Tour of My Sewing and Embroidery Studio

Several years back I gave a tour of my studio but a lot has changed in the studio and with my designing since then. The one thing that hasn't changed is that it is and always will be my happy place.

I gave my husband measurements and he built me two complete walls of shelving according to my specs. The big piece in the bottom picture is a Murphy bed. It's so easy to pull down when we have guests. When our granddaughter spends the night her and I like to have movie night in our jammies. We have popcorn, candies, herbal tea, and of course Berta (Yokie in top picture) likes to join us. Above my desk on the wall to the left is a TV that we can pull out from the wall and turn it toward us.

I also have a foldup standing desk (stored under the desk to the left) that I can put on the table in the bottom picture, or my desk when I feel like I'm getting too much sitting time.

I just recently added the table on the left so I could have my sewing machine up and my embroidery machine at the same time. I actually quit sewing a few years back because it was a pain to clear off my desk to place the sewing machine. Now it's always ready for some serious stitching.

Of course I have lots of great storage! Ribbon fit perfectly in the over the door shoe holder and an over the door handbag holder is perfect for my interfacings, stabilizer, and some of my vinyl.

I love the cabinet at the right. I bought it about 35 years ago. It fits my cotton fabrics perfectly! And that gaming chair is so comfortable!

There is always some kind of work in progress. If I have to pull down the bed for a guest, I just fold up the table and stash it behind the door and place the stuff on top in a bin that goes in the closet. Takes about five minutes.

I love my desk! It's the perfect set up for me. The monitor at the left is so handy for those times when two monitors are needed. Plus, it's so large I can really see what I'm doing. You'll also notice that I have my Samsung tablet ready to go when I need it. I also always have a pen and paper for notes. And of course, you can see at my feet there is a little bed. That's because Berta never leaves my side.

Above really is the view outside my window. Momma deer seems to trust us because this isn't the only time she's left her babies in our yard for the day. On this particular day, I had to take my dog out in the front yard on a leash so he wouldn't disturb them.

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Now you have a peek inside the studio where all my creations come to life!

Do you like free embroidery designs and tutorials?

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Are You Ready for the Three Dune Challenge?

The photo on this blog post is one I took while hiking the dunes. Long before the park became a National park (was just a state park) they didn't have the "3 Dune Challenge." They had the three big and steep dunes, but they didn't call it a challenge. We locals just thought of it as "Trail 8." And it's a tough one! When I first started hiking that trail, I thought I was going to die. I had this vision of DNR arriving to my aid on their 4-wheel vehicles. By the end of that sumer after going about two or three days a week, I had them mastered. I can even say that I never had to stop and rest, just breezed on through! 

The hubster and I were talking about getting our season pass and making it a regular activity once again. It has been about 15 years since I've climbed those dunes and I just know that I'll be back to near death again the first time. Between age and added weight, it will be rough but I'm bound and determined to make it happen. That is my goal for 2023.

If you want to see what I'm talking about, I've dropped a few links below so you can check it out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XZK2mWxljI

https://www.hikingproject.com/trail/7013463/trail-8-3-dunes-challenge

https://www.indianadunes.com/explore-the-dunes/indiana-dunes-state-park/3-dune-challenge/

What will you challenge yourself to do?

Renting Cabins - Check Every Corner of Your Room!

Now that the weather is getting nicer and the hubster and I almost fully vaccinated, it's about time to hit the road! Because of the events unfolding last year, we weren't able to travel at all. As I was looking through my travel journals (more on that another time) I was reminded of a recent trip to Tennessee to visit with family. The Gatlinburg area has always been a favorite of ours. We have family there and sometimes we take a bunch of other family members and rent a huge cabin in the mountains. Love the mountains! 

On one particular trip, we got quite a surprise when we were just getting into our room. We had just brought in our luggage and my dad and bonus mom stopped in to greet us, they were staying in the same RV park, but instead of a cabin, they had their RV. We're all sitting around chatting and I look down at the floor and I saw what appeared to be a toy snake behind a dresser. I bent down to pick it up and that's when I saw the tongue poking out. Nope, not a toy! The hubster and my father were looking for a broom to shoo it out while my bonus mom was laying on the bed with her feet up in the air screaming bloody murder. During this time I sent a picture of the snake to my then boss who is a veterinarian and an expert in reptiles and exotics. He assured me it was a simple rat snake that was not a threat at all to humans. Relief! 

The men did get the snake out of the room and even went as far as shooing it into the river. Seriously? Apparently, they weren't aware that rat snakes are quite good swimmers. Yep, it swam right back and went under our cabin. We called the park office and they sent someone out to capture the snake. They promised me that they were going to release it at the other end of the property and no harm would come to it. I mean, seriously, I think we traumatized the poor snake enough as it was.

