LITTLE TUDOR UPDATE: INSTALLING PULL-DOWN ATTIC STAIRWAY

Before

Sometime after Hallie turned a year old, Mike installed a pull-down stairway so that we could access the attic for storage. Once the stairway was in place, he worked in the attic to install flooring. It never occurred to me that my baby, who wasn't walking by herself yet, would follow him up there, but she did. I found her sitting nonchalantly at the top of the ladder. She was then watched more closely.

Nick cuts the hole

When we moved to the “big house,” once again we installed an attic stairway. The attic was great for storage. And when we remodeled the farmhouse, we insisted on a pull-down stairway for attic access. The contractor tried to convince me I should get rid of stuff rather than storing it. I know myself (and Mike) better than that. We stood firm in our request for a floored, accessible attic and have never regretted it.

Attic

So, I wasn’t surprised when Hallie wrote that she and Nick were installing an attic stairway. She’s been involved in that process in every home we’ve owned (except for the modular home, of course). I’m a little surprised, though, that they need the storage. I don’t think Hallie keeps stuff the way her parents do.

Ready for installation

On the other hand, last week I asked her if I could share with Emmy a book from her childhood collection, Corduroy by Don Freeman, and she responded that it was a favorite. Naturally, I respect that. So, maybe there will be some stuff in Hallie’s attic after all. (Oh -- and yes, a new copy was ordered from Amazon for Emmy.)

Stairway installed

You can follow the progression of Hallie and Nick's pull-down stairway project through the pictures Hallie provided.

NOT QUITE HITTING MY STRIDE

I can’t exactly say things have been slow. I’ve just been busy with organizational duties, and that may continue for a couple of weeks.

But I do have one small “finish” to show – jeans and a t-shirt for Emmy’s Rosabell, modeled here by Annabell. Emmy’s older sister Annie is a freshman at the University of Wyoming, and the family attends games from time to time to watch the “Cowboys” play. “Go Pokes!” they chant. Rosabell wanted to be a team supporter, too, so I made her a team shirt.

 

 

The teddy bear jeans are from a Simplicity “Bitty Baby” pattern, and I think they work pretty well. Naturally I opened the back seam for “tail comfort.” KW

REGAINING MOMENTUM

Once in a blue moon – very rarely – my sewing room needs to become a guest room. With the gathering of family for B-I-L Bill’s funeral, the services of the little room were rather suddenly required as guest accommodations. Brother Chuck and Joanne arrived Thursday (Feb. 12) and stayed until Wednesday morning (Feb. 18). And I’m going to be right upfront here and say that it took me all of three days just to stash my sewing stuff and coax the room to look cozy for guests.

But – the sewing room was due for a massive reorganization, and I was happy to do it for my family. Still, I cleaned with trepidation because it doesn’t take much to make me forget just where I am in the scheme of things with my projects, some of which exist only in my mind. I pinned notes to some fabric – “overalls for bear,” “pants for bear,” etc. And something will go missing, no matter how hard I try. This time it's those vintage magazines with Cabbage Patch patterns in which I found the perfect t-shirt for "Build-a-Bears." Now, where did I put those?

The little room became a sewing room again once the guests left the driveway, but not so quickly did I regain my sewing momentum. For one thing, I appreciate that the room will be nice and neat as long as I don't sew. And for another – well, it’s just hard to take the plunge, I guess. Maybe today – if I can find that t-shirt pattern. . .

My play partner, Emmy, vacationed in Cancun this past week. I missed her, but truly it doesn’t much matter where she is because I’m a thousand miles from her anyway. But – it’s time to refocus on “Rosabell the Build-a-Bear.” At least, it is for me. You never quite know with a child. Perhaps she’s already outgrown Rosabell. Did Rosabell go to Cancun? I don’t know. KW

[Photo 1) The sewing room as a guest room. 2) Mike scrapes frost from Chuck and Joanne's van as they prepare to leave. 3) A photo of Emmy in Cancun, borrowed from her mother.]

LITTLE TUDOR UPDATE -- CHERRY TREE

Hallie writes: “The neighbor and Nick took down the cherry tree today. Sad to take out a mature tree, but it was over-grown, messy, and encroaching on the property line. The neighbor had to build his fence around it, so I know he's glad to have it out.”

