43.6 Let’s Get Ready for March A Long 2019

Hey! End of the week this week leads us smack dab into March!

I decided to make a video to commemorate the beginning of March, because that is the month I try to “rally the troops” (ants) into sewing every day for 15 minutes a day!

So, we try to encourage each other to do a very mild discipline in our quilting! Just 15 minutes a day! It is usually one of the more productive or creative times of the year for me, it can, at times be hard to get me out of the sewing room in March!

Anyway, whatever it means to you to work on quilting, be it planning, cleaning, organizing, cutting, pinning, quilting, stitching, ripping, applique, embroidery, binding, retreating, blog-hopping, buying, auditioning, dreaming, designing, writing quilt patterns, doodling quilting designs, playing with color combos, swapping, meeting other quilters, quilt meetings, round-robbining, rug-mugging, bag making, DVD watching, craftsy watching, ….

You get the idea.

Here are my inspiration to start on March A Long for free motion quilting.

This top and backing need basted, marked and quilted

In searching for batting, I found two black batting pieces I could make into a larger batting piece to get this quilt free motioned, and so I made an appropriate back for it (on top).

And I watched classes on Ruler quilting and free motion quilting to get me ready with this stack of mostly practice sandwiches first. My free motion quilting ruler collection is small, and several are not quite as recommended because the lack of lines and markings.

Currently I might try the applique sheet on the gap between my sew ezi table and my grandma’s old living room table. I have yet to buy a supreme slider.  But I read online that you could use an oven liner too instead, and am considering that.

Just by stitching down the stained glass bias tape on this quilt was enough to remind me that the corner I have behind my sew ezi table is a little wonky. But it got me into the free motion mood.

I did also buy a dog grooming station, to hold all the bulk but I haven’t set it up yet. I want to see how easy it is to quilt the black Star Struck quilt first. And possibly move around furniture behind the sewing machine to run it into the wall?

These are currently my goals and plans for sewing this coming month. What are yours? Going to want to play along with us?

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40.6 Gearing up for March-A-Long 2017

It’s that time again – time to consider March – A – Long for the year 2017.

For the past several years I have “hosted” March – A – Long for the month of March.

This is an encouragement to sew/quilt/design/dream/read/shop …. about quilting for 15 minutes a day for the month of March!

Last year I made myself for the month of March focus specifically on Free Motion Quilting. I would like to replicate that this year if I can.

Feel free to join a long, which is why I call it an “-A-Long”, so we can all work together on furthering our quilting goals.

I always offer a chance for others to participate. Either here as a comment, or on the Scientific Quilter page on FaceBook. I can also be found on Twitter or Instagram. I haven’t been super active anywhere but the Twilters! group on FB, but I promise to check in these other places for the month of March during the March A Long.

You can either find me as scientificquilt (twitter), or scientificquilter (instagram). I make a pledge to post weekly during March A Long. Most years I am pretty close to “on the nose” on this.

I may do short audio like last year. That was sorta fun. At the current moment, I can’t remember where my audio ants are stored, but we might see if we can find it sometime before the end of the month. Maybe sooner than that, even.

I know for at least for a while, if I don’t have anything else to do, I can always remove the paper from this quilt.

I think there are 99 blocks here, with several seams in each. I used regular paper too, which while I was sewing them together, wasn’t a bad idea. It’s cheaper, easier to access than the “made for paper piecing” paper that I have purchased in the past. But, the ripping out stage isn’t really quite as much fun.

Actually, neither was the “sewing all the lines together” part.

My goals are three fold this month:

1. Finish up this quilt top to see if I need borders. I wish I had more of the blue background to float some borders, I have just the idea for those. But, alas I do not, so this quilt may go with or without borders.
2. Get as many small quilts free motion quilted as possible. I still have a small stack of quilts, some of which are basted and ready to go.
3. Create adequate backing for other quilts I have been working on that have tops but not bottoms.

Anyway, I always enjoy hearing about others’ March-A-Long progress. State goals and successes here or other places you can find me!

Ready, Set, Quilt …. March along you little quilters! Drop & give me 20 …. stitches!

