SOS Sewing Machines...

So, what I didn't tell you is that my sewing machine broke last weekend.

Yep, in the middle of all that Oodalolly, my machine completely jammed up.  Wouldn't sew a stitch.  Panic!  It's just a cheap Kenmore (made by Janome) $230 machine.  I've used it like crazy for over 2 years and never had it serviced (cleaned it myself).  Apparently I didn't oil it correctly because my repair man says it sounds like the gears are stuck.  This machine has served me well.  I always use a walking foot, always!  But, it definitely holds me back from free motion quilting... which I do want to do.  Technically.  I mean, I'm pretty lazy about trying FMQ, but I think that's due in large part to my machine's poor capabilities.

Anyhoo, my initial thought was to replace my Kenmore with another low-end-but-slightly-nicer machine, that I would feel comfortable letting Aria use (must have speed control!) and would be able to travel with.  Then, I should also buy a much nicer machine that has more than a paltry 6" of space under the arm and maybe even a better feed system.  Reasonable.

For starters, I borrowed my mother-in-law's new, mid-range Janome to finish Oodalolly.  It has a delay with the foot petal and some other issues, so I didn't exactly love using it.  Meanwhile, I ordered a $300 Janome from Amazon.  (I deserve the "tsk, tsk" for not buying it from my local dealer, but 2-day shipping and the good price won me over.)  Yesterday I was sewing with my new machine, not much impressed with it for simple piecing.  Then I tried to sew a seam to hem Liam's flying geese curtains.  Check out the results...



I'm sorry to expose you to such an ugly picture.

And, yes, I used a walking foot!  The machine is only sewing through 3 layers of quilting cotton, plus one layer of microsuede lining.  The microsuede is sandwiched inside the hem, so the machine isn't contacting it.  After lots of testing, I determined that the machine didn't like that part of the wide walking foot was passing over the fold of the hem on the underside.  That "ditch" of a terrain made it absolutely incapable of sewing this pass.   

After switching things up and finding a way to sew that hem stitch (not so attractively) I began topstitching along the top folded edge of this curtain, where you see the green pin.  The machine struggled to move over the slightly bulky seams at the tips of the flying geese.

So, yeah, I don't plan to keep it.  I sew over rough terrain all the time and want something that can keep up.

At this point, I'm planning to have my Kenmore repaired and stick with it as a basic machine.  I'd like to use this moment as the catalyst I need to research a nicer machine in my budget.  But, researching a machine is a nightmare!  I hate how the dealer's websites don't display pricing (they have their reasons).  In my area, there are only Janome, Babylock, Bernina and Singer retailers.

I'm not really considering a Bernina for price reasons.  Janome has a good reputation, but their cheapest model with a built-in walking foot is $1500, which is out of my range.  I'd like to spend $1000 or less.  All other Janome models would have the same feed system as the machine I have (Janome's "7 Piece Feed Dog").  Do those of you with recent Janome's love the feed system?  Do you have to use a walking foot?  Do you know what I did wrong?

So now I'm drowning in the possibilities without even knowing prices.  Babylock has some fancy machines like the Serenade that have a dual feed system and almost 9" under the arm, but sounds like they are out of my price range.  The Babylock Symphony also sounds promising, but no idea on the arm space or price.  I don't really hear people recommending Babylock.  Thoughts?

I know that the Pfaff is considered a reputable brand.  The closer dealer is 70 miles away, but sounds nice over the phone.  He recommended the Ambition line, which has dual-feed and 8" under the arm starting at $800.  I've heard Pfaff's can be picky about the thread you use.  Otherwise, this one sounds promising.

What about a Juki?  This one has lots of room...

SOS!  I'm looking for recommendations or "steer clear" warnings.  To sum it up, I'm imagining a machine with an upgraded feed system (built-in walking foot or dual feed) that has 8" or more space under the arm and is a good investment for quilting, free motion included.  It doesn't have to have a million stitches because I can use my Kenmore for zigzags or stretch stitches.  I'd like to spend in the $800-1000 range.

xo, Rachel

::Giveaway:: in black and white

So, it's no secret that I've been crushing on black.  Black in prints, black in solids, black to make those colors pop.  It's all part of the 80's creeping into our collective sense of style.  You can love it; you can hate it - but there's no denying that it's there!  When Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works and I started chatting about a giveaway, I asked for something with black and white and boy did she deliver..

