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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Mostly Quilting

Last week I taught FMQ to ten students, and then wrapped up Beyond First Time Quiltmaking on Monday. Now, I've turned my attention to my own projects.

All my safety pins are in two quilts, so to baste Metro Waves, I used 505 Basting Spray. Using an adhesive spray to baste a large quilt isn't my favorite way to ensure the quilt back stays smooth. But in a pinch it works. I still like to safety pin the perimeter of a spray-basted quilt sandwich, and I didn't even have enough extra safety pins to do that! The quilt isn't entirely smooth, however that could also be because batting is Quilter's Dream "Puff." The quilt is puffy, so the quilting shows up well, and the quilt is light weight, but I'm not sure I'll use Puff again. I find it easier to domestic machine quilt a low loft poly or cotton batting.

I intentionally quilted Metro Waves using several of my Fine Line Rulers by Accents in Design. It's been a long time since I used them, and this quilt seemed appropriate for a variety of quilting designs.

I'm able to use these rulers because I have the Pfaff ruler foot - the one with the 1/4"-thick "heel" - to rest the ruler against. 

Mostly, I straight-line quilted the prints, and free motion quilted the white spaces.

Here's how I used the arch ruler along the edge of the quilt.

 

Here's how I just winged-it to quilt bubbles.


I was happy to recently learn from Amy at FreeMotionQuiltingAdventures blog that Bernina has finally come out with a ruler foot too! It's #97 (the one on the right) and is expected to be available in April.

So, Metro Waves is completely quilted, and when the binding is added, I'll post pictures. It's been a long time since I've headed out in the golf cart to scope out a pretty place to photograph a newly-finished quilt.

And speaking of the golf cart... we traded in our old one, a 2009 refurbished Yamaha that we bought in 2012 when we first moved to The Villages.
golf cart purchased in 2012
Though we don't golf, we do use our cart to go most places: grocery store, pharmacy, bank, activities at rec centers, church, and to friends' homes. We decided it was time to invest in a more comfortable ride for the 100-plus miles we put on the golf cart each week!

Our new 2015 Yamaha has better suspension, a sound-deadening wrap around the engine so it's less noisy, a different clearer-view wind shield (See the missing black bar across the middle?), LED headlamps, speedometer/odometer/clock read-out, and seat belts, among other features. Oh! And this one has our names on the front - a sure sign that we're "true Villagers" now, according to our daughter-in-law.

In the next week, we're also tricking out the cart with under mounted liquid lights to turn on at night. They glow in 15 different colors! Why not have some fun with the golf cart too?!

Paducah, 2014
Some of you know I've been planning to go to Paducah in April, to work for American Quilter magazine, interviewing and writing about quilt show winners as I did last year.

Now, I'm not going.

In early February I was heart-broken to learn that my editor friend, Michele, lost her job with the magazine. When the new editor neglected to return my calls or get back to me about my pending plans to fly to Paducah in April, I decided last weekend to change my flight (to Kansas City) and cancel my rental car. On Tuesday I finally received an email from AQS about coming to work at the show. Too late, I told her. I'm sorry to not be going, as in addition to interviewing quilt show winners, I had planned to meet up with several friends from the Des Moines Area Quilters Guild.

Michele was a treat to work for, and recently sent me this t-shirt that I admired at AQS.

Just gotta share a couple more picture from Instagram. After Lora put different binding on "Ad Libbing," she hired a professional photographer to take pictures of it.

Fabulous, huh?

The quilt is in New Hampshire now, for MQX. We have our fingers crossed! Linda

18 comments:

  1. I don't what to comment on first, so I'll say it's all good. My fingers are crossed too!!!

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  2. Love your fabric, look forward to seeing the finished quilt. I was watching your video and noticed you don't have gloves on while machine quilting. Do you have to press down hard to move the fabric and the ruler? I've been thinking of purchasing a ruler foot for my domestic machine but was wondering how one moves the fabric around while holding onto the ruler.

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  3. Love your Ad Libbing quilt, Linda! Good luck to you and Lora! Sweet little ride you've got there, too! and thanks for showing us your FMQ. Your bubbles look perfect - maybe someday mine will look just as good! Practice makes better, right? xo

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  4. Thanks again for the video. And what a shame about Paducah.
    More quilting time I guess!

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  5. First, I love the new golf cart...as we used to say, you are uptown! Second, I have a question. I have the ruler foot and the ruler and use them on my Janome. Your machine appeared to be moving without you having your hands on it - I assume that is a particular setting on your machine? Or are you moving the fabric with your hands and it just appears that the machine is moving on it's own? :) blessings, marlene

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  6. Sorry I won't get to see you in Paducah! I have that same T-shirt and love to wear it.

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  7. A fabulous post Linda! I need to get a ruler foot! Thanks for sharing how to use it. Can't wait to see Metro Waves revealed and good luck at MQX

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  8. Videos are great, Linda. Thank you. Snappy golf cart! Too bad about the Paducah trip, and best to you both in the MQX show.

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  9. It seems there's never a dull moment in your life with the ebb and flow and ups and downs (much more up though). I love the professional photo of your Ad Libbing; it really makes a difference, doesn't it? I still haven't tried out my Fine Line Ruler but will as soon as our container has arrived (or after we've unpacked everything I should say). I don't have that special foot as I usually quilt on my Bernina. I will try if it still works with the regular quilting foot but if not I'll order the Pfaff foot you've mentioned to use with my Pfaff which has been in storage the last five years but which will come out when we move into our new place in about two weeks.

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  10. Good luck! Sorry about your trip to Paducah. I can't wait until I'm good enough to try using rulers!

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  11. Great post Linda. I always like learning more about your quilting process.

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  12. Very cool about quilting with the rulers! And bummer about Paducah!!!

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  13. Your video's are wonderful. I was so glad to see how you use the ruler. I may have to invest in the Bernina one just for when I cannot stand and longarm any more. I used to do all my quilting with it anyway. Ad Libbing looks good with the professional shot. My fingers are crossed too. Sorry you won't be in Paducah. I was looking froward to tracking you down this time for sure.

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  14. Thanks Linda, nice to learn how you use the rulers with the machine quilting. What a difference a professional photographer makes and you also see all your amazing quilting on the quilt. Quilts can be so hard to take detailed photos that do it justice. Enjoy your time away.

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  15. Hi Linda, I didn't know that there were rulers like that. I just finished quilting Scott's quilt using my walking foot and the guide on it. I didn't know you could do straight lines any other way. I learn a lot from you and love the quilt.
    Great new golf cart I sure could use one to get me around getting hard to walk.
    I was looking at your book list we like a lot of same authors, Fern Micheals, Debbie Macomber, love Fern M Sisterhood novels and just ordered Mr and Mrs Anonymous. There are others we had in common !
    That was to bad about Paducah but you will enjoy seeing your Grandchildren.
    Blessings Sandra

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  16. Hey! You make that ruler work look so easy in the video. I haven't branched into that yet, mainly for intimidation reasons. It just seemed to me that it would be way too difficult to hold the ruler steady while moving the quilt around. Looks like it's not that big of a deal, though! I'll have to see if I can get a suitable foot for my Viking, and then invest in some rulers!!

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  17. Great post, Linda! How fun to see your new ride!! I'm sure the neon lights include some shade of aqua!!

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  18. Thanks for putting the videos up. I finally got the courage to fm after watching you doing the bubbles. I fm the small lap quilt I have done for my mothers 80th birthday, there is a lot of room for improvement but I am reasonably happy with what I have done.
    Thank you Linda.

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