There is no crying in quilting!

Actually, there is a lot of crying in quilting!!

As least here when things go wrong -- like this weekend.  I'm going to share the following story, not to criticize the piecer, but to let people know what a longarmer goes through when things aren't perfect.  I should seriously rephrase that... what I go through, some other people just don't care or put the blame on someone else.  Me, I usually blame myself, even when it's not my fault.

Over the weekend I loaded a customer quilt.  It wasn't perfect, it had a couple of issues but nothing I was extremely worried about.

I start quilting and within seconds BAM... the craziness began.  Thread was breaking what seemed like every inch.  When the thread wasn't breaking, it was skipping stitches, like lots of stitches.  What is going on?!!  Over the course of the morning I changed needles, oiled, re-oiled, changed threads, tried different thread/bobbin combinations -- scratched my head in confusion -- changed bobbins, removed and cleaned under the plate, remove antibacklash spring and cleaned bobbin case, re-threaded the machine like a gazillion times -- cried -- triple checked my needle bar height, triple checked my hopping foot height, everything... I did it, changed it, retried, nothing helped.  And I cried... again!  I don't cry out of despair.  I cry to relieve stress, and to not hurt people I love because they walked by when things weren't going well.

On top of all those issues the quilting design I had planned wouldn't work as the seams on this quilt were pressed to one side, not trimmed and were thick.  Some much thicker than others.  Needless to say upon hitting one my hopping foot moved and the needle broke... not much goodness at this point -- and more crying.  STOP... regroup.  Rip out all the stitches that look like crap because I can't get up to the center of the block.  Try a different quilting configuration... nope -- rip it out.  Cry again.  At this point my stress level is so high blinking could easily cause crying.  BUT... I must continue.  What I'm not telling you is it is already Sunday and the only thing I have accomplished is unquilting this quilt twice!  Cry again, just because that is bad!  Oh, and I have also texted my bestie a bazillion times... mostly saying WTF... I'm crying again!  Like I said, many longarmers would have unracked the quilt, called the customer, and said I'm not quilting this, come pick it up.  This is one of my regular customers and other than the thick seams (probably from rushing to finish) and some wonkiness in the borders the rest of the issues seemed to be machine and/or thread related.  Why would I make her pick-up her quilt?  For whatever reason I was having extreme difficulties working on this quilt.  But, I was going to finish it, tears and all!

I finally found an acceptable thread/bobbin combination that resulted in no skipped stitches, but the thread was still breaking way more than I find acceptable.  My best bet for quilting to avoid all those thick seams was to do an all-over meander.  Okay... I quilted, it took me all day but this quilt was finally finished.  I did notice that the thread seemed to be breaking a lot while stitching through one particular fabric.  Not always, but a lot.  Could that have been a reason... IDK!

Whew... it was a trying experience, I still do not know what was going on... could have been the fact that it was beautiful outside and all the windows were open, could have been a full moon, could have been Mercury in retrograde... I don't know, but I was most certainly going to find out!

Today I decided I'd load some fabric and doodle my heart out to find out what was going on with the machine, the thread, everything.  Well, good thing I was putzing around and didn't load that fabric because while eating lunch I had an awesome brainstorm.  I should draw out a mini wholecloth quilt and stitch it out.  If I have problems I'll still be able to correct the issues and if not, I might just have a Christmas gift finished!

Well, guess what... you're not going to believe this... not a single skipped stitch, not a single thread break, nothing!  The only problem I had was keeping my ruler straight while doing my curve cross hatching!  That's it!  I used a cotton sateen fabric with the same batting as the problem quilt and a cotton backing.  Why were there no problems today -- you tell me?!!  It's possible because the South Florida humidity was back!

So, here's my mini:

I am really glad I stitched out something instead of just doodling.  I think I really needed to prove to myself that yes, things go wrong and no, it isn't my fault and doesn't make me less of a quilter.

and a new quilt is born...

WHAT?  Yes, you all know how busy I am right now, the deadlines I'm supposed to be missing -- I mean meeting, and everything else in my crazy wonderful life.

My main deadline was the World Quilt Show Florida IV (Mancuso).  My second deadline was the PSLCQ Guild UFO Challenge.  For these deadlines I was going to use the same quilt -- True Colors.  World Quilt Show entries were due by 9/24 and the UFO Challenge is due 10/3 -- seemed totally possible in a crazy sort of way.  Well... it was Wednesday or Thursday when I realized that four days was NOT enough time to quilt True Colors.  So what do you think I did?... seriously... wait for it... I designed a small wholecloth to whip-up over the weekend.  Am I  *bleeping* nuts... YES!  I am *bleeping* insanely nuts, well beyond that of the normal nuts person!  But not really.  A small wholecloth is one design, one fabric, one color thread, and some background fills.  Totally possible over a weekend, remember I said small wholecloth and I'd be using each and every possible hour of that weekend.  The amount of quilting planned for True Colors will probably span out over a two-week period (if not more).  So, True Colors will just debut at a later show -- and, I have failed at my UFO Challenge -- no worries, I can live with both.

