It's been a long time

 I can't believe that it has been so long since I have blogged or sewn.

Jan 3rd Mike and I flew to Phoenix to hang out with our friends that have chosen to move there to get away from the snow and cold.  I don't understand 2 days ago we ONLY got 17" of snow in a 24 hour period.  Whats wrong with that?  I have to say I really missed Phoenix when we were clearing our driveway yesterday. 

 I remember one time telling my Mom if I was able to retire I would sew every day.  Well I was laid off on November 24 until April 1st and I have not yet spent more than 2 days in a row sewing and that was because Pat was here for a weekend to sew.  This past Sunday while it was snowing I spent time straightening things up and stood down there looking at what I could start next.  I feel very lost and not knowing what to do.  I guess this is what happens when you step away from sewing for 7 weeks.

While in Phoenix my friend, Karen, was having me show her how to do some different quilts and rotary cutting.  She has such a hard time cutting straight but the sewing a straight seam has gotten better.  I bought her this magnet at the fabric store that attaches to her machine and that way she can keep her fabric straight.  She also has a hard time finishing projects so I helped her finish 2 and brought 1 home to quilt.

Her porch has a room that she has all her sewing stuff setup in.  If I could sit outside and sew I sure would be doing it.

This is Patty's house that we stay at when in Phoenix.  She does not heat her pool so when we are there in January and February the water is cold.  I love just sitting out on her deck enjoying the view.

We left Phoenix on January 15th and boy was it cold when we got home.  We got in about midnight and it was 13 below zero.  What a shock that was and we didn't have coats of course.


On January 27 we got in my boss's car with his 2 dogs and drove to Santa Monica.  It has been a few years since our dog died so I'm not use to getting up in the morning and taking a dog out the first thing in the morning. 

It took us 3-1/2 days to get there and boy was that long drive but worth every mile.  We stayed with Stevie a whole week and right off his deck you can see the Santa Monica Pier.  I could get so use to that.  To wake up and sit outside and hear the ocean is an experience that I think everyone should get to have once in a life time.

Stevie took us to the old downtown L.A. and boy is there a lot of history.  We also went to the train station which is something we don't have in Minnesota.  The tile work and wood work was so unbelievable.  Reminded me a lot of quilt blocks.

While down on the 3rd Street Promenade we came across this store and this is what the outside walls of the store looked like.  Some of the pictures are hard to see but I hope you get the idea of what it looked like.  My Mom has a treadle machine that has been converted to electric, we are talking about trying to put it back to a treadle machine.

This machine was inside the store.  One of the salesman came up and asked me not take any pictures.  He thought I was taking pictures of the cloths and I had to explain to him my love for the different sewing machines.  He said go for it.

This weekend is hopefully when I get those creative juices flowing again.