Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on June 11, 2012

I just chose my pattern and ordered my yarn tonight  from The Loopy Ewe for my PROJECT 2 at CAMP LOOPY! Here are some photos from the Loopy Ewe of the yarn that I will use.  And because I am using red yarn, I will need to transfer from the Blue Canoe Loopy Groupie to the Red Canoe Loopy Groupie.  (Isn’t it hysterical the lengths that grown-ups will go to just to have a little bit of fun!)

Blue Canoe Group

Red Canoe Group

I am using Red yarn……specifically  Coral Red (from Swans Island)  I copied this description from the LOOPY EWE – I love that it was spun in a historic mill in Maine!

Swan’s Island Dyer’s Choice is an organic fingering weight yarn spun in a historic mill in Maine and then hand-dyed using all-natural dyes. This labor intensive process results in soft, beautiful variegated yarns that are a pleasure to create with and kind to the environment.

I actually have NO IDEA what ORGANIC merino is – but that is what I am getting!

Material: 100% organic merino
Gauge: 7 stitches per inch
Fiber Weight: Fingering Weight
Actual Weight: 3.50 oz / about 95 grams
Yardage: 525 yd / 480.1 m
Care: Hand wash in cool water, lay flat to dry

I will be making a shawl – LINE BREAK by Veera Valimaki………our project two has to have one color of our flag (IE RED) and we have to use 800 yards of yarn….this shawl uses 800 yards…..so all is well!  My yarn is CORAL RED but theoretically it is LOOSELY categorized as red and I understand that this is acceptable!

Line Break Shawl

Now I will just watch for the postal service to deliver my yarn and count the days until June 27 when I can cast on!  🙂  We can’t cast on until June 27 and then we need to be finished by July 27.

 

Category: Camp Loopy 2012, Knitting, Line Break Shawl Project 2 | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on June 6, 2012

I finished my first Project for Camp Loopy Ewe 2012……a baby blanket (that is what the pattern calls it – but I call it a baby afghan.)  The pattern is free on Ravelry and is called PINE FOREST BLANKET!  We were to choose a pattern by a designer who was from somewhere other than our country – this one is designed by Ingrid Aartun.  Judy Laquidara of Patchworktimes.com is using this same pattern so I borrowed her photo of the project – see the photo below.

Pine Forest Baby Blanket

I used the color Malibu – seemed fitting since I moved to VA from California!  I used Dream in Color Classy – 3 skeins from the Loopy Ewe!  The pattern called for 2 1/2 skeins but I think my gauge is larger than normal – so I used the entire 3 skeins!  This was easy and FAST to make!  We had from May 27  to June 27 to finish the first project.  I spent May 27 at Busch Gardens so didn’t start until May 28 and I finished June 6!

It is interesting how the color looks different in the two pictures!

Malibi Baby Blanket camploopy2012 Project 1

Malibu Baby Blanket

The Merino Wool Malibu Classy Yarn

Category: Camp Loopy 2012, Knitting, Malibu Blanket Camploopy2012, Pine Forest Blanket | 1 Comment »
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Posted By drsao on June 3, 2012

The Don’t Look Now Applique Bee from the Richmond Modern Quilt Guild met today at Cheryl’s house for our monthly sewing fun.  I am happy to say that no one ripped their jeans or drove over anyone else’s sewing project today  – YEAH!  However, today wasn’t ordinary by any means.  Molly (Cheryl’s daughter)  entertained us with her wonderful dress up clothes and her legos, Ollie (Cheryl’s foster dog) gave us lots of love and tail wagging, and both Cheryl and Molly played the piano for us.  HOW IS THAT FOR A FULL DAY OF FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT.

We enjoyed seeing Catherine’s treasures that she found at the quilt show Friday and we all got to help Cheryl put her applique flowers on her design wall!  Ann didn’t bring her applique project – but she did bring a picture (on her phone) of her project all put out in an unmovable layout ready to be sewn!  Catherine worked on her circle quilt and I made great headway making flowers for my RAINBOWS AND LOLLIPOP QUILT.

We enjoyed an amazing lunch – and I even took a picture of the veggies…….ANN GREW THESE PEAS IN HER GARDEN.  They were beautiful AND delicious.

Speaking of Catherine — Catherine had fun  playing with Molly’s legos and she was CHOSEN as THE PERSON who could one day be her babysitter.  Dubbed “Queen Catherine” – the future babysitter demonstrated her reliability as a future babysitter by offering so share a Harry Potter DVD with her (THE LAST VERY DARK ONE) and she also promised to share EVERY SECRET with Molly that she knows…..like when the family is planning to buy a SURPRISE POP-UP CAMPER…..:)  Catherine will be a wonderful babysitter!  

I hope you enjoy the pictures – a wonderful time was had by all.  By the way…..Ollie (the foster dog) is blind but ever so sweet and he needs a permanent home – in case you know where he can find one!

Category: Applique Bee, Quilts in Progress, Rainbow Lollipops, Richmond Modern Quilt Guild | 2 Comments »
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Posted By drsao on June 1, 2012

Everyone once in awhile I think our “creative energies” ebb and flow.   Mine have been in SLOW MOTION GEAR for a bit…..but I did manage to finish my personal monthly challenge – at the last minute…..LOL.  In case you are new to my blog, I challenged myself to make a quilt a month to donate to the Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative…..AAQI.  Since I also wanted to participate in the Vicki Welsh/Judy Laquidara 2012 Palette Challenge and Sew Cal Gal’s 2012 Free Motion Quilting Challenge – I decided to combine the three into one monthly project.

