Computers and Threads

What is your Rock Star Name?

1. Rock star name: Captain Americat Elantra
2. Gangsta Name: Mint Boots
3. Native American Name: Blue Moose
4. Superhero Name: Red Soda
5. NASCAR Name: John Eugene
6. Stripper Name: Rose Snickers
7. TV Weather Anchor Name: Brown Belfast
8. Spy Name: Spring Rose
9. Cartoon Name: Peach Jeans
10. Hippie Name: Honey Smacks Walnut

How did I get those names:
1. first pet name / current car
2. favorite ice cream flavor / favorite type of shoe
3. favorite color / favorite animal
4. second favorite color / favorite drink
5. first names of your grandfathers
6. favorite perfume or scent/ favorite candy
7. 5th Grade teacher’s last name/ City that starts with the same first letter
8. favorite season/ favorite flower
9. favorite fruit / an article of clothing you are wearing now
10. what you ate for breakfast / favorite tree

I haven't gotten anything done lately. My meds are out of wack and I've been feeling the effects. I had a seizure a couple of days ago because of it. I had a flu shot on Monday which hasn't helped. I just want to sleep.

While at the doc office hubby was told he had high blood pressure..160 over something like 100 so he's now taking medication.

Hubby and I went to Council Bluffs, Iowa to the Best Buy to get a steelbook edition of "Hancock". Men and metal boxes. I looked at computers as I want a new one. I'm torn between an Imac and..well..Vista. I really want the Imac. The problem is that my quilting and embroidery software don't run on the Mac operating system. My solutions are to get the XP for the Mac which means boosting up the Imac so it can handle two operating systems or getting a cable that connects my current tower to the Imac and working with one screen.

I have no desire to go to Vista and I've heard rumors that another version is in the works for Microsoft.

And of course, the price of a new computer. Hubby was so sweet to get me the Sapphire 870 and I can't justify a new computer. Mine works, it just gets hosed up and is slower than a snail at times. I've whined now. I feel better.

I stopped by the Janome dealer in Omaha and picked up more thread and needles. I'm turning into a thread junkie..LOL.

Scissors Are Cool

This turned out incredibly stunning!!! I bought applique scissors today as they were recommended for this type of work. It was so easy to trim the edges. I'm still shocked at how beautiful this turned out.

The water soluble stabilizer rinsed out pretty good but I will probably have to run it under again. I was thinking of giving this as a Christmas present, but I may have to keep this one too!

Now that I know how to put these FSL pieces together, this will be so much more fun.

Free Standing Lace Doily Done

I finally got it together after several hours of agonizing over how to stitch the pieces together. It looks fabulous and I love it. Well worth all the problems I've had with it over the past month. Each design takes around an hour to stitch out..and that's if your stabilizer works with you. I ruined a few of them.

I need a pair of applique scissors and hopefully hubby will take me to Lincoln tomorrow to get them. I've cut away the fabric as much as I dare with a regular pair of scissors.

My Sapphire 870 is AMAZING. It had no problem going through all the lace. I don't think my Janome 6600 would have done it as well using a small zigzag. I've tried using the 6600 before on a project that had thick seams and it choked up.

I love the Sewing Advisor. I had it set at medium fabric but it just didn't sound right. Plus the needle came out twice and I broke another. I set it to heavy and amazingly it worked!! No more problems. I still keep thinking the advisor is just a gimmick, but it's real. I love that the foot lifts up when you stop. It made going around the curves a breeze. No messing with a knee lift or the pressure foot lift.

I love that you don't have to hold on to the reverse button. Just press it and it goes backwards. I love the control I get with the foot pedal and the machine makes the most amazing looking stitches.

Did I tell you I LOVE this machine?? It's so nice having a machine you love. My Janome 350e is amazing as well. It sews out beautifully.

Free Standing Lace And Christmas Cat

Wow. I finally got the free standing lace all stitched out for a doily. 8 of everything makes for a lot of work. Especially if you don't have a clue what you are doing. I'm supposed to put all the pieces together and sew them onto white fabric. Then cut out the extra fabric and have a doily. Hmmm. Leave it to me to do this for a first time project. I had no idea how big this was going to be. I have no spacial awareness ability.

I got the second cat done on a dishtowel yesterday. Two more and I'll have them done. I love the socks and the reindeer antlers on his head.

Christmas Cats

If I've been coming across as "weird" it's because the manic-depression symptoms are back. Medication helps but I do go through rough spots. Just know I'm rather cranky and irritable about stupid stuff and just let any annoying posts go over your head. If you think my posts are annoying, be grateful you don't have to live me. I'm grateful for a loving family who helps me get through the rough spots.

