Stitching Woes

Yesterday was frustrating.  I skipped an event so I could stay home and finish the quilt that is on the frame but my machine quit working.  I went over everything possible to solve the problem including rechecking the timing, cleaning, changing needle, tension, threading  etc. at least once without improvement.  I have looked at numerous videos without coming up with anything more than I have already done.  It sews about an inch and then skips.
I am going to watch another video on timing and if it still doesn't work, I will call the Grace Co.  Their tech service is very good so I am sure they will be able to suggest something.
In the meantime, I will finish another top and make some fleece toques.
Today, I got together with 3 friends for a day of quilting.  It is always such fun and helps all of us laugh our way out of life's stresses.  I didn't feel like hauling my machine and all the other stuff so I took some hand quilting.  I just have the border to do on that topper.  It is an order from a customer  who, fortunately, is very patient.
Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers.
Blessings,

Two More Done

We have been having warmer than expected temperatures the past few days so it has taken discipline to stay inside and sew.  I have gone for my usual walk but have made that my limit.  I have been getting projects finished although am still behind on one.
I also gave a neighbour friend a lesson in driving a standard.  She will be looking after the house while we are away seeing the grandchildren so I thought it would be good if she was able to drive my car.  She did very well today so I am sure after a few more she will be ready to zip around on her own.
Here are a couple of photos of my most recent accomplishments.  The seascape was a commission and the other is for an art sale

I have another quilt that has to get done but, of course, my machine has chosen now to act up.  So, I had better get at it.  Hope to have another photo tomorrow.

Blessings,

Car Fixed

Yesterday, I realized to my horror, that it was Thursday and I hadn't posted all week.  I did get a lot of other things accomplished though.  My car is finally back on the road. My mechanic friend started working on it Tuesday and, every time he thought it was fixed, he found another leak.  There were, if I am remembering correctly, four of them right from one end of the fuel line to the other.  All is fine now except there is still a strut to be replaced.  It can wait for a bit.  Tomorrow I have to go to the bank and I will be able to drive my own little red.
I have finished 2 baby quilts, done the top on another as well as one wall-hanging.  In the evening I have been hand sewing the binding on another quilt, this one full sized.  I also finished my magazine article before it was due and managed to do a bit of baking as well as keeping up with housework.
It must have been the milder weather that gave me energy or the moaning I did last week about not being able to quilt as much as I needed.
I got some encouraging comments and advise from that article which made me feel both better and worse.  Better because people cared and worse because I was largely responsible for my own problem.  I am trying to lessen the time I spend on the computer before I start quilting.  I can catch up a bit more at lunch and then again in the evening.  I am also going to unsubscribe from some lists as I don't read them anyway.
Will try to do a better job of posting next week.  Hope you all are well,
Blessings,

Dreaming of an Interuption Free Day.

I asked the ladies on a couple of on line groups a question today.  I wanted to know if they ever had a day in which they didn't have to do anything but quilt-no housework, answering phones, making meals, tending animals and/or children.  No having to make decisions that weren't fabric related, no dealing with appointments or finding something that really isn't lost.
I was thinking about this today as it was approaching noon and I still hadn't turned on my machine.  I am retired with a small home business that involves quilting so that should take up a good part of my day but it doesn't.  Some of my busyness is my own fault.  It takes me a long time to deal with my emails each day even after I have deleted most of them.  Most of the ones left need a response or action.  Only a small percentage are things like an on line newspaper or Bible verse.  I suppose I could deal with them at the end of the day but I don't think that would work.
When I asked the question, I expected everyone to have the same restraints but I was wrong.  One lady is married to a gem of a husband.  She works full time, he is retired.  On her days off, he makes all the meals including breakfast, brings her tea or a cold drink depending on the temperature and takes care of everything else.  Another lady goes to a number of conferences and related events and so is able to have her own time there.
All this caused me to think about how I could get even one day a week to myself.  My husband would probably like the same.  Perhaps we could each treat the other to a day off.  I will have to think about whether it would work.  I can't feed the chickens because of allergies and he won't be able to deal with some of the phone calls but other than that....
What about you?  Do you get to have a interruption free quilt day?  What did or do you do to get it?  I would love to know.
Blessings

Puttered and Frittered

I was supposed to go to Huntsville this afternoon for my last test with a specialist.  However, the highway was shut down midway because of blowing snow and an accident so I stayed home.  One would expect that I would have got a lot done with the free time but I didn't .  I diddled a bit at this and puttered at that and managed to fritter most of the day away.
I did get our hotel rooms booked for our trip to Toronto, cut and sew some border strips and write and send my newspaper column.  Not much for a whole day's work.  I had a hard time getting up this morning as I had been so busy yesterday.  Perhaps today was my recovery day.
I am hoping to get a bit more done tomorrow.  I have two small baby quilts to finish and get onto the frame.  Unless something else happens, they should be finished tomorrow.
I am also hoping that my car will be fixed this weekend.  I am really missing being able to drive it.  Hope you had a good day,
Blessings,

Christmas Toques

This weeks feels a bit off kilter.  We normally have our quilt group but with it Remembrance Day, we moved to Tuesday.  The odd thing is that I keep thinking today is Wednesday.    In any case, we had a good day at quilting with me making the binding and sewing it to my last quilt.  The fabric arrived for my customer's quilt plus the extra panel I ordered and the matching material will work for both of them.
The service yesterday was really well attended especially given that it was quite cold.  Hubby and I always lay a wreath on behalf of our church and this year we had one of the young men from church assist.  We got him to carry and present the wreath at the cenotaph which he did in a very responsible and respectful manner.  We were proud of him. I am hoping he will continue to do this each year.  I think it is important to not only tell children about past events but to get them involved in related activities.
I need to start making a few items for our mitten tree at church as well as the Art Centre's craft sale.  I will do toques for both.  There was a nice pattern sent to me by a friend.  Here it is, if you would like to give them a try yourself.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLJxtxI_S3Q
Blessings,

