Lunch break

Well I’m having great fun with the new sewing machine.  Biggest adjustment will be that the free motion quilting foot does not “hop” like the one on my other machine did – it just sort of glides across the top of the quilt.    It’s not a bad thing – I just need to readjust my quilting rhythm since the sound my machine made as the foot was hopping along — all that helped adjust my speed to get in  my quilting grove so needle speed and hand speed all played along together– so I just need to get used to a new hum of the machine to get back in my grove.  It makes a fantastically balanced free motion stitch – I nearly have a little wallhanging I layered to test quilt on.

The two things that will take the most getting used to — the handle on the bobbin case that you hold on to put it in and out, that’s backwards compared to my other machines and the needle threads from the left to right  – my Janome, front to back and the featherweight right to left so this is totally wrong. LOL  But since it has the automatic needle threader, I won’t have to think so hard. LOL

And what’s for lunch?

 Chicken salad which was a WW’s recipe.  It has carrots, grapes, celery.  I altered the recipe to leave out the things I don’t like — for instance I don’t like fresh ginger in things other than hot stir fry dishes.

One thing I have learned – I hate, yes hate, fat free mayonnaise in any way shape form or brand and I do not care for greek yogurt.

This recipe had the “dressing” made from fat free mayonnaise and plain greek yogurt.  I decided I would use those actual ingredients even tho I am a loyal Miracle Whip girl — yes and not fat free Miracle Whip either.  But I bought them – I mixed them up – I will eat the rest of the chicken salad I made (rather than thowing it out since it’s not THAT bad) but I will be throwing out the fat free mayo.  ICK ick ick.

Then as I was comparing points of mayo versus fat free mayo versus Miracle Whip and fat free Miracle whip — I’m totally willing to keep eating my Miracle Whip.   The two things I won’t compromise on — Miracle Whip and Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. 😉  Anyway, I’d make this again but just use Miracle Whip and maybe a little fat free sour cream (that I do like in the fat free form).  I didn’t have any walnuts the recipe called for (need to add those to the grocery list) and I would probably add some raisins when I make it again because I love raisins in chicken salad.  But those strawberries – I don’t know where they were shipped in from by they are delicious.

My lunch break is over – I was eating as I was typing this – and I just have one row of feathers and then I can show you my first quilted item on the new machine.

Oh and someone asked about the quilt in the background of the photo of the sewing machine.

  It was this one.  It had just gotten  pulled from  my “finished extras” pile.  It had been quilted for a while but I wanted to wash it and dry it so it got the “puckered” comfy look. It’s going to an event where a women’s legal group auctions baskets containing various items as  fundraiser for the local domestic abuse shelter.  This quilt will go in a basket along with some home-made candles a coworker makes – she said she has some teacup candles so can’t wait to see those.