So why am I sharing this particular story? Because the weather is getting nicer and you'll all be traveling and those that will be out in the wilderness, nature, the mountains, cabins, etc, need to check your space!

African Crowned Crane

We have a couple of zoos between here and Chicago. Every time I go to one of them, I always look for my favorite bird, the African Crowned Crane. I'm fascinated by his beautiful crown. Who would have guessed that this very bird would end up as one of our clinic residents. The adult bird in the photo is actually from one of the zoos that I've been to, but he now lives with us. The image on the right is a young crane that we are raising. When he's full grown, he will look like the bird on the left. Doc brought him out today so he can exercise his legs, so I took a few pics and some video. 

One of my favorite things about my job is how I can watch all the babies grow up to be such beautiful birds and animals.

Bird Watching

As I walk past the living room a few days ago I see this black tail sticking out from behind the loveseat, swaying back and forth so gently. Upon closer observation I was able to see what exactly it was that caught her attention. There must have been a "birdie" convention being held on our back deck. I know that Punkie was wishing she could go outside and play with them.

Cat in image is from my "Luv My Cat" clipart and graphic set which can be found at my Etsy Shop or my Teacher's Notebook Clipart Shop.

Baby Raccoons

Are these little guys too cute for words or what? A few days ago we got in a turkey vulture that was injured. Whenever we get something in that I've not seen before, I grab my camera and get some pictures. I thought, I'd share the picture of the vulture with you, and I will, at another time. But when I went back there to get it's picture, the baby raccoons were in the cage above. Anyone who has ever rehabbed baby raccoons will tell you, they want your attention and they want it now! So I took their picture too, and that is the picture I'm sharing with you today, even though I have quite a few pictures of baby raccoons.

These guys are too funny. We keep the younger ones in large crates in the back. If you are standing too close, they will try to grab your pant leg. As you walk past them you see all these little arms poking through trying to reach everything and anything. It appears as though they are crowded in a small space, but not to worry, the space is huge, they like to crowd together. God forbid, one should get more attention than another!

The guys in the picture are almost ready to release back to nature. Our mommy jobs will be over.

As for the turkey vulture, I'll show you that one a little later. The post also involves an abandoned water park.

The owl and branch in the scrap page below are from my Owls Rule Clipart/Graphic Set which is available at my Etsy Shop, or by instant download at my Website.

Oh Little Tree Frog...

Last night I was chilling a bit before bed when I saw movement on my glass doors. I took a closer look and found this cute little guy. We must have a lot of tree frogs in the area because I see them all the time. They always end up on my glass doors right before a storm. Do you suppose that they feel safe there? Do you think they know when a storm is coming? An animal's instincts are quite strong. A few years ago they had that Tsunami that killed many people and created unbelievable destruction in Japan. I read an article about how they didn't find animal bodies. They found live animals on high ground instead. Somehow the animals sensed the severe danger and moved to high ground in plenty of time.

There are many stories about how an animal's instincts actually save people's lives. I have one myself which I'll share in a future post. But I just had to photograph this cute little tree frog! Love his little suction cup feet!

Alligators Are Not Pets!

Dogs, cats, gerbils, birds, and even small snakes make good pets. But many animals, wildlife in particular, should never be turned into pets. Our newest residents at the clinic are two alligators. Both are about two to three feet long and not happy campers. They are stuck in cages with a tub of water until we can re-home them someplace where they can act like real alligators. They were purchased as small babies, and now the owners realize that they can no longer keep them.

People buy them when they are 6 or 8 inches long and they are so cute! But they grow and even though they are still cute, they become aggressive, and can get quite big.

Fortunately these two alligators are temporarily safe with us, and will go to a PROPER place to spend the rest of their lives. A couple weeks ago one alligator was not so lucky. He was much bigger and was found in a local river dead, with is mouth taped shut.

Some of the things I see on a daily basis at the clinic just breaks my heart :(

Busy, Sick, Life

My poor blog! For the past few weeks I've been neglecting my blog, my Etsy shop, my website, and pretty much anything involving the Internet or computer. Between working on my sewing room, being sick, and life in general, I've been pre-occupied. So much to do and so little time. This stupid sinus infection has lasted forever and has had me in slow motion for weeks.

Today I got a huge energy bug and made the curtains for my sewing room. I'm so happy with the way they turned out and they look so much better than the boring blue ones that were there before. I thought it would be cute to "button" the valance to the curtain. How perfect for a sewing room.

I also got a good start on wrapping my fabric today but I'll save that for another post. But let me say that I love the comic book backing boards! My fabric never looked so neat and tidy. I plan to wait at least a couple of weeks before putting it on my new shelves (being built now) because I want them to have time to cure. In the meantime though, I can at least see what I have and can even throw together a few little things.

