African fabric

Some acquaintances gave me a big plastic bag of scraps fo African fabric. These are the very long, thin strips you get when you even off the edge of a large piece of fabric--most of them 1/4" or less wide and about 18 inches long. Nothing much was said, but the message I got was a sort of challenge--Okay, let's see what you can do with this!! So yesterday I took up the challenge. I started with a flat piece of black fabric and ironed some fusible web on it. then I carefully laid out the strips across the fabric, at an angle, and pressed them on. I sandwiched the fabric with Warm'n'natural and another piece of the same fabric, and machine quilted vertically about every 1/4". I cut out a small purse (FromQuilting Arts Six Pretty purses), added a zipper and sewed it together. I was very surprized at how thick and heavy the very close quilting made the fabric--it was almost too heavy for the machine. I'm well pleased with it, although it still needs some hand
finishing.

My Pfaff is in the shop. Trauma Time!! Private Pity Party!! But it is 6 years old, and has had some hard use. So I see the writing on the wall--time to start thinking about a new machine. I haven't been entirely happy with the Pfaff, but here are some features that I've become quite dependent on, such as the Intergrated Dual Feed and the needle threader. While it's away, I've been using an old Elna Carina Electronic--and I sure find it different. Sews like a dream, but no free motion work. Now, it will be quite awhile until I can save up enough to actually buy a new machine, but I can start comparison shopping, and seeing if there is any hope for my wish list. The Bernina is out of my price range--no question there, although it is probably the closest I'll get to my "Dream Machine". I like the thread holder that I've seen on t.v., that will hold several spools at a time, and upright at that. The machine I'm hearing the most about is the Husqvarna. So I think that is the first one to take a look at. But no rush, unless I win a lottery.