That new dryer smell

The heating element came in Friday, just as The Loud and I were completing our Income Tax return (with a satisfactory bottom line). I had it installed by the afternoon, and it was a joy to behold not only a warm glow emanating from the back of the rotating drum, but three levels of warm glows!

Losing no time, I threw some newly-acquired fabric into the washer for a hot rinse then a (finally!) hot dry, only to be greeted with a *thunk* and a non-moving drum. It had rotated before--I held the door switch down and watched it turn as it got hot!

But something had stopped cooperating, so into the innards I went. I pulled the drum, checked the possible offending parts, but when it came time to get everything back together, nothing would. The felt seal around the door opening had been ripped and torn away from its groove during my troubleshooting, and its plastic fasteners had broken off. Other plastic bits were breaking. Metal bits were breaking! Seals were crumbling. Backs were breaking, and the final straw was when I glanced down to see blood on my inner wrist. I'd crossed the blood line once again, and I'd had enough.

In short order I opened an online account with the local home improvement chain, applied the balances of a couple of gift cards that have been burning a hole in my pocket, and $17 & 2 days later I was the happy owner of a new dryer. It beeps and boops and plays happy little songs when you manage to find the touch-sensitive spots--quite different from the 'turn the dials and hit the button' model that's currently sitting in pieces in the garage and back yard.

Pre-delivery, the fabric was ironed dry Saturday morning, giving me some quiet time to organize things mentally and set up a new storage idea I'm trying out. I'd consolidated more of my yardage, emptying another file drawer. What I really need, however, is a way to stack fabrics that I've grouped for prospective quilt tops. I've run out of vertical space and options--is there a way to stack horizontally?

I've got rolls of cut-off mesh from the scores of Cabana Mesh Tote Bags I've made over the years, and by happy chance they're the same width as my file cabinet drawers.

I've also got a bunch of unwanted file folders, from which I'm stripping the metal hanging bars.

I've cut the mesh to 24" & 23" lengths (I'm not sure yet where the sweet spot is), folded and sewed down the short ends, and inserted the bars (as it turned out, four bars are necessary--two at each end--for strength).

This is how things are looking currently. From L-R: 50 orphaned Log Cabin blocks (many constructed with N1C fabrics) with neutrals (possibly also N1C) to expand the existing blocks and create more, Bunny stuff (pattern, weird fabrics, some scarves for decorating finished bunnies), ?something?, teapot fabrics, ?something?, ?something?. Lots of room yet to keep adding fabrics. I know one of the folders holds Mardi Gras fabrics, and another holds Easter (chicks & bunnies) fabrics. There are additions to those fabrics that have just been pulled from the New! Improved! Dryer (with its happy little "I'm done!" song).

These are mostly fabrics that came home with me when the Community First! Quilters emptied and organized four more boxes of donated fabrics during last month's meeting. I need to get a move on and start making, not merely collecting!

Speaking of making: the Disappearing 9-patch quilt is finished (has been finished for some time, but Thing 2 was gone and the weather's been nasty or I've been unmotivated to set up the outside photo shoot).

74" x 90"

Thing 2 in action

There was no additional drama once the corner pleats got sorted out, but I probably won't do the outside-in quilting again. I quilted the top with the remains of the King Tut "Mummy's Dearest", playing chicken to get to the end of one section . . .

. . . then finished with an off-white AURifil. This gold Gutermann was in the bobbin.

Between taxes, appliance repair, and chorus property inventory, I haven't had much time yet to do any sewing or quilting, so I'm glad to have something to donate this month.