Mrs. Calabash~ All the Work We Cannot See

Some time back,

I shared my ol' sweet trailer with you.

If you missed that one, here is that post.

Mrs. Calabash

Over the course of the past year,

it would appear as though I have just 'dinked around' with her.

But let show you what goes into this 'dinking around' business.

She didn't look too bad, right?

That is until you dig in and begin the work.

The last post were the "before" pictures.

These are the "during" pictures.

I have a feeling the during part is going to be on-going.

She had been 'updated' sometime around 1990- remember that?

One of the first things I did was pull out the cream and 'country blue' floral linoleum that was peeling up on the edges and seams, because

they didn't clean the original floor first.

It was put in in sections and was not done under the table.

It also made the bathroom door scrape.

The little blue flowers don't really show in the photos, 

but they're there, I promise.

The floor underneath is actually in pretty decent condition

and is much more neutral.

All of the cupboards featured a "lovely" 

(read tacky, low quality, poorly applied, stained, and dried out)

country blue tack paper.

Eeeeewwww!

This came out little piece by little piece.

If it were better quality, it might have at least come out in larger pieces.

Removed the plastic strip along here.

That little ladder rail that was there fell off - it was only hot glued on.

There was also country blue carpet hot glued to the shelf.

It's not there any more either:)

We knew the pump ran, but when we put water in the tank,

and turned on the pump, it sprayed water out the seal.

This is the picture I took before I pulled it out & cleaned etc.

I do that so I know which wires go where in case I need that reference.

The pump is now re-sealed and works properly.

I then went to drain the tank from the outside.

A little drip/trickle came out.

It took all day for the tank to drain.

Once drained, I removed the faucet, cleaned the corrosion out,

removed a ratchet head piece (I'm guessing fell in the tank and worked its way down,) replaced the faucet, and retested.  Works great now.

And last but not least. . . .

I have to say, I have a more intimate relationship with the potty

than I would like to admit.

I have disassembled and reassembled it.

It still has a drip, but at least water doesn't just run right through it.

It is functional:)

As a treat, I got an exterior black water holding tank.

Where we camp, there are no hookups so in order to use the potty,

we needed a holding tank.

I'm going to be a little ornery and stop here.

I'll show you 'after' pictures next time.

I know - cruel indeed.

It is amazing though, all the work involved that is really unnoticeable.

I think there are a lot of things like that.

We don't recognize the efforts of others, because we haven't

been there to witness the hours of labor.

That's just one of those silly things I think about on occasion.

When Things Were Built to Last

Of course we've all heard about 

"in the good ol' days" and

"when things were built to last a lifetime."

Weather it was a car or a good metal axe head,

the oldies just seem to last.

Here is a perfect example~

For some time, I have attempted to be happy with

my big expensive Rowenta iron.

It's fine for Mr. LB's work shirts,

but for smaller more detail oriented projects,

it is just too cumbersome and finicky.

I had kept my little old Rival iron that I purchased many years ago

from a clearance bin for $7.00.

It worked okay, but the steam feature had issues

which is why I bought the new

"bigger and better" iron.

Well, a week or so ago, the Rival died.

Me being me, I couldn't just pitch it so I ripped into it 

to see what might be wrong with it.

A couple of things struck me as I broke into the thing.

First, it was put together in a way that the plastic pieces

clipped so they would break when pulled apart.

This wasn't a concern for me but meant it was not made to be repaired.

Next, the plastic type number was on the inside.

This meant in order to figure out if any portion of it was recyclable,

one had to dismantle the entire thing.

And lastly, the thing was just made to be temporary overall.

I was somewhat satisfied at least that I could recycle a portion of it.

It had many hours on it, so I really did get my $7 worth.

However,

this morning, I wanted to work on a couple of smaller things.

The thought of using the Rowenta did not bring pleasant words to mind.

Then I thought, "What about......"

"Yes, it's right there."

"Let's just see....."

HA!

I knew it worked as far as getting hot, because I plugged it in

before I purchased it at an estate sale several years ago - for $3.

I thought it would look nice next to some old quilts I have.

I got it down, attached the water reservoir, and plugged it in.

I tried it on a scrap of muslin, and

whatta ya know?

It works perfectly.

It's small, light weight and actually steams the fabric.

