WM and I are at a funeral this morning followed by a light lunch; and then visiting with his mother afterwards. WM's aunt, his father's older sister, passed away last Tuesday aged 84.
Normal blogging will, hopefully, resume tomorrow.
Monday, 9 January 2012
Sunday, 8 January 2012
more fun with sewing machines
Yesterday was very hot and humid. DD brought the Brother 1500S machine in from the garage where it has been in use on the quilting frame. We have had some issues with it - notably the top thread keeps breaking. (Any hints?)
While I quilted the change mat I made the day before, DD cleared the kitchen workbench (well lit by a skylight) and opened up Big Brother. Using a standard machine cleaning brush, she took a fair amount of lint and loose small threads from the area under the feed dogs. Then I gave her a pipe cleaner and a straw (something I'd seen on a blog somewhere some months ago) and she was able to reach further back into the machine.
WM then put machine oil in the six insertion points and I put the machine back together. (Isn't team work great?) I carefully threaded the machine with the manual open beside me and set the tension dial halfway. My first attempt on a piece of scrap fabric showed that the bobbin thread was couched, not sewn as it should be. So I changed the tension and before long I had a perfect row of stitches
I grabbed a sample quiting sandwich that I have used in the past to practice free motion quilting, it sewed beautifully. I then lowered the feed dogs, changed to the darning (quilting) foot and attempted some FMQ. It wasn't great but the machine performed as it should.
We have not yet had a chance to try it out on the quilting frame (it was too hot in the uninsulated garage) but hope that the clean and oil have done the trick.
Back in the sewing room I pieced the last five disappearing nine patch blocks from this top into a panel. I then measured and cut some fabric for the rest of the backing. It would seem that inserted panels are my "look of the moment"! They are certainly a classy way of getting around the fact that quilting fabric is not always wide enough in itself to be used as backing!
The photo below shows some of the detail of panel.
So, we have two tops and backings ready to be quilted when the chance arises. It will be exciting to quilt a real project instead of practising on calico!
ETA I am linking up with Fun Thread's Sew What Monday
While I quilted the change mat I made the day before, DD cleared the kitchen workbench (well lit by a skylight) and opened up Big Brother. Using a standard machine cleaning brush, she took a fair amount of lint and loose small threads from the area under the feed dogs. Then I gave her a pipe cleaner and a straw (something I'd seen on a blog somewhere some months ago) and she was able to reach further back into the machine.
WM then put machine oil in the six insertion points and I put the machine back together. (Isn't team work great?) I carefully threaded the machine with the manual open beside me and set the tension dial halfway. My first attempt on a piece of scrap fabric showed that the bobbin thread was couched, not sewn as it should be. So I changed the tension and before long I had a perfect row of stitches
I grabbed a sample quiting sandwich that I have used in the past to practice free motion quilting, it sewed beautifully. I then lowered the feed dogs, changed to the darning (quilting) foot and attempted some FMQ. It wasn't great but the machine performed as it should.
We have not yet had a chance to try it out on the quilting frame (it was too hot in the uninsulated garage) but hope that the clean and oil have done the trick.
Back in the sewing room I pieced the last five disappearing nine patch blocks from this top into a panel. I then measured and cut some fabric for the rest of the backing. It would seem that inserted panels are my "look of the moment"! They are certainly a classy way of getting around the fact that quilting fabric is not always wide enough in itself to be used as backing!
 |
| held by DD while standing on the lounge |
The photo below shows some of the detail of panel.
The fabric used for the backing was a donated fabric - two metres from "The American Woman's Home Collection" (pattern #23998). It was very soft and may be too thin for a backing fabric but it was all I had that was big enough.
So, we have two tops and backings ready to be quilted when the chance arises. It will be exciting to quilt a real project instead of practising on calico!
ETA I am linking up with Fun Thread's Sew What Monday
Saturday, 7 January 2012
some sewing at last!
DD and I finally got into the sewing room together yesterday. Well, we had been in here in the late afternoon of the day before but we found deciding how to make the backing of a donation quilt with the fabrics that had also been donated too difficult for our tired minds so we didn't end up doing anything!
