Tag Archives: quilting

Quilting, Sewing Machines

Review – Quilter’s Rule Quick Quarter 2

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Back when I started up with SMS as a dealer, I had a pretty big “opening order” to make, so I went looking for a number of tools that could make my sewing and quilting life easier.

It can be really hard sometimes to tell the gimmicks from the gadgets and the gadgets from the really necessary tools.

One of the “frightening” concepts for a new quilter is “bias edges”.  I thought that any tool I could come up with to help me with that would be great.

I stumbled upon the Quilter’s Rule Quick Quarter 2.  Knowing that I would “eventually” be making something with half square or quarter square triangles, this seemed like just the thing. Continue reading Review – Quilter’s Rule Quick Quarter 2 →

Sewing Machines

Rockstar – In my quilt studio!

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Note: I’ve noticed lately that the photos in the posts look blurry and low quality.  This is not true if you click on them to look at them.  Until I figure out what it is that’s doing this, please click on the images to see them the way I intended for them to look for you.

As some of you may know, my APQS Lucey was delivered on November 1.  She waited patiently until November 5 for setup because when I bought the machine, part of the deal was for Matt from Sparrow Studioz to come set it up.   You also may know him as manquilter.  He’s a local quilting rockstar.

I loved this idea because I knew that she’d be set up, level and running perfectly with her leadergrips sewn in (and straight) before he left.  Sure I can probably service Lucey, maybe even with one eye closed, but it doesn’t mean I want to tinker like that all the time and certainly not right out of the box.  This was great peace of mind, and permission to be in creative mode, not techie mode right off the bat.

The wait was slightly agonizing.  Yes, I know those of you who have known me for years are thinking “Wow, that’s the understatement of the century!”  After all, I’m not known for my patience.  😉

That said, it was mostly “easy” to wait.  She arrived Friday, then Saturday and Sunday I had classes at Sparrow Studioz.  Monday, I had a white featherweight to service, a sewing circle (sometimes referred to as a “Stitch n B*tch”) to attend and a very well deserved chiropractor appointment.  Realistically, I wasn’t going to be able to set her up before Tuesday myself anyway.

Tuesday, though…  Continue reading Rockstar – In my quilt studio! →

Life, Sewing Machines

Bad Seamstress Blues – Patchless darning is the same as free motion

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The day I went to post bail for Lucey, it happened – riiiiiippppp.  Oh No!  My favorite jeans!  I’ve long since passed the age (and lost the figure) where I feel like I can get away with wearing ripped jeans, but patched jeans, especially form fitting ones are so uncomfortable.   I’ve used every sort of patch I can think of and they all leave a bump where they are and seem to chafe a little.  The best one to date though was a scrap of batik fabric.

The longer I quilt, the less I seem to be willing to “sew” – and that definitely includes darning – but not having an unlimited clothing budget means I don’t get to just throw out what has fallen apart at the seams or self destructed somewhere other than a seam.

Today, I want to talk about how to make darning a little less “horrible” for us quilters.

Ready?  Pretend you’re Continue reading Bad Seamstress Blues – Patchless darning is the same as free motion →

Home, Life, Sewing Machines

Been a Long time – a new quilting studio!

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For the last several weeks, I’ve been virtually absent from both any sewing projects and the Internet.  Other than answering urgent emails and the occasional post on the QB, I just haven’t been dedicating the time.

Why?  I decided to reorganize the basement.  Previously, it was a dumping ground for everything we didn’t want to look at anymore, but didn’t have time to get rid of.  There were 15 years of company and personal financials down there.  There were 16 parts sewing machines, 9 sewing cabinets, our old TV, actually, our last 2 tvs, and all manner of other things.  In addition to this, the webserver that serves archaicarcane.com to you lives down there, as does my very neglected wet darkroom.  All of it had to be put in order, and fast.

Why?  As some of you know, I created a space crisis in the house.

How?  I traded up.  No, not Ryan.  😉

I sold the Juki and frame and put that money toward a brand new …. Kangaroo! Continue reading Been a Long time – a new quilting studio! →

Sewing Machines, VSM Repair

Beautiful Broken – Quiet down your FMQ

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Since I brought the B-Line frame and the Juki home some months ago, I’ve managed several projects on it.  I enjoyed every single one of them, but there was one thing I couldn’t enjoy and neither did Ryan – the noise.

