Communications failure

Thank goodness the weekend is over as I had a complete communications failure from Friday lunchtime until about an hour ago. Internet failed AND the television, but luckily the telephone still worked. I have a cable package with Virgin Media and had a broadband failure about 4 weeks ago when I knew it was something to do with the 'cupboard' down the road. Apparently this time they disconnected me completely said the engineer after a lot of sucking in of air and tapping bits of equipment. I asked him to leave a message in the 'cupboard' not to disconnect me again because otherwise I will go over to another provider. He has done that.

Luckily I was out Saturday afternoon at the Spring Quilt Festival at Duxford, with Higham Piecemakers. I had organised the half day trip with a smaller coach which was easier to fill and the show, though small was easy to get around, no scrums around stalls and we had plenty of seating in the refreshment area. A lovely afternoon.

As a result of the enforced crafting weekend, I was able to finish Will's first birthday floor cushion and I will show photos of that next time.

However I did have a go at this:-

Just out of the box

my new Sally Stanley pleater for smocking!! - See the last post for more on this.

I read the instructions, remembered what J at our class had done and had a go. It worked though I realised that I had made a mistake by not straightening the edges and the first piece went though at an angle and without enough lines of threads. So I started again.

The machine is so easy to use if all the edges are straight and this helps when rolling the fabric onto a piece of dowel that keeps it taut when turning the handle.

So here is my 'Tah dah' moment for a Sunday afternoon's non-internet and non-TV day!

The edges still look a little wobbly

Not much to show but I loved doing it. Now to turn this piece of green fabric into a Christmas bauble. Oh and I read the instructions for the bauble after I had produced this and I only needed 75 cm (30 inches) width of fabric and I have used the full width so some will need trimming off!!!!

Next time I will take more photos of the process of pleating.