My Home Made Stencil Is A Success

I had to get the Dremel out again to make the holes into slots and the Pounce Pad just wasn't giving me enough chalk. A cotton ball dabbed in the chalk worked just fine.


You won't have to look real hard to be able to see a few problem areas, but all in all, I'm pleased with the results.


I'm liking the look of the back.

I also experimented with the quilting direction on my machine, turning it so that it was perpendicular to me and not paralell to me. It preserved the marking lines better that way. However, as with most newer machines, the needle sits at least 3 to 4 inches in under the machine and does limit visabililty somewhat.

My New Spray Basting Area

Sweetie and I just finished putting this up in the storage area of the basement. Since I don't have a midarm (yet), my projects will be on the smaller side so there won't be a problem with over spray. It's 8' x 8' with a foot or two of concrete beyond.

I have a cheater top (guild donation quilt) to baste and then try out the stencil that I made!!!!

Neapolitan Piggies Are In Trouble!

This is the first redesign. After I had the first design on the wall it was total chaos in my eyes. The rail fence idea just didn't work with the solid squares of piggy material thrown in. Out came my high tech quilting design tools...crayons and copy paper...and I had me some pinwheels. This is what a rail fence boarder looks like...not pleasing.



Since I still wasn't loving it, I put a post on Quilting Board to get some instant feedback from the many quilters that frequent the website. Within minutes, I had a new design on the wall and another picture posted on the website.



There's more changes to make and I'm not sure that I can "man up" this baby quilt enough to please all parties...but I sure do love the brown/pink/white combo...almost as much as turquois/brown/white.

What's wrong with a baby boy having some softness and pink....after all, he's soft and pink right now...he has the rest of his life to "man up" and it will probably happen way too soon.

A New Place To Read And Ponder Quilts

 

...and view nature...love those little hummingbirds...love to watch their aerial battles.

 

These two were taken with my cellphone (when do you think someone will come up with zoom on a cell camera?) and the last one was taken with the watercolor option.

Quilt Guild Badge Done!!!

I'm very pleased with how my badge turned out. Members wear their badges to the monthly business meetings, quilt shows, or other guild related outings.


Everything is cut out for Neapolitan Piggies and ready for sewing of strip sets.

Yesterday, I dropped into my LQS to check on some guild members that were taking a class and while I was there the owner was talking about accurate seam allowances. I mentioned that I was going to get some mole skin to make a guide. Pam, the owner, knows that I have a Brother machine (which she sells) so she said to follower her over to the machines, where she showed me which foot and what setting will give me an accurate 1/4" seam on my particular machine. I had already given up using the 1/4 inch foot with the guide bar...to big a seam.

One of the reasons that I started a blog was to have something in place to keep me on track (nag me), get me going (pester me) on a project....pretty much be there in my face to remind me to get going on something...to reign in my ADD tendency to bounce from one new thing to the other!

Ouh! Ouh! Ouh!...I'm going to try and make my own stencils? Now where's my Dremel?