Getting There

Almost done!

Finished the top.



Basted together the top, the batting and the back.








I had changed a few things. I decided on another flannel I had with yellow and blue dots, very simple, for the back. And I decided to tie/knot quilt it instead of machine quilting.




I like the backing better, but I’m not thrilled with the knot quilting. For one thing, I should have had the tie ends come out on the plainer backing instead of the busy front. But that didn’t occur to me until I had done about 20, so forget it, no way was I changing it.




I had planned on binding it with a white ruffle. But then I decided to do this old and easy fold-over of the backing. I felt the ruffle was just too frou frou.

The first side went well.



Then when I went to do the next side, demons possessed my sewing machine. I'll spare you the horrible pictures. You'll have nightmares for weeks.

This occurs at least once with every project I work on, because, as I have said before, my machine is a POS. I believe the working title for this model was The Mangle, because that is what it does to my work. I will be sewing along, happy as a little clam, when all of a sudden the needle starts jumping, the bobbin jams and the motor freezes, leaving a mess of screwy stitches, mad lumps of thread and crooked seams.

I ended up ripping out the stitches more than five times the entire length of the second side. Replaced the bobbin. Oiled the thingies that are supposed to be oiled. Talked nice to it.

All to no avail. It actually began to cause the flannel to disintegrate from the constant sewing and ripping.

So I have decided to take a break. I’ll give it a chance to pull itself together and see if it decided to behave in a little while.

I also have started a larger, throw patchwork quilt that is coming out pretty.



I was going to ask for a new machine for my birthday but I don’t know if I can hold out until September without taking drastic revenge on The Mangle.