Teresa's Life and Quilt Journey: Sixteen Days and Counting

Monday, December 9, 2013

Sixteen Days and Counting

Dear followers,

I want to tell you that Christmas is getting here too fast!!! At least it is for me. LOL I guess you know that, though, don't you? Oh well, maybe there is someone out there who doesn't realize how close Dec. 25, 2013 is. I am not finished or really even close to finished with my gifts for our children for Christmas. I had also planned to give a few homemade items to my extended family, too, but that won't be happening this time. :(

As you know, I was without my good sewing machine for two months. Then I was so blessed by the Janome company and sent a brand new machine. I almost have my grandson's quilt quilted, and praying I can do that today, then make and add the binding. I still have the pinning and quilting to do on a queen sized quilt and making, pinning and quilting of a king sized quilt. I doubt I will get them done by Christmas. One reason, I only have my domestic sewing machine to quilt on. The other reason, is I don't do a very good job quilting. I am trying to learn to do some free motion quilting and I'm getting some practice on my grandson's quilt. I am not happy with what I've done, but hopefully he won't look at it too closely. He is seven years old. I'm hoping he will be so excited for what I made it of and that it is for his bed, then how Mimi's quilting looks. Then there is a Carpenter's Star by Debbie Maddy that will be pinned with help from my awesome Bama Belles quilting group after our Christmas luncheon. I'm still trying to decide the best way to quilt it. Then, I'm making a Night and Day quilt by Eleanor Burns and will need to pin and quilt it. That one scares me the most.

I do want to tell you that I'm loving my new machine! I does a beautiful job and runs so quietly! I am so excited that God blessed me so much through Janome. Yes, I believe God blessed me. He knew that I would not be able to afford another machine like that. He knew that I had purchased it using money from my Daddy and Step-Mom's house sale. They passed in 2008 and 2010 respectively. So, it means a lot to me just because of that. This machine has 250 stitches, an 11" harp area, thread cutter, up and down button for the needle, a knee lift for the presser foot, and the Accufeed walking foot system. It is soooo different than my Walmart Brother which is a good machine, too. It only has a 5" harp, so it makes if very difficult to quilt on it.

I am excited about a new adventure that I will do my best to undertake in the new year. A fellow blogger friend Caroline Heinrichs from British Columbia and can be found at http://goodearthquilting.blogspot.com/ is having a crazy quilt quilt along starting in January. I want to learn more about crazy quilting even though I have made two pillows using the crazy quilt method. So, I told her I would give it a try and participate. Keep your fingers crossed that I learn what I can and that I can keep up with her. Check out her blog.
She is also on Google+.

I didn't share any pictures last time of my machine. Isn't she beautiful? The extension table doesn't come with her. It was from my Horizon, and I was told I could keep it.