GETTING READY

 I took a few days off work to get things caught up and organized so we could leave early on Sunday heading for Oregon to view the solar eclipse on Monday.

I've been working on the binding for this huge quilt.  This is the back of Wallflower.

I finished the quilting on Improvisation #1, LA007. 

Putting the binding on Improvisation #1.

I finished putting the last border on Molly.  I had to buy a layer cake just to get a few more pieces of the tan fabric so I'd have enough fabric - they were all out of yardage.  Here it shows all those 10" pieces.

I made and loaded the back for Molly.  It will be ready to load the quilt and start on it once we get back home.

LOADED FIRST QUILT

Well, I finished the practice quilting on the small piece that Kim loaded up on my A1 Quilting Machine after she put it together.  I used up all the space.  So, I unloaded it and loaded on a real quilt.

This is a quilt top I made years ago using 4" red squares from a fabric exchange I participated in.  I can't remember if it was through Pieces Quilt Shop or through Issaquah Quilters.  Either way, I ended up with two red quilt tops which have been languishing in incompleteness for 10 or more years now.

I purchased some quilt backing from Connecting Threads a while ago, thinking I'd use these tops as practice when my A1 got here.  The backing is icky, too.

For the last few days I've been thinking about how I want to quilt it.  I'm still conflicted.  I think I'm going to use the Versa-tool ruler from HandiQuilter, and do a gentle curve on each seam, but I may change my mind tomorrow (but probably not).  It seems boring, but I need the practice.

The back is on the frame.

I used the table to size and cut the batting - worked great!

All loaded up, ready to quilt.

I decided to add the centering tape to the machine.  I did it while I turned up Dread Zeppelin and let the neighbors enjoy that one song, too.  I can't help myself - I love their songs!

So, then I tried to wind some of the thread I want to use onto a bobbin using the Bobbin  Winder that came with the A1.  What a piece of junk.  Kim was having trouble with it and fussed with it when she wound some bobbins for me.  I'm having a different kind of trouble with it.  I fussed with it a little then gave up.   I hot and tired.  I'll give it another try in the morning.  I'm not sure what to do with the bobbin it messed up; half of it is wound good, the last part is screwy.  I don't know enough about tension to know if this is acceptable or not.