.

This stack of 8 black and white prints really, really wants to break out of its shell and embrace some color.  Would you like to add it to your stash?  Well, in fact, these are just a few of many in a rather large collection at Canton Village in the "Black and White" category.   Here are some of my other favorites:

Essentials Fan

Essentials Tweet Tweet

Essentials Dots

Essentials Floral Stream

Obviously, Jackie gets the whole black and white thing!  But, I guess that's no surprise since she's been quilting for 18 years and professional longarm quilting for 12.  Wow!  Yes, fads come and go, but black remains truly basic, good for every stash.

To keep up with Canton Village and tap into Jackie's quilting wisdom, you can
* get her newsletter
* follow her blog or find her on Facebook
* check out her Podcasts, iTunes or YouTube

For your chance at winning this 8 fat quarter bundle, I'm curious to know if you've ever used a professional longarm quilter to finish a quilt.  I haven't yet and I'm curious about how the whole process would feel.  Add your comment to this post for your chance to win!  One comment per person; winner to be announced Friday afternoon.

And... as it happens, you can also save 15% off any order at Canton Village Quilt Works now through Friday with code incolor15.  She also has Kona cotton (including jelly rolls) and Essex Linen!  Talk about good basics...

********Giveaway**********
I'm late, I'm late!  Thanks for all your thoughts. Comments closed!  The winner is comment #23, who is Liberal Sprinkles.  I'll be in touch with you!

Scrap Attack {Tiny Scraps with Ayumi}

We've covered a lot of ground so far in our weekly Scrap Attack sessions, from working with wild bias edges with Completely Cauchy to packaging up scraps into charming granny square blocks with Blue Elephant Stitches.  Today is all about getting small.   Making little.

Not everyone has an overflowing scrap stash.  Some are just starting to gather precious little bits.  I asked my friend Ayumi of Pink Penguin to join our Scrap Attack and she brought out this little scrappy masterpiece that makes such a great addition to our quilt-along!

Isn't that adorable!  And the scrappy hourglasses are made with 3 3/4" square scraps, finishing at just 2 1/4.  Eeek!  Those sweet squares in the sashing really do me in.

If you like this, you should know that it's very "Ayumi". She's often making marvelous with tiny, precise piecing.  If you're interested in paper piecing, you have to check her out at her blog, Pink Penguin.  You can hope over there today to find her Scrappy Hour Glass Tutorial.  It's clear and so very to the point.  Nicely done, Ayumi!

Remember any scrappy quilt top finished in 2012 can be entered in the Festival of Scrappiness this March.  Tiny works like this one or large works all have an equal chance at some yummy door prizes.  And, yes, you can enter multiple projects!  The more the merrier.  If you're new to this Scrap Attack thing, catch all the details, the button and links to all of our posts Right Here.  Happy scrappin!

Oodalolly

Oodalolly is the word I said when I first envisioned this quilt.  I knew I wanted to make a quilt version of Rainbow Road, one of my projects for Curves Class, so when I came across this rug (via Pinterest) my heart skipped a beat and "oodalolly" emerged aloud in (a most unusual form of) awe as the quilt came alive in my head.  Don't you love that moment?  When the quilt is born - just alive in your imagination, but alive nevertheless. 

from West Elm

Oodalolly it remains today... but more as an expression of long-suffering and dedication.  Perhaps someday, at the end of the rainbow, it'll be an "oodalolly" of awe again.  Let's see, the story begins with these Kona jelly rolls in Classic, Bright and Dark.  Between waiting for their arrival from Robert Kaufman and a little delay of my own ignorance (that quilt? no problem!) I only started piecing this quilt last week.



My first go at it was a complete, utter failure.  No pictures here (oh, the indecency!).  That failure landed on an otherwise difficult day last week, so I set the project aside for "later" not realizing that I desired to have the quilt top finished by today.   Today!



