A Penny For My Thoughts......Piecing, Quilting, Machines

 Have you ever felt like this little puppy? I sure have. I am trying to organize my time to be able to sew more and quite frankly, it is tricky. I have a confession and a concession.  My Concession is that I am actually permitting myself to sew in the dining room. You know, the room that only gets used now and then when there is company for dinner! Fraught with loose thread and little piles of this and that, the room is already getting on my left nerve. 

The confession, well, I bought another machine. It has no place to land in the studio. Since I just finished setting up the space to better work on garments, changes will be required. This machine is a single stitch, 1500 stitches per minute, borderline industrial in function. It has a pin feed guided feed dog. By setting the weight of the fabric, one can finely regulate the quality of the stitch. It has needle down, a cutter, and a needle threader, and back stitch. It has several feet that one can use with a straight stitch, even an even feed foot, I have not tried any of them yet. The threader, well, like many, very tedious. I have sewn very slow in intricate piecing, very good. I have sewn at high speed, actually vibrated a small tray from its resting place! Yes, it was totally accurate at that speed. It does one thing, it does it very well. The lighting is poor. I added an LED light strip like the one I added to the Coronet Long Arm. Now, we are happy as clams. I have named her Penny. Don't ask.

Here's my new girl. This photo was taken with a bright light from the window. That little shadow, over the needle plate, that's all the light she provides.

I had this little clamp on Ott light on another machine, the light was blinding! No.

Now, here she is with the LED strip. Yes, this is it! I got these lights from Love Sew, online, HERE. on line. They have some of the nicest little things and now fabric. I think it was $15.00? It has its own on and off switch. It has worked out very well.

Here she is at rest with her cover on. You know, I always cover my machines when not in use. The cover is really nice. It has a foam board front and back that keeps it in place, You do need to lower the telescoping thread mast with the cover on. Of course, there is "stuff" everywhere. This week, some things will need to change, I am not sure how but this is unsettling. I need stuff in its place. 

I have been using up bits of left over charms, jelly rolls, etc. I pieced this top in about half the time I normally take. Now, granted, when in the studio I am usually doing laundry at the same time, but the accuracy of the single needle, single hole plate and the pin stitch feed is very nice.

None of the fabrics in this quilt were meant to be together, but scraps are calling. I need to use these up. I hope, when finished, it will look a bit more cohesive.

 The center of the quilt is an "on-point" project where one sews charms in rows, cut them twice and reassemble then you end up with an on-point presentation. I will go into more detail in another post.  

• If you have followed this blog for any length of time you already know I have an absolute passion for sewing machines. Well, machines and gadgets in general. I have no idea how this began, it has to have a genetic component. Shoes and machines. Husband has given up. 
• Having this machine right next to the kitchen is sooooo convenient. I need to figure out how to make this work. Pottery, plants, embroidery stands, etc. etc. may have to find new homes. 
• Any ideas? I have a cabinet upstairs that is too small to hold this machine. The antique drop-leaf table in the dining room would literally fall apart with a high speed machine shaking its joints. I don't know. I don't know. 
• With the world crisis always on my mind, I have to keep busy. Not distracted actually, but busy enough to accomplish something. My heart breaks for the Ukranian people and swells with gratitude for those helping them. The inspiration of these people is amazing.