Friday, February 7, 2014

Absent Without Leave

Progress on the garrison quilt has come to a halt. And this time, it's not static cling.


LAST WEEK...
THIS WEEK

















See anything missing?

Yep...my machine has gone AWOL.

Ok, technically, it didn't just drop out of sight; I took it to the dealer. Hopefully, the problem is not too serious. After winding a bunch of mushy, malformed bobbins, I had given up. There was obviously an issue with the first thread tension position (the only one involving the bobbin on this machine). Which, being in the top-thread path as well, had also been affecting my free-motion stitching. Not horribly, just enough to be annoying and cause lots of stops and starts. Nor were the stitches looking very nice, even after adjusting the tension several times. It was puzzling, to say the least, but the reason didn't become obvious until I tried to wind a new bobbin. Well, 6 new bobbins. As mentioned in previous posts, I'm nothing if not stubborn.

So, while the dealer figures out what's wrong and repairs the machine, I'm choosing fabrics for the backing for the quilt top I finished last week. The (folded) quilt top is in the foreground.



I'm also beginning a new landscape quilt. This will be the background:


Is this not gorgeous??? It might be a Robert Kaufman fabric, but I'm not sure. If anyone knows, please leave a comment below. Unfortunately, there is no clue on the selvages, and since I bought it quite a while back, I don't remember. (Update: after digging around on the internet, I think it's a Hoffman.)

Hooking up here with Leah Day's FMQ Project Linkup, and Sarah Craig's Whoop Whoop Friday post (I can at least whoop whoop about starting a new landscape, even if I can't work on the current one!). Don't forget to check out the reader linkups at the end of each of their posts.

Everyone have a great weekend, even if you are in for more freakin' snow, as we are. (Will this weather never end? We still have ice on all the tree branches after 3 days!) Stay warm (or cool, depending on your location)!

Linda

6 comments:

  1. Oh my! Sorry about your machine. Hopefully it will get up and running in no time!

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    1. Thanks, Susan. My husband says I probably needed a break from the garrison quilt, and maybe he's right. By the time I get the machine back, I'll be rarin' to go!

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  2. I hope your machine is back home soon. That is a very striking background fabric. Can't wait to see what you do with it!

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  3. Good morning Linda!

    Don't let the frustration with the machine get to to you. Enjoy the break. It is so nice to do something easy in the meantime.

    That water fabric is definitely tropical. It suggests a pool in a shady rainforest. It's nothing like the muddy brown stuff we have everywhere at the moment. I'd rather have snow than non stop rain. At least your bad weather is pretty.

    Love,
    Muv

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    Replies
    1. Muv, you're so right, I am enjoying the switch to a different project, and will be that much more enthused to resume work on the garrison quilt when the machine returns. I love your take on the fabric, because it's different than what I've come up with so far and gives me another idea to try if the first one doesn't work. Thank you! Oh, I agree about the snow--much prettier than rain, especially with these cardinals and chickadees all over the tree and at the feeder. Just beautiful. Stay dry!

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