Fighting with Miss Frances (Pfaff)

(If you are looking for QED for October click here. There is still time to link up and have a chance at this month's giveaway)

Well, last night I had a knock down, drag out fight with Miss Frances. She was really having a problem FMQ. FMQ is why I bought this machine! I am not happy with this machine's attitude!

Loops and bird's nests on the top!

Frayed thread and bird's nest on the bottom!

So I went back to the beginning and tried to understand what Miss Frances was trying to tell me.

1. I put my feed dogs up (Leah recommends this)
2. I put my stitch length to 0 (the manufacturer doesn't say you need to do this in the sensormatic setting)
3. I put a 'Little Genie Magic Bobbin Washer" in because every time it did this I could hear the bobbin clonk.
4. I tightened my top tension.
5. I have been using a spool stand and spool net - I continued this configuration

She STILL did this! Now I have changed my needle several times, I have been using a 90/14 Schmetz quilting needle.

Broken needles (a lot of them)!

This is Isacord thread (same thread top and bobbin).  Everyone always seems to tell you to go bigger when your thread shreds, but 90/14 seems plenty big enough, this thread is quite thin. So I went smaller, to a 70/10 Microtex/sharp. I broke one more needle, so I lowered my top tension back to were I had been before.

That seemed to do the trick and I was able to stitch out the rest of my homework for Leah Day.

Front

Back

The bird's nests were prior to changing the needle. After changing the needle, not a single bobble for the rest of the homework.













I really loved adding to flowing lines, turning it into Goldilocks. I didn't stipple, I did just a simple back and forth to give it a more modern feel.

I was so pleased with my success, I went to stitch on my Expanding Possibilities quilt. And this is what I got!

Another broken needle! Actually I was able to stitch for a bit and it was better, only one or two skipped stitches. This needle broke when I moved to a new area, as I was pulling up my bobbin thread.

Leah HELP! What am I doing wrong??? Could the bird's nests, skipped stitches, broken needles be operator error (This mainly happens when I stitch backwards)? Could it be that the bigger quilt is pulling? Should I take the machine in for a check-up? It seems I can get rid of a lot of the problems, but them never really completely go away.

On to other projects:

I finished my library quilt this week. Yippee, skippee! I'm now down to just three WIPs!

My stats for the week:
In-process: (3)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done

New projects: (0)

Finished (1)
Geneva Public Library quilt - done
 
I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Clue: In the Library....

....with a sewing machine, Pat @ Color Me Quilty finally finishes the Library Kids Quilt!

Best picture I could get today, because it's pouring rain outside!!!

Last February, I held a class with 4 kids at the Geneva Public Library to let them learn about quilts and quilting. Each of the girls and two librarians did some fused applique on 12 inch blocks.

These are the blocks I came home with from the library

And this is how they sat, until Leah Day started UFO Sunday, which FINALLY got me working on this project.

I added two embroidered blocks and colorful borders around each block. I needed the borders because I wanted to do this in a QAYG  (quilt as you go) method.

I had never done raw edge applique and I was a little nervous about stitching around each element in the blocks.

This was the toughest block because of the multiple layers of fused applique. It was kind of like stitching through cardboard.

Echo quilted and a few swirls thrown in to add movement without taking away from the kid's art.

I used white 50 wt. Aurifil thread for both the piecing and quilting. This thread is thin and gives texture without taking away from the quilt design.  The quilt is approximately 53" X 53". I hope the library has a wall space big enough for this quilt.

I'm pleased with how this quilt turned out and I'm thrilled it's done!  So today I'm linking up with the Free Motion Quilting Project for UFO Sunday and Quilt Matters for TGIFF. This is also a finish for Quilter in the Gap 4th quarter Finish-A-Long.

 

 

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Going with the Flow

Leah Day's homework this week was flowing lines. What a great FMQ motif! I love how it looks stitched out into my Expanding Possibilities quilt.

I was easily able to go around a corner with this design

I'm still getting a few thread "burps" (the thread just sort of explodes out into a birds nest, but more on the top of the quilt and just little on the bottom). I think it is because this quilt is so heavy, it pulls and my machine doesn't like it.  (I can just hope that my dear hubby will read this post and will buy me a Gidget II table for Christmas!!!)  Any convincing argument to get him to buy it for me for Christmas????  I mean, I have been bad this year, I bought a new machine! How do I say this nicely, the man is frugal, his hobby is doing our cost book!

On to other projects! I was pretty good this week working on several projects on the WIP list!

My library quilt is getting close to completion. All quilted, and I have the blocks joined into rows.

Now to get the rows into a quilt! Then I need to bind it, attach a rod pocket to hang it and a label. Almost there!

I also pulled out a WIP/UFO that has been on my list since last fall and started working on it, my Purple Hearts quilt.

I added and embroidered the borders. Now to baste and quilt it.

My stats for the week:
In-process: (4)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt

New projects: (0)

Finished (0)

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

4th Quarter and 4 To Go!

You may think I'm talking football, but I'm talking Quilter in the Gap's Finish Along 2012!

My Score:

1st Quarter: I had three projects on my list!
       Completed: 1 - Hip To Be Square quilt

2nd Quarter: I had nine projects on my list
        Completed: 5

3rd Quarter: I had eight projects on my list
       Completed: 6 - two pillows, two quilts, two minis

So on to the 4th Quarter List: I have just four projects - All due for Christmas (or before)!

