TRIAL AND ERROR

I have started the quilting on the Farm Quilt.  If I plan to do some Free Motion Quilting on a project I always stitch in the ditch first, usually down most row seams.  As I had planned to try some FMQ around the farm animals, I started the ditch quilting on my Featherweight.  I had purchased the Stitch in the Ditch special foot and tried that but after a lot of help from April Henry from April 1930's Sewing Shop, I now understand how this foot works and will probably keep it for under stitching on bags and dressmaking.  It has a flange that sits in the ditch of your seam but the actual stitching lands just a hair to the left of the ditch.   Results vary using this foot.  A thicker seam allowance results in more of a ditch allowing the flange to sit in there well and the stitching lands closer to the ditch.  I like my "ditch" quilting to be well in the ditch.

Low Shank Stitch in the Ditch Foot

So after a few goes with the SITD foot, I switched to my Walking Foot for my Featherweight.  I love using this foot for straight line and channel quilting.  I had not used it for stitching in the ditch before.  Now I should add here right now that I own multiple sewing machines and one of them is my Brother PQ1500 which I use for most of my quilting - walking foot and free motion.  The walking foot for the Brother machine looks like this....   you can see right up the centre of the foot, up to the needle so you can really see where you are quilting "in the ditch".   The walking foot for my Featherweight does not have such a clear view of the needle and I found it difficult to stitch in the ditch accurately.  Now this could just be me because I'm so spoilt having the big Brother machine but anyway I eventually switched over to the Brother to finish the quilting.  I'm almost done!   I finished up the ditch quilting and now I'm doing some straight lines down each side of the seam, walking foot width.  I have not decided if I will do anything close to the animal embroidery as yet.

Brother PQ1500 walking foot
This sewing machine is straight stitch only.

Note the reminder on top of the machine -  last time I did
Free Motion Quilting I was having dramas and only
right at the end when I was almost finished I noticed
that one of the thread guides had been missed!
That won't be happening again!

So as you can see, it's all about trial and error.........  I love all of my sewing machines and I try and give each one a chore on a regular basis so each one gets some use and maintenance.  My Featherweight 222K is a great piecing machine (and very handy to take away from home for sewing as it's so small) and I love it for straight line, channel and free motion quilting on a small project. I have said this before.... I think it's the best Free Motion Quilting I have ever done.  I love the special foot that April sells for this purpose, it is the best foot I have ever used.    It's a great top stitching machine too.  My big Brother machine is great for all quilting especially Stitch in the Ditch and Free Motion.  So it's okay with me that my Featherweight won't be used for stitching in the ditch, she has plenty to keep her busy!

If you are new to my Blog and you're wondering how many machines I have... two treadles, one 201K knee shift, one 222K featherweight, one 99K hand crank, one Brother quilters edition and the Brother PQ1500.  and an overlocker!

A rainy cool day today (thank heavens! those hot days were a bit of a shock!!).  Tomorrow I will hopefully finish off the quilting and get the binding on!

Happy Sewing and Cheers from Helen

AND ON TO THE QUILTING

Suddenly we are thrown into Summer!  hot today and it should not be!  far too early for Summer to arrive but it does look like Winter has flown..... not perfect sewing weather!

I pinned the Farm Quilt today.....   here is how I do my pinning ......

I use bulldog clips at one end to hold the backing
and batting/wadding only.
I then tug the backing from the other end ensuring
that all is flat.  I do add a few
pieces of blue painters tape to that end just to
hold it where I want it.
I then smooth out the quilt top and wadding.

I like curved pins.  I have pinned this top ready
to stitch in the ditch to start with.
Once the middle area is pinned, I move the sides over
and pin those.

Setting up my Featherweight 222K
I am using the giant adjustable extension table
from Sewing Buddies Australia
I removed it from my Brother PQ1500 and was
surprised to find that it fit perfectly on to
my Featherweight with no adjustments needed!

Perfect fit!

As I had shifted the FW over to my other table, I brought
in my 99K hand crank.  I will give her some
work to do.  Look at that ! - the Feathermate table (also from
Sewing Buddies Australia)  from
my Featherweight fits nicely on to my 99K box.

In preparation for quilting I gave my FW bed a light polish

I am using Gutermann thread in the bobbin but Aurifil thread
in the top so I did have to play with the upper tension - moved it from 4 to just past 5
I took a photo to remind me!!

So I am all set to commence the quilting!

A lovely surprise in the mail today
Thank you Leonore!
An early birthday gift - I love the zipper purse, very clever!
and the little turtle is for cleaning your computer or phone screen - how
cute is that!

Happy Sewing!

Cheers from Helen

BINDING THE FARM

Wide Binding - cut 4"

Ironing the fold - I lay the strip across the width of the board ... Not the length.  This stops any wave forming when you press.

I quilted around the box - blue painters tape!  I have quilted in the ditch on all of the seams first .... now I'm up to the binding!

Cheers from Helen

QUILTING THE KITTIES!

Doing the free motion quilting around the appliqué - using the new open toe foot I purchased from America - I was able to quilt nice and close to the edge but the foot makes a clunk clunk sound which the other free motion foot I have does not!  Any ideas ?

I have mentioned before about the aluminium bobbins I'm now using in my Brother PQ1500.... Well I just have to say again I LOVE THEM!   My quilting has never been so neat and the stitches are so perfect!  

It's raining!  Lovely sewing weather and that's what I'll be doing all day tomorrow!

Happy sewing,

Cheers from Helen