Janome 6260 QC

I came home with a "new to me" machine. It is a Janome 6260 QC that is now a retired model, meaning they don't make them any more. It has the features that I really wanted - speed control, blanket stitch, needle up down. It doesn't have much past that, doesn't have the newer machines auto thread cutter or start stop button. But I couldn't see paying $200 more for those two features. It was the same price that I paid for my Janome Decor Excel 5018, 9 years ago. Glenn even asked them to throw in a "janome" mat so it's sitting on one on the desk and looking pretty spiffy. So far I've only used it for some piecing but I did try it out pretty thoroughly in the store. Glenn thought I was joking when I told him that we should park behind the store instead of in front because it was only 2 hour parking. To be honest, I did do some fabric shopping too and that was what took longer because there was only one sales clerk. I'm pretty pleased with my purchase and hope I can get really proficient with it before the Rhapsody workshop next weekend.

A Shattering Experience

Yesterday, I was quilting away, when all of a sudden there was a SMASH beside me. One of the 4 foot flourescent light bulbs had dropped out of the fixture and broke on the Gammill and then smashed onto the concrete floor. There is glass all over the sewing room but no one was hurt. I did some vacuuming yesterday and hope to finish the clean up today. My throat is a little sore, apparently from the dust coating. I phoned Poison Control and got the scoop on clean up etc. Hoping to go tomorrow to try & buy the new sewing machine.

Sewist?

I've never heard the term sewist before but as I start looking at upgrading my DSM (domestic sewing machine) I am seeing sewing machines for quilters and sewists. Not sure if I am on board with that term yet but I can at least say I've learned something new today.
I'm looking to stay with the same brand - Janome. I do want to upgrade for more stitches though and some of the features like needle up/down, speed control and maybe auto tie off. Just how much more I should upgrade is the dilemma. Must be time to go try some machines.

June's beauties

Here are three lovely quilts from the month of June.

The first is a T-shirt quilt that I did with free hand meander and shoelaces. It had a neat running shoes backing. Clear monofilament was used on the top and black thread was used in the bobbin.

This next one is a lovely "Old Maid's Puzzle" quilt done in 1930's reproduction fabrics. We decided to give it a traditional look with the Baptist Fans quilting pattern.

Last but not least is a Roman Stripes quilt that I did a meander with words in the plain spaces.

Many Weeks Later...

I'm terribly neglectful to my blog but here is some new pictures at least. Here is a Country coloured Feathered Star pattern that I quilted in a folky stars and loops freehand design.

What's on the Gammill today?

On the Gammill today is a fabulous, red, black, yellow & white Calgary Flames quilt. I'll post a picture after the customer gets her quilt. I quilted on the perimeter of the crests, quilted the "C" in the large empty blocks and quilted to fill the rest with "flames". I was even quilting flames in my sleep last night! The black batting was definitely a must with this dark quilt and black quilting thread. A little harder to find but eliminates the white bearding that may have occured with a white or natural batting.

Up and coming is a brown/ivory log cabin with circles, circles and more circles!

Two Lovely Quilts

Here are two lovely customer quilts. One is a tessellating leaves that was done with the "Falling Leaves" pantograph. The thread is Signature thread in "Camel". The other is another tessellation, a country pinwheel type (anyone know what this pattern is called?). This was done freehand with meander loops in Signature thread "Cranapple".

Next to go on is the "Flames" quilt. I need to do some practice quilting to see if I will be able to go over the crests. I may wait to do the quilt itself until my new leaders arrive & are installed.

Night Shift Woes

Sad to say that it's not even my night shift that's interfering with the quilting but my husband's. I haven't been quilting in the evenings because I don't want to wake him up.
I did finish the Chinese coins though and have a customer quilt on the Gammill.
The kids and I enjoyed a morning of quilting with the Pins & Pine Needles Quilt Guild in Whitecourt. I completed part of a binding on a group effort puff/biscuit quilt that is for future donation from the guild. That's slated for completion on Monday so I don't have to try and remember which thread and sewing machine settings I was using!

Start Quilting Class

The Start Quilting Class is today. I have 8 students registered. I have a big pile of stuff by the door waiting to go with me. I'm pretty excited and I hope that I can convey the fun and joy of quilting to my students.
I am also lining up a private class (4-5 students in a private home) in April. I have to admit that I think I will really enjoy that one because it is colleagues from work and I do like the people that I work with.
I do have a quilt on the machine (sorry no picture yet). It is a Chinese Coins wallhanging that I made some time ago but never got around to quilting. It was even pin-basted already! I took out the pins and loaded it onto the Gammill with some of my new black batting. I think that will be a great improvement as the white batting that was previously sandwiched has already shed lots of white lint on it. I'm doing a freehand sampler of sorts on it.

