Slow Starts.

Dogwood Days began its quilting process yesterday.

But it was not fast moving!

I think I encountered every problem that a long arm quilter dreads.

In my case it mostly revolved around the constant snapping of my top thread - 

My goal was to make it to half-way quilted yesterday, but in all honestly I was happy to make it 1/6 of the way before I had to abandon everything and head to town for an appointment with the Chiropractor.

But let's take a moment to love this perfect backing!

Because what's not to love about pink and aqua zebra with rainbow stripes?  It reminds me of the Fruit Stripe gum from my childhood.

Of course there wasn't quite enough yardage, and it's directional.  With big print.  So I played by the "Necessity is the author of invention" and threw in a dark pink racing stripe to make the backing wide enough.

And then I set in to quilting.  And all of the thread snapping started.

I changed needles.  I readjusted needles to make sure they were straight and not rotated. I cleaned, oiled, retreated everything, and changed top thread.

Click to Play:

I made it almost all the way back before the thread broke again.
This time I decided to ditch the pre-wound bobbin - and maybe THAT was the problem all along?  I was able to quilt one more pass before I had to leave.
I won't know until I fire up the machine and resume again today.

Can you see the swirls?

I am loving this one - I just want it to behave!

I'm already thinking an aqua binding - just something to finish the edge in the same color family as the piecing at the outside edge of the quilt. Any other color would shout, and it's busy enough as it is.

I'm hoping to have Dogwood Daze ready for PDF pattern release just as my dogwood tree is getting ready to bloom here.  Look for it in April.

We will be releasing Waterford mid-March!

Yes, there will be a gift-away and introductory pricing. Stay tuned.  There are exciting things happening every month.

After dinner binding stitching!

This is moving along not to shabbily as I only started stitching the binding down on Sunday evening.

A couple more nights and it will be done and I can return to hand quilting the center.

I'm looking at perhaps releasing Abbeygate closer to fall.  There are still several months of hand quilting to happen here, but I'm happy that the fuzzy batting edge and the excess backing margins are now gone.  It's a lot less to wrestle.

Good Morning from Zoey Jo!

This morning I am off to the inn early - The Lincoln quilt guild gals are on their way from Lincolnton NC - having moved their retreat a day earlier to avoid the snow that is to start falling tonight and through tomorrow.

They'll be all tucked in and cozy and sewing away while the outside does whatever the outside does in February.

I'm heading over to open doors, turn up the heat and be there when they arrive.

What's up for your Tuesday?

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

It's no contest - Hands down! 

If anyone needs me, you know where to find me!