Skippy
June 22nd, 2011 § 12 Comments
Skippy
While caught up in the spirit of the Summer Circus of Finishing, I started quilting my 4-Letter Words quilt. I think this quilt is asking/needs to be a combination of both hand quilting and machine quilting.
I started by machine quilting “in the ditch” between each row with my fairly new Janome Horizon. I haven’t used this machine much because
a) I love my Brother for piecing and
b) There is not enough space in my sewing room for more than one machine set up AND the ironing board all at the same time. Something always has to be taken down and put aside and
c) I’m not a big fan of all the computerized bells & whistles on sewing machines these days. Fortunately, the Janome has less that is computerized than many others. And sometimes I just need to make a buttonhole or sew a zig zag stitch.
WELL…. I was so very pleasantly surprised by how much I like the built-in AcuFeed system that works like a walking foot on other machines. In fact, it fed the fabric so much better than my Brother! And I love my Brother! I can’t wait to see how the Janome does free-motion quilting.
Currently, I’m hand stitching around each word with Red Aurifil 12 weight thread. I wish more quilt shops carried a greater variety of this thread! I love this thread!! Then, when I’ve finished stitching around each word I plan on going back to each row and finish machine quilting it one by one while at the same time determining if anything else needs embellishing.
What are you finishing, or working on finishing, this week?
Gorgeous work Anita. I particulary like the handstitching. I don’t do much hand stitching, but will get to some eventually. Kathy Doughty said if she comes back to NZ next year to run another class at Handmade she would probably teach us hand stitching.
Love it! I’m currently finishing a commisioned piece for a friend: a picture quilt with lots of novelty prints for her little boy. I feel like there’s a lot of momentum behind the project now!
Hi Anita, at the moment I am handquilting an applecore quitl for my husband. And I am doing is with the red aurifil thread! Your quilt looks gorgeous! Lieve
I love your plan for quilting this wonderful top! I can’t wait to see it all finished
) One of the things I need to work on this summer is my machine quilting. I have a Janome DC3018 and have done very limited FMQ with it. I am having a really hard time with the tension…the bottom looks all loose. When asking about it where I bought the machine the man tells me that I just need lots and lots of more practice and the FMQ is not as easy as people make it out to be. I don’t know…I tried adjusting the bobbin tension but am half afraid to do that after all I read on the Internet about not fooling with bobbin tension. So, that’s one of the things I need to work on this summer.
Oooh I didn’t know you had a Horizon – I have one too and absolutely love it but then my previous machine was one I bought for about £50 about 30 years ago and was held together with duck tape, blu-tak and string!
Is the red quilting done by machine? If so, did you use a thicker thread of some kind?
Anita, love your plans for this happy quilt!
I’m planning a basket quilt for a friend’s wedding present. Long way to go!
That combination of hand and machine quilting is excellent. I like it so much!
I am back and recovered from a wonderful and exhausting vacation. Since last Wednesday, my sewing room has been in a state of chaos as I pulled most every little thing out, sorted fabric, rearranged and took inventory. Today I had the entire day. I have everything pretty much where it can stay and be accessed. I did not get a paper inventory put together. I decided that labels on see through boxes would work. Tomorrow or tonight I will crank up the machine and officially begin my own SUMMER CIRCUS OF FINISHISHING! Thanks, Anita, for setting this agenda!
Love the words – I just got the book but haven’t done one yet! Great job.
Your hand quilting looks awesome!
What am I working on? A little here, a little there. Not seeing any progress anywhere! It’s disheartening.
[...] was planning my ‘winter of finishing ‘ campaign and contemplating a response to Anita’s post way back in [...]