Progressing---sure but slow.

"Lights, Camera, Action" is progressing---slowly. 

 Custom quilting. Pebbles and ruler work

Completely different fabric choice for the Easy Street mystery quilt border. Love this Batik!

 From a distance it "reads" Turquoise---zoom in closer and it picks up all the colors in Easy Street!

 Adding a border is adding more appeal to this quilt.

Bonnie Hunter has a new mystery quilt starting this Friday, Celtic Solstice, if you are interested or in the mood for doing a mystery this time of the year. So much going on with the holidays coming up, I can't imagine doing a mystery quilt along with all the Christmas sewing projects going on. I won't be doing Bonnie's new mystery. I may in 2014 when I see the resulting quilt.  Bonnie's quilts are interesting, but very time consuming.

Magna Glides

Yesterday I started machine quilting on the long arm  and noticed I was getting low on pre wound bobbins.  My long arm uses L size bobbins.

I prefer to use Fil-Tec Magna Glide Delight prewounds

They come prewound with 72 yards of Glide thread

on a magnetic core. They are the most trouble free

prewound I have ever used, and they also combine well with 

any top threads I use which is usually Perma Core, or Superiors threads.  There are times I have felt guilty using these prewounds, and other quilters quite often  remark at the price, and that L size bobbins don't stitch very far, and other reasons why they do not  use pre wounds and wind their own bobbins.

I respectively disagree. I do a lot of machine quilting in a years time. Donation quilting, some quilting for a few close friends and my own quilts.
It has been almost a year and half since I've needed to reorder prewound bobbins. I think that  reflects that L pre wounds are worth it.  I did all this stippling and free motion quilting up the film strip border of this quilt top which is approx. 50" x 60" inches.,  and I still have a half of the med. grey pre wound on the bobbin.  This quilt will probably take approx. 4 prewounds doing Custom quilting.  Considering all the factors of perfect tension (magnetic core), lint free thread, and all the colors available--- and that my long arm "Polly" loves these pre wounds. The few cents more for these wonderful pre wounds is so worth it.

(above) The Magna Glide Delight stash

(below) Some of  magnetic cores for recycling back to Fil-Tec

The magnetic prewounds also come in cotton. 

Borders, and a Quick Quilt

I can't figure out how to title this blog entry so I will just tell you since I came home from quilt retreat last Thursday I managed to unpack and get things put away. That is a feat all onto itself! Did the laundry another thing finished,  and on Saturday promptly came down with the flu/cold bug. Three  boxes of Kleenex later,  today is the first day I have actually felt better. So, hopefully I'm on the mend----talk about wiped out, whatever this virus may be, it will take you down.

Yesterday I did  finish seaming the long diagonal center of the two sections of Easy Street. It is now officially a quilt top and I auditioned two pieces of turquoise Batik for the borders.

Amazing what a photo will reveal. Without the camera I had picked the second color (your right) for the border. Now, after the photo,  I like the first piece of turquoise fabric in the photo.  I also plan to add a small strip of purple sashing between the quilt top and the border. Every one who saw the quilt being pieced at retreat liked it----Maybe after it's quilted, I will too. I just want it to be finished.

Do you visit the Missouri Star Quilt Company website? Are you on their email list? I just recently joined their email listing.  I watched some of their tutorials (while sneezing and wheezing.) The Double Slice Layer Cake tutorial was one that caught my eye--- (along with many more).  I made this quilt top yesterday. Today I'll sew the blocks and borders together.

You've heard of those "week-end" quilts and thought oh-sure (wink-wink!). Well, the Double Slice Layer Cake could be a ONE day quilt. Really!

Kate Spain "Cuzco" Layer Cake is the fabric.  The Missouri Quilt Company is 'sold out', but if you like Cuzco you can Google and still find it online at several websites. I plan to quilt this with the Circle Lord "Cosmo" template board. I'll post when it's finished. I wanted to share that it's possible to make a quilt top and even get it quilted in one day using Jenny Doan's "Double Slice Layer Cake" tutorial.

You could also make your own layer cake squares. A layer cake is 42-10" inch squares of assorted fabrics.

There are so many more wonderful free tutorials on the Missouri Quilt Company's website.  Jenny is a great teacher!

I did come up with a blog title after all---- Not a totally wasted week.  Have a good weekend everyone. Stay well.

Quilt Retreat

Last Sunday at this time I was rushing around gathering all my sewing stuff, packing my clothes, watering plants and anticipating sharing time with wonderful quilting friends at our semi annual quilt retreat. There are times it seems like only yesterday we met at the ranch,  and other times it seems like forever since we have seen each other....time has a way of playing games with my mind at eventful moments like these. Like can you believe it's Fall already with the holidays just around the corner.

The quilt retreats are always wonderful! How could four days of complete immersion in a passion for quilting not be completely wonderful! The welcoming hugs and chatter of dear friends as we schlep are belonging to our favorite sewing spots and start set up our tables with a multitude of containers of fabrics, cutting mats, rulers, irons, threads and sewing machines. Even our favorite sewing machine chairs get toted to retreat. Comfort is important as we may be sewing for literally 12 or more hours of the day---and into the night.

