Her Majesty Gets a Throne!

Photo found on Google Images

I learned to sew on my Mother's machine, it was very similar to this one.  It all began with 4-H clothing projects.  For 10 years I shared this machine with my mother.  I made my first prom dress on a machine like this.

Photo found on Google Images

Meet Beauty ... yep, I have always named and fallen in love with inanimate objects.  My first sewing machine ... a Sears Kenmore much like this one ... I received it fall of 1974 ... the beginning of my Senior year in high school.  She traveled with me to college, then on to Alaska.  I made my wedding dress with this machine.  She was considered portable ... weighed a ton ... and could sew anything!  She passed away (literally, her engine blew up) in 2009.  She had been there for all the important events in my life.  A loyal and faithful friend for 35 years.

This is Beauty's footprint.  As newlyweds ... money was extremely tight.  The building that Mr. DillyDally worked in was remodeling.  They were throwing out solid wood doors.  Mr. DD brought home two of them ... cut one in half for legs ... used the other for the table top.  He cut out this section so that Beauty could come out of her plastic case and rest here.  A sewing cabinet was born!

When I purchased Her Majesty in 2009, Mr. DD thought I should buy a cabinet as well.  I nearly came unglued!  I had just lost Beauty and now he was suggesting that I replace the table he had made for me 28 years ago?   So ... he covered Beauty's footprint ... and I had a level surface on which to place Her Majesty. 

After three years of having Her Majesty on the table top ... it was past time to give her  a proper place on the table.  Yep ... emotionally I was finally prepared to allow Beauty's footprint to be replaced.

After nearly 31 years of marriage, Mr. DD knows me well.  He made sure that I was the one to mark the opening!  He also knew to work on it while I was out and about!  

Here is the end result!  It took me most of Monday to clean up all the sawdust!  I wanted to have everything in order before I placed Her Majesty on her new throne!

Here she is ... and she fits perfectly!  Mr. DD did a terrific job!  Thanks Honey!  Flicka and I sewed for several hours yesterday ... we all appreciated Her Majesty's new position on the table ... especially my shoulders ... I'd forgotten the benefits of having the sewing machine at the proper height!

Mr. DD says that if we ever move ... that heavy table isn't coming with us!  Well, I guess that's settled, we will never be moving! ;-)

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

  

Treasure!

One of the things I love about the dillydally lifestyle is that I can throw aside the guilt that I would have harbored about certain things and turn them into...

... TREASURE!  Mr. DillyDally is reconfiguring my sewing table (more on that in a future post) and that forced me to unearth (yep, had to do some digging) things that were in the way.  And look what I found!

A hand appliqued wall quilt made to commemorate a nephew's birth...12 years ago!  All that is left to do is add his name and birth stats.

I pieced this to test Marti Michell's Kaleido-Ruler a few years back.  It worked extremely well and I still plan to make a super scrappy version...some day.

This was made with part of a jelly roll ... the pattern was in a Quilts and More magazine ... Val and I made them together ... tons of fun!  The fabric line was Strawberry Lemonade by Me and My Sister Designs.  Gosh I love that fabric ... bought tons of it ... used tons of it .... and still have a jelly roll remaining!  It just makes me smile when I come across it ... love fabric that can do that!

I had forgotten that I had begun this table runner! It is made with a fabric line by April Cornnell.  I taught a class using this pattern a few years back to demonstrate fusible applique' with the machine buttonhole stitch.  I finished the other samples I used for this class, but forgot about this one!  The good news is that I still love it, so will finish it ... someday! ;-)

A scrap block in Christmas fabrics ... very busy!

More April Cornell fabric, a honey bun precut was used to piece this table runner.  While looking at this ... I'm thinking that I might use this yardage to create a handbag!  What do you think?

Love 30's themed fabric!  Love butterfly blocks!  I even have the embroidery detail done!  When I unfolded it ... it felt like I had found an old friend!

A paper pieced table topper ... I didn't like the fabric choices ... maybe I'll replace the sections ... who knows ... I may never finish this one.  ;-)  I'm totally ok with that!

This is a pieced background and border for a raw-edge applique' quilt kit ... now I just need to locate the applique' pattern and fabric!  Geesh ... I know it is around here somewhere! ;-)

This is a test block I did ... it is a Judy Martin pattern.  I love it ... it is definitely on my "to do" list.  I need to start collecting fabrics!  Ya-hoo!  Am always looking for a reason to do that!

I did find one project in the pile that was finished! ;-)  This is a sample I made for a class I taught on tinted embroidery!

I'm glad that Mr. Dillydally's reconstruction project in my sewing room didn't require me to dig any deeper, this post is long enough already! Hee-hee!  It was fun to visit these old friends ... some I want to continue with and others I can easily leave behind ... but all a treasure because of the time in my dillydally journey they represent!

