Status Report

It's annoying that my hands haven't recovered fully, I'm still having to be careful about using the rotary cutter. I want to cut up piles of fabric and I can't. Well I could, but I'd regret it. I hate being sensible. 

On the other hand, it doesn't hurt to send pieces through the machine  in short bursts, so I've been doing that. My leader-enders have built up into quite a stack, but I still have a lot more to make. 

I've been strip piecing a new project to keep me amused. I can cut some 2" strips with the accuquilt,  and then spend time just feeding them through the machine. They have to be trimmed into the required squares and triangles at some point, but that's what I'm doing so slowly and carefully. 

I like how it looks, and I've earmarked other fabrics to make blocks in different colours. I'm enjoying the change of pace.

In other news, our hot weather arrived with a vengeance, 41 and 42°C days (105° F). Just nasty. I knew I would have to retreat to the AC in the shed, so I prepared by taking my Janome 6500 down there, and setting up Scarlett in her place in my sewing room. That involved a lot of dusting and de-cluttering and putting things away where they should be. I'll be participating in Karen Brown's Declutter Challenge 2026, but I've got a head start on cleaning my sewing table.

Scarlett is very nice to sew on, a lot bigger than the 6500, and her lighting is much better. She's been handling my strip piecing perfectly, producing strips with no puckering or gathering or bowing. I'm glad that I don't have to learn a whole new brand of machine, I think it would make my brain hurt. I have a very sweet little Pfaff, but I still have to get out the manual every time I need to wind a bobbin.

I haven't set up the workroom yet; we had social events yesterday that took up most of our free time. I thought I'd be able to sew down there after tea, but alas, I had vertigo for hours and hours. I couldn't even open my eyes without the room spinning madly. So I sat in a chair and listened to The Quilted Forest videos on YouTube. It was infuriating, but at least it forced me to rest my hands. Silver lining and all. I couldn't even make myself a cup of coffee. I was very sad.  Luckily I recovered overnight, and this morning I'm caffeinated and ready to achieve something.