Wednesday, March 20, 2013

My Part Is Done

   

I finally finished the transom.  At least it is built and ready to be installed.  That is not MY job, she said...

   

I wanted to put a copper patina on the stained glass transom.  I don't know if I didn't get all the flux washed off or if this is all I can expect.  It never got as shiny as the original copper foil.  After I thought about it, and then realized this was the best I would get, I decided that I LIKED it this way.  We are planning on furnishing the rooms with mostly antique furniture, so I liked the antique look of the transom. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


   

I TRIED to cut the zinc channels.  Even with Lee's heavy duty cutter, it would not do a good job.  Lee tried to hacksaw it and that didn't work.  In the past I have had the stained glass store where I purchased my supplies cut the channels for me.  This time I ordered everything online and so there was no store.  There is a special electric tool they sell to cut the channels, but I didn't want to buy that for just this project.  Maybe if I do a LOT more!

   

The transom is going to be held up with a lot of wood trim, so the channel will not show.  I just muscled through with the cutter, bent and smashed the channel and covered any rough and bumpy cuts with a bunch of solder.  I just wanted it for the stability, not for the looks!

There would not ordinarily be any rush to finish this project, but there was a sale at a local sewing machine store (Alpine Sewing Machines) and I was ready for my new machine to finish my quilt. 

   

I wanted one that could do the quilting I like to do and do some embroidery I want to learn.  It turned out it was cheaper to get one for the sewing and one for the embroidery.  Cheaper by about $1000!  So now I have TWO new machines! 

   

I couldn't set them up in the craft room because there was a lot of glass slivers and solder and flux.  All kinds of things you don't want to get on your quilts.  I had to finish up and get cleaning!

   

So now I have a new Janome Memory Craft 6300 and a Bernina 340 Deco.  I can't wait to get started.  I am going to set up both and start thinking about what I want for my quilting.

   

 I can buy a bunch of patterns on my new memory stick for the Deco and use it to quilt open sections of the quilt I need to finish.  I can't wait!

   

My first class on the embroidery machine is April 2.  We had another contractor come bid for the tile.  And small progress is being made.

2 comments:

  1. Oh my! That transom is a work of art. Beautiful. I can't believe I know someone who can make something like that. And I am a little jealous of your new sewing machines! Those are good brand names. i hope to see a lot of posts on sewing and all the fancy things that you can do with those machines, especially embroidery. :)

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