My new love affair is with a gadget. Quilters love gadgets, artists love gadgets and gadgets can be pretty pricey. So  I usually stay away from them.  I finally bit the bullet and bought a new gadget.

It is for my mid-arm machine. That awful thing that I swore would not beat me. I have modified it and can quilt on it…..sometimes. Then I bought a Towa bobbin gauge. I looked at these for a few years. It finally dawned on me that you NEVER see a used one for sale. Huh. Must be a reason for that, right? Sort of like your favorite pair of scissors that you would never part with.  So I bought one with birthday money from my dad. Thank you, thank you, thank you Daddy!

Here are some pictures of a test I did on my sample piece. I used a prewound bobbin and set the tension for Sofine. Perfect stitches on the swirls you see. Then I wanted to try Star cotton. Mind you, I have NEVER EVER been able to use any cotton thread in this machine.  First I just changed thread and that is the mess of eyelashes you see. Then I reset the bobbin tension for the thread….and got perfect or near perfect stitches.  I could kick myself for not buying this sooner!