The One Where...........

Sheila gets an upgrade!

About 4 or 5 years ago I "inherited" my son's cast-off laptop. A Toshiba, with what he described as the red line of death running vertically down the screen (permanently), and a dodgy "M" key, I was chuffed. I had only been used to a desktop, and it transformed my computer life. Despite its foibles, it was a fast machine and never really let me down.
However, all things must pass, and for my birthday, (did I mention I had a birthday recently???) my lovely OH & kids gave me a new Toshiba with Windows 8 (it'll take a little getting used to). New Toshiba is very slick and shiny and how wonderful to have a slot for my SD card instead of intermediary wee contraptions!
The only downside so far is the incompatibility of my printer with Windows 7 - grrrr, our house is beginning to look like a printer graveyard, current tally - 3.
Having come up thro the ranks of EQ5 and EQ6, it was necessary to upgrade with my new laptop, to EQ7 and this was also gifted to me, by Big Sis. I used EQ6 an awful lot, mainly for my classes, and plan to see how much more I can get out of 7.
Some other family upgrading went on last week which resulted in me being able to acquire OH's Kindle Fire replacing my bog standard Kindle,so now I have a tablet too - go me!
In sewing news, I have made some Bee Blocks today - in Bee a Brit Stingy, Catherine asked for these Pineapple Blossom blocks and gave us the link to a tute on Quiltville.
What a great block, it would be brilliant for using up leftover jelly strips, and you get bonus patches too!

And I made these two blocks for Judith's Bee Blessed

Fiona posted a really good tutorial for this block, they make up so fast.

Now in case you think I veered off the theme of today's post, you are wrong my friends. For quite some time now I have been planning to upgrade my sewing machine. The time was right as this, with the help of others, was to be a present to myself, my gold watch if you will.

 I have had a Husquvarna Lily for 11years, she has served me so well. I also have a little Janome Jem Gold that I take to class, also a great little stalwart.

I have agonised, researched and discussed with some blog pals over which model/brand I should opt for.

After much deliberation I opted for a machine that I am familiar with from my days of working with Janomes. I thought it might be headed for extinction  with so many recent models arriving on the scene but it is a well respected and fabulous machine, is still very much a current model,  and I took delivery of mine on Wednesday. (Just after having a haircut - another upgrade!!)

So here she is - the 6600P, or as I intend to call her, Big Bertha. And I made these blocks on her today.

All we need now is an upgrade in the weather (I know that was a bit of a stretch) - we have had torrential rain here today, even some hailstones, just the job for a Bank Holiday weekend. However, I have my Saturday sorted and it doesn't need good weather. My friend and I are off to a Day Workshop in stained glass - it was another birthday gift (how lucky have I been!!) and I am really looking forward to trying something new.

I hope you all have a good weekend,wherever you are.x

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