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Hi!  I won another little contest!  Moda's Blog, The Cutting Table had a contest, and was I surprised when I saw this as the next post!
http://modafabrics.blogspot.com/2012/07/sure-guide-threader-winner.html

I won a Sure Guide needle threader and a Sewline glue stick!  I've wanted to try the needle threader.  As some of you know, I have a corneal disease called Keratoconus.  It's basically a loose cornea, instead of a nice tight one that sticks to your eyeball.  The main symptom is shadow vision, double letters, depth perception problems, sensitivity to bright lights, and more.  My biggest challenge is seeing the eye of a needle.  I see two or three eyes, instead of one, so picking the right "one" is often difficult, especially when I'm tired.  Those little wire threaders work okay but I still seldom get the thread (looks frayed even when it's not) and the needle to cooperate.  I do wear hard contacts, which help push the cornea where it belongs, but close work is still difficult, even with magnifiers.  I've been told I need a cornea transplant on my left eye. 

So, a little thing like a threader that makes the thread and needle eye meet without me seeing it, is a wonderful treat.  I have built in threaders on my machine and serger, (wish I had it on the Featherweight!) so I only have to struggle with hand sewing. 

Enter this adorable little gadget!  A perfect prize for me!  I'm so pleased with it!  You insert the needle in the slot in the pink tip, making sure the needle eye is up/down.  Push the pink lever to check if it's correct (gently!) and adjust if needed.  Drop your thread in that little V slot, and push the pink button again, and TADAA!!  Threaded needle.  You just pull it out!  Under that area is a little thread cutter.  And that pink tip slides back in to protect it and the cutter when not in use.  The square bottom has a magnet for picking up needles, and, it's also a needle case!  I'm thrilled.  I haven't tried the glue yet, but I'm looking forward to it.  I LOVE my Sewline pencils, too.  I actually have 3, black and white which I purchased, and a yellow which I won from another blog. 

So, Moda, and Sarah, thanks so much for giving me something that will make my life a little easier.  If you can't tell, I love Moda fabrics too.  The squares you see below the Aurifil thread and Sewline tools is A Breath of Avignon.  I'm working on a Tossed 9 patch quilt from Quilt In A Day. 

This is a picture of the first step in the quilt.  Simple 9 patch blocks, with a cream center, using 5" charm squares. 

This is today's progress.
I have 11 more blocks to do, then I need to play with layouts and figure the borders.  I have one idea, but I'm looking for a coordinating fabric.  I have the blue with large flower clusters (bottom left above the red) and another blue with larger designs, so I'm thinking I need a red to separate them, or yellow.  I do have more of the cream, but I think I want more color between the two blues. 

If you are wondering about the table runner on the right, it's pretty florals.  I'll be pin basting and quilting that soon.  Watch for both items to be finished soon. 

I'm going to go thread some more needles.  It's fun!  Now that I can do it without frustration, anyway!

For more info about Keratoconus, see http://www.nkcf.org/.  Even if you don't read the info, the heading shows what I see even with correction. 

Thanks for visiting.