It seems ironic to me that on Presidents’ Day, Nick and Hallie chopped down their cherry tree. At least they’re honest about it.

Hallie says it appears that a lot of smaller projects with the little Tudor will come together at once. It only seems slow right now. They are working hard.

But – it was good to hear that they took time this past weekend to get out for some antiquing. From Hallie:

“This weekend we had planned to install attic stairs, but our plans were derailed by the discovery that the local hardware stores do not carry the size we desired. So, we've ordered it and it will be here by Tuesday. Instead, we enjoyed our Valentine's Day in LaConner, WA with a stop in Mt. Vernon for lunch and antiquing. We enjoy antiquing, but have never purchased anything. We are having the house rewired in the next month and are on a quest for several different lights (bedroom, dining room, living room). We did not succeed.

"Sunday we decided to have an easy morning and grabbed a bite to eat at a favorite bakery nearby. We then continued our quest from Saturday with a trip to Sodo (south of downtown), where there are several building salvage places and a giant antique mall. Although we didn't find lights, we finally broke the ice with our first purchase. We found this framed credo nearly a year ago and didn't buy it. Then we thought it was gone, months passed, and today we found it again for 20% off. The beauty of being slow movers like we are is that by the time we get around to being okay with a purchase it's often on clearance or about to be discontinued.

We look forward to hanging this in our soon to be finished guest bedroom.”

Credo Sancti Benedicti
"If any pilgrim monk come from distant parts, if with wish as a guest to dwell in the monastery, and will be content with the customs which he finds in the place and do not perchance by his lavishness disturb the monastery, but is simply content with what he finds, he shall be received, for as long a time as he desires. If, indeed, he finds fault with anything, or expose it, reasonably and with the humility of charity, the Abbot shall discuss it prudently, lest perchance God had sent him for this very thing. But, if he have been found gossipy and contumacious in the time of his sojourn as guest, not only ought he not be joined to the body of the monastery, but also it shall be said to him, honestly, that he must depart. If he does not go, let two stout monks, in the name of God, explain the matter to him."

FACING THE BUFFALOS

We crafters tend to like to start things but not finish them. It affects our finances, strains our storage resources, and eventually leaves us feeling unfulfilled. Occasionally we have to face this issue before we can move on.

The last verse of a poem by Ruth Hulburt Hamilton reads:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow

But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!

I’m rocking my baby, and babies don’t keep.

Even though I no longer have a baby to rock, I do have a young granddaughter, and I’m acutely aware that her childhood isn’t keeping. I want Emmy to remember a “gramma” who had time to play, even if we’re seldom together.

BUT – my little sewing room is filled with unfinished projects taking up space that I don’t have. As they sit in storage, they become “buffaloes.” For whatever reason, I’ve lost the momentum and inspiration of progress. Meanwhile, “sugar plums” in the form of all sorts of teddy bear patterns “dance in my head.” Not all projects can be finished in a flash, but I decided I could face a couple of them just so I would have tote bags for new projects, if nothing else.

First up – the shawl I was making for Hallie to protect her from the chilly wind on her wedding day. The weather was lovely on that day, and she didn’t need a wrap. It wasn’t a great pattern anyway. And there it sat in the closet for the ensuing five-plus years.

My first idea was simply to unravel the shawl and repurpose the yarn, but when I actually looked at it, I could see it would be foolish not to just tie it off and call it good. So, I looked that buffalo in the eye and conquered it – sort of. I’ll take it to the farm where it can serve as . . . . perhaps a light shawl or a pretty bed runner. Hmmm.

That was easy, so I pulled out another bag. This one contained a nearly-finished hooded scarf of bulky yarn, meant to be a gift for someone. In the process I saw that it wasn’t age appropriate. I used to know what was age appropriate, but I lost that somewhere along the line. For one thing, most everything is modeled by a young person. For another, not everyone shares my sense that vintage is cool. Anyway, it was nearly finished, so I finished it. Again, I’ll take it to the farm where it will be useful when I walk the dogs on cold days – practically never.

So easy! In just a few hours’ time, those buffaloes became history! The Christmas afghan and the Halloween quilt will have to wait. On to those teddy bears! KW