Friday night I tackled version #2. Still trying to replicate the rug almost to the "T", this version adds layers of rainbow fun in the round.  Pretty, right?  What a pain!  Seriously, building matching curve sections and piecing them with Y-seams along huge curved edges.  Gah.  A few sections after this photograph I realized that I wasn't having fun.  My students just might hate me if I drop such a seriously challenging project in their laps for our last week of class - which is designed to be more of a celebration than a "new skills" week.  Plus, did I say I wasn't having fun?  Sewing is supposed to be fun, people.

 

Deconstruct and start over.  And here we have version #3.  It's Saturday by now and I'm starting to get nervous.  Good thing I'm "focusing" this weekend - boy do I need it!  To simplify things, layers are added to this version like a giant log cabin block.  Rather than curving around the center, the new rainbow portions are added onto the side in an improv curve seam.

Easy enough? Check.  But, sadly, I don't like it.  Nope.  I don't like the way the sections are chopped off at the top and bottom when a new section is added.  I mean, this doesn't look  much like the original inspiration rug anymore, so why are we doing this?



Saturday night... panic!  I need to start over and I'd like to finish this large quilt in a few days.  Why the pressure, you might wander?  Well, it'll be time for my class to make this project in 2 weeks.  I want to finish it so that I can present it to them along with the other final quilt option and complete supplies lists so that they can be prepared.  I started with 3 jelly rolls, wondering if they'd need 2 to complete the project.  By this time, I've burned through so much fabric in my cutting/trimming/deconstruct/start over that I don't know if 3 jelly rolls will be enough.  Of course I'm using previously pieced sections in each new version, but it eats tons of fabric nevertheless.

Well, I stopped.  Prayed.  Got out my sketchbook and would you believe it, but the answer arrived just like that!  What I needed was something easy, fast but still loads of fun.  I wanted it to be made with the attitude of Rainbow Road (and the supplies... hello, I have all this piecing started), but let's just say it should be nothing like that darn rug!  And ya know, my students want the same thing, because easy and fast is fun.



Ta da... Blocks!  Yes, what an original concept right (wink)?  Do the improv but square them up into blocks.   Nice, bite-sized, familiar blocks - how I love thee!  I'm thrilled to report that Oodalolly is more than half-way done.  Yay!  I'll be revealing the final week quilt choices and supplies lists to my students tomorrow.  Oodalolly might not be 100% finished by then, but I think 80% will be enough for them to take action.



So, this is me today... piecing in rainbows, reminded of why working ahead is my preferred way of living and giving myself grace for taking the long route to a simple destination. 

Shop Notes:  Kona jelly rolls are available at Canton Village, Fabric Envy, Mad About Patchwork and Fat Quarter Shop.

in Focus

Well, that was interesting!  Today my online time was invested in reading and responding to your comments on yesterday's post "too much Inspiration?".   It's completely awesome to take in your distinct, honest perspectives.  Thank-you SO much for sharing.

I'm a person who likes to focus intently.  These ponderings made me realize that the lack of focus is what bothers me most. When new inspirations interrupt my planned or current projects I personally feel disrupted, unstable, unfulfilled.  I want to be really present with and to enjoy my projects... not to rush through them or let them pile up.

I don't think anything drastic is in order, but some kind of adjustment would be wise.  For now I'm going to try going "offline" for the weekends, in terms of not taking in new inspiration.  I think a rhythm of giving myself creative space each weekend may be just the thing!  Well, and continuing to manage the flow of inspiration on weekdays too.




So, guess what you all made me do?  Start a new project.  No, it's not a bad thing; it's GOOD. This is one of those projects that came (mostly, I guess) from inside me.  It emerged from my scraps, those Essex linen triangle trimmings who insist on being used.  




And why-ever not when they hold all sorts of potential!  I'll not be working on this again real soon, but starting it claimed it as a reality for me.  I won't let this one go. 

I will enjoy it!

too much Inspiration?

