An Update after a break …

/ quiltinggail

Housekeeping

 

 

Here are before and after pictures … I know I prefer the “after” picture!

My Personal Life

Since I last blogged, we have had anywhere from between 1 to 15 extra people in our house.  We have one shower, one guest bed and 6 foamies, one couch and the floor.  At times it was wall-to-wall people: literally!  A fun but tiring chaos.  Although our home doesn’t have any extra people at the moment … the overflow of guests is not over.  We have one person arriving on Tuesday, 11 more coming on Friday … and then, perhaps, maybe we will have a break.  It all depends on the fire situation near Fort St. James.

Learning

I was in school last week for 4 days.  Well, not exactly school,  it was officially called “Dealer Training.”   I spent time at the lower mainland Janome office.  My head is spinning and spinning.  I learned a TON!  Liz, the National Education Manager, lead us through several topics and wow, she is a bubbling wealth of knowledge!  She also has a zillion blog posts that explain some of what I learned.

Ruler Work Kits

I’m hoping to make this one at work. It will cement my knowledge and re-inforce what I can use the rulers for.  This little bag  is made specifically for the Janome rulers. \ The directions for the project utilize all the rulers in the kit, so it’s perfect for learning how to use the rulers! Liz did a blog post about this, you can read it HERE.  (picture of the ruler work kit taken from Liz’s blog post).

 

 

Janome Circular Attachment

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This is a nifty gadget that I fell in love with.  It’s easy to use and can make various sized circles with the stitch of your choice.  Here’s the bag that I found so attractive.  And, Liz also wrote a blog post on this HERE.

 

Machines

We learned about the up and coming new machines … some left me drooling … but I’ll survive with the great Janome machines I already have. Except for a bigger embroidery machine.  But that will wait for a little bit.  And oh … there are some really cute machines coming soon … but I can’t tell you about them … yet!

Apps

Did you know there are apps for your IPad that you can use with an Embroidery machine?  Yup … that’s correct, “there’s an app for that.”  Some of the apps are free and some you need to pay for.  You can check them out HERE.  But, I want to tell you about the one I found most exciting: Acu Sketch!

Acu Sketch:  you can download this on your iPad and use your finger to draw out a design … There is a wonderful blog post on Janome Life that Liz wrote talking about this app!  You can bet I’ll be using this in the future.  I already have plans to use this for 2 different quilts that I want to use embroidery to quilt on.   I just need to order a special stylus that will make my drawing way more accurate.

Design Wall

From the 9 projects that I listed HERE, these are still in the plan for current work! Project #5 (mini charm bag) is finished … there’s a picture below in Stash Report.

 

 

Screen Shot 2018-04-15 at 3.57.11 PM

Absolutely no sewing has happened … so no major changes.

Screen Shot 2018-08-26 at 4.35.42 PM

Stash Report

I haven’t accounted for the fabric that I used to finish this little bag.  I used a whopping fat quarter for the inside.  The outside was a gift that I did not count as fabric added.IMG_2314

  • Fabric Used this week:  0.25 yards
  • Fabric Used this year:    199.85 yards
  • Fabric Added this Week:  0 yards
  • Fabric Added this Year:  56 yards
  • Net Fabric Used for 2018: 143.85

In the meantime,

Happy Quilting!
Gail

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Check out what others in the quilting world are doing. 

23 thoughts on “An Update after a break …”

  2. That class sounds amazing. I do love the circle attachment and have used it for even quilting a circle on a mini! I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about new machines. Am interested in an upgrade but have to really decide what I am looking for – have a terrific Bernina 440QE and a Janome 3160QC. I think I really want a midarm – as I don’t have room for a longarm! I haven’t even started investigating as where it lives will also be a thing – we split our time between two places. Neither has a lot of room, but there are some ways to make it work!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Kathleen,
      It was amazing! I’m still trying to wrap my head around all the new information.
      The Janome 3160 is a great machine! They do have a mid-arm, but I’m not sure what the model number is. They do take up a lot of room.
      I quilt most of my quilts (and all of the big ones) on a Janome 8900. However, after working in the store, I’ve been working a bit on a 9400. I LOVE it!!! It has a great harp and a ton of other features that are great! There’s even a way that you can design your own little stitches – fun!
      Good luck with your shopping.
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

