Puzzle Box

A group of coworkers and I call ourselves "the lunch bunch" for obvious reasons.  I've lived in the islands for 15 years this month and soon after my arrival was included in this group.  These ladies, as well as many others,  went out of their way to make me feel welcome and for that alone, I owe them and can never adequately repay.  It's this feeling of aloha that is so pervasive in this culture.  It's hard to describe it exactly but it just...is.

As a way to try to repay their kindness, I started making quilts and giving them as gifts along with my love and aloha.  Now it's become a guessing game to see who gets the next one.  Yesterday was another one of those days.  A surprise birthday party was held for one of the "lunch bunch."  And she got her quilt.

This is a Puzzle Box and the floral print was an Asian fabric so it had gold in it.

Happy Birthday, Julie!  I hope you enjoy your quilt!

1934 Singer 15-91 (I think)

A friend of mine called a couple of weeks ago saying, "you remember me telling you about an old sewing machine we had in storage?  Well, it's yours, if you want it."  So this is what came home with me yesterday.  As near is I can figure out, she's a 1934 Singer 15-91.

She needs a really good cleaning and there's a fair amount of rust where it should be shiny and silver.  And all of the electrical needs to be replaced.  But the cabinet is in beautiful shape.

But she's pretty.

My husband, bless his heart, just rolled his eyes and didn't say a word when he helped me unload her.

Knittax Yarn Winder

I seem to have this "thing" for yarn winders.  I love them.  It must be the rhythm of turning the handle.  And I have lots of memories of helping my mom wind yarn when I was little.  Recently, I found one identical to my mother's.  However, I could not find the right size o-ring to fit it or a clamp to attach it to the table.  I was discouraged.

Then I saw an one on a blog that was really different from the typical yarn winder.  It looked really solid, was all in one piece and, of course, hasn't been made in the last 30 years or so.  It took me a couple of months to find one and it was on eBay.  After sheer determination and some fierce bidding, I won.  

I am thrilled with it.  I've rewound all the yarn I have (which is not much!).  Maybe I should learn how to knit....