what I did today

Stayed home. Exercised. Made soup. Got my Bernina 1020 working again. A year or more ago, my Bernina was making noise and the wheel didn't want to turn easily, so I bought Pam Morris' Janome 6500 and have been using it happily ever since. I kept meaning to take the Bernina in for service but never got around to it, so it has been sitting on the floor near the sewing room door for that same year or more (is it possible?). This morning, I picked it up, dusted it off, cleaned the bobbin thingie, oiled it, plugged it in - and it purred. I guess it just needed a vacation. Of course, what do I need with multiple good machines? The Viking 210 I bought in 1994 (the only new machine I have ever bought) is in my studio...and is very quiet and lovely but I don't do any serious sewing (i.e., free motion stitching) with it. I could, but I don't. In the unlikely event I need a sewing machine to travel with, it's great because it weighs only 13 or 15 lbs. Then, I have a wonderful old Singer 99 which I bought for a song at a house sale and have used (not lately) on occasion. It's heavy and has a carrying case. Nice straight stitch. My mother's old sewing machine is downstairs in the guest room: it's the first machine I ever sewed on. Finally, the treadle - which is in front hall and in the event of a power failure, I could light a candle and use it. I spent the afternoon attaching facings to 3 quilts and now I only have to sew them down by hand. Tomorrow. For the past week the room has looked as if Genghis Khan's marauding hordes came through and ransacked the place looking for gold. How can I work in such a mess, you ask? Ha! I cannot reveal my secret.

But this is what it looks like now. You can see how I spent my evening.

This was probably the biggest accomplishment of the day. With a few tweaks it should stay this way through the weekend.