Sew Cal Gal's Free Motion Quilting Challenge

Here is my Vicki Welsh Color Palette Challenge Mini Quilt – THE YUM YUM TREE – for May, 2012 – from the CANDY PHOTO that Judy Laquidara posted on her website at Patchworktimes.com.  The candy photo below provided the colors that we were to use in our project.

May 2012 Vicki Welso Color Challenge Palette

 Here is my May 2012 Color Challenge – THE YUM YUM TREE….

The Yum Yum Tree Front

The Yum Yum Tree Back

My 12-year old Grandangel, Sarah, has been extremely interested in these monthly challenges and has provided the inspiration/idea for the last two quilts.  There are little flowers on this tree and a lollipop in the middle!    I included Sarah’s picture below in her dance recital costume…..she has two performances on Saturday, June 2 – and I am so excited to watch her dance (she has been dancing since she was 3!)

Grandangel Sarah - Quilt Design Inspiration

The FMQ expert for this month was Leah Day – and here is her challenge.  

The stitching doesn’t show up too well (and that is a GOOD THING since I am a TOTAL BEGINNER when it comes to FMQ!)  This photo is taken of the back of  THE YUM YUM TREE QUILT!  But FIRST I will show you what it should have looked like!  🙂

Leah Day suggested two different patterns – a double stipple and a stipple with railroad tracks. 

Leah Day's Double Stipple

Leah Day's Railroad Stipple

 sao’s attempt at Leah Day’s Double Stipple…..

FMQ May Challenge 2012

Category: 2012 Free Motion Challenge, Double Stipple, The Yum Yum Tree | 5 Comments »
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Posted By drsao on May 19, 2012

I went out to visit the local neighborhood yard sales this morning.  I was looking for tennis rackets for my DD.  I found TWO but both needed to be restrung – so I left them for someone else.    I did not go looking for this but I came home with an antique GLASS  BATTERY JAR……no kidding.  AN ANTIQUE BATTERY JAR!

Speaking of antiques, I forgot to share the antique wooden tray that my son, Rob, and DIL, Lil, gave me for Mother’s Day.  It is just PERFECT for holding my Scrappy Grandmother’s Flower Garden HEXIE PROJECT IN!  OK….so back to my battery jar…..

Antique Wooden Tray

The previous owner said it was a battery jar from an early MODEL-T FORD and that I should not drop it……LOL.  He said that it was over 100 years old………..I wondered why he was selling it for $10.00.  I don’t REMEMBER the MODEL T, mind you – but I found a picture in case you are wondering what it looked like.

Did it have a GLASS BATTERY CASE?  I have no idea.  The gentleman who sold it to me did not appear to be OLD ENOUGH to have had a Model T – but he seemed to BELIEVE that the battery case that I bought was from a Model T Ford!  I have searched and searched on the internet but cannot find the answer…..so if you know…..PLEASE tell me!

sao's Battery Jar

I actually walked away from it when I first saw it – but then later I went back.  You know how it is when something will not GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD!!!?? So…..I got it and came home to GOOGLE my find.  🙂  Could it REALLY be from a Model-T Ford……..I didn’t REALLY think so…..but……

I did find one JUST LIKE THE ONE THAT I BOUGHT on E-Bay for $100.00.  I put the E-Bay picture below.   AND….just for fun, I included a little COPY AND PASTE history of Glass Jars just for your reading pleasure.

Battery Jar on E-Bay - $100

WHAT WILL I DO WITH MINE?  I can envision all of my leftover yarns rolled into colorful little balls filling it!

….here is a COPY AND PASTE Googled about .. The Battery Jar

 http://www.antiquebottles-glass.com/battery-jars/

(Before this morning, I didn’t even KNOW that there used to be BATTERY JARS!  I love it when I learn something new!!!!)

Battery jars are simply a straight sided round or square glass jar which was used to house a conductive solution of either acid or copper sulfate. Several

Samson Jar

different technologies emerged in the 19th century, the most significant of which were (at least from the perspective of the battery jar enthusiast):

• The Planté lead-acid cell of 1859
• The Gravity cell in the 1860s (often referred to as a crow’s foot jar)
• The Leclanché cell in 1866.

Although Thomas Edison patented the solid nickel-iron battery in 1903, there are many Edison wet cell jars in existence as well as Edison battery oil jars. See the Wikipedia page on battery history for more information.

Value of Glass Battery Jars

We are not entirely sure of the nature of the demand – it is probably a combination of collectors who specialize in battery jars as well as enthusiasts of 19th century history and re-enactments. We found some discussion online of battery jars and their use in telegraph (Morse Code). See the figure below showing Civil War re-enactor Robert Feeney with his functional telegraph station complete with two wet cells in battery jars.

Gonda / Leclanche Battery ad from 1896

Check battery jars for sale on ebay

As with all glass items, condition is of utmost importance. Damage in the form of chips or cracks greatly hurts value. Battery jar value also depends on related parts – if you have the lid and “guts” they are far more desirable. It is also important that any metal parts be free of corrosion – if the interior parts are corroded, then adjust your value accordingly.

We have noticed auction prices on ebay mostly between $20 and $60. The large rectangular 20th century jars are often worth in the $20-30 range and earlier 19th century examples can reach beyond $100 if in exceptionally good shape. A Gravity cell with both interior electrodes in remarkable unused (like new) condition recently brought $230 on ebay (June 2010).

Category: Antiques, Battery Jar | 1 Comment »
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