1. My second Storybook Quilt. This was on my list since the first quarter. I finished the first quilt in the second quarter, but the pressure is now for her sister's quilt.

2. Expanding Possibilities. I finished this quilt top over a year ago. I have now promised to donate it to a wonderful kids charity, due just before Christmas.

3. Purple Heart wall hanging. One of my mom's UFO's, turned into one of my UFOs. Planned as a Christmas give to a family member.

4. Library Quilt.  I have been working on this pretty steadily for the past month. It NEEDS to be finished. It will hang in the Geneva Public Library. Since I have 2012 date on it, it must be given this year!!!!

I have completed twelve projects so far this year on Quilter in the Gap Finish Along (FAL).  I will have sixteen if I complete these four remaining projects. I'm pretty happy with that score! Thanks Ronda for hosting this FAL!

Linking up with Ronda at Quilter in the Gap for the 4th Quarter FAL!!!

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Dewey Decimal System!

Okay, so how many of you remember the Dewey Decimal System and actual card catalogs??? I know that the kids that worked on this library quilt don't! The library today is an amazing place with many more activities than I remember as a kid! And speaking of libraries, I'm making some progress on my Library quilt. I have 4 out of 9 blocks quilted. My goal is to finish this quilt this weekend (I hope)!

Echos and swirls

The borders have three loop wiggly lines

My goal with the FMQ is to give some texture without taking away from the kids artwork. I'm using Aurifil 50wt cotton because it just sort of blends into the background and quilts so nicely.  Cross your fingers that I can get this finished and so that I work on something new!

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

WIP It Up!

I have been diligently working to finish up my WIPs/UFOs over the past two months. I'm still not caught up, but I now think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

For my Leah Day homework this week, I was able to incorporate it into a quilt (Expanding Possibilities) that I'm trying to complete. I probably prefer stitching regular paisley, but I love the look of pointy paisley.

 This quilt is just about twin sized, so somewhat large and heavy. So my question for Leah this week is; Do you still recommend the Gidget II sewing tables? I haven't seen them on your shop website for a while now, which I realize could be a purely business decision on your part. I hope that this is an appropriate question to ask, but Christmas is coming! ;) 

This week I finished up some smaller projects and worked on a few more - YAHOO!

Sew Cal Gal FMQ challenge for June - binding done!

Table runner from last week's homework - binding done!

Sew Cal Gal's September FMQ challenge - done!

Embroidered the missing two blocks for my library quilt.

 I was very bad, I ordered some fabric for my next (after all of these projects are done) quilt. I'm REALLY looking forward to starting something new, but I NEED to finish up these last four projects!

My stats for the week:
In-process: (4)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt (maybe make a block or two to even it out)

New projects: (0)

Finished (2)
Flip and sew orange table runner - done.
Sew Cal Gal June FMQ Challenge - done.

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Dusting Off My Embroidery Machine

One of the main reason I got my Pfaff (in JULY) was so that I could set up my Babylock to just embroider. So I guess it was time to dust off my embroidery machine, set it up, and get stitching.

Miss Ellie can now sit here, ready and waiting anytime I want to embroider, without having to break her down from regular quilting and set her up for embroidery.

I got the last two blocks for my library quilt, embroidered and pieced. Now I just need to quilt and join the blocks. I think I may see light at the end of this tunnel (I hope it's not a train or a librarian trying to "shhhhh" me!)  ;)

I'm linking up with Plum and June for Let's Get Acquainted and Free Motion by the River for Linky Tuesday!

Color Me Quilty!

Pat

Feeding the Fire and WIPping It Good!

I know that Leah Day called this week's design, "Snake Paisley", but it really looked like flames to me. Especially since I stitched it on bright orange.

This is the second week I decided to stitch out the design with matching color thread and I like it. It is gives amazing texture to the piece.  This little table runner I whipped up on Monday night was just perfect for this design. Now to figure out what to stitch on the borders and finish up this little project.

Wrinkled batting

I have kind of an odd question for Leah this week. How do you handle really wrinkled batting? The picture above, isn't really badly wrinkled. But sometimes I have pieces of batting that are much worse, especially a curl on the edge of the batting. Do you press it before basting it or do you just try to smooth it out the best you can as you baste?

I did work on some other projects this week. I started quilting my Library quilt.

I stitched in the ditch around the borders, and echo quilted the kids' applique. Should I continue to echo quilt and fill in the background or leave it as I have it? I find it a bit distracting to have some of the puffing areas, but I don't want my quilting to take away from the kids' designs.

I also finished up my bird pillow. I'm quite happy with how it turned out. And the best part is that it takes one off of the WIP list and into the finished list! Yippee, Skippee!

Front and Back of the Bird Pillow!

My stats for the week:
In-process: (5)
Purple heart wall hanging ( needs borders, backing, quilting and binding)
Expanding Possibilities quilt (Continue to quilt)
Storybook quilt # 2 - All embroidery is done
Geneva Public Library quilt - join and quilt (maybe make a block or two to even it out)
Sew Cal Gal June FMQ Challenge - Need to bind.

New projects: (1)
Flip and sew orange table runner.

Finished (1)
Sew Cal Gal's April FMQ Challenge - finished the pillow.

I'm linking up with  Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday and The Free Motion Quilting Project for QAL Wednesday

Color Me Quilty!

Pat