Disappointed

So, APQS machines, so far, aren't impressing me. At all. The two I took for a test drive yesterday, once again, tracked like an anchor was attached to them. Pebbles looked like poo. If I can't make a decent pebble, it's a no-go. 

Back at the studio here's some of what is going into Joans quilt.... 

Speaking of pebbles!

There are some days that just aren't good quilting days Yesterday was one of those. I think I was a little discouraged about the results of our field trip. I moved on to something different. I finished my Puff quilt. Finally! 

Isn't it pretty?

Once I finished that, and while Jim was hunting and then after coming home, to yell at the Spartan football game, I put this together...

Cute baby quilt

Don't know who this will go to, but it's now in the "to quilt" pile. 

Started working on the grandkids' Christmas presents. I got all the backgrounds cut and am waiting for responses from their parents about their favorite colors. Right after I shut down the studio for the night, I did get a response from one set of parents, so I'm going to be chipping away at those throughout the next few weeks.

Not All Play

The retreat I attend at the end of the holiday season is a time for me to relax, laugh, enjoy fellowship with folks who quilt, and to get some piecing in; since I don't really get to do much otherwise. But, like last year, I was also "working". I had four (or five?) tops added to the quilting queue. So, not all of it was play time but a little work time too.

Here are the four quilts I was able to get bound...

Needles

Spools

No explanation needed

Fun for summer time

I started another top, but then lost interest after putting the blocks together. And, I forgot to cut the setting triangles anyway so I'll finish that at the February retreat. I made this baby quilt.... 

All flannels

I also started a new puff quilt. I love making these. Honestly I do. A lot of people want to make one and after their first, don't pursue making any more...

Some of the "raviolis" lined up waiting to go

Here's where I was at before we had to pack up and say goodbye to everybody...

So pretty!

Actually, now that I look at this pic, that's not true. This was Saturday night. When I came in Sunday I placed the rest of the indigo and violet blocks in and then started filling the first three columns. Meh...it's going to have to wait until February also.

Now that the holidays (for us anyway) are officially over, it's back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'm excited to get back on the big machines, but will have to offload the Amish with a Twist of mine first. I have customer tops piling up and my personal quilting time is over. I even had a customer call me while at retreat about where her quilt was. So, back at it. 

Making Up For The Lost Sunday

Yesterday was a completely productive day in here. The Cathedral quilt is complete! And I mean bound and everything. Here is a better pic of the overall effect...

Cathedral by Alison Glass...quilted by me!

Once that was done I immediately got the Puff backing and batt loaded and quilted quickly. I then set up for today and this is what's on the frame this morning...

Jills Stacked Coins/Zipper Top

It was too late in the afternoon to get this going so first thing this morning it will be started. 

The Puff/Biscuit quilt was next. I attached the backing/batting to the top and then birthed the piece. It's been whip stitched closed and while Jills top is being stitched out, will tie between the biscuits to finish it up.

After the daylight started to wane, I moved along to the Scrap Petal top. I have all the petals glued on temporarily until I can get it on the long arm. So, it's going to hang on the wall for a week or so I think. 

Scrap Petals

The pattern said to cut 64 large petals, which I did. But then upon constructing it, found it was overkill. Not one to waste my efforts, I made the large flower larger than what the pattern called for, and put the last petal falling off the flower. 

Tomorrow I start to pack to get ready for my Cleveland trip. I am SOOOO excited to be spending time with fellow long armers; people I can chat with on a professional and educational level who actually speak my language. I'm planning on coming home with a head full of information, skills, and purchasing needed notions, long arm supplies, and anything else to keep me entertained during the coming winter months.

This and That

Nail appointment first thing this morning and then headed over to Pieces to see how the new building is coming along. Susan gave me a first hand tour and the place is going to be HUGE! Can't wait to help them move!

Bought a few items while there and am finally home for the day. We have sunshine now (it was raining earlier this morning) and will have to jump on the mower later once the grass has dried somewhat. Meanwhile I'll continue on with the long arming of Cathedral until then.

Here's what some of the quilting looks like in it...