I then unplugged it to let it cool so I could dust it all off 

before I used it on a real project.

I am thrilled.

It just got me to thinking,

it's something I tend to do anyways, 

but if there's something I need,

I'll probably search for something old on-line before running right out

and buying the new plastic version.

I believe in the saying "buy quality and buy it once."

That's actually what I thought I was doing when I got the Rowenta.

Little did I know it was actually what I was doing when I got

the little GE at the estate sale.

I suspect it will last a long time.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

My "New" Toy

Evidently, I didn't think I had enough to do:)
Mr. LB and I like to go camping.
Actually he likes to fish and would probably sleep on the bank
of the river with his fishing rod in his hand
like a child with a teddy bear.
Me? I like to be "away,"
to gather peace, hike around,
listen to birds and brook,
and maybe stitch a little.
The thing about camping is I am the one
responsible for the food, dishes, bedding and so forth.
Don't get me wrong,
he cooks over the camp fire and does plenty,
but there is plenty to do.
Over the past couple years,
I have been casually searching
for a little old camp trailer.
I like the old ones for several reasons
but a couple in particular being full metal frames and character.
And, I just like old stuff:)
Late last fall,
I found her.
16' (14' box) 1968 Aristocrat Land Commander

Unfortunately, the pictures from the ad that I answered didn't save properly
so now when I go to open the file, it's code and hieroglyphics.
So this picture is actually after we have done a few things
which I will share next time.
She was/is original with only a few little exceptions so be ready 
to get your fill of Bert-and-Ernie-ness.
Part of the reason it took a while to find her was that I had some
very specific qualifications if you will.
First, she had to be under a certain dollar amount.
With vintage trailers being a 'hot' item,
some folks seem to think a rotten shell is worth a mint.
Next, 16 feet was the very largest I wanted - whew, just made that one.
She had to have an oven, not just the stovetop.
When we are camping,
I like to have things made ahead of time and just heat them up.

Mr. LB's only request was that it have the bed separate from the dinette.

He awakes at dark:30 to go play with fish, so 

he didn't want to have to sit on the bed to drink his coffee while I sleep.

This wasn't a requirement, but guess who's fishing poles, waders, fly boxes, 
and boots all fit in here?

I also wanted a closet that was at least large enough to fit a porta-potty into.
I am often either the only female or one of very few women on the rivers 
where fishermen go.  She has an actual potty!  Woohoo!
I can now do a happy dance rather than a peepee dance.
(You know, the one 4-5 year olds do when they need to go.)

  My last requirement was no water damage.
This unfortunately, was where I gave a little.
On each side of the front window and in the corner by the back window
there is evidence.  
It appears to be from condensation rather than leakage.
In the first photo, you can see the side compartment that holds batteries
and jacks, etc.  I can see the inside front just under the window,
and it is clean.
I'm not totally naive - just a little:)
I know before she gets a new paint job (have to save a while for that one,)
there will be some issues to address.
There is no water damage around the roof vent which is a huge one.
(I've pulled the light down so I could see in there.)
Again, next time I will share the "imperfections" list with you,
because she did/does have several of those.

She needed a name as they all do, right?
I had to ponder that one for a while.
Mr. LB and I camp together, and though I could have called her
something like the fairy castle or whatever, I wanted to keep his thoughts
in mind as well.
Since we both like Jimmy Durante, I named her Mrs. Calabash.
That way we can say,
"Good Night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."
And since we are apt to take her wherever, it's suiting.
If you aren't familiar with that phrase,
you can do a search for Mrs. Calabash and read the history.
I think it's rather romantic.

This is the 'before' post.
I have a feeling the 'during' might take a while.
I've been tackling things as I have time but will share those soon.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

My Newest Old Toy

I'm such a kid sometimes!

I'd like to introduce you to my latest toy.

I purchased it at a yard sale weekend before last 

and am just now getting to it.

When I asked if it worked,

the lady said,

"Yeah, but I think it needs a needle or something."

I said, "But the motor runs right?"

She assured me it did.

And indeed it does & yes, it does need a needle:)

She must have just used it for a display.

It has that great salmon colored case.

I am just enough of a nut,

that all my machines run.

What use are they if they don't?

Because I have a use for all ?11? of them you know.

I can't help it~ they just find me.

