It is Wednesday

It is amazing how much gets done even if you spend only 15-20 minutes a day. Things like pulling weeds, washing dishes, laundry, exercise and sewing. I did all of that before going to work because I am up early any ways!!

Blog for Finished Stitches

WE decided to have a blog for our long arm adventure here.

It is still under construction.

Design Wall Monday

I bought the setting and backing fabrics for my block exchange quilt. You can see the block and layout here.


The Christmas fabrics are going to turn into a pieced tote bag. I have not made one like that yet. It will be 3.5" squares of alternating patterns. We will see if I like it!!

Happy Monday to all, see what everyone else is doing at www.patchworktimes.com.

Sunday Stash report

I feeel like I have been really working hard on my quilting this week. I have used up 8 yards of fabric for the fall table runner and the 2 tote bags. BUT I had to buy 10 yards of fabric to back and use as borders for the block exchange quilt. I think I will be finishing that top this week and all of that yardage will be out of the stash!!

I am practicing often to use different freehand quilting patterns for our longarm business. The laser will be here this week to start pantographs. Mom and I are preparing to take our first customers in the next week or so. I hope to get some business cards out in the community and possibly have a web page or blog for the business. Not sure about the web page, yet.

We went to the sewing center where we bought the long arm yesterday. They serviced my sewing machine and asked to leave cards there too. It was a nice feeling that they want to help us get our business going.

What to do with all the practice quilted yardage? We decided to apply for the big craft show on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) to sell the pieces. I will apply for that this week. At least we will be able make nice things like the tote bags above, table runners and some quilts will be ready by then. I am excited about all of this.

I ran out of a neutral thread today, so I decided I needed to stop sewing tote bags and go to work. I have some really nice thread I am saving for my Civil War diary quilt. It was tood espensive to use on a tote bag.

I should have went to the store and bought more thread, sewing would have been fantasic!! Work was, well, not so much.

New for me on EQ6

I leaned to add photos to a quilt and how to export. I just need to sit down with the book and keep doing new things!! Yep, read the directions...when all else fails. :)

Design Wall Monday

This week I am going to assemble my block exchange quilt. We traded blocks Saturday. The EQ print out in the photo is my setting plan. I may need to buy some sashing fabric, hmmm, I will check on that today.

Also on the design wall is quilting patterns for the long arm. Above are a few photos of what this newbie is working on.

Check out what everyone is doing at Patchwork Times.

Sunday Stash Report

I have purchased 3 yards of fabric to back a quilt this week and I used 2 yards of fabrics to make 4 little tote bags with rectangular panels. They are so cute. I gave 3 to my friends at a little block and fabric exchange we had yesterday. It is always great fun to get together with friends. Friends who quilt is extra special, they get it, don't they!!

Total fabric is down from 1.25 totes to a really packed tote. I am going to reduce it more by pitching small crumbs and uglies today. I recieved some lovely fabric in the exchange and I feel really creative in how to use up this stash now.

I wanted to get other quilters feelings about threads in my post yesterday, so please continue to leave comments about thread too!

Questions

I wanted to know what other quilters and long arm quilters are using:

-What is your favorite thread to sew with? To long arm quilt with?

-Is there a good reason to use cotton thread or polyester thread? Or is it project dependent?

-Has anyone bought fabrics from Connecting Threads? I have felt it but how does it sew up?

Love to hear what everyone thinks!!So far I am using all types of thread and haven't determined if I have a favorite. I like to sew with Coats and Clark. I have used Superior and King Tut but haven't seen the benefit of the price tag. I have some Madera samples to try and I will check that out this weekend.

For Long arm quilting I have used So Fine and it seems to be working now that I have called up the teacher to ask why my thread was breaking. She gave me some tips that seem to be working for far on my project-change needle, set the thread in tension discs and slightly rotate needle to the right. I love YLI's varigated quilting thread but it is EXPENSIVE!!

Thanks all

St Patrick's Day

I have been learning more and more on the long arm. We named the machine Pearl by the way. I decided that I like to freehand so far. I haven't done a lot of patterns yet, some technical difficulties. I have to photograph stitches I have learned, I forgot the camera tonight!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! or "St Patrick's Day Blessing Upon You." Besides quilting, I am watching the last bit of the annual St Paddy's Day presentation of Irish items on QVC. Love all of them and the photos and music of Ireland. Gotta get there some day!

