Having a bad electronics day

 Yes, that is the same as a bad hair day.  I can't get anything to work and it's making me a little crazy.

Anyway, it was another productive week.  I got the message at work that I needed to take time off so I've taken a little time to get away from work and the stress of the every day.  Last Wednesday, I wanted to sew maple leaf blocks while sitting on the deck in the beautiful sunshine, but I ran into trouble.  Because the corners aren't cut off the blocks I'm sewing, I need a quarter inch foot.  I set up three different machines, each with different feet available, and I couldn't find a quarter inch foot that would fit any of them.  I messed with it for about an hour and then came back in the house and pieced sections on the reliable Singer 401 that is always set up with a quarter inch foot.  

There are maple leaf sections all over the room.  Some piled up, some spread out.  I've pieced 240 of the 306 that will be required.  I had to order more background fabric and am not sure it will be the exact same coloring, so I'm not going to cut the last 66 until it gets here, in case I need those using the new background.  I'll still be able to integrate a slightly different shade without it standing out.  

I also pieced another section for the art quilt.  Right now I can't find the other sections.  They must have been dropped in the fabric pile, but this is supposed to integrate with them.  This section was too advanced for me.  it has problems, primarily that this is not its true shape.  This is the shape I soaked and pinned it to the floor in.  It's really kind of a wadded up set of mismatched seams.  But, it was pretty fun to do until I got down to the last seam.  Remember, what you piece is what you gotta sew, straight or not.  The main issue I'm having is with fabric slippage.  Because the pieces aren't pinned together, the fabric next to the feed dogs feeds through faster than the top piece that I'm manipulating to get an accurate quarter inch seam.  So, the curves that I cut to put the two halves together weren't the curves I sewed in.  Anyway, so long as it never gets wet again (or even a heavy dew), it should lay flat like this.  So, no spitting in the studio from now on...

I also finished a pair of socks that I've been working on all summer.  When I started them, I told Rob I didn't think I'd wear a pair of purple socks, but he agrees, they're pretty nice and when I go back to wearing regular shoes again, I'll be able to wear these.  

And, I started a Linus afghan.  It was going to be a ripple red, white and blue, but I realized that to do that, I'd need to buy a lot more yarn.  Or, I could use large balls of scrap yarn I already have and make a real nice afghan to donate.  

Also, everybody needs a little bit of home made comfort.  

We went to another neighborhood concert on Saturday night.  Little less jazzy this time.  Rob's best friend and his wife came and so did Syd and her boyfriend.  Then, we all went out to dinner.  It was such an extravagance to go out to eat.  We took Syd out for her b-day a couple weeks ago and the restaurant was doing such a good job of social distancing that we felt comfortable, so we went back there on Saturday.  We were obnoxiously loud and laughed for a couple hours.  I think we all needed it.  

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Not much use for below the line these days.  But, I did want to take one passing shot.  

As big babies go, baby trump is going.  

Everybody have a great week!  Stay busy and I'll try not to start something new.  Lane