11/29/18

Homecoming

There was a little bit of everything in my day yesterday, and so I have a lot of pictures for you today. First, Big Bertha is home. Doesn't she look all spiffy having spent the past month at the spa? I'd say I think she lost a few pounds, but when I lift her, I know that isn't true.


Believe me, I hesitated about threading all the cords in and out behind my table and through the bars of my desk drawers because I didn't trust at all that she would be working again. But then, having faith, I went ahead, flipped the switch and turned her on. Ahhhhhh...a sight for sore eyes.


Only then, I wasn't really ready to sew, and so I turned her off again. Then, changing my mind, I decided I would sew and I turned her back on...only to get this message. What expletive do you suppose I chose for this?


Honest to Pete. This was very discouraging. There have been mechanical adjustments and electronic boards replaced, only to find the same problem still exists. There is a procedure to clear this code, which I won't go into yet again...but I went through the motions and then turned her off again. Then I texted Mike in frustration (as if he could do anything about it), and then turned her on again.


Okay...well at least going through the motions (just once this time) cleared the error, and she was ready for sewing. Since then I've had her on and off about a dozen times, and she's been working fine. It's kind of the equivalent of restarting your computer when things go haywire. If I only have to do it once, I can live with this. I've lived with it for five years, so what's another five years, right? I had to have it repaired this last time because I couldn't clear the error code, even after turning the machine off and on more than 50 times. So...we'll see. If it continues working I'll be happy. If not, Mike is going to start talking with the folks at Bernina. The repairs were made this time according to their own service bulletin, and so if even Bernina doesn't know how to fix it...I don't know. The question becomes, "then what?" For now, it's an open question, and I'll just have to keep sewing and see how it goes.

All right, so with that little break for a tantrum, I got to work on the last set of mini blocks for the Primary Squares mini quilt. The cutting was finished, and I was ready to start sewing them together.


One thing I was forgetting to do was to measure and trim each little section as I sewed it together. They were pretty accurate, but I trimmed little slivers off where I needed to.


This little girl interrupted me to let me know she was not at all happy with her treatment this morning. She'd been given a flea treatment on the back of her neck furs...which was a complete insult...and then, we didn't open the doors to let her out. I needed to leave at noon, and so the kitties were confined to the house the whole live-long day.


I just continued on with my sewing under her disapproving eye. And here, I'm demonstrating a big "duh" moment. I had these forked pins in an Altoids box, and they kept getting tangled up in one another. It reminds me of something my dear father-in-law used to say. If you're old enough to remember when the American Apollo spacecraft linked up in space with the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, then this will make sense to you. It happened in 1975 (the year Mike and I were married). I can recall Mike's dad saying, "Just give them two wire coat hangers! If they get within a mile of one another, those coat hangers will get tangled up!" And so it is with the forked pins. These were giving me nothing but trouble.


Then, in my "duh" moment, I remembered this unoccupied pincushion I made when I took the wool felting class a few years ago, and gave them a new home. Hopefully, they'll give me less trouble now that I can grab just one.


And then, it was time to leave to meet Mike to see the gingerbread exhibit at OMSI. We had a nice lunch, and then headed downtown, paid our money, and went off to find the exhibit. Just follow me...


Okay, here we are.


I'm going to show these pictures a little like a quilt show. I'll show you the sign explaining the gingerbread house entry. These were all built around the theme of "Egypt." (OMSI has a King Tut exhibit going on right now.) After the sign, I'll show you the entire gingerbread house and then some detailed shots. I'll only make a few comments along the way. Except for that, I'll just let you look and be in awe as we were. What these entries lacked in numbers, they made up for in details.




This next one was our favorite. The lighting was poor in here, and so we were using the flashlights on our phones and flash photography to see the details hidden in shadow.








This next one wasn't so much a gingerbread house per se, but it was an entry from Sarah's Cookies. The big shield in the back is a giant gingerbread cookie.



Smitty and Sadie liked this next one best.



Here, you can decode the hieroglyphics using the "alphabet" that follows.











This next one seemed to be malfunctioning somehow.


The area to the right surrounded in blue frosting was supposed to be lit inside, and there were figures inside the enclosure. What you see there is simply a reflection of the surrounding environment. It was too bad because I think it was crucial to really understanding the whole piece.


There was a little bit of a treasure hunt.


Do you see the narwahl?






New Seasons Market is a local market, and this was their entry, thus the sign, "Old Seasons."


If I'm not mistaken, Ra is the sun god, and the one toward the back moved like the sun from right to left over the whole exhibit.



Check out the reindeer antlers and red nose on the sphinx. Also, I loved the gingerbread smoke coming from the chimney.






So that was it. There were only a few entries, but we really enjoyed the detail.

When we got home, I was surprised to have received this wonderful bag from my friend Gail at Shedding the Wolf. The fabrics are so cute, and this is a great size for a bag. I'll be able to use it for so many things. A million thank yous, Gail.


