Pillow case, backup sewing machine, and flooring progress

I got the fabric cut for that pillowcase my sister wants and have it partially sewn together. There is no timeline on this, so it gets done when it gets done.

The backup sewing machine arrived last week and I had to go to the UPS Store to pick it up since a signature was required - UGH!! one more thing to do! I unpacked it and found that 1. they didn't pack it well at all even after I told them to make sure it was packed well, 2. and then the base was loose. UGH! I emailed them and they told me to just screw the base back on tight. I did that and then fired it up to make sure it worked. The backup machine I bought three or four years ago went on the fritz and it was going to cost me way too much to fix it. I will now use that machine for parts, which I have already scavenged a few parts off of it already. Let's hope this backup machine number 2 lasts longer.

Now on to the floor. Got the miter saw ready

Set up the multimaster with a nice sharp blade

Here are pictures of how the floor looked at the start of my work evening

I filled in the ends of the rows to the right of the room and then it was time to cut this piece to fit around the door jamb.  I measured carefully

A nice clean cut. Time to install it!

Wrong!  I messed that up! LOL!! That is why you buy more than you need! Time to try again. It is not a total loss. I can cut that end straight and use it for a starter piece for another row.

After 6 trips to the garage to tweak the cut, I finally got the piece fitted in

Here is how the room looks right now. I wish I would have used some type of adhesive to hold down the flooring when I first started laying it down last year. It would have held the planks in place when I had to scoot the washer and dryer back into place. I am having an issue with the planks fitting together properly because some have moved. I don't have time to take the floor apart so I think I have a plan to try and resolve the one area that is causing me a problem. That will be first on the agenda tonight.  From now on I plan on putting dabs of caulk to hold the planks in place as I finish the floor.  Live and learn; next time I will know!  After 3 hours of working on the floor I was toast. More tonight!

I keep forgetting to show you the tool I bought for gardening. I had bought something similar last year, but it was not well made and the chopping end broke off. This tool is made of heavy stainless steel and is welded together really good. It is great for chopping out weeds and then the claw end for reaching under plants for debris removal or combing the soil to loosen small weeds. It has a nice grip on it too. On the cheap one I bought last year the tool part kept falling out of the handle which was a real pain.