Fun with technology

What a day yesterday was. I was merrily quilting a quilt on the long arm. The bobbin ran out as it happens from time to time. Oh for a bobbinless long arm machine!

I filled the bobbin and then proceeded to touch the buttons to restart. NOPE - the long arm was having none of that. It started to go in a straight line to the end of the quilt. Not stitching, just moving. OK - let's try something else. NOPE - that wasn't going to work either. Now the first time this happened to me, I was a bit panicked. What to do? What to do?

I tried all the little tricks that I've used in the past. The ones that I had learned on my own. None of them worked. So I had to back up a wee bit - even exit from the stitching mode to setup mode and back to stitching mode. Skip down to the appropriate row and reset the start point and I was back in business. I wonder why it happens that it does that hiccup every once in a while. I should really find out.

The bottom line, I restarted the stitching exactly where the bobbin had run out. You wouldn't even know that happened and the quilt got finished. But it took longer than I had planned.

Community projects quilt - DONE

Someone had donated the quilt top and binding and maybe even the backing several years ago. It was in the "to be quilted" pile, but never reached the surface. Now it's done. This quilt is going to Quilts of Valour so I'll have the binding on by the end of the month so it can be delivered. That's one of four for Quilts of Valour for this month.

I found this quote which pretty much describes me. Well, maybe not the last one - saute it. Who wants to cook? And the second one? Shoot it? I think they mean with a camera, not a gun!

Quote of the day

Then I spent some time with the embroidery machine and took a LOT of pictures, but you don't get to see those pictures - not yet. It's always a learning experience - whatever I do, but that makes me much more knowledgeable. I'm really happy with the project that I'm working on.

Then I spent some time with the sewing machine so I could get the blocks ready for the Vintage Christmas Sew Along for Friday. You don't get to see those yet either. It was a day of working in secret or so it would appear.

To keep a long story very short, I'm still traveling to my event today. But plans have changed a wee bit and that's all I'm going to say about it.

So I'm reading a new book these days called Overdressed: the Shockingly high cost of cheap fashion. It appears that clothing is one item that has gone down in price over the years. The amount of clothes that people buy EACH year is obscene. I'm not a clothes buyer but even then, I still have way too many for what I'll ever wear. And I've already been through my closets. And what to do with all those clothes? Thrift store? Landfill??

Essentially, the garment district of New York and LA are significantly smaller than they were in their heydey. We can now have clothes so much cheaper because they can be made (still by hand) by offshore workers who get paid a FRACTION of what they would get paid in North America. But you all knew that - right??

On that note, I'd better get myself organized and get my clothes packed or I won't have a thing to wear while I'm away.

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!