Hello everyone
Well it's been quite a testing week for me. Sometimes free motion quilting goes smoothly and according to plan and sometimes it doesn't!
I've been working on this wall hanging - a gift for my twin's birthday.
I saw these scrappy star blocks on Bonnie Hunter's website and had to have a crack at them. The green scrappy border were leftover strings from Orca Bay - thought I'd put them to good use.
I had terrible tension troubles quilting this and I didn't know why until I decided to give my machine a clean and an oil. The lint inside the bobbin case was quite unbelievable but not really - afterall I'd just completed a Bonnie Hunter mystery. Extreme piecing !!!
After a good vacuum out, some oil and a fresh needle, my machine is now back to it's normal self. I don't know why I didn't do that in the first place. Lesson learned!!!
Not good huh?
However it all turned out ok.
I quilted feathers with a pebbled spine and a meandering in the white diamonds.
Here's a great tip I got from Irene (at my quilt group). Use soap to mark your quiilt top. You need to leave it until the bar is nearly done then the edges are nice and sharp. It's quick and easy and smells nice.
After my last post on the Lantern quilt, lots of people have asked if I have a long arm, but I don't. Just a little domestic.
This weeks TGIFF part is over at
What a Hoot . LynCC is hosting this week and I promise you there are some fantastic finishes , no less from the hostess herself. Go and check them out - you will be inspired !
I'm off to sew the borders on my Orca Bay now.
Have a great weekend.
Rhianon.
11 comments:
Hi!! Wow, this is beautiful - great use of the Orca leftovers! I need to get up the courage to try FMQ feathers now. A good use of the next charity baby quilt. . .
I just hate it when I don't think to clean out the undercarriage and it takes me forever to figure out that's why the machine is balking. Last week I had pieced 3 big minky backs after doing a bunch of paper piecing. Went to do some piecing and the thread just kept skipping, nesting up, and breaking like crazy. "What the heck? This is Aurifil! What is going on??? Uh. . . lint, maybe? But I cleaned the machine really well 2 days ago. Yeah, but look at what I've done since then." Sure enough, there was so much buildup underneath that it had actually felted under the dog tracks!
I agree, that little bit of lint can really raise havoc with your tension/thread. We have all learned this the hard way! I am sure your twin will love what you have done, it looks great!
Absolutely beautiful work! (I saw your post on Finish it Friday). I'm in awe of your machine quilting too on a domestic machine. Thanks for sharing! :)
This is looking fab! And thanks for the soap tip - I'll certainly give that a try :)
Rhianon, what a fabulous finish! I love those colours -- what a great way to use those Orca leftovers. Beautiful FMQ! Love it!
Okay, this is the second warning today where cleaning the machine has fixed quilting problems... I'm going to clean mine this weekend, before the troubles begin! (I know mine is way overdue!) LoL Your quilt looks just beautiful. Fantastic finish! :o)
Gorgeous quilt - which of Bonnie's patterns was it? Our Guild has a Diamond Challenge this year, and this would be perfect!
What a beautiful wall hanging! Great pattern and quilting!
beautiful fmqing - most impressed you do such gorgeous work on a domestic machine - go you!
Beautiful! I love the colors in it!
I admire anyone who can make a machine behave that well. Thanks for visiting my quilt show poost and leaving a comment.
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