Assuring
Today was the first time that our newer car needed to be serviced. We had decided to take it back to the dealership that we purchased the car from.
It was assuring when some history of the previous owner’s service records could be looked at.
I did mention that in addition to the usual 3,000 mile service, I was concerned that the car seemed to navigate to the right on the open highway. A service tech took the car out for a drive. When all was said and done, the rear tires were rotated to the front and the front tires were put onto the back. A quality numerical number of 7 was attributed to the front and a quality numerical number of five had been for the back tires. Both numbers indicated that the tires were in good shape. A second trip was taken after the rotation. Over and above the grease and oil change, the wipers were replaced. I had noticed a bit of drag when using them. I had forgot that it would be three wipers and not just the two. The service was great and the car did handle well on the way home.
The service appointment was all that I had had on the docket for the day. A quick stop at nephew Brett’s was needed before I left town. Quilters need to be supportive when questions loom. Brett has been cranking out t-shirt quilts like crazy and he was now putting out pieced quilt blocks for a change. The challenge of multiple pieces within a block plus all the added seams brought about bulky seams. A short visit and he was on the right track.
While I was driving home from the car servicing, the phone rang. Yes . . . I waited until I got home before taking care of that. The call was from my cousin Mark. Mark . . . the fellow who works in a printing company and quilts in between time. What to do when a dark fabric was leaching into a lighter fabric! Good quality fabric should not do that. The key was that there is a product called “Best Press.” It is a lightweight water based starch for better, flatter lying quilt blocks to play nice. Whatever the additive in the Best Press is, it may not be the best to use for all pressing. Mark had 42 independent blocks sewn when he ironed the first block and noticed the leaching. Mark and I kicked around a few things for him to try to secure the dyes in the darker fabrics. I have no doubt he will conquer the challenge and perhaps leave the Best Press to use when the fabrics are closer to the same color.
Dennis thinks I need to put a shingle out for quilting support. I just feel assured that the fellows don’t get down in the dumps the first time something trips them up. It’s fantastic to see fellows who have found something to pique their interests in the winter months.