The last thing I want to convince you of is that you don't want more inspiration.  I mean, what do I as a blogger hope to offer but exactly that?  And yet, I want to think aloud today about this problem...the problem of too much inspiration.

a Little Bit Biased

Maybe you know exactly what I'm talking about, but maybe you don't.  Maybe you're thinking... How can you have too much inspiration?  How much is too much, is not the point.  That's up to you.  But haven't you ever hit a point where you wish you'd stop surfing Pinterest, stop reading about your friend's gorgeous projects and go ahead an make your own already?  Or, even... even... stop thinking of the new fabulous projects you've dreamed up and remember instead the reasons why you started what you already have going?

by Hidden in France, via Maureen

 This happens to me.  Regularly.  And yet, on the other hand, I'm tremendously grateful for the inspiration I receive daily, freely bestowed by both friends and the unknown creators through Flickr, Pinterest and blogland.  I would never walk away from all that!  Sheesh, enjoying beauty is a reward in and of itself.  And viewing others creations influences my own in ways that are personally fulfilling.   Sometimes when I can't sew, spending time in these places is a way of "investing" in sewing moments to come.

Blue Elephant Stitches

I have heard of a few approaches to solving this problem...

1) Taking a break.   That is, abstaining from reading blogs, Flickr, Pinterest, etc. for an amount of time to create mental space.  Sometimes bloggers will post a little notice on their blog to let their readers know they'll be back later.  Personally, I can't imagine wanting to take a long break, like a month.  Even a week seems like a stretch.  And there lies the rub... we want it.  And we need a break.  But we want it!  It's like my relationship to leftover birthday cake.  Taking a break is not something I've really tried.  Have you?

2) Limiting the flow.  This can present itself as only being active in one or two platforms (as in... I don't "do" Facebook).  It manifests in that desire to trim down your blog reader or only follow a few boards in someone's Pinterest stream.  So far, this has been my approach.  It's really hard to do.  I'll look through my reader and try to evaluate rationally... does this artist inspire me?  what do I gain from being there?  are we friends?  do I feel good when I visit?  It's terribly hard to eliminate something because it feels like "someone".  But, it's not.  I mean, not following someone's blog is not unfriending them.  It's saying that I don't need to do this every day.  What if I visit once a month or whenever their Flickr feed calls to me?  (Sometimes that works very well for me.  And... oftentimes I end up re-subscribing.)  I simply cannot follow every blog that I would like to.  There would be no time left to live!  Which is exactly the problem of too much inspiration.  I limit the size of my wardrobe by the the size of my closet.  Maybe I should limit my reader by a particular number of blogs?

3)  Limiting time.  As in, I can only spend 30 minutes browsing and then I'm off to the sewing machine!  Does anyone do this?  That seems so rational, so simple.  Gosh, I don't do that.  I'm one of those people that likes to empty my reader every few days, regularly surf Flickr pools of interest and keep up with "recent activity" on Flickr.  Limiting time gets right to the point.  It seems like it would force you to prioritize those resources that are most valuable to you since you would know you would miss them if you dally. 

4) Cold turkey.  Every once in a while I hear of someone who has pushed back... like all the way.  They're trying not to be inspired by others, so that they can find their own voice.  They're spending time in nature or looking at non-sewing inspiration in hopes of developing more original ideas.  Or, they've just plain decided that making without social media is more fun.. without those feelings of comparison or the constant interruptions of new ideas.  Hmm.

Robert Kaufman/Kona via Katie

If reading over these ideas leaves you with a panicky feeling, you might like to know that I feel the seam fears:

*I'll miss some fabulous ideas!
*My friends will be hurt.
*I will miss my friends!
*My readers will stop visiting.
*Maybe I won't come back.

Ok, except for that last one.  I know I'll come back (um, I'll not leave in the first place).  But, I have a feeling that some folks worry they'll drop off blogging altogether if they lose their rhythm.  The thing is there are also some fears involved with giving in to too much inspiration:

*I won't make anything original.  Who am I, anyways?
*I won't finish things I've started.  There are always new, inspiring ideas.
*I will always feel "not good enough".  After all, 8 of my friends finished gorgeous projects today.
*I'll be so busy absorbing that I won't be living.  Creating is where I want to be.

