Got my sewing fix

After having it for three weeks I finally got to plug in my new sewing machine and give it a test drive.

I'm not quite sure what I expected, and although it sews perfectly fine, there was a sense of disappointment, so I had to think hard why I decided on that machine in the first place.  It is a Pfaff Passport, and some time before I had looked on-line at their various models, and thought this one would be OK.  I had been looking because I needed to replace my beloved dead general sewing machine.  Although I didn't use it much, sometimes one has to hem pants (I'm only 5' 1 and a bit", and you can only buy trousers here in South Africa in one length, for 6' tall women), and sometimes do things that need more than only straight stitching.  And I needed a light easily transportable machine for future workshops I might attend - and to perhaps enable me to do the Assignment 3 pieces better than the ones for Assignment 2.

I happened to be in the retailer's shop to collect the needle-threading part replacements for the Grand Quilters, and not being in a hurry asked them to show me what they had.  Didn't like the models on the floor, so the Passport was brought out and I was really taken with the way it looked.   And we test drove it with lots of discussion and it seemed to be a good machine.  

My mistake was not to take it out of the box immediately at home.  (my excuse is that I had to finish my Teachers Course Assignment pieces first!)  I think in the three weeks I waited I was so excited by the thought of "a new machine" that it may have grown out of proportion in my mind.  It sews beautifully, it sews all the 70 stitches it is pre-programmed to do, it even takes the presser feet from my other machines (that is why I stick with Pfaff), but it ended with a feeling of "is that all it can do?"   With hind-sight maybe I wanted it to do my Teachers Course Assignment - oh, wouldn't that have been Joy!   (Marked Assignment is back in Cape Town, but have to wait until Saturday to see my mark - no, TB, please don't open it!!)   I can't seem to make the pre-programmed stitches change if I alter the needle position - something I could do on the old mechanical machine.  It still looks a nice machine picture next time I get it out of the box.

This is the piece on which I tested almost all of the stitches.  Scribbled over with Derwent Inktense colours (just got them, and these are way out of my comfort zone) - sliced in two, will wash one half to see the fastness of the ink/dye/paint.

 

 

Last night, unable to get up the enthusiasm to complete the last few questions of the SAQG-TAC written assignments (we have a reprieved deadline - this Sunday!!!), I happily made these six blocks for the August Block Lotto - I hope I win this month!

 

These are the 27 blocks made in response to my attempts to encourage my quilt group, which has a fair number of beginners to "just try" new blocks.  I write and email the instructions.  A number is allocated for each block, and the maker of the number drawn won all blocks.  Hoping we will get to a point when there is enough blocks for more than one winner.

 

Every time I think to take a photo it is night or bad light.  The right-side of the back garden, through the picture window (it was hailing!).  Old shed gone (a month ago!).

 Left-side of back garden, from edge of stoep (patio) - can't see it, but same hail - it's freezing here today.  (Ok, not really freezing, but as about as cold as Cape Town gets, 12 deg - must be snow on the mountains.)

And, lastly, a gratuitous picture of some of the provisions that daughter C has been buying (yay, shopping!) for the catering job she has from Sunday  -  three meals a day for 45 people for a week  - in Clanwilliam (about 3 hrs drive away) with the Clanwilliam Arts Project.

Happy

The warmest spot in the house, apparently! Five months old and solidly entrenched here.

--

Karen

Some sewing and sharing...

I've been working on my Assignment 2 pieces, but don't want to show photos yet.  I think I have completion phobia, as I get to "almost" finished and then put it aside!

Made one block for the Block Lotto for July, I cut out three but lost enthusiasm to sew the other two, mainly because wrong foot on daughter's machine and I was itching to complete the samples for the demo I'm doing this Saturday at our Guild.  It's our annual Sampler Day and about 10 of us (who are doing the SAQG Teachers' Accreditation Course) were asked to volunteer a 9 minute demo, which is repeated 10 times as small groups circulate to each table.

A couple of weeks ago I did a class with Sheila Walwyn.  Although she is an experienced quilt artist, this was her first formal class, and she and the class were great.  This is my piece in progress, have subsequently put all the pieces on, next to add some stitches with the new baby (see further!):

A picture of Creative Quilters' annual Christmas in July and the wonderful gift I received from Cathy and Nicola:

...hmmm, I've had this new baby a week now and have yet to take it out of the box.  I need a good two hours clear so I can play!!  It is a Pfaff Passport 2.0 - I am a serious Pfaff fan, I have two straight-stitch only Grand Quilters which I love.  My old 1212 died and having struggled with the Assignments and that applique piece above on T's 40-year old machine, just knew it was time to get a machine that sews buttonhole stitches (not just buttonholes!)

