A Scrappy Quilter: sewing machine

Showing posts with label sewing machine. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

The Learning Curve Hurts!

Sometimes it's fun to learn but sometimes it hurts.

I finally decided to start really

using my "new to me" sewing machine.

Yes, I did read the manual and visited YouTube

to get some good advice on where to start

and some hints on making free motion quilting easier.

I started doing some straight line quilting and gradually

upped the speed for the sewing.

A really productive morning happened.

Two small quilts were stitched up.

Later that afternoon stitching began on a slightly larger quilt.

A little bit of distraction got in the way

and I ran over my finger with the needle.

Yes, it hurt and yes, I did the instinctive thing

and pulled my hand away.

You won't have to see the painful result but here is the needle!

Yikes! Yes it went all the way through

but the poke cleaned itself out effectively.

Now I only have a little bruise and no permanent damage.

It is a good reminder to not let your mind drift

while stitching .

Here's a quilt I was working on.

It was one of the smaller legacy quilts

finished and bound last week.

This week, I managed to pin base three lap quilts.

The top one here,

the bottom quilt here and

the finished one on the bottom.

Stitching went fairly fast but safely.

Three are binding ready!

Look at this great line up of

quilts on the move!

I am enjoying the new machine.

It has a feature like my featherweight.

Unusual, I know but the bobbin area

underneath a singer featherweight is open.

It is easy to keep the area clean with a small brush

or a nice blast of pressurized air.

My new and much more modern

machine also has a bobbin free to the outside world.

A blast of pressurized air chases out all the thread

cutoffs lint and dust bunnies. It is oddly rewarding too!

This product is available at my local bargain store.

I stock up with three of four cans and label them,

1/4, 2/4 etc. When I get to 4/4, I swing by and restock.

The week is getting pretty busy, with some family time,

snow, home chores, and some medical assistance,

so it may be a lean week for finished quilts.

Happy stitching this week and keep focused

so you don't run over your fingers.

Stay safe and sew on!

Linking up with:

Needle & Thread Thursday

Free Motion Mavericks

Finished or Not Friday

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Big News!

A new resident has joined the work room as

I am now the proud owner of a Bernina 820.

This machine was a donation to a local quilting club.

They were selling it to raise funds for additional quilting materials.

I had mentioned, at our monthly meeting,

that my bigger machine I used for quilting lost its timing.

It was getting quite costly to repair.

Now it is a parts donor machine at the repair shop.

Anyway, I haven't been intimidated

by anything in a long time,

but this machine has a lot of

bells and whistles that I have yet to learn.

Here is my first block made with my new quilting partner.

I found the tension a little tight.

I was getting a tiniest bit of rippling in the seams.

I'll just rethread again and that may take care of the problem

It certainly sews fast.

I'm not even up to half speed yet!

I would like to get a bit more comfortable before I try to quilt.

There are two, pinned Legacy quilt tops on the to do pile.

I would like to get them quilted it up this month.

The box that came with this new machine is pretty incredible .

It's more like a wagon for sewing machines.

It has a lovely pull handle and

can carry two small children in a pinch.

Retreat supplies will fit nicely.

Next up on my sewing schedule,

aside from doing more UFOs, is a

project just found during with an estate clear out.

I was gifted a big bin of fabric and it turned

out to be mostly Halloween!

There was a pattern in the box that looked interesting

but I knew there was an easier way to put the pattern together.

I called my incredibly organized BB.

She remembered where we did it and managed

to pull out the pattern! It really pays to have an organized friend!

It is called "a shaded four patch".

You end up with a square sitting next to a bigger triangle.

It's just wonderful and should work

very well with those Halloween fabrics.

I also have a very lovely Halloween panel

that I can put on the reverse of the quilt.

I'll end up with a two-sided Halloween quilt.

I can't see it being given as a wedding quilt so I

think I will actually be able to keep this one.

One of my quilting buddies youngest members

is now engaged so we do all feel a wedding

quilt coming on.

Stay safe and sew on.