Have I told you….

how much I love quilting on my Brother Nouvelle 1500S .  I ordered it just a little over a year ago but have had really sort of  limited time to quilt on it — too many other things going on.  But I’ve managed to get a couple more projects done on it lately and I still love it – which is a very good thing! 🙂

This wedding quilt is the largest one I’ve quilted on it so far and it’s just so amazing how much difference that extra harp room makes.

I decided rather than taking just the simple way out and meander quilting all over, I’m straight line quilting first all the framing pieces about 1/4″ inside the edges.  Lots of stopping and starting but I also do love the automatic thread cutter so I don’t have to keep pulling threads to the top to start or lift the quilt to cut underside threads.  I’m using light blue thread which looks really good against that taupey/gray colored fabric.    I’ve got all the vertical straight lines quilted so that is a good days work and my shoulders and arms are telling me that’s enough quilting for one day.

Perhaps tomorrow I’ll start on the horizontal sections.  After that there will be free motion quilting within the blocks and I’ll switch to cream colored thread and meander the background fabric area.

Now to figure out just what delivery place will be bringing me dinner tonight since I never did have lunch nor did I have a plan for dinner.

Oh an the other thing I definitely love, the Rowenta DW5197 — no auto shutoff is stupendous and I love steam.  I don’t even set it on the highest steam setting because that would be too much steam.  Yes definitely in love with this iron.  Someone asked me if it’s heavy – I think all Rowenta irons are heavy but then I like them because of that fact.   So if you were looking for a light weight iron, this may not be the one for you.

Sunshiney Saturday

The sun is shining after about 3 or 4 nearly continuous days of rain.  Things are really greening up around here tho and now we just need some warmer temperatures.  It’s been a busy week here so I’m playing catch-up once again since I don’t think I turned the laptop at home on all week.

First my belated On the Needles report —

There is actually something OFF the needles – at least one part.

 The back of my CF Cardipalooza KAL sweater is done.   I just love this lace pattern.

 

Even though I started one of the fronts and ripped it back twice because I kept dropping out a yarn over in the lace pattern.  I think I’ve got myself back on the right track now.  The actual color of this yarn is what is in the lace pattern closeup – not bright blue like the sweater back photo.  I do like the Lotus Autumn Wind yarn and think it will make a great feeling spring/summer sweater with the blend it is, but it does have more knots in it than I would expect which is mildly irritating.

One of my purchases while I was on vacation (clicking the “add to cart” button at a few  shops) was a quilt kit.  I can’t remember the last time I bought a quilt kit –  many many many years ago and I think it may still be sitting in the closet.  It usually ends up there are fabrics I don’t like; the last one I put together they were missing two of the fabrics listed in the instructions and I think the one lingering in the closet has fabrics that if I had felt them in person, I never would have ordered since the quality just doesn’t seem to be there.  In any event, I had seen this quilt kit previously and wasn’t able to find just the pattern so when I found it on sale last week, I had to order it.  The fabrics are so bright and cheery and all those swimsuits just make me smile.

It’s Sanibel Quilt by Gina Martin.  I think it will be a fun project to stitch up.  My favorite fabrics in the packet are one with sunglasses printed on it, one with Adirondack chairs on it, and one that looks like the woven seats that old lawn chairs were made out of.    It will be a fun seasonal quilt to hang up.

 

Today – if I ever get busy and stop puttering on the computer and sipping coffee – I think I’ll get started finally on quilting the wedding quilt that I layered while on vacation.  I’ve also got a couple little projects to quilt — pieces that I cut from a panel that will be new little wallhangings for my office cubicle I think — the speak about the need to have cupcakes!  A must on some days – and will be really cute.