Musicmaker- report in, please

glad you asked - I actually checked in to let you all know about the new machine. Got to open it up on Christmas Eve, and since I've had a mild form of the cold virus going around, I also got to stay home from all the less than fun family gatherings. Of course, I was exhausted and didn't do much with my Babylock, but I did play some, She and I have a lot of getting acquainted to do but so far she meets most of my expectations. The acrylic insert I ordered ahead of time for my koala table doesn't fit (not surprising as it's a brand new model) and I'm waiting to hear from the people I ordered it from to exchange it. In the meantime, Baby came with her own acrylic slide on table so I've been going ahead with some mending and some quilting on the fusibles that have been waiting in the wings for Baby. I was surprised that there was no thread cutter - I thought that the floor model I test drove had one but I must have overlooked that. She's pretty easy to thread and has a front loading bobbin that I really wanted. All my bernina bobbin fit in Baby which is a big plus. Though the bobbin winder isn't a separate motor - it's very fast and quiet (as in it doesn't drown out the conversation in the room). She's quiet in regular mode, too, and has a zillion different stitches, including letters which I've used to make a few labels. There are 6 memory modules that I can program and save - one I've saved as "made by" and another I've saved as Cindy, so I can sign quilts by machine if I want to. Once I've finished the 3 fusible wallhangings, I'll give her a go on the Flynn quilting frame with a few quilts waiting in the wings and see how much difference the extra harp room makes.

As for dinner - leftovers. Neither one of us were in the mood for a real dinner having snacked on junk all day. Another present Christmas morning was a new cricut - say it like the bug - which anyone who scrapbooks knows is a biggie - so now I'm torn between scrapbooking and quilting (quilting is winning). The cartridges for the cricut at retail cost about 70$ each but I bought several on ebay Christmas morning for less than 50 - I think there were fewer bidders being Christmas and all.

All in all - a very satisfying vacation lies ahead of me as I don't go back to teaching piano until next Thursday. Yeehawww!

Musicmaker

I'm so glad you love your Quest! Sorry about that insert and hopefully they will get it right... quickly! And get well soon- this is such a lousy time to feel badly... 'specially with a new sm to enjoy... and a vacation spent being a sicky is not fun, either.

I found an accessory you can buy to cut that thread. And even better, *you* can place it where it is the most handy for you.

thanks for the link. right now I'm on hold concerning accessories - snipper scissors have worked for me for years, I guess I'll just keep snipping. I'm feeling much better, thank you. Just a few sniffles and coughs. How was Christmas for you furbabies? JJ got 2 gifts and unwrapped them very effectively. I think she likes the wrapping better than the toys. (: Musicmaker

Christmas was good. I spent the day with my granddarlings- and their parents, of course. Little children's delight in everything Christmas makes it all look special thru their eyes. The Furbabies had a slice of ham with their meal, so they thought it was pretty special, too. They don't do toys much- all four want to kill the squeaky by performing a squeaky-ectomy as soon as they get a new toy. They prefer food-type 'gifts'.

I've never used the thread cutter on the side of the sm, either. It's just not handy for me or I don't think to use it. I'm with you on using a snipper. Glad your health is improving!

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

I know I'm bringing up the rear here but I just saw that you (all) are not using the thread cutter on your SM. For goodness sake! When I see someone on Simply Quilts or Sewing with Nancy pick up snips or scissors after stitching, I want So Badly to teach them a quicker way. Here goes. At the end of whatever - chain sewing 100 log cabin blocks =) or just one little seam: Reach through your SM's arc with your right hand and raise the presser foot (to release the tension). With your left hand, firmly grasp whatever you've stitched and ka-ching the ending threads through the thread cutter. Learning to do that may only save you 12 seconds but our sewing time is so precious. Don't waste any of it. Save it for reaching for the chocolate. Polly

I've used it a few times, BUT... either I get it too far away- which leaves tails of thread- and have to trim the threads again with the snips or scissors or I catch the fabric in the thread cutter. Either way I'm not happy- with the sm, with the results and with my tri-focals. I'll have to stick to the old fashioned way. Sorry, Polly. I'm just not as talented as you...

Leslie, Missy & The Furbabies in MO.

I did buy one of those thread cutters for my FW and another machine and it sure does make things easy. I took a class one time from a Pfaff educator and when she saw me use two hands to push the fabric back to where the cutter was she corrected me and told me to just use my left hand ----sort of push the fabric back and pull it up and catch the thread in the cutter ..sort of one big swoop. Took a while to change but worked so much better than my way. Mary

You're far more dextrous than I am, Polly!! Last time I tried to do that, I ended up cutting a bit of the block I was working on!! (Don't ask - I'm an even worse driver than I am at 'driving' a thread cutter!!)

'Sides, my Gingher snips sound so ... comfortin' and lovely ... like a symphony of creativity!! :)

Hugs!! Connie :)

Pshaw ... in our house, *I* don't have to reach for the chocolate - that's what my kids are for! They will even unwrap the chocolate for me ... and they consider it a nice bargain - considerin' that they're getting a quilt out of the deal!! :)

Hugs!! Connie

My kids only bribe me for quilts because I give so many away to other people (jealousy is an ugly thing, ain't it? LOL!).

Until I started givin'em away, my kids didn't give a durn whether or not THEY got one and would even roll their eyes at me if I said something like "this fabric would look so nice in a quilt for you!!" ... now that I mainly quilt for charity groups and friends, they'll gladly kill each other to be the FIRST one to get one between'em!!

And who says all moms are good at is guiltin' their kids?! :)

BTW, it works on hubby, too!!! :)

Hugs!! Connie :)

Yes, but... for most normal piecing, I like ending my chain with an ender. I'm anal enough to want to use every scrap of thread possible. And I'd probably waste more seconds re-training myself than I ever would gain later on! Roberta in D

"Polly Esther" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@mid.individual.net...