It's Cold.

The furnace didn't work last Thusday morning. Steven lit a fire early, before his dentist appointment, and he turned up the heat in the bedrooms. The furnace didn't kick in.  It was 27 below zero. The furnace tech came within hours of our call, despite our insisting that this was not an emergency and others might need them more urgently. 

He couldn't figure out what was wrong. He thought it was the circulating pump but replacing that didn't fix it.  He called a buddy, slightly more experienced. A pipe was partially frozen. It took all day to sort it out and so I couldn't get in my sewing space. I was hot to work on OBW 6.

I had all the hexagons sewn into strips. I had sewn some strips together. I lost a day Wednesday because Theo had a spell during the night and I was sure it was his time. He rallied after a double dose of prednisone, some gabapentin, and some cooked ground turkey. I cried a lot, lost sleep, and overall decided that I couldn't deal with it if he died. He didn't.

I had been using the 31-15 for sewing the strips together. It is quite a lovely machine. I love it for the knee controller that lifts the presser foot. The machine is so old that it doesn't have reverse. Something is wrong with the needle bar, though. The clearance between the hook and the needle is very close. I know that it is the needle bar because the needle sits way right in the hole in the needle plate. 

Interestingly, if I use a #90/14 needle it will stitch but it hits the hook. I am using an 80/12 and it works just fine. 

I took the needle holder and thread guide off and cleaned it all up but found no difference. I guess I will fiddle with it some more before I tear into the needle bar. As I think about it, though, if the needle position shifts more to the left, the needle will hit the hook. I'm thinking maybe this machine has been re-timed to account for the wacky needle bar. Sigh. 

OBW 6 is all stitched together. I need to find some yellow fabric for the narrow border. That means a road trip to  A Quilter's Garden in Montpelier.  I guess road trip isn't exactly the right descriptor. Montpelier is 34 miles away. I have been cooped up for days, though, so it will feel good to get out of town. (Did you notice, I flipped the quilt?)

Theo isn't really that much bigger than Kota. Apple iphone camera distorts things. 

Fortunately the bitter cold may be finished. Wednesday's forecast is for 38. Today hit 21 and it was sunny for much of the day. After weeks of sub-zero temperatures, today was a gift.