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34.9 March A Long 2014 – My progress and video

I had to cut my last post short due to video problems with the camera battery. After recording 3 times Sunda, I gave up trying on Sunday.

I also recorded this 3 times today due to video length. 🙂 Here it is, my report & video.

What am I up to??

I cut the very last of my charm squares, I have them all baggied up.

Some of my cubbies have been reorganized while I watch episodes of mythbusters on netflix.

I participated in a few conversations on facebook about Modern Quilting (the aesthetic) vs modern (or contemporary) quilting (the movement).

Some on the Quilting groups too. I spammed the internet this weekend looking for things to do, participate in. People were being a little more quiet than I was hoping.

I uploaded some pictures & managed the guild roster on our guild website (major fun) & verified that changes were made on someone else’s website that referenced our guild (EXCITING FUN I KNOW!)

So much fun I had to dance with this quilt a little bit today.

I cursed at my vintage machine for a while when it kept breaking threads. Simply trying to do straight line quilting, no jerky motions, the machine was having none of it.

I tried:

• rethreading top
• rethreading bobbin
• changing the bobbin thread
• changing the top thread (brand AND spool)
• holding onto those loose threads really tightly
• changing the needle
• changing the needle type
• cleaning out the whole bobbin area for spare thread / lint
• changing from FMQ (darning) foot to walking foot (haven’t used in a long time)
• adjusting the tension on the top down

The last attempt on my vintage machine, I had seen a flicker in my light switch that related to the same power strip as my vintage machine and I decided there was potentially an electrical threat.

I haven’t had the machine looked at, and sometimes when I have used it, it sounds like it’s taking the motor time with catching up with the fact the foot pedal has been pressed in.

So now the machine has a cover. To keep me from staring at it longingly.

For another troubleshooting idea I decided to baste my little scrapitude quilt. To have something without a pieced back to quilt against and to have enough fabric left over for a test quilt on the side.

And I redecorated sorta. The blue & white quilt on the left top is a quilt I got at a quilt auction 3 years ago.

And this quilt I think our shop is selling the pattern, or was, as this was a quilt I got as an auction quilt made by our featured quilter. Not her usual style of quilts, but I really liked it.

I recap with my sergeant & my marching ants in the video below.

For those of you who like the voice & the ants.

In this video, I share my current book haul.

March-A-Long Post #1 & #2  & #3 & #4 & #5 & #6 for 2014

I am willing to part with these items as a thank you gift for a lucky someone (or three) to be determined by email from who I end up contacting in a couple of weeks.

I love that you have all went through this with me again for another year! All receive pats on the back weather or not we actually sewed every day. I think I missed 3 days total in March, which is EXCELLENT progress! Completely made up for it in other days!

So make sure if you haven’t already, sign up on the inlinkz for this week. Or leave a comment below.

34.4 Great start to the March-A-Long

Thanks everyone for participating in this year’s March-A-Long! Or thinking about it at least.

March-A-Long we attempt to craft for at least 15 minutes a day for the entire month of March.

No rules, no drill sergeants, no stopwatches! Just do something quilty for the month of March.

For some people, crafting can be intimidating if we don’t have a “large chunk of time”.

But this March, can you start thinking of the little things that can help move your projects forward, little bits at a time.

OR sew a LOT of time if you’re lucky enough to be able to do it!

The previous post has some links in the comments to others who are participating in the March – A – Long, and a video about some ideas I had to help you get started thinking in terms of a little bit of crafting.

So far, there’s only been 2 days of March, but as it’s the weekend, I have seen a LOT of quilters & #twilters work towards sewing in March!

It’s exciting to be in such a quilting & sewing frenzy!

My 2 day progress has been to cut up scraps and to iron/wash some new to me fabric.

It’ll get more challenging the upcoming week with work schedules, but I am committed to attempt to sew 15 minutes right along with the rest of ya’all.

I also have a quilt ready to Free Motion Quilt (FMQ) on my Domestic Sewing Machine (DSM). I am probably headed toward basting another small project first however.

Feel free to share your weekend now, or share more next weekend after sewing (or designing or whatever) next week!