Bits of Sewing, Here & There!

I can't remember if I shared photos of what I stitched on Sunday while the BEAST Quilters were in residence at Quiltville Inn - did I?

Sarah took a drive over to Blacksburg, VA to visit her husband's sister and family while she was here.  It was only a 2 hour drive which put her SO close - Much closer than Utah!

You know how it goes, you live so far away that you don't get the opportunity to see family, and you've been away from them for long enough that you forget what they are like so you go visit and....No, I'm just kidding!

She did go visit. And they had a lovely visit!  And that also left her sewing station in the Quilting Quarters empty so.....I moved in and became the honorary Sarah for the day!

I filled several phone book pages with neutral strings with pops of color here an there - for a project I have in mind.

And here they have sat since.  The day after the BEAST quilters left, the You & Two Friends retreat #1 began, and now #2 is in full swing, and still - my string rectangles sit. Taunting me.

I will get to you, my pretties - I will get to you!

With some additions!  Because this gift piece is SO FUNNY!

The TP fabric will go right up there with the Y2K Millennium fabric because - for the rest of our lives we will never forget what it was like to walk the aisles of the grocery with miles of empty shelves where the TP should be.

Thank you Susan!  This is going to be so fun!

So this brings me to yesterday - I am doing better in the tailbone injury department.  I have TWO cushions with tailbone cut outs in my possession. One for home. One for the QPO Studio.  But that doesn't mean I can sit for hours without pain - it's good for short bursts, but hours at the sewing machine are just not happening.  A bit here and there, but I do better standing, sorting, pressing, and cutting -

Can you see what is wrong in this photo?

I'm not even sure how it happened, but the die board is supposed to be INSIDE the metal tray as it rolls through the machine, but it slipped over the lip at the back edge - I tried to reverse-roll, but the wood board pushed the metal tray down enough that it was caught unable to pass the roller.

This put an END to my cutting yesterday.  I had to bring the machine home, die-in-the-wrong-place and all, and have the hubster disassemble it, fix the problem, put it back together again.

I'm not sure if the metal tray is salvageable or if it is too far bent to be used.

I DID get these sub-cut before the accident happened -

Aren't they pretty?

Lola thinks so!

(Do not notice the productivity lint on my machine! LOL!)

And this is why we use freezer paper on ironing stations.

Since Irene is here hosting two back to back retreats, she got to see just what goes on behind the scenes during both, and in between.

Yesterday before group #2 arrived, I changed out the freezer paper on the ironing stations.

See the scorching?  This happens for some more than others - and it depends if they are spritzing with water, or spraying with Best Press or saturating with starch - or even using their own steam iron because they want water IN the iron.

Imagine how long an ironing station will stay clean with 12 people pressing all day long, 6 days a week really, with all of that water/best press/sizing/starch.

Ironing stations can get NASTY fast - as a new group, would you like to press YOUR white fabric on top of this scorchy mess?  Or would you feel happier if you were given a clean surface to press on - at least for the start of your retreat stay until it gets built up again?

This is why all of the ironing stations at Quiltville Inn get new freezer paper on top before each new group arrives so they have clean surfaces.

That also helps lengthen the life of the ironing stations because the plastic undercoating on the freezer paper (ironed to the stations shiny-side-down) also prevent excess spray from soaking into the ironing station covers, down past the batting and leaving an opportunity for mold to grow on the plywood boards beneath.

For those who have questions, I hope this helps you understand the whole purpose of  "Why freezer paper?" that I continually get.

You can also do this at home with your own ironing board.  Give yourself a clean piece of freezer paper to press on, and change it out as needed. Just iron it to change it out, the heat will release the plastic coating making it easy to remove.

Cute girl looking out the bedroom window!

What's out there, Zoey?

And yes, the upside-down sillies continue!

When I left for home last evening, burgers were going on the grill and the quilters were already settling in and there were sounds of machines humming coming from the Quilting Quarters.

I can't wait to get over there this morning and see how everyone faired.

Now that the Accuquilt Studio is back to functional, I will continue with the sorting of the scraps and processing them down into strips and strings - another box from my friend Carrie arrived yesterday!

She feels great for lightening her load of smaller hunks and chunks - I feel great for the scrappy windfall that will be entering my scrap stash and put to good use!

Any plans for your Thursday today?

While they may be purchased separately, you can purchase both together in the Rivanna + Bitcoin Bundle and save even more!

This bundle offer is only good through June 30th, 2021 at the low price of just $16.00! (Must purchase from the bundle listing - not as individual patterns.)

If this is your first time downloading digital patterns from my store to a computer click HERE.

If you intend to download to an iPhone/iPad click HERE.

While on the introductory post, be sure to enter our gift-away!  We are drawling for our winner on MONDAY, June 28th!  Only a handful of days away now!

I'll be drawing for one lucky winner who will receive the pattern bundle AND a Facets of Blue fabric roll from Cotton to Quilts!

Irene also has Fabric Rolls in other varieties as well - check out the neutrals to go with your blues, but also the scrappy rolls which are great for enhancing your stash for Bitcoin!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Vintage quilt found in North Carolina.

Be a better YOU today (for only you) than you were yesterday!

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Have a wonderful Thursday, everyone!