Tackle it Tuesday

24th June 2008

posted in blogging, sewing |

I have been attempting to push myself to tackle this project for almost a week. I continue to find reasons and excuses as to why I don’t have time to do it, but I really need to get it done. You see, my current project is a tote bag. Now, I love to sew, I love to create and I love seeing and sharing the finished product. So, what’s my problem? Well, this particular tote is wanting to be quilted. I am not a quilter. I don’t enjoy quilting, probably because I’m not so good at it. Therein lies the problem.

You see, I’m a perfectionist when it comes to the projects I sew. I try very hard to do things right the first time around, but I certainly and not afraid to rip out a seam if I don’t like the way it turned out (probably why I own 3 different seam rippers). My machine, although it is quite capable of quilting, doesn’t seem to cooperate very well when sewing through thick layers that include batting. I’ve attempted several different machine adjustments and have yet to get it right.

I’ve spent the last few days reading through various sewing manuals that came with my machine, trying to figure out the best settings for this particular project. I’ve attached the machines “walking” foot and now have to figure out how the heck I attach the guide. The guide allows me to not have to mark the fabric with all of those quilting lines. If I can get the gide attached, I only have to mark the first line and then the guide helps me with all of the rest.

So, my tackle for today is to stop making excuses. Stop being afraid of the task at hand. Get in there and Just Do It!

Tags: machine quilting, tackle it Tuesday, walking foot

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 at 10:04 am and is filed under blogging, sewing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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June 2008

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1 On June 24th, 2008, lis said:

Wow! you know how to sew, im so terrible using the sewing machine, but i could sew by my hand…ha ha ha, i sewed my finger before, that’s why im too scared to use one.

This sex ang porn pop ups…i opened so many sites to pay a visit, when i closed all the screen. then, i saw the wide screen of nasty porn. Im soooo angry,i never appreciate this site..thanks for the comments

lis’s last blog post..The Watch I Love

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:11 am

2 On June 24th, 2008, robin said:

You do such beautiful things.
I always love to see what you are working on.

robin@heartofwisdom.com’s last blog post..Need Help Getting Organized? Call the Kids!

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:16 am

3 On June 24th, 2008, lynne said:

lis - Oh no! I haven’t had those pop ups! Did you report them to EC? That’s unacceptable. I won’t even click on EC cards that are to sexy looking. It’s offensive to me.

I don’t like to sew by hand so I bought a machine that does just about everything for me! I just have to figure out how things work on it sometimes.

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:31 am

4 On June 24th, 2008, Tere Sanders said:

I love that fabric!!! I know what you mean about quilting… boring! Have you ever tried quilting with your embroidery machine? I have some designs I’ve been wanting to try out in that way. I love your blog!

Tere Sanders’s last blog post..Fabric Gift Bag and Tutorial

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 11:17 am

5 On June 24th, 2008, lynne said:

Tere - I do quilt with my embroidery/sewing machine. I’ve also embroidered on top of a quilted pillow with the machine. I do use my machine for sewing (including quitling) and embroidery. I have a Viking Platinum 955.

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

6 On June 24th, 2008, Karen said:

Are you using your walking foot? I hope you get it done.

Karen’s last blog post..By: Karen

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 4:04 pm

7 On June 24th, 2008, Muthering Heights said:

I think it will be so pretty! I have a sewing machine, but we lost my instruction manual in a move somewhere along the line, so I have no clue how to use it. Sewing beautiful projects is tough, but yours look great! I admire you as a seamstress!
Muthering Heights’s last blog post..Try It Out Tuesday - California Baby Super Sensitive Shampoo & Bodywash

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 7:47 pm

8 On June 24th, 2008, lynne said:

Karen - Yep, I use my walking foot. I just haven’t figured out the right tension on my feed dogs so that the bottom fabric feeds at the same speed as my top fabric.

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:07 pm

9 On June 24th, 2008, lynne said:

I wonder if you could get another sewing machine manual from the manufacturer. I’d be lost without my manual!

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:08 pm

10 On June 24th, 2008, lynne said:

Robin - Thanks! Compliments are always appreciated! I just can’t seem to force myself to go in there and quilt this tote! I love piecing and putting things together, but I’m such a wimp when it comes to quilting!

posted on June 24th, 2008 at 10:09 pm

11 On June 25th, 2008, Marlaine said:

Using the walking foot is a must with machine quilting unless you are doing freeform with feed dogs dropped. If you really want to do yourself a favour…spend a few minutes hand basting to keep the three layers from shifting. Stitches can be an inch long and I usually do a grid no smaller than 3″ …no bigger than 6″ intervals. I use a long doll making needle. It pulls out quickly and bastes up quickly and it saves time in the long run. Another trick is to lengthen the stitch you quilt with to accommodate the thickness. Hope you have success!

Marlaine’s last blog post..Triangles…A New Compulsion

posted on June 25th, 2008 at 4:19 pm

12 On June 25th, 2008, lynne said:

Marlaine - I definitely use my walking foot when machine quilting. I just don’t do it that frequently, in fact, I try to avoid it! I have trouble getting the top fabric to move with the bottom fabric. I spent a lot of time a few days ago pinning all of the layers together. I read all my machine manuals for suggestions and actually found a suggested setting for my presser foot pressure. I also put in a nice new needle.

I have to say, in the end, the quilting job came our pretty well. The muslin lining crinkled just a little in a couple of spots, but the top stayed flat and no puckering. The muslin won’t be seen because it will be covered by the tote bag lining. I quite happy with how the bag is turning out. Check back soon, I’ll have pictures up when I’ve finished it!

posted on June 25th, 2008 at 7:12 pm

13 On June 26th, 2008, Grace said:

time for a new machine Lynne, muwaahahaha

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 6:21 am

14 On June 26th, 2008, waterrose said:

The manual only helps me once I’ve figured it out for myself and they I think…Ohhh that’s what they were trying to explain! Practicing on a quilted piece that you won’t need to use for anything is the best way to get the feel of quilting on the machine. I especially like free-form quilting with the feed dogs down. I put some music on and just get in the rhythm.

waterrose’s last blog post..My It Things! Wow front page!

posted on June 26th, 2008 at 10:28 am