A blast from the past!

 I have learned something about myself. Actually, I've known it for some time now. I can get up and work like mad all day. But if I have an interruption to my schedule, I'm a zombie for the rest of the day. Case in point, I had a trunk show yesterday morning, which went very well and was not far from home. Hello to all the members of the Busy Hands Quilt Guild in Cambridge. 

Then I got home in time to join the Monday Sewing Group for a bit, and well, instead of logging off at the usual 2 PM, we stayed until 4 PM. Meanwhile, on the call, I did nothing! I chatted and attempted to start sewing a binding onto a quilt. But after that, I did nothing. 

There are many things spinning in my head at this moment, and I just didn't want to cope with anything else. Nothing bad! Mostly a lot of e-mails had to be sent, which got sent in the middle of the night because my brain wouldn't shut off. 

Now, back to the guild meeting. I did my lecture on Modern Quilts, which is always fun to do, and OH MY -- even though I've done this lecture before, I decerned a distinct pattern in my modern quilts. They are NOT the same, but most of them in the show are designed by me, and there's one unique element in almost all of them! Should I tell you? 

Well, since some of you will never get to see the show, I'll tell you. There's almost always a diagonal line of some sort in the patterns! How weird is that, and as I mentioned, I'd never noticed it before yesterday. 

I also had some papers and a book to take with me this coming week, but do you think I could find them yesterday? OK -- so I didn't look too hard, but I've found EVERYTHING this morning. It's all packed in my portable office (backpack), and all I need to do is pack that suitcase - never mind, the Uber is coming in less than two hours! 

I'll be away all week, but I'm going to a quilt show (to work), so it's going to be all about quilting!!! In French! I'm excited -- I used to live in Montreal, but we're not in Montreal - we're in St. Hyacinthe, just outside Montreal. Here's a link to the show in case any of you want to pop by. I'm not sure why it needs to be FOUR days. 

And thank goodness for online check-in and no luggage, so it'll be easy to get on the plane. Getting home will be a bit more challenging as I have my sample suitcase to bring home. 

As for that binding, look what happened. Another darn join at the corner. Sigh......... I will have to take Rose's advice soon, or this will be the standard for every quilt! 

A join at the corner

While at the guild meeting yesterday, I ran into several people I used to sew with or who were in previous classes of mine. One lady brought in two quilts that she took in the $10 quilts at The Hobby Horse, and these were the one-hour-a-month lecture classes. Both of her quilts are done, gifted, and she brought them specifically to show me. How sweet was that? 

Enchanted Autumn

Quilter's Garden Patch

It was so awesome to see these finished quilts, and I'm happy to report that both of my tops are together. Not quilted, but together. And as I was searching for my paperwork this morning, I came across the list of these types of classes. I did a quick count, and I taught almost FIFTY of these classes at The Hobby Horse. We started in 2003. Can you believe that? I'm stunned. 

Don't forget that there were other classes I taught at Oh Look Fabric, Cockadoodle Quilts, and Sew Sisters. And there are a few I taught on my own, and I bet there are at least a dozen, if not more, of those. And I wonder why I have UFOs?? When I'm back, I will dig deeper and see how many are still on the UFO list. Oh my gosh --- I was so happy to find that paper. 

And the problem is that there are so many more that I want to make (teach) whatever. I want to make a Wendy Williams quilt, so I need to find a pattern that works and is not too expensive. 

OH --- I've had so many requests for the club/class information, and have I posted it yet? NO -- I haven't had a chance to work the dates into my calendar. 

But here's a quick recap. These are ongoing classes that will continue or START in 2023.

• UFO --- unless someone drops out, the TWO classes are FULL
• Out of the Box -- the people in the class will get the first chance to renew -- at this moment, it is full
• Machine Embroidery -- unless someone drops out, it's full 

So here is what you can expect NEW for 2023. Refer back to this post for more information. 

