I don't buy a lot of quilting magazines these days, as I have a collection of hundreds dating back 30 years. Not a lot of the current ones have anything new, or exciting enough to pique my interest. However I saw this in the newsagents last week and it's full of cute projects, all designed by a French quilter and shop-owner. I love that bag on the cover,so much! I've pored over it several times, each time finding some new delight in the pictures of her crowded shop and home. It's just bursting with good ideas. There are a lot of projects other than quilts, all naive style, and while I don't normally do that sort of thing, this lot really appeal. I don't mind buying books of projects that I have no intention of making, because it's worth it for the ideas it sparks. If I really want to make the projects then that's a bonus.

I am so definitely going to make this lovely project caddy. I have a metal frame on castors that I thought I would make a canvas bag for, but now it's going to be one of these. I have a few pieces of vintage 50's fabric that would look great, and I might use metal rings in the corners instead of bows. But I also want one with a wooden frame that could live in the loungeroom and hold my knitting. It's so great when an idea inspires you so much you just want to jump right in.

A local secondhand dealer is a mate, and when he heard that we were interested in sewing machines he promised to bring two in for us to have a look at. They are both 99k models, and not in tip-top condition, but worth having. I spent this morning digging and scraping the gunk out so that I could give them a good oiling. The belt on one just fell apart, and I thought it interesting to see the construction of a vintage machine belt. It's strands of black linen twine with a canvas sheath and a rubber coating. It's amazing how synthetics have changed our world; modern belts are just a piece of plastic. And this is a not an original belt, but probably a replacement belt from a Singer 185, green to match the original machine. How cute is that?