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Sunday, January 24, 2010

Finish #2 for 2010!

Recently PGD#1 and I made some pom pom art. A magnet for her art work to display proudly on the refridgerator. It's cute and in her favorite color.



SO what does this have to do with my finish #2......Here's the pattern:



And here is a photo of my finsh #2:



Notice the difference? It's the coat tree and the hat with a pom pom. This photo shows more of the detail:



When I first saw this pattern, I thought the coat tree could have been a knitting needle with a knitted scarf coming off it. So I changed the pattern to have some coat hooks near it's top as well as looping the scarf around one of the pegs. Then I had a eureka moment. A hat with a pompom to compliment the colors of the scarf. Viola! It worked. The package of pompoms I had in for preschool art was too bright, so I tea dyed the red pom pom to shade it. I added the ribbing on the hat by playing with stitches on my Bernina 170 QE.
Something I also discovered while playing with my stitches was that my stitch #21 is a gathering stitch and only catches every third stitch. Wish I could have had that machine when I made the colonial muslin curtains for the master bedroom. I used a whole bolt of premium muslin and I think over 100 yards of cluny lace within the double ruffle which also had the corded insert of a tea rose cotton. It took me quite awhile and alot of hand stitching to gather all that fabric and lace especially since at the time, I only owned a Montgomery Ward- White sewing machine that cost $129.00 and I used, I mean really used hard for 25 years. What a work horse that machine was until it was used too much and then my grumbling started. Thank goodness my DH is so understanding, because at the time he said, if you need a new machine, get one. Thus my "baby Bernina" aka "Janina" came to live with me. VBG here.
He knows not to say that anymore. If I grumble now about trying to quilt on the 170 QE he stays quiet just knowing that if he said Go get a machine, my butt would be in the car lickety split! I would love a long arm but with the space limitations of our home, it's just not realistic to purchase one yet.

Happy Stitching,
Jane

1 comment:

quiltmom anna said...

Jane,
I had a Kenmore sewing machine for about 20 years before my husband bought me my Elna quilters dream machine. Since then, he has also bought a Babylock Quilting Machine about 5 years ago. It is slightly larger than a standard machine with a larger space between the sewing arm and the base. It has a small table that extends the bed and stitches 1100 per minute. It works great for quilting and I have quilted a king size quilt on it without too much difficulty.
Like you I wish I could have a long arm machine but we have no space in our small house. I feel lucky to have nice machines but a girl can dream too VBG...
Quilting is so much fun- you never know where it will take you.
Happy quilting!
Regards,
Anna