• A club for digital cutters (all brands)
• An EQ8 club for learning the software (not sure what level yet, as that depends on who signs up)
• The many little blocks club (got to find a better name for that one) 
• Embroidery software (mySewnet) only if there is enough interest 
• Jen Kingwell make-up class (for ANY of Jen Kingwell's patterns -- as long as you have started) 

I will try to find dates for all those while I'm away, so I can post when I'm back. But if you have any comments about the levels of the software you are interested in, let me know, as that will help me. 

As usual, send me an e-mail (elainetheriault@gmail.com) and put the name or some reference in the subject to help me sort it. I do NOT mind getting e-mails as long as there is an appropriate subject line. If you just say "classes," "homework," or "pictures," that will get lost. You have to put the specific name in the subject! Send an e-mail individually, but then put the names in the subject, or just send one e-mail per class. This is not the official sign-up as I don't have dates -- it's just a curiosity about the level of EQ8 or mySewnet so I can figure out how to advertise it better. 

OK -- that's it for me. I've got to run, finish throwing stuff in the suitcase, and walk the dogs. 

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

UFO progress

I LOVE all of you! And I truly appreciate your reading my blog, and I've received so many fantastic suggestions. Jan gave me a BRILLIANT suggestion for the two UFO Clubs. I will pick a project to work on in one of the UFO clubs, and the assignment for the second one will be to quilt and bind one of my quilts. That's BRILLIANT. I'm going to have to do that as soon, I'm going to run out of room in those tubs, and I really don't want to buy another one. 

Yippeee!!! I love when a plan comes together. So thank you, Jan! You've made my day. 

And to emphasize that point here's what happened yesterday. 

I dug out some brown embroidery floss, and I did the wee bit of stem stitch embroidery that I had forgotten the previous day. 

The last part of the stem stitch on Enchanted Autumn

The backing, binding, and the top are now in the "to be quilted" pile. I CANNOT wait to follow Jan's advice and start quilting those quilts! 

I was delighted with the fabric I used for the border for that quilt. 

The border fabric for Enchanted Autumn

It has all the colors I used in the quilt and a leaf motif. It was perfect. Not sure where I found it, but it was in the project box, which is now empty and waiting for another project. As I return to decluttering, I know there are projects in plastic bags or no container, and those will get put into the plastic project boxes (Iris containers) that I've been using. 

I have other work to do, but now with the end of the year so close, I'm trying to reduce the number of UFOs as much as I can manage. What is wrong with me? Why couldn't I be focusing a bit more during the year? No worries -- I made fantastic progress this year, and I had other things to do during the year. 

I had to give the Double Wedding Ring bed runner a good press as I had not done that in my haste to finish it at the last sewing retreat. So I got that pressed, switched a couple of seams, so everything twirled nicely on the back, and I found one small seam at the edge that I had not sewn. So that top is done! This one is on the 2019 UFO list. 

Then it was onto the bias binding. It's always challenging to know exactly how much bias binding is required for a quilt with a curved edge, so I made lots! But the binding is also done. 

Making continuous bias binding

Then I searched the backings and couldn't find anything I really liked. I went through my boxes of batik fabric and found a couple of candidates, but not enough without some piecing to be done. 

Then I remembered that I had some green striped fabric that I desperately NEEDED many years ago. It was in the striped fabric bin, and IT WAS SUPER EASY TO FIND since I knew exactly where that was. The color is a bit bright, but no worries -- it's going to be just fine. 

The backing for the double wedding ring bed runner

And so this project got moved to the "to be quilted" pile as well and one more project off the UFO lists. 

Double Wedding Ring bed runner - waiting to be quilted

There are still a couple of days before the end of the year, and well, this next project won't take that long. Not nearly as long as those other two I just completed. I've put off finishing the yoga bag for some time, and this one is on the 2019 UFO list. And all that remains was to add the seam binding to the two end seams. 

