Driving Around Lincoln!!

Woo Hoo!  Yesterday was amazing as I spent the day driving all by MYSELF all around Lincoln!  I dropped DH off at work and then the day was mine for the next 8 hours.  My DDs were with me as we got an oil change, drove to JoAnn Fabrics, went to the mall, had lunch with DH, over to the sewing machine dealer, back to the mall and then to Target.

What makes this so amazing?  I have never driven around Lincoln in the 8 years I've lived in NE.  I've missed driving in a city for years and it was such a treat.  I actually find city driving much easier than country driving.  Mostly because the cops have nothing better to do than give out speeding tickets along the major highways.

While I was getting an oil change, I took a look at some used cars.  The Ford was crap but the Volkswagon Beetle was incredibly fun.  DH said NO at lunch.  While he won't admit it, I bet it was because he didn't want to be seen with one.  It's okay.  For now, a second car isn't really needed.

Next stop was JoAnn Fabrics.  I picked up thread for two projects and found a wonderful Indigo blue fabric that I had to have.

Next we headed to the mall.  I feel sorry for anyone who works in the Justice store as the music is horrendous and loud.  I couldn't listen to Hannah Montanna, The Jonas Brothers and other teenage singers without quitting after the first hour.

My girls got a couple of shirts (have you seen mall prices?) and we walked around the rest of the mall.  We met up with DH for lunch and I headed over to the sewing machine store.  I spent an hour talking with the lady and got tons of help with the Horizon issues.  It's nice to know I'm not crazy as my machine is working as it should and I won't panic anymore.

We went back to the mall and got the girls' hair cut, bought Webkinz that were 75% off as my daughters LOVE these and  I went into JC Penney's and got a quick make-up consultation.  The girl was pretty good at doing this and I bought a couple of things that actually work.

I went back to DH's work and he drove us home.

LOL By the way DH; 48th Street does NOT go to Pine Lake Road.  It dead ends at Old Cheney..LOL.  It's a good thing I know how to get to 27th from Old Cheney.

Pattern Burning

If you decide to make a purse/bag for your daughter make sure you don't buy the pattern I had.  Ever.  I have no problem buying a pattern from someone who designs their own, but if you can't write instructions that make sense, your name will be cursed forever after.

3/4 of the instructions weren't included and the other 1/4 made no sense.  However; after much frustration and nearly killing a Horizon, I have one done for my DD:

Now to go burn a pattern and never purchase another from this person again.

Cursing My Horizon!

I've spent the day cursing my Horizon and need to vent.  I'm so frustrated I'm about ready to sell it off.  I finally said a few choice words and pulled out my Topaz.  In seconds I had one side of the lining for my DD's purse done w/o the aid of a walking foot or guessing where the 1/4 seam allowance is.  Press Heavy on the Sewing Advisor and I went through fusible batting and the fabric with a perfect 1/4 inch seam allowance.

What I can't figure out is why the Horizon is being such a PAIN with the 1/4 inch seam allowance.  It too goes through fusible batting and the fabric with the aid of the walking foot, but finding that blankety blank, blankety blank 1/4 seam allowance is nearly impossible.  This machine is amazing and is capable of so much but that 1/4 seam allowance is off.

I have to DRAW the seam allowance if I want to use the Horizon as there isn't a true marking for it.

This is the foot at 3.5 mm.  The fabric isn't even on the right feed dog.  If you use the seam guides etched on the plate, it's off.  You may have to click on the pic to see

To find the 1/4 seam allowance at 3.5 mm I aligned my ruler to fit the  horizontal line etched line of the plate and the 1/4 line on my ruler.  The fabric doesn't cover the feed dog and I have to guess where to sew the 1/4 line on the purse edge.

I checked the 1/4 seam at 5.5 You can see that the true 1/4 inch is between the two etched lines. I had to put tape against the ruler and follow the tape as a guide.

What I don't get is why the Horizon doesn't work with a 1/4 seam.  Both the Topaz and the Horizon have exactly a 7mm width and are the same width from one feed dog side to the other.  They are the same size vertically as well.  The foot for the Topaz and Horizon are basically the same width.  

