100th Post!

I was going ahead with my regular posting when I realized my next would be my 100th post!  So I thought I would do something a little different than my regular quilting posts and share what I should have posted 7 months ago.  My "new" longarm machine!  It's actually a used 2009 Nolting Funquilter that I bought from the AQS show in Des Moines last fall.  I was really nervous about getting it, but I really love it and it should (eventually) pay for itself. 

My table is 14 feet long!  So I should be able to quilt about any size.  It's just long enough to barely get the vacuum cleaner through.  Some other features to note is the stitch regulator.  I confess that I have been using it a lot more than I did at first.  My old machine did not have it and learned to quilt without it.  But now I am doing designs with more detail and I feel that I have a lot better control and acuracy.  I can work my way slowly through an area and then pick up the pace.  I really like having the option of turning the stitch regulator on and off.  I also have zipper leaders with an extra zipper set to have the next quilt ready to put on.  Which rarely ever happens- I dont normally think that far in advance, but they are really nice to have.

And here is my view from the "drivers seat".  Actually there is no seat.  I stand.  I don't know how some people can sit and work on thier longarm and manage to scoot thier way down the quilt as they are quilting.  At least I think that's how they would do it...

(Guess what 2 quilts I'm going to post next!)

This was my old machine when I very first got it in spring of 2009. It was a Nustyle 228 and was traded in to Nolting.  An oldie but a goodie.  We eventually added a third set of legs in the middle of the table because the machine kept rolling towards the center.  And only 2 tubs of fabric underneath!  I don't hardly remember only having just 2 tubs.  This was just a brief moment in history before they multiplied.  There's about 4 or 5 now :) 

Anyways, here's to another 100 posts!!  I have come a long way in the last 3 years.  Thanks for reading, following, viewing, and especially for your kind comments!

Fairies for Clara Jo

Peg just recently bought an embroidery machine and has been busy making all kinds of fun things for her grandchildren.  (three out of the four are little girls)  Yeah, I think she will get lots of use out of her machine! 

I outlined each fairy and filled in with flying loops.  It's impossible to see the quilting in the floral print (even when holding the quilt close!) but, I did a large flower in the print blocks and a feather around the border. 

I was concerned about having tension issues, but my Nolting was not phased at all. :)  She used a pretty stiff interfacing on the backs of the fairy blocks, and fleece for batting.  This was the first time I've quilted through fleece, and it was no problem at all.  Peg has already started on the next granddaughter quilt.  The theme: peacocks! 

A few more little quickies

This one is another little wholecloth.  Cowboy cows with guns that say Moo...  Silly stuff  :)

This alphabet panel makes a cute baby quilt.  Sure is a heck of a lot easier than my alphabet quilt! 

Some bubbles in the border and swirls in the rest. 

And lastly, this little log cabin. 

The back.  And that wraps up these little quilts from Norene. 

Some little quickies

Norene had me quilt up a bunch of little quilts that are to be sold for a local charity event. 

These designs are on the cover of  Sue Patten's book- "Freehand Filler Patterns". 

Back

 

The front of a little whole-cloth.  Hard to see the feathers here...

The back shows the freeform feathers better.  These quilts are about 30 to 40 inches square, so they would be a good baby or doll quilts. 

2 of my World-Famous-Scrappy-Color-Block-Baby-Quilts

Soo back in February my cousin had twins.  A boy and a girl!  A week before I was going to see them at a family gathering, I decided I'd better make them my world famous scrappy color block baby quilts.  Me? A procrastinator??  Maybe just a little bit.  :)

(think we could use a good rain? The whole state of Iowa could use a nice soak!)

I think maybe scrappy doesn't quite describe these blocks.  They are more like fragments of fabric.  Tiny pieces that you can't hardly do anything with.  I'm pretty sure that making a "real" block would be much quicker to sew.  A 9-patch or Ohio Star or something.  But that would just leave me with more little scraps!

Love this pink and yellow combo. 

 

I can just sit here at look at these fabric fragments all day.  I see 3 that I made dresses out of back in my 4-H days.  One my mom made me a dress from when I was really little.  Some I've inherited from my sister, my MIL, and my Mom's stash.  Some I received in my scrap bundle from Sew Fresh Fabrics.  Some are leftovers from some of my more recent projects... 

Anyway- Welcome to the world little baby twins!  Linking up to Megan's Sew Modern Monday.