One of the seams to be bound

I knew the job would be fiddly - that's why I was procrastinating. So I put on my big girl panties and got to work. It would probably have been better if I had made bias binding, but I did not, and those corners were "fun" to go around. 

Attaching the binding by machine

The pattern designer (byAnnie.com) likely recommended sewing the binding by machine front and back; I was NOT going to do that. It's a HUGE challenge - I did that with my backpack, and it was a hassle. 

So once the first side of the binding was stitched in place, I dug out a needle and thread and did the hand stitching. It allowed me to watch a couple more episodes of The Great British Baking Show. And I wonder why my Mom is more interested in watching "her" shows than she is in talking to me!! Since we were kids, she has been that way -- god forbid if she missed an episode of "The Edge of Night" or "Another World."  Can you believe that after 40+ years, the names of those are embedded in my brain?

Hand stitching and watching The Great British Baking Show

That hand stitching was fiddly. It was hard to hold the bag, there were four tight corners to go around, and it was bulky. BUT the good news -- one end is done!

The binding looks amazing before I turned that half of the bag inside out. 

One side of the binding stitched in place

And there's the other side. With my tiny little stitches, I doubt that stitching will come undone. 

The other side of the binding

And there it is, turned inside out, and the binding looks fantastic. 

The binding inside the bag

And now I get the fun task of doing that all over again on the other end. But I'm motivated right now, and I MUST get that done. I WANT that project off the UFO list by the end of this year!

I'm perusing the list to see what else can get done before the end of the year. I have one project in mind, and I'll see how it goes later today if I pull that one out. Some of those projects just need to be sewn together. So the blocks are done, the sashings (if any) are cut -- they just need to be assembled. That won't take a lot of time. However, it may take time to lay the blocks out. While I'm fussy, the actual block placement isn't supercritical in most cases. I throw them on the wall, make a couple of changes and then start sewing!

But I have a couple of quilts that I would like to get quilted before the end of the year, and I do have a project that I need to spend some time learning and one more project that I need to write instructions for. Hmmm -- what to do? And I have a sewing machine to start reviewing for QUILTsocial. Plus, some paperwork for the class registrations should be done. Hmmm -- what to do first?? 

I won't be lacking things to do. 

OH -- I also embroidered one more block for the Kimberbell Candy Cane Lane. There were no issues with this one, but lots of fiddling trimming for that tree with foam beneath to make it extra puffy!

One more machine embroidered block

And I had a helper. Well, not really a helper, but I was snacking on some hummus and cucumber. Since DH feeds the girls veggie bits when he cooks, they think they can get veggie bits from me as well. OK -- I caved and gave her some veggie bits. I mean, she was begging but trying to be very discrete! How could you not surrender? 

MOM -- can I have some veggie bits?

And that's a wrap on yesterday. I just pulled up my UFO presentation to save a copy for January as I will start putting it together. I need to choose one of my quilts to quilt and bind for January! Oh, what fun I will have today as I peruse the pile to see which one screams the loudest! Oh -- I just took a quick tour downstairs, and I already know which quilt it will be. I'm super excited!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

That's a WRAP!

So no presents to wrap, but my goal is to WRAP up some UFOs before the end of this year. I'm running out of time. 

If I were a bit better at time management and focus, I'd be working on those UFOs a bit more often during the year and putting a push on to make that happen. 

However, in my defense, the quilt that I'm about to show you was a TON of work, and it wasn't really a UFO in the sense that any of it was done, and I needed to finish it up. NOPE -- I had started the ONE block, the fabrics were set aside for the most part, but NOTHING else was done. Oops -- lied again. ONE of the maple leaf blocks was done, and the bird and pumpkin block components. 

That means I had to do the entire quilt! I started to focus on it in September! I'm checking back in my UFO book, and that's when it became a focus, and HERE IT IS!!!

Enchanted Autumn quilt top

I had started to sew it together the previous day. But before I did that, all the applique blocks had to be trimmed, and while we chatted at the Virtual Retreat, I kept sewing. One section at a time and then onto the borders. 

