Out with the old - in with the NEW!!!!

I did NOT get a quilt done yesterday. And I'm OK with that. I did get the quilt on the machine (it is one of mine). Then I went to get some thread for it. For a various number of reasons - I ended up with a LOT of this thread.

Sulky Blendable 30 wieght - not one, not two, not three but FOUR of these huge (2900 M) spools of thread

I love the colour. It is variegated and the primary/secondary colours. Very nice and great for bright quilts. Obviously I like it since I have so much. When I decided to use this on the quilt - I am remembering that I had trouble with it in the past (and I bought all that thread BEFORE I knew I was having trouble with it - of course). 

I tried going slow. new needle and the thread just shredded even while basting the edge of the quilt. Hmmmmm - what am I going to do?????  Checked out the FAQs on the Sulky web site. OK - they have some suggestions. BIGGER needle - of course - I do NOT have bigger needles. The quality of these bigger spools seems to be different than that of the smaller spools which you might be more familiar with. 

Smaller spools of same thread - colour number 4106

Off to the quilt store to get a couple of the small spools of thread. I decided to go even more daring and purchased the 12 weight for the top and the 30 weight for the bobbin. After loosening the bobbin tension (I am getting really good at that these days!!!) and messing with the top - I got a pretty decent stitch. With slow stitching - it worked better than the bigger spools however after a couple of breaks - I gave up!!!!!

My allergies were bothering me and I just can't focus with a stuffed head, I was exhausted from the gym so best to just leave it.

Now I am on the hunt for BIGGER needles. While this is NOT an issue for the domestic machines - it is a bit of a challenge for the long arm, especially when I want them TODAY. Just checked with one of my friends - nope - she has same size as me. But she gave me a contact who may have them. Got to wait until later to find out. Otherwise a drive to the dealer might be in order, but that is a ways away. Too far for a no car day!!!!

Oh yes - here is a picture of the thread on the quilt.......

|Sulky thread on the bright quilt

I figure if I am going to expand my horizons - I have to start experimenting with my own quilts. I might die trying to make this thread work on the machine, but I don't see why it won't. I may have to take this quilt off the machine and get back to customer stuff, but I am still well on track for this month so I have a day or two to mess around.

Yesterday was a day of cleaning up and getting rid of stuff. Took a load of stuff to the recycling depot. Old water cooler which leaked water all over the back seat of my car. Then a few more things off to Value Village. The garage is looking pretty decent!!!!!   Let's just say that there are a few more things that do not belong to us that have to go, but they are neatly stacked in the corner. Yes - there are a lot of bikes in there. And what is left is on a shelf, but even that needs to be gone through. If I can remember - I will take pictures later today. Too much hassle to go up and get the picture - I'm tired of going up and down stairs with my stupid leg.

Another reason I was feeling blah yesterday and this is a good thing to know. I like to be in control - go figure. When I have my day planned and I am in control - I can do ANYTHING. Yesterday someone was going to stop by and discuss a repair job for a quilt. While stating that she would come in the afternoon - I could NOT nail her down to a time which annoyed me especially when we were e-mailing back and forth. So should I go and do my errands and miss her or wait. I ended up doing my errands at the end of the day and that uncertainty BUGGED me to no end. I can't help it!!!!!   She didn't show up, nor did she respond to my last e-mail. She suggested coming this morning - hopefully she shows up!   Well I am NOT going to worry about it - just get going with my day. And I took a pill for my allergies so I should be OK on that front.

My sewing machine is supposed to go in for servicing, but HEY - I still have a couple of things to get sewn. The last of my samples for classes at the Hobby Horse.

Day and Night by Eleanor Burns

While the blocks have been made forever, they were NOT sewn together. I got the 12 blocks together this morning and now have three borders to put on. The problem - I do not have ANY of the fabric in the quilt. And where the heck is Marian??????   She is supposed to help (approve) stuff like this. This is what I found in my stash and I will think about it for a bit and then get sewing!!!!!

Potential borders for Day and Night.

A bit worried that the border print is BUSY for this quilt and I will try a black as well. Got to get working on that. And then of course - there are TWO small projects that you can make with the off cuts of this project, but that might have to wait until the machine comes back.

And with bindings to add to quilts, and a serger project, quilt trimming and repairs - I think I can manage to find enough to keep me busy for the week the machine is supposed to be in service.

I am happy to report that I got LOTS of feedback with the juice pouches and hopefully will be the proud owner of a lot of Koolaid Jammers and what not in the next couple of months!!!!   There is even a Yahoo  group dedicated to the Capri sun purses!!!!!!   Go figure!!!!   I had better check that out.

I signed up for TWO mystery quilts this fall. I never liked mysteries but when you find a good designer - you go with whatever they produce. The first one is Border Creek Station which I believe I mentioned the other day. In case you forgot - here are the details again..

Border Creek Mystery

The second one is from The Quilt Patch in Moose Jaw. They have hosted this mystery mail out for several years. I have a couple from previous years (OK - so they are NOT quite complete). And I signed up again for this year and VOW to keep ahead of the game.

Check out the details at their web site.......

