Happy Dance!!!!

Yesterday, Santa Claus came early!  I have been dreaming of the Janome Memory Craft 7700 QCP since it was introduced last fall.  I have had the flyer leaning on the shelf in the sewing room.  Just sitting there teasing me with its wonderfulness.  I had a really nice sewing machine.  A Janome too, with lots of quilting features but I found I was maxing out its capabilities.  I really wanted a longer arm.  When I was quilting the yellow vintage sheet quilt, I really struggled.  Then I whined.  Nicely though.  I whined to both Husband and Mum.  They both seemed to agree with me.  This was a good thing.  The time was right and I pounced!  The local sewing machine shop had a sale.  This was looking good.  I did all my research.  Read every review.  Read the writing off the flyer.  Found out all the specs.  I even called the shop to verify the price and if they took trade ins. Saturday was sewing machine day!  By 10 am, she was mine!  Happy dance!  Even Husband was excited!  The sewing machine table even came with the machine as part of the sale!  I never dreamed of having the table.  Husband put it together really quickly and I had everything set up before you could say "quarter inch foot!"

She is just so pretty.  This is before Husband put the pressure foot knee lifter into the socket.  That goes in those nice little holes in the table.  The sewing machine table fit very nicely at the end of the long harvest table where I do all my cutting and mess making in the downstairs kitchen/sewing room.

I think I was in shock with delight!  This is one totally sweet machine!  Oh My Goodness!  That is all I can say.  It makes my old machine seem like a toy.  Yep.  I am a happy quilter!  I spent yesterday figuring it all out.  I played and made all sorts of free motion samples.  Today I made my Farmer's Wife blocks for the week.  Complete glee!  I am all set to play some more.

Husband is watching the Grey Cup game.  We managed to find a spot between rain and wind storms to put the outside Christmas lights up.  We didn't require an ambulance or a divorce lawyer!

Happiness!

Here is the thing...

I took my sewing machine in for service.  They said two weeks.  I think that this is a long time to be without a sewing machine but what can you do?  I unhappily left my dear machine in the hands of the repair people.  I trusted them.  This week, my anticipation started to build because I knew that the two weeks is up on Saturday.  Happiness!  Delight!  Joy!  and yes, even wonder!  Will it be a magical experience to use my newly serviced machine?  Will I notice a big difference!?  How many quilt shops can I stop at on the way back from picking her up?  It is all just so exciting!!!!  But then I phoned the repair shop.  Just to check.  I asked politely and I mean very politely because I want them to be nice to my machine, "Will it be ready for pick up on Saturday, which will be the promised two weeks?"   And I waited, holding my breath.  Somehow I just knew that even with all this anticipation and barely suppressed excitement, the chances were great for disappointment.  And I was disappointed.  Heavy sigh.  Apparently they are just sooooo busy that  it won't be ready until at least next Wednesday!  OMG.  Honestly, sewing machine repair people need to think about the trauma that we go through without our machines!!!!!  I have read about similar separation anxiety on other quilt blogs with sewing machine service.  I know I am not alone.  I may need therapy.  Maybe a support group.

I have been working away at the hand quilting on my French Roses quilt.  My finger tips are showing the boo boos from the needle.  I wear a thimble on my underneath hand but I think I might tape up the ends of my thumb and index finger before I continue.  Such a whiner!

I am off to Books for Bedtime with our future Kindergarten students.  The primary teachers and I will spend a delightful hour with at least 25 four year olds decked out in their jammies, so that we can start to get to know them before next September.  Seriously, it is just way too much fun.  Happy Thursday!