I started the day by finishing all the hand embroidery. Well, that's not true either. There is about ½" of brown that I forgot to do, so I'll finish that off first thing this morning. 

And then, by the end of the Virtual Retreat, the entire top was together. 

There was no stopping me, so I made the binding and then searched in the pile of backings to find some fabric for the backing. Hmmm -- saying "pile" of backings is a bit of a misnomer since they are all stacked and labeled very neatly. 

The shelf of backings

And I'm happy to report these backings that didn't fit are now on the shelf. That means that I've removed enough fabric from there to make that happen. It's time to start going through the fabric baskets to find other large yardages that can be used as backings. Oh yes -- I can, at last, say that I'm making dents in my stash!

Neatly labeled backing fabrics

The backing and the binding got made as well. 

The backing and the binding

Hmmm -- so later today, I'll be able to cross off the LAST UFO on the 2018 UFO list. I've often said that I do NOT care if I'm late in crossing those UFOs off, as it would never have gotten completed if not on that list. 

My book is downstairs, or I'd give you a recap of where I sit with the UFOs, but they will continue to be my focus of the UFO club in 2022. And they will be my focus for the remainder of the year. I'm very obsessive, and I'm, well, I'm POSSESSED right now. 

After reviewing my UFO assignments for this year, this is what I accomplished. 

I finished Quilter's Patch, which was another quilt that I taught as a Sew Along at The Hobby Horse, and again -- another HUGE quilt with APPLIQUE. 

Quilter's Patch -- UFO - DONE

Let's see, then I moved on to the Winter Wonderland quilt. 

Another UFO - DONE

This was NOT a sew-along, but I had started it independently. The embroidery was done, the blocks were cut. And it got completed and off the UFO list. 

Then it was onto a Border Creek Mystery. A queen-sized, mostly done, but I had run into a snag, which is usually why projects become UFOs. 

Bordercreek Mystery UFO - DONE

I decided to turn it into two quilts, and this is one of the quilt tops that I made. The blocks were supposed to be part of the border of the large quilt. 

And this is the center of the quilt, which I turned into a square lap quilt. 

The rest of the Borer Creek Mystery UFO - DONE

That one just needed borders, but it got done, and CHECK! It was removed from the UFO list. 

OK -- so as I'm looking back, and thanks to the UFO Club, I see that I did, in fact, focus on my UFOs. I could NOT have done it without their help, and I'm fired up for the 2022 UFO Club. There are TWO sessions to accommodate everyone. The big question will be - do I choose TWO different assignments each month? 

Then I also completed the top of that Double Wedding Ring bed runner. 

Double Wedding Ring Quilt - UFO - DONE

I could not find the picture of it completed, but trust me, the top is done. The backing and the binding need to be made before it gets moved off the UFO list. 

Now keep in mind that I do not get mine quilted, they are only moved into the "to be quilted" pile, and I'm OK with that. 

And of course, there's Enchanted Autumn, which was HUGE. I did select a few smaller UFOs for some of the subsequent years, so hopefully, those won't take as long as these ones did! 

But it's only December 27, and that leaves FOUR days before the end of the year. I am pretty sure that with a wee bit of focus, that I can knock THREE more UFOs off the lists. YES  -- I've advanced the Double Wedding ring above so that it could be complete by the end of the year. And there are two others! I'm determined. I'm on a mission, and I WILL get those UFOs done. 

The best news is that there are NO new UFOs to worsen the situation. OK -- that's a lie as well. My Long Time Gone still needs a border, and my All in a Row also needs a border. They are hanging around the studio, and I should start working on those right after I finish these ones on the list. 

I accomplished a whole lot of other things as well. That Double Wedding Ring quilt for Paula's daughter. That was pieced, quilted, and bound. My Cherrywood Challenge was also pieced and quilted, and it's traveling in a show. I completed my Bonnie and Camille quilt top, as well as Schoolgirl Sampler and the Tula Pink Sampler. Oh, let's not forget Urbanologie. All of those quilts had their challenges, and I'm happy to report that all of those are sitting in the "to be quilted" pile.  

