Reorganizing and a trip to San Diego

Ooops!  My last post was almost a month ago.  I have many excuses for neglecting this blog:  I decided to organize my stash, my youngest daughter graduated from college and I was working full-time.  If you didn't know, I had to work at our local high school because one of clerical people in the Attendance Office was fired.  I worked there seven years ago and I am called when a sub is needed to work the desk.  That job ended with the last day of school, June 2. Approximately two weeks before June 2, I decided I had to reorganize my sewing space.  I had jelly rolls and layer cakes all over the place!  If I needed to find one, forget it.  I would never find it without going through everything and making a bigger mess than I thought I could ever make.  

During the second week of June, our entire family went down to watch my youngest daughter graduate from UC San Diego with a BS in Structural Engineering.  We were so proud of her.  She looked great and happy that all of the studying was ending for now.  She also has a job!  WOO HOO!  It is with a small Structural Engineering firm in San Diego to gain experience.  She will not earn much money but enough to live with our financial help.  San Diego is not a cheap place to live.  

Before Graduation 1

Before Graduation - 2
Love the sign on her cap!

Procession

Caroline and Cindy
Freshman Suite-mate

Caroline, Emily and Nikki
Current Room-mates

Our Family
Tommy, Erin, Caroline, Liz and Dermet

I have a photo with Tommy and Erin's significant others (Jocelyn and August) but I can't find it.  I will post it when I do.

Another highlight of the San Diego trip was going to Rosie's Calico Cupboard.  I do find it difficult to purchase fabric there because I am always overwhelmed with the amount of fabric even though the fabric is sold at a discount.  There are great notions which I spend a significant amount of time looking at.  I especially love their shelves of Kaffe Fasset fabrics!  Rosie's is also a Janome sewing machine dealer and that is where I made my large purchase.  I have a Janome-New Home-Memory Craft 7700 QCP.  It has dual feed capabilities.  I have a dual feed foot but I have been frustrated with it because it does not have a quarter inch seam guide.  I use it when I paper piece because it really saves time going over the thick places where there are seams with fabric and paper.

Dual Feed Foot
Included with machine

New Dual Feed Foot with
the seam guide.

Both Dual Feed Feet and
Regular quarter inch seam guide

The Dual Feed feet are so much larger then the regular feet.  It is amazing how I don't have to worry about the threads going through the layers of fabric.  I also use it to quilt through the back, batting and top.  It is very versatile.  

When you use the Dual Feed Foot with the seam guide you have to move the needle to the right.  I think there are many Janome dual feed machines out there so moving the needle is essential to get that accurate quarter-inch seam for your machine. I put a ruler down next to the flange and moved the needle from 3.5 to 6.0.  It worked out well.