FMQ, Using the Bernina Quilting Frame,

I made this a little while ago.

 Its a beautiful design by Sherry Rogers-Harrison  I bought from Digi-Tech Designs  You can find this design here.

I still need to get it painted...Another UFO

In the meantime I have been working at getting to know my Bernina Quilt Frame a little better

I spent about 12 hours yesterday - with many breaks in between... trying to get a different leder system going...BUT have gone back to the original instructions...

as you do!

Got this up at about midnight... Lots of trials and tribulations

BUT lots of learning.

I was trying to get leaders and side leaders made as per Sharon Schamber... and watched her video on YouTube such a lot ( There are 3 videos on this  ) .. but it didn't work..so far!

I have abandoned that for the present!

I joined two bits of fabric for the quilt top..not well as you can probably see, attempted to get the batting and the top sewn on along the top of the backing... that in itself was difficult... 

I am still trying to work out how I can get the machine lower to see if I can actually sit at it...in the meantime the kitchen stool is working some...but not good on neck and back.

I will either need to increase the height to stand, or decrease it to sit!

A least I have managed to get ti all on the frame...and actually understand how the leders and the loiading works!

So - My second time on the Frame...and by 1.00am I had this much done...using the BSR which I NEVER use and am most uncomfortable with...however I couldn't manage the foot pedal as the connection to the machine kept disconecting as the cord was not long enough... or the box on the floor not big enough or high enough :(

I also tried putting the table top of the 820 on the machine...

which seemed OK for now...

I still need the table top to be more level as in the middle of the 'piece' the machine keeps moving forward on its own...not good if the BSR is on!

So there you have it...quite a saga.. and ready for lots of practise sewing.

However I now have to do a major clean up in my studio.. and get some more pieces cut out for my Double Wedding ring quilt. Not to mention all the other UFO's and some binding on a certain quilt.

It was quite early in the morning by the time I finally got to bed!

Quilting Frame,

My Bernina quilting Frame arrived on Friday.

It was brought down from Perth - about 180kms away, and put together for me!   

Well - I think I must have been really tired and a little tipsy.. we had a visitor, and it was that time of the evening.

On Friday I watched the Bernina video on YouTube several times before I worked out how to just put put the fabic on !

As you can see I have a real mess in my studio!

On Saturday I finally got all the fabric and batting worked out.

Did some very strange quilting on Saturday .. and thought - my gaad what have I done.

  This is the last thing I did yesterday - which was also my first day at the quiltingon the frame

I wrote to one of my online friends Rhianon Taylor

who also has one of these frames...and she was REALLY helpful.

She made me feel loads better! Also suggested a stool to sit on.

I now have a kitchen stool in place to sit on and my DH found a box for me to put my foot pedal on.  I really have not been able to use the BSR - 1 or 2.  

I have a stop start button coming soon.

 This was my effort today... and now I will have a bit of a break and come back to it later.

We have an overseas visitor arriving tomorrow and I need to get some other things done. 

So - sore neck sore back and lots of work ahead of me!!

Home and Designs, Piecing, Using my Go-cutter,

Busy two days... using my new Go-cutter.

(Which I loved)

An easy design this one... I only wanted to do the 2.5" squares

so designed an easy quilt in EQ7 and cut it all out

Always hoped to do a red and white quilt.

Plus - I get to use up some of my stash... which I really need to do.

Well here is my project... those small squares were so easy and quick to get done.

I have one block sewn  as you can see on the design board.. and all the mostly white blocks are sewn

I visited Cristy Fincher 's blog.  Her blog is Sew Much Like Mom

Had a bit of a revalation.  I watched her video on Glue basting... and made the blocks you see on my board with this method....

 I listened to the Outlander series of books by Diana Gabaldon for the 4th time!!

The blocks were so easy to sew together with the glue basting..no pins and I had practised perfecting my 1/4' seams.

which is something I have been having trouble with..

It worked a treat!

Time passed very quickly too as I listend to my audiobooks.

Now I have ALL my blocks prepared and ready to sew... it didn't really take me long.

I may have to wait till after ther weekend though, to get them together

I am trying to get some easy projects done so I can have something ready when/if my Bernina quilt frame arrives in the very near future.
That's my excuse anyway :)

Oh and I did some cooking.  Two quiches and an all in one apple cake 

from a recipe that I saved from facebook last week...

This is the second one I have made in a week...so easy .. and very yummy!

Till next time

Painting on fabric.,

Well here I am again  - playing with my paints.

I used my Inktense pencils - tried out all the different colours first.. and then tried some that I fancied on  the reverse side of the feathers I painted on the other day

Feeling brave - I put pencil to fabric!  I have watched some beautiful videos that

Sherry Roggers-Harrison has made,  showing how she does her fabulous painting on her quilts.

It looks so easy - but of course its is SUCH  skill,  and she does it so well

Didnt think I put enough pencil on at first..

So redid some of the pencils colour..

Not easy to get all that colour ( not  a large space really) to go on very evenly.

So this is it so far and I wish I knew what to do next :)  Probably go round the design with a black ink Gel pen, which I also got from Sherry...

Now I am going to clean up my studio and start some other thing ... and wait for inspiration to call again.

Not sure how I will finish this up... the background ??  The fabric Sherry has supplied with her quilting sample on is really beautiful and so easy to paint on...

I guess this is one more thing that needs PPP :)

Painting on fabric.,

Had a break from piecing today and did some playing 

with paint on fabric for a change.

Made a mess, which I need to clean up now.

Not really quite sure what I am doing... but enjoying the process

Played with this .. found in a box with things I have quilted in the past.  

Two toned leaf is painted with Inktense pencils. 

the other two leaves are with dry paints from Sherry Rogers Harrison

 and the mediaum I used to use the paint and the pencils was Paintfusion, also from Sherry.. 

some with glitter and some without.

 This is my sample piece... not very neat...but that's OK

And this is another play piece I found tin the box..

All practising for some lovely pieces - prepared for me by Sherry... 

You can see what she offers on her blog - all terrific!

Off to clean up now.

Mysteries, Painting on fabric.

I am a little late with Bonnie Hunters Celtic Solstice, but am having a go with it nevertheless.

However - I mad a boo-boo and ended up with this

200 or so blocks all the wrong size!  

Should have checked!

 These ones I wont be using...

Maybe one day I will unpick them.. lol

Making the next lot - Clue #1with Inklingo 

 Working on Clue #2

and doing just 20 at a time...no hurry :)

and HERE is my play time.

I was lucky to get some wonderful goodies when I sent away to Sherry Rogers Harrison

 and got a starter kit and some other scrumptious things to work on.

SO ... here it is all ready for me to start..

And I found lots of things of my own to play on too...

More later