And she remembered the kitties with a catnip mouse. It was love at first sight for Smitty.

Oh...those pheromones...I could lick you to death!


Sadie was more suspicious.

I don't know, Smitty...just look at that floozy's feathered tail. Whoever heard of a mouse like that?


Okay, and I left them to their antics and finished sewing the little mini blocks together. These...


and these.


The last ones gave me the most trouble. I had one of the little corner sections sewn together wrong, and I sewed it together and took it apart three times before I had it right. They're wonky as ever. Thanks to everyone who chimed in with tips about this. There were quite a few things I haven't tried. It's a little late for these, but I'm filing all that new info away for the next mini I make...and there will be more. I really want to learn to do this well.

Here are all the blocks, and this is where I left it when I turned Big Bertha off for the last time yesterday. Then, I turned her back on again to see if she'd be okay...she was. Anyone want to wager whether I'll get the "all clear" or the error code when I turn her on this morning?


The only other thing I did yesterday was to spend some time on the Appalachian Memories block. The Bear's Paw barn quilt is finished now, and I've started on the roof of the barn. Still lots of stitching to do on this one.


So that's where I'm headed next. I have one housekeeping chore to do today, but first I'll finish up the mini quilt top. Fingers crossed about Big Bertha.

14 comments:

Charlene S said...

My Phaff and my BabyLock did the same and it took threats to get the Phaff fixed correctly. I took the BabyLock to a different spa and it was fixed first time. Good luck.

Quilting Babcia said...

Those mini blocks are so bright and beautiful, love them! Mini's are nearly as much work as a larger quilt, I've learned. And no, I'll not place any wagers on Big Bertha, but I do wish you many more happy sewing hours with her!

Sally Trude said...

Hmmm...I don't know whether filling a felted cat toy with pins would make Molly like it more or less...

Julierose said...

i don't blame you for throwing a hissy fit at all! I know I would have!

And I give you credit for continuing to sew on those fiddly little
(adorable though;}}}) ) blocks...and under that cold staring kitty??? Yikes...

I really like the "Fa La La La Ra" --Very clever--all amazing stuff...
Hugs, julierose

Julierose said...

Oh and P.S. what do you use those forked pins for? (Look out Bernina....)

Linda Schiffer said...

Thank you for sharing the gingerbread exhibit! I LOVED it. :)

We have something similar here in the DC area - at Easter, there is a competition for scenes made with Peeps.

:) Linda

Janarama said...

OMG, I about died when your pic with the error code came up. Unbelievable! I would have been swearing like a truck driver. Big Bertha should have been named Bertha the Bitch or Bitchy Bertha. Hopefully you won't have any more problems with her.

Your mini blocks are going to look great when the quilt is completed. So many bright and happy colors.

Thanks for sharing the gingerbread exhibit pics. Some truly amazing works of art.

Vroomans' Quilts said...

That is just unbelievable that Bertha had another error - frustration beyond. I didn't realize how tiny you were working until the pic of the piece being trimmed - I use that same ruler with my tinies. Yes, the fork pins are not for containers - mine are in a pin cushion as well, but not as cute a one you have.

crazy quilter said...

Sure loved all the pictures of the exhibit! What imaginations came up with is amazing. I do hope Big Bertha is fixed for good. I know how important my machine is to me and although I have a few backup machines I like my Bernina’s best. Sending luck to you Big Birtha behaves.


piecefulwendy said...

Well, that exhibit took gingerbread to a whole new level! My goodness! I'm almost afraid to ask if Bertha is doing her thing this morning, but I hope all is well. That look on Sadie's face! My daughter just had to go through the whole flea bomb thing. There are so many feral cats where she is, the vets tell her it's basically an ongoing problem. They think she may have brought the fleas home after housesitting two dogs. Ugh. Her cat doesn't enjoy it any more than Sadie. Do you follow Lynn Carson Harris on IG? She is the queen of little tiny blocks. Can't recall if she has books written, but you might be able to get some tips from her website here https://www.lynncarsonharris.com/

Californianativedaughter said...

I am impressed by the creativity of the idea of using Egypt as the subject of a Gingerbread House-amazing! Have you considered that the problem with Big Bertha is a software error since the mechanical fixes don' t see to do the job?

Rosemary

Lee said...

The gingerbread exhibit - so much creativity by the participants. Thank you for sharing!

quiltzyx said...

Thanks for taking us along to the gingerbread exhibit. I have made some gingerbread cookies in the past, but never a building! My fave was Fa La La La Ra :)

I cannot believe that Bertha would torture you that way after you have gone out of your way to treat her so well all these years! I honestly don't think that I would have tried again after that danged message came up again!!!

Brown Family said...

I am a month behind! Those Gingerbread houses are amazing! Nothing like I expected to see!