Archive for June, 2007

Oh, the maths

June 27, 2007 at 4:34 pm · Filed under Quilts, Whining

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Why isn’t the post-vacation catch-up more fun? Today we are trying to make sure we meet our deadlines and are doing MATH to make sure the nice people who are making the V&A sampler quilt will have enough fabric. I don’t like making those kinds of mistakes when it affects other people’s success. So, while there has been a little bit of making blocks, there has been a lot of the maths and checking the maths.

The block making was briefly interrupted by our first trip to the ER for stitches. Too bad mama’s stitching couldn’t take care of that. And a little detour for ice cream before supper helps ease the pain, eh?

There is one more month to go in this block of the month. Then, er, I have to put the quilt together. My poor Museum Quilts book has seen better days. Alas, this one is signed by Kaffe. Maybe he would be glad it is well used.

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Excitement! A little thunderstorm is on the way.

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Where HAVE you been?

June 25, 2007 at 12:49 pm · Filed under Everyday Things, Field Trips

First there was an extended play Internets outage (cable TV and cable modem wires swapped? really?). Then we went to this place:

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While it was hot and I’m not a great traveller, there were worthwhile smiles:

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At Epcot, I bought into the Slushies of All Nations tour package.

Now I have to get back to the sewing. There are deadlines, people! Oh, and the 440 is back in business. Something about a software update and a BSR update and this motor speed thing happens to 10% of the machines…or something like that. We will not be cranky that this could have possibly been done back in September when she was in for a cleaning and adjustment.

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    Wait just one second, let me get my passport

    June 7, 2007 at 9:23 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

    Who knew that a little meal before going to work could be so enjoyable?

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    Uncle

    June 7, 2007 at 8:42 pm · Filed under Fabric, Quilts

    Over the last many years, I have considered in the darkest recesses of my mind that it would be a great thing if the fabric companies would just stop producing fabric just for ever such a short time…so that we could catch up with our projects.

    Of course, this could be a good idea only for people like me: the worst kind of quilter–the one with a flood of projects and no self control. Very magpie-esque.

    Which then leads me to these fabrics who became friends and followed me home (but, lookie, I have only had them since the weekend and they are already shaping up into a quickie quilt top):

    Ahh, a fresh early summer quilt. For the record, I did finish quilting the time-sensitive quilt and this is sort of a palate-cleanser.

    And, somehow last night, these geraniums fell head over heels for this Kaffe dot:

    Does anyone else get heart palpitations over this stuff? It’s the fabric vapors, I tell you! It was hard to resist diving into these people today, but I decided that the strippy bricky blue and green thing would be better for a hot blowy day. Well, and first in, first out and all. Yeah, like I adhere to any sort of rules in regard to fabric and projects. I just get swept away.

    Still haven’t heard about the illin’ 440, but the 1090 and I are having a great time!

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    I bet this dog doesn’t mind wet feet

    June 4, 2007 at 6:42 pm · Filed under Dogs!, Everyday Things, Quilts

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    What is with my karma these days? First the sewing machine (I dare not mention the coffee maker–we are currently on speaking terms), then the newspaper (ah, me, under the mistaken impression that the newspaper delivery person’s job is to actually deliver the newspaper), I dropped and broke my favorite grooming device (how do you break tweezers?), and we find that we do not in fact have a neurosis-free dog on the premises. At 11 months, the “puppy” decides she does not like to get her paddy-paws wet when she goes potty (remember that gullywasher?).  It has rained before; suddenly you’re all delicate? Today we are going on the cement in the driveway. I consider that progress so I overlooked the fact that someone with a long snout who shall remain nameless wiped out the biscuit supply by the back door. I conveniently left the ziploc bag open for her. My bad.

    These are minor annoying things. We are forging ahead. Taking a little hand stitching break with a new Sue Spargo book (CUTE PINCUSHIONS!). I sure hope mine ends up looking like a dog. The 440 is safely at the dealer (hmm, she said look for a new machine geared toward quilters in 2008). I’m reacquainting with the 1090 and we are free motion quilting like old friends. I think she has become a little hard of hearing and my memory is getting bad, but that happens with old friends! I just turn up the NPR for her and she forgives me when I forget where some of her buttons and switches are. Carry on.

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    In which we have a gullywasher

    June 3, 2007 at 3:04 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

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    Quilting content to resume shortly…

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    In which I distract you with nature’s beauty

    June 2, 2007 at 10:01 pm · Filed under Everyday Things

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    Quilting in the molasses swamp

    June 1, 2007 at 9:30 pm · Filed under Whining

    I am machine quilting for someone. Today, of all days, I finally decide I need to face facts and admit that there is something wrong with the 440–HORRORS. It is stitching like cold molasses. The motor speed needs to go to 11. It is one of those things that weighs on the mind. I have felt that something was slow about the machine for a while, but it is just not keeping up and needs to see its doctor. The doctor won’t be in until Wednesday. In the meantime, the patient has been carefully packed away in its travel case (complete with the little piece of wire that came flying out and attempted to impale me a while back).

    So, we have dusted off the 1090. I do love that machine. Howeva, I don’t have an acrylic table insert for it (added friction factor) AND, minor detail, it does not have a stitch regulator. I have become spoiled. I do know how to free motion without it…I’m just, er, rusty. My swirls are not swirling to my satisfaction. I don’t know if I can bear it. This quilt is time sensitive. I can’t decide whether to suck it up and go back to the Molasses Swamp just to finish the thing OR suck it up and do it with the 1090 (lovely motor speed, that–just not working to my advantage at present).

    When conferring with my dealer, the words “something could be wrong with the board…” fell from her lips. This is what happens, I guess, when I turn down the offer of a new machine (I would just buy the same machine…only newer).

    sigh

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