Exploring the possibilities on my Q’nique 14+ on the Cadence frame – 3

As said in my previous post, there is no easy way out….. Patience, practise and persistence must lead to some kind of success.  I’ve spend hours on You Tube watching videos, all about long arm machines and of all I’ve seen, Jamie Wallen spoke to me and made so much sense.  I got confident in adjusting the bobbin tension so I only had the top guy to fight with, oiled my machine as if it was a crane but instead of waxing my rails and wheels (I know the damage wax build up can cause) I returned to my trusted Wurth silicone spray and buffed the hell of my frame, rails, wheels and anything that needed moving.  And then it happened…… perfect tension, smooth gliding and me feeling in control. My backing rail is also belly height; I suppose that is why Lori calls it a belly rail instead of the suggested higher setting.  I guess different settings works for different people.

Okay being a small test quilt, I had the top floating and another hint I got from Loading Lori’s way, was not to have my layers too tight, one of my initial mistakes.  I am SO satisfied with this. Using Cruise Mode 14 SPI I am rather chuffed.

Eye of the Storm – 6

My quilt top is done and I am so impressed, not only with the pattern but with myself for getting it right.  I had to do corrections on 3 blocks, one had a strip in the wrong width and the other two had the wrong colours in certain spots but once I’ve finished the 42 blocks, checking them was a breeze for I knew the colours by heart then.

Once I popped the top over a bed I realised that I will easily make this exact same pattern again.  Obviously in a different colour but I am sure I will still enjoy the process.

Now I am waiting for my ordered fabric to add borders and get this little bugger quilted.

This pattern can be purchased over HERE.

Another fabric purchase on my behalf

A friend of mine, living near Johannesburg, went shopping right in the (dangerous) city centre and came across a fabric shop.  She immediately phoned me telling me about the bargains and offered to buy some fabric.  The only drawback with this shop is that you could only get it at a real bargain, if you bought at least 3 metres at a time.  She went ahead and bought me a couple of pieces which she believed I could use.

Well I am not complaining and her daughter who brought the fabric to me, said she hoped I didn’t think it was ugly.  I nearly laughed telling her that quilters hardly ever find any fabric ugly.  Somewhere, sometime that unused piece of fabric will work perfectly in whatever you may plan next.

She even invited me and a couple of local quilting friends to come through one Friday morning (the shop is not open on weekends) and do fabric shopping and spend the rest of the weekend just visiting the centre of the city.  She, a well-travelled girl, says the sights, sounds and people you encounter there, makes it seem like travelling to a foreign city.  I am so tempted but I wonder which of my quilting friends would be brave enough to do this with me.

On Ringo Lake, a Bonny Hunter mystery -1

Not so long ago I vowed not to do any mystery quilts as I have, in the past, not been too chuffed with these, however when I saw completed En Provence mystery quilts, also by Bonny Hunter. I regretted my decision.

Then for months on end now I’ve been complaining about my blue remnant drawer being filled to the brim.  I don’t even recall ever buying this much blue fabric but the scraps in the drawer shows the contradiction.

So when I read about On Ringo Lake, Bonny’s latest mystery, and it had teal/aqua in, I thought what the heck shades of blue will have to do.  So I got started with major sorting and cutting of my blue fabric.  If it so turned out that it had a little teal/aqua in it, good as well but I aimed for medium blues.

It took me a whole afternoon just to sort and cut a couple of blueish strips and I do believe that what I have won’t be remotely enough but at least my blue drawer was thinned out and neat again.

I only finished clue 1 on the day that clue 2 came out and just before the grand-kids came over to visit.  So I guess I’ll always be somewhat behind.

This mystery can be found HERE.

Almost an early Christmas

My younger (only) sister was so kind to go fabric shopping for me the city where she lives at half the price I can get fabric locally and I am actually so chuffed with her for she was given instructions to shop for a Bargello and not being a quilter herself, I think she did very well.  This was what I found when I opened the parcel.

I then added one fabric from my stash, eliminated a couple of other colours and I think the Bargello I’d like to start in the New Year is kind of sorted with this selection.

We have both grandchildren for a sleepover tonight, so no quilting will be done, our young gent still cannot walk, so one of us will constantly have this little man in the arms.

I decided to make a bacon pasta for this evening and had the whole do going, pasta cooked, bacon friend with onion, chopped ham for a little extra texture, melted the butter, stirred in the flour to make rich white cheese sauce when I opened the fridge and the a hit song from 1966 immediately came to me…… the song by Herman’s Hermits “no milk today”.  I didn’t have a single drop of milk in the house!

Mercy comes in different forms and having a vegan daughter, I remembered I had a box of soy milk in the pantry.  So tonight we are eating a very vegan meaty dish. How’s that for a contradiction?