In September of 2013, I was repainting the rooms of our house and discovered liquid paint block. Essentially it is clear latex paint that you apply over the edge of the painter’s tape so that it sucks down into the cracks and crevices not blocked by the tape, rather than the colored paint. It makes for much crisper color changes, especially for inside corners.
Photo description: inside corner with blue paint on the left, and yellow on the right, with my hand holding a bottle of Frogtape liquid paint block
This has become a Throwback Thursday post not only to share the trick, but so that I have it documented in a different place and will perhaps remember it when it comes time to paint again.
And because it is May Day, and I can’t make it to get flowers to everyone’s porch, here is a picture of white bearded iris blooming in my current front yard.
I received a synthesizer from a neighbor who was cleaning out. It has a “learn” function, something my 1928 upright grand doesn’t. What it doesn’t have is a music stand. (My upright grand has an awesome music stand that can hold many piano books.) I looked up the manual online and saw that the issued music stand was just a thick wire fitted into two holes. Hm. I took an old wire hanger, snipped off the hook, and bent the rest into the right shape. I took a second hanger and made a page stop at the bottom, which does not stop the sheet music from bending and sliding out the open wire frame. Hm.
Photo description: music stand on a synthesizer made from wire hangers
To fix the open frame, I used a grocery bag to make a sheath over the wire. It works, and was a zero cost solution. A little washi tape on the channel works better than the wire to keep pages from sliding.
Photo description: wire and grocery bag music stand on a synthesizer
Sheet music is my crutch. I’m struggling with the teaching method on the synthesizer, since it only shows the note on the staff when it is played, not before.
I don’t like the U shaped travel pillows. I’ve tried several, and the bulk pressing against the back of my neck (really anything around my neck) drives me nuts. So I made a different kind of pillow. It is ideal for reclining chairs because it has two side pillows so my neck doesn’t twist too far, and no stuffing behind my head. The best part is that I made it with one fat quarter, some thread, and poly fil stuffing.
Photo description: fat quarter (18”x21”) of quilting fabric with a pineapple motif
To make the pillow, fold a fat quarter in half lengthwise, right sides together (9” x 21”, doubled). Sew along the edges, leaving two 4” gaps on the outside thirds of the long edge (for stuffing later).
Photo description: fat quarter folded in half and sewn with two gaps on the far edge, on a model 66 treadle sewing machine
Clip the corners and turn the pillow right side out. Fold the case in thirds, mark the line, then sew seams along the lines. This divides the pillow into three parts.
Photo description: pillow case divided into thirds and being sewn using the fold as a guide
Fill the outside sections with stuffing, then sew the gaps closed. I usually do this by hand, but the foot on my model 66 has such a nice tiny toe, I thought I would try on the treadle sewing machine. It worked well.
Photo description: sewing the pillow gap closed using a treadle machine fitted with a standard footPhoto description: finished travel pillow laying on the work surface of a 1916 Singer treadle sewing machine
It amuses me that the fabric coordinates with the “red eye” decals on the sewing machine. I can report that the pillow works great, especially for naps.
To keep my emergency meds on hand and organized, I bought a pill case, sanded off the day-of-the-week letters with an emery board, and wrote on the medicine names.
Photo description: weekly pill organizer converted to a mini medicine cabinet
This is not my idea, I saw it first from a friend who was very well organized. It certainly beats my previous method of a small plastic bag with random pills.
There are many times that I’m late to the proverbial party. I’ve been keeping my boxes of sealable plastic bags flat on a shelf in my pantry. I struggled with which size I was grabbing, and usually had to move the gallon bag box off to select something below it. I realized recently that the labeling on the boxes is designed to be seen at the top of the box. This works great if the boxes are in a drawer, or shockingly, standing on end on a shelf.
Photo description: snack square, snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon bag boxes arranged on a shelf with the openings easily accessible and the labels easy to read
The bags pull out easily from the box and it saves me a moment of frustration, which in some mornings is a rather large boon.
Critters and Craft 