Oh my gosh, you guys! I completed a whole sewing project from start to finish last night in under an hour! This is what it must feel like to own a sewing machine but NOT be a quilter!!
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| A Sewing Project Completed Start to Finish in Under an Hour! |
This is something I’ve been “fixing to do” for a couple of years now, just “waiting to get a round tuit” that never arrived… No pattern; just eyeballed an old, stretched out elastic contraption that needed replacing and replicated it with some purple elastic from my garment supply stash and a little piece of jacquard ribbon to make it pretty. This elastic strap slips on and off over my iPad case quickly and easily and has a channel stitched to securely hold my Apple Pencil.
I even used one of the high tech gizmos on the new B 990 sewing machine. When top stitching my ribbon in place with Edgestitch Foot #10D, I turned on the laser that shows exactly where my needle is positioned to stitch on my project; see that red dot below on the black ribbon?
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| B 990 Laser Helps Position Edge Stitching |
On previous machines, I would have tried out different out of center needle positions one click at a time, lowering the needle to see how far I was about to stitch from the edge, but it was faster (and more fun) to just turn on the red laser dot. One, two clicks to the left, looks perfect, GO! I only turned the laser on to select my needle position; did not leave it on for sewing. I used two different utility stitches, the three step zigzag stitch to overcast the raw cut edges of my elastic to prevent fraying with use, and the triple straight stitch around my ribbon flower and along the edges of the long, skinny pocket for holding the Apple Pencil. I used Mettler Metrosene all-purpose polyester thread and a Schmetz Stretch needle in size 90. I wish I had a closer thread color match to the color of my elastic, but I wanted a strong poly thread for durability and I don’t have anywhere near the stash of colors in all purpose poly that I have for quilting, appliqué, embroidery etc. This was an impulse project chosen primarily so I could procrastinate packing for my trip.
Maybe I should do more projects that don’t take 6 years to finish?
Speaking of projects that take years to finish… I did get a bit more quilting done on Marybeth’s 1984 WIP sampler quilt this week. I added some hand guided ruler work quilting to the three blocks that I quilted with computerized designs the last time I posted about this project:
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| Continuous Curves Ruler Quilting Added Around Digital Block Design |
My hand guided quilting is nowhere near as nice as the computerized design but the block looked unfinished to me before. I’m doing the best I can but it’s a learning process and if I keeping stopping to rip out quilting and redo it, I’ll never get the quilt back to Marybeth!
So my rule for myself is that I’m going to finish quilting the whole thing, then step back and give it a good looking-over at the end. If a see a few things that are glaring that I can fix, I will go back and do them afterwards. That will prevent me from getting too bogged down and never finishing at all. |
| Straight Line Quilting with ProLine 2 Ruler |
I used my ProLine 2 ruler, also from Lisa Calle’s line, to do the 1/2” spaced straight line quilting without having to mark anything ahead of time. Love those rulers!
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| Continuous Curves Quilting with ProEcho 6 Ruler |
Last but not least, I quilted continuous curves around these little blocks (tumbling blocks? Baby blocks?) with my ProEcho 6 ruler. Practicing the stitch path on my iPad ahead of time paid off; I did manage to stitch all of that with no stopping to tie off as would have happened if I’d quilted myself into a corner.
I still have two more rows of blocks needing to be quilted with a mixture of digital designs, ruler work and freehand fill quilting, plus the rest of the digital sashing and border designs, but steady progress is happening. I hope Marybeth likes it when it’s finished. I’ve been too chicken to send her any in-progress photos (because what if she doesn’t like them?!) so unless she’s been reading my blog she is totally in the dark.
I’m wrapping up this blog post from Gate B37 at the Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, where I am awaiting my connecting flight to Austin! I brought nothing to sew but at least I can pop around the Internet to see what all of YOU have been sewing while I wait on my next plane. I’m linking up today’s blog post with my usual linky parties:
MONDAY
Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Monday Musings at Songbird Designs
TUESDAY
To-Do Tuesday at Quilt Schmilt
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
THURSDAY
Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation
FRIDAY
Finished or Not Friday at Alycia Quilts
Off the Wall Friday at Nina Marie Sayre
Beauty Pageant at From Bolt to Beauty
TGIFF Thank Goodness It’s Finished Friday, rotates, schedule found here: TGIF Friday
SUNDAY
Frédérique at Quilting Patchwork Appliqué
Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework
12 comments:
I think Mary Beth is going to love the quilting because who doesn't like a finished, especially when it's from 1984! Happy stitching!
your high tech gizmo for the machine looks very complicated to me - I would be afraid to touch it!! have fun with your sister - your quilting is so nice and neat
That little pencil holder is EXACTLY what I need for my Weather Journal! I've been using a piece of sticky tape to hold it inside the little binder and wracking my brain trying to figure out something cute - now I'm going to attempt something like you made - I love it! Your blocks and quilting look beautiful.
Oh WOW!! Your ruler work and free hand quilting compliments your computerized designs well; but, absolutely enhance Mary Beth's piece work. She is going to be over the moon. I giggled when I read that maybe you should make some non quilted projects for quicker finishes. . .Yep. . .I've been thinking along those lines too. . .a swimsuit will take me less than a day. . .Then I laughed out loud when I read the rule you set for yourself! Oh, how we torment ourselves when the stitches aren't how we envisioned in our heads! I'm glad you are waiting until the end. . .although, rules can be broken. . .Have a great visit with your sister!
Mary Beth is going to be thrilled!!! And yes, I remember those exact same prints from the 80's!!!
You had me at B990. OK, just kidding, but I have been watching for a machine that will give me throat space closer to my APQS George with the precision and variety of stitches of my Bernina 1260. I want to get down to a single machine. All part of downsizing during my swan song years when space will be at premium.
Love the idea of a tablet pen holder. And to think you created function and beauty in a single hour.
Can anyone do FMQ with the precision of a computerized machine? I doubt it. Your self guided quilting looks great. Great plan to wait and see how it looks in the end vs obsessing over each stitch. Hint, I'm frequently surprised by how my work "improves" after it has a few years out of my eyesight when all I can see are the flaws.
Love this little pen holder; and the story of creating something fun and useful in less than an hour! Your quilting looks great and I am sure that Mary Beth will be thrilled to receive it. And thanks for linking up your finish on TGIFF!
I like your pen holder. I really like all of your quilting.
Hello where are you located please would you be able to finish a quilt I have been making as I haven’t got a long arm on my machine.
Or would you be able to advise me where to go to get it done I live in Crawley
Thank you Donna
Hi, Donna. I live in Naples, Florida but I am no longer quilting for hire. My long arm is only for my own quilts now, and occasionally the quilts of my closest personal friends. I don't know where Crawley is. Sorry I can't be of more help.
The pencil holder turned out really cool, love that purple color you used. The quilting looks fabulous! Enjoy your trip to Austin.
I put off little projects like that too. Don't know why. Love your pencil holder and you are going to enjoy it for a very long time. Your custom work on that quilt is perfection. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
https://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2025/03/26/wednesday-wait-loss-425
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