    • Ha! Ha! It is organized at the moment. However, I know myself and I know that it will not stay that way for long. (It’s still organized, but I also haven’t done any sewing! 🙂
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

  5. Hi Gail! I’ve missed you. I have an Elna which is a sister (?) to Janome. I really love it. I can’t wait to see what you do with those rulers, especially the circle attachment. I was hoping that the fires were getting under control by now. {{Hugs}} to you and your visitors. Happy Monday, friend! ~smile~ Roseanne

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Roseanne,
      I have missed writing blog posts and visiting others …It’s nice to be back … I’m hoping to do some sewing this week!
      Yes, Elna is a sister … From what I understand – the newest ones (maybe 20 years new?) are made by the same company … they have a different name and different fronts, but similar insides. But I could be wrong.
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Doesn’t it feel absolutely glorious to reorganize your space?? I’ve been doing quite a bit of that myself as of lately. It sounds like you’ve learned a ton of great information during your training! I’ve seen a similar circular thing demonstrated for Viking machines as well and always thought it would be neat to use. Hope things slow down and you are able to win some sewing time soon.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Tish!
      Yes, it does feel glorious! I just hope it can retain the “neat-ness” of it.
      Hopefully, I’ll have something wonderful to show in the coming weeks!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

    • Hi Karla,
      I love the “after” picture too!
      Not sure if you can use any of the apps … I know they were made for Janome … but perhaps if you have digitizing software, you can change the format? Let me know if you can!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

  8. Great job with the clean up. Hopefully you didn’t find any more UFO’s!
    Does that app only work on an ipad or do they have an android version? I don’t have an embroidery machine but I wonder if it could be used when I’m planning the fmq for a quilt…?

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks Terry! I know that you never need to do a major clean up! Your room is so neat and tidy!!! Actually, I did find a couple of UFOs (groan) and a project that I said I’d do for a friend. So maybe I should get at that one, eh?

      I have no idea if the apps work on android … the only thing I can suggest is to go to the app store and try down-loading it. If you figure out how to use it for planning a quilt, write a blog post about it and we’ll all hop over to “read all about it.”

      Happy Quilting, Cuz! 🙂

      Like

  9. Oh, wow — you have already sewn up two HUNDRED yards of fabric in 2018?! I have come up with 200 new quilt designs and not started on any of them yet. Hah! Your bag is darling, and CONGRATULATIONS on getting your sewing space back in order so you can get back to creating again!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Rebecca,
      Well, yes, the number say I’ve sewn that much fabric, but when you think about the majority of the quilts being UFOs … some only needed quilting, the actually number pulled from my stash and used is way way lower! But, since I only count the fabric when the project is done, done, done, … I don’t keep track of amounts along the way.

      You need to start on your new designs! The quilt world is waiting for new and exciting things!

      Happy Quilting! (on your new designs) 🙂

      Like

  10. I love my Janome, so I can imagine you had a blast at the training! I’ve seen that circular sewing on one of Janome’s blogs. It does look interesting! You’ve had a busy house with all those people coming and going!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Wendy,
      I know what you mean about loving your Janome … I have a few … that’s one reason why I didn’t mind coming out of retirement to work at a Janome dealer. It’s a fun job and I get to learn TONS!
      I’m hoping to work with the circular attachment at work in the near future!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Wow! I love the finished picture — I bet you can actually get to that space now to work! (Or play depending how you view it!) Hum, I need to check out that app. Does it work with other embroidery formats beyond the Janome one? Sounds like you are making great progress on your UFOs and PHDs. Good for you.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Bonnie,
      Yes, I can walk into the room without doing obstacle maneuvers to get to my machine or ironing board! And the bonus: I have more than a 12″ x 12″ space to iron! 🙂
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

    • Hi … yes, it’s good to learn about your own machine … but in this case, I’m also learning about other machines … which is also good … it’s great to be able to assist customers to choose the right machine for them!
      Happy Quilting! 🙂

      Like

  13. Pingback: Sunday Stash August 26, 2018 | quiltpaintcreate

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