Don't Tell Houston We Have A Problem

I have an almost finish!

But first I will tell you a story.

In my first post graduation job, I worked for a USA multinational. It was an engineering company with its fingers in many, many pies. We were a tiny outpost of this huge corporation. Our head office was in Houston, Houston's head office was, I believe, in Cleveland. In work, we had one mantra, "don't tell Houston". "Don't tell Houston we have a problem". Last week, I had a problem and this leapt back into my mind after so many years, if we don't tell Houston we have a problem, then we don't have a problem. My problem? I lost the shaft that connects my Pfaff sewing machine to my foot. I also lost the foot but that is beside the point.

It has taken me two years to take this shaft and foot off and replace it with my free machine foot. I was so nervous of losing it, I wisely decided not to put it in the tin box for my sewing machine accessories. After all, it may get muddled with the others and I won't know which bit is which. And so, I put it in a very, very safe place. Roll on visa worries etc etc and this very safe place disappeared from human memory. I have lots of safe places to keep things, a whole load of them. All very safe and very obvious to me at the time. So .... I looked in
the two top drawers of my crafting dresser
all the little useful tins in the two top drawers of my crafting dresser
the little drawer attached to the sewing machine (don't be silly, I knew that was a red herring)
the tin my quilting pins are in, several times
the tin my bobbins are in
my posh jewellery box
my second jewellery box
my junk jewellery box
my scrapbooking bits and pieces box
my bedside cabinet, all the drawers several times
all three workboxes (don't be silly, they wouldn't be there)
the three drawers snaffled in my daughter's old bedroom for my knitting needles and sewing threads

It wasn't in any of these places. Of course it wasn't.
My husband offered to help me look and organise in one fell swoop, but told me I wouldn't like it! An old work colleague told me to pray St Antony, patron saint of lost causes once when I lost my purse. I thought St Antony had more important concerns than my purse hidden whilst on holiday, but not only did my purse turn up, but an unexpected £60 in it!
 I was just contemplating whether to take my husband up on his offer, or bother St Antony again, when I went for one last look. Bearing in mind, I had been searching for a week, I had not great faith. And you know what? My "safe place" turned out to be my quilting pin box all along. I couldn't see the wood for the trees! I am sure there is a life lesson in here somewhere. Don't tidy up I think is the lesson learned!

Anyhow, this all meant I was at last able to make the binding for my Plus Playtime quilt, aka Sandra's Scraps, and attach it. I was overjoyed. It is funny how, the whole visa/wedding party thing you soldier on smiling through, and a missing sewing foot reduces me to tears of frustration.

The binding is very scrappy. I was determined I was going to use every scrap of Sandra's scraps, and I did. It means at times, the binding is a little bulky here and there, but no matter. I love how it looks like a swiss roll when it is coiled.

By this photo on Sunday afternoon, the binding is half on.

 

 

 

2 photos,  24 hours apart. Can you play spot the difference?

 

 After another marathon sewing session last night the binding is all sewn down. This just leaves the ends to be sewn in, for some reason I find myself singing that old harvest hymn, Bringing In The Sheaves when sewing in the ends.  No idea why but it happens every time!

A quick wash and tumble and this can join my pile of finished lap quilts. I think this may be my new favourite, I will have to think of somewhere fun for the finish photos.

Helen x