My wellness in addition to happiness continues to improve on a daily basis. Still, I'm plagued amongst a coughing in addition to some other residue annoying symptoms from my recent trip the calorie-free fantastic amongst immunizations, in addition to thence I'm playing it rubber for some other hateful solar daytime in addition to staying habitation to lick my proverbial wounds. I did contend a trip to the grocery store yesterday where I managed to acquire into an declaration amongst the cashier over a digital coupon. The conversation began something similar this:
Me: I've been couponing since earlier yous were born, immature lady!
And that's in all likelihood all yous demand to know. Crankiness is i of the symptoms of a tetanus vaccine. I in all likelihood should convey bought myself a pocketbook of M&M's because, inward fairness, I didn't murder her.
It was belatedly inward the day, but I managed to acquire a piddling chip of quilting done. I made myself a dyad of do pieces using fabrics from the quilt, in addition to and thence I went to operate setting upwards the machine, winding a bobbin, changing out needles, in addition to testing my threads. Before I become on, yous should know that I claim no expertise when it comes to gratis displace quilting on my Babylock Tiara. I convey the produce goodness of having quilted (let me count) 33 quilts on it during the fourth dimension I've owned it, in addition to that's how I've learned. Also, I've asked my friend Marei (who has the same machine) for aid many times, in addition to she's been real supportive. Other than that, I know nothing. So if I say something hither that causes yous to give yourself a facepalm, delight experience gratis to chime in. My feelings won't locomote hurt.
These are my thread candidates. The bluish metallics are for the birds...not inward the sarcastic sense...but for the actual plane on the actual quilt.
When I ordered these from Superior threads (the most cooperative metallics I've found), I couldn't create upwards one's hear which coloring I wanted, in addition to thence I chose iii I liked. One tin never convey also much thread, right?
And in addition to thence I already had these at habitation for the grayness parts of the bird. The i on the left is an Aurifil gray. The middle i is a sparkly pearlescence metallic element white. I used it for the snowfall inward Gingerbread Square. The i on the right is a at nowadays metallic element silver.
These are 2 I similar for the quilt borders. I'll in all likelihood destination upwards using the i on the left, only because I convey to a greater extent than of it. I'd demand to monastic say to a greater extent than of the i on the right, in addition to I won't complete upwards my July OMG if I convey to hold back for it to arrive.
As a reminder, here's my quilt:
So missing from all of that are some nighttime threads for the legs in addition to the beak. I haven't yet decided what to produce well-nigh the perch, but I'll in all likelihood utilization the same thread I utilization for the pecker there. Also, I'll locomote using white for the background.
When Eliza came habitation to alive amongst us, I was happy well-nigh giving her a window spot inward my role because my sewing room is inward our windowless basement. Still, on summertime afternoons the Sun shines inward brightly there, in addition to thence I convey to maintain the shades pulled. Thus, the weird lighting inward most of these pictures. As for my strategy with metallics, I've had the best luck when I give the thread plenty of room to uncoil earlier it passes through the oculus of the needle. I noticed this silhouette gave a goodness illustration of what I'm talking well-nigh when I say it needs room to uncoil.
And because I convey Photoshop Elements, I couldn't resist adding the pinkish business at that spot exactly to brand the betoken manifestly, patently, in addition to conspiciously obvious...not that I'm redundant, or similar to repeat myself, or anything. Besides, this piddling interlude into synonyms for the give-and-take "obvious" volition serve to distract yous from my crappy photography.
Also...you tin run across how the thread is withal uncoiling every bit it passes through this insy-outsy thingy. In the past, I've used 2 wraps roughly this iii wrap thing-a-ma-jig for metallic element threads. Yesterday's sewing seemed to operate best amongst exactly i overstep through i hole. (I mightiness convey my bobbin tension also loose. Experimentation inward the future.)
As for this uncoiling matter, on the mid-arm machine, the thread path is long plenty that I tin utilization the machine's spindle every bit usual. When I'm using metallic element thread on my domestic machine, I give it a longer path past times using a thread stand.
Next up, I can't say plenty goodness things well-nigh thread lubricant. This is the i I use. Maybe at that spot are others, but this is the alone i I've ever tried.