 One block for Creative Quilters:

And finally some pictures of the garden, the almost completed shed and the fur babies almost being civil:

 Happy sewing!

Very little sewing

Not much sewing has been done here, made this one block for the Block Lotto yesterday.  It will finish at 7" x 14"

Have been mulling over the blocks that need to be done for the second assignment for the SAGQ-TAC.  And my aversion to applique keeps kicking in...  but do have the design worked out for the hand applique one, pieces cut ready to sew.  The other piece is machine applique, and I want to do something I will be happy with, so the mulling continues.

Last Saturday

Mourning Wales' loss to South Africa in the rugby test, but entertaining family at my sister's home. My mum, my sister, my sister, my niece, my nephew,and his wife.
--

Karen

Autumn tree

This is the tree in the front garden looking autumnal. We have had a few storms already and the virginia creeper is already bare, missed getting good photos.
--

Karen

...George...

The kitten... she is now known as George (family approved name)... or the Little Rat (P)... or the Terrorist (by the other cat).  11 weeks yesterday.

Taken with the webcam.










 The new custom sized garden shed under construction.

And a little sewing this weekend, plus writing the instructions for the CQ group, complete with step-by-step photos.  I realized too late that it would probably be easier to write the notes as I sew, although I was thinking very hard about them as I sewed and taking the pictures!  The other two blocks were made a while back.

Son Off and Weekend Away

Late Thursday afternoon P and I took M to the airport for his unlimited sojourn in London with serious mixed feelings, glad for him that he is spreading his wings, envious that he is doing so.   Have spoken to him on Skype since so not feeling so sad now.

 

On Friday went on the quilting retreat at Goedgedacht, this is the Barn in which the 24 of us, each with our own trestle table, sewed up a storm!  I know my phone camera doesn't take great photos, so only took a couple of photos over the weekend.

I took a few projects that needed next steps, the first was easy, a border on this one, and it's ready to be quilted.  These scrappy trip blocks were made last Goedgedacht (not by me):

 

 Next was to add sashing to one more of these blocks and put them together (now to find a border):

The third project was to put the neon green borders on these 12 blocks.  I thought I would join them with some black-on-white prints, but that didn't pan out, so will wait to discuss what next with Mum.

This is block number one of about 100 4.5" scrappy-pieced beautiful made-by-Mum blocks.  Actually, ALL the scrappy blocks in this post were made-by-Mum!  My intention was to cut 4.5" strips of tone-on-tone fabrics to border each one, but forgot and cut 3.5"!  But actually think it is better.  Have about 50-60 strips cut and sub-cut, ready to sew.

 

And because there were lengths left over, I used them to add to one side of these Flying Geese Blocks I won last year from Block Lotto.  The blocks are sewn in columns, so not quite complete yet.

I did some sewing on Celtic Solstice, and a number of the Split 9-Patch in-between blocks, but not enough to warrant a photo!  But you do need to see my sleepy photographic assistant:

Too long between posts!

Life.Has.Been.Busy.  Let's see ...
... nearly four weeks with "the rat" as P calls her, she has grown considerably... and the other cat Does.Not.Want.Her.Here.  Lots of bad language!

....the builders are off-site as from Friday last  
...the gates are installed, only a two week wait whilst they fixed the size, were too big - and the maker did the measuring!   Electric fence to be extended soon.
... Guild AGM over two weeks ago (my first financial report presented!) and over 200 members renewed or joined!   ...same day as our wedding anniverary... came home to these beautiful proteas:

... formally handed over the Guild web-site to the new webmaster, sad but relieved that someone else is in charge!   For the other geeks reading this, it's now being created with Serif WebPlus X6 instead of Joomla!  We both had to learn from scratch!
.... made blocks for the May Lotto...

... Creative Quilters monthly meeting in which four of us each did a detailed presentation to a quarter of the group on how to make 8-in-one half square triangles - self-imposed teaching practice for...
...the SAGQ-Teachers Accreditation Course, which we are now one third of the way through, and yay!  very happy with the marks of my first 5 assignments.  And in fact, still on a high about that!  Need to seriously start on the next section!
.... daughter C now home after 6/7 weeks working at Afrika Burn - loads of laundry, two washes for each load, to get the ingrained Karoo sand out!  She had a great time, lost weight and got a great tan.
....son M is leaving for London tomorrow night, packing, sorting, one-way ticket... it's the right time for him to go and have the experience of not living at home.

....and the best is still to come, a weekend away with 23 other quilters at tranquil Goedgedacht, only 2 days to go!  Two solid days of sewing and laughter!  Have the UFO projects picked out, plenty of piecing.