Have Machine will Travel

I miss being able to sew, especially since I don't get home until very late in the evening after watching the kiddos.  Over the weekend I contemplated how to remedy that.

Saturday DH worked, and my mind was wandering and I decided that I needed another foot pedal for my sewing machines.  The foot pedal for the 221 also fits the 301, which is a win/win to me.  Also I am not a fan of the original bakelite foot pedals.  They make my toes hurt. So of course I had to order a foot pedal.  

I also have 2 singer featherweight folding tables in the basement.  DH brought one upstairs and we cleaned it up. You can see the table under the foot controller.  Not bad really.

I do have a featherweight carrying case, but I really did not want to beat it all up, so next task was to find an inexpensive soft side cooler that the featherweight would fit in.

Check!  And it is big enough that I can fit the foot controller, and some other things in it.  I wrap the machine in an old towel to transport.

I took the whole set up to the youngest daughter's house.  I leave the folding table, but the machine I do bring home nightly.  

The daughter's house is quite small, but there is just enough room for me to set up in a corner during the day.  It blocks the doorway into the master bedroom which keeps Finn corralled too. 

What does this help me accomplish now?

Bag Lady block

I had a hard time with this block this month. The bag of fabrics I received were pretty much sliced and diced to the point where I managed to salvage only 2- 4 1/4 inch squares from what was left or the white.  They still have 6 more months, should be interesting.  But I did get the block done. 

The biggest problem I have is that I do not have a travel iron, so I will sew sections together and leave them webbed together by the thread.  When I get home I press them, then sew them together, and press again.

I have 7 grand illusion blocks webbed, and 3 sewn together.  Which mean that I only have 5 more and I will be ready to start sashing.....Oh sashing the bane of my existence. 

I also managed to get all of the setting blocks sewn for the 2014 Aurifil BOM.

The center block I need to fix so it will be set on point too.  Either it was not written into the directions or I misunderstood the directions.  Design opportunity!  I have sashing and cornerstones all cut out to sew for this quilt too.  Do we see a pattern here.  Sashing, cornerstones????

Finally I did finish the letter 'W' for the Redword Words of Wisdom quilt.  I got the X all prepped for tomorrow.

While I was stitching this one I kept thinking of the old Bing Crosby song from the movie Going My Way. 

I think my next purchase needs to be a travel iron, and ironing mat.