bewilder satyr algaecide

"An artist who waits for inspiration is wasting time."   David Walker

K?  Now you what to do as far as care and feeding of a Sandy goes?  Let's move on then.

I am roaring upset at my sewing machine-  the bloody thing cuts out continually, and it's gotten so I can't do an 8" seam without the computer stopping and having to restart and wait for it to reboot.  This is beyond annoying and was supposedly fixed over the summer.  I have it all packed up next to the door to stop AGAIN and drop it off for service-  something is drastically wrong and OF COURSE I am in the middle of a baby quilt.  Yeah, I know, I already made a baby quilt but believe me, it was met with such unenthusiasm that I have set it aside and am TRYING to bang out something more baby-friendly. Here is the first attempt:

This doesn't show the red embroidery on the collar and background- guess I hadn't done it yet.  Anyway, this was started years ago when my son and his now-wife were students at the Creative Circus, an Ad school in Atlanta.  So, of course it's a Circus Horse after a turn of the century woodcut poster.  And yeah the whole bloody thing is appliqué and reverse appliqué by hand.  It was originally 8' tall but I hit the wall and cut it in half long ago knowing I would never get the entire thing done.  So I knew my son liked it all those years ago so I thought I'd finish it up as a baby quilt for his first baby.  

But it was met with such blank stares as people searched for words that it was obvious that it was a bad choice SO it's folded up for my son whenever he wants it and I am on to the next effort.  This time I did some 'research' on Modern Quilts because of their simplicity, thinking I could do one easily that would be more baby-friendly as well as washable and drag-around-able.  I didn't find anything to copy so started working with a couple of my husbands abandoned shirts and added some of my own Spoonflower prints and finished off with stuff hanging around for centuries in my stacks.  The white is an uber expensive Japanese cotton I've been hoarding-  it has all sorts of beige drawn lines on it.  And I got this so far.  Today I added the off center stripe:

If I had a machine I would bind it in a beige/white wide stripe.  

All that piecing with the machine cutting out at every #@$%^&* seam was a nightmare, but today I got it layered and ready to quilt.  But NO WAY can I use my machine, so it will stay where it is, taped to the table relaxing, until I get it back or someone gives me a new SIMPLE non computerized machine.  What are the chances... (I had already asked if the repair place has loaners and they don't...)

So off to the repair shop I head, then to go wrangle a chicken from Publix.  We have been going out a lot lately so chicken is the game tonight.  A big one will last two days then be soup fixin's, and there is still plenty for the dogs on their new low carb diet.  Finish this up later-   

Groceries put away, how I hate that job.  Dropped the machine off but no one was talking to me so I went to investigate the machines for sale.  There are three I'm interested in and if you have any info on these, PLEASE let me know!  Two of them are Berninas, one used  for about $1000 and one new but bottom of the line (for $1300, I have practically decided against that one)  Then there is a whole line of Bernettes from $299 on up, but the lady kept dismissing them and pushing me to more features.  What I want-  straight stitch, zigzag stitch, stop, and go.  This is to be a back-up machine, not a heavy duty sew-all day fancy thing.  I think I will go back and test drive a few tomorrow.  I really don't want to spend a whole lot-  I'm too old for another machine anyway, but I have got to have one that works.  So I don't kick the furniture any more.

A little food porn today-  a guy who makes motorcycles out of lobster shells.

AND a guy who makes vessels out of lottery tickets.  Amazin'

Yeah, it's ahhht.

Finally, an ad from cb2 I got today features this glitzy mirror mosaic gnome.  He's 18" tall and pretty darn expensive if you ask me, but wow, what a garden he would be worthy of sitting in!  Wish somebody would get him for me, so classy on the 

Christmas Seven Fishes table.  

Maybe with some mosaic fish!

PS  Got a phone call today from the Lighthouse Center wanting me to model the bra I made for them in their fashion show/auction fundraiser.  I respectfully declined and told them to go with somebody else who has nerves of steel and an exhibitionist personality (see above).  She told me I could wear it in the show over a leotard.  Hahahahahahaha, like that makes it OK.