%$&#*%#$

I've been working on a rail fence quilt for a while now.  Piecing the top went okay, but quilting it has just been rough.  It's the first time I've done free-motion quilting on anything larger than a mini-quilt and it's surprisingly tough.  At first I was plagued by needles and thread breaking, but I got into the rhythm eventually.  I'm doing eight columns of free-motion quilting, and tonight I finished the third.  It was tough, and I had to stop and start several times.  I wasn't really happy with the quality of sewing, but by the end it was going much better and I was relieved to have it done.

I decided to flip the quilt over so I could check out the back.  And that's when I saw it.  I had somehow let the edge turn under, and had sewn over it.  I had sewn the quilt to itself.  The edge of my quilt is now firmly sewn in place, about twelve inches into my quilt. 

A cursory inspection showed that there would be no way to fix it except to rip out almost all of my quilting in that section.  In a way, it's a blessing, because I wasn't happy with my sewing but I couldn't bring myself to undo it all just because it wasn't pretty.

And yet, I still put it off until tomorrow.  I just can't face it tonight. 

I've often said that I don't have the patience for hand quilting, but I bet this stuff wouldn't happen if I quilted by hand.  Maybe I should consider it.

A break from our usual programming

I don't spend all of my time quilting and chasing after my kids.  I'm a full-time speech pathologist working at a few schools in the area.  I use an iPad extensively in my therapy as well as with my own kids.

I adore a site called Smart Apps for Kids.  Right now they're giving away four (!) iPads that are loaded up with educational games.  But the better thing is that every day they highlight a free app that is not only educational, but AWESOME.  I don't always download the apps (I don't have a lot of use for math ones, for example) but I check the site daily to see what's there.

So, check it out if you have an iPad or an iPod and some kids that need to be educated.

It's been forever since I've posted.  I think that most people say they have a million reasons for not doing something, but I only have two.  And they're three and one-and-a-half years old. 

Anyway, last weekend I bought this little beauty.

And, subsequently, sold this one.

I think the Spartan will be better for quilting because of the size of its harp...so much bigger t Han the Brother. Also, it's three-quarter sized, so it'll be easier to take to sewing events than my big vintage kenmore would be. The Spartan is over fifty years old, works really well, and is just so cool. Not bad for twenty bucks!