Just say NO!!!!

Yes - there is some quilting in this blog today - at the end. I am just feeling a tad philosophical this morning!!!


It is a sad day indeed. My thoughts go out to the family of Steve Jobs. Why do the visionaries die before their time? Or maybe he gave all he had?  He so changed our world!!!!!   Just listening to clips of some of his speeches - he was so polished. A great motivational speaker. I am certain his Apple family will miss him as well. And an interesting note - how many people do NOT own an Apple product???   Even I - the staunch PC owner has an iPad!!!!!

Yesterday was a bit of a melancholy day. No particular reason and so before I started to quilt, I watched some YouTube videos!   I LOVE flash mobs and there are several that I just love!!!   One of my favourites is this one in the Eaton's Center. This is a feel good one, but every time I watch it is brings a tear to my eye.

Flash Mob - Toronto Eaton's Center


Here is another favourite - The Sound of Music at Antwerp Train Station in Brussels. We were almost there on our trip!!!!

Sound of Music Flash Mob



And the most incredible flash mobs are those created by T-Mobile!!!!!    How can you not watch these and NOT feel good.

Here are a couple of my favourite ones..


T-Mobile Flash Mob - train station

T-Mobile Flash Mob - Airport

and don`t forget to check out the Royal Wedding one and their most recent one - with the traffic tickets.

OK - and how can you not smile at this one (last one - I promise!!!)

Piano Stairs


Now that you have watched those - you have NO TIME left to read my blog so I will keep it short!!!!  And if I ever won a BIG lottery - I would arrange a flash mob!!!!!

Many times we do not appreciate things in life. We tend to talk about the bad and never the good. Well in my little world of appreciation - my vote today goes to physiotherapists!!!!   Although I am still not pain free - I did not take any pain meds yesterday. No pain for most of the day - then I went to bed and knives drove themselves through my knee. I iced it until it was FROZEN  and VOILA - NO MORE PAIN. Had TWO round of physio this week and I really feel like there is progress being made. I just hope that by the end of this (in three more weeks) that it will be much better!!!!!


And now for the quilting part. Two things - how many times has someone asked us to do something. In light of being the "nice" guy - you say yes. Then you get home and DREAD the task at hand. That happened to me. Someone asked me to put the binding on a quilt for them. Normally - NOT a big deal. But when I looked, they had cut the binding TWO INCHES wide - NOT 2 1/2". OK - so not such a big deal, but the quilt was flannel and I normally cut the binding for a flannel quilt 2 3/4". So I am working with a teeny tiny little strip. And they wanted it stitched by machine front and back. Something I HATE to do. Well I finally finished the thing this morning.

The right side of the binding - looks OK on the top

Looks OK on the back

But not consistent - that is WHY I hate doing this!!!!!

Bottom line it is done. And PLEASE - slap me if I agree to do that again!!!!


I did notice one thing when sewing this binding on. Since my machine is still in the shop for its annual servicing, I had to use my binding sewing machine. Well that makes sense doesn't it - putting binding on with the binding machine. And for those who don't know - my binding machine is just a sewing machine that I keep the walking foot on for attaching binding. EXCEPT that M is using that machine for her sewing class. I grabbed the machine out of the carry bag and set it on the table. I sewed about three inches and put it in the cabinet. How anyone can sew without that extra space around is beyond me.

Sewing the binding on with the machine IN the cabinet. Look at all that space and see how nice and flat the quilt lies

Doing the top stitch IN the cabinet - again see how flat the quilt lies

ICK ICK ICK - look at this - the quilt is all over the place and wants to fall off the left side of the sewing machine. I just CANNOT sew like this!!!!!

Do NOT think you must run out and buy a fancy table. This machine sits in an old Singer sewing cabinet that I added a shelf for the machine to sit on. Look - the machine doesn't fit perfect, but enough to give that quilt LOTS of support and LOTS of room for matching up stuff and getting it lined up!!!!

Machine sitting in a cabinet NOT made for it, but it works and it was FREE

One more thing today. As I was rethreading the machine for M's class tonight, I thought - hmmmmm - it has been a LONG LONG LONG LONG time that this machine has NOT been cleaned. Oh dear - do I brave looking under the bobbin case??????

You know it is going to be BAD when you see lint in the actual bobbin case area.  

It is very easy to get under the bobbin case in my other machine. This one is a bit of a pain - you have to remove that screw and then lift out the case. Then very important - remember the position of the spinning thing so you can reinsert the bobbin case when you are done.



OK - HOLD YOUR HATS - SIT DOWN - THIS IS GOING TO BE BAD!!!!!!!

Holy Batman - was there any room for the bobbin case????   I'm surprised the machine still sewed!!!!!

See those grooves in the feed dogs - even they were FULL of lint!!!!!

See how nice and clean it is supposed to be!!!!!!

 Now when I clean out the bobbin case - I use a brush, I use tweezers and I use cotton swabs. ACK - this is the FIRST time I lost the tip of the cotton swab into the machine and I couldn't recover it!!!!!    Great - now I am going to have to make a confession when I take this machine in for servicing. But can't do that until M is done her class. I put in a new needle and reassembled the bobbin case and it sewed like a charm. This is an old Husqvarna - the 500. I WILL NEVER trade or sell this machine - well only when I don't want to sew any more. It is an outstanding machine - a real work horse.

And how much lint was in the machine - OK - I'm embarrassed to show you this - but look........

Can you believe that?????   Who would have known that just sewing on bindings could create so much lint??????   OK - so I need to clean that machine more often. I guess I put on more bindings than I realized!!!!

And speaking of putting on bindings - here is another quilt of mine that I quilted the other day.

My quilt (this was one I made with really scrappy - no not crappy - I said SCRAPPY squares). It is a real hodgepodge to say the least. Pattern is disappearing nine patch. This might be a good one to give the girls for the car!!!!!

Binding on the crappy - I mean SCRAPPY quilt!!!!!

I will try to do NOTHING today so that tomorrow - I can catch up on all the other stuff that I have to show and tell you!!!!!!  I mean - there will be nothing new - well hopefully you get what I mean!!!!!


Have fun with those YouTube videos. Honestly - good pick me ups when you are feeling down. Try to find ONE thing that you are grateful for!!!  Shouldn't be hard.

Have a great day!!!!!  

Ciao!!!!