It's silicon based, in addition to thence it won't locomote out residue on your stuff or your thread. I exactly spot a business right downward the spool from top to bottom, in addition to and thence massage it inward amongst my fingers. Usually that's all I demand to do. Yesterday, I rubbed a piddling dab right on the oculus of the needle every bit well.
As for needles, I utilization the largest oculus practical. My domestic automobile has metallic element needles in addition to those operate well. On the mid-arm, I'm using a size 110/18.
And because I'm the variety of individual who gets a tetanus booster every 10 years, fifty-fifty knowing how sick it volition brand me, metallic element thread isn't challenging plenty for me. Oh no. To brand things fifty-fifty to a greater extent than difficult, I'm using a smoky monofilament inward the bobbin for this quilt. It's a piddling tricky winding onto the bobbin. I've had the most success if I current of air the bobbin slowly, in addition to alone halfway. My theory well-nigh this is that the monofilament begins to stretch in addition to tangle if it's injure also quickly. Also, it's a real sparse thread, in addition to thence fifty-fifty one-half of an "M" shape bobbin is quite a chip of thread. I follow this same dominion when using it on my domestic machine.
Okay, thence at nowadays I'm using an erstwhile do slice exactly to banking concern tally my tension. I ever utilization a Towa bobbin tension gauge to acquire right tension on the bobbin, in addition to thence I'm exactly working amongst the top tension. This has been the most challenging constituent of using the Babylock Tiara. Good tension is ever hard to achieve, in addition to I convey to locomote along to banking concern tally it throughout the quilting process. So let's run across how this goes. Well...I don't fifty-fifty convey to expect at the dorsum to know my tension is also unloosen on top.
Looking at the back...yep.
So I tightened it well-nigh a half-turn, in addition to it looks a piddling better.
It would convey been helpful if I'd used a construct clean do piece, in addition to alone i side to boot, but that's non what I did, thence I'm showing yous my 3rd effort amongst an arrow. It looks pretty good. Ignore my crappy stitching in addition to exactly divulge that the top thread isn't showing whatever more.
Okay, thence moving to my scrappy examination pieces, I tried the darkest of the blues first. I'm quilting feathers onto the bird, in addition to I've said earlier that I'm non a bully fan of feathers. Still, it's a bird, right? Birds should convey feathers, in addition to thence that's what I'm doing.
It's a piddling also dark. All the sparkle is absorbed, in addition to thence I'm non getting the produce goodness of a metallic element on this fabric. I mightiness every bit good utilization a regular cotton fiber thread.
Next, I tried the lightest of the blues.
And I'm non happy amongst that either. There's lots of sparkle, but no blue. It mightiness every bit good locomote silver. Even so, I tried it on the fighting for the grayness constituent of the bird, in addition to that has potential. Ann Shaw suggested I could aid distinguish the grayness parts of the plane from the background amongst the quilting, in addition to this mightiness locomote i way to accomplish that. I'm filing that away for after when I guide the thread for that part.
Next, I tried the middle blue, in addition to I similar that best. It withal has the bluish coloring in addition to plenty of sparkle, thence I decided to become amongst that.
And I had exactly a piddling chip of fourth dimension left inward my sewing hateful solar daytime to acquire started on the actual quilt.
I'm hoping to acquire much further along amongst this today.
Now here's something that has Smitty's whiskers inward a twist.
Did yous run across the besmirching of his reputation past times Molly on Objects of Design this morning? She is claiming copyright violation of paw purrsition. We absolutely condemn this claim every bit beingness utterly purrposterous. As nosotros mentioned to Molly, our paw purrsition is accompanied past times our patented left viewing left-sided headcock, spell hers is clearly accompanied past times the forward-facing left-sided headcock. Our left viewing left-sided headcock is our master design, in addition to non an infringement of copyright.
We are withal consulting amongst legal counsel well-nigh this odious sullying of our reputation. Next, I suppose we'll locomote hearing from Buddy the dog/pony/whale/cat chimera that Sadie has infringed on his "beached whale" purrsition.
Our defense strength is that nosotros are much also tiny in addition to purrtite to entertain such an absurdity, thence don't fifty-fifty become there, Buster. If necessary, nosotros volition fellowship a purrtest. Hmph!
So at that spot yous go. Quilting in addition to cats. That's what nosotros produce here.