A couple of minutes later....Bingo!  I may have the answer!!  I took off the 1/4 foot of the Janome and aligned the Topaz foot under the Janome pressure foot.  It doesn't fit, but that doesn't matter.  I checked the center line of the foot and realized it's OFF center to the left!!!

I put the pressure foot down completely on the plate and indeed.  The pressure foot is NOT centered!!  Can you see how the pressure foot is over.  The needle is centered, but the foot is not!!

 

It's Done! Just Have A Pressing Question

Well, except for one last seam and the top corners.  Here's where I truly need help..the pressing part.

Here's the top:

And here's the back:

How do you press the seams so they look nice?  Do I press them open or to one side?  Or have the seams pressed opposite each other?   I really have tried to press as I go but the seams don't lie flat.

I will NEVER do this quilt again.  Having blocks finish at 1.5 inches isn't hard.  It just takes FOREVER!

I Did Sparklers!!

Remember how I said I don't do public pools?  I don't do sparklers either.  I've been scared to death of them as long as I can remember.  I have horrible visions of my hands and clothing on fire from a stray spark.  Fireworks I can handle.  Sparklers will make me faint.

My daughter brought some home from a friend and DH let my daughters use them.  DH and my DDs are having a blast with them while I stand on the porch frozen in fear watching.  DH comes over to me and asks if I want to hold one.  He told me they were the paper kind and not the ones that we had as kids.  He lights one up for me and I gingerly take it.  He held my hand and helped me twirl it slowly around.  It poppled and crackled making me jump, but DH told me it was okay and that it would stop burning when it hit the end.  It finally fizzled out and nothing caught on fire.  I actually did 4 of them but DH had to hold me so I wouldn't be so scared.

It appears I can now do public pools and sparklers.  For now.

I also didn't drop to the ground when people were lighting the really loud fireworks.  I have this crazy thing that loud noises like a car backfiring, an emergency vehicle going by or fireworks make me drop to the ground.  I'm aware of everything but can't move for about a minute and then can get up.  It's a pain when it happens and there's no reason for it.  It's not a seizure and it's not PTSD.  I just know to hold on to DH when the fireworks are going off.  

I'm SO close to getting this quilt done:

Just finish this last section and then sew all the pieces together and it will be done.  Woo Hoo!

Hoping To Get This Top Done Today

Well, I didn't get this top done like I planned the other day, but I'm pretty darn close:

There's more at the top but that empty space is filling up.

The finished quilt will be 20 squares by 36 squares.  I *plan* on doing a simple purple border, an appliqued flower border, another purple border and the binding.  I ordered the Go! Rose of Sharon die set today for the appliqued border.  I can see where this die would make applique go that much faster.

For now, I just want the 9-patches part done and will worry about the borders later.  My daughter wants a purse made and then I will see how well the 7700 does with this project.

Daylight Hours

Apparently adjusting to day hours has been harder than DH and I thought.  Although some of the adjustments are pretty hilarious.

*DH can bring silverware to work now.

*He doesn't have to wait for relief help to go to the bathroom.  He sat there for awhile trying to figure out why the other coworkers were just getting up and going.  I'm still laughing at that.

*The computer passwords for everything are killing him.  He just had to clock in/out and now it's far more complicated.  It doesn't help that not everything has transferred over to Health And Human Services Dept. yet.

*Not needing a uniform.  He's overwhelmed with choosing shirts in the morning as he'd never owned so many before this job.  Just buying shirts was overload for him.

*Daylight.  Our bedroom was the "Batcave" as the windows have been covered up for 8 years.  Now that I have an actual bedroom it's been wonderful.  I just keep thinking the lights are on when I go down the hallway and go to turn them off.

*Not needing permission to make phone calls.  It's so wonderful to talk to him during his lunch break and on the way home.

*He's the only guy there and it's funny as he's now in a female dominated job instead of a male oriented one.  There are things he'll never be able to relate too and he gets a little lost.  However; they are all fascinated that he's worked in a prison and bombard him with questions.  They are all very sweet to him.

*Not being almost squished by sliding metal doors or waiting for them to open/shut.  I'll have to ask him if regular doors confuse him.  LOL.

We are both adjusting but it's getting easier.