Hi Quilting Friends,
Happy end of August! It is nice to be home again after 11 days in Montana, although I’m already missing the mountains. Here are a few photos of our adventures-
My planned hikes with my brother Richard were unfortunately cut short. I failed to stick the landing when I fell 3 or 4 feet from the footbridge into the creek on the South Cottonwood trail. I didn’t hit my head on anything, and I was able to hike back out to the car so I’m grateful that it wasn’t more serious. Here’s the same bridge in a photo from 2022, when I traversed it successfully, and more than once. I need to be more careful next time!
A trip to urgent care revealed no obviously broken bones in my foot, and now I get to wear this cute accessory. I’ve scheduled an appointment with the orthopedic doctor this coming week, just to make sure that I’m doing the right things to heal and to find out approximately how long I’ll be sidelined.
As it turned out, instead of hiking every afternoon I enjoyed some extra time with my Dad and Mom and their little guy, Rusty. Dad is 91, Mom is 86, and that time was precious.
The “girls” were SO happy to see me on Friday night. I think that Mr. FixIt was happy to see me too, but he wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic about it as Astrid and Freya were. Dogs are great about letting you know how they feel!
Last month I wrote about self care; taking a break to relax and enjoy life. My break was wonderful, despite the accident, and I sincerely hope that you have been able to relax and enjoy summer as well. Today we’re going to discuss caring for our studio helpers.
Princess Nina (my Bernina 770 QE Plus) is still away at the “spa” for her yearly visit. I’m hoping that she will be home in the studio soon, because I’m itchin’ to do some stitchin’!
Even though I consistently clean and oil the Princess, there are some services that I can’t perform for her. Nina’s “spa” visit is like the physical that we humans have each year. We keep an eye out for potential issues, make adjustments as needed, and ensure that all of the parts are functioning as intended. I’m sure that the Princess will be in top form upon her return from the “spa”. Has your primary machine had a professional servicing recently?
Do you regularly clean and lubricate your sewing machine? The standard recommendation for cleaning and lubricating at home is every 8-10 hours of use, or each time you empty a bobbin. Your machine will thank you by operating smoothly and quietly.
Don’t forget about the needle when you’ve paused to clean and oil. Most experts suggest a needle change every 6-8 hours of use. A fresh needle will put a stop to skipped stitches, fabric damage, thread breakage, and that ” clunk” that you may hear as you stitch. I confess that I am not good about doing this consistently, and I pledge to do better.
When did you last change the blade in your rotary cutter? The recommended frequency is 1-3 months for most users. You’ll know that it is time for a new blade when cutting becomes harder, some threads are skipped, or the cut doesn’t look smooth. I’m ready to begin cutting for Project #7, so I’ve changed out the blade before I get started.
I’m also due to replace my rotary cutting mat. Mine has gouges and nicks where I cut most often, and that probably happened because I used a dull blade and pressed too hard to make my cuts. In turn, the damaged mat makes the blade become dull more quickly. Time for a new mat and a change in my habits! I’ll place my order later today.
Are your scissors hard to use? It may be time to have them sharpened. Check with your local quilt shop or sewing center for a referral to the “scissor guy”. Many shops have someone who visits a few times each year to provide this service.
Dull needles? Bent pins? Time to toss them out in a safe container and get a fresh pack. I use an empty pill bottle for needle and pin disposal to prevent accidental sticks. Perhaps I should order a new box of pins, along with that cutting mat. . .
Tools and equipment that are well maintained are a pleasure to use. Make the most of your stitching time by ensuring that your “helpers” are working as intended. Happy Quilting!
Here’s my PHD update for August.
Project #2: “Each Dawn A New Day”
My “One Monthly Goal” for August was to make some progress on my cross stitch project. Ta-done! (Well, not really done done, but progress was made and so the goal is complete.)
Here’s how it looked at the end of July, with lots of outline stitching needed-
And here’s a picture from earlier this week. There’s still quite a lot of outline stitching to finish up, but I’ll have plenty of time for that since I’m supposed to be resting and elevating my injured foot until further notice.
Note to self – Link up with OMG finish!
Project #5: “New” FPP Blocks (4 Designs)
I spent quite a bit of time drawing a FPP cyber truck before I went on vacation, because what is more fun than an ugly truck? Unfortunately, I found that both the name and shape of the cyber truck are copyrighted. (Drat!)
I don’t want to get into potential infringement territory, so I won’t be making a cyber truck pattern. I can sew one just for fun whenever I want, since I now have a really nice drawing for it.
I did a quick pivot and came up with something completely different but definitely my own idea!
Block D: Whirling Star
This little star finishes at just 4″ x 4″ square, and uses the smallest scraps to create something beautiful. It was easy-peasy to stitch, as long as I was careful with the corner seam lines. Aren’t they cute! I can see myself making more of them, eventually.
And this “New” FPP design wraps up Project #5! Here’s a photo of my four new FPP block designs-
Project #6: “New” Coffee Mugs Throw
Here’s a pretty purple FPP heart for the coffee mugs quilt. That’s #18 out of the 20 that I’ll use for my project.
Project #7: “New” Christmas Bells Place Mat Set
As I predicted, I’ve made little progress on this project. No worries! I have a plan and I’m ready to begin. Here’s my fabric pull-
My “One Monthly Goal” for September is to piece the bells for a set of four placemats. That’s four big bells and twelve small bells, using Christmas fabric scraps and stash. My backup machine is going to sub in until the Princess returns to our studio, assuming that I feel like sewing at all. Ready? Set. SEW!
Stories from the Sewing Room August One Monthly Goal Finish Link Up
Note to self- LINK up please!
Project #11: Scrappy Zipper Bags X 12
I stitched up another medium zipper bag, in YELLOW because that’s the RSC color for August. Read more HERE.
This makes a total of twelve zipper bags, and so PHD Project #11 is complete. If I make more bags this year they will be listed as “New” projects.
Here’s a slideshow with all of the scrappy zipper bags for 2026!
New Projects
Zero, zip, nada. The status could change any day now, although I’m not feeling inspired at the moment.
Ongoing Projects
Coffee Mug Blocks
I love, love, love how the mug looks in this fabric! This is mug #18 of the 20 blocks that I need. Read more HERE.
“Signature” Blocks
Don’t they look cheerful! Read more HERE.
PHD Progress Update
This is my updated PHD task list, shaded to show the finished tasks. Projects #4 and #9 have had no progress made, but the rest of this list is looking fine. Good thing that I need only twelve finishes from the list for a PHD.
This is my updated PHD tracker. I’m pleased to have two finishes for August, even though I was away on vacation for 11 days, I’m on the injured list, and Princess Nina is visiting the “spa”.
Party Time!
Now its your turn! Share your link and visit the others to support and encourage.
I would appreciate a link back from your post to this post. Here’s a link to copy and paste.
I wish that I could say that I’m looking forward to cooler temperatures in September, but I live in Houston where Fall arrives in October or November. Mr FixIt and I are heading to the beach for a long, relaxing weekend with friends in a couple of weeks. I can’t wait!
Have a great September, with plenty of time for fun, family, friends, and (of course) quilting. See you soon!
Happy quilting,
Sharon
Ms P Designs USA 