It's a bit scrunched because OG loves it and has been carrying it around the house - to sit on or as a skittles bowling lane! DD hasn't even done the quilting yet!
While DD was working on the drawstring bag, I chain pieced and cut some scraps left over from the Scrappy II quilt top to insert into the back. We needed 48 inches of width for the quilting frame and, of course, our fabric was only 44 inches wide. So a panel of scrap fabrics was inserted to gain the extra width. WM had to stand on the lounge (sofa) so I could take a photo - thanks WM!
I finished the final piecing at 11:30pm - I just couldn't go to bed with one seam left to do! Here is a close up of the 4" wide panel.
Only thing was, I made a panel that was 154 inches long - boy that gave us a huge chuckle! Now we have some scraps left to start a "coin" quilt!
Perhaps today we'll figure out a backing for the other donation quilt!
So, yesterday we came in with the intention of making the backing for another quilt. But we got distracted on the way. For Christmas, WM and I gave Older Grandson a set of skittles which he loves. They were in a plastic carrier which was way too difficult to put together, especially for a not-quite-two-year-old. 
Yesterday he stood on the lower part of the empty carrier and snapped it in two places. So we decided to make him a drawstring bag to keep the skittles and balls together. OG was given three flannelette fabrics to choose from and chose the one we thought he would.
Yesterday he stood on the lower part of the empty carrier and snapped it in two places. So we decided to make him a drawstring bag to keep the skittles and balls together. OG was given three flannelette fabrics to choose from and chose the one we thought he would.  |
| finished size: 19" x 13" |
While we had the machine threaded up for the bag, I thought I may as well make another change mat for him (he has only one here) so cut out the same fabric as the bag and a coordinating stripe.
It's a bit scrunched because OG loves it and has been carrying it around the house - to sit on or as a skittles bowling lane! DD hasn't even done the quilting yet!While DD was working on the drawstring bag, I chain pieced and cut some scraps left over from the Scrappy II quilt top to insert into the back. We needed 48 inches of width for the quilting frame and, of course, our fabric was only 44 inches wide. So a panel of scrap fabrics was inserted to gain the extra width. WM had to stand on the lounge (sofa) so I could take a photo - thanks WM!
 |
| finished backing 48" x 88" |
Only thing was, I made a panel that was 154 inches long - boy that gave us a huge chuckle! Now we have some scraps left to start a "coin" quilt!
Perhaps today we'll figure out a backing for the other donation quilt!
Friday, 6 January 2012
I'm back and adding to my fabric stash
Before I start, I apologise for the layout of this post! I spent over an hour trying to get it to look the way I want but Blogger has other ideas! I think it's time to move my blog to W---!
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Life has been full with Christmas and New Year celebrations and the coming and going of house guests.
We've had some summer weather at last!
...we bought 52 half metres of fabric.
blenders
medium sized florals
tone on tone leaf
spots
and stripes
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Life has been full with Christmas and New Year celebrations and the coming and going of house guests.
We've had some summer weather at last!
- We've been on a day trip to the beach.
- WM and DD have taken Younger Grandson for his first swim in the pool.
- Older Grandson is learning some independence in the pool while wearing floaties.
Today, being my first real post of the new year, I'd like to welcome and thank all my followers. It seems like only yesterday I had 19 followers when I signed up for Lily Quilt's Small Blog Meet Up (in October). This week I hit 40! How exciting! Thank you all so much.
DD and I celebrated the start of a new year of sewing by attending the sales at our local Big Box Store.
Inspired by this book (we can't wait to get starting on our first story quilts)
Inspired by this book (we can't wait to get starting on our first story quilts)
...we bought 52 half metres of fabric. random florals
random prints
blenders
brights
little diamonds
medium sized florals
red paisleys
tone on tone
tone on tone leaf
spots
and stripes
Of course, this fabric could be used for other kinds of quilts too; I think we might have a stash now!
Sunday, 1 January 2012
May you have more time to do the things you like and not just the things you must!
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