The Decrapification Project - Part Four - The WIPs and UFOs

Welcome to another edition of Tidy-Up Tuesday!!  I'm STILL working on my studio clean-up.

Decrapification (de-crap-if-ic-a-tion) The term coined by Rosamaria on Ravelry Thrifty Knitters group meaning to declutter a LOT of stuff (from a room or area.)

I liked it so much that I decided to use it for a blog post (or 2 or 10!)

Reaching higher...

In the last Decrapification Project post, I addressed the fabric stash (of which surely must be at SABLE - Stash Beyond Life Expectancy!) This post will address the plethora of projects occupying my studio.

Step Seven - Create MORE storage.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the terminology, in most crafting circles WIPs refer to Works In Progress and UFOs are UnFinished Objects.  This step brings us back to THIS pair of dressers and the fact that the DRAWERS aren't the only area not being used effectively:

Can YOU see what I'm talking about?  Perhaps you can guess what I have in mind.

The baskets and bins on the top of the twin chests of drawers don't hold very much stuff.  Something's got to give!!  In taking a closer look at this area of the room, I realized (possibly thanks to Britt or Hilary) that the something that no longer belongs is that big black screen at the top of the photo shown above.  It can serve double duty and what I need most is STORAGE!!

Step Eight - Remove the TV.

The TV only gets used when I dust off the serger to assemble a new quilted jacket.  Let's be honest... I love my jackets, but I don't make one every day!  The TV was really reserved for guests, but since this is no longer the Guest Room, the best way to accomplish optimum usage of the tops of these chests is to serve the TV its walking papers.  It is now taking up residence in a space that was made specifically for the purpose of housing a television.  In our living room.  Even though I really didn't want a TV in that room!  However, desperate times call for desperate measures.

Before/After:

WAIT!!  What, Joyful???

That's right.  The before AND after photos are the same because DH vetoed having the TV in the living room.  (Probably because he know how much I have always been against the idea!!)

Step Nine - Rehouse the WIPs and UFOs.

To accomplish this, I went shopping after the TV was removed from the sewing room.  My first thought was some sort of Ikea-style cubby system.  While reasonably priced and fairly easy to assemble, I didn't find any that really fit the space properly.  Enter THIS funky little shelf:

It will fit perfectly on top of the twin dressers and allow for project storage, along with an artful display of dust collectors.  :o))

See??  LOOK!!  It really does fit the space well:

Obviously, there are MORE projects to fill the shelves, but this will give you an idea of how I plan to use my new Project Center:

Until next time...
Use ALL of the surfaces!!

Mail Call Monday - The Surprise Edition

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  Yes, I realize that there was NO mail today because of the Memorial Day holiday, but I got a package last week (and one the week before) that needed to be shared.

Thank you to Karen at K's Quilting Corner blog.  She makes Beads of Courage bags.  I commented on her blog by thanking her for her service to the Beads of Courage program.  It's a program near and dear to my heart (since DS2 had a bone marrow transplant 3 years ago.)

She inquired about his Beads and I responding by letting her know that his are kept (safely) in a Ziploc baggie (which has worked fine for my no nonsense boy.)  She was having none of it!!  She kindly offered to make THIS one just for DS2:

It was such a thoughtful gift!  Karen even went in search of the perfect fabric to match DS2's interests and favorite color.  (Totally unnecessary, but so very much appreciated!)  He was so surprised that she had gone to SEW much trouble for him.  Her kindness touched this mother's heart, too.  Thank you, Karen, from both of us!!

And then...

I got an email saying that she had put something in the mail for me.

What?!?

I was terribly confused (since DS2's package had already arrived.)  I emailed back wondering if I had forgotten to send an acknowledgement.  Or had I sent it to the WRONG Karen?!?  Not the case!!

She emailed back saying that she felt that I needed something special, too.  How sweet is that?!?!

The (unexpected) package:

The contents:

The sweet message that accompanied the adorable (GREEN) pouch:

And I might have mentioned that mine is GREEN!!!  :o))  Thank you, again, Karen!!  You certainly brightened my day (and my week... and my month... and my outlook on life.)  May you be blessed for your kindness and generosity to others.

