The past two nights this has been going on behind the scenes.
The only thing worse than picking out two intense passes of machine quilting on quilt that is 75'' wide?
Picking out two intense passes when the tension is PERFECT! GAHH!
You all know that I've been having issues with my quilting machine. It's an APQS Millennium circa 2008. I was in shock when I pulled out the manual to double check the paperwork on her. 2008.
How many quilts has she quilted to this point?
I've only ever had a few problems with her over the past nearly 15 years.
Zoey Jo, listening for bad words under my breath. She's not going to let this get the better of me, and is on hand for stress-reducing pets when I need to put the ripper down. LOL!
My CompuQuilter was installed in 2009. It's all in here - in the way back annals of this blog somewhere.
The company had issues after either the owner or his wife passed away back I don't know when, and for a while there was no support, until Intelliquilter picked up the reigns and is offering support for those who still use CompuQuilter.
But CompuQuilter is still pretty much in sunset mode with no further updates - in fact it's running on Windows XP on an old tower computer. Meanwhile, technology has moved on.
I found an installer/support person in North Georgia and have made the decision to trade in my old CompuQuilter for a new Intelliquilter which runs by tablet.
I don't know when installation will happen. But I'm "On The List."
I'll have a whole new system to learn. And that scares me just a bit - but it's time.
I also took comfort in the fact that if CompuQuilter served me so well over the past 14 years, that the Intelliquilter will likely be the last system I will ever need.
Now if I can only get the rest of this machine quilting picked out! AUUGH!
Lola, on top of the Purple Jubilee - it also is waiting for quilting along with our Chilhowie mystery top!
It feels weird having tops pile up with no way to quilt them right now. But all will be good in due time.
So I keep on piecing on!
Changing of the quilts!
Yesterday was a "Making All Things Ready" day as the November Quiltvillians began to pull in yesterday afternoon.
Halloween is now past us, and I hung Bristol in the front foyer.
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Seen at Corner Market!
Christmas Tree harvest (Full trees, not just truckloads of boughs) is in full swing. Which means I have my eyes peeled for any "road kill" trees that happen to roll off the back of a truck on our winding mountain roads. Will this be the year I find another tree to adopt? We'll see!
Remember this?
Last November Lori's Quiltville Q's brought all of their Pine Tree Point quilts to hang over the porch rail at Quiltville Inn.
Seeing all of those bundled trees on the back of that trailer brought to mind this photo and I had to come look it back up.
Holidays are coming whether we like it or not! And I have placed the PDF pattern for Pine Tree Point at 25% off in both the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop. No coupon needed.
Sale is good through 11/23/22 (Thanksgiving Eve) so hurry and save!
And if you already have this quilt started as a UFO - maybe now is the time to pull it back out and finish it up! I'd love to see your finishes.
And since we are talking about November sales and savings, here's something else you may be interested in.
ALL MONTH LONG!
25% off EVERYTHING at Electric Quilt!
YES! That includes EQ 8 Software!
And it includes the Block Base+ Add On!
Click through my links to get there, and remember to use coupon code EVERYTHING to save your 25%.
If EQ8 and Block Base+ are not on your gift list - they should be!
Today's plan - Hanging out with the November Quiltvillians! Most arrived last evening after I had already made my way home.
This is the time of year where "NO NIGHT DRIVING" gets really depressing. It will be harder (and cutting into my fun!) next week when Fall Back happens.
What do you have on your plate for today?
Don't forget to sign up for our Panic in Paducah Book & Fabric Gift-Away HERE.
And while you are in a winning mood, Don't forget to sign up for the Nov/Dec '22 Quiltmaker Gift-Away HERE!
That drawing happens on Saturday 11/5/22.
Okay, that's it - let's get this day going!
Quiltville Quote of the day -
Vintage churn Dash from my collection found in North Carolina
Fabulous observations from a Quiltville reader left in the comments section.
I think she sums it up just perfectly, don't you!
Thank you, Delores!
