ScrapHappy Saturday - RSC18 - Week 32

Welcome to Week 32 of the Rainbow Scrap Challenge!!  It was a whirlwind of quilting and other activities.  Would you care to walk with me through my week?

Here we go...

SUNDAY - Here's the LINK to this month's Squared Away Sampler block tutorial from Mari at The Academic Quilter blog. Angela over at So Scrappy has offered Samplers in the past, running on the same schedule as Mari's annual Block of the Month program.  This year, they collaborated on a collection of blocks for the 2018 RSC Sampler.

Reminder:

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge Color of the Month is...

MONDAY - Started quilting a client quilt (to get it off the frame, so I'll be ready when my niece's wedding quilt is done!)

Would you like to see?

I figured you might:

Look closely and you'll see a tiny bit of ORANGE for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

You can find this week's Mail Call Monday post HERE.  It's a good one and you're not going to want to miss it...  Especially, if you like Crazy Mom Quilt's, Kaffe Fassett, mug rugs, or New Zealand!!

TUESDAY - Dinner with a good friend and I posted my August Scrap Attack goals.

WEDNESDAY - A thunderstorm rolled through right when I was going to start (finishing) the quilting.  By the time the storm was done, there was no time to go up to the studio.  This little guy (stationed somewhere near the middle of the quilt) will just have to wait for another day:

Today was the day I had planned to begin my adventures of Instant Pot cooking.  Copycat Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup?  YUM!!!

Instead, I chose 1" squares in the Color of the Month to be ready to fulfill (a small portion of) my Scrap Attack goal:

With that done, I brought out the bag of my niece's deconstructed T-shirts to plan a tentative layout for the quilt:

Next step, rough cutting the squares!

THURSDAY - Tonight was a continuation of my adventures in Instant Pot cooking with Instant Pot Crispy Potatoes.  It's a bit of a misnomer, since you have to finish it off in a big frying pan.  I added a browned package of Neese Sage Sausage Roll and a Vidalia onion.  YUM!!!  If accompanied by some steamed zucchini, you wouldn't need anything else for a complete dinner.

After the clean-up was done, I finally made my way upstairs to work on finishing the quilting on the beautiful batik client quilt that I shared earlier in the week.  I finished one pass and had just begun my return, when THIS happened:

Look carefully.  As I came off the sashing strip, something happened.  I wasn't "speeding" and the stitch regulator was engaged.  Somehow, for a reason unknown to me, the machine suddenly started making stitches that appear to be the length of basting stitches.  NOT okay!!  Just the moment before, nice small stitches hadn't been an issue.  :o((

FRIDAY - This morning was spent with my knitting friends before I was back in front of the longarm... well, technically, that would be the BACK of the frame while working on one of my giant template boards.  :P

But first...

A phone call to the local longarm dealer to diagnose last night's stitching problem.  (See photo above.)

Determination?

The encoder wheels on the rails (based on the direction the machine was traveling at the time of malfunction.)

Solution?

Squeeze the wheel and inner rubber wheel together (as the rubber wears over time.)

Whew!!  Thank you, Angela @ Threadwaggle Quilting!!!  APQS Raleigh provides SUCH outstanding service.  Even over the phone!

Now, back to quilting...

Unfortunately, before very long (meaning just a couple of rows or so) the thread broke.  Here's me, trying to figure out what went wrong now:

Think, think, think...

This is my angry face, as I crawled under the machine, only to determine the problem...

Grrr!!!  Insert frustrated self-talk here.  

Can you say EMPTY bobbin?!  The bobbin tricked me by breaking with a SNAP! instead of simply running out of thread.  Sigh...

SATURDAY - Well, well, well...  The days blew past and we have arrived at another LINK PARTY day!!  Join in the Rainbow Scrap Challenge fun or just check out what the RSC Quilters were up to this week.

I'm off to my studio to work on the wedding quilt.  If I could turn back time, I would have done MORE prep work in the months since the bride delivered the shirts.  Truly!  However, the reality is there are SEW many projects and so little time to devote to my quilting projects. We'll see if I actually manage to get the T-quilt done by the wedding day.  If not, I'll just have to mail it afterwards.

Until next time...
Get SCRAPPY!!!

Wonderful Wednesday - APQS Owners Group, 3rd Qtr., 2018

WARNING:  Picture-Heavy Post!!!

Welcome to another edition of Wonderful Wednesday!!  Today, I'm here to share this past weekend's day-long quilting event(s.)  Sorry!!  There are TOO many pictures for today.  You'll have to wait to read about the continuation in next week's post.

