Monday, January 14, 2013

Not Quite Half-Way

so far so goodThis is my Easy Street, moving right along.  And I have kept up with my “at least a block a day” plan.













small triangleHere is the small triangle laid out, ready to be sewn on Saturday.











large triangleAnd Sunday morning I made another large triangle. 
However, that is about all I got done this week.  Every time I got a block done, DH came up with something for me to do that took the rest of the day. 








I did decide on a paper piecing project to start today and I copied the pieces for new applique BOM.  The problem is that if I can only get an ES block done each day I am not moving forward on any other projects.

For those who read my post last Wednesday, I have been doing great with my new Pilates machine.  And I am even sharing it, with:  Ms. Murphy. 


When I came in to do my routine last night, there she was.  I almost left her there but that would mean I would miss my exercise so off she had to go.  Poor Murphy!


Now, I have a favor to ask of longarmers out there.  I have been asked to meet with 2-3 new longarmers and give them so “tips” on how to get started and things that would make their beginnings easier.  I have to say, I am not a teacher by any means and since I am totally self taught, I am having trouble thinking of what “tricks” I have learned or thought of.  So, if you have any ideas, please share, PLEASE!

8 comments:

Jill said...

You're really crusing down Easy Street! It looks great so far.

Rhonda said...

Your Easy Street is looking good. I hear you about the little delays with sewing time.....sigh!!

Becky said...

I would have loved it if someone had told me which threads they used that got the best results. I kept hearing you can use anything, but I had a lot of breakage as I tried the Masterpiece I already had. No one told me it wouldn't work. Bobbin Central was another happened upon which would be really helpful. I never could get a bobbin I wound to work as well as pre-wounds. Another would be how to do starts and stops without them showing so much. How to keep the quilt straight as you work down the quilt - lining up, measuring, etc. Hope this helps.

Bonnie said...

I ditto most of what Becky said. I have had great luck with winding my own bobbins. Threads I love and use a lot: Essential Pro by Connecting Threads. Much cheaper than So Fine but the colors are limited. So Fine by Superior. And, yep, I tried Masterpiece on my machine with the same results. Much research later I realized it was master PIECE as in for piecing. Duh! Don't keep your batt and quilt super tight, my machine likes a flappy sandwich. Find an online chat group for your own brand of machine and read it. They are usually a great resource when you need a hand. PRACTICE, practice, practice. And, then do some more practice. Find a guild or a friend who does charity quilts and volunteer to do their charity quilts... also known as real life practice.

So what applique BOM are you doing? I've just started a small Orange Peel.

Angie said...

I love the colors in your Easy Street, and your making great progress on your schedule. I'm interested in your Pilates machine. Could you please tell me where you purchased it, and do you keep it out, or does it fold up. I would love to have one, but just can't find a good place to set it up. There is so much to learn about long arm quilting. But, I have found needles, and size of needles, thread (using good long arm thread) and learning to balance thread tension seem to be high on the learning curve list. Also most newbies want to start off doing more complicated designs right away. Learning a good basic meander is a good start. If one can get that down pat, they can then go forward learning continous curve, feathering, and other designs.

Chris said...

Looking good. Good for you staying on track with the block a day.

Kevin the Quilter said...

Way to go! From Easy Street to your pilates! Your colors float on that background of Easy Street! Love the contrast!

Kate said...

Love your Easy Street. One block a day may seem slow, but progress is progress!