Hive 3 July blocks

Martina picked string blocks for July! I was wondering when these would come up. Every bee I've been in,  including last years Stash Bee has had a string block of some sort! They make a brilliant bee block and a great way to get lots of variety and a scrappy look in your quilt. Mine are mostly green for some reason!Must be all the rain we've been getting this summer makes the place look even more greener than 40 shades!

Martina asked us what we sew with, what we love and what we'd change.  My first proper sewing machine was this H600e Husqvarna Viking.  It has a big harp space (about 8") and a lovely wide bed that is really good for moving a large quilt around.  Shame it is so problematic for free motion work.  It is a finicky machine, likes a thread stand, prefers to sew at 3/4 speed rather than full and has terrible bobbin tension for FMQ.  I adjusted the bobbin, finished my quilt and one embroidery motif later the tension was shot to hell and the bobbin fell apart in my hand.  Being primarily an embroidery machine it is not designed for FMQ! 

My small Pfaff on the other hand is.  I love this machine - it is perfect in every respect except for the small harp space (about 5" I think).  Prefect tension, Integrated walking foot, lightish to carry to class and comes with its own hard case, soft case for extension table and 1/4" foot.  What I don't like is no bobbin warning, I have to adjust the needle position 2 stops over for 1/4" seam (its habit now but every so often I forget!) and I have never gotten the hang of the automatic threader!

Lastly this is my newest purchase to replace the Viking.  Its the Janome 8200 Memory craft, a model or two down from Martina's but with same massive harp space (11"!).  If you use the automatic needle threader it eats fabric on the next seam and doesn't warn when bobbin thread running out - Viking does and it's really handy!  It does have a knee lift but too far away to be useful, even adjusted which is disappointing.  But it has a setting for 1/4" piecing, push a button and needle sets with stitch length 1.8.  It has a setting for FMQ and a straight stitch needle plate that you can change with the push of a button.  Wish it had a quick release foot like the Berninas but other than that brilliant machine, loving quilting on it and getting to know it better!

I don't have a dream machine, still on a high from buying the Janome just yet!