Featherweight is up and running.

Our Bonnie Hunter has always some really clever ideas when it comes to setting up the sewing areas or using different sewing tools with different machines. It pays to really listen to her and apply her tips to your own sewing space.

This is Sissy. She was born in 1932. She has the scroll face and sews so beautifully.
I turned my sewing desk (back in the cutting room) 45 degrees so I could watch the TV without turning my head. OK...I like the set up.
And since I had removed the Janome 3160 QDC during the move, I thought I would give Bonnie's idea of putting a Featherweight on an old phone book and use the acrylic table that came with the Janome 6500. I had been using it with the 3160 and it was a bit too wide but the level was perfect. After I tore a few dozen pages from the phone book, Sissy fit right in the opening!!!

So I sewed on her for a bit. What a sweet sound these machines have. And such a nice perfect stitch.

No fiddling around with buttons...just sews a really good straight stitch.
Do not get me wrong...I do like the 3160 QDC. I bought it because it only weighs 12 lbs...has thread cutter...needle up/down...needle threader...all the features of the bigger Janome machines except the knee lever. (which I LOVE) Yet sewing on the QDC is not as pleasurable as sewing on the 6600P.
Right now the 6600P is set up for machine quilting.  The 6500P is on a quilting frame in the third bedroom.
And it seems so nice and cozy warm back in my little cutting room.
I am going to go sew a few more units for a quilt I designed the other night. I really like EQ7. It is the most user friendly of all the EQ software I have used.
XOXOXOXO Subee

A "DUH!" moment...

I have 72 4 1/2" neutral string blocks made. I decided to just cut the remainder papers needed so I would "know" when I was done. But who wants to count phonebook pages? Then I had a "duh!" moment...the pages are numbered! WHOOOHOOO! I ended up using every single page in that phone book. I have 10 extra pages left over. How satisfying to have an empty phonebook cover!

Have any of you ever used an entire phonebook up? I am sure Bonnie has. Hummmm.....makes me wonder if she ever takes pages from phonebooks in her motel rooms. HA! We will have to ask her!!!!!

The fabric in the background is scraps waiting to become strings and corner triangles.

 A few hours later and I have:

 A bagillion strings and corner finishing triangles cut and another BIG stack of 2 1/2" strips cut for the HST in Jamestown Landing. I still need to use the Easy Angle on those strips. But right now I am in string piecing mode. These 4 1/2" string blocks finish so fast compared to the 8 1/2" neutral string blocks I made over 200+ of! I made 36 yesterday. All trimmed and the paper torn off!

 Tomorrow I need to grocery shop then will spend the rest of the day sewing! WHOOOHOOOO!

We have been getting small tomatoes and cherry tomatoes for weeks now. We are finally getting the large meaty ones. Oh they taste soooo good. I told DH that he needs to write down what kind they are and buy them again. Despite the terrible heat and NO RAIN for the last month the tomatoes are doing fine. DH keeps them watered and they do not get the hot afternoon sun.

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!