I've Hit the Jackpot!

2,000,000 dollars stitches!

 Ok, so I didn't hit the lottery, you'd have to buy a ticket for that, and I never have. I did, however, hit 2 million stitches on my Bernina Aurora 440 QE, and I know because the service icon goes off every 2 million stitches. I've had it less than a year,so that's quite a bit of sewing, especially considering I have multiple machines, and I quilt on my Juki, and do most string piecing on my vintage babies. I've done quite a bit of strip piecing on my vintage machines too. I dropped off the machine at the Bernina spa today, and I will be out of town next week, so I'm thinking it will be done when I get back.

I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to play with my Singer 503A Rocketeer, which I haven't played with yet. I got it out, oiled everything, and went to wind a bobbin. Hmmm, the bobbin winder doesn't seem to work, maybe I didn't disengage the handwheel enough. Nope, still nothing. Oil the areas around there a bit more, OK it's trying to move now, but can't get going. I could have wound a bobbin on my Singer 99, and played with it anyway, but the place I take my vintage machines to was about to close, and I knew if I could get it over there right then, I'd have that one ready when I came home too. So second machine drop off of the day. 

I won't have much time to sew this weekend, but if I can, I'll sew on the Singer 99. The Juki is set up for FMQ, and I won't have enough time to bother with switching it over. The Singer 99 is set up and ready to go. The featherweight is packed in the sewing trolley, ready to go on my trip with me. I packed some strings and paper foundations, so I can start on Jamestown Landing, and I packed all the pieces for DD#2's bed quilt, which requires a bunch of sub-cutting before I can sew another stitch on it. I only needed one ruler and a cutter and mat to do the sub-cutting, so I thought it would be a good change from sewing strings, if I get bored with that, or want to watch a movie with DH or something and I want to do something quieter. 

Easy Street? Haven't sewn on it in two weeks. I am excited to get it to top stage, and my goal is to have it be a top by the end of January. I have cut almost everything I need to finish it, but I was working on sewing all my floral/cream pieces into blocks, and getting DD#2's quilt to the sub-cutting part. I got half that done anyway. I did finish sewing all of the Jacob's Ladder floral cream blocks. I ended up with over 130 of them. I knew I'd have enough for 2 quilts, one smaller than the other. I made the extra two paddlewheel blocks, so I'm done with those too. I am not done sewing the floral/cream Friendship Stars, or the Double Four Patches. If I can, I'll work on that in any spare moments this weekend. I am planning on busting more large floral prints by piecing the backings for these quilts, and I will be quite happy to see those fabrics used instead of languishing in the stash.

I am really excited to spend five days away with my husband. We are doing our unique to us vacations, sticking his scooter and my sewing machine in the back of the van, taking off someplace in state, and I sew while he rides, then we spend the rest of the day together. Our kids think we are weird, but it works for us. I know we will hit at least one scooter/motorcycle shop, because we are picking up three tires for his Ural motorcycle and sidecar when we go through Prescott. I would imagine we will stop at a quilt shop as well, though maybe not, because I don't really need anything right now, and my vote would be to stop at a couple thrift shops instead. I always feel a little bad when I stop at a little quilt store and don't buy anything, but I already have fabric I haven't put away yet, and I have everything I need for my next several projects.

I do need a cutting mat for my Go cutter, so I could look for that if we stop anywhere. I bought the Winding Ways die, and I didn't pay attention to the fact it needs the 10x24" mat, and I don't own one. I don't have any of the strip dies, I bought the Go cutter for HST's, QST's, and more difficult shapes. Strips are easy for me to cut with my June Tailor Shape Cut ruler.

I may or may not post on our getaway next week. If I don't post for a week or so, I'm just playing!