Ongoing Quilt Projects, Continued from the "No Appreciation...." Thread

[speckledhen]

So.... I bought the brother machine!

Everything works really nicely!

Now I needed a beefy table to hold this bigger machine. I stopped at the goodwill on my way home and they had just what I needed for only $6.
Happy dance!!
It's raining here so I will pick the table up in a few hours when someone will be home to help me with it.
I am super excited!
Pics to follow of course.

You'll love that throat space, wonder how you ever quilted without it! Congrats!

 

[21hens-incharge]

You'll love that throat space, wonder how you ever quilted without it! Congrats!

I really haven't been able to quilt.
The Singer has major issues and the old brother had issues of its own. Mostly the old brother was just way to small to do any quilting on. It is a good utility sewing machine for sure though.

I am a super newbie to quilting.

Super happy to be learning a new craft though!

 

[speckledhen]

I really haven't been able to quilt.
The Singer has major issues and the old brother had issues of its own. Mostly the old brother was just way to small to do any quilting on. It is a good utility sewing machine for sure though.

I am a super newbie to quilting.

Super happy to be learning a new craft though!

Yeah, you can't really do anything on a malfunctioning machine, for sure. Just go through Angela Walters old and new videos on free motion quilting. And Leah Day has a great series on walking foot quilting, too. Between those two, you can learn to quilt, trust me. Leah uses several machines through the years, including my Janome 7700, which is similar to your new Brother, a Juki 2010Q, which is the sister machine to my Brother 1500, and lately, she's been using the Eversewn Sparrow that she also is selling-it has about a 7" throat space. Plus she also has a long arm that she does videos with on Fridays. Angela has channels for different things like the Midnight Quilt show, etc. Angela's Handi Quilter 710 Stitch machine is the similar to the 7700 and your Brother as well, plus she also does longarm videos.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have been watching both of them. Very informative and clear in their instructions too.

They both make beautiful quilts.

I know it takes time, patience and practice to even do moderately acceptable quilts.

By the way speckledhen, your work is stunning!

 

[speckledhen]

By the way speckledhen, your work is stunning!

Thank you, but I'm still learning, too. It does take just doing it, over and over again. You have to get a lot of "flight hours" on your machine. And, remember, a finished quilt is better than pieced top just sitting there, no matter what you think of your quilting!

 

[21hens-incharge]

I do have a few pieced tops hanging about. Yup pretty useless at this point.


These two need finished!
Simple yet colorful.

I am so happy to have this new to me machine!

Now to clear the sewing space for that new to me table. I think it's 3'x5' so will barely fit in my tiny spot.

 

[speckledhen]

I do have a few pieced tops hanging about. Yup pretty useless at this point.

View attachment 1546122 View attachment 1546123
These two need finished!
Simple yet colorful.

I am so happy to have this new to me machine!

Now to clear the sewing space for that new to me table. I think it's 3'x5' so will barely fit in my tiny spot.

I like those a lot!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Thank you!
Its a layer cake and kona white. All done from good ole 10" squares.
They went together really really fast.
I like all the happy colors.

Nowhere near being good but they will do.

Someday I will learn the complicated blocks.

I look at the quilts you make and my chin drops! So very pretty!

 

[speckledhen]

Someday I will learn the complicated blocks.

I look at the quilts you make and my chin drops! So very pretty!

You can do simple patterns and complicated quilting, or vice versa, or simple patterns and easy, simple quilting....all make lovely pieces! I do some more complex things because I get bored making 50 blocks just alike or doing the same thing over and over again, or I may just want to do something I have always liked but didn't think I could do. But, it doesn't matter if it's complicated or simple, a quilt is a labor of love. Don't sell yourself short! I'm still learning machine quilting myself and have a long way to go.



For the Walmart folks who prefer buying "quilts" from the big box stores because they are cheaper (certainly not in this group!), I have a short story to tell you. I just bought a new shower curtain there. Took it out of the package and it looked like someone had been sewing drunk, weaving back and forth all over the road, off the seam, on the seam, some places it wasn't even turned under or sewed at all, seam completely missed, etc. It was deplorable work, even for a Chinese-made product. So, I pulled out my trusty Brother 1500 because the Janome is set up for my current quilt project, slapped on the walking foot to hold the slippery fabric and ran a line of sewing down the side that looked like someone had partied too hard before coming to work in the sweatshop. Maybe, by some miracle, it will hold together a few months. Gee whiz!


You can bet that Walmart's so-called quilts are made pretty much the same. In fact, I know they are. I bought one years ago when I was quilting everything by hand, for expediency's sake. It was nowhere near right, terrible stitching, like some half-blind 5 year old had done it. That quilt is no longer with me, fell apart after a couple of years.
We quilters make quilts from quality fabrics and thread, with attention to detail. They are made to last for many years, and some become prized family heirlooms. Can't say that for a WallyWorld "quilt". So, it really bothers me when someone wants me to make a quilt for a Walmart price. I'd seriously rather give one away to someone who values the work and love that went into it than to sell one for the cost of the fabric, or less, to someone who thinks that is really what it is worth.

I realize not everyone can afford to buy a true, handmade original quilt. I'm not talking about those folks, but the ones with that other attitude. Often, those folks are the ones who actually can afford one, but don't value the work.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Finally here's the new baby!

So true about quality workmanship. I had a walmart quilt ....... Until the first wash. Then I had a mess in the machine and bits of fabric.

Gonna try her out then report back.