whoa.  Sears just moved up a notch for me this week.

 Planted a chive we bought in March, then mulched around the garden.  Our garden may not get too many more plants this summer.

Repotted the peppermint.  We've got weeds.  Further down on the list.

This is a sewing blog, but also a suburban living blog and it seems we are  doing the suburban part more lately.  My husband's last day is Monday.  35 years at work.  I'm very proud of him,  It seems this list is very important to him to get done so that's what we are doing.  I currently have too many tops, but I want to work on some pants but just don't have the time to devote to picking a pattern or making a muslin just yet.

Car Sadness

We have been working on our list of things to do.  Next up was a Honda recall.  But first, let me tell you the beginning of a love story.  I heard about Honda when I was 20 or 21.  We are from a smaller town, and a few Honda's came in and usually had a list.  We could not afford a Honda and were never on the list.  I knew when the kids were older, my next car would be a Honda.  I would stay in Honda, my kids would get Honda's.

So, one day in 2005, we looked at a Honda lot.  A man had turned in his leased Honda.  He leased it for 2 years, and then extended it for one more year paying an extra price.  He ended up turning it in a month early and picking up the next top of the line Honda.  Below is the button I found in the car.  I've kept it in my jewelery box because it was a very pretty button and because I wondered what kind of a life my car had had.

( Magical Button)
  The car had a file.  A Car Fax file.  It was mint, pre certified and came with a warranty.  We extended the warranty for an additional 5 years.  We started out making payments, but decided quickly to just go ahead and pay the car off.  Every time we got a dealership postcard, the car went in.  Then the dealership got sold and we were worried about the new dealership giving us the same care as the old dealership.  But we got a recall on the airbag 3 years ago and took the car in.

When we got the car back, the horn piece over the airbag had been changed.  I was furious and talked to the service manager.  I was told that under Honda Corporation directive.  That part had to be sent back, and I got one that had been fixed and was close in color and it was being done to everyone because of the massive airbag recall.  I was furious with Honda.  I hated them for what they had done to my car.  I mean this was a certified Honda repair dealership, and where my car had originally come from, and I was sure they were telling me the truth, but I had wanted them to call and tell me or let me know without finding out just by seeing the car.  The replacement part looked used.  It was dirty, scratched and very, very sticky. Still is.  We Googled all over the Internet and purchased some Ibiz.  After a number of cleanings, it has become much cleaner than it was, but you can still tell it's not my original  part, and the scratches and dark spots are still there, and it's still sticky.

So, this past week, we called to see if our recalled piece had come in, having called 3 weeks ago.  They said to bring it in.  We also asked if they were going to change the horn piece again as they had done 3 years ago.  They said the horn piece should never have been changed and it the inflator under the horn piece.  The horn piece would have stayed in the car the entire time.  I was livid.  We asked the manager of the service department to meet us there.  So when we get there, he comes out with his clipboard, saying this was all they did and how could the horn piece have been changed, and how did he know if something had been done on my end in the last 3 years, because we haven't been in in 3 years. He also said why didn't we come back in right away and we said we called, and we did when we got home to talk to the highest person there in the service department and were told the very same Honda directive story.   ( Also,  remember, we own the car, and can take it anywhere we want to, and remember, the last time we were there, the horn piece was changed.)

I tell him we are willing to address the situation with a service technician and find out who he is and what he did with my original car part, and the man said to take it up with Honda.  I said let's go into your office and call Honda and talk to them.  He said nothing.  Since he had to do the recall, he said they would take care of it.  

We picked up the car later that afternoon, and as I was standing in the office, with all the Honda people being so nice, as if my dad had just died, and he did, but they didn't know that, I got a deja vue moment and remembered 3 years ago in that same office throwing the same fit over my Honda part being changed.  He lied about the part and must have forgotten   lying  because who would have thought there would be another recall on the very same part.

I cried for days 3 years ago, grieving my car's loss.  I had taken such good care of her, then Honda just ripped a part of her out.  Then this past week, I cried again, over deception, horrible care from a certified repair center.   I had loved her and Honda let me down, and I needed to put her back in the garage as a regular old car and not my beloved Honda.  I told the manager my love for Honda and this car died a little more every time I get in it because of what Honda had done to me when I thought the issue was with Honda and not the dealership.

We are changing dealerships.  The car ( not my baby anymore)  will soon need  more servicing eventually. She  It has about 79,000 miles on it and I will try someone new.  My husband will not be replacing his commuter car with a Honda, and the boys will look at different manufacturers.  It has felt like the loss of  a friend to that of an acquaintance and I'm sorry for the loss.