Genius Idea(s)

So a few weeks ago I got the idea that the 1950's grey on grey tile pattern in our bathroom would actually make a kind of cool quilt pattern, and it might look kind of modern and sleek instead of old fashioned-y and if I kept it in its current color pattern it would hide our cats shed fur and be palatable to Sam as a bedspread (in like a year when I get around to finishing it after the other QIP's I have).

It is alternating 3" by 3"sets of pattern that would easily be broken down into quilt squares of that size or bigger or smaller. One of the 2 basic patterns is a traditional 9 patch all of the same color like a tic tac toe grid. The other has an offset 2" by 2" square and in the opposite corner a 1" by 1" square and then along the edges left by them two rectangular pieces that are 1" by 2". These two basic designs are then laid out in a checkerboard pattern.

Now there is less color variation in them than I would want in a quilt, and depending on how you squint at them (and yes this idea came to me just where you would expect because you have some time to look at the floor) different squares are made to seem the 'center' of the repeated pattern and could make it look even more modern and interesting particularly if they were played up not just with placement on the quilt but fabric selection (lighter, darker, solids, patterns, even gradations of grey).

That sounds like I will be making a lot of mock ups of squares to see how it goes. Or using graph paper, OR I could figure out a way to make excel do this for me. I suspect this will take some research and some fiddling to work out.

Sewing Machine Joy

I have a sewing machine that is older than I am and heavy and it has not been sewing well lately, but I really really like it (plus it was my aunt's). In part because it predates the computerized models that are all the rage now, but for quilting I don't want a computerized model. I want an easy does it machine that will take a licking and keep on stitching.

It is like the machine featured in this ebay listing.

However, it has been losing its mojo lately, and I was scared. Scared that it was in its death throes. Scared that I would have to buy a new one, which would mean figuring out what kind of new one I wanted and pricing out one that wasn't obscene (although now I kind of want a 1930s of 1940s featherweight if I ever get a room big enough to just be my sewing room which would mean we had a house big enough to also have a music room).

This past weekend I took it to the Singer factory outlet/repair place. I filled out a big form and they said that they would call me on Monday with an estimate. I was Skkkeeeered! I figured this is going to be minimum a couple of hundred bucks and I wouldn't get it back for the better part of a month.

This morning in came the call. It needed a big time tune up. It needed to be torn apart and all put back together again because a needle had broken and the tip of it was floating around inside it and gumming it all up.

But for $90 I can have it back in two or three days as good as new!! And it won't need another tune up like this for 20 years! They were running a special so I wouldn't have to be billed hourly. STOKED! I am stoked. Oh machiney, I cannot wait to have you back!