This one has an on/off button - black.

Then to run it, there is the little slide lever.

It is in dire need of cleaning, which

I'm hoping to get to today.

And maybe even add a needle:?)

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Can You Help Me ???

My latest find~

I got this quilt at an estate sale last weekend

for next to nothing because near the edges

it has some overly loved areas.

I actually set it down 

then picked it back up again.

It just spoke to me.

It is all hand stitched,

has an interesting pattern,

and a variety of quilting designs.

 If you look closely,

it looks as though the rectangle pieces 

were at one time a pinkish color

and the diamonds on either side of the yellow

were perhaps a green.

The focus blocks are all quilted the same,

but the solid white or 'open' blocks

are quilted with grids and scallops.

In some of the overly loved parts, 

there is some machine stitching and

maybe 'extra' binding stitched on

for good measure to repair it.

Some of the seams appear a little darker

because there was a peacock-blueish

color thread used to piece parts of it.

All of this said ~ I have no idea how old it is.

If you can help me,

please do so.

I would love to know more.

Thank you

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

The Shoe Shine Box

Okay, I am kinda dating myself,

and I am telling of a culture.

Growing up, we had a shoe shine box.

I grew up on a ranch so it had boot polish,

specific 'rags', brushes and sponges with handles.

I remember finding just the right color of polish 

to shine my boots.  

It was a process: polish, rub, shine.

(maybe repeat for good measure.)

Our shoe shine box wasn't decorative like this one.

Ours was just brown, but had the boot rest on top.

There is an old song about a shoe shine boy

singing and making a rhythm with his rag.

Does anybody remember that song?

If so, let me know - I would love to look it up.

This sweet little box is now in my etsy shoppe.

I saw an applique block in the design.

I thought it would be a fun display with a little Dutch colored

quilt draped out of it.

I spent a good portion of the weekend getting a few things listed.

I have more to list - just need to take pictures.

It seems I can only keep up with one thing at a time.

This weekend it was etsy rather than blogger:)

Truth be told, I've been playing outside when weather permits.

PS: I had a friend call me at work today "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy."
It's by Red Foley. 

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Bea's Stitches

Many years ago,

I was visiting some friends

and happened to admire a certain pillow.

I was informed that 'his mom (Bea) made it.'

And theeeen....

"I have her stitch guide she drew up

if you would like to see."

Within minutes, 

I was holding the pages with hand-drawn stitches,

designs, and motifs.

I asked if I might just borrow them 

for an evening or two.

"Oh, of course."

I drew them all out by hand just as she had done.

I kept them in an old organizer/planner

that needless to say is not only very out of date,

but also in pretty bad shape.

(It was really embarrassing actually.) 

So, when I visited recently,

I asked if they had a picture 

of Bea that I could borrow and return.

I was presented with a few,

and chose this one.

I embellished it just a tad:)

I'm going to take this to show them 

when I go to make them dinner Friday
for his 93rd birthday.

I also have some of Bea's recipes.

I used 3 rings so that I can add them to it.

If you would like to learn from my mistake:
Notice in the 'B' a water mark.
There was a little (maybe 1/16") white spot
of iron away pen that wouldn't iron away.
I barely dampened a q-tip
to try to remove it.
I was soooo upset.
Don't use water or iron out pens on photo transfers.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Western Union Mother's Day Telegram

A truly kind telegram

from my Great-great-Uncle Rock

to my Great-great Grandmother.

My G-g-gma passed in 1944

so this is from prior to that date

as there is no date on the document.

It even has a matching envelope

and still no date.

To all of the mothers

and all those who bless other mothers' children

when their own aren't available~

A very happy Mother's Day

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Estate Sale Finds

This was actually a good estate sale.  Sometimes, I feel a little weird about estate sales although I love seeing old time goodies that are nowhere to be found on store shelves today.  The ol' fella that owned this home also had another in another town so was selling off one of them.  There were over 8000 books (a good portion cookbooks.)

I found a sweet little doll quilt.

One of the things I just love about these little old doll quilts is their imperfections.  These little blocks are not square - you can see at the bottom corner - as well as the fact that they were loved.

Also, a few kitchen items, I just couldn't live without.

