The Asylum Traverse City Michigan

Bob and I went on a road trip this weekend to see a friend. 

Took off Friday and came home on Sunday.  

I took today off too, to catch up on stuff.  

Headed south over the bridge.

This weekend was much nicer than the previous weekend.

Last weekend the bridge was closed because of wind and weather.

It was closed after the snow storm earlier in the week because of falling ice.

On Saturday we went to the Traverse City Asylum that has been converted to condos, retail and office spaces. 

Kirkbride Buildings Traverse City

I am absolutely fascinated by these building.  

I was on board going to this but, we didn't make it for the tours.  

The tour would have been great.

There is even one at night which I'm sure is creepy!

I wish I had been able to get a picture of the front of the building.  

I think it is great that they have repurposed these historic building.  

This is the main building.  

Smaller buildings are being rennovated

I really hope this is an original gate....so cool.

 There are all kinds of nifty little shops, restaurants and coffee shops.

There are also a farmers market, mostly homemade jellies, nuts, chutneys, and honey.  

I'm sure these are some of the tunnels used to transfer patients.  

 I picked up a few things:  a small handmade wooden bowl, some nuts, and a pen that has magnet.

It will come in handy next to the shopping list

 Eerie Pictures of the Traverse City Asylum

 Headed home on Sunday the Mackinac bridge ahead.  

Like I said I took today off to do laundry, grocery shop and was going to pay bills (didn't get to that)

Also my new appliances were delivered.  

We needed a new refridgerator since the old one was starting to rust under the water/ice dispenser.  

Shelves and one of the drawers were broken.  

Because it was bisque, as was the stove and the microwave and all were over twelve years old, 

We replaced them all.

I hope the new ones last as long as the old ones.  

They are awfully pretty.  

The picture isn't so hot but, I admit, I am no photographer.  

Hope you had a great weekend!

I will post some more pictures of our trip 

Keep on Stitching

Monica

More Sprinter

We have been part of that fierce snow storm that hit the midwest.

It was suppose to affect us on Saturday during the day but didn't hit us till 11:30 last night.  

We have gotten about eleven inches and apparently it is icy under the snow.  

It isn't as windy as it was yesterday but, the snow will drift  

Bob blew snow at about 2 pm  and we had nearly a foot by the front door.  

We have had a few more hours of snow since then and another inch or two.  

Everyone is just tired about it. 

We have a raised  flower bed in the back of the yard that is at least 14" at the south end (right end).

The snow is pretty much up to the top.  

Henry was just watching it snow out the front window.  

Buster just felt it was a good day to nap.  

I was too busy to nap or even stitch this afternoon.  

It was a good day to bake some chocolate chip cookies.  

I make amazing chocolate chip cookies...real butter and real vanilla.  

I am nearly done with Threadwork Primitives  Painted Threads.  

I love this pattern.  

A busy weekend as usual.

Hope the weather was better where you are and Spring is there.  

Who knows when we will get Spring, maybe July.  

Have a wonderful week.

Keep stitching!

Monica

New Pieces From The Spring Market

I always look through what is new from Nashville Market.  

I do contain myself, mostly because I can't look at everything.  

I have missed out on some really cool limited editions that kick myself later.

This is what I have added to the stash this year.  

I fall in love with each one.  

Esther Eddison 1832 Sampler by Chessie and Me

I am on the auto send Farmhouse Christmas from Little House Needleworks.  

I think he little trucks are so stickin' cute.  

Mira Bugg seems to be pretty popular.  

I didn't order this one.  

I have just seen it since I ordered the others and didn't think the Stitching Bee would have it. 

We were there yesterday to see if there were new things in.  

We were meeting my college roommate and her husband for a late lunch.

Bob and I had shopping to do.  

He gets a little cranky about this but, we were shopping for some new underwear for him.  :)

Droopy drawer issues....good thing he doesn't read my blog!

Kendra did get this one in and I snagged it.  

I fell in love with this one the moment I saw it.  

Threadwork Primitives is in my top ten favorite designers!

      I wasn't going to but, I started it last night.

I had started the second part of WTN&T Schoolhouse Samplers at Cabela's. 

I broke down and couldn't resist. 

How far I have gotten.  

Super fun stitch!

Way to go Nan!!

I finished the stitching pocket from retreat years ago.  

I found it while cleaning out the stitching closet.  

Now I just have to "finish" it.  

When I started this, I was into the silk threads and fancy stitches.  

Had to dig out an embroidery stitch book to find something for one of the sections.

The instructions didn't make a whole lot of sense.  

The weather may be on the upswing this week.  

We are suppose to be in the upper thirties/low forties and the nights won't be in the teens after Monday!

Kind of pathetic when you are excited about that!

Hope you a spectacular weekend.  

Mine was really good...no deer on the front end!!

Have a wonderful week. 

Keep on Stitching!

Monica

Sewing Room Closet Transition

I made a huge mistake with my closet reno....forgot to take a before.

Before was really jammed and ugly.  

I looked back at all my old posts and pictures.

I could have sworn I have blogged about closet redo's a while ago.  

Can't find much, a few but, not much.  

This is when I first took over the room, before I had my knee replacement

It was so I could avoid going up and down the stairs.  

When I first started using the photo boxes to store my overdyed flosses.  

This system works really well for me.  

Only about a third of what was in the closet.  

Repainted the closet.

Sections up minus a few shelves

Starting to put things back.  

I think during the whole process, I walked 20 miles, 10 feet at a time. 

I wish I had kept track of how much time I have invested in putting it back together.t

If I had guesstimate, I would say, I have at least 20 hours in organizing.

It doesn't look too bad.  

I know I had taken pictures of when I first I had bought the brown baskets

The drawers have tools, quilt cutting templates, spools of thread, silk threads, ribbons, charms,

plastic project floss boxes, patterns that are in half size (5x7) plastic bags, batting, interfaing and probably other stuff I am forgetting.  

I have a laundry basket of stuff that I will see if the stitching group wants:  some quilt fabric and yarn.

What they don't want, I will take to St. Vincent.

Finished my first WTN&T Summer Schoolhouse project.  

OMG, do I love how these turn out but, started something completely different, for now.  

In 2001, long time ago, Arttie and I went on a retreat sponsored by Garden of Stitches.

It was a store in Appleton, WI.  

The retreat was at the Green Lake Conference Center in a big, old house.  

It rained so hard one night, we had water coming in our window.  

We just moved the beds away from the wall....I digress. 

I found one of the projects we started, Stitcher's Pocket from Just Nan.  

I figured after 16 years, it might be time to finish it.  

I don't think it will take too long.  

It was the only project, out of what we got, I really liked.  

I figured I should finish it.  

We have gotten a ton of snow.  

We got eight inches on Saturday, the most we have gotten at one time this winter.

We have another snowstorm going on now.  

We should get a couple more inches out of it.  

On Friday, before it started snowing, the snow had melted.  

I think that about does it.  

Hope your weekend was good!

Keep on Stitching

Monica