Long Time No See!

It's been too long since I've posted here.  Especially too long between quilting projects.  I have a project with the quilting group that I help with.  One of our members is in the middle of a move from Ohio to Florida.  We decided to make her a quilt with Ohio stars in her favorite color - purple.  I was tapped to machine quilt the project.

On loading the top, batting, and back I discovered a problem that now has to be overcome.  The back is the same size as the top....

I like the back to be larger than the top.  It sure makes loading and lining up the layers easier.

 

Another problem I have encountered.  The learning curve to load the layers and then actually adjust the machine to quilt is only surpassed by the lengthy forgetting and remembering curve....it's been a while since I've done this.....

 

I'll update with posts......

Leprechaun Pins

For the past several years I have whittled small Leprechaun pins, and traded them for beer.   March 17 is St Patricks Day, and I've got a head start on the pins.  I think I'd better quit!  This is probably enough beer - maybe too much.

Packing Up for Florida!

On Friday we leave for two months in Florida, on the beach.  This packing up is something else.  Remember, this blog is QUILTING AND CARVING.  The Long Arm quilter cannot be taken, but my carving stuff can be.  I expect to carve four sets of animals for four Noah's Arks - for sure.  I'll be doing lots of other carving and whittling too.

The main beauty of the beach is that one can truly relax and do what he or she wants to do.  There's no unfinished projects that need your attention.  In fact, the secret to a successful vacation is to limit the decisions you have to make.  I plan on whittling, carving, reading, walking, and just about anything else that I want to do..

 

NOTE:  That white stuff around the house is sand, not snow!

Some Christmas 2013 Carvings

Oh Goodie Lots!

My quiltin daughter, Tracy has set out to make a whole bunch of mini quilts.  Me, I have set out to whittle a whole bunch of Santa ornaments for Christmas 2014.  Since I'm retired and can pick and choose my whittlin time; I've got a huge advantage of folks who have to work for a living.  So I know I'll meet my goals.  I start every day whittling (carve with only a knife) with my morning coffee.  I whittle at least one Santa ornament or pin each day of the year.

Here's my daughters start:

The largest of these is about 16 x 16 inches.

 

Here's my start: Whittled on December 25th and 26th.

I'll end up with about 360 of these, each one different.  Most of these whittlings will be finished natural or darkened a wee bit, but some will be painted.

 

New class project starts!

My maleness (not to mention my skills) will be tested today.  I still co-teach a quilting class, and am the only male in it.  We're doing a purse today.  No, not a man bag, a real honest to goodness female purse.  It will be quilted though.  I just cut fabric, assemble squares, assemble squares into flat quilt tops, and quilt the flat piece.  So, you see the challenge ahead for me.  Today I am a student.

Lesson #3290 - Bent needle!

For a while I thought I was loosing it.  Started putting the binding on a new quilt.  I machine sew one side and use a blind stitch on the other.  When it's done correctly one never sees the stitch.  Well, everything started out fine.  Good progress was being made.  Then I couldn't sew a stitch without the needle going all the way through to the quilt top.  I thought I'd had a stroke or something.  Further checking, and I found that the needle was bent.  This meant that sometimes as a made a stitch the needle was pointed up and sometimes down.  When pointed down, the needle went too deep.....And the needle was not bent all that much....just a wee bit.  New needle, no problem!  Thus the 3290 lesson that I learned this year....