I don’t mind winding bobbins, but I don’t have to unthread the machine, or even the needle, to wind them. It’s one of the coolest functions of my machine. Even so, I do tend to wind several at once when quilting. Four or five if I’m going to be piecing blocks; 8-9 if I’m going to be quilting.
@EclecticDreamer, I love the star sashing! Super cute!
The star is actually part of the block! When you sew them together the stars show up
Updating to add the full view of the quilt.
The stars make this relatively simple quilt in to something spectacular. Lovely.
How fun! I’m also a fan of that star sashing!
I finally finished my coat. It was a marathon of sewing this weekend. Once I started, I realized how much I missed it.
My Patchwork Coat! Its my Large Entry
For my Goals:
I finished patchworking the coat. I sewed the shoulder seams so I would know where the sleeve fabric would hit before patchworking that.
I quilted the coat
I cut all the fabric on the bias (first time!) and made the bias tape and bound the edges of the coat.
I accidentally swapped the front panels, but it was too late to turn back. It was stressful because I had to learn the new machine, but I really like having the extended table. It made things so much easier.
You jumped all the hurdles on this one! What a fabulous finish! You should be so proud of all the firsts you accomplished as well!
Looks terrific on you as well!
That coat is fabulous, well done
Absolutely AMAZING work my friend!
Thanks everyone. I wore it to work today and got so many compliments on it. I am beaming with happiness.
As you should be. Not only does the jacket look great, but the fact that you buckled down and finished it is a huuuge accomplishment (at least in my book, lol)!
I was thinking about our group the other day and it got me wondering - @MistressJennie, how’s your hand? Are you back to 100%? @Edel, have you gotten to spend any more time with your longarm machine? @skrutt, are you and your mom still getting together and quilting? It was a lot of fun seeing both of your BOMs last year - or maybe the year before. @jellybean, have you gotten any more work done on your t-shirt quilt? And how about you @Immaculata, have you done any more work on your farmer’s wife sampler (I think it was called something like that). Oh, and that makes me think of the Wanderer’s Wife - any additional blocks @AIMR or @Edel?
These are questions I sometimes think about, but always forget to ask.
I for one, have not gotten anymore quilting done since the mini mystery quilt I did in May. In fact, that is the only quilting that I’ve managed to do all year long and I find it crazy that this year will soon be ending. Where did the time go? Certainly not into my quilts, lol!
Oh and while I’m thinking about it, we need one more block to end out the year in our BOM series. Any suggestions for a December BOM?
Your memory is better than mine 
the farmer’s wife is somewhere in the pile! The first thing I need to start (and finish) is a baby quilt for my niece or nephew, who will be born in spring. Then my hexie swap quilt, it basically only needs binding at this point but it’s huge. I thought after that I didn’t have any UFO’s left but I forgot about the farmer’s wife….
My hand is doing well. In mid-September I was released from Physical Therapy appointments, and told I could wean down from doing my exercises from 3 times a day, to one, then eventually I can stop. I have much of my range of motion back, but not all of it. It is still really stiff and tight when bending the hand downward, and right now with the weather changing it is definitely stiff and achey at night. Getting back to swimming has helped; I still do my exercises every night, and they still hurt.
The strength is also improving. In August I had a grip strength of 10 lbs in it, but by September it was up to 25. I can mostly carry things as I used to, but movements that require lifting while turning are still tough; things like picking up and then pouring the tea kettle. If it’s a full kettle, my hand is likely to shake a bit pouring, and get water all over the counter. I can use my rotary cutter and mat, but it takes me longer than it used to, as I really have to focus on using my left hand to hold the ruler down, and not lose my hold, lest the ruler slide and my cut go crooked. I’ve been noticing both my improvement, and my limitations, as I rush to finish Halloween costumes this week. Some things I can do without thinking again, and some are a surprise when I need to change tactics.
Next week I’m teaching an Intro to Machine Quilting class, where we’ll be making Mug Rugs. With all the hullaballoo about Halloween, I haven’t gotten any work done on the handout or setting up kits for the students to pick from. I’m starting to get nervous, so think good thoughts for me Quilty Friends!
Oh, and if there’s anything any of you wish you had been told when you started quilting, let me know! I’d love to share that with my students.
Thanks for the update on your hand. Sounds like healing completely will take some time but you are doing all the right things to retrain your body to function normally. I have learned in my own PT that our bodies are great at adapting and protecting the injured part, but undoing that takes time and patience. My right leg still wants to protect my left hip/leg so I have to do a lot of PT and home exercises to get back to walking normally again.
As far as quilting goes, practice makes perfect, so to speak. But simple piecing and patterns don’t have to be perfect to still look nice and functional. Many people give up because they can’t get perfect points or perfectly straight lines. I am thankful that I just went for it! Just do it and over time, skills will improve.
Also, make things easier on yourself by keeping your blades, scissors and needles sharp. The boring and mundane tasks of cutting can be made more difficult with dull implements!
Use shortcuts and watch videos of people who have figured out easier ways to do things. I have changed how I do binding because of YouTube.
You’ll do fine in the classes even if you just show up. Having a person right there is a bonus and way better than trying to follow a screen when you are just learning, IMO.
I haven’t touched my Wanders Wife blocks. They sit under my machine, staring at me, but I am good at ignoring them.
I am seriously considering just putting all the blocks I have done and just making up my own pattern. I have a few quilts like that where I loved making the blocks but putting them together in a certain way just frustrates me.
I have done absolutely nothing. I’ve mostly been working on a few crochet projects and a lot of yard work. I’m trying to finish a few more things outside before it snows, and then hopefully I’ll feel like doing more crafting.
Um, its October. I don’t think you’re allowed to use the S word until November. 
One year we had a massive snow storm just before Halloween in Connecticut. Power out for a week. Sadly Halloween was canceled that year due to downed power lines and trees in the streets. Then it barely snowed the rest of the winter!
I remember Trick or Treat in the snow in Nebraska many moons ago.
