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Sunday, May 11, 2014

I would not call it a summit

I finished the quilt today.  I could have done a bit more but I was done.  I think that I should have practiced some more.  I am not unhappy with the finished product, none the less.   It is definitely a practice piece.  Betsy loves it.  I am giving it to her.

I learned a lot.  Frame machine quilting is not easy.  It takes practice and a certain understanding of how machine, fabric, needle,  thread and frame interact.  I think that a faster machine might be easier. I have a stitch control device on this machine but did not use one on the smaller frame.  I could remove it but I have all this experience now.  I am definitely going back to practicing before I attempt another quilt. 

I serged the edge.  Someone I know will be happy that I used it. It is hard to tell in the photo below but the quilt is folded on itself.  What you see is the serged edge of the quilt lying on top of the quilt back.

I stitched along the design in the fabric.  It makes for an interesting front, but a very messy looking back.  Like I said, I needed more practice.  The trick, I learned, is to start quilting by moving the machine forward and then start the backward and side to side design.  Think about it, the machine is designed to stitch in a forward direction and so if you start that way, there is much less difficulty.  I don't think that I jammed one needle today.  WOOT WOOT.

 To make the binding I plan to fold it over.  I was going to fold it over again to hide the serged edge.  I think it will be too thick.

But, my darling 15-90 as a treadle could do it.  I marched through the jeans french seam, doubled,  no problems.  I love that machine. (PS I used the serger on the hem of these jeans too.)

5 comments:

  1. Ya think? It'a about time.

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  2. The 15-91 rocks! I do my bindings all now with Elmer's washable glue, alba Sharon Schamber's YouTube video. Except I sew the binding to the front, fold and glue to the back, and topstitch on the top. No hand stitched binding for me, I want it as strong as the rest of the quilt. Binding is perfect every time, no pins and gaps when sewing.

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  3. I read that it takes 2,000 hours to learn to do this well!

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    1. Oh Boy. Does that include the time spent unjamming needles? How about threading the sucker? I can see that it takes time. Hence my decision to return to practice pieces. So when are you setting up yours????

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