King Tut

Is it wrong that each time I pick up a cone of my favorite thread that I think of THIS and not of the actual Egyptian?   the song.. it will not get out of my head!

 Lucky for me it's the thread that my machine LOVES.. I swear, I have tried a few others and have to do some major twiddling with the tension.. but put on the Tut.. and the machine purrs.  Luckily with all the colors I don't think it will be a problem!

oh.. and as a note.. I use the SuperBobs in the bobbin since I am lazy focused on saving time and having consistent stitch outcome.

We have a DORK....errrr WINNER!

Winner of the  book... That Dorky Homemade Look by Lisa Boyer is

KATHY D ,

  who can be caught quilting and dancing in her studio, feel free to take silly pictures of her.. she will not hear you since she is wearing her Ipod  ;-)

Kathy.. leave a comment here and then drop me a note at Maddie6@bellsouth.net and I will get your book into the mail!

Here's to hoping....

That random and somewhat extravagant free-hand quilting can distract from the fact that my drunkard's path looks like I was drinking when I pieced it!

What do you think?

I am a Dork

The fact is that I am a dork.. I like things that a great deal of the world thinks are stupid. I like to take perfectly nice pieces of fabric, cut them up and put them back together again.  I like to sit on the sofa and sew miles of little strips onto the back of quilts with itty bitty stitches and going into a good fabric store makes me more than a wee bit excited.  I have been known to plan divert vacations in the direction of well known fabric meccas. 

I am a dork, but I like to think i'm a dork of the best kind, I am a fiber dork, a friendly fiber dork. I don't sneer at other people's attempts at quilting and I don't get out a protractor to check that their angles are perfect. I will never be a quilting judge since it's the feeling that the quilt gives me not it's perfect stitches that make it art in my heart.

For that and many reasons the book  That Dorky Homemade Look by  Lisa Boyer really resonated with me and if you are like me I think you would enjoy her book too!  I happen to now have two copies, one I bought myself and one a gift from a friend who knows what I dork I am and loves me anyway.

So this means I have a copy that I would like to giveaway!

It's going to be simple, leave me a comment on what makes you a fabric/quilting dork and from those comments I will draw a winner on Saturday! 

Please make sure that you log in or leave an email address so I can contact you if you win!

Doodle Day

Well today was way more about getting my studio knocked into shape than about quilting, but it was on my mind the whole time.  So much that by the end of the afternoon I had a stack of 20+ postit notes with quilting motif ideas that were springing to my head that I just HAD to get down on paper to free up some of my gray-matter. ( I find as an ADD person that if I can write it down I can let my head drop it knowing that it's now down on paper.. otherwise it just keeps swimming around trying to stay in the front of my brain so I don't forget it!)

 20 post-its don't make for a tidy desk space so I had to come up with another idea and this is what I ended up with.  I have printed off a smack load of them ( used the back of other paper to conserve a few trees) and then hole punched them for a binder... this way I can keep all my ideas together to look back over when I am ready for a new project!

I am not sure if this would be a help to anyone else but in case it would be I have converted it to a PDF file and am happy to share it with you!

CLICK HERE

( not on the image.. it's not high res enough to print)

To download my FreeForm Doodle Sheet.

Enjoy!

Dear Sir Lancelot,

It's only been a bit over 24 hours but I miss you already.  I must admit that this evening during moments when I could have been with you I was keeping company with another machine.. but know that you are always first in my heart, but there are times I need the support of a machine with feed dogs and zig zag stitch.  I know it's not your fault and you can't be everything to me at every moment. Know that  have big plans for us tomorrow and sleep tight knowing that I am thinking of you.

All my love,
Maddie,

Long day but no quilting

Does is count that I thought about quilting today?  That I pondered on DVD workshop classes and other such things I want to get  while I spoke with MILLIONS of people about their choice of homeschooling math curriculum?  Well I did... and I do.. and tomorrow is another day.

Thread hysterics

Ok.. I placed an order but just for some very basic basics..and also ordered color cards.. i started breathing into a paper bag when thinking about which colors to get and then i gave up.  With embroidery thread I just ordered every color the line made ( 370+) and that made it easy.  Guess I might have to do that with the King Tut too!   Suggestions?  Advice????   Handholding?

