It DOES look wonderful on her rocker.  It' so nice when someone is thrilled with a quilt you gift them.  

That’s when you know you did a fine job planning a quilt!

Ellen, the amazing thing is that I have never been in Wanda's home, never seen a photo of the interior of her home, etc. 

The fact that the quilt blends with her decor is sheer dumb luck on my part. The few family photos that she has sent over the years of herself and her hubby and son have been taken at huge family gatherings at restaurants, etc.  (you know, great-grandma's 90th bday kind of photos).

I finished up the binding on 5 quilts this weekend - phew.  It is nice to see a big stack of completed quilts.  Now to find homes for the extras (2 are accounted for).  I still have 2 tops in the closet that don't have borders yet, but those can wait.  I was tired and frustrated after the one that was short. 

Now I'm working on llamas, testing out sewing on my Gem, making sure it works, which foot I want to use, etc before I take it to that retreat in 2 weeks.  I think I'm going to try my FW this afternoon.  I really don't like sewing 1/4" on the Gem.  The quarter foot doesn't lay on the feed dogs very well so I really have to watch if closely to make sure it feeds evenly.  And with the short little pieces on the llama I'm having some problems.  I really wish my regular machine wasn't such a heavy monster.  I really prefer using it.  Will see how the FW does.

But I haven't serviced my FW, so I'm a little nervous about using it.  And it's been sooooo long since Nyla did her class at retreat.  I still have the notes and pictures but not sure I'm up to trying it myself.

Dee when I need to service my featherweight I always turn to YouTube videos. Really it just takes a few tools and machine oil plus a little time. It always sews really well after a little attention.

I finished the binding on my mountain majesty quilt yesterday. It now needs hang sleeve and label. This weekend I worked on my sewing area in the RV.....it is total chaos. I gathered many recent quilts and realized none have hanging sleeves or labels. I am gonna be working on that. 

I have also got a pile of garment fabric to sew into some Fall wardrobe pieces. I really have fallen back in love with making clothes lately and am paying a lot of attention to what I want to add to my wardrobe, fit, design, fabric content and beautiful finishing techniques.

well I made half a llama using my Gem and half using the FW.  The FW makes a better straight stitch.  However the bulb is soooo hot.  And it burned out just as I was stopping.  Also the foot pedal drives me crazy, I find my shin starts hurting after just a few minutes, I think something about holding my foot off the ground or something.  I know I could get another one, but not worth it.  The only part of the llama I really don't like sewing on the gem is sewing the diagonals on the little 1" squares, so I think I'm going to go ahead and sew the faces and ear parts that have that tiny piece - sew them on my home machine ahead of time.  That should still leave me plenty to sew for the retreat with the other pieces.  I'm also thinking of making MSQC's Tiny Houses quilt from my scraps.  I may put together a kit for that.   And if I get too much llama done ahead of time, I can always pull together some I spy kits pretty quickly with all my precuts.

twins

Awe, how cute!

Dee, the vintage Singers came with manuals so that the farm wife out in the middle of nowhere could "service her sewing machine" all by her lonesome.

Don't make a big production out of something a woman with a third grade education (like my grandma) could handle.