So after years of nagging my daughter and worrying about the cyst on her jaw line, I put my foot down and told her it had to go.   Can you imagine asking your child how it looked to her and hearing “I don’t look in mirrors anymore”?  It broke my heart.

She has seen 2 doctors that have told her it could paralyze her face so I understand it was scaring her, but I set a goal I would find someone that would tell us what it was or tell us where we needed to go.  So after a few trips of can’t help you and being referred to USF even I was getting disheartened.  The USF doctors would only see her if she got a CAT scan first.  Who ever heard of having one before a doctor ever saw you?  When I called to schedule it, even the lab thought it odd as they would have no idea what kind of scan he would want.

I decided one more call to the new place in Zhills and then we’d just do the CAT scan and see USF hoping we didn’t have to pay for a second one after he saw her.  I looked into Riverchase Dermatology as they had several offices in Florida, including the new one near us.  I am so glad we made the call.  Not only did they agree to see her but said if they couldn’t help they would find us someone that could.

Wow after less than a 5 minute consultation, Dr. Blake said the whole situation was crazy.  If was a hard cyst with nothing to drain and he saw no reason any dermatologist couldn’t have removed it.   He even told her come back that afternoon and he would do the removal.  What a blessing.

Although it required a quick ER visit for bleeding that night,  it was just a matter of her head getting too low so they just cleaned and redid the bandage.  Tomorrow after 2 weeks, her stitches come out. Finally when she looks in a mirror she will see how beautiful we have always seen when we look at her.  But if you don’t leave the sutures alone – you get the cone.

What do you do when your cousin calls to say a friend has a treadle for sale and but if you want it, it’s free?  Well don’t be crazy, you get it your car and go get it. Which is exactly what I did.

When I went to research the serial number on this machine I didn’t get a lot of info which was strange as Singer has a national database of serial numbers dating back to some of the first sewing machines.   It turns out this sewing machine was not in the database as it was never meant to be sold outside Germany.  Apparently the info on the machines was kept at the German factory but Russia bombed the factory in 1945 and the records were all destroyed.  It was likely made somewhere between 1902 and 1922 but that’s as close as I can get.  So far I’ve found, it was likely owned by a dressmaker or tailor and was likely used to make German uniforms unless it was taken out of Germany prior to the war as I’m told most tailors and seamstresses were forced into making uniforms.  I can’t wait to talk more to the prior owner and see if she has the actual years it left Germany and more on it’s travels to the US.   It looks like it was likely moved to Austria when many Jewish people left Germany, and then brought to the US.   Imagine the things this has seen if it could talk.   I have found one woman in Australia that has a C serial number also so hope to talk more with her as well.

While there she also gifted me a beautiful old leather seat rocker.  These used to be called sewing or nursery rockers because they had no arms on them.  Looking into how long ago most of these were made, I would be curious to know if it made the same travels as that treadle.

The last thing brought home was a Victorian tapestry chair which is in amazing shape and stunning.  I have no idea where it will fit in the house but like I said, you can’t say no and see it shipped off to a thrift store.   I was thinking, if I get rid of my furniture, I would have more room for sewing machines.  I need to give that some thought.

 

I am so thrilled that I am getting some of these tops done and they are going out the door so people can enjoy them.  Lately I have been gifting them to friends and co-workers of my daughter.  I love knowing they will get used.

This pink and black quilt was an absolute nightmare for me.  I simply cannot make tops without patterns.  I shredded 2 different fabrics sewing it wrong.  In the beginning, I even had all my teacups going sideways.  After taking it apart and remaking it 3 times, I thought wow I’m done, only to realize I had left black strips off the end of some rows.  I was not taking that thing apart again and laid it aside to quilt for the pups. I am so happy it found a home.  My daughters friend Tonia fell in love.  Even when I showed her the mistake she said she didn’t quite see what I meant.  I think it was destined to belong to her.   So it is now finished and residing in it’s new home.

The second quilt is one of my favorite patterns called Puzzle Box.  I just love it even though I’ve only made it once before. This was going to a young man so I wanted something masculine.  That isn’t as easy as it sounds in the quilt world, so viola, turtles.   I think the photo taken outside represents the colors more accurately on the turtle quilt.

 

This is my second one of the stockpiled tops being finished and gifted.  I wanted to make ones for some of my daughter’s co-workers that have worked with her for some time.  This one went to the owner’s daughter, Amber.  She works at the clinic running the office.

The pattern is called Magic Tile and was made using 12 Kaffe Fasset fat quarters and one of Philip Jacobs fabrics for the border.  Still not sure I like much of the KF fabric line but it was colorful and pretty

So, as I mentioned, I was able to get 10 or 11 tops basted using my new clamps.  Really love those things.

This one went to Diane Cope at our monthly craft group.  She is starting her new voyage into quilting so now she has one to motivate her.  I know she loved it and was really surprised.  Here she is with her gift.

The pattern is called BQ2 but I can’t recall the fabric line.

Only my sexy sister Jill would think to send me these amazing clamps.  I struggle having to baste a quilt top alone because it really takes an extra set of hands to make sure all the layers are smooth underneath before you start pinning.

My amazing sister helped me baste a really large one while she was here then sent me these table clamps.   Wow they really are sexy.  I was able to get the other 10 tops basted the following weekend.  Now to quilt them all.

I was beginning to think I would never finish this one.  It came out a nice queen size but I think it will go on the large blank wall in my guest room.  For a panel and some 4 patch squares it came out much prettier than I was expecting.    The pattern is called Garden Stroll and I think it’s one of only a few times I’ve bought bought the exact fabrics called for in a pattern.