Getting Reacquainted

Getting Reacquainted by 2ndAveStudio
Getting Reacquainted, a photo by 2ndAveStudio on Flickr.

A couple of weeks ago I got my HandiQuilter back from the Spa. I promptly loaded up a top and away i went. .. BRrrrrum Yaaaagagagaaa!
I shifted into second and ... Whoa! the needle got away from me... this sucker was hummin'!
Somebody replaced my VW with a Porsche engine... and I promply ruined the top I was working on..
Boo! Sadness and a pint of Chocolate Chocolate Chip later... I decided I needed a refresher and some serious practice time...
There are no less than 6 quilt tops waiting for me. 3 of which, are "Great!" , bordering on "Stupendous"... well, maybe not that good but I dont want to mess them up...
So I'm practicing...
practicing..
I figure another 3 hours and I can move back on to real work...
Hope your week is well and your work is good,
Rachel

PMQG Name Tag..

PMQG nametag.. by 2ndAveStudio
PMQG nametag.., a photo by 2ndAveStudio on Flickr.
I spent about 30 minutes making this and about 30 minutes hunting down that fabric..:)The Studio Re-org continues... :)
Last Month our guild gave us all pin backs to make a nametag. This is mine.

I finally got my HQ16 back from The Spa and although she now purrs, Im still getting used to the lack of backfiring.. so to speak..
Basically my VW went on vacation and came back a Porsche....
Thursday is Guild and I was hoping the quilt I used in the background would be finished. Its still not off the quilter...
This weekend Cherri and I did a Staff class over MD on Frame Quilting...  We are all so excited to be bringing this great tool to the community. I teach on Wednesday Night and I'm pretty excited...
The Thread Cutter, Auto Threader, Roomy throat space, and the BSR make the 820 a great way to quilt...
Exciting! 
Quilters Rock!

Curves- my best advice..

Round about quilt along Completed!
People have asked for a Curved tutorial before.. 
Curves are so easy that I felt like I didn't have much to say. 
How do I explain: use a good template, feed them thru, and they nest together so nice... 
this quilt I made with 6 inch quarters. 
In a nutshell its this:
Cut your shapes
Notch your center
The pie always goes on the plate
Dont bother with pins 
You're a creative, smart,  talented woman. they are easy. you can do this..
IMG_2002 
I've used several different templates but I like Eliza's Back Porch and Tabslot the best. Tabslot will CAD and make whatever size you want... nice!

I made this one several years ago using 8 inch blocks... oh, heres a secret... the larger the circle the gentler and easier the curve.... I made several of these when I was mastering the skill.  
The photo says it was taken in 2007 but I know I made this and several like it in the old house so my guess is that it dates back to 2005.  I've been doing curves a long time. I've tried lots of tools and tricks. My only real advise is to practice. practice practice. I think pins are a real slow down and if your pie isn't on the plate, you'll get tucks anyway.

In other news: 
I pantographed a quilt on the 820 and bernina frame over at MD. This is nothing I'll do a lot of, but it was good to get a bit of practice in, frame and rental classes start next week. 
Panto on the 820
 in even more "other news"....
Some of you wrote me lovely personal notes, thank you.  
Quilters Rock!

Hello Goodbye and No Apologies

Look at my new Machine/Eye Candy/ Decor - Im gonna clean it and put it on a shelf. I took this photo as an idea for a new header. Its a cutie, it works and it was 12.99... Thank You Bargainia - She is the Goddess of the good deal and I will be burning incense lit with the flame from expired coupons to her later. 
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An Era is over, we are now no longer sewing at the Mandatory Hotel. Our leader ( the headless lady in the center) gave our last 20+ quilts to Sunrise Church and their warming station.


Inspiration!
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Inspiration: where does it come from? Well here are 2 photos of mine. A Ben Sherman Shirt I have in my stash ( I got it from the bins) and this screen capture from SNL. I'll be working on a simple Sketch of an idea for later - Im gonna practice quilt it.

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 Here's another quilt top I made with parts from this quilt. Sorry the pic is lousy..

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 the centers are all hand appliqued - I just love how a bit of quality handwork makes a project so much better...
Quilters Rock!




OK there has been more of the same old drama going on... the Queen Bees and WannaBees are hard at work trying to give the gift of Self Doubt, and exploit your sense of social shame. Don't let them do it..
Stay strong! Reach out to folks to have your back and want to celebrate your creativity and uniqueness.
below is my remarks, about my experience, yes they are harsh but so was the experience .. it sucked to have my feelings hurt and be treated as though I needed to explain myself and my artistic process.

Normally I don't respond to this crap but the professional consensus is that this is the correct approach.
So read no further unless your interested: 

This is what I posted to someone who had experienced this persons cruelty. I stand by my remarks and I wrote that this was my experience. If its not yours, great. Women get bullied in a different style than men, much more passive aggressive. I wanted the woman who was now a target of this kind of Social, Relational Aggression (as I had been) to know she wasn't alone.
You're not to blame, time to move on. Support Sister; Ignore the Bitch!
******
"Hi- I know the person who did this to you in real life. I sure wish you wouldn't blame The *** and direct your anger at the person.
My experience with the person is that she is cruel, unkind and goes out of her way to put people down. She made my friend cry. SHe has pulled me aside at nearly every event and said some unkind thing like
"dont you EVER finish anything?" "well, your not really Modern at all" {edit: I now avoid her: problem solved}
She actually snapped her fingers in my face,screamed "Give it to me, give it to me, right now!" and snatched an object out of my hands.  ( I was with another lady we were tutoring someone on the Ipad, this was not done to me alone)
I volunteered at a quilt show, she walked right up to me in public and in a loud rude voice " What do you think you are doing?"

I have had to stop talking to her, stop following at any level. She can be very nice and friendly to people she perceives as her equals/betters(altho she talks behind their backs with the same cruelty/pettiness she says to our faces). But its been my experience that she goes out of her way to be mean to SOME people.
I looked at your blog a bit and like me, your an Artist who quilts. like the lady who cried: also an Artist. Hmm I see a pattern here..
Im following you now.. and I'll check out your facebook page...
Anybody she has been cruel to must be a creative genius with a heart of gold ... :) just like me:)"
*
EDIT:
This post is 6 months old, I cannot for the life of me figure out why people are still interested in this.
whoever sent you sent here is making more of this than it is.. ... I've moved on.  I'm often in the same room with this person and we have lots of common acquaintances - its over, nothing to see here, move along.