There are two shows coming up in October, and we had quite a few tops that have to be quilted before then. I wanted them all done by the middle of September so that the owners would have enough time to bind them, so this weekend is it! I have one to get off the frame today and another small one to go on tomorrow and that deadline is over. I must say it's quite nervewracking having this hanging over me, I hate the thought that these customers are waiting on me before they can put the finishing touches to their quilts. We've got some more tops after this, but they are ones that have no deadline and we can take however long we like to finish them, which is much less stressful.

And of course these last two are custom work on applique, which isn't as quick as I'd like, but it's what the tops need. So my weekend will be taken care of, but I've promised myself a day off next week to spend in my own sewing room. I feel like I haven't been in there for ages, and I don't have any accomplishments to show you. Sigh.

A while ago Keryn and I went on a little jaunt to a second hand shop for a rummage, and I spied a dusty case tucked under a table. It turned out to be an old Singer 201P, just like the one our mum sewed on, and which is now Keryn's piecing machine. I've been wanting another old machine because the 185 I do my piecing on is set in a small table and it's a bit cramped when I want to put tops together or add borders. So I grabbed this and asked how much, trying to act a bit casual, and the seller said quickly "Give me $20 and it's yours", as if he could hardly wait to get rid of it!
No sooner said than done, and this old girl came home and had a cleaning and oiling and runs like a dream. It's always a bit of a gamble when you buy an old machine. I check to see if the wheel turns over in the shop, but you can't tell whether a machine will do a nice stitch until you plug it in and sew on it, and most of the places where we find them don't have the facilities to test them. So when they come home and run perfectly it's always a great feeling.
Quite a few don't, but they're good for spares, and I like to think we're rescuing them from the scrap metal merchant, which is where a lot end up. I've even heard them described as 'good boat anchors' because they're so heavy. NOOOOO!

I've named this one Hannah, after our Great Grandmother who was a seamstress, and she has already put together at least four tops and borders beautifully. I do love having a backup, in case anything goes wrong with my dear little 185, but she's still humming along too, when I get the time to sew.

And I got spare bobbins and extra needles, which never go astray.Here's another customer top, not one destinesd for the shows, just for someone's grand-daughter, and she'll surely love these bright colours.And the fairies....