Free Motion Quilting Farm Adventure

I'm still quilting away on the farm quilt, and it's coming along very well despite the interruptions (aka my wonderful family) when I have to stop and go do something else. I am one super blessed lady for a multitude of reasons (which I tend to forget all too often), but yesterday I was free motion quilting my heart out and stitched right across this pin! Twice. One stitch into the pin, one across, and one more right out of the pin!


Didn't break the needle either! For making the boneheaded mistake (again) of leaving a pin too close to the needle, I won't even complain of the stitch ripping that followed so I could tie off threads and start again without a noticeable spot showing.

Another blessing: my 4y.o. is taking a rare nap while I'm working on this post!


I'm putting rulerwork in the form of 3/4 inch curved crosshatching around the scene. It makes it look like a picture frame.


I'll get a post up soon with more information about using longarm rulers on a domestic sewing machine to do lines. It's a great technique, made possible by Janome with the convertible free motion foot set and the ruler toe (packaged for the 1600P).

BTW, Janome just jumped into the deep waters of the world that is Pinterest. If you love Janome machines like I do, you might want to go check their boards out!


I thought I was doing great marking the feather border on this quilt- it lined up perfectly with the curved crosshatching shapes.....and then I got to the other corner! Blast. I swore I had worked it all out.

Can you see in the picture below that the next curve would had come out as a point in the corner instead of a curve? This will need some tweaking, but I went ahead with the curved crosshatching in the meantime.


I had even marked the outer edges of my feather plumes as I went. Not a big deal, but I do some pretty stupid stuff sometimes!

A note about my post where I had asked for comments about how you keep track of to-do lists, appointments, etc. I got some great responses! Am I all organized now? Hardly. But I'm making progress. Some of the progress has been hampered by moving to a different computer to do my work. I finally decided the pain of switching and using a few different programs and such was worth it to be on a different computer than the kids. I'm using index cards for some lists to carry in my purse. And the note function on my very basic cell phone for a few shopping lists. I'm using my huge dry erase board still for long range things, goals, etc., but trying to take an updated picture of it occasionally with my tablet so I can make it "portable"! I still spaced out on an event this week though....

I hope you've gotten some quilting time this week and don't forget to join in the Free Motion Monday Quilting Adventure or go visiting the participants.

12 comments:

  1. lovely work... I have just ordered those rulers and so am really looking forward to your articles about them....
    Hugz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Fiona. Love your name, BTW. The rulers and technique are so great. I'm so happy to be able to do this on my machine.

      Delete
  2. I can't wait to see this one! I suspect it will be fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much! I think so too! Assuming I ever get it done!

      Delete
  3. I had to laugh when I saw that you ran over a pin. I have done that myself. Only I sacrificed the pin and cut it with a wire cutter so avoid ripping the stitches and re-quilting. Thank you for all of the great information you post. I am working on learning how to use rulers on my DSM for quilting. Take care and God bless, Cory

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had never even thought about cutting the pin.....I would say "I hope I never have the opportunity to try it" but it seems I do repeat my mistakes! :-)

      It seems I never got an email version of your comment, so I hope I haven't missed any more of your comments, with the result that I didn't answer a question or respond. I will have to look into it.

      Delete
  4. I just joined the party today! I really enjoy your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, Cory!!!! I wish I had thought of that a couple of times!!!!! I have done that same "creative" stitching.....needle unscathed!!!..... but the unsewing hasn't bothered me cuz I was so thankful my machine was ok!!!! Your ruler work is so pretty and will, truly, enhance that quilt!!! How is it that 3 of 4 corners can come out perfectly and that last one is "possessed"!!!! LOL!!!!! Hugs...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dang it. I am glad you said "Oh Cory!" because I thought that was an odd expression or something, then I thought maybe I had missed something. That led me to do some checking, and it appears I'm not getting an email for every comment. So, now I know you were commenting about Cory!

      Thanks! And yes, marking the borders can be tricky, especially if I'm in a hurry!

      Delete
  6. Amy, you mentioned pulling the threads back far enough to knot them....would you mind doing a short video on starting and finishing, how you knot, pull the knot through, etc.? I know how to do that when hand quilting, but hadn't thought that I should do that with the machine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your wish is my command! See: http://freemotionquiltingadventures.blogspot.com/2014/04/free-motion-quilting-video-tying-and.html

      Delete