Screeching Halt..........

I would like to say that I LOVE my Janome. I've had Precious for just about two years now; and she's been an absolute dream.

The more I learn the craft of sewing, the more I discover what she and I can do together.

Each discovery of 'foot' and 'plate' is super exciting to me.

Here she is. I love this machine.

Is it weird that I consider my machine (Precious) more than just a tool; more like a co-worker?

Well, sometimes co-workers get sick or just have an off day.

Precious is going to the doctor today - the tension has gone completely wonky. And now, the thread is catching on something and burrs up, and ...snaps.

I did all I could do. Cleaned, oiled, adjusted bobbin, thread, and needle.

Then last night I had a revelation....what has recently changed. What's the variable in the equation that is different....

A few weeks ago I had wrecked my 1/4 inch foot.

 (Don't ask.)

SO I went to my local sewing shop, where my Precious came from - to replace the foot. I was given what I thought was the same....but oh no. No it wasn't. The place where the needle goes in was NARROWER than the one I was using.  You can see how technical I am here.

The problem was; when sewing over seam intersections; the needle would sometimes 'move' to the right slightly and then BAM!! All sorts of sounds and sirens would go off - and my machine would freeze. The needle was hitting the foot. And jarring the whole system back up through the tension disks....le sigh. You can see where this is going.

So all day yesterday I was fighting with the tension on my machine. An entire

quilt top has had to be re-sewn together. I had to pick out half of the FMQ design on a custom order for Christmas.

The silverlining is: I went back to the Singer store, and the guy was like, NO problem. Bring your machine, bring the foot, we'll switch it out, tune up your machine, make it right. (There is a cost involved, but I figured, two years, I'm due for a tuneup.)

So .....no sewing today. Working on some scarves instead.

Gah. Tis the season!!!

On a happier note; I decorated the house for Christmas this week!

The annual "Which Damn Bulb is the Burnt Out One" game

All done! Pretty lights.

Night time shot.

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Quilt for Fred's Mom

I love my friend Fred. He is one terrific guy. And even though I've never had the pleasure of meeting her, his Mom is also one terrific lady, and MAN can she cook.

So; my first finished (almost) commissioned quilt is for Mrs. F; and I hope she likes it. I wanted something homey but bright, so I chose yellows and browns and pinks for the main colours.

Assembling the Springtime Blocks

Piles of completed blocks

The finished blocks assembled and laid out; on grass so yes it's wobbly looking

The Blue border I like best so far. The quilt isn't skewed I need to work on my photo skills.

Springtime Block

The borders have  kinda stumped me; I had a pink in mind but then I thought it might be too 'young' for her; so then I thought, well, I can use the yellow floral  that is the main large triangle colour. But I wanted to use that for the backing and thatmight be too much

So now......I'm thinking I'm gonna add a border of bright royal blue with a feathery type pattern on it...wonder about some input? Thoughts?

Well... I went and added the blue border; I will post some pics in a bit. I think it's coming together pretty nicely.

Rainbow Around the World and Other Stuff

YAY!

I'm pretty excited and proud about my First Big Finished Quilt. It's double sized and it's for my baby brother (who is 30 ha ha ha) and it's his Christmas present.
Here's some pics of the my journey making my first real patterned quilt, "Around the World".

 I found some jellyrolls on sale and KNEW I had to make something with them. I worked and tried to concentrate hard on the pattern but if you look carefully you can see where I mixed up a row...strip pieced and machine sewed; and I stitched in the ditch the around the world pattern and then stippled the borders.

At the start....

I really like the hot pink thread on the red border. And the black fabric for the wide edge had a neat grey pattern that really looked neat with the black on black stippling.

I was so excited to finish it though I nearly gave it to him yesterday.

At the basting and backing stage

Done!

I feel I should explain......

Many of my friends were freaked out when they found out I've been quilting. They look at me askance and call me grandma....and I'm enduring teasing beyond belief via email. The young girls I work with can't even begin to comment or identify so they largely ignore my enthusiastic descriptions of my new found love of quilting.

I could care less! This quilting thing is GREAT!!!!!

I've always admired beautifully crafted quilts. In fact Mom made one when I was little for my middle brother and we loved that thing beyond anything, until it was tatters. I don't know where it went, and Mom can't remember, either. But when we go through the family albums, in several old photos, there it is. Wrapped around us, under us, over us, used as a tent, or blankie, or all sorts of things we played at.

And when we were kids, Mom made our clothes too, even up to a highschooler she would make me some thigns (although at that point she let me choose my own fabric!) and Mom is a fabulous knitter. Of course she's slowed down a lot, her arthritis makes it hard for her to do that these days.

But that woman can KNIT like you wouldn't beleive.

And me, I turned up my nose for years. Couldn't be bothered. Had other things to do...you know. Teenagers. Ha.

It wasn't until the last ten years or so that I started knitting; the lady we would stay with when in FL on tour was a HUGE handicrafter. She knew my mother knitted and sewed, and knew I sewed. I didn't sew well, it was mostly all self taught, and the library books were helpful. But I was a  complete beginner.( For the show I was in I made all the costumes; Renaissance ish style ones) and couldn't BELIEVE I didn't knit. SO....I learned. At first because she sat me down at the table and wouldn't let me get up until I could cast on and knit 10 rows...laugh. Terrifying.

Then because I really dug watching something take form outta nothing. It was a trip. Kinda like sewing, but so, I don't know...Old-timey and feel-goody. And I felt ACCOMPLISHED. My first scarf I completed was HORRIBLE...lol...so of course: I gave it to my Dad. HA HA HA. Here ya go Dad. Enjoy.

And of course it was bright turquoise and I had embroidered with knitting DAD in giant brown letters. ( The colours were an homage to my father and the days of him picking me up after high school dances wearing bright turquoise shirts with turquoise socks to match and brown sandals. And oh yes. The socks....the socks. Pulled up over his glaringly white chicken legs up to his knobby knees. The horror.)

ANYWAY. Betty also sewed; she was fantastic and was learning to quilt in her towns tiny quilt shop with a group of ladies. I went with her one day to the shop and nearly fell over at the bright store. It was beautiful. I salivated. I wanted to laugh and sing and cry with joy! The colours were bright! And juicy! And I wanted to grab them all and rub my face in them and roll around like a cat in a catnip patch. I felt them and pored over all these wonderful fabrics.....

Needless to say, I had never been in such a glorious store.

The fabric shops I had been in previously were more utilitarian,  smelly, kinda like garage bins of old cloth you go through at a yard sale. Dust bunnies on the floor, unhelpful staff in black pants, pince-nez glasses, measuring tapes around their necks and giant dress shears in their hands. All named Maria and very unhelpful> did I mention that?? They would watch you go through and select your fabrics and sniff when you brought them to be cut...tersely asking, "What you making?" and when I would describe the project, sniff again as if to say, You're making THAT? Good luck kid.

But this New Wonderful Place was NOTHING like the previous shops I had been in. That shall remain nameless  and since I still have to shop there occasionally shall remain so. :)

I had discovered my as yet unknown love of quilting, and all things fabric-y.