Sewing and stiff shoulders

Well, I have spent the last few days trawling t'interweb for tutorials regarding sewing machine stuff and quilting. I have been making copious notes and learning lots. It would seem I have got one thing very wrong and that is that I used very thick polyester wadding instead of nice thin wool batting to layer my quilt. That's what I get for making things up as I go along! Now my quilt is all poofy and silly and it wibbles at the corners and won't lay flat. I shall now have to glue the whole thing to a thin piece of wood in order to hang it. How silly.

I have learnt how to thread-paint and have spent many hours making secret stuff that you can't see yet. My shoulders are almost seized up as I have been hunched over the machine for so long. I really must adjust my sewing position. The secret things are small tokens of my appreciation to lovely Debra and her daughter Jo in Texas who have been so sweet to me. Debra and I have done a deal for nine of my patterns. Debra is paying me by purchasing me some gorgeous threads and fabric from America and shipping them to me. I am SO excited. It was like Christmas choosing what I wanted! I am putting a little bit of vintage velvet in the parcel with Debra's patterns. Unfortunately I don't have much left though. I am also putting a few other bits in and then these two secret things that I have made. They are not perfect and are probably technically wrong, but they took me hours and they were made with much love!!! And anyway, any irregularities are artistic!

I just thought I'd put this photo on to show what Minnie likes to do best. If she sees a box she says to herself ' I must sit in that box'. And she does!