And did I mention the view from my sewing room? This picture was taken last spring. These guys live in the woods behind my house. I can't wait to see this year's babies!

Eastern Screech Owl

Are you tired of owls yet? This guy arrived at the clinic last night. DNR found it injured and brought it in. We'll see what we can do for the little guy. Isn't he just the cutest?

It's an Eastern Screech Owl. I've seen lots of the grey ones, but this is the first rust colored one I've seen. A lot of people mistaken them for babies because they are so tiny. If you  ever try to handle one, you'll soon find out that this adult owl has a strong beak and sharp talons!

Soon spring will get here, and we'll be getting in all the orphaned babies from birds and bunnies, to foxes and deer! One thing about my job, I never know what I'm going to see from day to day.

Barn Owl

Since we I've had to share our sad news recently about Howard (our great horned owl), and the most recent snowy owl, I thought it was a good time to show you one of our many success stories. Above are photos of a barn owl that fell out of a tree during a windstorm. He didn't stay with us very long because we released him as soon as he could fly and hunt.

Baby owls (owlets) are actually quite funny looking. If you ever get the opportunity to touch one, you will be amazed at how soft they are. They seriously are the softest things you'll ever feel.

Isn't hard to believe that the funny, furry little thing with the heart shaped head could grow to become so beautiful?

Snowy Owl

Look what we got in today! It's a Snowy Owl. It was brought in with a broken wing. We are hoping to fix it and release it. We are all excited about this one because we don't see too many of them. This one is probably a female because the males are mostly white.

Snowy Owl facts:
20 to 28 inches in size
Wingspan about 4.8 feet
They like to eat rodents
In the wild they live about 9.5 years but in captivity can live up to 35 years

Rest In Peace Howard

It was a sad day at the clinic today. Howard, our great horned owl that we raised, passed away. The poor little guy had a seizure that he just couldn't recover from. We are devastated! The staff and the clients all fell in love with him. I remember the day I checked him in. He was a little ball of grey fluff.

Howard was never right. He couldn't fly, wouldn't learn how to hunt, and he had seizures. When you find a baby animal on the ground and you think that they fell from their nest, more than likely Mom kicked them out because she knew that something was wrong with it. That is probably the case here.

We gave Howard almost two years of love, and I spent as much time with him as I do my own pets. I'll miss you Howard!

There are more stories about Howard here if you want to read them. Just look for the label, Howard. There is also a little video at the bottom of this page.

Quality Time / Red Tail Boa

What do you do when you have a slow day at work?

We play with the animals! We probably have over 60 snakes at the clinic and today the snakes got the quality time. Howard was not happy. We had this snake on the floor and Howard stood about 5 feet away just watching. We don't know if he liked the snake or he was jealous that he wasn't getting all the attention for a change. If he were a normal owl he would have wanted to eat this sweet little snake. This snake was found in an abandoned house and brought to us by Animal Control. It will have a new home this week with one of our vet techs who will be taking it home for her son.

This particular snake, a Red Tail Boa is actually a nice snake, as is a Ball Python. So if you are planning to give a snake as a Christmas gift this year, those would be my recommendations. I would like one myself, but my husband is not fond of the idea.

It's not often that we have even a slow minute but Doc is leaving town and that means quieter times for us, and extra days off work for me. Loving this!!!

My New Friend

I went out to grill my fish a few nights ago and was greeted by a stick bug. I've seen him around before, if it's even the same one. Last year he would go from one place to another. One day he'd be on the light outside the back door, the next day he'd be on the thermometer, and the next day on the gas meter. I just think he's so cool looking!

I did some research and found a few interesting facts about them. So here are three that I think are totally cool:

1. They don't bite but they can put up a great fight when they are approached by a predator. And they can even win! They can inflict pain with their legs and they regurgitate an awful smelling and tasting substance into their predator's mouth.

2. They hold the world's record as the longest insect. The biggest one on record measured 14 inches, but with legs fully extended it measured 22 inches. That's quite an insect!

3. When all else fails, they play dead. Yep, they just drop and they can be super still. Many times their predator can't find them once they hit the ground.

You Want My Job?

I can't tell you how many times a day we hear the words, "I wish I had your job." When people say that to us they are usually watching us hold puppies & kittens as they are watching Howard (the owl) roaming the reception area. They are probably also looking out the big windows and watching all the wildlife roaming around our property.

Yes, my job can be fun. I do get to hold puppies and kittens. I get extremely close to the wildlife that most people can only see from a distance or in a photograph. And what I've learned! You wouldn't believe how much I've learned in the past three years since I started there. We work one on one with the humane societies and it's so rewarding to help every animal that we can. I can't complain about the hours either. Seven to three and off on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. And as for Doc, he's quite generous. Our pet's care costs us next to nothing and that includes our surgeries. He also keeps us stocked up on all the chocolate you could ever want. Ok, maybe that goes with the "cons."

