Which is a better skill for a quilter to have, the ability to count accurately or to measure accurately? Both would be ideal, but lately I have been slackening on the counting skill.  Yesterday I was happily sewing the 34 blocks for the Unity quilt together.  I had carefully counted out the pieces needed (816), as my supply of French General fabrics is dwindling (yay!).  Each block has 16 pieces, 8 of which are HSTs and 8 solids.  I have been counting these piles over and over since Monday, when I started this clue. 126, 68, 34 were the magic numbers, until I got down to the 34 blocks.  After I finished sewing and ironing them, I counted them, 30 – wrong answer.  I separated them into piles, 10 – 10 – 10- and 3.  Better but still missing one, looked around, on the floor, design wall, my chair, nope, only 33.  I set about making one more, it went together pretty quickly.  Then I started sewing the rows together, 2 rows of 8 blocks and 2 rows of 9 blocks.  Wouldn’t you know, I had one extra?  I got them sewn up to the main body of the quilt today.

I  am still kinda struggling with the rental machine,  it’s a great little machine, hums along and makes nice stitches.  I think it would be one to bring on a retreat.  But, sigh, yesterday I sewed a seam with out bobbin thread.  No bobbin thread sensor.  I am still struggling with the knee lift, I still stop sewing and wait for the presser foot to raise, not a function.  Mostly I miss the even feed, especially when easing seams together.

I have two more quilts to get on the long arm, and one to get binding on, and I am done with the Hands 2 Help quilts.  That’ll be my weekend project, and then I may pull out an UFO and see if I can finish it.  Or… there is the commissioned wedding quilt for September.  Options are good 😁

Linking up with Denise at For the Love of Geese Put your foot down #51 today, check out her photo trip through her part of the world.