Learning curves suck - why can't we just learn things once and then never forget them again?

I stumble onwards with my quilt frame and I am getting better but it's sometimes two steps forward and one backwards.  I've now got quilt number three loaded up and am stitching out a pantograph of an abstract rose.  I'm getting better at controlling my stitch length and after an initial poor row, I have sorted the tension pretty well.  But then I ran out of room in my throat space because the take up roll had become too fat, and I started hitting the take up roll at the bottom of my pantograph design.  Could I remember how to fix this? No.  I tried three different things none of which worked and with the result that I've got one row that varies in height three times, before I eventually worked out that I needed to move the quilt itself and then move the laser.  That's why this is a sacrificial quilt before I move onto the next and better one.

I had toyed with the idea of clearing my machine knitting room and setting up this frame permanently, but realistically I would have the same learning curve every time I used it which would only be a few times a year.  At least this way (setting it up every year or so) I have a backlog of tops and can work my way up from the least important to the higher priority as my skill increases.

I'm using King Tut in the top because it creates the least fluff in the machine, and Bottom Line in the bobbin which is a finer thread so I can maximise my stitching before I have to change bobbins. I've planned ahead and ordered a few more spools of King Tut for the next quilts on the list.  In the sewing room, I am plodding on with stitching down the fusible applique on my blue and white quilt. I don't know what I was thinking when I fused down a kazillion pieces to create a mosaic frame.  I've stitched down two sides now and have started the third side, I'm just wildly free motion zig zagging along the sides with invisible thread.

In the evenings I've been working on my ancient cross -stitch UFO.  I've probably done more in the last few weeks than I've done in the last few years.  Still hampered by not being able to count, even with a grid to help me, so some things are not quite like they are on the chart.  I'm enjoying it though, now that I can stitch in front of the telly.  So many things are better in front of the telly, lol.

We've been eating a lot of pears and I still have two big bags of them.  They are ripening faster than we can eat them. I'm hoping to palm some off on my lace ladies next time they visit.  I went to a local lace day yesterday and spent a pleasant few hours working on my Bucks Point hexagonal edging, it's going along fine now (touch wood).

This morning we went over to Scotch Lodge, a farm and craft shop in Earl's Barton, for a craft fair.  It was very nice with lots of stalls with proper homemade crafts.  I enjoy looking but generally I either can make it myself or have already made it myself, so I feel a bit guilty making eye contact with the hopeful stall holders.  We did hit the jackpot with one stall selling off her deceased sister's enormous scrapbooking stash very cheaply.  We picked up several items suitable for dollshousing, modelling or sewing, and it was for a good cause so we don't need to fill guilty.