Happy Sunday, Happy Independence Day to those of you in the United States, and Happy July, everyone! Today's post will be a smorgasbord of high-tech and low-tech excitement that has accumulated over the past week.
The Charlotte Modern Quilt Guild hosted a Zoom lecture with Canadian quilter Libs Elliott a few days ago, which was fabulous! Libs is best known for her use of computer code to generate random geometric designs for modern quilting. She shared that her parents were antique dealers and that she'd discovered and fallen in love with old quilts at auctions and estate sales. As she related her journey from trying to replicate traditional patchwork with hardly any instruction through creating ideas of her own on paper and then trying to figure out how to make a quilt that looked like her sketches, I really appreciated her spirit of adventure and the way her style and her process have evolved over time.
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| Enjoying Libs Elliott's Lecture on Quilt Design with Computer Code |
I got some good news last week, and I got some bad news. Good news first! I found a buyer for my APQS machine, a quilter from Northern Minnesota who was delightful to talk to on the phone. She will be driving over 1,300 miles come and pick up the machine this week, and I wish her a safe and smooth journey!
Bad news: I already sold the IntelliQuilter computer robotics that I had on my APQS Millennium, because my Q-Matic computer robotics for the Bernina was supposed to be here at the end of June. Well, guess what? The Q-Matic is now pushed back until at least August, due to the global shortage in microchips. 😧 Yikes! That means I can't stitch any digital edge-to-edge quilts for another month! My Bernina dealer, Creative Sewing & Vacuum, has graciously offered to let me use their demo Q24 machine at the store for computerized quilts that I need to get done in the meantime. The only catch there is that, to conserve floor space in the shop, their demo Q24 is set up on the smallest 8' frame and the widest quilt that will fit that frame is about 71". Not big enough for the queen quilts in my queue! I had a customer's baby quilt that needed to get done, though, so I brought it over to quilt it with Q-Matic at the store. I can't show you this quilt quite yet -- the client is picking it up on Wednesday -- but I'm hosting TGIFF Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday this week and I'll show it to you then, okay? Pinky promise! For now you just get this little tantalizing glimpse:
Borrowing My Bernina Dealer's Demo Q24 with Q-Matic
Jumping around here a bit... Did you notice the pink and white quilt on my lap in the first photo, while I was watching the Libs Elliott Zoom lecture? That's another vintage quilt repair that I'm working on. It is hand pieced and hand quilted, and there were lots of open seams to stitch shut.
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| Weaving Pins to Close Open Seam for Hand Stitching |
First, I weave long, extra-fine pins through the quilt like basting stitches to hold the seam closed so the alignment doesn't shift while I'm hand stitching.
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| Hand Stitching the Open Seam |
Then I hand stitch the seam closed the same way I'd hand stitch appliqué. I'm using off white Aurifil 50 weight 2-ply cotton thread and my stitches are a lot smaller than the original quiltmaker's were, so these seams will be secure despite some fraying of the seam allowances. This is probably a Bohin size 11 appliqué needle, in case anyone's curious.
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| Quilt Boo-Boo Repaired! |
I got most of those open seams stitched closed during the Zoom lecture. I think I just missed one or two of them, and then I still need to do a few small patches and rebind the quilt. It's that Economy Block quilt that I showed you a few months ago:
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| Vintage Economy Quilt In for Repair |
SUNDAY
Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué
Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework
Slow Stitching Sunday at Kathy's Quilts
MONDAY
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
BOMs Away at What a Hoot Quilts
So glad you have sold your machine and loved seeing your repair work on the sweet quilt. It is a beauty. Have a lovely week.
ReplyDeleteOh, so sorry for the delayed computer, hopefully you have temporary equipment. Sorry about your son too, and his big cheek ;) Beautiful vintage quilt, you did miracles on these old seams.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, and linking up today!
Crazy how this pandemic has created weird shortages. I hope when the new machine is up and running you'll be quilting happily.
ReplyDeleteso sorry for the delay in getting the set up for the computer part of your equipment but so glad for you that you sold the machine. I hope it comes faster than expected
ReplyDeleteCongrats on selling your APQS, but sorry the new QMatic is delayed, such a bummer. You are doing a fantastic job on that quilt repair.
ReplyDeleteSo Minnesota is coming to you for a visit and to pick up the APQS, huh? That's pretty cool! I'm so sorry about the wait for the robotics, though. What fun to have Libs come to your quilt meeting.
ReplyDeleteThe world has big delays in producing and shipping goods right now. Hopefully it is just temporary, and the computer chips and other delayed items get back on track soon. It must be frustrating to have a brand new machine, but not quite all of it. Hugs, Judy
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on selling your previous machine! I'm sorry to hear that the chip shortage is impacting you, but things will ease up soon, I hope. I can certainly symathize with your son and his chipmunk cheeks; the same thing happened to me several decades ago, and it wasn't fun. I hope he bounces back quickly.
ReplyDeleteI feel for you. We ordered a new range for our kitchen because our old one burst into flames in May. Because of the chip shortage, we have to wait until August for the replacement. It's been a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI lived on avocados when mine were removed. I love avocado. DH lived on scrambled eggs and mashed sweet potato casserole when he got gum surgery. There are a lot of good soft foods out there luckily. Pudding. Smoothies. yogurt. now I'm hungry
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you sold your older long arm machine. I'm sure the person who bought it will love it. Sorry about the delay for your Q24 computer part, but August isn't all that far away. I hope your customers will understand and patiently wait.
ReplyDeleteI'de say the good out weighs the bad in your post. How great to sell your machine. I know the new owner will be so happy to have it. UGH on chip shortage. The US needs to make its own chips ... I think I saw something on TV about that this past year and it is a possibility. Yea for the progress on the antique quilt. (80 years ago is 1940s... is that really an antique??? Of course it is!) Ugh on having a ice cream eating chipmunk living with you. Poor guy. I remember milkshakes after mine were out. Hope he's better soon.
ReplyDeleteLove your new machine! I am afraid that all things large and small will have up to a year in shipment delays.... Hoping that it is only a 6 week delay for you. Hugs
ReplyDeleteYep! That post title sums up your week quite well, Rebecca!! Here's hoping Anders follows all the protocol for keeping those tooth holes healing properly. DS1 got his out a couple of months ago and had minimal trouble with them (unlike his father, who got his out a few years ago and ended up with dry socket.)
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing your dealer is! Sorry that you are without the computer technology part of your process for awhile longer. In the end, it will arrive and you will have a fine time quilting projects with your new machine combo! I hope Anders heals quickly. . .milkshakes and Mac n Cheese can get old!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about the delay in your new machine. The chip shortage is affecting so many things. The repair project look to be going well. Fingers crossed you get your new machine quicker than they expected.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that you found a happy buyer for your old machine; I'm certain that she's tickled. And what a lovely labour of love on the Square Within a Square quilt. Beautiful. Hope your chipmunk is feeling better soon.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on selling your machine. Crazy your buyer is driving so far. I bet she will enjoy the journey though.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you got a pretty good set up with a loaner machine although it is for smaller quilts. I hope you can keep sewing though.