Lest We Forget

Finally got my car to a garage to see if the fuel leak is under the special warranty.  The closest dealer wasn't returning my calls so I tried one in Huntsville and was told to bring it in.  If it was covered, they will do the work, if not, I will bring it home and my mechanic here will do it.  I was a bit concerned about driving it so far as I wasn't sure about the fumes or if the leak was bad enough that I would run out of fuel.  Fortunately there wasn't a problem with either.
While we were there, I did a bit of shopping.
This morning (before all the kerfuffle started) I did get a bit more quilting done.  My thread broke last night so I got ready to rethread and check to see if I had any lint built.  Couldn't find the thread.  Then I realized I had used up the spool.  Did a couple more rows and that was it for the day.  Hope to finish it tomorrow or the next day.
Next week is going to be a bit odd as we moved our Monday quilting to Tuesday because of Remembrance Day.  I have never missed a service since I have been an adult.  My father was in the last war as were two uncles on my mother's side.  One was killed and another suffered a breakdown.
I am sure we all have stories of family members or friends who served in some capacity or another during war time.  Even our Queen  was in the service as a young woman.
Lest we forget.  May it never happen.
Blessings,

Dignity Quilts

It doesn't look as though we are going to get an Indian Summer this year.  (is that phrase derogatory?  Can you suggest another name-summer's last gift?)  We got another 2 to 4 inches of snow last night so our trees are powdered once more.  I put Heidi out through the night and she was almost swimming through the snow.  We have made her a path again today.

Farm Quilter described the snow fall as getting our aquifer replenished.  Love that idea.  I always thing of the moisture that is added to the maple trees in the bush when we get a big snow before the ground freezes.

I have a top about1/3 finished.  It is moving right along but I only get two or three rows done at a time before I have to take a break because it takes a fair bit of concentration.

I heard something new on one of my on line groups a couple of days ago.  I am always keeping my ears open for places where I can donate quilts and this one caught my attention.  They are called Dignity Quilts and are donated to funeral homes, senior's and hospice centres.  The purpose is to drape the quilt over a coffin or stretcher to cover the deceased as they are being removed from the place where they died.  I have  seen a stretcher carrying a body being removed from a home with neighbours standing around staring as though it were a circus.  The addition of a quilt adds dignity to the body.  In some hospitals, available staff will line halls as a body is being removed to show their respect.  Again, a quilt give extra dignity.  If you are at all interested, there is more interest on line.  Quilts designed for this purpose are 4 x 8 feet.  Something to think about.

Blessings,

Dignity Quilts

It doesn't look as though we are going to get an Indian Summer this year.  (is that phrase derogatory?  Can you suggest another name-summer's last gift?)  We got another 2 to 4 inches of snow last night so our trees are powdered once more.  I put Heidi out through the night and she was almost swimming through the snow.  We have made her a path again today.
Farm Quilter described the snow fall as getting our aquifer replenished.  Love that idea.  I always thing of the moisture that is added to the maple trees in the bush when we get a big snow before the ground freezes.
I have a top about1/3 finished.  It is moving right along but I only get two or three rows done at a time before I have to take a break because it takes a fair bit of concentration.
I heard something new on one of my on line groups a couple of days ago.  I am always keeping my ears open for places where I can donate quilts and this one caught my attention.  They are called Dignity Quilts and are donated to funeral homes, senior's and hospice centres.  The purpose is to drape the quilt over a coffin or stretcher to cover the deceased as they are being removed from the place where they died.  I have  seen a stretcher carrying a body being removed from a home with neighbours standing around staring as though it were a circus.  The addition of a quilt adds dignity to the body.  In some hospitals, available staff will line halls as a body is being removed to show their respect.  Again, a quilt give extra dignity.  If you are at all interested, there is more interest on line.  Quilts designed for this purpose are 4 x 8 feet.  Something to think about.
Blessings,

Quilting Again

The weather was really odd today.  It was almost as though I was going through as many variants as possible as often as possible.  We had rain, snow, sun, freezing rain and then it would recycle though again and again.  Tonight we are supposed to get a good bit of snow again.  Our hydro was off on Sunday from around 2 a.m.ish until 11.30.  Church was cancelled but we got together at a friends home as they had a generator.  It was a lovely time.
Of course, now that winter is here, my camera is going to spend a lot more time working.  All these photos were taken on Sunday.  The first two are our driveway and the third is the backyard.

I have, once more, got my studio somewhat organized.  In the process, I found a quilt top that I forgot as well as another one that has been around for a while.  They are draped over the machine ready to be completed.  Before I get to them, I have a Christmas panel to turn into a wall hanging.  Nice to be back at spending a good bit of my day quilting again.
Blessings,

Support Local

I feel really good about everything that I have accomplished the past two days.  I have completed everything that had a deadline.  I have the two craft sale quilts finished and am packed and ready to go for tomorrow.  I only have to make my lunch and decide what I am going to wear.
Sorry that the word quiz didn't work yesterday.  It is fixed now.
The next two things on my list is to clean the studio and the spare bedroom as well as make some marmalade.
We had a good bit of snow fall last night so everything was really pretty today.  I took Heidi dog for a walk in the bush and wished I had taken my camera.
Here are the two baby quilts.  A thank you to hubby who held them for me.

Have a great weekend and don't forget to support your local artisan.

Blessings