Update on the new machine

It's been a hugely busy weekend.  After being home from work sick on Thursday, I hit the ground running Friday and have been madly working on getting the basement finished.  It's been "finished", in that there is carpet on the floor and paint on the walls, for a while, but it's really been just an empty room with toys on the floor.  So I've been working on clearing out the storage room, hanging pictures, and finding things a home, as opposed to making neat stacks of stuff in corners.  So the dartboard is up, the coin cases are up, the golf stuff is up, the RAGBRAI posters are up, and the new Ikea shelves are put together.  The big project is going to be to put built-in bookshelves/entertainment center along one wall.  We looked at the price for custom cabinets, but at $15K, it was a bit out of reach.  So for much, much, much less than that, we're working on building some.  My BIL and his friends should be working on it this week, and my goal is to have a completed basement living room by the time Marc gets home next week.  I'm not sure if I can get there, especially since I have three days in lake of the Ozarks next week, but I'll do my best!  So probably not a lot of quilting is going to get done over the next two weeks. 

I've had a couple of days to play with my new machine before all the madness started.  Initial impressions?  It does do a fabulous straight stitch; I'd put it right up there with my Elna.  The walking foot is great - I bound a quilt with it, and it was SO much easier than on my old machine.  Although I'm not sure how fair a comparison it is, because the quilter did just a great job of quilting clear to the edge of the quilt (my old quilter used lovely designs, but often there was 2-4 inches along the outside that wasn't quilted at all).  I hate the bobbin case; I'm used to the drop in bobbin.  I guess it's pretty standard for some machines, and I suppose I'll get used to it, but for now I grumble at it regularly.  On the plus side, you can change the bobbin with the walking foot on!  I like the large table - I think that had a lot to do with making the binding job so easy. 

I've also been working with my sister on getting the rental house ready for her to move into.  We got the new cabinets ordered, which is going to make a HUGE difference in that kitchen.  BIL and his buddies will also be tearing out the old cabinets.  I think he'll also invite his mother out - she loves to do destruction!  So all of this in addition to the 4th of July festivities.  No wonder my fitbit says I did more 10,000+ step days this week than I ever have!