My first!

Well it's out of the wash but needs to be bound. (yes I know we usually bind then wash.. but a glass of tea was spilled on it so I quickly serged all the edges and threw it in the wash)

  This is a shot of the back.. I did lots of free form scribble quilting on it.  In fact the whole family got into the act so it's verrrryyy uhhhhh freaky original to say the least but it was a great way to know my new machine.

Oh.. did I mention that I named my baby.... He is here by known as...

Sir Lancelot!

Oh.. and I am placing my thread order today...squeeeee!.. I am so excited!

Thready Thoughts

 With a new machine comes new thread!   Or should I say more and different thread. I have spent tonight looking through my Superior catalog making choices about thread for my new HQ18 Avante.  I was really happy to see that my machine came with some samples of Superior Threads great products since I have long thought that they make some wicked good thread not to mention their new product Texture Magic ( click here while I toot my own horn with some Texture Magic)

Of course one could go blind and dizzy looking at all the options and I am dying to try them all in my new baby... hint hint Bob,  but for now I do know that I will be ordering a gross of the SuperBOBs.. but do I go assorted.. basics... ohhhhhhhh so hard to decide.

 I have long had a love with prewound bobbins and have been using them for embroidery since the dawn of time ( aprox 14 years ago!).. back then we lived with dire warnings that they would be the ruin of our machines and yet to this day I am thrilled with the long lasting consistent quality of prewounds and the samples I tried today are no exception.

The SuperBob I used today just went on and on compared to the bobbins I could wind myself and it made me a fast convert to the idea of also using them in my new longarm.

   Of course after that I looked at the Kingtut and the Lava and the So Fine... oh baby!  I have been quite happy with the spools of KingTut for my Bernina 830 but now it's going to be time to step up into the cones for the new machine.. again, picking is going to be hard and I see some serious thread buying in my future!

Too late for too many words

Ever seen a quilt that is so ugly that it's sort of beautiful?  Well this would be the one.  It's a quilt top that I got at GoodWill for $1.. yep.. one dollar.. and possibly worth maybe 1/2 that much!  But in my eyes it's beautiful.. a beautiful victim that is.  It will be the sacrificial lamb of this longarm virgin.. oh my goodness.. this will be my ~first~

I could not bear the idea of racking up anything that I had just pieced.. I want those!.. so this my victim candidate!

Here I am exuding my obvious natural midnight beauty as I finished pinning the backing to the leader.  The backing was another lucky victim candidate from the thrift store... 1970's harvest gold percale.. it's going to be a match made in heaven made even better by the poor quality batting the I dug out of the cabinet... I can tell you are jealous.. quit drooling on the keyboard.. it's my first quilt and you can't have it!

Running a tension test on the side strip right before the cat ran in and tore a big hunk out of the batting that was hanging down ( i call tell that the cats are going to be a HUGE help)..

but now it's time to go to bed.. can't even focus on the screen... more details tomorrow.

P.S.  Sorry about all the typos last night.. I should NEVER post at 1am!

Oh Bill!

Whoo hoo.. it was a long day waiting and I am not very happy with UPS right now but my hand dandy HQ put-it-together guy has my new part and is putting in on my new machine this very moment!.. photos soon as I am able!

A new day dawns...

Well HQ did their part ( yeh HQ!) and the part is with  the men in brown again.. but there was bad weather during the night so the part was slowed coming across the US. It's only 2 real hours from me according to the scans but I don't know what that will mean in real time so I will just have to be patient!

In the meann time something sort of cool.. a diversion if you will!

As many of you know I am am embroidery designer and that love dovetails quite well with my new found love of quilting.  This is a sneek peek at the first of three wall hangings that are started in the hoop the jump into the world of quilting to be finished.  The center web quilts it's self onto the back ground  via embroidery mchine in the hoop then the rest of the pieceing goes on from there.  But what really makes this even more fun ins adding the Hotfix crystals to the project!  

For that I drag out all my Hotfix supplies, and this time that was made so much easier by getting this snazzy storage container by Plano ( yeh.. the tackle box people!)

