Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year Ever. yone!! I hope for a great 2013. Starting to look at jobs out west again, I found one in Arizona that I am going to put in for. I saw one in California in Monterrey but Dave says he doesn't want to live in California. I thought it would be nice because it would be half way between Oregon and halfway to Lompoc and Monterrey is super nice plus Jen and Darren live there (my niece who is in the AF). There was another one in Portland but I have to think about that one not sure I would like Portland. Well, I have been busy most of the weekend and today quilting the purple quilt. It has been a learning experience. Finally getting use to the motion and moving the fabric around but still having trouble with the tension. The stitching is looking pretty good on the front but there are some tension issues on the back. I've tried just about everything I can think of and I am beginning to think it is the material. I am going to try to change out the needle tomorrow and see if that helps. These machines are so touchy with tension and it will change every time you change a bobbin or even as the bobbin gets used you have to continually make adjustments you would think in this electronic age they would have a computer to accurately maintain the tension. Here are some pictures of my adventures in long arm quilting!

This is what the quilt looks like.

This is the stencil I am using for the pattern I want on the quilt. It is a wandering path. You overlap the beginning and end to get a continuous pattern.

This is the stencil marking spray. This one is blue. I also had some blue chalk stencil marker but I couldn't get it to work as good as the spray. I had to get some more spray today and could only get white which I thought might be a problem but I could actually see the white better than the ble.

This shows how the markings come out with the spray.

This is sewing on the long arm following the blue lines. Can you see the blue line?

This is with the white spray, see how much better you can see the lines?

Here is what the quilting looks like on the quilt. I went to Creative Fires on Saturday. Had to go solo because Clarinda had to take care of er dad and of course Melissa is gone to New Mexico. Dave drove me and drop me off and went to look around Big Lots. Creative Fires is a quilt shop but they also sell pellet stoves. I had a coupon for 20% off so I got some batik material to make another wedding quilt, this is one I have been asked to make by the mother of the bride, it will be in grays and purples. Here is a couple of pictures of Puppy. He was out in the snow for a walk and tonight he was in here laying with me on the couch, only because I had some food, normally he is out with Dave in the living room.

Well, it just turned midnight and Dave and I toasted to the New Year! Best wishes to all for 2013.