The Quilt Patch

(there is no information on their web site, but download the newsletter  - the details are there - sorry I can't seem to get it open this morning). They have HUNDREDS of people sign up for this mystery.

And look at this GORGEOUS Block of the Month they are doing...


Block of the Month

I just love this and while I am NOT going to purchase the fabric kit (like I need more fabric) - I have ordered the book.


Paula came over last night to cut my hair which was perfect timing since I really really didn't want to do anything. Hey - maybe I am a manic/depressive!!!!   Anyway we got chatting and looking through some projects and I came across this. All the pieces are CUT - and ready to sew together.

It is a Northwind pattern. I think there were two projects in the same box - both started - both ready to sew.

I am going on a retreat in November so I have set this project aside to take with me. I hate to take stuff that isn't cut out and prefer mindless sewing - this will be perfect!!!!   I will just have to dig up one or two more like it (like that will be hard!!!) and then I will be set. I always have my projects planned way before I pack food or clothes!!!!!!!

I think I might host a retreat at my house at the end of November. I guess if people want to sleep over - we could accommodate a couple, but the idea is get together for FOUR days and just sew. Food will be pot luck. Anybody want in on that action???????


Now you are wondering about the old and the new - right????   Well here is the old........

Yes - those are car keys!!!!!!

And there is MY CAR!!!!!!

DO NOT SCROLL FORWARD YET - 

BE PATIENT

I bought this car July 29, 2000. I had driven it 247,500 KM and was hoping to hang onto the car for a couple more years. It was starting to rust and I really just wanted to drive it into the ground. When I went to get the emissions testing done two weeks ago - it passed the emissions, but they were finally able to locate the clunking noise in the front. The bushings in the suspension system were shot. The manifold cover was just hanging by a thread and the heat deflector on the exhaust in the rear was also hanging by a thread. Plus the air conditioning wasn't working. Getting the two critical things repaired would have been $2000. I decided that the day had come to get rid of MY CAR. BOO HOO!!!!!!


Do you know how traumatic this is??????   I keep my cars a long time and while I say the car is just to get from A to B - you do get attached to them. I have always been a Toyota person. I remember my very first car - I had started working but no car. My dad went to look for me and brought me an ORANGE Datsun to test drive. Can you believe I did NOT buy that car?????   That was in 1977 and I had no desire for orange at the time. Then he brought a red Toyota - standard. Well I loved that car - paid $3,000 for the car (it was second hand). Since that day - all of MY cars have been Toyota, always a standard and where I had a choice - the colour was RED. That varied once when I bought a BLUE one.

So it was only natural to head to the Toyota dealer. What is out there????   Had a look at a couple and eliminated a couple. Then I decided to try out the Honda FIT. I LOVE that car - the back seat is so neat - the way it folds in both directions and the storage is amazing.

Back home - what to do - what to do??????   Help me!!!!!!!    Ah - Marian calls at just that moment so I con her into coming to have a look at my choices. Nice - but what to do - what to do??????   DH and Marian know where I am heading, BUT..........

OK - the decision was made and then the fun and games started with the dealer who could NOT do the math. But I straightened them out and worked out a deal. Then they had to find the car that I wanted and in the colour I wanted. That all happened last week and I picked up the car yesterday.

What did I buy???????

New keys!!!!!

YOU JUST HAD TO SCROLL AHEAD 

DIDN'T YOU!!!!!!!!

Yep - it is TOYOTA, it is RED and it is STANDARD  (and how many of you scrolled down WITHOUT reading all the stuff)

OK - old habits die hard!!!!!!!!    BUT I did NOT buy the bottom of the line as I always do. NOPE - this time I splurged and bought the SPORT model (notice those hot wheels!!!!) of the Matrix (HEY - Linda - I love this car!!!!!).

It has pretty much EVERY gadget you could possibly want in a car. And my Echo had NOTHING - well the windows were roll down, you needed a key to get in. You get the picture!!!!!   Now I have Bluetooth, a sun roof, cruise control - well - like I said - it has everything including a tire pressure sensor!  GO figure!!!!

But to prove that a car just gets from A to B - I drove it home from the dealer and parked it in the driveway and there it still sits. I have errands to do today and I'm taking my bike - it is a gorgeous day!!!!!


HOWEVER - I'm kind of hoping that I find those BIGGER needles at the dealer cause that is a  GOOD hour away on the highway and that little car just might want to take a spin!!!!!!

I do hate new cars though because you are so petrified of spilling anything in it or getting a scratch.

And a certain someone has been warned - serious physical damage will happen to them if they even think of TOUCHING the keys!!!!!   Trust me - I have taken to hiding keys and wallets in my own house NO LESS. A shame but that's just life.





And here is all the stuff that was in my old car - mostly bags for shopping. Not much to clean out and I like it that way!!!!

Junk from the car.

Well on that note - I still have lots on the TO DO list and I had better get that quilt top done and WHERE will I find those needles????????

Oh yes - the dogs are NOT happy because I told them they could NOT go for a ride for at least a week. Even though the back has a plastic cover, not fabric. How convenient is that for cleaning!!!!!


Have a great day!!!!!


Ciao!!!!!!
The Quilt Patch