When I finally start down the driveway headed for the ranch I feel like I have packed my entire sewing room into the back of the car. Not that it would ever fit there, but it's all  important stuff!....and I've been known to turn the car around and go back for just one more sewing thing I suddenly realize I might need! Usually, I don't, but you just never know----that one piece of fabric or cutter could be important! As it turned out, I did forget some things------

The drive to retreat is always beautiful through the rolling hills of vineyards, wineries and roadside produce stands. Once I turn off the main road and go up the drive to the ranch a feeling of peace settles over me. It's like I leave the "outside" world, and settle into a cocoon with others that feel about quilting the way I do. Where else can one talk incessantly about quilting literally all day, and have the other person nod in perfect understanding when you mention texture, color & value, or a special quilt pattern or block? We are all of the same mind set at retreats.  The sheer joy of our shared passion for quilting is unsurpassed.

All the wonderful food is provided with not a thing to do except enjoy while we sew, sew, sew!

We plan and ponder all the projects we will take with us. We have big plans for what we will accomplish in such a short time----some enthusiastic quilters complete their unfinished projects. Me, I always take too many dream projects with me, and may finish one, or none.  Most containers never get opened, only to be repacked into the car, and placed back in the sewing room at home---some projects may go back and forth to several retreats in the hopes of being finished one day. Like this beautiful Labyrinth at the ranch, they go round and round.

Here I am working on the Miniature Menagerie quilt project. A complete change in plans with the fabrics set me back a whole day---and then I ran out of the focus fabric (quilter talk for the plain beige background fabric I left at home).

 I was however was not without other things to do!

More on that later!

Here are a few photos from our wonderful time together at our Fall quilt retreat. Until we meet again. 

Miniature Menagerie

Moving on from Easy Street ----I'm frantically working on finishing the machine embroideries "Miniature Menagerie" from Urban Threads,  the Natures Curiosity quilt for quilt retreat. I have six more insects to stitch out on a lovely new fabric I found at our local fabric shop. The fabric is a soft tone on tone beige by Victoria Hutto for Quilting Treasures.

 Cut and ready to stitch. Stonehendge "Meadows"

Easy Street Progress

All the blocks for the Easy Street mystery quilt are finished. Whew! I have a such an appreciation for all the quilters that have finished piecing and quilting this project.  I couldn't put up all the blocks on my design wall, so they are trailing onto the floor.

I'm packing Easy Street and taking it to the quilt retreat this coming week. Hopefully I will get the rows  sewn together there. Lots, and lots of matching seams. "Easy Street"is not "easy"!  I can't wait to get this off my design wall.  My enthusiasm for this quilt has not improved. I still find the fabrics, colors and contrast a jumbled mess for lack of a better description.  

Easy Street

My design wall is filled with Easy Street blocks, and I'm still one, possibly two rows short of sewing the blocks together.  I could do the filler half squares and fill in that bottom portion and call it done except for sewing the block together, (that is sooooo---tempting) but I still have so many cut segments and pieces left to assemble into blocks I might as well finish the last few rows.

I have struggled  to finish this quilt because as some of you know that listen to me whine  about it (thank you for listening)  I keep waiting to like/love this quilt. Maybe when it's quilted?

Brother DreamWeaver --a Closer Look

I get questions about how I like the Brother DreamWeaver sewing machine. 

The Brother DreamWeaver VQ3000

If you spend hours with a sewing machine every day, you do build a relationship with your machine.  You know all the sounds it makes, what they mean, the good and sometimes the bad.  I have owned this  machine since January of this year and totally enjoy it!  No "bads" to report here!

 The DreamWeaver in my opinion is similar to my old beloved Brother PQ1500---upgraded into everything that was wonderful about  the PQ,  only with a lot more bells & whistles.  When you look at the above picture notice the large colored touch icons on the control screen.  Everything to operate the machine except the additional decorative stitches is visible on this very user friendly opening screen with snippet icons of what other stitches are available on pages 2 and 3 in the smaller icon boxes just to the right of the basic utility stitch screen.

Even a clock is visible in the lower right corner which lets me know it's time to do some of those other mundane jobs around here-----sometimes I think I could do without the clock feature! I can also set the machine to "sleep mode" if I get sidetracked from sewing. I have it  for 20 mins. If I'm not back and using the machine in that time period---it goes to "sleep". I touch the screen and it's back in action where I left off.

There is a large eleven inch wide arm from the needle to the far right of the machine which is also well lit. Note the multiple light reflections on the extension table. No additional lamps are needed around the machine.

The light setting goes up to 5, but  I have it turned down to 3, which seems perfect.

The needle-sewing area with the laser turned on to center position.

In this picture I have the somewhat unusual named "MuVit" foot attached. The red marked foot attachment was offered as an additional purchase last May.  I'm not sure why Brother didn't think to make the original foot attachment with the handy red reference markings.

