Let the Happy Dance Begin

I did it! I did it! I quilted my sugar skull mini quilt! We’re not talking perfect here, but we are discussing progress. I do believe that I have released many of my fears about the risky learning process of machine quilting.

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I learned a lot about my machine and a little about thread choices through this process too. I also learned that I definitely need/want a sewing table that allows my machine to sit in a well. I also learned that I’m going to have to be a thread collector — I need more options for quilting!

I’ll get this binding on by the weekend and hopefully on my wall before Halloween officially arrives.

P.S. Here is an actual photo of me while in the throes of fmq

Thanks to Dr. Seuss for documenting my experience!

Scary Stuff

I’m feeling a little guilty because I took 2 days off from work during our busy opening season. Since I work on a college campus and classes are in session on Labor Day, I haven’t enjoyed the holiday for nearly 10 years. And, wouldn’t you know it, disaster struck on Friday, which was my first vacation day: the campus bookstore flooded due to a water line break. So my peaceful sleep-in morning turned into a social media posting fest.

The remainder of the weekend was much less stressful: I helped my mother and her best friend prep for a party and then attended said party;  did a little monster TV shopping (it won’t fit in my car, so we’ll have it drop-shipped); and I got a in a lot of reading time.

I was able to spend several hours on my Dia de Los Muertos design. I cannot tell you how many times I have ripped out rows of this tiny wall-hanging. Sometimes Most times, it seems that I spend more time polishing my un-sewing skills instead of making progress.

I must have vacation brain because I’ve measured, remeasured and stomped my feet many times and I still only have 8 rows complete.

The best part of the weekend was the last part. My son and I went for a hike today (Sunday) at Letchworth State Park aka, the Grand Canyon of the East. We haven’t been there together in a long time, and he fell in love with it, just like everyone else who visits. It’s been many years since I visited Letchworth in the summer, and it was spectacular. We made a pact to go back again soon and find more trails to explore. The fall colors can be breathtakingly, heartrendingly beautiful.

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A distant view of the Letchworth gorge.

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Closest he would allow for a selfie. And you don’t want to see it anyway, he’s gone full-on Amish for the duration of soccer season.

As the extra long vacation weekend comes to a close, I have my seam-ripper in hand and I’m ready to buckle down to quilting work. Pays-the-bills job restarts tomorrow. Wish me luck.