2018 Midwest Summer

I admit I’m less motivated to write the blog while we’re in Nebraska. First – our time spent during the summer months has nothing to do with the reason we began the blog to begin with, which is our life at sail. And second – I find myself staying quite busy with family, friends, church activities, and crafting. Those are the things I miss when we’re on Sanibel.

It’s been nearly seven months since I’ve written. We put Sanibel on dry dock in late April and spent a very busy summer in Nebraska then returned to Florida in November for a day or two before flying off to Spain. More details on Spain in another blog. Today I’ll bring you up to date with our renovations and what kept me so busy over the summer.

In May 2018 I purchased a Brother PE770 embroidery machine and fell in love. I was also able to buy a 15x15 inch heat press to accompany my Silhouette Cameo 3. Those items opened the doors to a whole new world for me. I decided to make home craft product and set up a craft booth at craft fairs throughout the summer. I took it slow at first and quickly realized it wasn’t enough for me, so I upped the ante to two or three per month. I was overwhelmingly surprised at my success.

Some of my products included embroidered burp cloths, HTV pressed onesies, embroidered book/pocket pillows, mason tissue jars that say “Bless You”, embroidered hooded character bath towels and much-much more.

Throughout the summer I learned what sold and what didn’t. Items I don’t plan to carry again are coffee cups; I couldn’t seem to give them away. Other items are often a hit and miss. At one craft fair I sold out of burp cloths, but then the next fair I didn’t sell a single one. I’m learning a lot and having a good time while I’m doing it.

Beaver City, Nebraska

Kearney, Nebraska

Orleans, Nebraska

Alma, Nebraska

Gibbon, Nebraska

Lexington, Nebraska

Bertrand, Nebraska

I plan to do the same thing next year. It’s a lot of work setting and tearing down by myself, but my reward is getting to create all the fabulous product that I love so much and spending the day at the fairs.

I put together a t-shirt work shop for the ladies at my church. This was a super fun idea.  The way it worked was each lady told me what wording, etc they wanted on their shirt. I would create the design in a fancy font or whatever they desired (with their final approval, of course) and then I cut the vinyl. On the night we chose to meet, all who participated brought their own shirt and I brought their precut vinyl. They learned to weed their own design, place it on their shirt and using my heat press, pressed it in place. They left with a new t-shirt and we had a fun evening of fellowship. Most chose a bible verse or something inspirational.

Now on to Jimi and the renovations. Our goals this year were the sanctuary floor, the loft, and the radiant floor heating. We’re pleased with his progress, even though he came down sick with acute bronchitis the last few weeks and wans’t actually able to finish relaying all of the floor boards.

For the sanctuary floor, he had to pull up the existing wood while preserving it. Then he removed all the joists exposing the bare subfloor.  At this point he had to put the floor on hold until after the loft and stairs were in. The reason for this was because of placement for the radiant floor heating.

That's alot of nails!

the subfloor

He began working on the loft next. He cut 2 ½ x 2 ½ x 1 foot square in the basement concrete floor for the loft columns, which are 17 feet tall going up through the sanctuary floor. He attached a been across the front of the loft resting on the columns and for the back of the loft he needed to install a ledger board with required drilling two dozen holes through the 14” brick wall. Then the ledger board could be mounted. With the frame in, he could install the joists and subfloor. The loft is an additional 650 square feet and breaks up the look of the sanctuary.

He had to repair a supporting wall to accept one of the columns.

 Footing for the loft columns.

 We carried two of these stacks in by hand; 20 sheets of subfloor for the loft.

 Now that's a drill bit!

He then worked o the entry stairs and the stairs to the loft. The stairwell up to the loft used 1/3 of the church pews. It is 5 ½ feet wide with a slight curve. The treds are made from the seat pews and the risers are made from the pew backs.

Finally he could then get back to the sanctuary floor installing the radiant floor heating. He laid a sleeper floor with pex tubing and aluminum extrusions over 2,100 square feet and ten zones. Then he began reinstalling the original wood planks. He finished the main living area, however, the bedroom will have to be finished early next summer. Radiant floor heating for the kitchen and bathroom will have a different process with tile flooring and will be done after we determine placement for the counters and bathroom layout.

Six weeks before we left Nebraska, I came down with a cold which eventually turned in to pneumonia. Jimi also came down ill with acute bronchitis. We are both doing well now, back in Florida just to check in with Sanibel and fly off to Spain for a two week vacation;  we haven’t had one of those since 2015.

 Found these hot water radiators for places that won't have radiant floor heat.
We got a great deal on them.

 We like the embossing; we feel like it will fit the style of the sanctuary.

Little Aubree is ready to help Grandpa!

I’ll write all about our trip when we return.