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Wednesday 20 January 2010

I made a start





Well as you can see, I finally picked up the log cabin blocks I had started way before Christmas and managed to finish enough for the centre of a quilt.  I am not sure how it will progress from here, but the idea is not to do the whole thing in log cabin but to branch out now and play.... So wish me luck!

I also am using a new little lightweight sewing machine I bought for taking to Cumbria Patchworkers in Penrith and it is proving to be very useful as I bought with it a ¼ inch foot. I can highly recommend this Brother as it is just right for taking to class and even though I have a Bernina I find that this little beauty (hate to say this) does sew some seams better than my Bernina 1260....Also it does a better job of sewing on buttons and buttonholes and only cost me about £200 with an extra foot thrown in for free and a free quilting extension table too. I saw it on one website lately at only £175 so it is a bargain if you can get one. I showed it to a couple of our quilters at Penrith and they both went out and bought its big brothers....and report back that they are well pleased. I would say that sewing machines have improved so much over the last few years that you really don't need to spend a small fortune on the top of the range machines unless you want to specialise. However, when it comes to free machine embroidery, the CB shuttle on my Bernina is so wonderful (it oscillates) that it practically never jams even when I do the most complex stuff. So I will never stop using it, as I love it too much.



I have been busy making loads of silk paper examples for showing to the Keswick Embroiderers' Guild next month when I am showing them how to make it and also giving them some ideas for embellishment. I have a few projects up my sleeve including an exciting one which has involved my DH who has risen to the challenge magnificently and put down his 'O' gauge 'Wee Ben' for an hour or two to help me. For those of you who have spouses who are into railway engines, this is his blog on the subject.
petes workshop  And you thought making quilts was difficult.... bye for now.

2 comments:

BilboWaggins said...

Very pretty (log cabin is probably my favourite quilt block in the whole world). Maybe a stop border, then a pieced border, then a final plain stop border? Depends how big you want it to end up.

Lyn Armstrong said...

I want it to end up big enough for the bed as I always need quilts here because Bella has a habit of jumping on it, so I am always washing them...
I was going to start with a plain cream or white border not too wide so it cuts off the blocks and then play with applique or even machine embroidery pieces, as my Janome 300e needs an airing before it forgets how to do it. Then maybe do another final plain border or perhaps a couple.