But what they don't see is how we go into rooms with clients, and cry with them and hug them while they are putting down their beloved pet, their family member. They don't see some of the many animals we get in that have been so neglected or abused, that the images keep me up at night. That is the hardest part of all because those cases don't have to happen!!! The only way I can get past that is to remember how many animals we have saved from those situations and how many animals we are able to save from illness or injury (like my Bubba).

Then there's the fun of working in one of the busiest clinic in Northwest Indiana where the phones don't stop ringing. Sometimes we are lucky to sneak bites of our lunches here and there. That place is crazy! There are also the physical battle scars of being scratched and bitten. Thank God we have the greatest kennel staff who are so helpful when we are releasing or checking in aggressive animals.

So that's a little bit about my job and my typical day. I look forward to retiring someday and spending my days crafting and creating. I also look forward to the traveling my husband and I are planning in the future. For now, I'll be hanging out with my four legged and slithering (yes, we see reptiles) friends.

Photo above: one of the squirrels we raised.

Mushroom Hunting

I had the day off and I decided to take a little break from crafting. I put on my hiking shoes and hit some local trails to do some mushroom hunting, while spending quality time with my husband. When I left, my hope was to find one or two interesting mushrooms to photograph. Imagine my surprise to find six different mushrooms! It was like hitting the mushroom jackpot.

Now don't ask me what they are because I have absolutely no idea. They just make for pretty photographs. But I am going to research them because I'm just curious if any are poisonous. Doesn't the puffy white one on the upper right look like a smurf? The white things in the top center picture are just weird! I have no idea what that is but it was growing all over the place.

Howard is Not Alone...

Some of you may already know the story of Howard. He's the Great Horned Owl that we are rehabbing at the animal clinic where I work. If not, you can read about him here. To make a long story short, he fell out of a tree, ended up at our clinic, we are raising him, and the plan is to release him soon. We normally don't name wildlife but we felt that Howard deserved a name. Anyway, he is not interested in flying or hunting at the present time so I was quite interested in reading about Charlie (below).

Recently Brian and I took a trip to Starved Rock where we did some hiking. They had an owl there that was stuffed and I found it interesting that this owl was born with a disability that didn't allow her to fly. She lived at the park for several years until she died of natural causes. She was also a surrogate mother to many owlets at the park.
I'm just so fascinated with wildlife! If you want to see Howard in action, there is a little video of him at the very bottom of my blog. He's so cute!

Baby Ducks on Lake George

A few years back when I worked at the printing business with my Sis, we worked in an old turn of the century building. Out the front window we saw the historic downtown and out the back window was the newly renovated lakefront.

One day I'm looking out front and I see a woman standing in the middle of Main Street stopping traffic. Being the nosey concerned person that I am, I had to see what the heck she was doing. I saw a momma duck and 8 or 10 baby ducklings all in a neat little row behind her. They walked along side our building until they ended up at the lakefront. Of course I had to grab my camera and follow. As I look over I see mom jumping into the lake before turning around to face her babies. Next thing I see, after a little pause, are the baby ducklings jumping in next to her one at a time. After they were all in safely, mom turned around and swam away as they all followed close behind. It was as if they were hesitant at first but they had complete trust in mom.

I even got some cute video of them jumping in and as soon as I master editing and uploading video, I can share some with you. This is why I carry my little camera with me everywhere I go.

I really enjoyed sharing that little moment in their little lives. It may sound odd to some, but to me, moments like that are a real treat!

Bats Overhead!

First I want to thank all of you for participating in my "3 Quick Questions" post. It was so nice to get that little glimpse into your lives and get to know my fellow bloggers and readers a little better. I especially enjoyed hearing about your latest projects.

Now, on to today's subject which is about bats. Bats are nothing new to me since I work with wildlife at the clinic but last night was my first experience with them flying over my head. Normally they are handed to me in a box or a bucket, and they are usually orphaned or injured. But last night I took Bubba (the cute little guy in the picture above) potty and I went out with him like I usually do after dusk because I'm afraid of coyotes getting him. There they were, flying around my backyard like they owned the place! So creepy!!!

I though it would be a perfect opportunity to share a couple of facts about the little guys. There are a lot of misconceptions about them so I gathered some information to share. Did you know:

1. Bats are very clean animals and are constantly grooming themselves.
2. In Indonesia they have fruit bats (flying foxes) that have a wingspan of almost 6 feet.
3. There are over 1200 known species of bats. Most are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.
4. One little brown bat (myotis) can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in an hour.
5. Almost 40% of American bat species are in severe decline or endangered.
6. Their wings are actually skin that is stretched over their "fingers."
7. Bats are NOT big spreaders of rabies like people think.