Monday, March 27, 2006

 

Time Out

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During the Quilter's Heritage Celebration, I'm going to be helping out my friend Amy, who owns Brubaker's Sewing in New Holland (www.brubakerssewing.com) In order to be a bit more useful, she graciously loaned me a new Pfaff 2027 to play with.

My review of the Pfaff 2027.... A very nice machine. Has all of the stitches you need...none that you don't. There wasn't one "Gosh, I wish it had that stitch" comment the entire time. Very easy to use. One thing that I liked was that almost any decorative stitch could be achieved using 1 foot, so you weren't constantly changing feet to change stitches. You could be plugging away on one stitch, punch the number of the one you wanted to change to, and keep sewing without stopping. Very nice. The other thing I liked was the built in walking foot. I didn't think I'd like it, but it is very nice. Easy to engage and disengage. All of the regular feet, are popped on and off the bottom of the presser foot, so you're changing the foot only, not the whole shank...much like my beloved Singer Creative Touch (ca. 1980)...God rest it's soul.

On this little practice piece, I ran some thicker thread in the border and thinner elsewhere. It handled everything I did to it. I think I would like it better for free motion if it was set down into a cabinet or had a large extension table. Doing the feathers was a bit hard because there wasn't anywhere to rest your left hand...it was kind of hanging off in Space. The tension for free motion was easy to adjust and I got a nice balanced stitch with very little fuss. The bobbin was easy to fill and change. I made a few buttonholes. The semi-automatic mode is the one I liked best. The holes were very nice, even and tight. The satin stitch was very impressive. It has a needle up/down built into the foot pedal which is very handy, and I used it a lot.

One other thing, besides having the stitches I use the most...zig zag and buttonhole for machine applique...it does have a mock hand quilting stitch. Very clever. You put nylon thread in the needle and whatever you want to show in the bobbin. It makes a stitch with the nylon and then pulls the bobbin thread up for a stitch, then does a nylon stitch...So you have a line of clear, color, clear, color, clear...

My final analysis...A nice moderately priced machine with everything a quilter could want. If you want a machine that can mimic crazy quilting stitches, free motion, and sew clothes without having 250 other stitches you may never use, the Pfaff 2027 should be on your "take a look at" list.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

 

The Backside

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This is the first time I've ever tried this. Hope it's not going to be more trouble than it's worth. Now it's back to the drawing board. I need to decide how to finish off the front. Purple borders, but haven't decided on some kind of setting squares or whether to forget it.

 

More to Dye For

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I overdyed a few pieces and dyed a new piece of Kona PFD for the borders.
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Here's some waiting for a washout. A nice hot orange!
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I decided to do a pieced back on the quilt. Here are a bunch of 15" squares waiting to be sewn together.

Back to the sewing machine!

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

 

I've Outgrown the Block Butler

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Got the inner border on this morning. Wrestling this quilt is beginning to be a problem. I'm at 70" now with another 20" to go.

Now...to re-dye the borders. I am going to try to overdye the 3 yard piece I dyed with the original lot and maybe a new 3 yard piece of Kona bleached PFD. Purple...My favorite color anyway...Maybe with some hints of the dark blue and fuschia. But of course...I must yield to the dye. There are no guarantees. I held up some commercial batiks I had on hand to see what looks best and the purple really won out. It corrals the other action.

This is the point in the process where my brain starts thinking about the actual quilting. I'm sure I'll be stewing about this when I should be sleeping. That's what usually happens. What color thread? What pattern? Will I mess it up?

I have enough of the mustard color to do a piped binding, so I might do that too.

Well, off to the dye pit.

Monday, March 20, 2006

 

The Yellow Had to Go

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Too much yellow/tan...it had to go. I struggled with where to go. Even enlisted comments from DH on this. He didn't like the yellow from the beginning, but like a supportive spouse kept his comments to himself. Whatta guy.

The cat also helped make a design decision...

