A lot of work done in the last few days

Got the first quilt done on the long arm. I used a pattern and then did free motion curlicues between the rows of hearts. When I took the quilt off the frame I found that most of the extra rows had the thread messed up on the bottom. It may have started when I changed the bobbin the last time. So, I have to take it out and then put the quilt back on the rack and re-do it. It's not too hard since the thread is all loose on the bottom.

A friend and I went to a sewing get together on Friday, all day from 1:00pm to 10pm. It was fun to chat and listen to the conversation of a dozen or more ladies working on their projects. I got all of the Sugar Bowl blocks done for the latest quilt and this weekend got it almost all sewn together. I revised my original design because I didn't have enough of the tan and beige fabric. I like the new one a lot better!

First quilt on the frame

I got the first quilt onto the machine quilting frame last night and started quilting it. I chose a simple pattern from the ones that came with the machine to use as an overall design. It's going pretty good and I'm more than half done after working on it for not that long.

Something that I'm not comfortable with is floating the top on the backing and batting and then basting it down. The sides don't stay where they should very well when basting along the edges. I'm going to have to find a better way to do it. I really enjoy using the machine and have no regrets with my purchase. A little impatient to get good at it and to try those fabulous designs I see on quilts.

New machine is ready!

After working on it for a couple of hours each night all week I finally got the frame and machine together. I put a plain muslin top and back with scrap batting on it to play around. I LOVE IT!! The longarm moves like ice on a hot plate, so smoothly that it's easy to not have control.

It's going to take a lot of practice to get good at it but it sure is fun to use.

Frame almost done

I worked on assembling the frame until 11pm last night. This is the bare bones so now it needs all the moving parts, the rails, the table and the machine carriage.

I might be able to get it done tonight though I have to work a little late at my real job. I haven't picked up the machine to know how heavy it is but I don't want to risk damaging it by carrying it upstairs by myself. My son says he can come over Wednesday or Thursday to give a hand. The bed needs to be moved into another room and bring in my hand quilting frame from the other room and set it up in here too.

My new baby

My long arm machine arrived today. It's a Queen Quilter! I am so excited and want to use it NOW! I have so many quilt tops to do, over a dozen, and I have batting and backing waiting too.

There are soooo many parts to the frame that it looks like it's going to take many hours to put together. That is, after it all gets moved upstairs.

Block for Granddaughter's quilt

This is the first completed block for my granddaughter's quilt and I tried a new applique technique I just learned.

I don't like the flat, stuck on and ironed on look of fusible applique but I was going to do it anyway. I did some searching on applique techniques and found this one on Raw Edge Applique on the Sharon Schamber Network. http://www.sharonschambernetwork.com/free_area/free.html

I got Liquid Stitch at Joann's and also found a package of two plastic bottles with 4 different sizes of metal tips. I didn't have to use the bottles since the tips fit onto the glue bottle. I didn't use stabalizer and starched the fabrics well. It worked out beautifully!! The pieces stayed put and the edges didn't lift up.

Design for my Granddaughter

I got a 20 FQ set of Sweet & Sour at Connecting Threads for my 9 year old granddaughter. Her bedroom has all these bright colors so it should match nicely and I think she will like it. I ordered 7 yards of the floral fabric for the sashing, flower backs and the quilt backing. There might be enough left for a pillow case or other accessories.

It's about 58" x 72". The blocks are 8" and it takes two of each of the 16 colors (I'm not using the other white FQs in the quilt), one half-square triangle of each color around the edge, and one square for the 4 corners. I plan on 2 flower centers in each color. Since EQ6 over-estimates the yardage requirements I believe that 1 FQ of each color is enough. I can cut two 8 1/2" squares, one half-square, three 2" sashing blocks, and 8 petals from a FQ. Right? I guess I will find out.

I need to stop looking at fabric online!

I just love looking at fabric online and could spend hours browsing collection after collection. The problem is that I usually end up buying something. I already have fabric that I bought with no idea what I was going to do with it... need to start shopping my own shelves for ideas.

I saw this fabric online today and fell in love... again.

It's so soft and pretty, romantic. I immediately knew that I wanted to use it in a simple design with large patches. It took maybe an hour in EQ6 to put this together. The blocks are very simple and I saw that I can do the corner triangles around the smaller square with the technique like the jelly roll and layer cake quilt I did recently. Place two squares right sides together, sew diagonally 1/4" from both sides of the center, cut apart diagonally both ways. This will give me two half & half triangles to sew onto the sides of the squares. Do this twice and it comes out correctly that the two beiges are on opposides on half the triangles. (sorry if that's not very clear to explain).

Design for Fig & Plum

I have yardage of a few fabrics in the Fig & Plum collection that I wasn't sure how I was going to use. I still have a jelly roll of it too but there are a lot of jelly roll patterns I can do. I like the subtle colors, so soft and pretty.

I used Electric Quilt 6 using 3 different blocks with two modified blocks making up the framing blocks around the center and the larger diamond frame. I think the diamond frame block is a traditional block but I just removed parts of one of the other blocks to make it.

Southern Gentleman Block #1

This is the first block of the Southern Gentleman BOM at Fat Cat Patterns. It's just fused on right now since I don't have the right color thread and have to wait for a thread set order to arrive to do the machine applique.

I want to do a VERY small zigzag/satin stitch for the applique so I'm going to do a bunch of tests to see what setting I want to use on my Viking. And write it down! I always think... Oh, I'll remember what stitch and size. Yeah, right.

Quilter's Helper

"What? I'm just layin' here."

I live alone with my cat and she follows me everywhere or rather, she runs ahead everywhere I go. I have never beat her up the stairs, or down the stairs. She lays on the ironing board if I'm ironing. She lays on the table if I'm working there.

Every night when I go to bed she runs into the bedroom before me, jumps onto the bathroom counter and curls up in one of the sinks. She knows I'm going there to brush my teeth.

BOM for 2010 #1

Since I am doing the Dear Jane project with a group (see sidebar for DJ link) I decided that I'm going to do several BOMs this year so that the work is spread out and I can have ample time to do 4 DJ blocks per week.

The first one is Southern Gentleman from Fat Cat (the link is also on the sidebar). I love these blocks and I decided to use a FQ set I have of Twilight Frost from Connecting Threads. Maybe I will call it Southern Lady. I ordered yardage in the darkest blue, a medium, and a light for the sashing and borders. I have a white for the background. Six of the blocks are out so far since it started last year and I colored them in the Twilight colors to see how it would look. There are also espresso and eucalyptus colors in the collection.