Friday 4 September 2015
The Stitch Class: THE MACHINE MURDERER
The Stitch Class: THE MACHINE MURDERER: Blimey, it's been a while since I posted anything! Bet you thought I'd given up this blogging lark! We've been busy with all ...
The Stitch Class: This and that.
The Stitch Class: This and that.: Hello again! It's been a couple of weeks since my last post - sorry about that! I've not been shirking, honestly! I've been sa...
THE MACHINE MURDERER
Blimey, it's been a while since I posted anything! Bet you thought I'd given up this blogging lark!
We've been busy with all sorts of things, such as a lovely holiday in Cornwall. This is the third time we've been and it never disappoints. It's such a relaxing place, though that might be because we're not having to work!
Carved stone in a church
The tiny fishing village of
Portloe, where we stayed - Heaven!
This allows you to move the machine all over the place with just one finger, if so desired! I'm so pleased I took the plunge and bought it, as it means that I can quilt much more simply. It's made by Freestyle Quilt Frames.
As I was setting up the machine, I dropped a machine needle down the gap where the bobbin winder is. I thought "Oops", then carried on.
I had one more row to quilt when disaster struck but suddenly the machine jammed up, the needle bent and I couldn't get anything to move. I thought I'd killed my machine! Panic set in, so I had a cuppa, as you do! When I'd calmed down, I started trying to unjam it. If anyone had seen me crawling under the frame, with the quilt hanging down, they'd have had a good laugh! The bobbin case had twisted up and there was a birds nest of thread round it, but the bent needle was well and truly jammed in the quilt and machine. After lots of rather rude words, it finally came free with no harm done to the quilt (phew!).
But... when I started stitching again, there was a terrible rattling noise. More tea, and my sensible head on (yes, every now and then, I do have a sensible head). The machine was stitching ok, but just noisily, so I finished the quilting then took the machine through to the dining room where it was laid gently on the operating/dining table. I thought I'd tip it on its back to see if I could get the end panel off, but of course I couldn't. More umming and ahhing. Plug it in, I thought, and see what happens.
The noise had stopped. Hurray!
I think the needle I dropped into the machine had got stuck in the flywheel, which had caused the jam. That sorted, it must have been vibrating up against something and causing the rattle. I can't tell you how relieved I was that I wasn't going to be branded as a sewing machine murderer!
Note to all: be careful where you put your machine needles!
This is the finished quilt:
Sorry for the awful photo!
Love,
Gill
We've been busy with all sorts of things, such as a lovely holiday in Cornwall. This is the third time we've been and it never disappoints. It's such a relaxing place, though that might be because we're not having to work!
The sunset at Bude
Carved stone in a church
Gorgeous colours in a stormy sea
The tiny fishing village of
I've been sorting out all my sewing stuff - it's been growing steadily and taking over the house, so I've been very good and had a massive sort out. Quite therapeutic, really, and at least now I can see what I've got and where it is.
Yesterday, I decided to set up my quilting frame:
As you can see, it's quite a size, but it means that I can quilt anything up to 5' wide and keep it under tension. You roll the backing on the rollers first, then lay the wadding on, finally winding the quilt top on the top rollers. The machine sits on the trolley:
As I was setting up the machine, I dropped a machine needle down the gap where the bobbin winder is. I thought "Oops", then carried on.
I had one more row to quilt when disaster struck but suddenly the machine jammed up, the needle bent and I couldn't get anything to move. I thought I'd killed my machine! Panic set in, so I had a cuppa, as you do! When I'd calmed down, I started trying to unjam it. If anyone had seen me crawling under the frame, with the quilt hanging down, they'd have had a good laugh! The bobbin case had twisted up and there was a birds nest of thread round it, but the bent needle was well and truly jammed in the quilt and machine. After lots of rather rude words, it finally came free with no harm done to the quilt (phew!).
But... when I started stitching again, there was a terrible rattling noise. More tea, and my sensible head on (yes, every now and then, I do have a sensible head). The machine was stitching ok, but just noisily, so I finished the quilting then took the machine through to the dining room where it was laid gently on the operating/dining table. I thought I'd tip it on its back to see if I could get the end panel off, but of course I couldn't. More umming and ahhing. Plug it in, I thought, and see what happens.
The noise had stopped. Hurray!
I think the needle I dropped into the machine had got stuck in the flywheel, which had caused the jam. That sorted, it must have been vibrating up against something and causing the rattle. I can't tell you how relieved I was that I wasn't going to be branded as a sewing machine murderer!
Note to all: be careful where you put your machine needles!
This is the finished quilt:
Sorry for the awful photo!
and some closer views of the quilting:
The design is New York Beauty. There are lots of variations of this design, as often happens with patchwork blocks. It has curved piecing, which just needs lots of pinning to get it right, and also foundation piecing, which is really easy - a bit like patchwork by numbers!
I've also made another bag:
I love the Japanese theme that seems to be going on! What do you think?
And last but not least, Temari Balls (another Japanese craft). These were traditionally made from spare fabric etc, but for ease, I've used a polystyene ball. You wind it first with wool, then with the thread you want. The patterns are stitched with coloured threads. Mine are very simple ones, as I'm a beginner, but there are some amazing designs on the internet!
Here are mine:
The photos don't really do the colours justice. I'm hoping to do a few of them for Christmas decorations. (Only 110 days to go!)
And on that note,
See you soon,
Gill
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