Until next time...
Sew Happy!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC16 - Week 22

Welcome to Week 22 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  I may actually get to sew this week AND some of it might actually be GREEN... just in time for a NEW Color of the Month.  LOL

On SUNDAY, I talked my husband into helping me with the next phase of my Decrapification Project.  You can read about it in a future edition of Tidy-Up Tuesday.  I also managed to start the week off right with a TINY bit of sewing by stitching up ONE Slab Block in GREEN:

If I'm not mistaken, this GREEN goodness came from my friend Jean's scrap stash.  Thanks, Jean!! (And if they came from another friends scrap stash... I hope you will forgive me and accept my heartfelt apologies.  I appreciate ALL the SCRAPS!!!)

MONDAY is the NEW day for Knit Group.  Not really my preference, but it seemed to work for the majority for the summer months.  We will reevaluate come Fall.  In celebration of our new meeting day, we (apparently) sent out a (mental) memo:

Totally NOT the Color of the Month for the RSC!!!  (But... SEW typical for the CK Team.)

The afternoon was  my own and I put it to good use by finishing up the last few blocks for the UNC Two T-Quilt.  I did most of the fusing of interfacing on Saturday.  Next step, squaring up the blocks.

TUESDAY was a stay-at-home day and I took advantage of time between household chores to prepare scraps for sewing one Tiny Nine... later in the week:

I also posted Part Three in my Decrapification Project.  The steps deal with fabric relocation.  To me, it felt like one big "Shell Game."  Progress was made.  I am pleased with the end result.

On WEDNESDAY, I gathered up a bunch of quilts and headed off to Carol Woods Retirement Center to do another Quilt Talk.  The residents really seem to enjoy this now-monthly Community Outreach event, hosted by the Durham Orange Quilt Guild.  I'm a member and have volunteered 2 months in a row to share my quilts... goodness knows, I have enough quilts to share!!!

THURSDAY was one of those day where I am running here and there from dawn to dusk.  It began with taking the girls to school and ended with the CRHS End of Year Pot Luck/ Awards Night.  In between, I hosted the weekly Quilt Group, worked on a secret project, and dropped off paper/plasticware so the band kids could take care of setting up for the awards "banquet."

I enjoyed talking with friends at the dinner and was shocked at the award ceremony.  In a good way.  DS2 was recognized for being in Marching Band, Jazz Band, and the various Honor Bands that he was selected for during the year.  Not so shocking.

But, THEN...

The director announced the two BIG awards chosen annually.

Guess who won the John Phillip Sousa Award?!?!

That's right.  DS2!!!  I couldn't be happier for him.  :o))

A handwritten note from the director accompanied the award.  Such a wonderful added touch!!

A quick check of one of my favorite blogs told me that Kat at Kat and Cat Quilts has posted the June Block Drive for Covered in Love.  If you've got some blue and yellow scraps, please consider making a block or two for this wonderful cause.



FRIDAY turned out NOT to be another stay-at-home day, so I worked extra hard upon my return!!  Check out my Design Floor Friday post for my latest project.

On SATURDAY, I joined Angela's LINK PARTY and will enjoy an afternoon of sewing with my good friend, Needleb.



Until next time...
Get Scrappy!!!

Design Floor Friday {On a Saturday}

Welcome to another edition of Design Floor Friday!!  This week's post was delayed.  My apologies.

Short and sweet... THIS quilt is making up for my last T-Shirt Commission.  It's practically making itself!!  You've GOT to love a quilt that flies together...

I give you UNC Two:

Since this photo was taken, I have assembled the columns and am ready to begin assembling the top.

Until next time...

Celebrate small victories!!!

The Decrapification Project - Part Three - The Fabric

Decrapification (de-crap-if-ic-a-tion) The term coined by Rosamaria on Ravelry Thrifty Knitters group meaning to declutter a LOT of stuff (from a room or area.)

I liked it so much that I decided to use it for a blog post (or 2 or 10!)

Digging deeper...

In the last Decrapification Project post, I addressed the scraps (of which I have a gracious plenty!) This post will address the rest of the fabric.  I showed you the hiding places in Part One.  Shall I refresh your memory?  OK... If you insist.  :o))

Step Six - Reorganize the fabric stash.

Some of the drawers in THIS pair of dressers aren't being used to their fullest potential:

The same may be true of THIS tall chest:

It might also be the case in THIS small chest:

SEW... let the wild rumpus start!!!

