The summer blue quilt

Ah, computers are contrary contraptions. I have never had any trouble uploading photos from my camera but tonight it's just not happening ... maybe tomorrow. I spent a large part of the day quilting the blue/white quilt. The entire main portion is now quilted and I have the borders left to do tomorrow and then the binding and label and, viola! finis!. I wanted to show a couple pictures. As I dug into my container of possible backing I found a blue/white fabic I'd forgotten I have -- perfect colors and a nice big floral that will be a good contrast to the fussy front. Perfect!. So I laid out back, batting and quilt, sat on the floor and pinned the layers. And got to work. This quilt is just at the limit of the size I can handle with reasonable ease in my cramped sewing space. The thin batting, of course, helps the manipulation problem. So I'm moving right along.

I wonder how many other quilters have actually used a seam ripper to death -- mine actually came apart today. It's been used and used and used. Someplace I have a new one, I remember purchasing it but I don't remember quite where I put it for the time I might need it. It's smaller, a slightly different design. Probably won't last as long ... being an old fogey these days, I can say that nothing lasts like it's predecessors.

In that regard my sewing machine is a super-star. A Riccar purchased 45 years ago, with only one or two plastic parts. It's supposed to be portable but weighs at least 30 pounds, maybe 40. It's had to be fixed a few times and it has tension problems and doesn't do much except zigzag and straight stitch. But what a dependable piece of machinery! And there is a sewing machine mechanic only a few blocks away who can get parts if problems happen -- I know because I needed a new lever to lift the foof a few years ago. I could barely believe it! He had one and I was back in business in 24 hours. And nobody else has ever heard of the brand. I should purchase a sleek new model that does lots of wonderful things. I WOULD Like to do free motion quilting and can't. But every time I think of spending well over $1000, say up to $5000 for a sewing machine I say, Ah, but I could go to ... any of many countries I want yet to see. When it comes to priorities travel is in line ahead of a new sewing machine, especaily since I have my dependable workhorse which must have sewn something like a million milies of seams in these 45 years.