Home alone

So, what to do with yourself when home alone with a cold? I am still going to the quilting meeting tonight of course. Got to see if there is any news at all on my sewing machine! It will be very interesting to say the least to find out what is wrong this time around if any.... Lately it feels like they cant seem to find anything wrong with it so it has to be an user problem.. I am so sick and tired of this now I want to chuck it out the window so there will be a genuine user problem!!

I have been sewing a bit of other stuff with my old sewing machine. But oh how I do miss the option for free motion quilting or to have a few nice stitches to choose from when finishing a border or a binding. One of the things we did at the quilting course was a handbag. I made a very bright and springlike one first with loads of inside pockets. I liked the model but not the fact that the pockets end up on a different level on the outside so I went and made a more subtle one in black as well... Note that the side pockets on the black one are matching up better with the big main pockets. In the original pattern the pockets don't line up at all which I thought was a bit odd so changed it around for the second one.

First one, nice and bright with loads of pockets inside and out.

Second one, bit more muted and not so many pockets on the inside but a better match on the outside ones

I've also done a Serendipity quilt... You get two baby quilts from sewing one block together and cutting in a special way. I made mine with blues and a light yellow. I quite like it but have not finished them off yet. You can see the one that needs sewing together at the top.

Also Mette and me got into making small purses on one of our sewing weekends. This is what I've done so far. I quite like the blue and gold one, not so sure any more about the bright red button on the black one. But at the time that was what red button I had at home.

The last project that I started in the weekend was trying out the pattern called Texas Braid  from one of Bonnie Hunters books. It was just meant to be a little try out block to see if I liked it and if it was easy to sew....But look what's happened!
It sort of ... grew

It has been a while for me to post what I have been up to but this maybe has made up for the lack of posts.. :)

Sewing update

I have been busy sewing a bit on my old sewing machine. The Janome Horizon has been sent away since it started playing up sewing normally. The latest news is it could be the circuit board? After a sewing weekend with my friend Mette it started skipping stitches and the zigzag was all over the place. It didn't help changing needles or thread so off it went to my dealer with a note that I am getting very tired off this and want a new machine. And this is without even trying to FMQ. It is a very expensive sewing machine for just sewing straight I'll tell you....

I did finish some projects using my old machine and resolving to do some straight line quilting on a handbag and a tote I was working on just so I could finish them off. I must say the more the Janome is acting up the more I am impressed with my OLD Husqvarna Viking. It is a mechanical one with no chance of FMQ on it but it stitches beautifully and can cope with thickness without starting to skip stitches.... If I have the option at some point I will ask for my money back on the Janome and look into a different brand sewing machine because this is getting ridiculous! To top it off I read the latest sewing magazine from Janome in which they proud themselves on their excellent customer service.... I've never laughed so much!