Road to CA 2017 - Day 1

Class today was with Amanda Leins - Fundamentals of FMQ.

Enjoyed the class...hated the *(&#$( machine..the first half of the class, the machine I was on kept shredding the thread...I would be going along fine for a few minutes and blamo, it would shred and break. The tech changed the needle..that didn't help...she adjusted the height of the sensormatic foot...that didn't help...After lunch, I was able to move to a different machine - the lady next to me had to go home. Her machine worked fine! So I don't think it was anything I was doing (you have your doubts when its a strange machine!) Anyway, not feeling the love for Phaff machines, just sayin'

Amanda had this neato overhead camera gizmo that she could project up on the wall..with a Surface computer..I want one!! You can see it in the picture above..

Here are some of the practice drawings we did...

The color pencils show the order of how the motifs are to be sewn....I really like the loopys on the hooked feathers on the left side..

And my practice piece...not even half of the quilt sandwich I came with...

Oh..the air pressure in SoCal is so radically different today due to three back to back storms coming in  - the rest of the quilt show is going to be very, very soggy! Not attending the preview night this year..I have a monster headache. Hoping once it starts raining, the air pressure won't drop anymore.

Tomorrow I am going to see the quilts, go thru the vendor mall and attend Party Time - it's supposed to be a blast..there are prizes!

I had to repack all of my supplies for Friday's class..the wheelie case I have used for years decided it was a great time to break - right in the middle of crossing the road between the convention center and the parking lot! I don't think its repairable..I will just have to get a new set - wonder if they have any cases with the 360 wheels that I can afford.

Fire Mountain Finished!

First finish of 2017 - Fire Mountain!

I bound it with some stripey fabric that has all of the same colors...I did not make continuous binding since I wanted more control over the placement of the stripes so I had to learn a different method of creating the miters - there are videos out there for a Binding Miter Tool (but I just used the corner of an envelope) that show the technique. I think it turned out very well!

Made a ZipZap bag for a Tea I am going to at the end of the month. Pattern is here...I did modify it a wee bit - I made the back pocket full length so my cell phone fits better..I am pretty happy with how it turned out! Those quarter inch straps though...those were hard!  Oh...and I did not use canvas, so the seams were not quite as bulky. I like this bag design in that it does not need 'hardware' for the straps..the other bag I made last year has lobster claws and rings...but it also attaches to my jeans belt loops for a hands free mode!

This is the front of the bag..added a silver dogwood blossom to the zipper...

This is the back of the bag..the pattern has the back pocket only as long as the color part in the center...on mine, the pocket goes all the way down to the bottom...

More Fire Mountain Progress

I asked the same question in my last post to my quilting forum and got some tips on how to keep the Monopoly from breaking so much..I ordered a package of Superior Top Stitch needles and they came in the mail today (love Amazon Prime!!) So OF COURSE, I had to try one out...
Verdict..they are worth the almost 2 bucks per needle!

Pretty much done with the center of the quilt...just need to ditch around all of the appliques. That may not take as long as I think with the thread not breaking anymore.
Here are some hopefully detailed enough shots that you can see the quilting....

Poor quilt needs a bath..cat fur and chalk marks.

Oh and I discovered something else...I am using Grabberoos quilting gloves and was having a dickens of a time with the Monopoly sticking when I trimmed the start threads. Found if I used a lint roller, the trimmings came right off. Have to remember to pack that for both of my Road classes which are going to be FMQ...

Fire Mountain Progress

Spent most of the day working on Fire Mountain..I took all the old hand quilting out, replaced the batting with Dream Cotton instead of the poofy wool and started FMQ on the top..its stabilized...and I have started on the leaf vine in the green areas...

much happier with the quilting now..
but..frustrated with the machine..it keeps breaking the Monopoly...

Question...what does it mean when quilting with a FMQ foot when the top thread does not catch and form a stitch with the bottom thread? I have tried adjusting the tension and that seems to help some...fortunately it seems to mostly happen at the start of a line of stitching..