Seam Ripping

I finished this Quilt of Valor for Barbara's group in So. California. I use aluminum bobbins in my long arm most of the time,  and had wound 3 bobbins of Superiors So-Fine thread to complete this pantograph when I ran out of bobbin thread. Without thinking to much about it I picked up a steel bobbin that had some of the same color thread on it and started up stitching where I had ran out. Not a good thing!

The top thread looked fine. And that was the deceiving thing about this experience. Top thread was just as smooth and nice as could be--- I rolled the quilt, and since I was standing at the back of the frame as it rolled up onto the take up roller I could see a major problem had taken place as I went merrily on my way. The bobbin thread was "flat". No locking stitches. It was just laying there.

  I had to rip out four rows of the design, re- adjust both top and bottom thread tensions and after much grumbling and thread ripping....find my new starting point and hope I was in the right spot. I was, and the quilt is completed, at last.

Lesson: Don't switch from one type of metal bobbin to another without checking top and bobbin tensions stitch outs or at least looking under the quilt just once, even if the top looks perfect.

Quilted with "Patriot" pantograph which is hard to see on this quilt. It's a series of stars that continue into a wavy half ribbon.

I've not had a good quilting week in general.  Here is a picture of the Diamond Log Cabin.  It's progressed to a stand still while I try to figure out why the lime green strips of fabric in the center are not even or meeting in the middle to give the illusion of even spokes or spiraling out.

My seam ripper is my constant companion this week.

 I'm also auditioning border fabrics, ripping out, sewing and ripping out the center blocks.  One good thing is that I have handled the blocks so much I won't have to rip off the paper piecing foundations, they are coming loose on their own just from all the pinning and adjusting that is going on.  Thanks for reading this ---hopefully tomorrow will be more productive with this project.