Free Motion Catch-Up, A Word on Machine Quilting Thread, & Wildlife on the Farm

Last week was a catch-up week on the Free Motion Quilt Along.  I really like catch-up weeks--I'm not really behind just catching up :)

We've been working on pebbling, which isn't new to me.  The pebbling above is a little different than Christina's.  I went around the pebbles twice to make the color show up more.  The spirals above and the wagon wheels below are the new designs I haven't tried before. 

Above I'm just filling in the spaces for practice and just for fun.

I even had time to sew a potholder together for some more practice.

It was just fun to sit down and practice, but it's not fun when the thread breaks, the tension isn't quite right, and when you're just too tired to really be sewing in the first place!

I really like my veriegated thread, but it is not a high quality thread.  It was bought for a wonderful price, but my sewing machine doesn't always like it because it has flaws in the thread that is why there are birds nests' on the back of my potholder.  The free motion filler designs that I did in the background was done with high quality thread call So Fine from Superior Threads.  What a difference! I didn't have any trouble with my machine, tension, or the thread.  I also found that when you have trouble with thread a needle size can make all the difference in the world!  I use Schmetz quilting needles in both my Bernina and Janome because the eyes of the needles are slightly larger so there is less thread breakage and easier threading of the needle.  If you still insist on using the thread that gives you trouble (like I do), use a metallic needle.  The eye of a metallic needle is even larger to let the thread flaws flow through.  Superior threads has some wonderful advice on thread troubleshooting check out the link at http://www.superiorthreads.com/page/330/

They even tell you what size needle to use on the threads they sell.

The leaves are now starting to turn.  They are even more colorful now than when this picture was taken.

Above is either a hawk or buzzard enjoying a warm afternoon breeze scouting out the freshly combined field.

The speck in the approximately in the middle of the picture above is an eagle.  If you can find the first eagle, the second eagle is directly to the left.

Pictured above is a baby eagle that is about a mile from our house that a friend took.  We had baby eagles near our house this spring--maybe this is one of them!

Harvest is very early this year!  Dean has the corn all harvested already.  He has some double crop beans to combine that should be ready to harvest in about a week. (Double crop beans are beans that are planted after wheat harvest in July.)  Now he's working his second job!

Hope everybody has a wonderful week!  Don't forget we are having a Friday Night Sew-In this Friday!

Happy Quilting and Happy Harvest--Yeah we're almost done!

Kay Lynne