Introducing Gandalf

Someone asked about my longarm machine. It is a Proto Stitch Wizard. I did 5-6 months research and tried every machine I could find before deciding which one to buy. I chose this one because (1) the support given by the northwest dealers http://www.keepersquilting.com/ was incredible, (2) the price was much more reasonable that that of other machines, (3) the machine had features not available on other machines, (4) I liked the "feel" of the machine better than any other machine I tried, and (5) it was the only machine I tried that allowed me to make really round circles right away instead of square-ish round circles. It was set up on Labor Day weekend 2004 and I still am very much a beginner. It's hard finding time to practice and learn when I have a full time job. I really love the machine and have never regretted getting it. I named it Gandalf because it is a Wizard. (The wizard part of the name really refers to the stitch regulator rather than the machine itself, but I choose to ignore that fact.) It just didn't look like a Merlin, which was the only other wizard name I knew. I mentioned that to my kids, and right away they said "What about Harry Potter? Or Ron?" I couldn't believe I forgot THOSE wizard names, but they just didn't fit either.

For a long time I signed all my posts on my quilting email lists "Patti and Gandalf, the Proto Stitch Wizard". I laughed and laughed when it came out several weeks later that one list member thought Gandalf was my dog, and another one thought he was my husband!

Gandalf now seems to be as good as new. Replacing the on-off breaker switch seems to have done the trick. Apparently there was a short in the old switch which was causing a fuse to blow - the fuse for the circuit to the take-up roller lift motor. Blew 4 fuses in 3 days before we figured this out. I never realized we'd have to become so mechanical - you don't take a longarm to your local sewing machine shop! It's so good to have him back in action. I have my last customer quilt mounted, which I can easily finish this weekend. Then I hope to get a bunch of my own quilted before any more customer quilts find their way here.

Today I'm going to the outlet stores across the river with my daughter. I have a six day trip to Dallas for work coming up - I need to be at the airport at 4:00 a.m.(!) next Saturday - and there are a few things I need to get. I hate hot weather and my "business casual" wardrobe is really not suitable for that. Thank goodness for air conditioning!

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Gratitudes:

1. Gandalf is feeling well again!
2. Friday Night Frenzy with my little North Star guild friends
3. Quilt guild pot luck suppers
4. An Instant Messaging chat with an online quilty friend far away
5. Big, fat, soft, chewy chocolate chunk cookies

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Hmmm . . . seems like many of my gratitudes have to do with eating. Do you suppose that's why I have to go clothes shopping? Seems like there are several good pair of business casual cropped pants in my closet that no longer fit . . . .