So, there are now 3 large garbage bags full of fabric for my friend.  I was fairly ruthless and measured as I put it in the bag - there was a total of 77.5 meters  .  Most of it was fabric that I was gifted by my mom when she cleared out her fabrics at least 8 years ago.  There are a few pieces that I'm giving to sister#3 for her new granddaughter.  I still need to measure those up.

So, I bought my new serger.  I splurged on a Babylock Victory from a local shop.  She's still in the box as I only got home late last night.  I test drove 3 while I was away - 4 machines in total.  The other 2 were the Bernette 64 and Husqvarna Amber Air.  The Bernette 64 was loud - even the store owner said that people weren't buying it because it was so noisy - it clattered badly - my 20 year old serger is quieter.  The thread guides for the air loopers were hidden under a lip - the shop owner felt it was a design flaw and people struggled with it - she struggled with it.   I'd have to agree that putting thread guides where you have to bend over to look at them in order to thread properly was a poor choice on an air thread machine.  The Husqvarna Amber Air was good - quieter, easier to thread down to the air loopers, and enough power.  The stitches were good too.  It was also cheaper than the Bernette.  It would have been my serger if I hadn't tried out the Babylock and didn't have the funds for the Babylock. 

Surest1ch, I fixed the problem of snapping threads by cleaning the tension discs.  She's running fine now.  But in all the years I've had it (and she has been in for spa days before), it's never done anything.  Not so much as a hiccup.  OK, I confess that I was looking at/dreaming about a new serger before this.

My current serger is a White - it's the exact same as the Husqvarna 250S.  I love it but it's 20 years old and has had about a million miles of thread run through it.  And for the first time ever, it started acting up.  I'm not swayed either way to manual thread or air thread.  I've threaded mine from scratch every time since I bought it.  I'm leaning toward another Husqvarna or a Pfaff.  I tried a Bernina 460 and it's not for me.  No one carries Juki around here.

Ann, the cardinals look great.

I'm in.  Definitely, I need to make a list or I'll forget something important.

I've finished off and shipped out DD2's advent calendar.  This is the panel Dashwood Advent Bags It's really cute but 24 little bags gets a little tedious.  I've made and sent her a Christmas pillowcase.

On my list are 2 pillowcases for DD1 and her bf, Christmas jammies for DD1 and DD2 (and possibly me too).  And new stockings for the immediate family.  There's also 2 (possibly 3) tree skirts.  I'm ready for a new one - after 26 years, I want something new.

She's making a list and checking it twice.  It's that time of year when I figure out who gets what.  While I'm sorting that out, it's time to get ready for Halloween.  I've got "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" on.  I need to get my spooky sewing on - a couple of wallhanging panels to make up.