3/20/13

Wet Wednesday

It's a rainy, blustery day here in Oregon.  Admittedly, it is preferable to the snow that some of you are dealing with, but the weather is going to need to improve before I'll believe that Spring has sprung.  Nevertheless, it seems a perfect opportunity to tell you about a little invite I received to join in a quilt along last night.  Do you remember the Hello Sun quilt I've been working on?


This is as far as I've taken the quilt for now.  Next time I work on it I will finish up the top.  This quilt along was designed by April Mae Designs.  It was so much fun to work on the monthly blocks that I was kind of sad when it ended.

So imagine how excited I was last night when I received in invitation to participate in the new Hello Moon quilt along.  What fun!  The general instructions, January, and February blocks have already been posted.  You can find the button that links to it over there in my right side bar.  I'm joining in.  Now I'm excited to get started, because I don't have nearly enough projects going already.


Okay, so now I'm wondering.  How many of you saw this when I posted the image of the True Hope quilt yesterday?


A big thank you to Becky who pointed out the error of my ways.  Of course this means I have to remake the whole triangle block since the four patch acts as the foundation for everything else.  Oh well.  I'm glad to have noticed it now so that I wouldn't have to claim some sort of I-did-that-on-purpose-to-make-up-for-my-inherent-perfection excuse.

And speaking of perfection, yesterday afternoon was one of those days when I was reminded that sometimes you're the pigeon and sometimes you're the statue.  Yesterday I was the statue where my new sewing machine is concerned.  I blame the computer for being so obstinate.


I've been having trouble with the needle threader because every time I activate it, the red light of death illuminates.


This has been causing me no small amount of angst.  Of course, it never happens when I go in for a new owner's class.  The only way I've been able to clear it is to turn the machine off and then turn it on again, which is my way of showing the computer that it may be smarter, but I still have all the power.  And people have offered up reasons this might be happening.  None of the reasons offered up so far make any sense because if I had forgotten to do something, it wouldn't make any difference whether I turned it on or off again.  Whatever I was forgetting would still be present, and I should still get the red light of death.  My diagnosis is that for some reason, the computer loses its marbles and forgets it's a sewing machine whenever I activate the needle threader.

Yesterday the problem got even worse with this "Maindrive Sync Failed" message, and I started thinking it was like all the other computers in the world:  out to get me, specifically.  I even called the store to scream "What is its effing problem?!?!?!?"  Someone suggested I try turning the hand crank, which I had already done.  But then, obviously because someone was on the phone looking over my shoulder, it cleared the problem and it worked fine after that.  And I've had no more problems with it since.  Hmph.

Actually, I've come to believe that it was because of the metallic thread I was trying to use.  It was a new spool, and I'm thinking that a tiny fiber of metal off the thread got stuck in the little threader mechanism.  I sort of ran some "floss" through it, and now it seems fine.  And it better be because I am not opposed to throwing the machine out the window if necessary to further make my point about the power in this relationship.  (Throwing it out the window would definitely show it who's boss.)

Anyway...so I suppose you want to know why I would torture myself with metallic thread on my new sewing machine.  I was quilting the guitar strings onto the Perfect Harmony quilt.  Once I got the sewing machine to act like a sewing machine, it handled that metallic thread like a champion, and I managed to sew all the strings with nary a problem or a single thread breakage.  Pretty amazing, if you think about it.


I'm really liking how this is turning out so far.




And then I switched to regular cotton thread and quilted the first guitar.


As I write this, I'm about half way finished quilting the red guitar.  I'm hoping to get all of the guitars quilted today, but you never can tell.  I'm also going to do some housework since I spent my housework time cursing and threatening the sewing machine yesterday.  Not that I ever curse at inanimate objects, you understand.  I only do that on days that end in "y".

So how's the weather at your end?



16 comments:

Teresa in Music City said...

Well.... I hate to tell you, but the weather in Nashville couldn't be more spring-like today. The sun is shining and a gentle breeze is blowing and the birds are singing - it's a regular Walt Disney being filmed out there in my backyard LOL!!! But we had the blustery wind and rain yesterday, so don't get too mad at me :*)

So happy you got the message to your machine that it had better shape up or get tossed out the window! Sometimes we just have to throw our weight around with these uppity computers... of course, since you now have less weight to throw around, it may take a little more effort on your part ;*D

Your guitars are looking GREAT!!!

