Quilted Star Points

   

It took a while, but I finally have the outside of the star points quilted.  I just tried to get 1/4 inch from the edge and went all around the star.  I love my new Janome and can't blame the machine.  Any mistakes are ALL operator error!

   

  The lucky thing is most of the Star Point Squares are close to the edge.  When I do the middle squares I will have to get really good at free hand quilting.  Trying to spin a quilt and get all the fabric jammed under the machine is no easy task.  I got a free hand foot with my new machine and have been practicing.  I wish this one went backward with out holding the reverse button down.  I THINK I could do that OK.

   

The hardest part is when you have to turn the quilt and there is a bunch of fabric under the arm of the machine.  In those cases where I just could not do it, I cut the thread, turned the whole quilt around so the smaller edge was under the sewing machine arm and then finished that particular square.  It worked pretty well and now I have to decide what to quilt next!

   

Maybe I'll do that blue strip.  I can't do the light blue triangles until I get a thread that matches it.

I have a class on the Deco 340 on Tuesday and I think I will take my quilt.  Maybe they can show me how to embroider on it right there. I want to learn how to use the embroidery machine with the quilt patterns to do the center of my Star Point Squares.   That way there is no chance for me to mess it up when I get home and forget what they just told me.  Ain't old age grand???

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.