Sitting at my sewing machine

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Stacked on many sewing projects (as well as a ruler) are these rows which I am FINALLY stitching together, whew!

So today I used my machine. I had to dust it off; despite the cover, two months is long enough for particles to accumulate. It needed to be threaded, and to my slight horror and acute embarrassment, I had to look up which way the bobbin thread needed to go. I also oiled it after sewing two rows together, a strange noise that maybe is how it does sound, or perhaps I need to get it properly cleaned. I pressed open seams while the oil seeped into crevices, then still felt like the clunking remained. We'll see if I take it to a local shop for cleaning.

I had started this quilt a few months back, sewing squares into rows because someone was visiting, maybe the grandsons back in March? Now it's mid-August, but I'm not going to ask where has the time gone. I've also cracked open Book 2 of The Enran Chronicles, getting through eleven chapters in the last couple of days, finding a few typos, clearing out some deadwood. There's always change to affect, just the nature of the revising a novel beast.

With these pastimes underway, I'm starting to feel like I'm back in the routine, although not being sure which way the bobbin was supposed to go was unnerving. How long has it been since I last machine-sewed something? Weeks yes, but jeez Louise! I've ordered Jodi Godfrey's latest design, and while waiting for the paper pieces to arrive, I'm studying the pattern, a mix of EPP and machine sewn blocks adding up to what I think will be a beautiful sampler quilt. Called Red Sky at Night, mine will be various primary-type colours, with Kona Snow for the sashing, the light hues still to be decided.

And this morning I completed revisions for Book 7 of The Hawk, finding I'd left the end as a cliffhanger, HAH! Thank goodness I can read more tomorrow, hehehe. Months ago I broke the entire story into installments, so I truly had no idea how that section would conclude.

Meanwhile the San Francisco Giants are struggling to stay above .500, praying for a miracle so they can reach the playoffs. I have no illusions about them, ahem, but in the evenings it's nice to listen to announcers call the games, hoping beyond near hope for further baseball adventures in October. Next week is the start of the US Open Tennis tournament, and I will listen to evening matches as I stitch. We're not watching the Democratic National Convention because, well, our votes are already aligned to Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

It's Tuesday, the twentieth of August, 2024. That's about all the news fit to print.

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