National Quilting Day-after

Some quilt related activity did happen here on National Quilting Day.  There was some cutting and stitching, but mostly it was UN-quilting.

Removing the Echo Shell quilting seemingly took almost as long as quilting it!  I'll be setting off shortly to get a spool of replacement thread and restart the quilting process. 

In the UFO trifecta I'm attempting this month is this hand quilting project.  The blocks have been completed and I'm working on the background.  I first started with navy blue thread through the zigzag following my tape guide, but it disappeared into the background and did absolutely nothing for the quilt.  Now I'm thinking I'll stitch across the entire navy print background horizontally about every inch, including the setting triangles, if I'm making myself clear.  I'm debating whether navy or cream thread would be best.  Opinions, anyone?

Adventures in FMQ

Following a long day sitting around at the courthouse for jury duty (no panels were called), some sewing was in order yesterday.  This little free motion quilting adventure started with a design from Leah Day's From Daisy to Paisley beginner's free motion quilting book, called Echo Shell. 

Since this would be my first foray into "travel" stitching, a practice sandwich was my starting point.

This time I used Leah's suggestion of leaving the feed dogs up, but setting the stitch length to zero.  "Traveling" by stitching over the same line to echo the half circle isn't the easiest thing to do, but I felt this wasn't a bad go and decided to move on to my tablerunner after a good number of echoes on my practice piece.

An old spool of orangey thread seemed to blend well and I started off down the primrose path.  SCREECH.  Stop for broken threads when going over seams.  Okay, try a larger needle.

Have you seen this gadget?  Funny looking, but very useful. I bought mine at the Husqvarna booth at the Road to California show.

The slot fits perfectly into the screw holding the foot or needle in place.

Easy to get a good grip on the screw and remove or tighten.   OK, back to echoing and a number of  SCREECHES to a halt for thread shredding and breaking, and some ugly traveling that had to be ripped out and redone.  

 

I decided to quit after finding nests and having to rethread the machine one too many times.  All of this is going to be ripped out and a new spool of thread purchased to replace the old polyester one.  And I'm going to try an even larger needle to help with going over the seams.  The good news is that I like the texture so am going to redo the same design--hopefully with a much better result. The adventure continues...

Thursday Quote

Glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly; Cincinnati museum.

Tuesday's Orts

Tuesday's Orts--bits and scraps of thoughts and events from my week that land here.

• My husband bought his Mom some candy and a card for Valentine's Day but forgot to give it to her a few days after at my mom's birthday party.  She later told him on the phone, "Just give it to me next year".  That's wonderful optimism for a 93 year old lady, don't you think?
• Traffic Rant:  Drivers who first hesitate to get going and then slowly cruise forward on a green turn light, ensuring that the car behind them (me!) will not make it through the intersection and have to wait a whole 'nother light cycle.
• Somehow my wardrobe is polarized between business and "can't-leave-the-house-in-this" clothes.  I have nothing for Date Night.  But face it, we are homebodies who rarely go out!
• DD Erica is coming home this weekend from AZ for the first time since Christmas.  There is a lot of spillover stuff piled in her room that needs shifting before she gets here. 
• Shots with my little camera that has trouble with low light sometimes results in unexpectedly interesting photos, such as this recent one of the sunset at the beach:

I have no idea how that line of stitching ended up across the scene.

Design Wall Monday--March 12, 2012

Again my Design Wall is a blank because quilting is still going on for the UFO pick of the month, two tablerunners.

Two broken needles and multiple thread breaks and skipped stitches later, the quilting finally got done.  I don't know if it was the thread, the tension, the needle, or the fabric, but it was a big pain in the rear for such a small project.

The striped bias binding turned out really well I thought.  It is all machine applied.

I made a trip back to Pier 1 since I could not resist picking up the Bunny in a Carrot Car, but photography in my house at night is difficult due to poor lighting. (Isn't he adorable, Darlene?)

Here you can see his luxurious tail and sweet pink painted nose and ears.  My spring decor is just about complete--I just need to finish the other tablerunner.  See more Design Walls on Judy's Patchwork Times.

Spring Forward

I'm happy to leave last week behind--what with the receptionist out all week sick with the flu and my filling in for her AND trying to do my own job, plus covering for the absent transcriptionist at my other job from home, it was a very long week.  Throw in a brush fire in the river bottom half a mile from our office causing smoke and ash to choke us for a couple of hours on Tuesday, plus a surprise visit from the DEA Drug Diversion officers on Wednesday, and it was quite a work week.  Obviously not a bit of sewing machine time was accomplished, I was just too tired.  The only fabric interaction involved cleaning up the cutting table a little Friday night.

Saturday morning brought some testing--of the optometrist kind, and picking out new eyeglass frames.  Afterwards I headed to a department store but was drawn instead into the Pier 1 store by the adorable awnings painted on the windows and all the cute Spring wares.  I was unable to resist these lambs and bought both, which I delivered to DD Elaine.  I might have to go back and get the bunny in the carrot car to go with the couple of items that I bought for myself:

This new bunch of striped carrots are a nice foil to the Spring mini quilt that Julie gave me and I love so much.  The crackled glass eggs in the wire bunny egg holder are favorites of many years.  I might get some Capiz eggs to fill it up when I go back to Pier 1.  Seems I've decided, haven't I!

This "moss" covered bunny floral pick was also irresistible. 

The footed glass punchbowl and cross-stitched tea towel are vintage pieces from my mother-in-law.

A bunch of twigs plus a set of LED lighted branches gain a little life from another bunny.  The houseplants give life too--however temporary--probably doomed to my yellow thumb.  It was nice to spend some time playing with pretty pieces and making little vignettes.  By later today I hope to have the Baby Boxes tablerunner gracing my coffee table to add to the Spring look.  Anybody else redecorating this week?  

Thursday quote

...who, like Bear, just wants to turn over and go back to sleep in the morning!