So here goes the weekend in photos:

 

Now... the name -- Sidewalk Chalk
Cute huh?  How the heck did this quilt get named that?  Let me start with I did not name this quilt -- and it's a good thing!  Lets go back to me quilting... grey fabric, chambrey to be exact.  I LOVE GREY... it is a problem!  Anyway, you have to realize that while I'm quilting my face is maybe 10-12 inches from the fabric the entire time.  This grey is the color of concrete.  I'm using they most beautiful pastel variegated thread.  All I can see is concrete.  When I spritz the quilt with water to remove markings all I can see is wet concrete!  So... with concrete on my mind I'm thinking of names... hmmmm... concrete?  Pretty thread?... concrete?  You can see this is going no where.  So, texting begins with one of the besties...

Me:  concrete?
Bestie:  you can't call it concrete - that's ugly
Me:  and... it looks like concrete, with candy
Bestie:  no, that just does not sound right
Me:  well, it freaking looks like concrete, cement, call it what you may
Bestie:  sidewalk... and the thread looks like chalk on the sidewalk

and a new quilt was born, thank you Lisa!

Catch up... not ketchup, that would be messy!

Oh my, this is going to be a VERY LONG post.  Sooooo much has been going on that I don't even know where to start.

I guess I'll start with Mabel since she is weighing on my mind the most.  We finally got her regulated to the point that she was getting insulin at 50 units am and 45 units pm -- this was keeping her urine glucose in check.  Well, right when you think things are okay... NOT.  Memorial Day she had her first diabetic seizure.  Break out the karo syrup and attempt to get it on her tongue while her teeth are clenched shut... it was rough, we got through it.  No insulin that night.  Tuesday morning no sugar in pee, no insulin, Tuesday night, pee glucose at 500, dropped her down to 40 units of insulin... this went on with no rhyme or reason until Thursday morning... forty minutes after her insulin she had another seizure.  Rushed her to the vet for blood work, okay.  Get home, within minutes another seizure.  The vet says the best part of this is that we had blood work one hour after a seizure and one hour before a seizure, apparently speaking "vet" this was the best opportunity for blood work to see what was happening during the seizures.  Turns out her blood sugar was almost zero - so close to diabetic coma... okay, can't even go there mentally.  It also showed that her fructosamine was mid-high.  I'm not a doctor/vet but apparently this shows what has been going on with her for the past 6 weeks.  She most definitely needs insulin.  So now we are back to 20 units am and 20 units pm.  Apparently Mabel is just like the rest of this house and runs hot and cold... never a middle ground.  The vet decided that instead of following her urine glucose levels, we'll just track them and use her thirst levels for insulin adjustments.  All I can say is thank God I work from home and can monitor her as much as possible.

I guess my weight loss would be next.  I haven't lost any weight in almost three weeks, I guess the good in this is that I've been adding carbs back and haven't gained any weight either.  Strange part is my weight is moving around, if that makes any sense at all?  Here are three pics to date, the right being the most recent, still weighing the same, fat's just moving somewhere?  Oh goodness, I'm wearing shorts too, I haven't done that in a very long time!  See, I told you I have a bunch of these shirts, super thin oh-so-comfy t-shirts (now getting super baggy).  Oh, one more thing, in case I haven't mentioned this, thank you all for being so very supportive through this!

Up next... a recent trip to Joann's to use up my expiring coupons resulted in an awesome deal.  I purchased yet another 6.5" ruler.  I own two, well three now, but this way I am able to lose it, just like the others!  I also got some bigger mirrors (12") for wholecloth designing.  But the best deal was a faux-silk (yep, did the burn test) in a luxurious copper-penny color.  Ready, it was originally 21.99 (a bit high for faux I think), marked-down three times to $6 and since it was 50% off Red-Tag fabric I got it for $3/yard.  WOW, that was a super unexpected sale! 

Isn't it gorgeous!  I am amazed that is is faux - it catches the light and adjusts color just like real silk, but yet it melted like plastic.  Guess it's just a really good faux silk - as beautiful as it is, I will accept it!  Here is a little peek of what is going on it... sorry, but that's all you can see right now!

See, I told you tons of stuff going on over here...

On to old/new business.  A while ago I received some embroidery files from Cristy at Purple Daisies.  For those of you that don't know, she is daughter to the amazing Sharon Schamber (someone I am both honored and proud to call friend).  Anyway, Sharon has been working on digitizing her beautiful quilting into embroidery files.  Let me tell you, they are amazing!  I had made this super cute mini-quilt using the files Cristy sent.  For those of you that don't know me well, I created it, quilted it, binded it, and the put it on the table and covered it... normal-ness in my house.  Well, I just found it the other day and shipped it right off to Cristy with an apology for being my own forgetful self... gotta take the good with the bad right?  Anyway, here are some pictures

These are from the Sea Foam Feathers collection and they are absolutely beautiful!  Make sure you visit Cristy's website and order some for yourself!