Note:  This post can still apply to you if you don’t quilt on a frame.  For instance, my Singer 301A is incredibly loud when doing FMQ as well.

Doing feathers and straight lines with the Juki made such a racket, that I couldn’t quilt at night once Ryan went to bed.  It sounded like a jackhammer.   Ryan’s even told me that he can hear the machine outside when I use it!

Yesterday, it was time to service the Juki again, and while I had it off the frame, I took the hopping foot off to clean the fuzz out of it, and I ended up running the machine without the foot.  What a lovely sounding machine….

Wait,.. what?  How could I love the sound off the frame, but hate it on the frame?

Continue reading Beautiful Broken – Quiet down your FMQ →

Home, Life, Sewing Machines

Into the Labyrinth – quilt top is complete

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This marks a real milestone for me.  A quilt I planned from the beginning.   One that needed to be a particular dimension, and had a destination from the outset.

Probably 9 months ago I said I wouldn’t make another quilt “as big” as the out of control lap quilt I did around Christmas last year.  Looking back, I think it’s because I didn’t love the quilt.  I don’t think I even liked it to be honest.  I found the piecing tedious and fiddly.  I found the repetition “offensive” to my eyes and mind.

I still don’t love it, but it is true when “they” say that quilting makes it a different quilt. I do enjoy the “homeyness” of the FMQ that I did on it, now that it’s washed.

My cousin, Jo said that we’d have to get me piecing, but I was happy just quilting on the frame.  I just kept thinking back to my “first quilt” and couldn’t get interested in that experience again.  Of course eventually it happened – I ran out of things to quilt.  Now what?  Continue reading Into the Labyrinth – quilt top is complete →

Sewing Machines

First Date – First frame quilt, a charity quilt

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As I mentioned earlier this week, there’s a new machine in the house.

I’ve had a chance to play with it, and I’ve got a sort of preliminary review mostly of the frame. The machine in question is a Juki TL-98Q, it’s on a B-Line frame.

After a couple of mis-starts, things are going well. I managed about an hour on it each Tuesday and Wednesday, in a couple of small sessions , then about an hour and half on it on Saturday. No pain so far, which is good.

We’ve begun to bond, and I’ve discovered a few things so far: Continue reading First Date – First frame quilt, a charity quilt →

Sewing Machines

Wow. Trade of the century.

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So good a trade, I couldn’t even come up with a witty pop culture title.  I know you’re disappointed, I can tell.  😉

Early last week, a lady contacted me about the Coronado that I had for sale in the local buy and sell.  She said she loved it,  and wanted possibly a couple of machines I had to do up a display wall in her quilting studio.

While talking to her, she mentioned that she had a B-Line King sized Frame and a Juki TL-98Q that she was going to sell (She’s ordered a gorgeous computerized Pfaff Mid Arm with a frame.).  Continue reading Wow. Trade of the century. →

Sewing Machines, VSM Repair

Bobbin’ Along – bobbin tension

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You may have noticed in the previous post about tension that we didn’t even test sew the machine.

Yet.  We will test sew it, but not just yet.  You see what I’m trying to do is get the machine to a point where it’s in the ballpark first, then the rest is just small tweaks.  The goal is to help you rule out the big problems, the ones that require repair, or in drastic situations, possibly a trip to the sewing machine spa.

Consider this statement:

Tension too tight on the top can also be tension too loose on the bottom.
Top Tension too tight does not automatically mean bottom tension is too loose.
Tension too loose on the top can also be tension too tight on the bottom.
Top Tension too loose does not automatically mean bottom tension is too tight. Continue reading Bobbin’ Along – bobbin tension →
Life, Pets, Sewing Machines

You’re the Inspiration – Seeing it in everything

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A few weeks ago, I attended the Festival of Quilts in Edmonton.  The quilts were breathtaking.  For a newbie like me, possibly a little intimidating too.  I know I should be inspired by them and I think I was to a large degree but there was definitely a note of intimidation there too.  I must keep reminding myself that I’m new to this.  I can count the time I’ve been quilting in months, not years.

While I was there, I took advantage of the fact that there were vendors there I wouldn’t normally see, and snooped like crazy.  I am really proud of myself, I managed to make it out of there for less than $60, with two books and a handful of business cards for companies I may have to be in touch with.  Continue reading You’re the Inspiration – Seeing it in everything →