While the quilt was on the wall, he jumped at it and put 1/4" hole in the center. Hence the square in the center. So the next logical choice was to have some continuity to keep your eye moving around. I machine appliqued the center square and the setting triangles using nylon thread and a skinny buttonhole stitch. I then squared everything up and trimmed the fabric from behind.

I need to gain another 30" in size on this quilt. So the next step is a wonky striped border and then a larger outer border (I need to dye more fabric for the border).

My goal is to have the top completed and basted by the end of the month. That will leave three weeks in April (as I'm going to Paducah for a week) for the quilting. Then finishing the first 2 weeks of May before it comes due on May 15.

Discipline is going to be key here. So, today...I am working on work stuff this morning and then the quilt this afternoon. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

 

Where To Go???

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This is part of the process that makes me nuts. Where to go? The problem with improvisational quilting is that it is just that...improvisational.

As a genuine type A, Virgo, the planner of all planners...dealing with the unknown, making a decision and sticking with it (especially if there is fusing involved!) is the pits for me.

Right now, I am leaning toward the lower right-hand corner. Maybe some appliqued feathers or something. I also thought about doing trapunto in the large open spaces. Might be too boring. Also thought about doing a bunch of funky log cabin blocks like the one that is pinned up in the middle. Starting to get bored with the squares though.

The problem is that it is about 61" square now. I really need to make a decision before it grows another 30 inches or so. Over the next few days, I'll be pinning and taking down, pinning some more and taking it down. If I do go with applique, I have to dye more fabric. And I just ordered another bolt and haven't gotten it yet. Ugh.

I know I'm going to be back down here in the middle of the night looking at this.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

 

Making Progress

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(Please ignore the other quilt in the background!)

Got some solid blocks of time this morning! I was really sweating having enough of the center fabric. I knew I should have dyed extra, but didn't...and I used nearly every scrap. This kind of improvisational piecing is really what I enjoy the most. I get totally absorbed in the process. Solving problems along the way. Hoping for the best. Fearing the worst as well.

Friday, March 10, 2006

 

Proof That We Have Survived

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There are three things that remind me that we have survived another winter. One are these snowbells. The first little flowers that show up around here. The second (which hasn't happened yet) is what I call "The Greening of the Willow Canes". There are a few weeping willow trees nearby whose branches begin to turn a limey green as the weather warms. And last, when the sign appears that Bohringers hamburger stand will open for the season on March 17. Bohringers is one of those little hamburger stands from the '50's that somehow has survived. You eat out on picnic tables. They make their own ice cream (lemon is the best). The place is always mobbed.

Now on to quilt stuff. I began working on the center of my Rockin Squares project. I'm happy with the colors so far (although the 3 yard panel I dyed for the borders may be too light and will have to be overdyed.) As you can see, though, the cat likes what I've done so far!
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Monday, March 06, 2006

 

Big Change of Plans

I just wasn't happy with what I had come up with for the Rockin Lancaster Project. Not happy at all. Sure, it looked fine, but I knew in my heart it wasn't me. It didn't push my abilities. So I drew this...
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Now, keeping the "best laid plans of mice and men" in mind, it may not end up looking like this at all. But it will be pretty improvisational. So knowing that this is where I needed to go...A fabric dying day was in order...

Here is the "Pre-Game" show... (Note the unused scale in the background!)
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Here is a scary sight...Safety First!
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And 17 yards later....
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Saturday, March 04, 2006

 

Finally!

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I finally got to work through a bunch of designs and color combinations. I believe I have finally settled on one!

I decided to work in close values in one of my favorite combinations...blue, gold, rust, green. This is most likely going to require a trip to the fabric store! I am also planning to do a pieced back...maybe bars.

The finished product should be about 95" square (sorry folks, no "pillow tuck"). This project needs to be completed by May 15th, when it will be on tour for the summer and then get auctioned in September. The proceeds will support the quilt collections at the Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum. In my usual work style, I have waited much too long to get started, but will get it finished somehow.

Say a prayer.

Oh, and here is a new pic of Lucky...He is a big, bad cat and king of the castle.
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