Late Design Wall, etc.

I am very late in posting today. My design wall hasn’t changed since last week because I seem to have either not been sewing or I have been shoved off in another direction.

I got my “new” featherweight back this week and doesn’t she look great!

As I thought she only needed a few minor repairs to the electrical wiring and she is as good as new. So I spent some time setting up my paper piecing area and began relearning how to do it.

My first problem was that I needed to learn how to use this machine. I threaded it wrong and had to go online to find a picture of how the thread goes on this machine. Of course it is different from the machines I have! And I actually have to stick my head down in that little space to thread the needle, from the inside out. But we got her done.

The next learning part was the foot pedal.

You don’t just push down on it like I am used to, oh, no! You place your foot on the solid knob (right) and then twist or rotate your foot to press down on the button (left). That takes some getting used to.

But the hardest part of this machine is that when I reach up to touch the thread cutting button, it is not there. Every machine I have, except the HQ, cuts the thread, so I have reached for that darn button every time I need to cut the thread.

However, I did get 1/4^th of my first block done, and this will be my “design table” for this week.

This will be a Carol Doak Radiant Star block, when the other three parts are done. And all I can say is that I am glad I like paper piecing because this was not easy. It’s not the pattern’s fault, it is definitely the sewer’s. I made almost every mistake that could be made but I am remembering and will do better on the next one. And, maybe, by January I will have this block made….ya think?