Monthly Archives: June 2008

New Web Site

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I have spent the bulk of the last 2 weeks re-doing the Piece O’ Cake web site. That meant learning new software (Adobe’s Dreamweaver). It has been both infuriating and exhilarating! It’s been nice to find out that my brain is still capable of learning a new trick :-).

In re-doing the website (which I hope you all like), I changed every page. Most of the url’s changed. What this means is that your old links to places on our site are not going to work.
If you have been to our site before, the old pages are probably stored in your computer’s cache. When you go to the site now, you’ll need to hit your refresh button – a lot. On just about every page. I’m very sorry about that. My goal was not to make things harder, but easier. But once you have the new pages in your cache, you won’t need to hit refresh as often. 
FYI – We just sent out an eNewsletter that many of you may have received. In it we announced that the patterns for A Walk in the Mountains, our 3rd block of the month quilt, are now available on the site! If you don’t get our eNewsletter and want to sign up, there is a link to do so at the bottom of each page of our site.

My New Table…

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Here is my new sewing table – custom made by Steve Goldsmith. Believe it or not it took longer to make this table than to remodel the back wall of the studio. It is 30″ x 85 1/2″ and is on casters so I can roll it around… although my studio really isn’t big enough to do that much. 


I plan to do the majority of my cutting at the end of the table without the sewing machine. I have cut on surfaces both high and low and, for me, I’ve found I have more power and control of my rotary cutter on a lower surface. Of course, it is harder on the lower back. Everything is a trade-off.

The cabinet doors open to reveal two wide, roll-out shelves. They are just wide enough to hold the three sewing machines that I use the most. I do have a little almost-featherweight still in the closet that just won’t fit here. The 4 narrow drawers hold a lot of  “stuff”. 

You might be wondering about the finish. I like that distressed look and have it on the furniture in this room. It’s a finish that hides a multitude of sins. Pencil marks, cutter knicks, etc., are really hard to spot.

He’s Finished!

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Steve has finished this summer’s house project! The studio wall is done and my new sewing machine table is in place, inside. I’ll post a couple of photos of the finished piece next.


This is how the outside of my studio wall looks now. Part of getting the outside in shape entailed Steve fixing the fountain (the vase that may or may not look like a fountain to you). It’s heavy! Last year when we put it in, we set the vase on a plastic milk crate in the tub that is in the ground. The milk crate broke! So he had to take it all apart and replace the crate with cinder block. It’s gurgling happily now.


Steve does have an actual job so I only get to put him on for one project per summer. That’s actually a good thing for both of us. Neither of us really wants to do this sort of thing all summer long.

New Sewing Machine Cabinet…

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My wonderful husband is turning into a very fine cabinet maker! I wanted a sewing cabinet made to fit my studio. I can sew at one end and there is a place to store my (4) sewing machines, plus other stuff, under the cutting end. It will be on casters so I can move it – although I don’t really have the space to put it anywhere but where it will be.

At any rate, I just went out to see his new contraption that is sort of like a vise that he’s using to hold the wood straight up so that he can construct the drawers and it hit me: “Why have I not been photographing this?” (He’s pretty pleased with this new vise idea. It is pretty slick, and very simple.)
So, here’s the cabinet in progress. I’ll upload a photo of it in place in my studio soon (in 2-3 days he thinks). I’m really going to be sad when he has to quit with the projects and go back to his real work on campus.
FYI – We are just about done with the studio remodel. I’m waiting on the blinds before I take another photo. The outside part is very close to being done. I hope to be able to upload finished photos soon.  

Jack’s First Haircut!

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My daughter-in-law, Lorna, and Jack and Elanor got haircuts today. This was Jack’s very first haircut! 



I was there to take care of the kids while Lorna got her hair done – which meant that I was also there to take a photo of this particular first. Henri, who cuts all of our hair, is really good with kids (and adults). Jack almost enjoyed the experience!

It is true that Jack has very little hair so his haircut took a total of about 3 minutes. But Henri says this is a good time to start getting a child used to the idea (and the feeling) of having a haircut.


Unintended consequences…

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My studio wall is finished – oh happy day! There is still work to do outside, but that is waiting a few days.

I learned new things on this remodel. We upgraded the windows in our house 12 years ago — from single-pane aluminum windows to double-pane metal/vinyl windows. Windows have changed since then. The window that seemed to be the best choice this time was an energy-efficient, wood, double-hung window. Very nice, works like a charm. Except that when I looked close, I realized that the window itself fills the whole space. There is no room to mount blinds inside the window frame.
We have 2″ inside-mount blinds everywhere in the house but that isn’t going to work in this window. Oh my. That’s when it dawned on me that the small window, the door, and the big window are on the same wall and they all need the same (or very similar) window treatment and the thing I like the most isn’t going to work on the door or the big window.
So, yesterday I went to Lowe’s and special ordered “paper” shades. I really hope I love them because they cost enough that they’re going to be there for quite a while. FYI – There is a cool innovation in shade technology – the no cord option! Hard to explain, but if you need shades, be sure to check it out.
I sat down to work later in the morning and realized something else… my new computer has a very glossy screen. My new window lets in a lot more light – just exactly as it is supposed to. Oh my – the glare on the computer screen is not good. I turned down the brightness on the screen and I taped fabric up on the window and door. It helped some but I am really looking forward to the arrival of the new shades!
Steve came home from lunch and mentioned that he had seen an anti-glare film made for computer screens. Yes, in fact there is a film and it comes cut to fit an iMac! So the need for more light in the studio combined with the new computer screen led to the need for a way to cut down on the light in the studio. Unintended consequences…