The old is as good as the new

Oh my -- another day passed, and I didn't finish any writing! Sometimes at the end of the day, I think back and wonder what the heck I did! 

But we had two Zoom classes with some amazing show and tell - I'll try to get that posted this week, as the finished quilts are super cute! The show and tell is the best part of the entire class, and it's sometimes hard to believe that people were working from the same pattern!

I swear that our neighborhood is becoming overrun with rentals! While I'm sure the majority of people actually own their houses, I would bet that as houses get sold, many become rental properties, and you know what that means! People don't take care of their lawns. OK -- so I'm one to talk as my grass needs cutting. I told that landscaper I did NOT want grass, but he wouldn't listen. So now I have some grass to cut. 

But not like this. The house sits on a corner lot, and at some point, they had cut the lawn but not the boulevards along the front or the side. When I walked past the house a couple of days ago, I noticed someone had a lawn mower out. And this was the result. Yes -- the grass is cut, but what a mess! 

A lovely job of cutting the grass

And look at all the weeds along the garden patch. I swear that many people do NOT know how to maintain a house, and that's OK. Don't rent a house -- rent an apartment where someone else does the work or hire a service to take care of the lawn. It's such a shame because the people who owned this house before kept the yard immaculate! Now on the side of the house is a HUGE mess of thistles that are four feet tall. Sigh................

So here's a little trip down memory lane that goes to show that the old books are just as good as the new ones. I found this little book on serging at the thrift store this past week. It was dirt cheap (less than $2), so I had to buy it. As I look through the book, ALL the techniques for serging are in there. That's the beauty of sewing and serging -- while everyone feels compelled to write a new book with a NEW technique, there are NO NEW techniques. It's the same stuff! 

A book on serging!

Granted, this one doesn't have pretty colored pictures, but seriously???? I don't think we need colored pictures. And remember, as a friend said a while back -- in the "old" days, you needed knowledge and skill to write a book. Today - you just need to look pretty! That's sad but true! It's the same for any industry - if you are pretty and make pretty pictures, people will flock to it. 

I like the old! I also found this book at another thrift store for the huge sum of $.50 I purchased it. 

How to lay out a pattern

How cool is that! I already know this stuff, but it was such a neat book and published by Singer, and for that price, I couldn't refuse. But seriously -- she is sitting on the floor -- get a table!!! But at least she is pretty! 

Oh - by the way, the serger book is from 1985, and the Singer book is dated 1960!!! Again -- laying out a pattern has stayed the same! 

I also spotted this, and OH MY GOSH  - it brought back so many memories. We had this book at home, and I remember every exercise. 

Learn to Draw 

It's an excellent book on drawing and probably just as good as any new book out there. The date of that one is OH SHOOT -- no date. So I did a bit of investigating! I STOLE this book as I paid less than $2 for it from the thrift store, and it's in mint condition. I see it listed in US thrift book stores for upwards of $50 US. 

We did not grow up with Bob Ross, but we had Jon, although I'm not sure we ever watched his TV show. I only remember the book. I bet my mom still has my practice drawings at the old house. Sigh..................

According to the website, the book was published in 1950. 

I LOVE having that thrift store on my daily walk, but I MUST not start bringing home a bunch of stuff! 

I got another customer quilt done. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And while sitting down doing some handwork the other night, I managed to watch the second Harry Pottery film. It's interesting to see which parts from the book did not make the movie! 

Well, that's it for today. More rain yesterday, and therefore, the weeds are going ballistic. I need to keep at it! 

Have a super day!!

Ciao!!!