I have always wanted a cake cover - I usually see the tops, but the bottoms are gone, or they are in such poor condition, it's not worth it.  This one is fantastic.  It even locks so the lid doesn't slide over into the cake.  Love little butter molds.  
I have a bit of a collection of pie crust cutters, purely by accident of course:) I actually use them though, some for pie crusts and some for other confections.

I have never seen one like this.  It has the wheel at one end and at the other the scallop.  I can't wait to try it.

And....there was a sewing room with some interesting notions-score!

This might sound funny, but of all my pincushions, I don't have an old fashioned tomato.  Lots of vintage transfers.  I will use some, but not all.  Also, lots of lace and vintage trims, so I have goodies to organize.  Huge hoop - $1.
I did get just a couple other things, but I want to show you that with something else in another post.

There was lots more there of course, but we must set our limits (even if they are waaaaay out there:)

Time to stitch...

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Happy New Year

********Happy New Year*******

Just sending all my blogging friends a sweet little postcard to wish you a Happy New Year.

Please, be safe and keep well.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Happy Thanksgiving

As we gather with loved ones and stuff ourselves with delicious food, let us be truly thankful for all of our blessings.

Just to share with you - a poem from my great grandmother's scrapbook.

To you and yours, I wish every warmth, joy, and happiness.

God Bless,

LadyLocust

Please do not copy these images without permission.  This postcard dates prior to 1952 as the postage rate listed is still 1 cent.

Vintage Photo & Wool Needle Book

My first one finished.

I have been playing, making things for me and haven't really been creating for the holiday shows yet.  I have done a few things, but I need to get crackin'.  I will be making a few more of these little needle books - a couple more with this image and a few with a little vintage angel image.  It took me longer to decide what embellishments I wanted than to actually put it together.  The others might have some slight variations, but will probably be extremely close in design.  Just had to share.  Have a beautiful weekend.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches



I Scored!

Yesterday, I had a little time to kill so mosied on into the local thrift store.  I found a couple pairs of work pants for Mr. LB as he goes through them pretty regularly.  Since I had time, I wandered up and down isles I wouldn't usually venture into.  Aaaaand, guess what I came upon.

Wrapped up in a little plastic bag with a sticker that said $2.99 were these two little darlings.  I snatched them up.  I didn't need to open the bag.  I knew what they were.  They are not super old, but they are sweet.  I refer to this era as 'The Bert & Ernie" era.

Hand stitched & I think I recognize some of those fabrics.  Wait, did I say that out loud?

And remember that pre-quilted polyester stuff?  Of course not - it hasn't been around in the last 29 years since we were all born:)  This one happens to be crazy quilted together so it has an appropriate home. 

Just had to share.  Have a beautiful Thursday.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers & Even Stitches



Delectable Mountain Mini Quilt / Table Topper

They say the first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have one so here goes: "I can't get rid of scraps." Whew, that was tough.  So this little jewel is made from some of the scraps from my Cathedral Window quilt that is in process.  As I have been cutting the squares for it, this pile of scraps just grew up out of nowhere like a vicious weed.  This was the result.  I saw an antique quilt in a magazine.  I have always liked the Delectable Mountain pattern anyways so thought, "Great!"  I don't use patterns; I just sorta go with the flow.

This is a 4 1/2 inch square at this point.  Those small squares will be one inchers.  Then I put them in place on the wall.

I was hoping for it to be one more row long, but I ran out of these particular scraps.  Even my scrappy quilts have to 'work.'  I know, it's an illness I tell you.

Then started sewing the squares into sections.  I wasn't bright enough to think about starching in the beginning, knowing I would be working with bias cuts so I suffered the consequences.  All those itty-bitty points reminded me.

I lost a few of them and it definitely has its flaws, but over all, it turned out pretty well.  And so here we are right back at the beginning.  I will probably just put a little brown binding on it as I don't think I want a boarder - but then you never know.  I might change my mind.  I will hand quilt it, but I have to finish up the one I am hand quilting now.  It's so close to finished it's ridiculous.  I don't know what officially makes a mini quilt a mini, this might just be a small quilt.  If you know, I would love it if you could inform me:)  This one reminds me of autumn, which I love.  Even with it's imperfections, I do believe I will enjoy quilting it and seeing it on my table.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

PS - This didn't use up all the scraps:( I will have to come up with something else to do with the rest of them:)