Design Wall

My flicker badge has my Civil War Diary Quilt blocks on it. That is my current project, very long term. I have 40 blocks of 121 blocks completed. To enlarge photos click on the badge.

Stash Report

I purchased 4 yards of fabric and 2 fat quarters. I used up 3 yards of fabric this week. I am backing quilts and finishing them. The stash is slowly dwindling. I think it has shrunk from 1 and 1/4 totes to one tote. I am noticing less and less large pieces, I think much of my stash now is scraps. I have some charm packs and coordinating yardage but I am not counting them in the stash as they were gifts. I can't wait to cut into some of them this next week.

I have made 40 of my Civil war diary quilt blocks. Here is another one I made yesterday. Love the stars!! After all the problems with the triangle blocks this one went together in one afternoon.

Here is a photo of my latest quilt. I need to add the binding yet. I pulled it off the frame last night. I am learning every time I use the new long arm. Still have a ways to go. Mom has her little sail boat wall hanging on the frame today. She gets to "drive" the machine today. I am going to do more stash busting!!

Thursday

I loaded another quilt on the frame and changed the thread. I love the new thread for the longarm and no thread breaks. Yeah! I am stippling still, but I purchased several yards of sale fabric at Joann's to practice on.




I had trouble with this pattern. Triangles again. However, it turned out the way I wanted it to, not exactly as the color chart in the pattern.

Design Wall, Issues and the Birth of a Business

Ok the quilted fabric is the basis of my perpetual seasonal wall hanging with interchangeable blocks for each month. It will have wool appliques and other goodies.

The Next blocks are my imperfect Victory quilt blocks with issues. The far right block was paper pieced. The points are better in the middle but the long triangles continue be problematic. I will take it apart and try again.

Lastly, the long arm quilting is coming along. We named our business "Finished Stitches". We are a not ready to take on customers but I have a few friends who will allow Mom and I to practice on their quilts too. Pantos are my next learning curve. I guess it is customary to name your long arm according to our teacher. I have to think on that for a while to come up with a good name.

Off to my day job.

Sunday Stash Report

I have been quilting, and I am learning so much about running the long arm. I finished my Valentine's Table Runner and the Spools block exchange top. I stippled both of them, next to try a new design.

I used about 3 yards of my fabrics and a yard of my Mom's because I don't have any more pieces big enough to back a quilt.

I also had to redraft 2 blocks to a foundation pieced pattern. My pieced blocks didn't have 1/4 inch around the points. But they do know. Tomorrow I will post the before and after photos.

LONG day with creating on my mind

Today was the longest day ever at work. I wanted to be out in the sun and then doing more creative and fun things. I did manage to complete this block today.

I have been playing around on EQ6 but I haven't made any of the blocks I have designed. I think I need to do that, it will be fun to see the fabric version of what is on the paper/computer screen.

I will practice more on my quilting tomorrow and through out the weekend. The Jewel is at the studio at Mom's about 4 blocks from here.

Picture of the Quilt studio

Off to quilt!

We did it!!

Have you ever watched the musical "My Fair Lady?" There is a song in it called "You did it." I usually think of that when I am able to accomplish something new.
Here are a snippet of the lyrics:

You did it...You did it
You said that you would do it
And indeed you did
I thought that you would rue it
I doubted you'd do it
But now I must admit it
That succeed you did

Mom and I took our class today on how to run the Jewel. It was great and our teacher was wonderful. We came home and did a little test and it worked. Yeah, We did it!!

Design Wall Monday

1. I continue to work on the Civil War Diary Quilt. 35 of 121 made. Pictured is the latest. I love stars, when I need all to be right with the world I should just make stars. Lots of them!

2. I am making a moda Bakeshop quilt. We are exchanging blocks on 3/20 at 3 BTW. I have 25 made for a larger quilt. We are exchanging 12. Pattern on the sidebar.

3. I am also playing with EQ6 and I designed this block. I named it Macaroni Salad. I thought it was funny and funny cute. I took a picture of the print out because I couldn't figure out how to export a picture to the blog. EQ6 users, tips???