So I'm pretty happy with my progress this year. The next batch of UFOs will get added to the list later this week, and then I'll be setting up a plan and using the UFO Club to keep me on track. Oh yes -- I feel that this coming year will be a year of significant progress. I've got the bug now to complete these things and not add to the mess. 

And should I need to start a new project? Well, I have enough "new" with the ongoing sew alongs, stuff that I do for QUILTsocial, and my freelance job, that I don't need to start anything "new." 

And I don't think there are any applique quilts on the next UFO lists. Thank goodness, as they take forever to do!! Wait -- I lied about that as well. I did add ONE applique quilt to the 2022 list, and it's adorable and time to get that one done!

This is all that remained of the inner border fabric for Enchanted Autumn. And all the other fabrics have already been shelved, and the project box is EMPTY. I had to make that inner border slightly narrower than the pattern, and who cares!! 

Leftovers from the inner border

Wow -- I'm on Cloud Nine for having completed that quilt!!! And to see the progress I made this past year. 

On that happy note, I'm off to spin class. Yeah!!!

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!

The quilt that keeps on giving!

Or should I say a very demanding quilt! Today's story is all about why it takes me so long to finish a project. 

You know that I'm working on the Enchanted Autumn quilt. It's a quilt I taught at The Hobby Horse in 2015 as one of our sew-a-longs. It's the last quilt on the UFO list for 2018, and I really want to get it done. 

Yesterday, I told you there was one block left, and well, that wasn't entirely true. That last block was done, but I didn't like it. 

Here's what happened. 

The components of this block were actually made when I taught the class. For whatever reason, it was the ONLY block that was prepped. Why? I've no idea. 

The last block

I used the starch method to turn the edges, and there were lots of points and small pieces. I think it's because I wasn't happy that I left it like that. When I dug this project out, I glued all the components in place and prepped the points for machine sewing. 

The turned under edges using starch

And on Christmas Eve, I forged ahead and finished all the stitching. You didn't get to see that or even know that I had done that. 

The LAST block is done (or is it?)

I used a different set of threads (bobbin weight) and a zigzag stitch on the sewing machine. HEY -- if one can get it done on the machine, why not! 

The zigzag stitch

Then I realized that there were some curlicues on two blocks, and well, I might as well do those by machine. 

A satin stitch used for the curlicues

I will say that I wasn't super happy with the zigzag stitch or the satin stitch, and I should know better because I do NOT like satin stitch used in that way. And I wasn't keen knowing that one block was different than the rest, and my skills at turning applique under weren't the greatest at that time, and the block was messy. 

So while walking the girls yesterday morning, I debated with myself whether those parts needed to be redone, and I decided if you're going to do something, do it RIGHT. And instead of putting it away for another day, I forged ahead. This is the beauty of having a UFO Club where I can't put off working on a project - there's a deadline after all, and I'm so much more focused than I ever was. 

When I got back from the walk, I dug out some fusible and fabric and started tracing. While the bakers were stressed in the tent and constructing some baking show stopper, I reconstructed that block. 

Cutting new fusible shapes

I also had to remove the satin stitch, which was a pain until I learned a slick trick, and then it all came out very quickly. 

Constructing the new block

As I removed the satin stitching from the squirrel block, I realized something was missing. Can you see the issue in this picture? 

What's missing?

Yep -- the bottom part of the squirrel tail got missed! So I've fixed that as well, and now I need to do some blanket stitching to hold it in place. How silly that I never noticed that before. 

The bottom line -- the last block is DONE. Well, mostly -- just wait for it. 

The new block is DONE

If you were astute, you would see that the block now faces the opposite direction. Shoot - I don't know how to put the pictures side by side. Anyway, here's the old block, and above is the new block. 