 This foot rolls. Unlike most regular walking feet attachments or  IDT systems.  It has taken me  a bit of time to get used to this foot, but now I love it.   It sews very precise -even stitches on the thinnest, and thickest fabrics and has 10 adjustable pressure settings. 

Mr. MuVit

 My MuVit Video

 My primary interest in owning this machine started out with wanting a better feed dog system. A narrower feed dog system.  It's what I didn't like about the previous machine I used and over the years I have overlooked the importance of feed dog configurations in favor of brand names and their popularity  with quilters when purchasing a machine. No more.

Here is a 9 mm feed dog system. Note the width and position of the feed dogs between the needle. Look at that wide open space of blank metal just before the hole in the needle plate and the smaller feed dogs are situated way at the back of the needle plate. This type of feed dog system requires the quilter to position the fabrics back and under the foot to make good contact with all the feed dogs and presser foot,  or use what is often referred to as a leader and ender,  which is a small pieces of fabric that you sew onto and off of  prior to sewing onto your actual piece of fabric, or learn special techniques to get good sewing results.

A 5 point  9 mm feed dog system

Below picture is of  the Brother DreamWeaver 7 point 7 mm feed dog system. Even without the single hole needle plate inserted, this feed dog system holds and feeds the fabric evenly and without any special technique required.  So, unless you need a 9 mm feed dog system because you use the wider decorative stitches available on some sewing machines, please consider the narrower more precise 7 mm  feed dog system instead when considering a newer sewing machine.

The DreamWeaver laser light is not a gimmick as one might think and I'm sure the more I use it the more uses I  find for it.  Now,  I primarily use it for referencing a 1/4 inch seaming, and for sewing diagonally. Just for those sewing functions it's been an amazing time saver, and now I wonder how I've sewn with out it! 

Diagonal seaming with the laser turned on center 3.5 position.

Center position with the laser beam.

Quarter inch position with the laser beam.

The Brother DreamWeaver is heavy, and weighs in at approx. 42 lbs.  So it's not a tote around sewing machine although mine did come with a nice wheeled tote I think the only place it will be going is for an annual cleaning.

This machine is about as close to everything "perfect" you may want in a sewing machine. It comes with an excellent users manual and all the basic sewing feet you will need for the most part. The only additional  foot I've purchased is the red line marked MuVit foot attachment.  

This is the Multi Function foot pedal. You can set the pedals to perform various functions in the menu section of the machine.  I have set the larger pedal for sewing forward and if I press my heel down, it reverse sews. The smaller pedal is set to cut the thread. This is really nice if you don't want to move your hands away from holding the fabric to the top function buttons on the machine. The machine also comes with a knee lift and a manual presser foot lifter plus a function button at the top of the machine that raises and lowers the presser foot. So, there are three ways to lift the presser foot. Some of the newer machines no longer have the presser foot lever at the back of the machine. 

Multi Function Foot Pedal

I have taught myself to sew with my left foot, and use the knee lift with my right leg. I credit a very good machine quilting teacher who early on encouraged me to learn this method. Multi task your feet and knee! Not make your right leg and foot do all the work! (grin)

There are many useful well thought out features on the DreamWeaver which make it nearly perfect in todays sewing machine market.  I'm not here to promote this machine, but I've been asked questions about how I like it, and thought this was a good venue for answering some of your inquires. 

PS. I love it!

String Quilt---Finished

I've quilted six donation quilts in the past ten days.  I think that's a record!   I attribute this  to the fact that I have a stock pile of (guilt) ---and quilt tops from our Remnants mini group to get finished that have been hanging in my sewing room closet for months, and also that I love my new Leader Grips which making loading the quilt backings onto the long arm so easy-----

I don't spend a lot of time deciding on quilting motifs when it comes to donation quilts. My motto as I've mentioned before is to get them done & delivered.

This twin size string quilt was a joint project with my friend Carolynn. We went to quilt retreat together in April and the last day of retreat she had finished her take along projects. I had bought along the strings of fabric and she offered to make the string blocks.  She did great!

If you want to learn more about making String Quilts please visit Mary Johnson's web pages. This is where I learned about String quilts----how to make them, and also some places to donate them.

Later on I pieced the quilt and added the border and hung it in the closet.

Yesterday I quilted it with the Circle Lord Swirls design and finished the machined binding this a.m.

I love using Judy Laquidara's method for machine applied binding for donation quilts rather than hand stitching the binding to the back of the quilt. This twin size quilt took me about an hour to bind!  The tutorial for Judy's method is also listed here on the side bar of my blog. "Tutorials."

 Our String Quilt (Carolynn & Angie)

  A closer view of the Swirls design

The backing is a piece of fabric from my stash. Not pieced.

This is another Remnants donation quilt top I finished on the long arm  this past weekend.  Swirled! and done! Bless Michael at Circle Lord for inventing and designing this template system!

"Pinwheels in the Garden"

Swirled