There once was a HUGE stack of jeans living in this corner.  They are ALL GONE!!!

This corner has been occupied by a random stack of stuff for the past 5 YEARS!!  No longer!!

While I was at it, I removed a layer of fabric (and yarn) from this corner:

You may not be able to tell by looking at the photo above, but if you scroll back up the page to where I first introduced you to the tall chest, you will DEFINITELY see a marked difference.  I've been busy!!

Until next time...
Sort it out!!!

Mail Call Monday - Scrappy Swap

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  This week's post shares the happy mailbox from last Wednesday (AFTER posting that day's package.)  Lori at Dakota City Quilter and I did a little swap.  I sent her a bag of scraps and she sent me a FQ... eventually.  Life got in the way and it was several weeks before she sent her package.  So long that I had forgotten ALL about it!!!  LOL

That made this squishie all the more special:

The contents:

The promised FQ in GREEN (my favorite and hers!) along with  a stack of "bricks" and a couple of Bonnie Hunter's favorite marking pens (which I haven't tried.)  Thank you, Lori!!

Lori included a nice note explaining how life got in the way, which I totally understand:

Here's hoping that Lori's toothache is better and she's busy using up some of the scraps that I stuffed in her envelope.  I know that I'm going to have some big fun with the fabrics she sent me!!!

Until next time...

Hooray for squishy mailers!!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC16 - Week 21

Welcome to Week 21 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  This week may or  may not be filled with GREEN sewing.  (Green being the Color of the Month for the RSC.)  I'm trying to set my studio to rights after the MAJOR overhaul that took place last week.  SEW... I'm not holding out much hope.

Let's see how the week progressed, shall we?

SUNDAY, while scrolling through RSC Quilters posts, I found that I had missed Angela's posting of the Column Along block for May.  She provided a tutorial with links for other Flying Geese methods.

MONDAY was errand day... banking, a trip to the Will of Good, and a grocery run.  I even remembered to stop by to have my car inspected!!  Another task ticked off the list was my Mail Call Monday post.  You can read about my latest acquisition HERE.

TUESDAY came and I was car-less.  DS1 took it took it to work, so (by default) it is a stay-at-home day.  :o((

I am choosing to use my car-less-ness as a blessing.  After breakfast, I put on the first load of laundry and fired up the computer to post the next installment of The Decrapification Project.  THIS POST deals with scrap storage.  The resulting solution makes me immensely happy!!

If you missed the first post in the mini-series and want to find out how I dealt with the room layout, feel free to follow this LINK.

On WEDNESDAY, I stayed home to work on a variety of household chores.  After all of the tasks for the day were completed, I went to meet friends for dinner and a glass of wine (or two.)  We had a bit of a revolving door, with friends coming and going at different times, but it still made for a very pleasant evening.

THURSDAY morning was Quilt Group.  My chauffeur arrived promptly at 9 AM.  (DS1 needed the car for work and I didn't have anything scheduled for the afternoon.)  My friend, Joanna, kindly agreed to pick me up before and deliver me home after our meeting.  Thanks, Joanna!!

The entire family met up at DS2's Spring Concert in the early evening:

It was the final concert of the year, as well as the final concert of his high school career.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about that fact.  At least there's still the Pot Luck/Awards Night next week!!

FRIDAY was another stay-at-home day.  My friend Cindy came over to offer some storage solutions for my sewing room redo.  Thanks, Cindy!!  You did a great job of prodding me along.  :o))

On SATURDAY, I joined Angela's LINK PARTY and attended my Quilt Bee's Sew Day at the SECU Family House.  One of our members works at the house and arranged for us to meet there.  I'll let you know how it goes.

As for GREEN sewing this week... there was NONE!!  In fact, there was no sewing at all.  :o((  I did, however, receive a lovely FQ along with a lovely stack of "bricks" and a couple of Bonnie Hunter's favorite marking pens from Lori who blogs at Dakota City Quilter:

Thank you for the wonderful swap, Lori!!  I hope you found LOTS of usable scraps in the bag that you received.  Thanks for lightening the load!  Need more???  Just let me know.

Until next time...
Get Scrappy!!! 

Wonderful Wednesday - The Quilt's in the Mail

Calico Ric Rac,

Reality was faced.