Where the Orchids Grow

Anyone still listening?  I confess this stuff has been on my mind lately, especially since I've been mutlitasking between Curves Class creation and my "regular" stuff.  It's just been a lot of projects floating around in my mind.  Even though I keep finishing things, I have so many exciting ideas in my head that I cannot see my way to starting anytime soon... which is incredible frustrating.  I need to take a chill pill.  Then I came across Diana's article today at CraftyPod and knew it was time to pause and think.

How do you manage all this inspiration?  Is it good for you?  Do you feel fulfilled in your creativity as a quilter or sewist or do you feel overwhelmed most of the time?  Is your relationship to social media healthy?  And, do tell me, how (if at all) we bloggers add to the problem.  Do you wish we'd just make a quilt, instead of leading a quilt-along along with it?  Do you wish I posted less often than 5 days a week? 

I want to hear the good and the bad, just keep out the ugly (naming names) so no one gets hurt!

p.s.  these images are all from my Pinterest boards.  Don't go look if you already have too much inspiration!

Scrap Attack {Herringbone Block}

If you've been hanging around for a while, you might remember the Herringbone Block tutorial I wrote up when it was my turn to lead a charity quilt with do. Good Stitches.  I was drawing inspiration from Holly of Bijou Lovely's beautiful Herringbone quilt, but made a few modifications to her tutorial in order to make a longer, more narrow block. 

Well, coincidentally, this block is quite ideal for eating up string scraps.  And good golly, do I have a mess of those!  I don't sew often with strings.  I've never made a simple string quilt, nor do I work much with log cabins.  I think both patterns are stunning worked up, but haven't really felt drawn to dive in to them myself.  To be honest, something about sewing strings feels so repetitive and boring to me.  But, what's with that since sewing a bunch of small squares together can't be much different?  Motivation is unfathomable.



One thing I appreciate about the herringbone block is that the strings are arranged in an interesting pattern from the get go.  It makes completing each block a bit rewarding.  I should have made a ton more to add to this quilt!  I think that urge got buried under other quilty plans that popped up here and there.  You know how that goes...



The finished quilt is 44" x 55" - a great size for the little one it's destined for.  This quilt is the collaborative work of the Love circle, who sent me herringbone blocks over the winter holidays.   It will be mailed tomorrow to Wrap Them in Love, who collects quilts for needy children the world over.  Anyone can send quilts to Wrap Them in Love.  If you have some languishing quilt tops, why not finish them off and put them to good use?  Or, to find out more about how to join us at do. Good Stitches, visit the main group on Flickr.  We're always welcoming new members who are active on Flickr and enjoy working in a modern style.



I love the surprise of each quilt block that arrives in my mailbox.  I asked for blocks that included lots of color and a pop of black, with no brown.  Although the different blocks are distinct, they merge into one collective interpretation that also proves how scrap-friendly this design really is!



I had lots of fun making a bright, playful backing to match.  I started with a yard cut of "Rabbit Trellis" from Laurie Wisbrun's Modern Whimsy.  It's such a happy print, and so vibrant!  And, would you guess it's organic too?  Robert Kaufman produced the entire Modern Whimsy collection on organic cotton.  It has a nice, substantial feel.   Anyhoo, I added to that another Herringbone block from our circle and some random childish fabrics, like that Argyle Remix print and the Mushroom Houses from Woodland.  Plus a nice pop of black on the back too!  



Happily, this unknown rainbow stripe was a perfect binding - it has a bit of black in it too!  Since I didn't have quite enough, the Rabbit Trellis trimmings helped out.  Isn't it lucky the way those bunnies ended up dancing across the front of the binding!



Just in time, I remembered to add a do. Good Stitches tag.  And she's done!  Yay.  I have to say this quilt has such a seriously 80's vibe.  I mean, all those bright colors in such a wild layout with black, black, black.  Totally 80's.  And I love it.

How about you?  Are you making a dent in your scraps?  If you need inspiration, look no farther than the Scrap Attack Flickr group.  There is some amazing work going on in quilts of all styles!  And, I'm keeping a running link list to all of the Scrap Attack posts here.  At the end of February we'll catch each other up with another link party and then early March I'll announce  prizes to be handed about at the Festival of Scrappiness.  Be sure to have your quilts done by late March so you can join the Festival!