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!  

Well, I did it! I got the Horizon...

Yes, I took the plunge after reading all the latest blog reviews and will let you know if I totally agree with them or not.

So far, the only real draw back is the dual feed.  The Janome Horizon 7700, has one, but, it's a major hassle to attach.  Compared to my Pfaff which is simply pulled down into position.  This creates a pretty even feed stitch on my Pfaff.  I'll be able to tell soon, if it's necessary or not on my Janome.  FOR $3,000.00 IT SHOULD NOT BE.  But, there are so many other features that I think I'll enjoy, making it worth the money, I think.  In the next few days I'll detail them out for you.

My other "toy" is still set on ready, waiting for a spin.

Fabulous Weekend-Fly Fishing and Biking Around Louisville

It's so nice to be able to do things outside now.  It's been so blasted hot here, I think we hit record high heat on several days.  We seem to be franticly trying to cram in our summer's worth of outdoor activity in the few remaining days of fall.

I had my waders on in the water, and it was a lot cooler, but, I didn't mind.  Being in nature, early in the morning and trying to catch the fish that all said "Hah! You human fools"!  Ah well, there will come another day my fine little fishies...muoooahhahahhha!!

We went on our longest bike ride since we have had my new bike, 13 miles.  This time we started at Hogan's Fountain at the Cherokee Park and wove around town.  We've still got a lot to learn about winding around CP.  That area was built a long time ago and it doesn't have a lot of straight through connecting streets, so we were switching back and forth many blocks.  There are major arteries around there, but, they've got too much traffic and our book "Wheeling Around Louisville", takes us off those busy roads, which I like.

The highlight of this ride was the grave sites of the Clark family plots.  The Clark's raised 3 generals, George Rogers Clark, who lived at Locust Grove Home, another son that was half of the Lewis and Clark expedition and another son that was the General of a Virginia Militia.  What an accomplished family!  Kentucky does have a strong history of military support, but, I'd say this is pretty outstanding work from those parents.

Fly Fishing and the Kentucky Backroads

We left bright and early on a trip to below the dam on Herrington Lake.  You are hard pressed to find a more beautiful shot than smoke rising on the water, early in the morning in Kentucky.

On our way through the scenic byways, we saw lots of farms and scads of potential quilt barns.  Whoever lives in that area needs to get on it and start the process of putting the quilts up on those barns.

Arriving at our destination, the limestone centurions greeted us with a wry smile, I suppose.  They must have known what I did not, that there would be no fish that wanted our bait.  Anyway, I got in a lot of good practice casting.

The day wasn't a total lost as I just love being outdoors and nature in the fall in Kentucky can't be more lovely.

Off to Shaker Village where they "Welcomed us kindly".  I think I like that phrase, as old fashioned as it sounds.  They were in the midst of a stone wall building competition, with competitors from around the world.

On to the Inn where we had hoped to have lunch,but, were told no reservations?  No food.  Upon some inspection of the Inn, it was plain to see the demise of the Shakers, his and hers stair cases.

The Beaumont Inn was our next try for lunch, they don't serve lunch on Saturday, but the Owl Tavern did.  Pretty good pub fair, fried chicken and bread pudding, yum!  I'll have to ride 10 miles tomorrow.

Patterns are only guidelines

A little too dull

Not exactly the right blue, but, a hint will be okay

It's too bad that life can't be more like quilting.  In quilting there is almost nothing you can't fix.  About the only time I saw something that couldn't be fixed was when I was teaching a fabric painting class.  Someone blended their paint so much they ended up with grey mud.  At that time, there were not the beautiful metallic paints they have on the market today.  Or maybe they were available and I just didn't know about them.  If they were out there in the early 90's my statement...almost nothing you can't fix, still held!

Anyway, I bought this pattern to make a lantern purse.  I liked it right away and I pulled some fabric I have and just thought it was missing something.  So, I'm going to add a blue piping to pop the blue fabric out more, just above the pleats.

There you go, the pattern  is close but not quite right.  However you look at your projects and analyze their needs, there is ALMOST nothing you can't fix to your liking in quilting.

Just don't give up on it and challenge yourself...the life of a quilter...smile

It's fall in the Ohio Valley

Along with all this lovely fall goodness, I'm working on a Tennessee Waltz quilt and a purse.  The quilt is too big for the design wall and it's time to add the rows of blocks.

I'm still auditioning fabric for my Lantern Bag.  It's put together like box pleated drapes.  In my early life of a quilter, I made drapes for interior designers.  I made a couple of box pleated drapes in my time and I saw this and thought brilliant!  You have the capacity to expand your bag.  Without expansion you have the accent fabric to show, or if junk expands to the space allotted, you have the peek a boo of the bag fabric to show.

Foot Pedal Tip for Pfaff's

Tired of your sewing machine foot pedal scooting all around?  Try turning it upside down.  The ball of your foot rests on the action part of the pedal and you have much more control of the pressure.

All foot pedals are different, so your's might not work like this.  But, if you own a Pfaff, I have 2 machines, they both have the same foot pedal and it's upside down and pedal to the metal, or you know what I mean...smile.

Yes, those are scraps from my Tennessee Waltz quilt I'm neck deep into and almost finished with the top.  So that means until I'm finished with a quilt, an organized mess is par for the course while I'm working on a quilt for a deadline.

Happy Quilting!