It found a better place

OUT of my space!!!

Thank you, Amanda Jean at Crazy Mom Quilts, for inspiring me to do the (previously) unthinkable.

A recent post recounted her tale of letting go.  At first, I was totally blown away!!!  HOW could she POSSIBLY give away a quilt top that wasn't intended to be a gift.  I'm not THAT kind of quilter!!

YOU heard me right.  I am a selfish quilter.  If I didn't make a quilt specifically for a donation or a gift, it's MINE. ALL MINE!!  I would NEVER consider giving a project away before its completion.

Well, friends...

Never say NEVER!!!  After reading Amanda Jean's story and being so aghast at the thought of the letting go of an unloved project, a vision of a certain UFO popped into my head:

Something extraordinary happened...

My next thought was of giving this quilt top to Covered in Love.

And do you know what???

A wave of peace washed over me, like a weight being lifted from my shoulders.  I know it may sound cheesy, but it's the absolute truth!!

That was before the peace was replaced by a (small) wave of panic... which was then followed by the calm that comes from knowing deep down that you have made the right decision.

Watch your mailbox, Kat.  Calico Ric Rac is headed your way (as soon as I can dig it out from under the quilting table!)  It may take some doing to get it to the size you need for your charity, but I have faith that you will figure something out!!

Until next time...
Lighten the Load!!!

The Decrapification Project - Part Two - The Scraps

Decrapification (de-crap-if-ic-a-tion) The term coined by Rosamaria on Ravelry Thrifty Knitters group meaning to declutter a LOT of stuff (from a room or area.)

I liked it so much that I decided to use it for a blog post (or 2 or 10!)

The work continues...

In the first Decrapification Project post I addressed the furniture arrangement portion of the process. This post will move into the next part of my studio redo project.

Step Five - Relocate fabric (and the scraps.)

This could be REALLY tricky...

Since the REST of the fabric is located...

HERE... In this white dresser:

And HERE... In this brown chest:

OK, ok... in front of it, too!!!

And HERE... In these TWO chests of drawers:

But, WAIT!!  There's MORE in a couple of these GIANT tubs:

... And a pile of these plastic under-bed bins.  Oops!  This one is holding yarn.  There are FIVE MORE just like it that are holding fabric, current projects, and UFOs:

Yes... this is only a SMALL bit of the yarn also in the room!

Are you beginning to grasp the ENORMITY of the problem???  I'm pretty sure I have a problem!!

But, Joyful, HOW can having enough fabric to quilt for the rest of your life (and then some) be anything other than a really GOOD THING?!?!?

Well, Quilters, it's like this...

ALL of that furniture HAS. TO. GO!!!

Wait, WHAT?!?

That's right.  Your eyes did not deceive you.  All of the furniture must find new homes.  The only pieces staying are the two tables, two bookcases, and (hopefully) the fabric cubby/pressing station.

(At least, that's the plan!!!)  SEW...  I ask you...

WHERE am I going to put ALL THIS FABRIC?!?!?!?

Please comment, if you can come up with some (inexpensive) storage solutions.

While YOU were thinking, Needleb came over to help.

We moved some things around...

Sorry the picture is a little dark:

Even though you may remember THIS (recently) clean floor:

It LOOKS really nice, but it's not very practical in this quilt room.  The floor was basically wasted storage space!  Five of the six under-bed bins are housed under the tables and the leg room is less cramped than it was HERE:

Notice the colorful cubbies sitting on the floor in the clean shot?

Well, we had a tentative plan for them, but then Britt had a crazy thought.  What if we move the hutch (not pictured) OFF of the dresser...

... And put the cubbies up there???

Well, I wasn't immediately convinced, but we talked about her vision and I thought about how it would take care of two problems.

First, the hutch REALLY didn't function (for me) the way she thought it might.  Second, the cubbies would eat up too much of the path to use them the way we had (pressing station) in the last iteration of the sewing room.

 SEW... I ran it by DH (since he would have to provide the muscle behind the move!)

The photo above shows my new Scrap Center.  Isn't it AWESOME!!!  I might even adopt the rule
that if it doesn't fit here, it doesn't stay.  Nah!!  That's a BIT too extreme for me.  LOL

Without Needleb, NONE of this would have been possible.  THANK YOU, Britt!!!