Here to a terrific Thursday ahead -
15 comments:
My Handi-Quilter has a Pro-Stitcher and it was like learning a whole new system when they did an update. If my little brain can learn it, you can learn a new system too! Seems like when we get in a groove, the groove goes sideways.
Bonnie, I am a proud IQ owner and find it user friendly. IQ has a good base of info online and a helpful group of owners. Check out IQdemos for a whole site of help. I just wish I had gotten mine sooner. (my fav thing is how easy it is to go from computer guided to free motion-ONE BUTTON! Magical!)
LOL! I would never have thought of 'road kill Christmas trees.' Too funny, but it's great that you can pick them up and put them to use, instead of them going to waste. I'm guessing that road kill finds from the pumpkin harvest are... less useable. ;)
Fingers crossed that your longarm troubles are sorted out soon.
I have no long arm so can't help you there. You will have lot of quilts to practice on! Today's plan calls for more work on my Christmas quilt for our bed. The blocks are a huge 18" so that's fun, and I love how it's looking. But, I thought there were only 9 and now I see there are 12. Plus fancy sashes. We'll see if it goes on the bed this year or not!
Your compuquilter system woes are getting an upgrade, that is great news. I would be fearful of learning new things. I'm sorry you have to un- Quilt. It is worse than anything I know. My sincere sympathy.
I'm working on Pine Tree Point!! What a coincidence.
Good going on ordering that upgrade for Millie.
I'm not comfortable driving at night myself. I have a cataract to take care of someday.
Hope you get a runaway tree!!
My Innova is totally hand-guided, but a friend in Florida (I was visiting) let me use her machine with IQ to do a couple of 130" square quilts, one was E2E and the other one was totally custom. I found IQ to be a very intuitive, logical system and if I ever add a computer system to my Innova, I will be getting IQ. It may actually take a bit more for you to "unlearn" how you did things on Compuquilter and how they are done on IQ, but you will love IQ!!
Your retreaters might like to lend a hand with the unpicking. It's a nice, mindless, chattery kind of activity to do in the Hen Den or other places where they gather.
My mom's name is also Delores---there aren't that many of them out there that don't start it with "Do" I'm chugging away on Crazie Mazie and would love to get it finished before the mystery starts. I'm going to my guild's monthly get away Friday & Saturday, and hopefully, I'll make a lot of progress.
I don't own a long arm, but quilt on my mother-in-law's Gammill long arm that is retrofitted with a Statler. It is over 20 years old and has quilted many quilts on it. While I am not a huge long arm fan, I am grateful that I can use it when ever I need to. It will hurt me when it goes down, but I can be ok with having someone else do my quilting for me. I hope that your quilting machine woes go away soon. I think the idea of you catching a run a way Christmas tree is a grand one, and let us know if you score! Enjoy the new group of ladies!
Wow! I don't often run into another Innova user, so I just wanted to say hi! Mine is hand-guided too, and I am interested to hear that IQ is intuitive.
So sorry about the reverse quilting; I've done it, too. I quilted professionally for eight years before I added Intelliquilter. My only regret is that I didn't add it sooner. It is a versatile piece of equipment. I was able to use the same tablet but with a different docking bracket when I switched from an Innova to APQS Millie. There's a good deal of online help for Intelliquilter via FB and through Machine Quilter's Academy/Tracey Browning in Australia. Enjoy your new set up!
I have always wondered if the quilts you put your treasured sayings on (I look forward to them everyday) all your quilts? If so where do you store all those antique quilts or are they pictures of quilts you have collected? Just wondering.
My husband put IQ on my long-arm when I was ready to sell it as it was "beating me up". It is wonderful. You might want to watch for classes from Janice Kazenski (sp) at various quilt shows. There are others that teach it as well, some very good on-line sessions. A note of caution, some of the Patterns by Helen were put on it for her to demonstrate how to fix things. I took the classes with her - excellent, but she is semi-retired. She still does excellent videos. There is an IQ facebook group as well.
I love my Intelliquilter and there are great youtube videos that teach lots of stuff. You'll figure it out in no time!
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