3.30.2011

A King Sized Project and Tension

--NEW--
Strawberries and More ... or maybe Flourishing Garden


I have dug into the Strawberry Fields fabric I got recently and did a lot of cutting and am ready to start putting together a king size quilt for our bed.  I decided I am going to use the same pattern I used on Tribal (pattern by Melissa from Happy Quilting and her Happy Quilt-a-long!), since it got such rave reviews from the mister.


In addition to Strawberry Fields (which I am just ga-ga for)... I am also using this handful of favorites I have been waiting for the 'right' project for and a Clermont Farms and Charleviox charm packs.  All of these fabrics have dainty flowers, yellows, reds, fruits, polka dots and total summer fun in common!!


 After cutting I enjoyed this stack high on my desk... some 432 five inch squares.


...but it didn't last long.  This pattern requires chaos and randomness.  So into a laundry basket they went.  Mix, mix. Stir, stir.  Never to be a perfectly stacked pile of fabrics again. 

Just one step closer to being a flourishing garden!


And... there is something about the thought of starting a king size quilt that made me want to do a once over on my machine.  So, I cleaned it a bit... and then did a few test lines to assure everything was in good shape. 

This is the front of my test scrap.  Everything looks in order.


Then, I flipped it over and found the bottom stitches look like more of a single line.  Not evenly spaced stitches like the front. 

This picture points to a "good stitch" (I think)


While this one points to that weird line of thread with loops over.. but doesn't look like "good stitches"  Hard to put into words, but do you see what I mean?


A little research has lead me to believe that my bottom tension might be too tight?  And I am thinking that I have probably been sewing like this for awhile.  sigh  I know so little. 

If you have any words of wisdom or if you have seen this before... I would surely appreciate any help that you might offer!

--ONGOING--
 
Katie Fiber Art


I have made little leaps with this fun piece.  But after breaking three needles in one session, I decided it was time to put this one aside for a little while.

X Marks the Spot 

I have my new vision picked out for this quilts design and I just need a few free moments to give it a try.  I know this one will go quickly once I have a few X's put together.

And I want to thank you all for your kind and encouraging words!!  Your reaction has really fueled me to put time into this one very soon!

Bottled Rainbows

I have a bunch of solids in my hand.  And I have to admit they are still in the plastic they came in.  Just so pretty and vibrant.  I will be digging into these soon as well, but I was a little burnt from cutting the king size quilt... that the thought of cutting more fabrics wasn't in the cards for me yet. 

Plus, I also know that once I really start this one... there is no way I am going to be able to put it down. 

Nope.  No way :)

--BACKBURNER--

Tulip Table Runner - I need to decide if this stays as a table runner or if I should just make a decent sized lap quilt out of the blocks I started.  Decisions... decisions!

Creweling Spring Flowers - still slowly plucking away at this one.  Note to self... don't try to sew while watching two puppies play.  Sewing and doggies... don't mix well.

This Week's Work in Progress (WiP) Stats 
Last WiP Wednesday Total: 6
New Projects: 1 ~ King sized quilt with Strawberry Fields
Finished Projects: 0
Total WiP's: 7 ~ I am about to enjoy a few sewing intense weeks and looking forward to having so many projects to choose from!

---Linking to W.I.P. Wednesday---

日本のための多くの愛
Much love for Japan  

9 comments:

monika@mysweetprairie.ca said...

ooooh BIG quilt!
by the way, your puppy looks AMAZING!! :) I love it!!

~Monika

Amy said...

very nice fabric, I know how randomness works, when ya try not to put like colors near each other they just happen some times. I also like the dog, sorry about the tension issues, I dislike that alot.

Debbie said...

Wow - that is some stack of squares! Good luck!

Wendy said...

Such yummy fabric charm packs! and I love your Katie fiber art...not something I could do, for sure but yours looks great!

About the tension, I may be wrong but I think your tension problem is the other way around. The top tension is probably a bit loose...so it doesn't tug up on the bobbin thread and allows it to stay straight. I double checked my machine manual and they agree. Anyway, good luck.

Susanne said...

I love your idea of mixing the fabrics up in a basket!!!!!

That the fiber art of your dog I LOVE!!!! :D

Lee said...

That looks like a tension problem to me, although I'm probably not the person to ask about it! And I can never remember how to tell if it's the top tension that's bad or the bottom. I generally just fiddle around with my tension settings until the stitching looks right again. Such great expert advice, huh? : )

That Katie fiber art is so cute, I've been admiring it since you started it. Great job! Thanks for linking up to WIP Wednesday, have a good week.

Jenn Bower said...

I used to sew as a kid, all my Barbie clothes. Then in my twenties I would sew summer things and Halloween costumes. This post made me want to pick up the craft again. I loved spending time in a fabric store. It was like candy to me. I can only imagine the joy you must get receiving those sample packs.

I still love the Katie piece!

Teje Karjalainen said...

Hello Christie! You have a lot of lovely fabric there! Katies 'picture' is fantastic!
xxx Teje

Seaweed and Raine said...

Oooohhh Yum! Love your fabric. :)I can't wait to see how this one turns out!!!
I bet the Mr. of the house especially loved the Tribal quilt because of the fabrics you used - it did have a little masculine feel to parts of it with some of the textures, patterns, and colours. My hubby was rather impressed with it too :)

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