Call me "Crazy Quilt"

Okay, I know it's true. I am a little crazy. That is not new. But I don't think I realized how far gone I was until I signed up my "not anywhere near done" quilt for the quilt show. I always think of it as good incentive. RIGHT.

This was no small undertaking. I saw a picture of "The Orion Nebula, as seen from Hubble spacecraft" and I knew I wanted to make a quilt. I began collecting fabric. I love that part!!

I began by snipping little pieces of fabric and pasting them on with basting glue. Lots of little pieces. The more I snipped, the bigger it got.

I also didn't have room left on the table for the fabric....so I just threw it over my shoulder onto the floor. (My mom would NOT approve....) Everything was going smoothly until I left myself just enough time to machine quilt it together.

I sewed about 10 hours on Thursday. I decided to quit when my machine said "OVERLOAD"....

Little did I know that meant...MACHINE DOWN....DEAD....DEAD, DEAD.

I took it into the repair guy and got the "when was the last time you had a check-up?" routine. Ah, just fix it ok? He called me later to tell me it was chock full of lint and needed to soak over the weekend...

WHAT???? How was I going to get this quilt done.??? I sat in the parking lot and boo-hooed a little. Then I was over it. Silly me thinking that Don would let me quit. He is my main cheer-leader. So off to Sears we went and looked for another machine. Don found this review a lady wrote on this machine...

"I bought a machine in 1987 that was an electronic Kenmore almost like this one. Carrying it to a different room, I tripped and droppped the machine on the floor. It was 18 years old. I carried it to the bedroom and laid it on the bed like a dead child. I cried. I never had any trouble with the machine in my 18 years of sewing. I sewed drapes for 4 houses, clothes for my children and more quilts than I care to think about. I just couldn't believe I killed my best friend. That same day I went to Sears and looked for another machine and was shocked when I saw the same machine with a few added features for the same price as I paid for the one in 1987. I purchased the machine. I love it as much as I did the first one. I have convinced 2 relatives and 3 friends to buy the same machine. They love it as much as I do. The features I love the most is that it makes the most beautiful button holes. You won't be sorry if you buy this machine!! I guarantee it."

I had a good laugh with him and then we picked one out. They had one on display but not in stock the Tri-cities...yikes. Off to Walla-Walla we went.

So the next morning I was back at the shop to retrieve my "free-motion foot" from my soaking machine so I could get back at it. It didn't fit. Back to the shop to see how to adjust it to fit. Back home again and I sewed an hour or so. Then the foot broke (from me adjusting it previously...) so back to the shop for another foot. Then I spend the rest of the day sewing along....

Sunday I took a break and fed the missionaries and made Easter happen. Back up on Monday morning and worked all day until finish at about 8:30 pm.

But we got it entered. And it looked pretty darn good hung up with the others. And I won a blue ribbon on it..."First Place Wall Hanging". Felt kinda nice.

Except when I went to pick up my FIXED machine....cost me $88.16 for the repairs and he made it good as new. "Cheaper than buying a new one" he says. I smile and say..."right."