I started quilting my "Y" quilt and hit a few stumbling blocks.
First, I noticed I was low on my favorite brand of bobbin thread so I decided to try another lightweight thread I had on hand.
Once the quilting began, I couldn't seem to get even stitches and smooth curves. Something was different.
I thought for sure it was the bobbin thread causing a problem so I stopped and ordered my regular kind.
Meanwhile, I picked out all the stitches I had done so far, and re-pinned that section.
I was sort of glad to start over anyway. I had chosen a medium gray thread for the top which seemed to blend in with every color except the lightest yellow.
On there it looked like dirty pencil marks.
My new bobbin thread arrived. Never wanting to run out again...I ordered this gargantuan size cone!
It's 33,000 yards!! Look at the size of it compared to the regular 3000 yard cone I usually buy.
This ought to last me for awhile and I might even have to re-write my will to leave what's left on the spool to someone!
So, with freshly wound bobbins, I sat down to start quilting.
That's when I realized it wasn't that different bobbin thread that had caused my troubles.
I didn't have my machine set properly.
When I tuned the knob that drops the feed dogs, I didn't turn it far enough and instead had it on a setting for slippery fabrics...in which a little pin comes up with each stitch to help advance the fabric through the machine. I had been fighting that little pin when I tried to move the quilt around.
And whats worse...I have made this same mistake before! Sheesh!
Finally, I had a few good sessions of quilting. But then, my furry friend, Puss, decided she loves this quilt. She want's to get in on it while I'm working on it.
See that little paw sticking out? She is trying to sleep in there while I'm running it through the machine.
I'm pretty sure it's her fault that I quilted a pleat on the back and had to rip out stitches again to get that fixed.
Maybe it was my fault though. I noticed that about one quarter of the backing did not get smoothed out good when I pinned it. I ended up un-pinning, smoothing and re-pinning.
I think all the problems are behind me now and I have only a small section left to quilt.
We had enough rain to soften up the ground...enough that I could get a few things planted.
This is a Snowball Viburnum. It's supposed to get pretty big and I see it will have nice fall color.
I also planted the six Green Giant Thujas, but I still have four more to plant.
I will have to move a couple of shrubs out of my line of Thujas but I'll wait for colder weather when the shrubs go dormant.
Poor Puss got sick and seemed to be going down hill quickly. I noticed her sleeping outside one evening in the same spot for hours. At bedtime she wouldn't get up to come inside.
I brought her in and she only wanted to hide and lay down and would not take water or food.
The next morning was the same. She did not want to move. I could tell she was shrunken and dehydrated.
I took her to the vet and she was too weak to protest at being put in the carrier and handled by strangers.
The vet said probably an infection from the bite of another cat and gave me an antibiotic for her.
It has to be squirted down her throat twice a day. I wasn't even sure how to get a cat to open her mouth. It turns out that you have to pull their head backward (gently) and the mouth opens up.
She doesn't like it but doesn't stay mad after I give it to her. It took about three days for her to start getting active again. She is much better now but not 100% yet.
Next month it will be back to the vet for her regular booster shots.