Oh, almost forgot, Wonderlust has been accepted into Quilt Odyssey in Hershey, PA -- if you're anywhere near there at the end of July make sure you stop in to visit it for me!

I have two more bits to share with you, but they will have to wait until next time!  Happy Day Quilties!

MQS... honorably!

Yay me!  Last week, while at MQS, Wonderlust got some new bling... an Honorable Mention ribbon!  I was tickled, actually still am!  My husband laughs at me and tells me that an Honorable Mention is really "first official loser" -- NOT!  It means I did well, that my quilt was recognized.  Seriously, I am nuts -- my award could be for "Ugliest Quilt Evahhh", and I'd still be tickled pink winning a ribbon!

So here is Wonderlust wearing her new bling!  Thanks Claudia Pfeil for the photo!

I don't want to multiple-post the same thing, but I must share this one, which is now an absolute favorite, provided by Lisa Sipes...

Yes, that is Lisa (better known as McLisa on Facebook) crazy-quilty-girl-loving all over my quilt!  And if you haven't seen any of Lisa's work check out her blog -- although I would find that hard to believe.

In the meantime I'm crazy-seriously working on a new small wholecloth, not "Mama's Got the Blues", a totally different one.  I'll let you know more as I know more... scary huh?

Oh and also trying to "rush" my Journeys Thru Art projects.  So that we might possibly show them in November... stress "trying to rush" but in a good way, not a crazy-must-finish-way.

Have a happy day quilties!

Down 1/3

I've done it!  I have hit my first milestone... 20 pounds, gone!  Yes, I feel fantastic, but only 1/3 fantastic -- I've still got a long way to go, but in the meantime I am most definitely doing the ohhh I am 20 pounds lighter happy dance!

Here is the 20 pounds gone pic, and yes, I'm still missing my head!

My favorite shirts (I have like 5 of them) are getting bigger and baggier, and this is NOT a problem.  It is a reminder that I am smaller than I was.  I am down a pants size, and it is nice.  I truly think I'm down more than one size but I was soooo stuffed into my last size that I was probably two sizes larger and unwilling to admit it.

Here is the face so that you can see the weight loss there too:

This was from yesterday's photo-a-day challenge -- it was YOU, well really me... you know!

On to the follow up on the thyroid nodule.  The nuclear scan showed several "cold" areas.  A cold area is where the iodine/radioactive juices didn't take... a non-functioning part of my thyroid and/or nodule.  I don't know which, the scan was of both.  I was told that about 20% of "cold" areas actually turn out to be cancer.  So, the next step is a biopsy.  They are going to take samples of multiple areas.  I meet with the surgeon tomorrow so that's about all I can catch you up on.  I will, as always, share away once I know more.  If you are new to my blog and want to follow the thyroid/weight loss from the beginning, check out these previous posts:
4/18/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/pounds-tests-ribbons.html
4/10/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-loss-week-1.html
4/04/2012 http://karenmarchetti.blogspot.com/2012/04/weight-lumps-and-hormones.html

On the quilty-artsy side, I have been working.  Doing some customer stuff, and attempting to work on my JTA project which is due on Wednesday.  This block is cubism, don't worry I'll have a blog post about it - and no, I'm no where near done!  You can check out the last block (fauvism) here.

I've also been designing, erasing, redesigning, erasing, sweeping up the mess of eraser dust, and once again redesigning my next quilt.  It is already named but no where near creation yet.  It's called "Mama's Got the Blues", and will be an innovative wholecloth using the robins-egg blue tencel I purchased at Houston last year, here's a pic of the fabric:

I hope that the color comes through across the computer.  I think is is absolutely delicious and can't wait to get the design finalized to get it on there!  I've got tons of threads planned, yep, you guessed it, blues!  I might even do some couching with beautiful silk fibers.  I'm not sure yet, don't know how that will affect the "wholecloth" status - if anyone has suggestions on that one, please feel free to let me know.  Is it still a wholecloth if I couch silk ribbon/fibers down.  Either way, I can't wait!  Hopefully it will be as awesome as I have it pictured in my head. 

And, I did take out, put on my design wall, and look at my kaleidoscope quilt -- a soon to be beauty created with all of Natalie's beautiful hand-dyed fabrics.  But looking is about as far as I got.

Oh, I almost forgot.  How could I possibly forget?  My most beautiful MQX-East Faculty Award Ribbon!  Thank you again, Teri Lucas!  Read all about it here (under the QR part).

Well, that's about it, at least until after Wednesday big reveal at JTA.  Happy day quilties!