Mine, all mine MWAHAHAHAHAHA!

Well, I bought it!

It was due to be delivered sometime today, so I planned my house tidying around it.

Luckily it came just before lunch so I had ALL AFTERNOON to play, and have been playing more tonight.

It's very fancy. It's very sensitive; my old machine was basic, but a workhorse, could handle most things with some low level grumbling and occasional outright refusals; this one takes negotiating skills and gentle handling, and paying attention to the instructions. (Would I be wrong to throw in some male/female comparisons here? Just saying...)

The range of stitches is astounding compared to my previous 22, and the feet! Oh the feet! I have no idea what some of them do, even after reading the manual. And boy, you have to read the manual, there's no getting around that. And it's programmable - I have to admit, so far I've skipped these pages, and gone straight for the buttonholes, stitches and basic tension wrangling. (reviews here and here)

I've got 30 days to return it if its not suitable, and I think I willl def need a few to get used to it, see if we get along. My pink/brown patchwork

is still on my design floor, so am putting the Husq through some simple piecing. I must admit the patchwork foot is a wee treasure - 1/4 inch lines marked on it and everything!

More later. Will keep you posted on the compatibility with the Fankle/Crabbit Quilter lifestyle :)

Starting - and ending the search, just like that

Am on the hunt for a new and fabby groovy sewing machine. So far, have been absolutely struck by this little baby....(drool, sigh)....I want...

Ta-DAH!! 

The Husqvarna Viking Sapphire 875Q - and have just been informed by a dealer that it's been discontinued (gasp!)

BUT that a new version is coming out in September (phew!)

Check out the youtube video of this little beauty working. Am totally smitten. I hope the new edition is as lovely!
I may still be tempted. Am not one to let old editions put me off!

Woohoo!

 Finally all the strands of my various activities have come together at last to allow me to post a Friday finish! Even though its actually Saturday over here, I'm sure it's Friday somewhere in the Universe, so feel completely justified :)

 I've been doing all the usual holiday things: driving family around to see others, driving us around to see family, being driven mad by my family, you know, the usual. School's back on Monday here in South Ayrshire, and I am frankly thrilled, and I suspect the Blighter is too, because mum and dad are, lets face it, nowhere near as much fun as your friends. Phew.

 In the meantime though, I have managed to finish a couple of cushions, which I totally love. Check (ha!) these out:

This check patchwork cushion looks a lot more golden and yellow (and nicer) in real life. The wee green trees I love, and the apple fabric is one of my favourites ever :)

This log cabin cushion started off because I couldn't fit the centre flower square into a design I was working in, so I decided to put in as the centre of something else. I love this too, the simplicity is very satisfying. And again, the colours are less washed out and more golden in real life too.

The reverse of both cushions is a rusty orange cotton canvas with a tweed effect, and I am smitten with the buttonhole attachment on my machine - so clever! (And nothing to do with the fact I'm nervous of putting in a zip AT ALL)

I've also been beavering away on my new sock mitre blanket, hang on, I'll see if I can get a decent picture of this:

Toes included for scale - the squares finish up at about 5 inches square. Still enjoying it :) Will keep you posted...

As Promised

Finally, a picture delivery as promised :)

Here is the original mitre sock blanket - see if you can find the patch, essential after a tangle in the buggy wheels Grrrr.
Measures just under 4 ft x 3 ft.

Loved making it and really enjoying working on #2 :)

PS

Got a new clock in the kitchen - How cool is this??! Its from Butlers, and its massive and I totally adore it!

Return of the Native

Been a quiet holiday for the blog, but I have been beavering away between family outings and driving miles around Scotland for holiday purposes.

M.M.B.A... AHEM, I mean, scenery...

I decided to take a couple of sock wool projects away with me. One was a Christmas present for a friend, so am not putting a pic up on the blog (just in case) but the other is a mitre blanket, and it goes something like this:

Various 4 ply (well, 3-4 ply really) sock yarn oddments, 3mm needles (yup, thats a tiny UK size 11 right there) and a basic mitre pattern which knits each square on as you go along. Totally addictive and great holiday knitting :)

Every other row is decreased by two, so as you get nearer to the finish, the rows are shorter and quicker - its like a race with yourself! And then you have to start another one, and then just do a couple of rows, and then another couple to see what the next stripe is, and then, and then...its 2 in the morning....

Let me know if you want the pattern, and I can rough out a copy :) I have done one already, but I cant seem to find a pic on the laptop - remind me to take a pic of that tomorrow and post it up!

When we came back home on Saturday from our holiday, I flew upstairs to my sewing room, possibly even barricading the door behind me, in case small whiny children appeared. Managed to crank out a couple of cushion fronts which are in the process of being quilted.

This log cabin came about from the centre square - couldnt find a place for a wee charm square and thought it would make a perfect centre. Looks like eyes peering out to me :) Photography shocking, colours bright and orange-yellow in real life.

this was taken in good light. Camera phone not liking, it must be a summer palette :)

Colours even more washed out in this one, but it looks fab really. Or at least it did until l tried grid quilting it. It seems that the walking foot is pressing down too heavily on the fabrics so they bunch up and pucker as you stitch towards the end of the squares where they join the next square. Short of getting a new machine, any hints or ideas as to how to stop this happening? Any and every comment gratefully received!

Hope you are all having a lovely crafty summer - and in fact you are, blogland is, as usual, filled with lovely things :D

XXX