Quick post, because leaving for Wales any minute now. Wanted to finish quilting ‘Auntie Syl’s quilt’ (the pink machine-stitched quilt for my aunt for Christmas) before I left for holiday, leaving the joys of the binding to come back to. Last weekend feeling tired and unwell so nothing happened on the Saturday. On Sunday, more problems with stitch lengths and my inability to keep the machine running on an even keel. I changed the needle, and my husband came up with something made of balsa wood to stick under the pedal so I couldn’t push it down all the way and it didn’t go so fast. I made decent progress and the stitches were a better length, though far from perfect and I had to unpick a section because got a fold of fabric caught up at the back. I didn’t think I’d finish it by today, though. However, I did a bit each night except Monday and it was going quite well, though with different problems on the back that looked like the tension was wrong, even though I hadn’t changed it from the setting that had previously worked best. I went hard to it last night, then the foot started making these awful clunking noises, but it was way after I should have been in bed so I soldiered on. Then, when I was literally – no word of a lie! – on the very last row, on the very last corner, the presser foot fell off! I couldn’t believe it. I was going to attach the ordinary foot, thinking it would be fine for those last few inches, but then realised the bit you attach the foot to wasn’t there. It must be still attached to the walking foot, but by then it was beyond me to work it out, and I still had other things to do for today, so I had to leave it. Argh! So, today it’s rolled up, with a few moth balls that I bought yesterday (I’ve had a couple get in there and do not want them eating a big hole in the thing) and which I pray don’t leak and do do their job, to be left til next weekend. My husband’s family are coming next weekend for a few weeks and I think that will limit the time I can spend on, probably only leaving two weekends before I have to have the quilt ready to take home with me when I go to visit my parents before Christmas, so really a lot less time than it looks on paper, and I know the binding won’t be easy.

I’ve other, smaller, craft projects packed to take with me for this week, hope I haven’t left anything behind!