This small wall quilt was an experiment using a method by Karen K Stone. It's called clam shells, the one patch method, written up in the latest issue of American Quilter magazine. This little sample turned out well so I finished it into a wall hanging I call " The Forrest". Enjoy. . .
Just a quick note to say I found out today that DH is cancer FREE!!! He does have a minor hernia that will need a surgical repair at a later time. But the news about being cancer free is terrific for me. Stay tuned.
Here is my current project. The butterfly is appliqués to the background, but the butterfly itself is pieced. The background is supposed to be a leaf on which the butterfly is resting. It's made up of many 45 degree diamonds sewn together in one large piece then cut to resemble the lower edge of a leaf. To date I haven't quilted it yet, just finished it this morning. It's about 50" by 51". I hope to have it completed it in a couple of weeks.
I got the blasted thing fixed! It was simple, seems like the needle thread was getting caught in the looper thread when I threaded the looper. Once the needle thread was out of the way when I threaded the looper, it works fine. The machine, since it had been sitting for the past 4 years, not being used, is being serviced. Some of the knobs were hard to move, almost frozen in places& needed to be oiled. So it's at the serger " doctor" getting fixed. Nw I must remember to use it at least once a week instead of letting it sit for years.
I tracked down part of the problem, the needle thread was breaking. I changed to a better quality thread, a name brand instead of the dollar a cone stuff I started with, retreaded & tried again. It worked fine, the first run. I was elated. I thought I'd fixed it. On the second run, however, it came unthreaded again! Frustrated, I re- threaded & tried on a scrap of fabric again, it came unthreaded & didn't make stitches although the machine itself ran fine. I gave up, turned off the machine, unplugged it & decided to wait till I went back to class tomorrow. I put the question of the problem out to a email list I'm on & received some replies, but I'd already tried their suggestions. I'll take it to class tomorrow & let the instructor fool with it. It may yet wind back up in the cabinet, sitting there, not being used. I hope not. I'd like to be able to use it. More later, after class. Stay tuned.
I'm taking classes to learn how to operate my serger sewing machine, I've had the thing for 7 years but never really learned hoe to use it. I took the first part of the class last weeks& learned how to thread it & do a few things. the instructor said we should " play" with it for practice. So I attempted to make a pillow case with it today. Seems like a simple project, however, that blasted machine keeps coming unthreaded. Did I mention how difficult it is to thread it to begin with? Anyway, I drug out the manual, threaded it per the instructions & tried again. It stitched for about two inches, "burped" then quit stitching & came unthreaded again. After several tries with this same result, I turned the machine, unplugged it & finished the project on the sewing machine. The serger won this battle but I won't give up yet. I have another class this week so we'll figure out the problem & fix it, hopefully. If not, this weird little machine that's been sitting in the cabinet will go up for sale. If I can't use it, why have it taking up space. So I'll try again and again before I really put it up for sale. Anyone need a slightly used serger?
