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| Brown or blue string decision |
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| Completed strings |
wants to play with design layouts. I keep telling her that we
need to stay stitch the outer edge of the blocks before we get too excited about the design process. So far, she is content with waiting.
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| Brown or blue string decision |
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| Completed strings |
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| Miss K striking a pose in her new leggings |
Of course, one granddaughter can't get a new pair of leggings without the other granddaughter getting a new pair too. The deal was that the youngest granddaughter could make her own. Miss J was "down" for the sewing!
When she was over for the sleepover, she helped me adjust the bobbin tension on Inky, my featherweight. She had decided that when she comes over, Inky is her machine because she knows how to adjust the bobbin tension AND because the machine is her size!
Inky sews well on woven fabrics. Joie, my Bernina, sews well on stretch fabrics. Miss J decided she could give Joie a spin. She also got to clean finish her seams on the serger. She loved watching the knife cut away the seam allowance.
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| Stretching the fabric ahead and behind the needle |
Once she finished, I told her that she could enter them in the fair since she stitched them herself. She is considering the entry. I asked them to put on their leggings so I could snap a photo. They chose to take the photo outside "in nature." I don't know that I call our backyard "in nature," but, their comment made me chuckle!
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| Modeling the new leggings "in nature" |
I used half of a yard of fabric for each pair of leggings. Both of these fabrics were scraps from previous projects. I've now used 9 1/4 yards from my stash this year. This was goal number three on my 3rd quarter goal list. It was also goal number three on my July goal list.
Miss K didn't get a chance on a machine so the next time she comes, we will rectify that situation! I'm glad they both are showing an interest in stitching!
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| Working out the zig zag design |
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| Auditioning a section |
Gail gave me kits for two gnomes and she lent me her gnome so the girls had an idea of what their project was going to resemble. The girls LOVED the project. They each read through the directions so they could identify the supplies and had an idea of the steps involved. Yes, I could have had the girls search and locate a similar online tutorial. (To prepare, I watched several videos.) In the end, I decided taking time to read the directions was a better use of our time because the granddaughters asked questions about what some of the directions meant!
The whole activity, including the direction discussion, took about 30 minutes. From the start, they wanted their gnomes more "plump." We used about two cups of rice each for their gnomes. They thought using a funnel was a smart way of getting the rice into the sock because there was no "spillage."
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| Finished gnomes posed for action |
At the end of the activity, they talked about how the gnomes could make an appearance at other holidays in addition to Christmas. For example the green hatted gnome could hang out on St. Patrick's Day and the orange hatted gnome could hang out on Halloween AND Thanksgiving. Gail's red hatted gnome could hang out at Christmas, Valentine's Day and 4th of July. They decided all of the gnomes could hang out on Easter.
Thanks again Gail G for the kits. You were right about the fun factor! Their holiday discussion was priceless!
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| Open studio day to welcome Thomas |
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| The stitching design |
To introduce us to Thomas, Alvera held an open studio day. In the open studio day photo, Alvera is wearing the blue vest. Bev W. is behind Alvera. Alvera and another guild member, Su H., are training members how to use the longarm by quilting projects for the comfort group. There are about 20 guild members who are interested in participating in the longarm outreach program.
This week, I spent two days in training. Thomas is named after the man who donated the machine to the guild. The man's last name was Park. In his studio, he had the sign Park Place Quilting which Alvera also moved to her studio. Thomas, the longarm, is an Innova paired with an AutoPilot computer software system. Alvera has the same longarm system. In fact, Alvera was the influence behind Thomas, the quilter, purchasing this particular package about eighteen months ago.
My first day was full of a lot of information! I practiced loading a quilt and setting up the parameters for quilting the quilt. I selected a quilt pattern and set it to the quilt parameters. I chose a thread. I practiced how to set the start and stop so the computer mirrored the project. With Alvera's help, I managed to almost quilt two small quilts. There was thread breakage. I "got" to learn how to stop and start when that happens. I also got to learn about rethreading the machine. Unfortunately, we weren't able to trouble shoot the tension issue that would happen about half way across the pass. At the end of the day, I didn't feel like l could remember the different processes. My body was tired and my brain was exhausted!
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| Thomas stitching the design |
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| Bev W. foreground and me quilting our projects |
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| String piecing strips |
I'm curious how other guilds who have charity programs, get their tops quilted. I'm also curious if there are other guilds that have a longarm dedicated to charity work and that offer training. Please leave me a comment and share your knowledge!
While I would say I was an advanced domestic machine free motion quilter, I have had limited experience on a longarm. I quilted one quilt on Gerrie T.'s Gammill using a fan pantograph about 2007. Around that time, I basted three quilts on that same Gammill. The next time I quilted on a longarm was when I put out a plea for help to quilt my dad's star quilt. I also used a pantograph. I so appreciated Nancy P. lending time and expertise on her Gammill machine. (My dad's request came a few days after his doctors told him his illnesses would likely kill him in about 90 days. His quilt is the quickest I have completed a project. I started it in March 2015 and gifted it to my dad in May 2015. He used his "special request quilt" until he passed on December 24, 2016.)
Learning how to quilt on a longarm is a whole different skill set. I'm willing to put in the time to learn that skill! I'll spend some time over the next couple of weeks reviewing the notes that I wrote. Thank you again to Alvera for opening her studio to Thomas and for providing great training sessions! This was goal number seven of my July goals.
Since my last post, I also pieced some strings to make progress on my One Monthly Goal (OMG). I'm linking to Oh Scrap/Quilting is More Fun Than Housework. Please check out the link and enjoy viewing the scrappy projects people are stitching!
