Off the Frame

 

I had just starting FMQ around the flowers when the tension went WACKO. Yep, I had run out of bobbin thread. My Nolting CLX doesn't have a warning for a low bobbin or empty bobbin. Despite my chronic tinnitus, I can hear the difference in the machine when the bobbin runs out. I don't sew for very long without bobbin thread. I do, however, sew a long time when I run out of bobbin thread on the 201 or the 301. That's maddening. Some folks wind two bobbins and use one on top of these vintage machines so that when the top runs low, that means the bobbin is running low, too. Not me. 

I finished quilting EW today. Oh dear, those are unfortunate initials. They do, however, appropriately describe my feelings toward this particular project. I have been unhappy almost from the start. I am a finisher and I persisted. I practiced ruler work with a circle ruler from Quilter's Apothecary  My initial stitches were pretty bad, just too messy and I did not like the design. I unzipped the quilt from the frame so that I was able to sit on the couch to rip much of it out. Surprisingly the quilt zipped back on to the frame easily. Probably because it was a small quilt. I had never done that before. Kinda chuffed (they say that in the UK) that they worked so well. I finished all of the hexagons first and then went back to do the FMQ on the panel. 

The dense quilting on the panel will hold the added batting in place in the center. I wonder if it will bunch up under the hexagons after washing. Since it is a wall hanging, I imagine I can press it out if so.  

I took this photo in the ambient light from the small basement window.  I like it now that it is quilted. The echo quilting inside the panel was relaxing. I did use stitch regulation for the whole quilt. I have to for ruler work. My machine does not have an automatic needle down which would be a VNF(very nice feature). I am learning how to keep from stitching inadvertently when I shift the ruler. Every quilt is a lesson. 

I will bind it with some Moda Green Grunge I bought today. It's pretty much a perfect match to the leaves. I dunno, this panel did end up pretty much how I imagined it might look after all. Close enough.