Condolences

My best friend's lovely Mother in Law died.  She was a kind, warm, friendly woman,   and I can't quite believe I won't ever be hearing her rich gravelly voice again.

I wanted to make condolence cards for my friend and her hubby, and for my friend's father in law. 

I haven't used my embroidery machine for a long time.   It is a lovely machine, but when I have to rethred it, it's annoying.   I had been looking at bigger multi needles (as I wouldn't need to rethread so often), but I wanted to be able to see the prospective ones im the flesh.  Covid made that impossible.  And one of the ones I'm considering is in the US, and I can't find a UK distributor.

What I did consider,  was putting tubes on the machine. It wouldn't solve the thread problem, but it would reduce it.    I asked DH's opinion on what diameter tubing to get, and he got some for me and cut it into lengths.   I left them by the machine to put on next time I needed to rethread.

That was months and months ago.   These condolences cards are "next time".

I replaced two of the threads, and used the tubing.  I even went to the trouble of getting and using the steps to be able to reach the threads stand from above, to minimise the chance of me accidentally touching the adjacent threads.   I'm not very well at the moment,  and it was hard work.

The process is a darned nuisance and, partly because I wasn't well, the frustration of the stupidity of the process really annoyed me.  I was annoyed that the bloody  manufacturers have so little competition that they don't bother to improve something like this, it's so unnecessarily irritating.

When I'd fitted the two tubes, partially unthreading the adjacent threads by accident becase the stupid way they are designed it so - well -  stupid,  I got the machine to stitch out. The effing machine would not play ball, it was so frustrating.    I was effing and blinding a lot,  a way of trying to releve my frustration and pain. 

 I didn't know whether it was the tubing that was causing the issue.   Luckily, my brother and my cousin popped round for a cup of tea, so   I walked away from the machine and left it,  as trying to trouble shoot when I was not in a good frame of mind is not a good idea.

I asked on a forum specifically for my  machine whether anyone had tried fitting tubes, and had they had any success.   I had a dozen replies telling me that they didn't have a problem with threads tangling with each other (no other suggestions, just telling me that they didn't have a problem.  How is that a helpful reply?!),   several people telling me  that  I didn't need to do it,  at least one that said that it must be crap thread, and others that or I needed a humidifier, or a dehumidifier, or I was doing something wrong if I  needed it, yada yada yada.  It reminded me of the joke post about how many facebook users does it take to change a lightbulb...

The next day, Saturday,  I decided that I'd unscrew the thread plate and clean it out (yes, it needed it), and test all the needles individually.   I also found a thread on a generalist embroidery group where I'd had a discussion with another embroiderer some months ago, which led me to getting the tubing.  I asked her to post a pic of her setup.   

 While I waited for her to respond, I carried on.  I started with number 1 needle, which didn't have tubing, and that worked OK.   So, I unthreaded it, installed tubing, rethreaded, and tried again.   It worked.

I was pleased about it, because that showed me that the tubing was going to work, and it wasn't automatically to blame for the failure on needles 3 and 6.

Number 2 needle didn't have tubing, and that didn't work.    I rethreaded from scratch,  and it worked.  I unthreaded it, installed the tubing, tested it, and it was OK.   Number 3 already had tubing from yesterday.  I unthreaded, took the tubing off, rethreaded, tested.  It worked.  I unthreaded,  put the tubing on, rethreaded, it didn't work.  I checked the thread path, I made some adjustments, it worked.  

I was tempted to just put the tubing on 4 and 5,  they were already partially unthreaded because that's what happens.   But I followed my diagnostic path.  I rethreaded them and tested untubed, then tubed and rethreaded and tested again.  They werenow  working.

Number 6 was a problem with or without tubing.   Eventually, I got it to work, and then it still worked when I put the tubing on. 

I'd now spent a long time getting this far.   By this time, the lady had very kindly posted a pic of her setup, but I'd already done my own.   I think she used smaller diameter tubing,  but I was happy with what I'd done.

 

I stitched out the design for the first card.  Two variations of silver, on black felt.

I stitched out a variation of that design for the second card. One silver and one red, on black felt.   I decided that I didn't like them being so similar, so I created a simpler design for the FiL.  

I stitched out simple design, silver heart with the MiL name in rainbow thread, on black felt.   It was pretty, but it looked ike a gay pride thing.     I did it again in red.  It looked like a valentine.   I did it again in silver.  It looked right.

I can't believe it took me so long.  I am so out of practice.

I was pleased with them, and I was glad I'd done it.   I didn't think to take a picture.

I've left the machine threaded and tubed, and ready to go.   Hopefully it will work first time, next time. 

It occurred to me that I should do some Christmas cards or something, while I've got the machine going.  But I really  can't face it at the moment.

Total crafty things this year:51

Sewing based makes: 
123) Inner pad for foot muff; make cover for foot muff;  trim down Superking Duvet to KS and recover edges;
456)Cushion cover for Miss T; Gift bags for Miss T and GDK;
7)Dressing Gown;
8-10)Cat Duvet, Duvet Cover and Pillowcase;
11) Cushion cover for living room;
12-15) Sleeveless tops (x4);
16) SBCC top
17) Overlocker chicken
18) Curtains for nest boxes (4, but counted as 1 make)~
19,20,21)Boxers for DH (test pairs for sizing - counted as 1,  and then 2 pairs)
Abandoned muslin for LoveNotions Willow Wrap Dress (not counted in total makes)
22)Apostrophe Patterns Joggers (jellyfiah and space)
23)Apostrophe Patterns Flared Joggers (black, with big red roses)
24)Boxes for DH (3 pairs using black cotton lycra with patterned fly)
25)Shorten the hems and sleeves on 4 of Mum's day dresses (count as 1 task)
26) repurposed  old tee shirt as cover for mini cushion
27) Burrito rolled bag (from Jane's July Zoom)
28) Replace waistban on massively oversized maxi skirt
29) Salvage DH's Firestorm tee shirt (using stretchyfix)
30) Yet another Heartlight skirt (July) feathers scuba, great pattern matching, good fit on waistband
31) Convert single duvet cover to king size
32) Convert 1 pillowcase to 2,  and create 2 additional plain pillowcases to match
33) Dressing gown (LoveNotions Compose) (black flowers on white, brished cotton)
34) Cover for A0 printer
35) Condolence cards

Learning activities:
1) Scanning pattern pieces; 2) Making movies; 3)Babylock demo day; 4)Gathering using my overlocker;   5) Euphy training (circles,using elastic in looper);6) Gail Yellen's binder course; 7) Inkscape 1; 8) casting on;  9)purling; 10)casting off

Non sewing based craft makes: 
A) Painted bisque butter dish and had it fired
B) Knitted Infinity scarf, first attempt (pinks) 

C) Painted bisque small jug (hen names) and had it fired. 

D) Heart shaped plate with names of all our pet hens, and had it fired
E) Medium jug
F) Tall, "split personality" jug