My New/Old Machine!

Linking with Heather at  Needlework Tuesday

While in Texas I sewed on my friend's Bernina machines and decided to look for a used Activa to replace my Pfaff 2042, it is much lighter, only 17lbs. and has the knee lift the Pfaff 2042 does not.  It also has the very convenient Bernina feature of rear pedal foot tap to change the needle position, I like that. My friend did some sleuthing for me and tracked down an Activa 240 at a reasonable price on Sew it's For Sale and I coordinated with the owner to purchase it and have her ship it to me from Florida.

It has the large free standing extra table and the tool box as well as a couple of other interesting accessories like the decorative needle punch tool and needle plate, lots of extra bobbins and the bendable LED light. 

I needed to order a new insert for my Quilter's Cabinet to accommodate Activa 240 and it came a few days ago, now I am enjoying using my new/old machine, it will be a perfect travel companion. Eventually I may invest in a walking foot and SID foot for binding, but meantime I will default to the Pfaff 2056 with Integrated Dual Feed for binding, it does a very nice job but it's awfully noisy with the IDF I can't hear the TV very well!

 Over the weekend I made a few things to take to my retreat next month, selvedge pot holders and more funky chicken pincushions. We are five friends from more than three decades ago, can you believe we have kept in touch? Some of us were military families and have moved-and moved- and moved some more but managed to keep in touch mostly due to one valiant soul who lives in Colorado Springs. We will all gather at her home for a few days to catch up and find out all the things you don't write in a Christmas card! I can't remember if everyone sews, I know for sure two do other than myself but everyone needs pot holders!

Aren't they these the cutest funky chickens?

This is one of the projects from the power sewing week in TX, I have decided that I do not want to border it and the 5x6 block format is too small for a lap quilt even with ten inch blocks so I prepped fabric for another eleven blocks to make it 6x7, about 60"x70" bound. The blocks go together fast these curves are very easy to sew, just keep the convex curve on top and lift the fabric up as you sew.

It is definitely another feminine quilt, it seems that unless I use Fall colors, Red White and Black or CW replicas my creations are predominantly girly!