Until next time... 
Store that stash!!!

Mail Call Monday - The Quilting Edition

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  Today, I want to share what came in the mail last week:

My friend, Jean, just got this book (from Missouri Star Quilt Company), as well as another, by the same author.  I took a look at both books last week and decided on ...

Christina Cameli's book titled Step-by-Step Freemotion Quilting:

I'm pretty excited about it because it should prove to be a great resource for me.  HERE is a peek inside to one of the patterns that caused me to buy the book:

The book is filled to the brim with SEW many fun looking patterns to try on my quilts.  You might find it useful, too.

Until next time...
Read me a quilt!!

ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC16 - Week 20

Welcome to Week 20 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!! Each week I share my progress as we work our way through the fabric scraps in our stash (using Angela's Color of the Month for guidance.)  In the merry month of May, GREEN has found its way to center stage. Brown accents round out the blocks.  I'm itching to dig into my bags, baskets, and bins!

How much did YOU get done, Joyful???

Well, now that you've asked, I must confess, not terribly much.  Here's how my week panned out...

SUNDAY was Mother's Day.  I hope all of you quilting Mamas out in BlogLand enjoy a lovely day! We packed up the kids then went over the river and through the woods (to Grandma's house.)

The photo above shows my two boys (in highlighter yellow just right of center) at last Saturday's Rainbow Walk of Heroes.  My family walked to raise money for the Family Support Program at Duke University Medical Center's Pediatric Bone Marrow unit.  It's a cause near and dear to us, as DS2 is just 3 years post transplant.  The Family Support team members are absolutely brilliant at bringing "normal life" to the extended hospital stays that these bone marrow patients endure.

On MONDAY, I never left the house.  There was laundry to be done and...

... A quilt to be finished.  Count the GREEN blocks:

More about this quilt can be found HERE.

Hooray!!!  S's T-Quilt is FINALLY done!!!

TUESDAY passed in a blur of Knit Group, errands, and meetings.  The best stop???  Melville Trading Company in Mebane, NC.  It's a warehouse full of good junk.  I bought THIS whitewashed shelf-thing to add to my growing collection of funky little shelving units:

Basically, it's TWO small two-shelf bookcases with a crate centered on top.

After lunch, I went home to clear more from the sewing room.  Before the Band Boosters meeting, I published Part One of The Decrapification Project post.  At this point, the mini-series looks to be around four or six installments.  I hope you'll come back for what I've been thinking of as "Tidy-Up Tuesday" for the next step of the process.  I'm working to transform the once shared sewing/guest room space into the studio of my dreams.  (Or at least a close to it!!)

On WEDNESDAY, with the exception of picking up lunch, I planned on never leaving the house (again!)  I had a friend over to help with the reorganization project that has been eating up my sewing time.  Thanks SEW much for the help, Tiffany!!  As a treat for finishing early, we had our toes done.  Mine, of course, are Lime GREEN:

THURSDAY morning dawned bright and early.  Off I went to take the girls to school.  After they were happily ensconced in their classrooms, I took myself (and my friend, Jean,) to my weekly Quilt Group meeting.  :o))  The problem came in when DH needed my help.  :o((

Hence, a side trip to the local truck rental facility, but that bears little discussion.  Suffice it to say that DH took the day off work to take a load of scrap metal to the recycling center (or some such.)

After lunch with the quilters, I had a meeting with my "Quilt Coach."  (Yes, I'm talking to you, Gayle.)  When our meeting adjourned, I took a trip through BlogLand... and (FINALLY) found the pattern that I want to use for my Birthday Scraps.  (The photo is near the bottom of the page.)  I had designed a quilt to use with them, but I think I like Bonnie Hunter's Wild and Goosey better.  The pattern will really showcase the variety of scraps from my friends.

NO!!  I haven't lost my mind.  Consider this: Each unit will use 7 pieces of print fabric and each block will use 29 piece of print fabric (when you count the center square.)  That's a Load of Scraps!!

