Back from the South

I've just spent the last week visiting family in Dubbo, then more family in Sydney.  Spent a lovely day in the Blue Mountains helping answer a few question for a new Millenium owner.  Then had to drive home the long way. 
I usually break the trip to Sydney up by staying in Dubbo, on the way down and on the way home, but the flooding in Moree has closed the highway so I had to drive home via Tamworth.  Is actually shorter but it means I need to spend a night in a motel!
Fortunately I was able to keep in front of the storms over NSW and even arrived home before the storms hit SE Qld. 
Now it is back into the piecing and quilting. I have two tops I would like to finish piecing before Wednesday's Morning Tea.

Talking Fabric

As a longarmer we get to see many great tops and then try to treat each one individually.  For a while, when they are on our machines, they beome "ours".  Some quilts we struggle to choose a design for, We search extensive resource books and DVD's to find the right one.

Other quilt tops talk to us.  This quilt was one of those.  This customer uses many different

types of fabrics, her style is often simple piecing, and she only ever wants an Edge2 Edge design.

The fabric in this quilt  was a paisley so I started doodling a paisley on lined paper. 

Then I got out the whiteboard markers and doodled some more on the proper scaleon a perspex sheet.

When I switched on the machine after loading the quilt a better design came from the machine.  No it isn't computerised,  I just draw better with a machine than pencils or markers,  and I listen to what the quilt wants!

I also stitched some flowers in the plain blocks based on this one from the border fabric.

Feathered Swirls

A customer quilt that really wanted some feathers allover it.  So I quilted my Feathered Swirls.  Went down really well with the floral fabrics.

Queensland Quilt Show

The Queensland Quilt Show opened today in Brisbane.  After hanging the quilts yesterday I returned today as I had been emailed that I was receiving an award.  They don't let on what the winning quilts are even to the hanger uppers!

My "Serenstar" came second in the Professional Small Quilts category.  All pieced and quilted on the Trusty Janome 6600. So now I have another ribbon for my collection, plus a fabric collection from Moda.

It feels great to have a quilt that you have made yourself hanging for everyone else to see.

Out with the Old

I worked as a Census collector this year and decided I would reward myself with a new domestic machine.  I have had my Janome 6600 for almost six years, and it had always performed wonderfully.  BUT when I attended the Janome Dealers day last year on the 7700 Horizon I knew that I would have to get one soon.

I waited 12 months so I think that was good.  Now I have a Janome 6600P for sale if anyone would like a great machine, it is in having a service ready for a new owner.

So the new machine sits on top of my sewing table awaiting a larger hole to be cut so it can sit a table level.  I have plugged it in , but I haven't sewed with it yet.

I have the perfect project ready for me to Free Motion Quilt.  The top was made just after we moved to Queensland to remind me of the Blue Wrens I had living in my garden.  We have been in our Queensland home now for just over 3 years and the gardens must be established enough, that I am now seeing Blue Wrens coming into my garden, so it is time to complete it.

No Quilting Today

Well I have tried to put two quilts on the frame this morning.

The first one I only had to quilt the borders for a customer but the steam and starch haven't shrunk it back to flat.  That extra 1" or so on the outside does not want to get any smaller.  So back to the csutomer it goes.

I can't quilt out everything!!!!

The second quilt, I rolled the backing on pulled out the wadding and it has been used for a lap quilt previously.  There is not enough for me to even join it to make enough for this large single quilt.

I give up.  Today I will finish off some class projects and notes!

New M'nM APQS wheels

I decided to shout my longarm machine some new wheels.  I have had Edgeriders on it for 18months, and thought it was time I bought the new wheels that APQS now have for their machines.

I was sceptical and did not think they would make much of a difference.

I was wrong.  They make a huge difference to how easily the machine moves on the table.  I had no trouble before stitching feathers, they are now just so much easier to do.

The first quilt I loaded after my husband put the new wheels on was for a customer who wanted flurry of feathers on a hand pieced hexagon quilt.

I really like this quilt top.  Green and beige hexagons stitched together randomly.  There was only one paper left in the back.  Usually there are more.

The feathers quilted easily and smoothly and I enjoyed myself quilting for a longer time than I would normally quilt, as my machine seemed to be working with me.