A little of the quilting detail

Each blade has a color change and I'm using that color for in between and above the sections. This is an unusual quilting project in that I'll finish out the colors first and then re-roll the entire piece to get all the background filler put in.

After quilting until nearly 5:00 yesterday (was having so much fun) I finished the Puff quilt top.

Probably about the right size for Hazel

That didn't take nearly as long as I thought and would have started on the backing for it, but didn't have any pearl cotton to tie the backing on, so picked up the pearl cotton at Pieces.

I rummaged through my projects to see what I could make next. I decided on this one...

The latest project

I need 64 9" squares for the background and got all but 20 picked, pressed and cut last night before calling it around 9:00. 

Happy quilting!

Taking Advantage of the Early Autumn Rain

Having a cold, cloudy, windy, rainy day is to me, a slice of heaven. Fall is here and coming in with a vengeance. To my glee.

It gives me permission to spend the entire day in here on customer quilts and my own as well. Often, in the evening, when it's nice out, I find myself not as productive because I'm dwelling on and/or doing all that needs to be done outside. Bring on the poopy weather I say!

Here's what's on the frame this morning...

Cathedral by Alison Glass

Yep, this has been hanging out on the design wall for about a week now. I discussed the Misty Fuse fusible I put into this piece (rather than the Heat n' Bond Lite I usually use) and found it is very pliable and not as stiff as the H&B. BUT, it's not as robust either. I was finding corners starting to lift while it was hanging on the wall. 

Maybe I didn't press them down long enough, but whatever the case may be, it needs to be quilted before it all comes raining down from the design wall and separating from the background fabric. 

Angela Walters did a Midnight Quilter video on this exact pattern and I'm going to quilt it similar to how she did it. I'm not going to do the pebbling in the center as she did, and the background fabric will be filled a little less than what she put into it, but all the thread changes will occur as well as some of her echoing ideas.

After quilting the "Welcome" panel yesterday and loading this one for today's work, I continued on with the Puff/Pillow quilt. This is where I left off last night. The below pic is the layout prior to starting on the stuffing. 

It's not turning out nearly as large as I had hoped. But it's not nearly as difficult as I had envisioned either. I think maybe I'll make another one with some of the scraps I have in the dresser and make it much larger than this one. Hmmm???

Phone Issues

Isn't it funny how our smart phones are something we both love...and hate. Love them when they are all updated and new and shiny. When we can get any bit of information right at our fingertips. When we can communicate so easily with each other; family members who live so far away with a couple of clicks. Hate them when they become outdated and won't do any updates. When they start getting scratched, cracked, and when half the functions no longer work; like sound.

Mine is heading into the hate category. We have a 14.8 update and a huge 15.0 update that my phone won't accept. I've spent the entire (and I mean more than two hours) deleting photos, videos, and apps no longer relevant. I've checked my storage space. I've turned the phone off and then back on again attempting one more time to get these updates to work. It's thinking about it.

And without my phone I can't communicate with customers. Not cool! 

MJ's quilt was finished last night. I have another I'm loading right now. This is the pic I took while doing measurements and preparing to get it onto the frame. This piece will be getting an edge-to-edge design. 

Going on the frame today

 Here's what I worked on last night after trimming MJ's quilt...

Raviolis!

I've always wanted to make a puff, or sometimes called a pillow quilt. There's a long story about why and I won't get into that, but this is the start of the puff quilt I'm determined to make. There are several video's about how to make these. Two of the videos suggested making all the squares, putting them together, and then slitting the back to stuff. This method would require one to then hand stitch all those slitted seams closed, that is, if you didn't slip and possibly also snip the front fabric. 

I decided to choose the method from the Missouri Star Quilt Company (with Misty hosting) as the best method. I have two machines that are quite capable of handling bulk and weird sewing issues and she provides insight on why not to overfill the puffs and how to handle matching seams and other possible problem situations. We'll see how it goes over the next few days.

Typical cold, wet, windy fall day today. I took off all my summer jewelry this morning and broke out the turtleneck and sweatshirt. But fall is absolutely my favorite season since the bugs will eventually be gone.