2/3/23

Back in Business

Finally, Big Bertha is back from her vacation. It was a happy thing to get her home and set up for working again. We were so happy to be reunited, we had a good old fashioned gab fest. She told me all about her massage and her "threadicure."

Then, she showed me the project she made in arts and crafts while she was away...so creative!


She came home with some new bling too. It looks a little like one of those giant Lifesavers.


It was a gift from the shop owner. It fits over the bobbin winding spool and prevents the lever there from getting switched on.


I'm told another customer made one of these for his wife's machine, using a 3-D printer. Then he printed off about 100 for the shop, and they've been giving them out to customers. Nice!

Okay, but let's just back up a few hours. Day 2 of the Crabapple Hill Stitch-along was posted. Yesterday, we did a tiny chain stitch around the second inchy, and then stem stitch for the stems and backstitch for the remainder of the flower. 


The kitties were anxious to get outside and scare up a couple of mousies. Smitty thought the best hunting was over here by the mint barrel.


Sadie was taking her hunting skills to the other side of the house. Neither one caught anything. Bummer for them.


Back inside, I had some top-stitching to catch up on. I needed to do the decorative stitch around the center of the last Vintage Linen block.


And I needed to top-stitch the last section for the Purrfectly Pieced quilt.


Here are all the sections for this quilt top.


Finishing it off is mainly a matter of sashing it in black and adding a border.

So with the Vintage Linen and Purrfectly Pieced blocks finished, two slots have opened up on my WIPs list. I've already filled in one slot with the new project I'll start eventually. It's the "When Quilter's Gather" quilt mentioned a few days ago.


This project will be done in the style of Ruth McDowell, using freezer paper templates to sew it together.

A few days ago, I saw a new weekly sew-along that started up mid-January from Quilt Art Designs called "A Tiny House Project." I'll probably hate myself for this, but it's a weekly paper-pieced sew-along designed to use your tiniest scraps. You can find the link to the project right here



The first three weeks have been released. There will be 36 in all with a new release each Monday. You can buy the individual patterns for $1 during the week they're released, and then for $2 after that. Or...you can buy all 36 up front for $36, and she'll send the weeks you've missed. That's what I did, and I have the first three weeks to work on right now. That will be next. I want to keep up with these week by week, and so I'll have to get going on them. I'm looking forward to making some small blocks using my smallest scraps. That won't count on my WIPs list, though. I'm still deciding on a new project to fill in the one remaining open slot.

Sewing aside, it's another of those days where I tell myself I simply must stop procrastinating on my housekeeping chores. Things are falling behind. Chores or no, I'll have time for some sewing today. We've had some nice weather this week, but the forecast is for a return of rain today. That's always a good reason to stay home and sew.

8 comments:

Barbara said...

It is hard to get animals which normally pay little attention to each other to do things together. One can teach dolphins to jump simultaneously out of the water precisely because they show similar behavior spontaneously, but try to make two domestic cats jump together and you will fail. ~ Frans de Waal

piecefulwendy said...

I'm glad you and Big Bertha have been united once again. Always good to have your favorite machine back, right? Those little paper-pieced houses look like fun, but I'm going to watch your progress. I have too many things going on over here. Nice stitching, as always, on your embroidery, too!

Magpie's Mumblings said...

So glad Bertha has returned from the spa and sporting some new jewelry too.
I love the Purrfectly Pieced project - the kitties are so cute, but I have to say that my jaw dropped slightly when I took note of the fact that you (who complained mightily about paper piecing) are undertaking a teeny tiny sew a long that features just that. Hmmmm - hope Mike isn't going to have to invest in an air purifier...just sayin'

Shirley said...

Yay for Big Bertha being home and with a new gadget. Did you know that the foot control will not work if the bobbin winder is engaged? I actually took one of my Berninas in for service because I thought there was a problem with the foot control. There was nothing in my instruction manuals about that but the machine needed servicing anyway. There is now a handwritten note just in case I forget that fact.

Christine said...

Has Bertha become a bit flighty.... Jewellery in such a bright colour...
Your inches are beautiful, really pretty.
I did some housework yesterday.... Had to spend today recovering!!!!

HouseDragon said...

I can't find Day 2 of the Crabapple Hill Stitch-along or Day 1 for that matter. Where is the Stitch-along on the site? Mahalo!

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Happy that BB is home and quickly put to work as well. So many new things coming out and about this year in the quilty on-line world, but I must put blinders on and get things finished as they've sat too long. No going out for me as we hit minus 44 (windchill delux). Probably staying up all night as MOM is worried (frantic) that the pipes will freeze so doing watch guard duty.

Kate said...

You put BB right to work after her spa treatments. Purrfectly Pieced is so cute. That will be a fun finish. Oh those tiny houses looks so fun. I'm already behind on my new projects, so I think I can resist that one. You've definitely done well at catching up.