I have been doing some quilting stuff. I bought my first ever quilt magazine subscription from Mark Lipinski and got my first issue the other day. The issue is just what I needed to read.

I've been working out numbers for my pattern. How many strips you need to cut out..etc.

I did get this done today with my embroidery machine. My first attempt was..well...pathetic. But this one turned out really nice. I did it on a kitchen towel instead of a bath towel and it stitched out beautifully. I love the set and got both the 4x4 and 5x7 sizes. They are going to be a Christmas present but I'm tempted to keep the set to myself. LOL.

I still need to finish up a doily. I have 3 more pieces to embroider and then attempt to make it all fit together.

Testing

Wow. I have a test pattern done for my 3-D block quilt! It's pretty rough and just has the directions for the block. The yardages and how many strips you need aren't correct as I haven't finished the blocks.

All I need is a few people to test out the directions for the block. Email me and I'll send it out. Don't worry about the colors or if it gives a 3-d look. I just need to know if the inset seam directions make sense.

The only problem I'm having with this block is that my rulers don't match up with the edge of my foot. My foot is accurate, it just makes drawing the lines with a ruler hard.

3-D Block Quilt

I bought a new iron the other day. Wow. It's really nice and easier to use. So much lighter than my Rowenta.

I started working on my 3-D quilt blocks today. I pulled out my "Precision Piecing" DVD and watched it again. That's really helped and my blocks are coming out 9.5 inches like they should. It's taking forever to make one though. I need 30 blocks to make this quilt. 28 more to go! Kristie, you inspire me to put out blocks..LOL!

I really like how this is turning out. I may have to write up pattern directions now that I have a better idea of how to do this. EQ's rotary cutting chart is so useless. There is a really easy way to do this block with out cutting out templates or angled sides. I learned it from an old pattern I bought years ago. You cut out rectangles and squares and sew on the diagonal. Fold the square or rectangle over, press and cut out the extra underneath. Instant angle!

I had a seizure this morning while cutting out fabric. I'm SO glad I didn't cut my fingers. I usually have a warning before I have one so I was able to put the cutter down. Stupid epilepsy. Almost made it 3 months though. I just spent the morning sleeping off the seizure. Hubby said it was pretty long and hard. I still have my fingers..not complaining.

The Pressing "Hump"

To buy a new iron or not? There's nothing really wrong with my iron other than it doesn't really press seams down as much as I'd like it too. I was using a friend's beat up old iron and it was perfect. No "hump" over the seams like mine does. That's the only thing that aggravates me..the "hump" as I call it. Where you press the seams to one side and you get a "hump" instead of a flat seam. That small edge that needs to go over just a little more. I know it exists because my friend's iron didn't leave a "hump". It was a beautiful pressed seam.

My iron gets really hot. It doesn't shut off so I can use it all day. It doesn't leak. It gets wrinkles out. I really don't have any complaints other than the "hump" problem. The problem is that I don't know why I get the "hump". Am I causing the "hump"? Does anyone else get the "hump" or is it a figment of my imagination?

How do I know that if I buy a new iron, I won't have this problem? Have you taken a look at the irons out there? Talk about overload. Apparently my friends basic Black And Decker doesn't exist anymore as a scoured the internet looking for one. Everything is now "space age" funky with all kinds of stuff that I'll never use.

I almost sound like Dr. Suess with the "hump". LOL

My Driver

Since hubby is my driver we spend a lot of time together. He works nights so he can get me to doc visits and run errands. That's why he's always with me at a quilting store. Of course it works backwards as well. I help him raid Best Buys looking for DVDs. I know what he's looking for and what he might like. I know what movies are in steelbook and what movies have special editions.

I was even evil and told him he could have a Blu-Ray player. He asked what he'd do with all the movies he has now. He didn't want to have to buy them over again. Sigh. I told him you keep your dvd player for the dvds and start buying movies you want now for the Blu-Ray player. You get the best of both worlds. He agreed that I was evil. The only reason he hasn't taken me up on the offer is that Blu-Ray players still full of glitches. And a lot of the movies have been copied from dvd and put on Blu-Ray discs making them pointless. He's happy with his region-free player for now. He just picked up "Knight Rider" and steelbook copies of "Indiana Jones" and "The Hulk". Next week we go pick up some more movies.

Back to quilting. My Sapphire makes a wonderful 1/4 inch seam. I put it to the test when I did some really small blocks that came out 1x2 inches finished. Wow. So far no issues with the machine. It hasn't blown up on me, eaten my fabric or made me want to kill it.