Original orientation

When I did the first one, I traced the shapes so the block would be in the same orientation as the pattern. When I traced the fusible shapes, I didn't reverse the pattern. So the blocks are all going in the opposite direction. I don't care! It's my quilt, and if I didn't tell you that, you would never know!!! That was NOT a mistake -- I was just too lazy, and well, I didn't have a lightbox with me when I traced the shapes, so that's how the cookie crumbles for this quilt!

OK -- so what to do about the curlicues? I'm following in Shelly's footsteps, and I dug out some embroidery floss, and I'm doing a stem stitch by HAND. It really is the way to go, but I was being lazy trying to use a satin stitch. 

Stem stitch by hand

Now all that's left is to finish off the stem stitch on TWO blocks and stitch around the base of the squirrel's tails. Then I can start to trim the blocks and sew them together. I hope that stem stitch passes Shelly's approval! 

The stem stitch

I'm supposed to have it done for UFO sometime in January, but my personal goal is the end of this year. There are THREE other projects that I want to be done by the end of this year. There is NO time to rest!!!

Don't forget that we have Virtual Retreat today, so I hope to make significant progress on my goals!!! The link will be at the bottom of the post. 

I want to thank everyone who sent a Christmas card. I had high hopes of sending out more cards than I did, but then the cards got lost in the office shuffle, and I've no idea where they are. I had to give my cleaning lady a post-it note for a card! That's pretty sad. 

Anyway, here's how I displayed the cards this year. They didn't go out as they arrived because of all the dust, but now they are on display, along with my unique ornaments. 

My Christmas tree

Here's a close-up of the ornaments. Oh yes -- we can't have Christmas without some decorations!

The special ornaments for the tree

Gosh -- I walked a lot yesterday! Almost 14 KM. But it was a glorious day, and how could you not walk? Yes -- there was a bit of drizzle, but not enough to even use an umbrella. It was great to get out. 

And at last, I got the new aerator in the pond. 

The aerator and the heater in the pond

The fish are NOT cooperating - they think the heater is a spa, and they love to hang out there instead of going to the bottom. 

The fish are at the surface

And there's my helper, who is so clingy and has to be RIGHT beside you. And if you don't touch her or pet her, well, she's pretty insistent!!!

My helper seeking attention!

Yep -- we made it to the movie yesterday. It wasn't too busy when we arrived, but a bit busier in the evening when we left. We could have a drink in the VIP Lounge, but no POPCORN. When we asked why the table behind us had popcorn, we were told they could not serve it. OK -- so if you're not allowed to serve popcorn, why was ANY even made? That didn't make sense. 

We saw BIG signs saying that no food was allowed according to GOVERNMENT regulations. I loved the emphasis on the word government. But that's just life at the moment. I had a snack in the car on the way there. 

OH -- we watched Spiderman. It was OK -- loads of graphics were needed to make the movie. Since I'm not big into all the Marvel characters and the storyline, it's just an action movie, but I was OK with that. It was an opportunity to get out. And masks were required at all times in the theatre. 

I'm super excited for today  -- it's Virtual Retreat. So if you're at home and have nothing to do and no one to visit with, why not stop in to say hello or stop and sew for a bit. It's going to be loads of fun, and I'm looking forward to it. I would be sewing anyway, but more fun to sew with friends. Otherwise, I'd be entertaining myself with The Great British Baking Show (OK -- I ADMIT it -- I'm hooked on the darn thing!), or I'd be listening to an audiobook!!!

I'm opening the call at 10 AM, and we'll sew until whenever. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81623159049?pwd=d0M2MmVrb1owQTZVelNrakIvbktndz09 Meeting ID: 816 2315 9049 Passcode: 799934

And on that note, it's time to get the day rolling!!!

Have a super day!!!

Ciao!!!

It's all about applique!

I did little in the cleaning department yesterday. Too many other more exciting things, but I did some more laundry, and I'll share the story of a quilt tomorrow. 