YES!!  I realize that the block is paper pieced (and that I absolutely HATE paper piecing.) You HAVE to listen to your quilt and this quilt wants to be a wildandcrazy Loosey Goosey!!  :o))

Special thanks to Sharon over at Vroomans Quilts!!  Her UFO Challenge post drew me in and something about her photo struck a chord with me.  I've seen PLENTY of other Loosey Goosey blocks and quilts, but that one called out to me, "I'm the one for your Birthday Scraps.  Make me, Joyful.  Come on!!  Pick me, pick me!!!"  I can hardly believe what I'm thinking (because I'm thinking that I just might listen - and possibly change my view of paper piecing in the process.)

FRIDAY was a rerun of Thursday, with the exception that today's order of business was a trip to the Atlanta area for an undisclosed errand.  I'll leave you with the GREEN leaves from another of my iris plants blooming... across the street:

On SATURDAY, I was still in Atlanta.  Fortunately, joining Angela's LINK PARTY fit in the cards just before breakfast.  Maybe tonight, before I crawl into bed, I'll be able to visit all the links, but for now...  Let's EAT!  :o))

Until next time...
Get Scrappy!!!

Design Floor Friday - The Abbreviated Version

OK...

So what does it mean when you write a post, push the WRONG button, and it suddenly disappears???  That's what happened earlier - the second time it's happened in 2 weeks!  It's SEW frustrating!!!

Want to know what else is frustrating???

Having a UFO that you don't know what to do with, but holding on to it, anyway.  For years and years!  That's what I've been doing with THIS quilt top for the last 5 years or more:

Calico Ric Rac

This quilt has a story (as they all do) and I will tell it another day.  Suffice it to say that this project has been on my UFO List for a VERY. LONG. TIME!!  (As well as, on and off the Design Floor a hundred times.)

It is about to be gone...  For good!!

WHAT are you talking about, Joyful???

It's all Amanda Jean's doing.  Yesterday's post told a story that, at first, had me scratching my head...

Before the light bulb went off!

Until next time...
Sometimes finishing means letting go!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - UFO Club Finish

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  Today, I am pleased to report that I have completed a quilt from my UFO List.  (It was actually done earlier in the week, but I didn't have time to post about it.)

I can tell you this... I am SEW excited to have ANOTHER finish for the Q2 Finish-A-Long!!

S's T-Quilt has been on the list since the end of last summer.  I completed her brother's quilt first since he's older.  Once his quilt was done, I put more effort into moving hers along.

Did that help???  NO!!!

This quilt gave me grief at every turn.  I was beginning to think that I would NEVER finish it!!  Then one fine Spring day, the stars aligned and the quilt came together.  HOORAY!!!

After that came the matter of the quilting.  With my shoulder still bothering me, I asked my friend Bo to do the quilting.  Thanks, Bo!!

Take a look at the completed quilt:

I texted the recipient and she is excited to see both Big Brother and Little Sister quilts.  Sadly, she's not available to accept delivery until next week.

Until then...
Waiting on Pins and Needles!!!

The Decrapification Project - Part One - The Arrangement

Decrapification (de-crap-if-ic-a-tion) The term coined by Rosamaria on Ravelry Thrifty Knitters group meaning to declutter a LOT of stuff (from a room or area.)

I liked it so much that I decided to use it for a blog post (or 2 or 10!)  Used with her permission.

Would YOU like to know what's going on in my sewing room?

Well, suffice it to say, there is a TON of stuff in there (as you might have guessed from the title of this post.)  A few of the Ravelry Quilters  and some of my other quilting friends know that I went a little crazy during the middle of April.  One decision got the ball rolling on a MAJOR clean-out of my studio.  More about that in a later post!!  For now, all you need to know is that some reorganization is taking place and this post (and others to follow) will share the process with you.  Because it will DEFINITELY be a process!!

Step One - Lose the bed.

HERE is the bed (because the space used to double as a guest room):

This sewing machine cabinet is sitting where the bed USED to be:

Here's a wider view:

Step Two - Find the floor.

LOOK!!  There really IS a floor under there:

Step Three - Move the tables.

But FIRST...

Step Four - Clear the tables.

Otherwise, the trip across the room could prove to be problematic:

The tables made it safely across the room (with only minor incident.)  Once moved, the farm table in the foreground needed to be tightened up, as it was wobbling from end to end.  Not so good when you have expensive sewing equipment sitting on said table!  Enter, Mr. Fix-it.  Thanks, DH!!

Until next time...
Plan carefully!!!