Getting Closer to Movin' In...!

Who knew that 'purple foam underlayment' was a pre-requisite to installing a hardwood floor...certainly not me, but I guess it helps with leveling/cushioning/insulating the final floor:

There's only one way to install this stuff - you guessed it...

on one's hands and knees!  The boards help keep the 'purple stuff' from curling up ;-)

If someone would've mentioned to me just how hard it is to lay the first two courses of wood, I probably would have phoned Wood Floor Installers 'R Us 'cause I spent more than 8 hours trying to get those two lined up/level/in place while cutting around 4 of 8 total furnace vents!

And I have the banged up hands/fingers to show for my labors:

This is what happens when one loses their patience and decides to whop a board in place and misses!

Blue painter's tape is not just for painters - 

works great for stopping bleeding 

after a furnace vent scrapes the skin off a knuckle!

But after a somewhat bumpy start, we started to see some significant progress.  I say 'we', because without my youngest son's help, I would still be up there laying planks! A BIG Thank YOU, Mr. B!!!

Making some serious progress:

  

Closing in on a finish line:

Remember this space - where the kitchenette will go ;-)

None of this would be possible - at least not as easily or quickly without one of my favorite tools, Chucky:

He's 'cheddar' in color and a 12" chop saw soooo, 

the name Chucky just seemed logical

Chucky came with Tom, the table saw as part of my Christmas this past year Thanks to the hubs - I like them 'almost' as much as my Betty Boop quilting machine (Please, don't tell Betty!)

And, tah dah:

Won't Betty look gorgeous sitting on this walnut floor??!!

And now, off to install that trim so Betty Boop can FINALLY get to her final place of glory...

Later,

~Deb

PS...thought I'd share my secret weapon:

Dark chocolate Espresso Beans!

My oldest daughter sends these to me from Boston for ALL major holidays - just got a fresh batch for my Bday last week, Thank Goodness...Thank YOU Miss J!!!

Another Monday Mash-up w/Construction Updates...YEAH!

And yet another Monday Mash-up, this time w/long over-due construction updates to my quilting studio...YES!  Finally, starting to see some serious progress - I was beginning to think we would NEVER finish anything on this project.  At least now I can say/brag the bath is completely finished w/trim, running water w/sink:

Bath entryway - and YES, I personally spent more than 12 hours 

hanging this door in a 2" x 6" door frame!

 

Bath vanity and matching medicine cabinet from Kirchner's,

w/running water via Morgan's Plumbing...Thank YOU!

         and even bath towels and...                                          

                                                             ALL trim and barn siding - fancy and ...Kirchner's Building Center

Betty ready for showering

While the bath is FINALLY  completed, the rest of the studio still needs some work:

Eventually, there will be a small kitchenette here after the floor is installed, 

for now it is the designated work area for wood cutting/sanding/staining/sealing

Hardwood floor ready to be installed - awaiting a few more crucial pieces

This is where Betty Boop will go under the studio lighting 

in front of two west facing windows once the floor is in...

Yep, there's already a broken window and I was nowhere in sight when it happened.  Apparently, improper installation of the window raiser handles (is that a real term?) causes the windows to become damaged by the screws from the handle.  I am promised a new window soon!  We actually had a local Priest come to see our windows for possible installation in a rectory - Betty and I felt honored.  He even liked the red ceilings and just so ya'll know, Yes - we did put Betty 'under wraps' in the bath while Father John was visiting ;-)

And now just got the Lake Blue batik fabric in the mail:

Lake Blue and Chocolate batik for Hurricane Sandy Quilt #3, the Serenity Quilt borders w/bleached muslin

Serenity Quilt center pieced, ready for borders!

 

Time to add those borders...

Later,

~Deb

PS...Please help me wish a very special online quilter, 'Phyllis' a belated Happy Birthday!  Phyllis turned 84 years young this past Saturday and has been quilting for 72 years!!  Since 2007, Phyllis has quilted around 200 quilts on her Voyager, most for charitable projects - way to go Phyllis, you do all of us quilters proud!!!  

Quilting the Good Morning Quilt #1 for Hurricane Sandy

After completing the 'Renewal Quilt', Hurricane Sandy Quilt #2, it was time to move on or back to Hurricane Sandy Quilt #1, the Good Morning Quilt: 

This quilt is quite large and required a bit more quilting time but, once again, it was a blast to quilt and I even expanded on a couple of quilting techniques I can now add to my McTavishing arsenal, which worked quite well in the 6" purple floral border.  All the stabilization quilting was done w/clear mono-poly in between the strips, sashings, and borders, and to McTavish and outline both embroidered blocks.  The batik green border sashings were quilted w/So Fine's 40 wt., Lollies, and So Fine's variegated Great Barrier Reef was used to quilt the purple floral borders with McTavishing quilting.

 

Lower right corner embroidered block - I couldn't resist adding this one ;-)

And after all the FUN quilting, the Good Morning quilt was ready to come off the frame:

 

Trimmed and ready for binding

And now on to finishing up the piecing of the third Hurricane Sandy quilt, 'Serenity': 

 Piecing the Robert Kaufman Artisan batik strips, Lake Country - they are stunning!

 

So far, so good - now off to press and sew some more!

Catch up w/ya later...

~Deb 

PS...read the entire story about the Good Morning Quilt  

UPDATE 11/26/2012:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #1, The Good Morning Quilt
UPDATE   2/25/2013:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #2, Renewal
UPDATE   4/03/2013:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #3, Serenity

ALL 3 Hurricane Sandy Quilts Arrive safe & sound at their final destination...

Renewal Quilt #2 for Hurricane Sandy Quilted

Got some serious quilting in the past few days and love how this one turned out:

'Renewal'coming off the frame

             Lots of FUN McTavishing

Multiple borders came out nicely

As always, I used clear mono-poly to SID in between ALL the borders and the 'bars of gold'/black and white strips, then LAVA lush green in the green areas and Black Sand variegated in the white and black borders.

And now, onto the quilting of the 'Good Morning' quilt #1.  I know, I know - I quilted them out of order but I have my reasons.  Originally, I was going to panto quilt both of these quilts, but after trying to print a digitized panto for about 3 hours, I gave up in frustration knowing I could've been quilting and got busy doing just that!  I'll try to figure the printing issue out later when I have more time.  For now, I'm way past a self-imposed deadline and I need to get done so I can go back to working on my quilting studio just as soon as the weather breaks, looks like Wednesday is my next best opportunity ;-)

So, like I always say...time to get back to it...

Later,

~Deb

UPDATE 11/26/2012:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #1, The Good Morning Quilt
UPDATE   2/25/2013:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #2, Renewal
UPDATE   4/03/2013:  Hurricane Sandy Quilt #3, Serenity

ALL 3 Hurricane Sandy Quilts Arrive safe & sound at their final destination...