Here's a couple of exciting things about applique. Yes  -- I'll share my progress on Enchanted Autumn later today. 

I'm notorious for keeping small bits of things. They WILL come in handy one day - I know they will! So I saved bits of fusible web, and one day, I sorted through my fusible web bits. All the larger pieces were stacked in the cupboard, and all the bits got put into a bag. 

When it came time to work on the Enchanted Autumn quilt at a retreat at K&A Quilt Studio in August, I took the pattern and the bag of bits and traced almost all the pieces from those bits. I don't know how many different brands there were in the bag, but definitely, there was Steam a Seam and Heat and Bond. There were probably several different weights as well. 

I'm almost done, and I've not had any issues with the needle gumming up. I've heard horror stories from others that they couldn't even stitch through their appliques. I've never had that issue -- I wonder why? I don't use a special needle; this is the same needle I would piece with. I use an open-toe applique foot to see into all the nooks and crannies. 

Two days ago, I noticed some gumminess on my needle. It's hard to get a picture of it as it's so tiny, but it's actually picking up small bits of thread.

A bit of thread link sticking to the needle

And here's more -- it seems that the thread lint was getting stuck to a bit of gumminess on the needle rather than the glue itself, which is usually what I get. 

More thread lint on the needle

It did make for a slightly messy edge on some of the pieces, but this quilt is so busy that I doubt anyone will notice. 

A slightly messy edge of the applique

This edge is much cleaner. 

A much cleaner edge

Hmmm -- I need to go back and do some experimenting to see which product worked the best. Seriously, all products worked just fine, but one of them was a bit worse than the others. It could also depend on the product's age, as I bet some bits had been there for quite a while. 

Most of the bits are used up!! And going forward, I'll keep on top of those bits. 

Circles are very time-consuming, and there were a lot of circles on this quilt! 

Circles appliqued in place

I have access to many toys for the sewing machine, including the machines themselves. If you are a lover of applique, here's a couple of things that you'll love! If you're in the market for a new machine, you might want to check these out. 

There is a LOT of pivoting required for applique. Whether around curves, inside points, or outside points, or wherever. It's rare that we only work on straight edges with no bends in them. 

Getting the points and corners nice really makes the applique shine. So if you have the Exclusive Sensor System on the machines from SVP (PFAFF and Husqvarna Viking -- not all levels!) and use the needle down feature, your machine will stop with the needle in the down position (in your fabric). The presser foot will raise ever so slightly so you can pivot HANDS-FREE!! 

There is NO need to touch the presser foot lever because there isn't one! My "grown-up" embroidery machine (HV Designer 1) introduced me to this technology over 20 years ago, and I LOVE it. 

All the function buttons are right on the machine, right above the needle. 

BUT -- they've gone one step further. Most of those functions can be programmed into the Multi-Function Foot Control (MFFC). YES!!!!  

Programming the Multi-Function Foot Control

This is a HUGE foot pedal that is heavy, so it stays put. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like it and would end up pressing the wrong function or pressing a function when I didn't want it. But as you can see, without your shoe, there is loads of room on that foot pedal. 

Lots of room for your foot

OK --- so here's what I did and why.

I have scissors on my sewing machine, but I do NOT use them for applique. Why? Cutting with the scissor function results in a short bobbin thread, and you can't control it. I'll come up and get mixed with the top thread and leave a white or black blob on top. I prefer to cut the thread tails myself, so the bobbin thread is LONG, and I bring that to the top when I start. Then I can trim it off close to the start of my stitching when I'm done. 

I almost always use my FIX function at the start and the end of a line of applique stitching, and I programmed that into the left-wing of the MFFC. Instead of touching the function panel, I swing my foot left. 

Then I programmed the Stitch Restart into the right-wing of the MFFC. Because I don't use the scissors, the stitches will just end and not necessarily at the end of a stitch sequence. The Stitch Restart will take it back to the beginning of the sequence. Totally INVALUABLE. 

