Jumping through hoops

I'm curious about novelists - when they write their rough drafts - how rough are they? When I write a rough draft for my blog posts (not this one), they are ROUGH. The spelling mistakes, the grammar, the wild thoughts -- well, I dare not share that with anyone as it looks like a grade school student wrote it! I am very intrigued by the book-writing process - but I'm not there yet. And I wonder if I have the knowledge to write something longer than 2,500 words. 

I have another writing project that I really want to do. It's a personal one, and as soon as I complete the blog posts, I'll start on that. By the way - the blog posts are all about the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic 3. So you'll learn all the AMAZING features of that sewing and embroidery machine. 

Maybe one day, I'll look into some more serious writing, but in the meantime, I have loads to keep me busy in the writing world.  

There is so much going on at the moment that there's no time to ponder anything. Just make decisions and go forward. Case in point - our central vacuum crapped out a while ago. I don't want to hazard how long ago that was, as it's been "several" weeks. Do we buy a new one, get it replaced, or what do we do? After the cleaning person left yesterday, I decided I had to do something, as a broom is not the same.

I asked my sewing friends, and WHOA -- I'm living in the dark ages. Many of them have stick vacuums by Dyson! After a wee bit of research, I realized the stick vacuum would NOT work for me, so I ordered an upright with a cord. It should be here tomorrow. I might even give it a whirl!

I'm so behind in sharing pictures, as so much is happening! The other day, I decided to put my money where my mouth is and get a few things tidied up in Studio B. Have you noticed how any flat surface becomes a dumping ground? This small portable table was sitting in the corner, and a few things were on it that should have been put away. 

The items are now in their proper place, and I've folded the table and put it in the storage room. I have one machine that fits this table, and you never know when I may need it, so I'm keeping this one. In its place, I've put my ironing board. I'm not sure I'm OK with the location as I have to move it slightly to open the door to the storage room. I don't go in often, so it's an experiment. 

Sewing table got stowed in storage

All the loose spools of thread were rounded up and sorted into their appropriate boxes, and the boxes were put back on the shelf. 

Thread boxes back in place

I need to find a solution to this. Those long boards support the foot of the sit-down quilting machine to keep it level. I need to find something MUCH smaller so those boards can be put away. Maybe I can find something at the hardware store. I'll have to measure the height and be on the lookout. It's not in the way, but it looks messy. 

These boards need to be replaced with something smaller

Then, I decided that I needed to investigate my embroidery hoops. The issue is that the new Designer Epic 3 uses a new hoop attachment. So, how many hoops do I have that will still work with it? 

I found this hoop from YEARS ago. It was for the Husqvarna Viking Designer 1. If anyone remembers this - it was a three-part hoop. You did one section, then moved the hoop clip to do the second and, finally, the third. It's so old, and it was confirmed by a local dealer that it is USELESS. 

The Mega Hoop

It was suggested that I remove the screw and spring, as those can be reused should something go missing off another hoop. So those are safely stored in a bag. 

The spring and screw were salvaged 

And the hoop and the plastic template are history. 

The mega hoop is history

Some stuff was still in the box, so I perused that and found a bag of hoop clips, which I put with the others I own. The template is gone, and all the documentation is gone!

Stuff in the Mega Hoop box

Good grief -- what is this? It was a sample stitch out of something. It took me a few minutes to remember this was the lettering I used on a quilt I made for M's SENIOR KINDERGARTEN teacher. Oh boy --- that was a LONG, LONG time ago. I kept the lettering as it's an excellent example of a fill pattern on lettering. Believe it or not, I did that in the embroidery software! That would have been 5D or 6D - I'm not sure. 

A stitch out of a fill pattern in machine embroidery

I pulled ALL the embroidery hoops I own, and after some investigation, these are all the hoops I can use with the NEW hoop adapter for the embroidery arm on the Designer EPIC 3. Plus, all the metal hoops and the two endless hoops. Those six hoops are NOT included in this picture. 

These legacy hoops work on the Designer Epic 3

So what won't work? There were five. Only four made this picture. Hmm --- it's not such a big deal. The Texture Hoop has been discontinued, and I rarely use it. There is the 100 by 100, but we have 80 by 80 and 120 by 120, so not a huge deal. I will hang onto these five for now because should I WANT to use them, they still fit on the PFAFF - but don't tell anybody that the hoop clips are the same! 

These hoops will NOT work on the Designer Epic 3

So that was a good job done. I found a pile of hoop templates and was advised to keep them, so I'll be moving things around later today to put them in a safe place. 

Hoop templates

And these hoop aids can be a good thing as well. Mine were relegated to the back of a shelf and forgotten. But now I'll put them together, and they will have a home with the templates. 

Hoop aides

Along with cleaning up some stuff on the floor, some of the stuff on the table tops was put away. It's all a slow process, but it's all progress, and that's important. As the saying goes, Rome was NOT built in a day, and the mess won't go away in a day. It's really a constant evolution, and I suspect that I'll still be sorting and rearranging until the day we move. And if I have my way - that won't be for many years. 

So the sewing table tops are CLEAR, except for the sewing and embroidery machines! 

The three sewing tables are CLEAR

More half-square triangles got sewn and trimmed. 

Half-square triangles are trimmed

A small customer quilt was quilted. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And can you believe the bobbin ran out - just as I reached the edge. So I wound a new bobbin and did a pattern repair, and I was off. 

Bobbin ran out! 

The backing and the binding for the star flannel are done, and this quilt has been moved to the "to be quilted" pile. 

Star flannel quilt ready to be quilted

The backing and binding for the blue braid are also done, and that got moved to the "to be quilted" pile. My last tub is almost full, so I must get to work to make room! 

Blue braid quilt ready to be quilted

That tub where the blue braid resided has already been commandeered for the Tequila Lime quilt, as the fabrics and pattern bits were all over the place. Now they are in the labeled container, and all is good. 

The project box for Tequila Lime

I completed more work on the Barn Star Sampler and the Cabin in the Woods. All is good, and I can't wait until the writing is done and the travel is done, and then I'll have a couple of weeks before the end of the year when, who knows, what awaits! But I look forward to those weeks and have big plans for quilting and sewing! 

It will be another busy day - filled with errands and work, but I'm pretty much in chill mode - just do what has to be done and don't panic!

Have a super day!!

Ciao!