Mini Break

I realized that it was a week since I blogged here. Sad to say, I've hardly been in the quilting studio either. Life happened: work, house chaos control, an overnight excursion during which my daughter had gastro (aka 24 hour flu), an evening at work and now tomorrow I'm back at work again.
I did pick up some poly thread while in Edmonton. Also, today I did a thorough maintenance check on my Gammill and have a pretty good idea what I'm going to order for spare parts.
More batting is on the way! The wool batting is no longer back-ordered and I've decided that a roll of Quilters Dream #4 Select, 92"w, 100% cotton would be an asset.

Quilting Tip: If you have an all black (or very dark) background on your quilt, consider using a black batting. Bearding (the batting poking through) will happen to some degree at some time on most quilts. Even a tiny bit of white bearding on a black quilt can be annoyingly obvious.
(okay, this is a bit of a plug, I do have a poly/cotton black batting folded on a board in stock, it is 96" w)

Pins & Pine Needles Quilt Show Winners

I had a request for pictures of the winning quilts. I thought I would just post them on the blog. My apologies for the quality and funny angle of the pictures. I took them before the show and didn't think to grab my camera for the winning pictures. I do know that other people were taking pictures then. Also, I'm not absolutely sure on the spelling of the winners names, so my apologies if I get them wrong too.

The Bright Challenge was won by the red, black and white Heart Bargello made by Donna Buchanan. The Best of the Show Viewers Choice was won by the floral/trapunto nine-patch made by Michele Sneddon.

Our lovely fall wallhanging door prize was won by a family from Blue Ridge (not mine).

Pins & Pine Needles Quilt Show

After many hours of hard work and a few late nights preparing, the Pins & Pine Needles Quilt Guild's first quilt show was held. I had two quilts that I made hanging in the show. I had the start quilting class samples hanging behind my table as well as Jackie's queen size log cabin quilt. The log cabin quilt looked fantastic with it's oranges & browns set in a barn raising setting with creamy logs. We got lots of compliments. Thank you Jackie!
I talked to a lot of people about my business. I'm glad I went to the effort of making up a poster showing the longarm quilting process. Here is a picture of it. I think I handed out over 100 brochures, and that's not counting the ones that are going to the shops.
The 100% cotton, double batting was won by a lady named Joy from Barrhead. There was some interest in the quilting class.
After it was done, I went out to celebrate with my family and my parents to a new Chinese restaurant in Whitecourt. We enjoyed the food and the kids were very happy to eat the carrot roses that decorated every plate.

Sample Quilts & What's on the Gammill

The first class sample quilt is nearly finished - hurray for binding without hand sewing! It still needs a label and maybe a hanging sleeve, but I thought it turned out pretty good. I did a freehand ribbon meander over the rail fence and the border. The thread colour is Baguette.

The second class sample quilt (Square Dance) is currently on the

Gammill quilting machine. I'm quilting it with Purple Jewel thread

using a pantograph called Fantasia.

Class Sample Progress

I'm working on my samples for the "Start Quilting" class that I'm teaching at the beginning of March. I've finished piecing the Rail Fence sample, it's red & white with a hearts border. I am planning to load it tomorrow. The second sample I'm doing is the Square Dance, it's in batiks - purples & blues mostly with a bit of yellow and pink. The Square Dance blocks are all pieced, tomorrow I will join the blocks and put the borders on. Glenn has put a shelf up in one of my studio closets and tonight we will get the second one put up.

What was on the Gammill

It's been on and is now off. Here's a picture of the quilt that I quilted for the upcoming guild quilt show door prize. One lady donated the maple leaf blocks, another lady pieced the bargello and finished the remaining piecing. I did the quilting and passed it back today to quilter #2 to do the binding. It is a great team effort.

I did custom quilting on it with a freehand "Madeleine" curls border, loop meander in the small green border, freehand leaves in the large maple leaves with leaves and curls in the surrounding space and large blowing curls and leaves in the bargello. I thought it turned out pretty good!

What's on the Gammill today?

Here's what is on the Gammill today. My very large Scrappy Trip Around the World, it is 102" x 104", almost a king size. I pieced this a few years ago for my brother and sister-in-law. Finally getting closer to finished! I am quilting it with a Baptist Fan pattern in turquoise thread. It has a flannel backing and 100% cotton Quilters Dream batting. As you can see from the picture, I'm almost done the quilting, it should be off the Gammill today.

The Dream & The Beginning

I've been quilting in various forms for around 20 years now. I started when I was young, doing hand quilting on panels. In high school I took a Quilt in a Day course with my mom. I finished my log cabin quilt, eventually. I have been quilting ever since with various degrees of intensity and speed. For the past 7 years I dreamed of being able to quilt big quilts. After quilting a twin size on my home sewing machine, I knew I physically wouldn't be able to do anything bigger. In this past year circumstances changed and in October 2009 I purchased a second-hand Gammill Classic Plus longarm quilting machine.