Green Scrappy
Sally had a lot of piecing into this scrappy green quilt. Quilted with a green variegated thread on top and a little less green shade on the back. Quilted with Bubbles Big/Small.
Category: Mach3 Auto Pilot
Progress with our computerized quilting
It’s been a long hard week! For every success it seems we then have an extra difficult next day. Repeating the very same steps because all we are working on mastering is edge to edge at this time. So frustrating, but they say give it a few weeks. The positive side, my 26″ (aka The Kraken) stitches beautifully.
The above is my Summer in the Park. It has been on my custom list since 6/2013. I decided to do a simple, fast edge to edge on this and give to one of my granddaughters. I used Pink Lemonade Glide thread on top and bottom. Colors are a little washed out, its brighter in person. The last 2 on the frame shots show the correct colors. I need to perfect my camera phone skills for the new location. Now it needs to have binding made!
2 more little ones, again one open fun design on the bright colored squares. The muslin was my first “quilt” even though just a piece of muslin, it was our first attempt to create an entire quilt from start to finish, not just plopping in designs here, trying another there… It’s going to be a dog pad for one of our grandbaby dogs!
One from GNQG, donation quilts. Those nice browns and blues seemed like a good mans quilt so we chose a geometric design.
I really like this quilt, it’s from TCQG donation quilts. Funny license plate fabrics, several blocks with a Texas theme. Chose a patriotic design but it goes with Texas – The Lone Star State and the banner reminds me a little of traveling the highways.
This one struck me as being vintage blocks, has a very old fashioned feel. Again from GNQG. I don’t know the story but I do recognize some guild members names in the signature blocks. I kept that vintage feel going using white cotton thread top and bottom and choosing a feather spray design set as an edge to edge that also has a really well designed butterfly. It turned out really nice and does have that vintage look and feel. We may need to think about putting this one in the stack for the quilt auction next September, especially since it has guild member names on it.
As I said, it has been a difficult week. The steps seem so simple but you know nothing ever really is! I can’t imagine how new to quilting people feel buying a longarm AND computer system at the same time. This is the very same machine I’ve been using, I’ve been professionally quilting for 5 years and frame quilting much longer than that. The only new part IS the computer. I have a quick start guide and TWO manuals written differently. Yet they can’t cover all the bases. For example, no where does it tell you how to shut down and start back up on the same project the next day. The only time I have done so… is because of computer crash and of course it doesn’t remember where I was working. I’m not willing to take that chance yet to stop mid project and see if it saves and remembers where I was. So many little things to plod through and try to make sense of on your own. I’m a self starter, always have been. But there are so many areas the books don’t cover the what if’s…. I’m so thankful I only have the computer system to learn! I also have my husband every step of the way, 2 of us to muddle through it all. Everyone says in a few weeks all the kinks will be behind us and smooth sailing. I’m really looking forward to a stress free day of quilting with no tech calls being made. I think I have experienced every computer error possible, thread breaks, bobbin thread running out, crashes, belts, how I need to load the top to start off well and how to load when there is only 2″, the works! On to quilting up YOUR beautiful quilts!
But today, you will find me handing out thread following the Aurifil schoolhouse @ Market!
New Longarm Setup Day!
It’s been a whirlwind of activity the past week getting ready for the changes going on in my quilting studio. I have re-located from the upstairs loft area to taking over what was the entry living/dining area of our home. Here are few pictures of what was going on!
My 26″ now with Mach 3 Auto Pilot computer system. End of Day 2 of Installation
Gizzy supervising the set up (actually he was a little afraid and hung by my feet for most of the install). Day 1!
My 26″ was moved from upstairs plus set up of the new 22″ which is going in front of my Gravity quilt.
Test Drive time for the new 22″ on my older frame – Day 1. Hand guilded custom work with this longarm.
Day 2 both installed and ready!
A friend was concerned that it was too crowded. While not a lot of excess space… there is plenty of space to move freely and not feel confined or squeezed into each area. I can pass by on 3 sides of both machines.
Behind computer guided machine. Each tile is approximately 13″ and about the same or more on the 22″ machine. Plenty to move about and not be cramped.
Some test photos of computerized quilting:
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Now comes the fun part of setting up threads, tools and supplies that I need on a daily basis, tyring to set up zones that work well for running 2 machines. Some areas will remain upstairs. I get the entire loft area for my sewing studio now (Yippee – room for a cutting table – I had been using the bed of the frame). My client quilt closet will still be upstairs, batting will remain upstairs and I think I’ll have my desk and files upstairs too. Not enough space for it all to be in one area in any section of our house! 1 longarm requires a lot of space, 2 machines? Lots of space needed. Looking forward to Phase III of doing business with freehand and computerized quilting to meet your needs!