With the deep storage on top and the divided containers on the bottom it's just perfect for organizing lots of differnt small things.  I bet it would be perfect for jewlery work and I did test it.. it fits sewing machine feet just perfectly with the exception on my ruffling foot, but with a bit of minor box surgery even that would fit just right!

Houston we have a problem

ARGH!.. there is a broken part on my HQ!.. it's the metal litle arm that the thead goes under after it goes through the spring.  I am so sad but HQ has promised to send it out by overnight service so it should be here tomorrow and Bill will come back and put it all right.   In the mean time I will watch the dvd and drown my sorrows in a bowl of ice cream...  check back tomrrow for more details!

Seriously wonky

It's all coming together pretty well.. but given this old house there is a serious wonk to the floor so we are having to shim under the frame to get it level. Level is super important when it comes to this machine so that you are not fighting the machine while you quilt.

 My 12 year old is helping with the assembly.. Mr. Bill is a great teacher.. maybe G will grow up to be a Hq dealer some day!

It's happening!!!

1 dude + 1 frame = 2 happy!

What to do while waiting..

Make Pillowcases!!

These are for an Charity Challange put on by another wonderful blogger and quilter ( you should see her stuff.. it rocks!).. SO I am making pillow cases and maybe a few small quilts for the event.  I sure hope they make someone very happy!

Good Day Sunshine!

The weather man calls for rain but i don't see anything but blue skies since in 11 hours the HQ dude will be here to assemble my new frame and machine !!!!!! Honestly I am sure I could have done it.. I mean we built the addition on the house ourselves and I know my way around tools.. and it's been a killer not to peek in the boxes.. but I thought that having them do it gives me more assurance when talking to them if things are not working right.

Lordy I'm excited!

Happy Dance!

6:10 pm

6:15 pm

How will I ever wait till Monday when they come to put it together!!!

So near but so far!

Oh be still my beating heart... she is here in town.. riding around with a strange man dressed all in brown... she is hot, ( he is not bad either!) maybe a bit dusty.. but she is in my town just waiting to come to home to me... oh UPS man.. come to my door!

Oh UPS Man... drive faster!

They say that good things are worth waiting for...... but oh it's hard!


Location Date Local Time Description



LENEXA, KS, US 07/15/2010 7:25 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN


07/15/2010 1:13 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN


SALINA, KS, US 07/14/2010 9:56 P.M. DEPARTURE SCAN


07/14/2010 8:15 P.M. ARRIVAL SCAN


COMMERCE CITY, CO, US 07/14/2010 10:10 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN


07/14/2010 6:03 A.M. ARRIVAL SCAN


SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US 07/13/2010 2:34 A.M. DEPARTURE SCAN


SALT LAKE CITY, UT, US 07/12/2010 7:20 P.M. ORIGIN SCAN


US 07/12/2010 6:38 P.M. BILLING INFORMATION RECEIVED






Tracking results provided by UPS: 07/15/2010 1:51 P.M. ET

Delivering my baby...

Bet you did not know that the friendly men in brown are also into obstetrics!  Well they are since they are the ones who will be delivering my brand spaking new Avante 18 to me this week!  Well to actually be totally clear they will be bringing the rails and handles, my machine is here in town just waiting for me.. like a baby that has not been brought home from the hospital.  I feel a great need to drive by and see it every couple of days and today I broke down and even gave it's box a little sobbing overlong hug  pat with a promise that it would be home very soon.

 I desperately hope that my other babies Big-Girl and Mama's Girl are not jealous and understand that I have enough room in my heart for all of them. In fact I am already dreaming of the beautiful music that we will all make together!

In the mean time I am working on getting my studio ready for such a large addition!  Given the square footage I have and the way it's set up I could not figure out a way to open the Avante up to it's full 12 foot table and rail set-up without removing a wall so when its set up next week I will have it set at 8 feet which is more than enough for most of the work I want to do.

Now if you will excuse me I need to go obsessively check the tracking status on the UPS website

Welcome!

Please pardon the dust as I set up house in the place where I will speak in candid tones about my misadvantures in the world of owning a new Longarm quilting machine.  Come learn along with me!