The New Machine & Some Projects

The new machine has arrived and a drum roll is completely necessary for my Janome Horizon Memory Craft 8200! Can I add 'Special Addition' to that? This machine has everything I wanted and more. I ended up going to a local quilt and fabric shop, Pins and Needles, where I got to sit down and try out a couple of machines. I'm not going to lie in this post. The Baby Lock had me as soon as I started stitching, but the throat space and lack of 'extras' had me asking... what am I really getting a new machine for? With the Janome, I can finally free motion all those giant quilt tops that have been sitting so neatly in the basket without the fear of skipped stitches. Isn't she beautiful?

With my purchase, I luckily got a couple of free classes on how to use this beast. (I say beast because it's super heavy and HUGE compared to my other machines.) So far, I've gone to one and I can't believe all that this machine is capable of. I hope the instructor was right when she said, "You'll never own another machine ever again. You're gonna love this work horse."

The double star table runner was supposed to be finished before St. Patrick's Day... Obviously that's not going to happen... Happy St. Patrick's Day!

But isn't that runner stunning so far? I used art gallery fabrics - Meadow by Leah Duncan - which have a softer drape. They're beautiful!

And..... all this new machine stuff had me going through projects that need to be quilted. Check out the little flying geese number below! I still can't believe this didn't get posted earlier. It was an impromptu project started last summer. It was finished around the end of Fall and well.... you see it in March!

Most people just take pics of the front of their quilts, but isn't the back just as beautiful? It reminds me so much of stained glass:)

And on a final note.... Happy yard news!

The garden is already in the works.... The garlic is coming along beautifully and lettuce and leeks have been planted as well! Even though the weather looks promising, my plastic cover onto the right should keep those seeds the right temp to germinate.

Till next time!

Comments

What is musmula?

Look at these beauties. Finally, I find an answer to this question! The translation for the Turkish, Mediterranean fruit called 'musmula' is 'medlar'. This exotic fruit that's a cross between a pear and a hawthorn is very unique and tasty. I owe great thanks to my grandfather for grafting this beauty in my yard. Sadly, I don't have any recipes regarding the medlar. But I have read that it is great for making preserves and jelly's. This is a tasty fall fruit that can only ripen after the first frost. I should really move them to a dry shelf until the pulp softens. Then, they're the best!

The Ogden Cami ~ A Review

Hello friends! I hope you all had a wonderful February and a great start to March! Spring is right around the corner and I'm counting down to daylight savings on March 10th! Hooray for longer sunshine! Lately, I've been longing to go back to stitching up clothes. And... I ended up finding the cutest pattern to get me back in the groove at Hawthorne Threads . The Ogden Cami by True Bias Patterns is perfect and quite simple! I started off by making a test run with some red, light-weight fabric, figuring if this comes out good, I'll have 2 tops! And guess what? It came out awesome! Making a practice piece was a great idea. It's always recommended and there are so many reasons why. In the instructional booklet, I wrote myself little notes. ~ cut the fabric 1/4" larger at the sides so I can use a serger. This will allow me to have finished ends and still a good seam allowance. ~ cut the straps 1/2" larger, so the ...

Flying Geese ~ Etno Style

The fabric, the quality, the colors..... I couldn't wait to get my hands on the Etno Fabric Collection by Pat Bravo!! The colors & shapes are always so inspiring. And as I was working on this project, new ideas were getting sparked. (So..... you're going to be checking out two more pieces I've been working on.) One thing is for sure. These gorgeous prints needed to be center of attention and what better way than with City Stitches Follow the Leader Quilt! All you can focus on is the way the colors play and blend together. The flying geese were made using the "no waste method". The large square (main fabric) measured 9-1/4" by 9-1/4" while the four small (white) squares were 4-7/8" by 4-7/8". This left me with four flying geese per one fabric pattern that measured 4" by 8". I love the way this piece came out so much! The fourth row of flying geese from the no waste method we...

The Mint Needle

Search This Blog