A Little Stitchin'

Heat, ma'am! it was so dreadful here, that I found there was nothing left for it but to take off my flesh and sit in my bones. 

~Sydney Smith

The heat just dulls the brain - that's the only thing I can figure.  It zaps your strength and melts your creativity.  You walk out the door and it's like being hit with a blast furnace.  Yesterday it was a scorching 110 (F) degrees here.  I'm sure that all of the water parks and public pools were full to overflowing.  I can't imagine how people who work outside all day can survive.  All the plants are in wilt mode even though they get watered twice a day.  The poor birds stand around with their little beaks open trying to cool themselves.  Both dogs lay around belly up trying to keep cool.  And yet it is only June.  We have a minimum of 3 more months of this lovely stuff.  The A/C is working overtime and the ceiling fans are whirling away.  I try to do all of my sewing that requires ironing in the morning and save stitchery for the afternoons.  What do you do creatively when it's hot outside?

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PHOTO FINISH OF THE DAY

Typewriter

Today is Typewriter Day.  There are probably some of you that have never even used a typewriter.  I used to own one similar to the one in the picture except mine was baby blue.  For those of you that do remember using a typewriter - do you remember how hard it was to make corrections?  You couldn't simply hit the back key or delete key.  The sounds of its signature clackity clacking rang through offices and homes, and as the typist hammered away all that racket gave a certain importance to the document being typed.  Things sure have changed.

The idea behind the typewriter was to apply the concept of movable type developed by Johann Gutenberg in the invention of the printing press century to a machine for individual use. Descriptions of such mechanical writing machines date to the early eighteenth century. In 1714, a patent something like a typewriter was granted to a man named Henry Mill in England, but no example of Mills’ invention survives.  But the first typewriter proven to have worked was built by the Italian Pellegrino Turri in 1808 for his blind friend Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzono.

In 1867, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin printer-publisher-politician named Christopher Latham Sholes, with assistance from Carlos Glidden and Samuel Soule, patented what was to be the first useful typewriter. He licensed his patent to Remington & Sons of Ilion, New York, a noted American gun maker. In 1874, the Remington Model 1, the first commercial typewriter, was placed on the market.

The electronic typewriter, a typewriter with an electronic "memory" capable of storing text, first appeared in 1978. It was developed independently by the Olivetti Company in Italy and the Casio Company in Japan.
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BEE BLOCK

I finally finished my Bee Block......

Melissa was one of our June hostesses in Let's Bee Together.  She said we could create any block we wanted with the great chili fabrics she sent us as long as we included a white signature square somewhere in the block.

I hand stitched my name, city, and state in red on the little 2 1/2" square.  Sure hope Melissa likes the block I made for her.

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STITCHERY

I was also able to finish this month's Birdie Stitches.....

For some reason the colors didn't show up as bright in the picture but I think you can get the idea.  My goal was to stitch the words in the same color order as the border, starting with the blue square.  And now I only have to wait a few short days for the July release.  If you would like to join in this stitchery being hosted and created by Little Miss Shabby, just visit her website for all of the past designs.  It's never too late to get started :)

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A NEW SWAP

Are you ready to think about Christmas in July?  How about making a Christmas themed mug rug?  If you think you would like to join in the fun, Crafty Pug is hosting the Christmas In July Mug Rug Swap.  This is being held through the Christmas Quilting Block Swap Australia but you Do Not have to be a member to join in the mug rug swap.  Just click on the link above if you are interested.  I'm joining - like I need another project - but it sounded fun!!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I would like to make the mug rug for Leona's 2nd mug rug swap....after all, it has to be in the mail by the 30th.

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GIVEAWAYS

Inch Worm Fabrics is having a giveaway.  You could win your choice of book from her store.  This giveaway ends ?

Bitty Bits & Pieces is having a book giveaway.  You could win a copy of Fresh Fabric Treat Book signed by a few of the designers.  This giveaway ends Saturday, June 25, at midnight.

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is having a giveaway.  You could win a sample set of Benartex CHLOE fabrics or a copy of Two From One JELLY ROLL QUILTS.  This giveaway ends Sunday, June 26, at midnight CST.

Just Sew Y'all Know is having a giveaway.  You could be one of two winners of a set of patriotic fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Sunday, June 26, at 8:00 pm EST.

Sew, Mama, Sew is having Summer Sewing Giveaway - week #4.  You could win a complete fat quarter pack of Spring Street by Carolyn Gavin or a copy of Crafting a Meaningful Home: 27 DIY Projects to Tell Stories, Hold Memories, and Celebrate Family Heritage by Meg Mateo Ilasco or a $25 Gift Certificate to Sew,Mama,Sew!  This giveaway ends Sunday, June 27.

Fresh Lemons is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter set of Lemons and Limes, Metro Market, Monaluna from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  Hurry - this giveaway ends this evening, Thursday, June 23.

Would you like to win a kit for a table runner plus a darling pair of embroidery scissors?  Then go here - My VACATION GIVEAWAY - to enter.

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FINAL THOUGHT

As I was sewing yesterday and trying to match up seams, I realized how many of my pins are bent.  Very few of them are straight any more.  A curve to the right - a curve to the left - either way they are definitely bent.  It's hard to match seams when even the pins can't line up straight.  I could try to blame the bent pins on my magnetic pin holder - you know, too much force causing the pins to bend over each other.  But that's probably not the case.  Running the pressure foot over some has been the cause of some of the bends.  Trying to force the pins through too many layers of fabric when they are getting dull is probably another factor.  Not to mention the ones that end up on the floor and get stepped on - lol!  Poor pins.  Time to say good-bye and time to buy replacements.  My favorite are the flat head flower pins.  What are your favorite pins to use?

Pins and needles, needles and pins. It's a happy man that grins.
~Ralph Kramden