I still have one last position on the MFFC. I programmed the Presser Foot Up into the heel section. Now when I want to raise the bobbin thread to the top, I tap the foot pedal lightly ONCE, and the needle goes down, as does the presser foot. Then I tap lightly once more, and the needle comes up, bringing the bobbin thread with it. You MUST hold the top thread for that to happen. 

Then I need to get those threads to the back of the work UNDER the presser foot. A wee bit of pressure on the heel of the MFFC, and the presser foot raises up so I can tuck the threads behind the foot. 

It's so seamless with the MFFC and all I have to do is steer the fabric and keep track of the threads. So using that MFFC for applique is HUGE. 

I switch the functions around for other things, but this combination works amazingly well for applique. Best of all, I'm actually ENJOYING the applique process. WOW!!!!

 

Here's a photo of going around a point that can be tricky with a buttonhole (blanket stitch), but I've done miles of it in my life, so it's super easy for me. And even easier with the new tools!

Going around a point

OK -- so the MFFC isn't new, but the way I used it lately is new to me. The best part is that it's programmable, so it'll work for you for whichever project you want to tackle. And I just like the fact that it's large and heavy with a rubber surface on the back, so it doesn't travel along the floor. 

I have threads all over the table, and I'm not putting them away until this quilt top is DONE. Actually, I want to finish my Kimberbell pillow as well, and then I'll put the threads away!

Threads used for applique

And now you want to know the status? Well, one more block is done!! That leaves THREE blocks. And Christmas is almost here. 

One more block for Enchanted Autumn

WAIT --- I got one more block done last night. Yeah!!!!! That leaves TWO blocks. And I've been wise and leaving the smaller blocks to the end. So there's a possibility that it'll get done BEFORE Christmas. 

A second block for Enchanted Autumn

I don't know what happened, but I've been trying to book tickets for the cinema on Christmas Day. Ten days ago, I could see the showtimes, then I couldn't. But after talking about it with Ronda yesterday and I double-checked, the darn theatre times were back! So we now have tickets to the VIP for Christmas Day to see - well, you have to wait for that. But NO Food. I don't think they are serving anything in the theatre, not even in the VIP lounge. Sigh........................

I fired up the long arm yesterday and got a customer quilt done! That leaves TWO left to finish this year. 

Customer quilt - DONE

And this is Murphy's version of TV, although she does love to watch actual TV as well. What a goof. It does irk me (OH GOSH  -- here I go again!) when people decide to walk their dogs RIGHT behind my fence. There is NO path there, and even when my girls go crazy, the person continues to amble through the woods. Let's just say the person and I had a discussion about it. Like -- there's a path, and why wouldn't you walk on the path instead of traipsing over roots and sticks and crap?? 

Murphy keeping an eye on the backyard

I also got all my documents downloaded. YEAH!!! Now it's time to answer some e-mails today - long-overdue confirmation for some classes and events. 

I sat down last night with my notebook -- yep -- I found my UFO book and made a list of goals for 2022. Wow -- I'm excited to see those goals on the list, and yes -- I'm still a bit behind, but if things go well, I can have FOUR more UFOs off those lists by the end of the year! I'm determined, and next year, I'm going to focus a bit more so I can try and get caught up! Oh yes --- I'm on a roll!

Working on Enchanted Autumn through the UFO group has shown me that I CAN get these big labor-intensive quilts done. That's a huge motivator, and I did most of the work when I was incredibly busy with work. Oh yes -- bring on 2022!!!! I'm ready. 

Don't forget there is a Virtual Retreat on December 26th. We'll start at 10 AM and go until whenever. I'll be working on a different UFO!!!!

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81623159049?pwd=d0M2MmVrb1owQTZVelNrakIvbktndz09 Meeting ID: 816 2315 9049 Passcode: 799934

And that's it for today! 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!