More Sewing

During the last week I was able to do some sewing. Work has been very busy and I've worked some extra-long days so I didn't have a lot of energy to do a lot of sewing.

Appliqued Scallops

I have started to appliqué the scallops down on the Fresh Picked Flowers quilt. This is the most machine appliqué I have done with my new machine. Of course with any new machine there is a little adjustment time and a little troubleshooting time. On Sunday evening I broken needle and of course the tip fell down into the machine. I took the needle plate off to try and find the tip. I never found it. So I put everything back together again and tried to sew and then my fabric wouldn't move. I repositioned everything and tried again and still no luck my fabric wouldn't move. So I took off the plate again and much to my surprise I found a nest of thread. I was able to remove all the thread and was able to sew without any more difficulty. What a relief!


Even though I have push button stop and go on my new machine I find I am more comfortable doing machine appliqué and using the foot controller. I like to be able to slow down and speed up as needed.

A Quilter needs to know her machine!

If you double click on the pictures you will see an enlarged picture.

 Sometimes when I'm sewing I have an interruption from my very favorite kitty cat companion Rosie. For some reason she likes to get between me and the machine. Here's a picture of her look at me and wanting attention. Of course she got the attention then I pushed her off my lap so I could sew.  This isn't the best picture Rosie because she is right in my face and I could not move the camera back far enough to take a good picture. She is pretty and a sweet cat.

Rosie

Yo-Yo Tally:

Here are all the Yo-Yos I have (22) finished, as of tonight, 3 with tacked on yo-yos and (10) with just centers.  No pictures this week, I will wait until the are all appliqued down.


 

New Machine Update!

On Tuesday I took a PTO day to take a class on my new machine.  It is the first machine class I have ever taken but I decide to give it a go.  And I am glad I did.  I learned a lot of tricks and that is always good.  I was the only student so I had a 1: 1 at my speed.  After my class I came home and made a practice piece of stitches and learned some more things.

First Stitch practice

I learned I could make some smaller and larger, I need to know which direction the machine is going to go.  Some I see will need stabilizer, I didn't use any in this piece.  Notice I made notes of the sizes I used and the number of the stitch.  I didn't make all 460 stitches the machine has, I don't have that kind of time.  Now to use them some place. 

Yes it does circles!

The machine has a circle attachment and I can stitch in a circle.  I don't think I will use this a lot but I think for my Yo-Yo quilt I'll make a circle label.  There is a chart to use to measure the designs so they match up at the end but I didn't use that this time, maybe the next time.  I also noticed if I didn't pay close enough attention my fabric drifted and my circle are less then round.  But for my first time I did well! 

This has been really fun and I feel more bonded with my machine. 

I also did more Yo-Yos. I noticed the edges are getting a little frayed. I have taken them to show friends who are in rehab after surgery.  They will have to stay home now, no more traveling.

Yo-Yos 5.1.11

I also spent a lot of time working on my EQ7 Class I am teaching on May 14th.  I am hoping my new format works well.

Happy Stitching!

She will be Missed



My old machine

 This is a picture of my old sewing machine.  It was the machine I purchased when I had been quilting about a year and a half.  We became buddies in February of 1997.  We have been to camp together, she fell out of a truck once and kept on sewing.  She was a good friend.  A couple of my cats even liked her. 



Smokey

It is always amazing to me how they can get into such small places. My current cat Rosie doesn't get anywhere near the machine, she only sits in my lap and comes between me and my machine.






Avalanche

 Three Saturdays ago I sat at my machine and started to make labels for my quilts when she suddenly stopped.  Lights won't come on the needle won't move.  I took her to the repair shop and had hopes it would be an easy fix.  She was there almost a week and they got her running again.  They could not find a new motherboard because she is so old.  How insulting to say she is old.  I was told she might last 2 days or 2 years.  I had hopes for 2 years.  She lasted 3 days. 

On Saturday the 19th I spent all day going from one machine shop to another.  I tried Pfaff, Bernina, Vikings, Janomes & a Brother.  I was so exhausted I couldn't decide.  I had an idea that the machine I would like was a little more then we had agreed to spend.  I talked it over with Mr. B. and he told me to go ahead and get the machine I wanted since I will use it a lot any way.  Isn't he great!!. 



New Machine

 Monday after work on the 21st I went and picked up my new machine.   Here she is, isn't she a beauty!  It is so different to have push button controls.  I do not have to use the pedal to make it go if I don't want to.  I had to use the pedal to do machine applique.  It sews so fast I have to keep it at the medium speed level.  She is so quiet and smooth. 

After work I'll post the pictures of the things I sewed this week.  Sorry to  keep you in suspense but I do have to go to work.