A new machine...

I have been researching getting a new longarm quilting machine.  I have done some research and came up with a few ideas, but hadn't really gone any further in my research.  Until two weeks ago when I saw an ad for a machine on craigslist.  It was for a used but rebuilt machine and even better it was local.  So this past weekend I moved the machine to its new home.  It is temporarily in the family room, as the room I want it in has too much stuff (aka junk) in it.

So here is my "playing" and learning on my "new" 2006 APQS Liberty Longarm quilting machine

I tried panto-graphs... not so bad with the swirls, but the straight lines for the stars and points on the poinsettias were another issue! Although with practice I think I'm getting better!

I tried feathers and squares... I liked my nested squares, but I won't be doing any feathers anytime soon on a real quilt!

I liked working with the rulers. The rope tool is great!

A busy back to this quilt, having gone over it twice.... Just tests... and now the machine has another top & back, with this whole quilt inside as the batting. After I`m done testing, this will be sewn into a cover and donated to the animal shelter!

From Santa and other Christmas gifts.

I didn't get much sewing related but my kids did....


Santa brought the kids a new Janome QDC4030...

The girls got packages of needle felting materials and sewing boxes...

I got a few sewing notions from Santa, but for the most part I got new clothes. I have lost 95lbs in the past year and really can't keep up with the sewing and am down to only a couple of decent outfits so Santa, my mom and grandma all bought me clothes.

Photos......

This is the embroidery project I worked on during one of the workshops at the sewing show.
Doesn't it look right at home in the corner?
My son had a birthday party to go to today (for a friend who has his purple belt in Taekwondo), so I had to try out my new machine.... This morning I digitized the picture, and stitched it out. A few of the stitches are a little long, but it worked out well. The text is one of the ones built in on the machine.

It followed me home....

I was at the Vancouver Sewing and Craft Show for the past two days. I had a good time, took a few classes and bought just a few small items and one BIG one! I bought a Brother PE700II Embroidery only machine!

I took 3 workshops and did 2 free demos. I took 2 machine embroidery hands on workshops. The first one we embroidered on organza and taffeta to make two layered flowers that were then glued onto a grapevine wreath. The second focused on how to place designs and we embroidered on a pillowcase. The third workshop was making a crystal transfer. I did one demo on the Bernina machines to make a little bag (I didn't complete this as I had to go to one of my classes) and the other was an embroidered napkin.