Just keep sewing....................

I fixed those seams this morning - you know the ones I showed yesterday. I literally pulled the threads out - it was not a good seam. My "new" bobbin is working like a charm. There's one thing I should mention - we know how important our eyes are to sewing. While it is possible to sew with limited vision or total blindness in Diane's case, one would tend to think that hearing isn't all that important. I beg to differ. It doesn't matter whether I'm at the long arm, the embroidery machine or the sewing machine - listening to your machine is important. Very important. 

Without even looking at the seam, I could hear that something wasn't right. I can hear issues with the embroidery machine way before the machine registers that the thread broke and I can hear the bobbin rattling in the bobbin case on the long arm signaling that the bobbin is almost empty. If something doesn't sound right - stop what you're doing and check it out. 

I was back at the embroidery machine yesterday. I finished up the samples I've got slated for the moment on the Husqvarna Viking Designer EPIC. PHEW - just a bit more trimming and then to neaten up the pieces and sew two of them back to back so they look super pretty. I hope to finish those off today. 

Then it was on to the PFAFF Creative Icon where I have more samples to make. I had once asked someone (in the industry) that if you had to steer a customer to the EPIC or the ICON, how would you know where to send them. Both machines are top of the line embroidery/sewing machines and both have somewhat similar features. Of course, I'm much more familiar with the Husqvarna Viking line. They had responded to me that the EPIC is more user-friendly. And after my little learning experience yesterday, I would agree 100%. 

It's not that one is better than the other. Oh no - they both have amazing features, they are just different and yes - I would agree that the EPIC is more user-friendly. So yes - it was another day of learning! I'm getting to be a very good student. This is what I was working on yesterday. 

The Creative Icon has different styles of built-in stitches. There is a group of stitches called Stacking Stitches. They are very cool and allow you to use two different threads in a row of stitching. I brought all the stitches into the embroidery unit which is way easier than trying to stick them out in a straight line in regular sewing mode. 

Stitching the stacking stitches on the Creative Icon

This is the best photo I got of the stitches, but there are 15 of them in total. Some super cute ones and I want to try them out on something. They would be super to decorate a bag or a garment. 

Stacking stitches

I need to do some tidying of those stitches. I'm good, but I still have so much to learn, especially with embroidery. Here's the thing - I don't think you can ever stop learning with an embroidery machine around. It's one thing to buy a design from somewhere and plunk it in, but to bring in the stitches and mess around with lettering - all stuff that's built into the machine - well that's different. Let's just say that I'm having fun. It's way more fun when you're not pressured for time!!! 

I've noticed that in any given day, I think I'm using about 3 if not 4 different sewing/quilting machines!  I'm loving my current set-up. 

I have a few more samples to work on today but I'm almost at the end of what I want to have done for the moment. There'll always be more samples to make. 

Then I moved to my small Husqvarna Viking Opal 690Q so I could do the quilting on the wall hanging for my Mom. If nothing else gets done - this MUST get done!!!!  It was so small (16" square) that I used the walking foot and pivoted the heck out of the quilt as I stitched in the ditch around the blocks and around the motifs. 

Small wallhanging - quilted

I did some free motion in the border. You can't see the stitching from the front. I'm happy with it. It's trimmed and ready for the binding.

The back of the small wall hanging

 I still need to get some labels printed so I can hand stitch them when I'm away. Here's the binding on that Dresden plate for my Mom. I asked her about the details. Turns out she made it in 1956 (or thereabouts!!!!)  Her first quilt. Likely made with scraps of clothing fabric from BOTH of my grandmothers and the background is bleached flour sacks. So that needs to be put on the label. I'm tempted to wash the quilt as well to get that soft, aged look. Hmmm - if I have time, I might do that.

Binding on the Dresden plate quilt

 Thanks to Linda for this tip for you! If you left-click on a photo, the photo will open in a separate window. If you right-click on the photo, it will open in a separate window, but it'll be larger and if you right-click again, it'll be even larger. Hmm - I'm not sure if there is a difference - but YES - if you click on the photos, you'll get a larger picture!!!  Sometimes the detail is hard to see in those puny little photos.

Anyway, back to the T-shirt quilt. I did an edge to edge (pantograph) over the entire quilt. I know that some people tend to not do that. But if I can do an edge to edge - I'm in. Here's the pattern that I used. I was tempted to purchase a flame pattern, but I decided to go with what I have.

Edge to edge pattern on the T-shirt quilt

So why do some people say that you shouldn't use an edge to edge pattern? The problem is those large expanses of plastic on the T-shirts. This logo, for instance, has a plastic/rubber feel to it. It's "sticky" if that makes sense. The foot on the long arm isn't that high and you can imagine that that rubbery feel would cause drag which in turn would cause the T-shirt to shift and ripple.

Large logo of rubbery feeling material

These T-shirts were WELL stabilized with a much heavier stabilizer than I normally use. Now that I think of it, there was one spot on the quilt that shifted a wee bit. It's highlighted by the red arrow in the photo below. This T-shirt was one that I stabilized and I used a lighter weight stabilizer. It's a slight shift and no one is going to know!!! 

A slight shift in the T-shirt 

If I see there might be some shifting (I watch when the computer is working), then I manipulate the fabric when the computer is stitching out the pattern. I do this for ANY quilt that has issues. If you don't have the luxury of a computerized machine, then you need to ensure that all the areas are WELL stabilized.  I once received a T-shirt quilt where the maker had added fusible stabilizer to the T-shirts but had NOT fused it in place. That was a wee bit of an issue, but I made it work.

Another tip is to pin the shirts in place (outside of the range of the next line of stitching). Then stitch the row, move the pins to next row and so on.

Then it was off to teach a pillowcase class last night. It was great fun and this lady was excited and she was good!!!  She brought a BRAND NEW sewing machine to class - literally still had the paper beneath the presser foot when she opened it up. That happens a LOT. But she was the most accurate sewer I've ever seen for a beginner. I think she's going to have fun and her pillowcase was amazing!!! I love that fabric!!!

Happy student with her pillowcase

I even popped out on my bike to do my errands and still had time for a quick nap, some paperwork and a few phone calls. All in a fun day's work!!!

I see Miss Lexi has something to say today. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Loads to do today and best to get started. 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!