Happiness is a great big bobbin!

Well, I was interrupted from my sewing bliss, temporarily by something most amazing.  Here in our lovely town of Louisville, we have NPR, National Public Radio.  Now, just about everywhere has an NPR, you probably have it in your own town, probably running a variety of NPR like programs on one station.  Louisville has 3 separate stations that are lumped together and thankfully fall under the same umbrella.  I say thankfully, because when it comes to asking for funds for our stations, it's hard to not give, because you like one of the 3.  We have a WFPL, a news station that also runs Prairie Home Companion on the weekends.  Next is WUOL, our classical music station.  And last but not least is my personal favorite, WFPK an amalgam of music.  This channel covers everything from jazz to bluegrass and everything in between.  I've been answering phones for the last few days, accepting maybe some of your generous pledges to keep our stations healthy.  Louisville has a reputation for being generous with it's charities.  Maybe that's why they finished the fund drive a full day earlier than planned.  It may have been even earlier if the computer hadn't gone down one of those days.

Thanks if you gave to NPR and if you have one of these stations in your area, please give to them.  It makes for a much stronger listening service you are getting.

Anyway, after a very nice 10 mile bike ride around Seneca park today, I'm home now and playing with my machine.  

It has a great big bobbin compared to my Pfaff.  And, check out the guide book, it has a cutter on the top for the bobbin thread.  It's only after you have been at this for a while that you notice the little things that make this machine so great.  I've owned a Singer, Kenmore, Brother, 2 Pfaffs and a Baby Lock serger and this machine appears to have most everything that is good combined in one, in my opinion.  This great big bobbing will come in handy when I use it as a quilting machine on my table.  

This machine has a push button sewing feature that I know the Viking has, but, I've never owned a Viking, so it new fun for me.  This will come in handy for my machine quilting.  The faster you go the easier it is to machine quilt.  But, you should only go as fast as you can control the evenness of the stitch length, so it has 3 speeds to sew with.  Hooyah!  

Diamond in the Rough and NPR...smile

Bloomin' Roses aside and parties complete, it's on to other things. My next project in the queue is the Diamond in the Rough quilt. My MIL was over for my daughter's graduation and she liked these blocks, so, I'm going to make this quilt for her. I haven't been much of a quilt gifter. Other than making quilts for high school graduation for my daughter's friends and a baby quilt for my niece. Making quilts is like raising children, there's so much work in them, I can't give my children away. All the quilts that are stacking up around here, have been labeled with one daughter or the other on the back. I've been switching back and forth, make one for Jenni, make one for Chelsea, etc. Some of the quilts they really like, some they don't, but, I figure, one day they, or their kids will enjoy one of those quilts. The original pattern is for maybe a twin size bed, but, I'm enlarging it to fit a bed. My super practical MIL wouldn't probably want it any other way. Maybe she'd use if as a lap quilt, but, I think this design will look stunning on a bed. Moda makes great fabric. They are smart to build on previous collections. The blocks in this project began with the Folkloric collection. Once I decided to make the quilt larger, I knew I needed more fabric. The light bulb went off and I remembered there was more Moda fabric on the shelf I had intended to use on another project. The project is a scrap project, although, I'll admit to buying more fabric to complete the scrap project. There's just something in me that wants things to look right. But, like I said, luckily I did have some fabric I'd already purchased that will work great for the scrappy sashing. Yeah, I like when things work out that are a complete surprise-those are usually the best for me.

Here's a wonderful tool, the Alto's cutter. It really makes cutting multiple layers smoothly, diamonds, squares, whatever.

Waterfront Wednesday and National Public Radio...smile. There aren't many places left where you can bring your lawn chair down to the river and watch great live music for free. Here in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, it's called Waterfront Wednesday. From 5:00 to 9:00 there are big acts, Duncan Sheik, Jonatha Brook and not so big acts and soon to be big acts. The public radio station in this town supports the local music scene and I like that. When an artist that is lost and finds that he or she is good at singing or playing an instrument, I think that is the best gift anyone can give or receive. Thanks WFPK.