Do what you love.  Seek treasure!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Flicka's First Quilt!

Flicka's technology skills are legendary ... ;-) ... at least here in dillydallydom they are!  Like all kittens, she insists on being in the middle of everything I'm doing!  Here we are listening to Pat Sloan's Quilt Radio program!  She loves the sewing room ... because it is the messiest room!  There is so much in that room for her to explore!  We can now leave the door open ... she is allowed in there at will!  Yep, she is growing up!  Over the past 10 days, we made our first quilt top together!  Here is her story...

" I wasn't allowed to help cut out my first quilt!  Mama said it wasn't safe for me!  She shut the door so I couldn't sneak in!  I sat outside the door and cried ... I scratched the door and door frame ... I wore myself out and eventually fell asleep leaning against the sewing room door.  I was not happy about being left out!"

"I helped layout the block pieces"

"I made sure she maintained an accurate 1/4 inch seam allowance."

"I wanted to push the buttons on the machine to make it go beep."

"Chain piecing made things go a bit quicker.  Sometimes I get bored and distract Mama by getting into things."

"Every time Mama gets up ... I steal her chair!"

It is entertaining to quilt with Flicka's assistance, however it isn't easy to get things done.  I still have to keep one eye on what she is up to.  Last Saturday, I took our project to the guild's "Time to Sew" event.  While there I finished the blocks, determined the layout and began sewing the rows together.

Back home, I continued working on the top.  Oh oh, who pulled it off the ironing board?  Flicka replied, "Not me!"  Hmmmmm.....constant shenanigans! Love it! ;-)

"How come Mama gets the comfortable chair?  Pressing the quilt top took so much time, I got sleepy."

"Finally, the top is pieced!"

"While Mama took 3 seconds to pour herself a cup of coffee, I rearranged the blocks!  I like the quilt better this way!"

"Borders are sew boring!  I went and took a nap on my favorite quilt in my own recliner!"

"Finally ... we're finished with my first quilt!  I think I will find it more comfortable after it has been quilted!"

The pattern is from the book, More Take 5 Quilts by Kathy Brown.  It is called, Buzz Cut!  It was a fun and quick quilt to make!  I changed the border configuration a bit for aesthetic reasons.

The top is currently hanging in the Cordova Quilters' Hideout quilt shop ... I will be using it to teach a quilting class in July.

"Ah-oh!  I spy Mama talking about me on the internet again!  It is sew embarrassing!"

Do what you love!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Those DillyDally Men!

I want to share with you what the DillyDally men have been up to lately.  After Brother DillyDally's graduation, I came home and they stayed behind in the tristate area of MN/ND/SD.

Brother was busy packing and tying up loose ends in the Fargo/Moorhead area.

They spent time with Nana in South Dakota.  They did some chores for her and she fed them ... very well! ;-)

Eventually it was time to leave the prairie behind ... they left SD on Tuesday, May 22nd...

...and hit the road ... the Alcan (Alaska/Canada) highway to be exact!

Oh ... how I wish I could have joined them!  The only other time we have traveled this road was after our wedding ... that was 31 years ago!

Like here, spring is arriving late along the highway.  Traffic was still very light ... the snow on the mountains remains deep ... which added up to a lot of wildlife down by the road!  These are Stone Sheep.

Bison were every where.  So were the bears.  In one day they saw 15 black bear and one grizzly alongside the road.  Didn't stop to take pics of them!  Hmmm ... I wonder why? ;-)

People from all over the world have traveled this highway ... a sort of "sign park" has developed over time. Here they found a sign from where Mr. DillyDally's brother lives.

As they approached Alaska, there was less green and more icy blue in the scenery.

Getting closer to home!  As you can see ... not much green ... in the trees or on the ground!

Yep ... things are still somewhat frozen here in Alaska.  Poor Brother ... he was accustomed to those 70+ temperatures in the midwest!  They returned home on Memorial Day, May 28th!

The trip took them exactly a week.  The lodges and restaurants along the way were just beginning to open for the summer season.  Traffic was low ... wildlife was easily seen ... so they are happy to have traveled it that time of year.  Yep ... I've informed them that next time ... I get to tag along!  Imagine the amount of knitting I could accomplish on that drive!

Do what you love.  Travel when you can!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

P.S.  Kysa, Flicka and I are happy to have them home.

An End that Serves as a Beginning!

A beautiful sunset tonight ... marking the end of another great school year!

6.1.2012   Front deck  10:00 pm

It also marks the beginning of my "temporary" and full-time dillydally lifestyle!

 My Supervisor and I have been making lots of plans!  We're excited to see just where and how far the dillydally winds take us!  Stay tuned!  ;-)

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally