Quilting Off and On

I've been standing at the long arm quite a bit the last few days. I've completed the quilting on this four-block wallhanging and it's OFF the rails. Yesterday I loaded ON the first of the two T-shirt quilts.

I chose a large, open meander pattern for the allover quilting design on these. It went quickly and I was very pleased with the results. It came OFF the rails this morning, it's all trimmed up and the binding's been prepared.

Quiltkeemosabe will do the finishing on this one; I'll pass it OFF and move ON to the next one. 

I can only imagine how  much these keepsakes will be treasured in the years to come.

💗

Life is Good!

Get A Grip!

I had considered adding a set of Side Grips to my backing fabric while quilting at the longarm; I thought that they would be useful particularly when I'm quilting from the back of the machine, following a pantograph. Acting on the recommendation of a friend I ordered a set on Saturday and had them yesterday; they are positively wonderful and now I wonder why I waited so long! Let me explain how they work and why they're so great: with a quilt loaded the backing fabric is pulled taut by two side clamps on each side, usually some degree of slack occurs between these clamps and, when the quilter is looking down at the pantograph, even the most careful quilter often will bump up against one of the clamps with the bed of the machine causing unsightly "hiccups" in the stitching... NOT the best situation at all; approaching the edges has always struck fear in this quilter.  Not anymore! (Watch the hyper-linked video, above.)

Now, with the Side Grips firmly attached to the backing there's no slack and no clamp bumping whatsoever. In fact, when the machine bed comes up against the edge of the Side Grip it runs smoothly right along the side; the clamp is back and away pulling the strap that comes from each side of the Side Grip... an invention that is both simple and brilliant at the same time!  No more hiccups.

"Salvaged Stars and Stripes" is quilted and off the rails this afternoon. 

After getting a grip (actually a set!), I'm one fearless quilter!

Life is Good!

Three Excellent Adventures

Quiltkeemosabe and I had excellent advenure #1 on Friday. We took off bright and early for the Capital City for our scheduled volunteer stint monitoring the Carolina Longarm Association's booth, and selling raffle tickets, at the Got To Be NC Festival. We reconnected with old friends there and made some new ones too; we made a few sidetrips along the way, and stopped for a late lunch on the way back home; all in all it was a wonderful day. We always have fun together, it doesn't matter at all what we're doing; we can be stopping at the grocery store or going on a weekend roadtrip or retreat together, when Quiltkeemosabe's along it's a great time. Over the last 21 years we've been through many advenures together, I am thankful for this friend who's always there for me and with me; a friend who's ever ready and willing to listen to my problems or complaints, or there to cheer me on, a friend who'll take a stand on my behalf or happily jump in the car and go along for the ride wherever it happens to be headed!  Here's to you, my friend; thanks for your friendship through the years and here's hoping we have many more adventures side by side, you help to make my life's journey a joy-filled one!

Saturday saw excellent adventure #2. Working with the saints at Bailey's Chapel and seeing not one, but two, quilt tops become reality!  With a small crew assembled, including their Pastor(r), everyone worked tirelessly all day long amid the hum of sewing machines and easy conversation until that last stitch. I will meet with them again to baste the tops together and get the first quilt loaded on a frame for hand quilting. 

Excellent adventure #3 could also be called the joy of discovery... or rediscovery as this case may be. While looking for a bin in which to transport all of the pieces and supplies for the previous adventure I emptied the contents of a large container that resided beneath my cutting table to find the beginnings of this quilt top from 1998. Along with the mountain of scraps and this assembled pinwheel section were my handwritten notes detailing my plan to set these 6" blocks together (with 1.5" sashing) 14 across and 15 down to create a king-sized quilt for our bed that would measure 116" X 108.5".  My first thought yesterday was "yeah, right; I'm not sure I want to spend the rest of my days cutting HST's...".  But then, a lightbulb went off... "I wonder" I thought, if I happen to have a the right sized die. Oh, yes, I do; Accuquilt to the rescue!  Then and there this one passed the "can I reasonably finish this?"and "is it worth finishing?" test in my own mind. Meet my newest project: "Light of Day". The name represents what this fifteen year old, instantly vintage, quilt has had shined upon itself, it has stood the test of time and is ready, at long last, for the Light of Day! This one is going to become my R.A.W. (Row A Week)  project, look for a completed top summer's end. What a wonderful weekend this one has turned out to be!

Life is Good!

From my notepad Note Quotes for Quilting Friends:
"A messy house is the sign of a happy quilter."

Energized!

I woke up early on Saturday morning, I was both excited and intimidated at the same time. I had made up my mind a few weeks ago, after drooling over all of the gorgeous quilting at our Guild show, that I was going to get more serious about the relationship I have with Sundance, it was time to take it to the next level. At the encouragement of a friend, and member, I decided to check into visiting a quarterly meeting of the Carolina Longarm Association. There was a meeting on Saturday, I talked to Quiltkeemosabe about riding along and she agreed; she was standing in her driveway at 7 AM  when I pulled up in front of her house, and off we went! We discussed what we thought the meeting might be like, and who we expected to meet (famous quilters!), as we drove the one hundred plus miles to the meeting place. We arrived early, I had allowed more than plenty of time to get there by 10 AM. As it turned out the meeting was a working meeting, there was business protocol before a delcious pot-luck lunch and we helped to make show ribbons for an upcoming longarm show in the afternoon. Before I knew it it was time to go, but not before show and tell; always my favorite part of any meeting! This lovely couple showed two of their quilts; she pieces, he does the quilting!

This wonderful Giant Dahlia quilt was quilted using arc rulers, it was just beautiful! 

The drive back home was a happy one, the two of us discussed what we'd seen and who we'd talked to. There had been lively conversation with new friends throughout the meeting; quilting ideas and plans for scheduling smaller, local, get-togethers flowed like water. My excitement and intimidation from earlier in the day had been completely replaced by pure energy; the next meeting is scheduled closer, geographically, it will be a hands-on program on background fillers. Quiltkeemosabe and I will definitely be in attendance for that one, we're official card-carrying CLA members now, we pulled out our checkbooks and joined before we left the meeting; we're serious... and we're energized! 

Life is Good!

C'mon Along...

She's here! Sundance has arrived!! I could barely sleep last night at the very thought, I felt like one of the children in the Disney World commercial exclaiming: "we're too excited to sleep"! And now, the long awaited day, has finally dawned and this is what she looks like sitting in the studio. It's more than a little overwhelming. I'm inviting you to come along with me as I journey, baby- step by baby-step into this wonderful world of long arm quilting. I have no idea how long the path will be, or the twists and turns that await me along the way. I do know where I hope to end up, I'll just keep looking forward, with my eye on the goal. You may need to remind me, at times, to do just that! OK, ready? Here we go; the time is upon us.For the next month or so I will be signing off with a stress-reducing "tip", or discipline, there are 35. These came to me in the form of a numbered list, in an e-mail, I decided to separate them and include them here; they are each of great value individually.

1. Pray
Life is Good!

"Where Do You Live?"

I have a new answer to the question, "where do you live?" I can now say: "not far from Quiltville". It's true. I didn't move. Bonnie did; and she brought Quiltville with her! I can testify, with all authority, that she did arrive, that her new home is every bit as lovely and peaceful in it's surroundings as the photos depict, and that her quilting area is just as completely fantastic as she has reported! Quiltkeemosabe and I dropped by her place the other day to take the Queen of Quiltville some lunch and to extend a good ol' NC welcome! What was she doing when we arrived? Well, you guess... setting up her wonderful, magnificent, long-arm quilting machine in it's new workspace! Now really, what else would you have expected? And, in the midst of boxes and chaos and the associated confusion of moving the village of Quiltville, what else did Bonnie do? She handed us cute, yummy Valentine's gifts! Yep. Mine is pictured here. She's a sweetheart. Thanks, Bonnie; I'm so happy that you're here! But you know, the world is a smaller place and the blogger-community is partly responsible for that; when it comes right down to it, none of us are very far from Quiltville; are we?

Happy Valentine's Day!
Life is Good!

Survey Said: "RED"

The results of the survey, "Help Me Decide" are in. Red, it is! Rather than "float" the swap-blocks out on field of black they are now reined in, held captive and enhanced by the inner, red zinger, border. Thanks to one and all who voted and helped me make the ultimate decision. There were not only an abundance of comments (everyone had an opinion) on the blog, but also e-mails from non-bloggers and a phone call too! You never let me down when I seek assistance, I deeply appreciate your insight and perspectives. One more top to add to the ever-growing pile awaiting the arrival of "Sundance", the long-arm quilting machine!

Oh yes, the soon-to-be-here long-arm has officially been named! My husband came up with the winner, I had solicited his help a while ago. Like all expectant "parents" we were having a tough time choosing, and settling on, a name. (There's always the problem with negative name association; problem machines we've had in the past, that sort of thing!) In a moment of pure inspiration, Sundance came to mind and was immediately agreed upon, it was that easy! The APQS Road Show that I attended last fall was held in a hotel by that name; so, it's not only where I first met my eventual long-arm, but the name also conjures up (to me) an idyllic image of the the sun (as well as the machine) "dancing" over the quilt's surface creating hills and valleys of light and shadow through stitches. It's a great name, don't you think? Expect to see Sundance working her magic here before too long. And so it goes... opinions, choices, decisions; it's all good.

Life is Good!