Pin Basting on a Wheeled Table

I forgot to post about how much I love my new work tables when it comes to basting quilts. We made them out of a metal shelving rack, some casters, and wooden tops. You can see them in my post about my studio reorganization. These tables are on wheels and I absolutely love them!

My typical arrangement

My so-called studio is a small room just inside the front door to our cottage. There's not a lot of space, especially as the stairs are also in the room. High traffic, I tell ya! I like to pin baste but I don't have much floor space, nor do I want to be on the floor to do it. So I use my tables. They're counter top height and fairly small but I can use them in several configurations. I like to walk around the table as I pin and since the room is small and well....my rear is large....there's not a lot of room. The wheels allow me to push the table around as I work so I don't have to squeeze between the table and anything else. Not to mention move it when someone wants to come through my room.

Also I want to remind you that Craftsy is doing a 12 Days of Christmas promotion and you can see the offerings (they change from day to day, but all classes are up to 50% off) by clicking on my special link. That link puts a little Christmas jingle in my pocket. They've got absolutely fabulous classes for quilters! (I've been checking out the cooking and crocheting classes too!)

I have a feeling that most of my readers have already taken my class (and given it some amazing reviews!) but maybe there's a special friend who hasn't seen it yet, or someone on your Christmas list who'd love a few classes? Use my special Gift Any Class link to bless someone with their choice of class. (Again, my pockets get more jingly when you use my links!)

Next week, I'm joining in with some other Craftsy Instructors to do a blog hop. We'll be talking about our classes of course, but also about creativity AND there will be giveaways! I'll be joining in with the official Craftsy giveaway and doing a ruler giveaway as well.

So make sure you check out the site Monday and I'll tell you all about it! Now back to the quilting...

How do you baste? Pins, spray, by hand? On the floor, table, or wall? Inquiring minds want to know!

Anticipation!

I am absolutely dying to start sewing on my new Janome 8200! But my handy hubby is working on my table so it can be sunk level with the table's surface.

I didn't get an extension table with this machine, knowing that most of the time it will be in my table so I don't want to try any FMQ on it until I've got the smooth, stable, large flat space that I recommend for great free motion quilting.

I figure this is a good time to share the progress I've made on my silk whole cloth quilt.

Above is the back. It looks so much better without seeing all the blue markings!

Then the front. Still so much to do. There's a lot of poof to manage as I quilt this. It's fairly common for a show quilt to have a double batting for a faux trapunto look, but I may have over done it.

I really love these McTavish-y swirls right here, above.

My whimsical fan-tailed dove (above). I wanted to balance the right side's leaf and curl without duplicating it on the left side.

My husband has finished my table as I wrote this post, so now I can put my new machine (Janome 8200) through its paces. I will definitely do some practice pieces or other projects before I put this silk underneath it.

I'm going to share an update to my DIY sewing table soon as we found a great way to fit around all the nooks and crannies of a sewing machine without having to be a whiz with a jig saw.

There's no doubt that I'm excited about my machine and projects. I hope that you have sewing projects that you're working on that excite you as well.

Sick Quilter

I've made a few changes to the blog lately and even came out of the blogging closet to my local quilting friends and Facebook peeps. I resolved to post at least three days a week, planning for M,W,F posts.

So this pathetic post is to keep me from falling behind on my resolution. Today I am feeling like crud and am not up to posting. I did however finish the appli-piecing of the main portion of my latest quilt. It is coming together quite well. Now I need to make a decision regarding what batting to use. I had planned on using a wool bat with a Quilter's Dream poly behind it so as to give a faux trapunto effect, but now I am wondering about bearding on this very dark fabric.

I think the best solution is to make another sample. This time with the same batting I plan to use.

Now to get back to wheezing and hacking....