Diane Wild said...

Unlike Theresa in Music City our weather sucks. Cold (only 5 degrees this morning) and windy which makes it even colder. Your guitars look wonderful. Glad your little "mistake" was discovered before the point of no return. Good thing it was the outside instead of in the middle. Been there.

Alla Blanca said...

Barbara! Don't "correct" the quilt flaw on the True Hope quilt. I love-love-love the "errors" that end up in finished quilts. While I understand your desire to have a flawless design, I feel like it is enhanced (kinda like a Where's Waldo?) by any idiosyncrasy.

Just my 2-cents - love your stuff!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Oh, I would have to correct that block myself - when in the frame of mind to takle it, not a day you want to throw the machine out. Love your 'Sun' quilt and the 'Moon' QAL looks fun - but I am on a full load now. Weather - aurrghhh - SNOW!!!

Lynne said...

Oooo, how frustrating. Love the idea of the metallic thread for the guitar strings and it looks great!

Muv said...

Hello Barbara,

I could easily live with the quilt. It's not a mistake, it's a visual surprise.

As for a machine that threads its own needles and gives intergalactic travel reports, no I really couldn't live with that. Cruising at warpdrive factor 8.6, interference with tension at starboard side, overactive electrons attaching to metallic thread... For me plugging sewing machines into the electricity supply was a technological step too far, never mind wrapping them around computers.

Do you want to come over here and swear at our car? You might fix it quicker than the blokes at the garage. It was new in December.

Love from England. Rain and cloud. Quelle surprise.

Muv

Kathy Felsted Usher said...

I see why you would want that metallic thread, it really makes the guitar perfect. I'm sorry the machine is giving you so much trouble.

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

The guitars look great. Tossing machines out windows is a time-honored way of establishing dominance.

Brown Family said...

When I use metallic thread, I only use YLI. It just seems to run better and not break as muck as Sulky. Has anyone told you that there is a Yahoo group for your machine. It can be a source of information and help. You can also connect with other owners to see what problems they are having.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Bernina7Series/

Nan

quiltzyx said...

Shame on that new machine for being so nasty to you. Grrrrr.
Glad it has wised up at last - fabulous job on the guitars! The strings look very guitar-stringy indeed!!

Kate said...

The guitar quilt is looking great, love how you did the strings.

When I bought my first Bernina many years ago, My Guy wanted me to buy top of the line computerized everything. I work with computer run equipment at work and I just didn't want to mess with it at home. I finally upgraded my sewing machine a couple of years ago, bought one with all the bells and whistles. I hate sewing on it, so I'm back to my old machine for 90% of what I make.

free indeed said...

That metalic thread for the guitar strings looks amazing! That is going to be one great art quilt for your son!

Lyndsey said...

The metallic thread looks great on the guitars. Hopefully the problem you experienced with your machine is just teething problems, but it is worth it as the quilting you have done on it looks great.

Junebug613 said...

We kind of had a funky grey day yesterday, but I, personally enjoy them. Today is bright and cool, beautiful and of course I'm stuck inside at work! How frustrating that little red light must be. Think I'll stick with my basic machines.. LOL That Hello Moon looks adorable. I might like that one! The guitars are looking wonderful! Anything with a computer brain is not an inanimate object, as far as I'm concerned and it is perfectly acceptable to curse at. :D

Anonymous said...

Love your guitar quilting! Since I don't use a threader, I have nothing to offer on that issue, but I hope it's cleared up, because I know how annoying those little thing can be! Your Hello Sun is cute as anything. I'm going over to look at Hello Moon.

Rachel said...

LOL, I am taking notes on how to let my machine know (for sure) who is boss :-) Hello sun is going to be awesome!I am going to check out Hello Moon, hope it isn't too tempting...Sadly, I did not see the artistic license in True Hope. Perfect Harmony is coming along. It is going to be amazing!