Regarding COVID:
Worldwide: 185M cases; 4M deaths
United States: 33.8M cases; 607K deaths
Oregon: 210K cases; 28,222 deaths
My library has extended the hours it is open. When I visited last Friday, patrons and staff were maskless. Children under 12 were also maskless. In Oregon, the percentage of fully vaccinated adults is 54.6 percent and the percentage of partially vaccinated adults is 59.3 percent. The delta variant of COVID continues to wreck havoc with the unvaccinated.
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| 1. Illusions project |
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| 3. Legging fabric |
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| 2. Complete this project |
2. Make this project. It has been on the list for years. It's time in the queue has arrived!!! A book inspired this project. I want to add red embellishments.
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| 4. More Frolic blocks and 5. Butterfly glue basting |
4. Make more HSTs and complete the border for Frolic. Last quarter, I made more blocks and pieced them into a top that is 109 x 109!
5. Finish glue basting the butterfly.
6.--10. These are small projects. I want to make: a couple potholders, a few embellished kitchen towels, a couple more camel back bags and a couple Henrietta pincushions. I want to finish a second Happy Hearts table runner.
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| 13. Make a tree skirt |
13. Make a tree skirt. At one time, I had a goal of making one of these a year. It is a good gift for a bride. There might be an upcoming marriage. Last quarter I pulled fabric and created a kit. I have a wonderful metallic fabric for the ruffle.
14. Finish making string blocks from the Saturday workshop class I taught last January and piece together a top.
15.--16. Keep up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) and the Temperature Quilt.
17. Actually, complete two lessons on the embroidery software.
21. Make a project inspired by the book, "For All the Tea in China."
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| 22. Complete this top with Miss J |
22. Work with Miss J to finish her farm block top.
23. Complete the CCQ challenge block.
24. Quilt three days on Thomas the longarm.
It is a big list. Let's see what I can accomplish in the next 90 days!
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| June temperature blocks |
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| Strings for the challenge project--my OMG |
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| Santa tree skirt project |
For July, I'm listing fewer goals because I'm working/volunteering about twelve days this month; I'm attending a couple in person activities and maybe my London daughter will be here for an extended visit. My studio time will be less than it was in June!
1. Since I need to submit a photo of my challenge quilt by August 19 for my project to be hung in the CCQ guild quilt show, goal number one is to string piece the strips that I need for the project. I figure if I can string piece all the strips that I need, I'll be able to finish the project in time for the October show. This will be my One Monthly Goal though Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal July Link-up
2. Begin piecing the Santa tree skirt. The pieces are cut and ready for stitching.
3. Finish those leggings for the granddaughters. I had the project scheduled during their visit. We, however, had the opportunity to go swimming and of course the water won out over stitching leggings! I have ripped the pink pair apart so that I can make them smaller.
4. Make a few border blocks for Frolic to see if I like my idea.
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| Sew these two pair of leggings |
6. Think about designs for the next book club quilt.
7. Spend two days quilting charity quilts on Thomas for the CCQ guild.
I'm linking to Oh Scrap/Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework the challenge quilt, the tree skirt project and the legging project all contain scraps!
Regarding COVID:
Worldwide: 183M cases; 3.93M deaths
United States: 33.7M cases; 605K deaths
Oregon: 209K cases; 2,811 deaths
Last Tuesday, I went to my first in person small group meeting of my quilting book club. It was wonderful to see people in the flesh and to visit without looking at a screen! The visit ended all too soon! We are cautiously optimistic that we will meet in person again for the next reveal in three months. We do plan to continue meeting via Zoom the next two months.
Last Wednesday or June 30 in Oregon, the governor lifted most of the COVID restrictions. We don't have to wear a mask into a restaurant or wear one at the grocery store if you are vaccinated. The restrictions of how many people can gather has also been lifted. The Washington State governor also opened his state with similar cautions in place. People are exercising in gyms without being restricted to the number of people who can be in the space. At the hospital, we are still wearing masks as I believe it should be.
Last week, I heard the media report that Oregon got to 70% of the population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. When I wanted to confirm that number, I saw that the number was still 56%. The difference is that the 56% number includes people aged 12 and up; the 70% number includes adults. Other than the in person meet up, my routine has not changed.
Happy 4th. I hope you all will be safe and enjoying friends and family today. Because of the dry conditions, fireworks are banned in our area. Last night, however, I heard the booming sounds for about 45 minutes. There has been passionate rhetoric about how setting off fireworks is a way to honor our freedom. I hope the fireworks start no fires.
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| Texture created in the penguins |
Next, I used the walking foot to quilt straight lines on the Daddy penguin. I'm trying to play more with the walking foot because it is easier on my body for the machine to feed the fabric using the feed dogs than it is for me to be pushing it. However, all the turning of the fabric takes some time and effort so I don't see myself quilting big pieces using the walking foot!
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| Back of quilt |
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| Detail of label |
I used the background fabric to face the quilt and construct the sleeve. I had fun with the label. Our leader of the book, Kathy M, provided an activity at our second meeting. We made a penguin out of felt scraps. She mailed us a little kit before the meeting. We didn't open the envelope so it was a surprise as to what we were going to do! The penguin could have been a finger puppet; but, I decided that I would use mine to be part of the label.
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| Finished front |
I was stuck figuring out how to add the felt penguin to the label. My friend, Connie P., suggested the speech bubble. I'm glad she suggested it as and I think the label turned out great! I spent about 74 hours creating this project. It measures 25 inches wide by 34 inches tall. I used about 2 3/4 yards of fabric. I have now used 8 1/4 yards from my stash this year.
This was goal #21 on my second quarter list. It was goal #2 on my June list. It was also my one monthly goal for June. I'm linking to Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal - June Finish Link-up. This finish was down to the wire!