Elegant Garden 1

As if I need another project begun, I am starting on Edyta Sitar's Elegant Garden quilt.  It consists of 24 embroidery machine appliqued blocks and is being taught by our local embroidery and software guru, Sherry N.  This is block #1.  Every month we get six patterns, so I have 5 more to do before June 7.  I'm gonna have to scramble!

However, today is a lurkim day.  I must finish my practice quilt on which I have learned the new techniques put out by the amazing IntelliQuilter team in their newest update.  IQ puts these updates out free!  So my system is always becoming more and more sophisticated.  This helps me do better and better custom quilting.

The practice quilt will be donated to the Durham VA Hospital for one of its much appreciated and respected servicemen/women.

MQX LOL IQP HSH

From April 12 to 16 this year, I had the extreme pleasure of attending Machine Quilters Exposition East (MQX) in Providence, RI with my quilting buddy, Mary.  Mary grew up in Newport, RI and had wonderful tales to tell about those years.  We rented a car and toured the streets in Newport where her family home had been, her school, the beaches, favorite haunts -- each with a tale of its own.  The day was grey and blustery, but that didn't dissuade us from our mission one bit!  Lots of laughs along the way, despite the cold and occasional rain.

Eventually, it was time to end the nostalgic sightseeing and go to the Westin in Providence, next to the Convention Center where the show and classes were being held.  The picture at the top of this page is just an example of the startlingly intricate quilts that were in the show, and the one above this paragraph illustrates the finely detailed quilting that could be found in all of the quilts.  After all, this contest was showcasing the quilting more than the piecing -- just the opposite of the usual quilt show.  I was humbled by the expertise demonstrated here. Although I don't think I ever want to drive myself crazy doing such intense quilting on any of my (or my customers') quilts, I really appreciated the fine work done by each and every entrant in the contest.

I took a variety of classes this year, but the best -- and most relevant -- ones were given by this cheerful lady, Crystal Smythe.  What Crystal doesn't know about the Intelliquilter computerized robotics system hasn't been invented yet.  When I attend these classes, it is as much to confirm that I am up to date as it is to learn something new, which doesn't always happen if I am really up to date -- a sort of IQ catch-22.  However, Crystal was able to pass along at least one new use of my system (or remind me of one I hadn't used yet) in each of my three classes with her, as well as make the time fly so quickly that I thoroughly enjoyed her unique personality and its painless delivery of highly technical procedures.

Back in our room, Mary and I each had projects we had brought -- knitting for her, crochet for me, reading for both of us.  However, one that we shared was this adorable scissor fob that I had brought along for each of us to do.  The kit was by Sue Spargo.  These are some of the pieces.  You can see more on Mary's blog as well as her version of the bird.  She thinks outside the box better than I do.

My little bird, complete with felted balls for the feet and top, beads, buttons, and hand sewing. 

After a very full week, we headed for Home Sweet Home!  Tomorrow I'll show you some goodies I bought to try out during my machine quilting.

StIQy WIQet

Bummer!  My Y axis motor on the IQ broke/got stuck this past Saturday, and I needed to replace it.  I was on the list for the new, more powerful motors, but they don't have all the bugs ironed out yet, so I thought I was going to get a replacement older model and have to replace just one motor.

That was not to be.  Zoltan Kasa, the remarkable inventor of this robotics program, sent me two of the new motors on Tuesday.  And since they needed new mountings, he sent those as well.  With great fear and trepidation I gathered together my tools:  Allen wrench set, Phillips screwdriver, metal measuring tape, wire snips, wide ruler, etc.

Zoltan sent me the first set of motors, but the Y motor had a bent axle on its sensor wheel, so he needed to Fed Ex me another one, which arrived on Wednesday afternoon.  Meanwhile, I took a trial run installing the X motor.

I was able to put on the mountings, level them, add the motor, change the wheel base to allow the motor to clear the railing, make sure the motor was exactly parallel to the railings and screw everything down, ascertain that the drive wheel was just a hair's breadth above the railing in the resting position, and put the right plug into the right pins -- on the X axis motor.  I practiced on this one, since all parts are easily visible, unlike the Y motor.  But even so, it took me two hours!

Here's a picture of that tiny space between the drive wheel (black) and the railing.

Not so lucky with the Y motor.  It turns out that the intermediary mounting (just above that sexy looking rubber belted thingy) is 1/4" too short, so the motor won't clear the Y rails.  Back to the drawing board.  Zoltan says he will Fed Ex me a new plate tomorrow.  I'm getting used to this stuff, now.  But he sure is

spending alot of money with the Fed Ex people!!

Lest you think I am an ungrateful wretch, despite these setbacks, I need to tell you that nowhere else in the computerized robotics industry do you get such incredible, instant and specific help.  Zoltan couldn't apologize more for not being able to be here to do this work for me himself.  Both he and my substitute IQ dealer are traveling separately somewhere in the US and neither can fly back here instantly.  I don't really mind that it's all up to me.  However, DH's nose is out of joint, especially when I explained to him that I didn't want him to do the work, I just wanted to borrow one of his tools (the wire snipper).  I have accepted the challenge of doing my own machine maintenance!

Sooooooo, I get to sit on my hands again tomorrow while I wait yet another time for another part to my IQ.  But today the 5D Extra embroidery program for my HV Designer Diamond came in, and I ran down to Rocky Mount (about 1  1/2 hours away) to pick it up.  I'll install that onto my business laptop that I also use for the Diamond, and fiddle around with that until the mounting plate arrives.  This promises to be equally fun compared to putting on the new motors for the IQ, because I am equally "challenged" when it comes to computers and understanding how to fix it if something goes wrong.

  

                               

Creation

It's finished!!!  My guild friend, Lois' beautiful Creation quilt is finished!  I must say that this quilt took me an extraordinarily long time to do.  I had to create six of the designs from scratch:  Earth, Jupiter, Saturn, central star bursts, Alpha and Omega.  These were then outlined in gold metallic thread and placed between the pieced stars, all except the Alpha, Omega and Earth.  Those were three of the four corners surrounding the central red and yellow fireball.  The fourth corner there was a Celtic symbol for the Trinity. 

One of my favorite additions was this moon figure, which I cut from a larger moon and stars block.  Other cut designs from that block included comets and shooting stars.

So now I'm taking the rest of the day off, having already cleaned the house this morning while waiting for my customer to come to pick up her quilt.  But first, I'll show you what darling hubby did for me this past weekend.

I have to get the poles trimmed, but if they turn out to be the right distance from the wall for me to use the outer portions as hanging rods for my quilts-in-waiting, I may just keep the tallest one that long.  I have more batting to hang after the poles are trimmed, and the lowest bracket is repositioned.  As it is, it interferes with my ironing board.

Now, you might ask why we put the racks in that location, across the five foot door.  Well, that door goes into the part of the basement that holds the heat pumps, and we have access to them through a different door.  This one was created just so I could actually move my Nolting frame out of this room if I ever had to, so it's ok to cover it up for now.

This little darling has been waiting three years to get her own home, and we finally found a spot in my studio that is just right!

And now Miss Lissa (my Nolting 24 Pro) and her IQ (tablet on her head) are just waiting for me to load the next quilt on the frame.  But first, some iced tea and a few moments to read a real book.  I have been enjoying my Nook, but really, nothing is like a real book.  The texture, the smell, the luscious decadence of curling up on the sofa for a few hours.  Nope.  Nothing beats a real book.