Saturday the 19th
As I had promised myself, today was studio day . . . after a visit to the grocery store.
I had a short list. I couldn’t help but notice a few prices as I walked by. Land-O-Lakes butter was $6.25 a lb. 80% lean ground beef was $4.95 a lb. The beef I did purchase as Dennis is to eat more red meat. 100% Jacksonville beef brats also hit the cart. The butter we usually purchase in Mankato when it’s on sale and I put several pounds in the freezer. Potatoes were also recommended for Dennis. A 5lb. bag will serve us well.
Today I have my mini quilt sandwiched with batting and backing. The embroidery module has been parked for now.
In December I bit on an offering online, which is something I don’t usually trust. It sounded too good to be true. Vinyl quilting templates for $39.00, free shipping. The package took forever to come. I thought I had kissed my $39.00 goodbye. The early days of February the package was on the front steps. Today, I decided to see if I could work with these templates. This was my very first attempt. I had a sewing machine foot for Bernina machine quilting templates. The Bernina templates are thick. These inexpensive ones are quite thin. Would the sewing machine foot stay in the guidelines. The first thing I did was to examine the number #72 foot. Low and behold the brass screw on the right hand side allowed for a height adjustment.
Leave it to Bernina to have their products manufactured for multiple uses. I put together several pieces of fabric with quilt batting in between and took one of the templates for a ride. Yes, they are thin. Am I suppose to take the brown paper off of each one? I have no clue and besides that my fingernails are not that strong. I fear I might bend or twist them and have them crack and break in two. I am leaving the paper on for the additional strength it allows. The fabric need not be turned, only to guide the machine’s foot to follow the template. As I said, this was my very first try. The secret will be having the same momentum to keeping the stitches even. That would be the learning curve.
I am not ready to incorporate this stitching without quite a bit of practice. Knowing that what I have within my stitching options can and will work . . . is very satisfying. I do now see these same templates advertised on Facebook, but not at the $39.00 I paid.
I call today a win, win. After all, you can’t fail if you don’t try. I think that is how that is said.