HARD LESSON LEARNED

 I finally got back to having the Q24 and Q-Matic working on Torrent's quilting.  I set it up to quilt the edge-to-edge pantograph, got it started, watched for a little bit then started doing something else.

That was a mistake.

I thought the machine would be fine on it's own, but I was wrong.  Next thing I knew, it was all tangled up in the batting and was ripping and pulling and trying to continue quilting.  I ran over there and stopped it - too late!

I got out the scissors and seam ripper and got it all untangled.  The quilt top has one small tear near the edge - it will probably be fixable.

But, the machine is making funny noises - a scrapping and a clunking.  Although, it still sews a nice stitch, I don't think I should be running it.  I called my repair man - he says he won't be able to come out for a while.  So, It'll be down for a week at least.

I'm so embarrassed.  I knew better than to leave it alone while it was near the edge.  Some lessons are hard to learn.

TORRENT QUILTING STARTED

 I'm doing an allover edge to edge called' Frozen Swirls', on the Torrent quilt.  I've loaded it and am using 40wt Aurifil, a pinkish coral thread, on the top and back.

I don't know why, but I had about three thread breaks on each row.  Very tedious and annoying.

Maybe I'll change the needle and see if that helps - although this was a new needle when we started.

LOG CABIN BACK FINISHED

 I continued working on the backing for Devolve that I started yesterday.  I used bigger pieces to get it up to the right size.

It's done.  Ready.  It's bigger than my design wall, so it goes down onto the floor.

LOG CABIN LABEL

I made a label for the recently finished top, Devolve.  I like using up the scraps on the back, so this time I'm doing it in a Log Cabin style.  I'm going round and round the label with the scraps and leftover strips.    Here's where it ended up today.  I used almost all of the small scraps, so tomorrow I'll start adding some big 'logs'  to get to the finished size, with the bigger pieces on the top so the label ends up towards the bottom.  At this point, it's about 24" square.

IT'S DONE FINALLY

 I got the quilt top all put together and done today.  This is the one I started in Sherri's Rhythmic Grid workshop and have been working on for the last several weeks.

I haven't named it until today.  I thought I'd name it 'Devolve', but I thought I better look up the definition to be sure.

devolve

[ dih-volv ]

Definition of devolve

verb (used with object), de·volved, de·volv·ing.

to transfer or delegate (a duty, responsibility, etc.) to or upon another; pass on.

Obsolete. to cause to roll downward.

verb (used without object), de·volved, de·volv·ing.

to be transferred or passed on from one to another:The responsibility devolved on me.

Archaic. to roll or flow downward.

Well, I found out, it doesn't mean what I thought it meant.  I thought it meant 'to disintegrate' 'to deteriorate'  'to devolve into chaos'

It's name is still going to be DEVOLVE.  

So be it.

MORE BEATS

 I worked for a bit on the rhythm for this quilt top - it still doesn't have a name.

ON THE GOOD SIDE

 I sewed the flange binding onto the back first, then flipped it over to the front and top stitched it down using the 10D 'stitch-in-the-ditch' foot on my Bernina.

IS IT CHEATING?

 I had tried to use a different colored thread in the 'shadow' part of the Flowers, but continue with the pattern.  That didn't work out at all.

So, I just quilted the whole background with the light grey thread.

Now, I'm going to darken the thread in the 'shadow' with a marking pen.

Is that cheating?

FLANGE BINDING

 On the advice of my Brave Patch friend, Cindy, I watched a Youtube video on how to make Flange Binding.  She suggested Susie's Magic Binding.  It's a very good video.  But, then I watched a few more by other people and got the gist of the whole thing.  Everyone used different widths to cut the strips.  So, I had to figure out which would be better for me.

It's easier than I thought.  I cut my strips and sewed them together.

I sewed the two colors together with the flange color being a bit wider.

Then I folded it in half and pressed.

The only drawback is that it's not bias binding.  I always like a good bias binding.

This is as far as I got today.  I'll sew it to the quilt tomorrow

LAST OF THE TOMATO TARTS

 I made what will probably be the last of the tomato tarts of the season.

So good.

FINDING RHYTHM

 I've been making parts and putting them up on the wall, trying to find a rhythm.  

It's coming along slowly, but nicely.

ROW RE-DO

 I really didn't like that last row I put on, so I offed it and tried again.

Here's how it ended up.

PIQF HAPPENING

 I have two quilts at the Pacific International Quilt Fest (PIQF) in Santa Clara, California this week.

We didn't attend, but a friend who did sent me these pictures.

Thanks Jackie!

In the Mid-Century Modern category

In the Traditional Category

ANOTHER BEAT

 I'm slowly working on the Rhythmic Grid quilt from Sherri Lynn Wood's workshop.

I added another 'beat' to the rhythm.  The one on the bottom.

I'm not sure I'll keep it in there, it's too predictable, too orderly, too boring.

I like it, but it doesn't fit in.  I may use it somewhere else.  Or, figure out a way to work it in.

WEIRD BIRD QUILTED

 I got the Weird Bird quilt quilted and off the longarm today.  I used a pantograph called Dickey Birds.

It is weird.

FINDING RHYTHM

 Here's how my project looked at the end of the weekend zoom workshop, Building Rhythmic Structures,  with Sherri Lynn Wood.  

It isn't sewn together and I have a lot more to make.  This shows about half the size of how I want it to end up.

Onwards...

FIRST DAY OF RHYTHM WORKSHOP

 The workshop, Building Rhythmic Structures with Sherri Lynn Wood, started with an introduction to Eliza Hardy Jones, a musician and quilter.  She talked about her quilts, showed us pictures and explained how she made them based on music and song and rhythm.

Afterwards, Sherri led us through some exercises and we worked on making different rhythmic structures.

We listened to some Philip Glass songs while we worked.

ALL SEWN TOGETHER

 I got the blocks sewn together and the blocks sewn into a top just in time.

I'll need the design wall for this weekend's workshop.

ALL THE PARTS

 I've been working furiously to get all of the parts cut out.

I need to get this project off the work wall for the coming workshop this weekend.

And, I got them all cut out today.  Yea!

Now, to start sewing them together.

FLOWERS II QUILTED

 Finally, I've got the quilting done on Flowers II and it's off the machine.

IMPROVISING

 Not sure I'm going with those pizzaz colors.  They don't seem to fit quite right.

AS WE GO

I've been working on cutting up these strip sets and turning them into Quarter Circle Arcs and parts.

It's fun.  But, I'm not sure if the colors are working, so I added some pizzaz.

 

CUT 'EM UP!

 Because I wasn't happy with some strip sets I made a while back from the scraps from my 23/24 bin.

I put them away in August and brought them back out today - to cut them up.  I got a set of 12" quarter circle arcs from WarmFolk that I thought would be perfect for them.

So I cut them up.

But of course, I had to add some other fabrics.