I happened to glance over at some of my quilt pics and saw one that has been and will ALWAYS be close to my heart - my very first pantographed quilt to come off my home-built Betty Boop quilting frame on my 9" Janome 1600db machine, 'Queenie'!
'Queenie' coming off the frame...
I had first written about 'Queenie' in April, 2011 on the home quilting systems forum, long before I had my blog. So I went back and grabbed that post, (Thanks, Angie ;-), and decided to re-post it here for all to enjoy.
So, without further ado, the story of 'Queenie':
Repost April 28, 2011 11:03 pm (CST) from Home Quilting Systems
Good Afternoon ALL!
And a stormy afternoon it is - and in spite of all the storms we keep having
here in the MidWest, including the accompanying power outages, my first
over-sized Queen quilt, 'Queenie' as I've come to call her, is Finally coming off
the frame after being on the frame for over 2 weeks waiting for me to decide how
to quilt her, and oohhh my, if she could talk what a story she'd tell - would
probably have to be turned into a 3-part mini-series! (Pictures posted below).
To follow in Gail's (from NE OK) footsetps, if I may be so bold ;-) -
What Did I Learn:
1)Do NOT use fuzzy reddish/rust thread that the nice saleslady promised was
designed specifically for long-arm/mid-arm/short-arm/any-arm quilting machines
and NEVER leaves a fuzzball anywhere - Really, tell that to my 'Queenie' who now
has multiple reddish/rust fuzz balls quilted into her from head to toe, front and back.
(I'll be sure and tell the family it helps to make her more cuddly - yeah, they'll buy that,
won't they?)
2)Do NOT combine pre-wound polyester bobbins with the fuzzy reddish/rust thread
for the first time on an over-sized 'Queenie' size quilt and not expect to have tension
issues and thread breakage, especially since you've bragged repeatedly how you
NEVER have tension issues or threads breaking on EVERY blog and forum known
to most quilters/sewers in the western hemisphere!
3)Do NOT convince yourself you can complete a pantograph row 96 inches long
in the middle of a thunderstorm and not be distracted or have a power outage
halfway across - forget the fact you might get electrified from a lightning strike
even though you have a power surge protector! Those 10 grain bins across the
road certainly will NOT contribute to drawing lightning into your garage/quilt studio.
(And those night crawlers that keep finding their way onto the floor behind you
while you're trying to quilt will just have to wait until you finish your line of quilting!
Darn that wind from the last storm that blew the outside storm door off - what'll
we do now? Can't get it fixed until the storms blow over and we're under another
thunderstorm warning right now...).
4)Do NOT forget that you spent more than 2 full weeks making primary and secondary
leaders with Velcro for your quilt frame so you would NOT have to remove quilt poles
with the quilt still attached while trying to rotate an over-sized 'Queenie' size quilt that
has become too large for your mid-arm quilt machine to quilt the entire depth of your
pantograph. Instead, Please remember that you can take the quilt off the Velcro leaders
and simply 'flip it or rotate it' and leave those heavy quilt poles on the frame where they
belong! (And remember to give your hubs a nice confident, reassuring smile when he
steps into your studio while you are hoisting a 10' long pole with an over-sized 'Queenie'
size quilt on it while trying to turn it around to get the proper directional role while trying
to not take out any of your overhead lighting or heaven forbid, your quilt machine,
which you now know was absolutely not necessary - guess that's what happens at 2:00 am
when those brilliant ideas come and you've had NO sleep ;-).
5)Do NOT have a panic attack when you discover an hour later - after rotating
your quilt, that your quilt is no longer square like it was when you first put it on your
your quilt frame, and is now almost 1" longer from one side to the other and you
only have 4 pantograph passes left or 18 inches of quilt left to quilt it out! Just remember
that old trick of Sharon Schamber's with the spray starch and spray the daylights out
of the excess, pat and pin it out and let dry for the next couple of hours, square up
your borders, baste down because it's 4:00 am - time for a quick nap so you can finish
quilting later today!
Oh my, if quilts could talk! I made this quilt, (while watching the Kennedy's) specifically
to practice my panto quilting on, and for our family's TV room. Thank goodness that's
what I made it for because the only award this quilt will ever win is for being the fuzziest!
On another note, the hubs walked in right while I was taking it off the frame and said,
"WOW, that really looks good!", almost surprised...I knew I married him for a really
good reason - he's a great quilt judge and he's ALL mine ;-).
~Deb/stormy MidWest/off to bind 'Queenie' while we still have power!
PS...
Do You have a Quilt who wants to talk and tell your story? I know we'd love to hear it...
Alrighty then, and now for the complete 'Queenie' reveal:
Side view of 'Queenie' getting panto quilted w/9" machine
Close-ups of 'Queenie's' panto quilting
Another side view
And there you have it - my very first pantographed, over-sized 'Queenie', who now has permanent residence in our family's TV room:
'Queenie' - Always ready and waiting to 'snuggle up' with anyone who just needs a 'Queenie' hug ;-)
Hope you enjoyed our stroll down memory lane and Thanks for tagging along for the first 100! Wonder what's in store for the next 100? Certainly, time will tell...
Later,
~Deb
PS...Want to go back to the 'very beginning'? - Here's a link to my very first blog post: "First Post..."
And know we know why so many of us 'upgrade' to the larger quilt machines :-) To this day, I have yet to do a pantograph! I have used my laser light a couple times but just using a block template... Still trying to decide if I'm missing out on something. This was a cute post, Deb, thanks for taking us down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 100th post! And I am so impressed that you quilted that big quilt on that little machine! It looks great! Loved your post, always good for a smile :).
ReplyDeleteDeb, I'm very humbled to see my name in your first blog! I'd forgotten that story, and I can say, as many quilters on the HQS group would, that you've outdone yourself, over and over again! In fact, you're one of the quilters I follow and learn from now! Congratulations, you and Betty Boop are a pair to be reckoned with now!!
ReplyDeleteIf I can be so lucky as to have my first quilt come out looking like this, I will be dancing with excitement. Thank you Deb for sharing so much information. I need all the encouragement, to know its not really all me and its a learning curve for sure.
ReplyDelete