On Friday...

I was among the members of the APQS Owners Group met at Thread Waggle Quilting in North Raleigh.  I mentioned the event in last week's ScrapHappy Saturday post, but didn't take the time to share these photos taken.

Here are the quilts that people brought to share...

Carolyn is busy making baby quilts:

She warned us to be on the lookout for fabric everywhere.  And she does mean EVERYWHERE!!  The backing for the quilt shown above was found on clearance at Target.  Yes!  Quilt fabric at Target, if you can't believe it, read on.

In its previous life, it was a 100% cotton SHOWER CURTAIN:

Judy has been busy quilting:

This quilt gave Judy permission to play:

With contrasting thread...

... And a TON of quilting designs:

Carolyn has kept Mack busy with his quilting:

Chris brought a couple of completed quilts:

Debbie had a lot of fun with this quilt:

Debbie has some tension issues, which led to a discussion on how to fix such things.

The loops on the back are an indicator of a burr on your hook retaining finger, if I understood correctly:

Edie has some beauties:

I shared a donation quilt in process in order to have a question about starts and stops answered:

Angela recommends that every tool kit have a #2 (shoulderless) screwdriver for those hard to reach adjustments:

Judy shared Feed Bag bags that Debbie has been making:

We also talked about the appropriate height for your longarm quilting machine.  Here I am with a "me-height" floor model.

Front rail:

Handles:

Thread Waggle Quilting stocks a selection of Wide Backing Fabric:

I had a difficult time resisting the one above and below:

Here's an example of what a difference color placement makes:

Angela showed us her challenge quilt from the (now disbanded) Carolina Longarm Association and we talked about the possibility of a group challenge for 2019:

We talked about how to decide what to quilt and this shop sampler shows a couple of unusual techniques:

Class sample from the recent Claudia (?) class on how to divide a quilt for quilting:

It was an enjoyable day.  Informative, educational, and as you can plainly see from the photos above, inspirational, too!!  Angela provided a delicious lunch.  Some of us brought treats to share.  The crackers I brought were a nice compliment to the salad from Jason's Deli.  :o))

Thanks again, Angela, for taking time out of your busy schedule to host us all and provide valuable information and encouragement.

Until next time...
Yay for professional development!!

Scrap Attack Tuesday - August Job Pull

Welcome to another edition of Scrap Attack Tuesday!!  This week, I'm here to reveal my goals for the month of August.  Here's hoping that I can find the time to work on them, as I have a wedding quilt to complete by the end of the month!  Only time will tell...

From my Scrap Attack list:

8. Make more Tiny Nines:

From the secondary list, in case I have extra time or enthusiasm:

8. Plan a quilt with T-scraps:

Whew!!  That worked out well.  Tiny Nines are... well, tiny and planning a quilt is different from having to actually MAKE a quilt!!  I just MIGHT be able to get these things done.

Until next time...
Attack Those SCRAPS!!

Mail Call Monday - 2018 (Ravelry) Mug Rug Swap

Welcome to another edition of Mail Call Monday!!  I did it, again.  I hosted a (nother) Mug Rug Swap in the Quilters Knitting group on Ravelry.  I didn't INTEND on participating, only hosting!

Really!!  (Stop laughing at me.  You KNOW that I can hear you.)

SENT...

Thanks for the inspiration, Amanda Jean @ Crazy Mom Quilts!!  My little quilt based on your Ticker Tape pattern was

SEW much fun!

This was a staged shot to show the intended use for this little quilt.

Look!  I even remembered to add my pre-printed label.  :o))

The mug rug measures approximately 6 x 9"

and

that's just about perfect for a snack and a drink!

RECEIVED...

Kaffe Fassett at its finest.  Thank you, Minimiss!!

Did you notice that my package came all the way from the other side of the globe??  It arrived from New Zealand!!

The mug rug was accompanied by a bundle of treats.

My friend Sfgwife has volunteered to eat the Pineapple Lumps.

This little pin will find a new home on my Quilt Guild name badge (along with an untold number of other pins which have been collected over the years from a variety of sources.)

Tea towel ONE, NZ points of interest.

Tea towel TWO, sheep, for the knitter in me.

My, what a lovely label!!

Another look at the front of my mug rug in its new home...

... And the expanded shot so that you get a sense of the happiness this little mug rug will bring each time I enter my kitchen for the next couple of months.

Until next time...
More Rav Rug fun!!!