Tinkering & Pondering

So I finally installed my EQ7 upgrade last night.  I've only had it sitting here since Quilt Market - which was in the middle of May!  That's sad - to wait this long to install such a fun program!

So far it seems pretty easy and very similar to EQ6 - put I have to confess, I haven't explored any of the new options in the program just yet.  

Last night I tinkered with it and was able to lay out 9 new little quilts.

I really wish I could make more hours in the day to play with all the new features, but deadlines loom on the horizon and I've got to get to work.  At least the work will be fun - playing around with fabric, sewing and hand quilting - that kind of fun, it's all good.

Then my next dilemma, I'm pondering this purchase and have been for a couple of months now:

Yes that's an Accu Cut studio cutter.  I want it. I need it for the amount of 5" squares, 2 1/2" squares, strips and tumblers I cut around here.  Remember last month when I cut over 12,000 five inch charm squares in less than a week?  Well when some friends heard about that - they claimed I was nuts for doing it all by hand with a rotary cutter and ruler. I admit to the nuts part, but I just cannot get myself to the point of saying - "Just order the thing already!"  What do you think?  Anyone out there in blog land own one?  I know a lot of folks have the AccuCut Go - but I'm not sure that's what I need - I think I need the "big daddy" version!  LOL

Charm squares are rolling in for our charm square swap.  We are still swapping and really enjoying it!  I'll have to take a picture of some of the "uglies" I've received so far - that has really been interesting to see what some consider ugly!  The "uglies" I'm sending in return are truly ugly to me - but someone else might not think so!

Yesterday my plans of playing at the sewing machine got way-laid as I went on the hunt searching for something.  Well, you know how that goes sometimes.  Here I was on the hunt for something and next thing I know I wasted the whole stinking day cleaning a corner of the basement!  Ugghhh, but it was fun going through the boxes and stash bins.

 

I was even able to pack up and ship out a 26 pound box of fabric happiness to my Great Aunt!  Man did that feel good - and it's given me a little (and I do mean just a little) more breathing room around here.  Great Aunt Columbia in West Virginia will receive her surprise box this Friday and I'm sure she will love it.  Fabric is hard to find down in that area and my Great Aunt loves to quilt!  The last time I gave her fabric - she blew my mind at how quickly she put her quilts together!  Shes fast!

I've blogged about her in the past and here's a pictures of one of her beauties:

Then I went through the scrap basket.  Which to put it mildly - was overflowing.  Beyond overflowing to be honest with you!  I boxed up 5 different boxes of scraps and I'll probably list those on ebay.  Seriously - how many scraps can I keep holding onto in my lifetime!  I've already got a ton of scrap fabric and thousands of pieces already cut into various shapes and sizes just ready to go for future projects.  Put it this way - the scrap bin was smashed  full of goodies - the stack was over 3 feet high.  That's crazy!  So I sorted and sorted and kept a small amount of "favorites" - super favorite pieces that is and the rest I divided into flat rate boxes.  I de-cluttered the stash a bit yesterday - I admit.  I would mail them on to relatives to use, but it's all civil war type fabrics and they are just not that "into" my kind of fabric!  So ebay it is.....

Now, I've got to move on with today's activities - I think I'm going to sew!  Yep, I said it - I'm going to park my butt in my sewing chair and have a bit of fun today and see what kind of magic I can work up!  What are you up to today?