Why a Free Motion Set Up with a Different Foot

I am not a fan of the so called hopping foot, free motion foot that came with my Bernina.  I loved the Janome foot and how you can adjust so it floats over your quilting, no hopping. 

Yes, no hopping and it helps in your creating.  I also love the Janome foot cause it is cut out as shown.

 I found that at Leah Day, http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/  amazing free motion quilter.  I took her class on Craftsy.  I love Craftsy, you can look at the class over and over.Free Motion Quilting a Sampler with Leah Day I started 10/06/13.  Yes, October 2013.  This is after I had a hip replacement.  Well, this summer in June 2014 I had a knee replacement and the month before my life changed forever, as you know, I lost my twin sister, my friend, my sewing guru, Mary.   Now, 2015, I am doing everything to bring joy, happiness back to my life.  I having a sewing room that looks like it was hit by a storm.  I am organizing and slowing practicing free motion quilting.

I have health issues plus eye issues.  I do things differently and slowly.  Classes are hard for me to keep up and my eyes give me fits if I need to stare at things for long periods of time.  I am not a marathon quilter.  It takes me twice as long to complete something.   I am a pokey quilter, but I still enjoy the process.

Free Motion Foot Set Up

I have had a few set backs.  I had a Sinus infection that would not go away nor keep me enjoying life.   A few hospital visits and I pray no more ER or hospital.   Today, I am trying to get things done.  I thank God I am perking up.

So what have you been doing in your sewing room.  I have been getting back to free motion quilting.  I have a Bernina Virtuosa 150 and love this machine.  Yes, it is not the latest greatest but I love it.  I have followed a blog called http://www.freemotionquiltingadventures.com/.

I loved the Janome Machine foot system with convertable free motion foot.  I bought a Janome foot

for Low Shank Machine.

I bought a special  Bernina adapter to hopefully use this foot.  It was a experiment, I was dreaming it would work.  Well, I bought the wrong Bernina Adapter, for my machine for first time.   I needed the longer one  they call 75 standard, part number  008 367 72 00, for models 130, 140, 150, 160, 170 and 180.
I bought another adaptor 75, to see if I could use the foot without filing.  The same, needed to file for my machine.

The Adapter needed some filing.  Yes, it needed a little fine tuning.  The edge needed to be filed so the foot with fit.  It was just a bit of filing, you can see above.

Mary my Mary

My twin sister passed away May 5, 2014.  The hardest, saddest day of my life.
I miss her so.
This weekend I went up by Manistee, Michigan.  I posted yesterday a photo.

I did not notice something that totally blew me away.  Look at the name of the building MARYLAND, I never saw it before but I took the picture cause the window says Mary Ann's Antiques.  Yes, my sisters name was Mary Ann and spelled the same way.....so cool.

Mary was one awesome creative person who turn helped me create.  God knows I miss her so.

January Is Flying By

It is Wednesday, week is flying by.

Have you quilted, knitted or done anything fun this week.

Well, I have not knitted but some quilting.   We have had more losses in our family.  A dear Uncle on my Husbands side and a very special cousin on my side.  I know many do not take time to honor those by going to memorials or funerals.  I have found it helps with closure.  I have dealt with alot this past year in the death of many.  I find my quilting a place to go and be my happy place.

When I went out of town, I did stop in Manistee, Michigan, they have a lovely quilt shop.  The first time I have been there and they have been there 10 years!  OK, my life honestly has been crazy the last 10 years.  It is funny how God does things and how things turn out.  OK, Manistee has a true downtown.  It is special to me cause my Mom and my Moms Mom would go there when she was a girl.  This is many years ago, my Mom lived to be 90 and she just passed away last January 2013.  The stores are made of wood, wood floors that creak, make thump thump when you walk on them.  No super fancy neon logos but unique signs of a by gone ara.

Fabric sign you do not see much today

Classy Building, Manistee, Michigan

Fabric show, next to river walk

Movie theatre with vintage sign

Looking down the down town, so many beautiful buildings

I am thankful for the short time I had, it was a very short time there, I am going back this summer.

Snow Snow and More Snow

Life goes on.  Snow, Snow and More Snow.
It is Michigan.  
I have been doing everything to keep warm and working on quilting with strips.  Strips of 2-1/2", like all those Jelly Rolls.  I love 1-1/2" strips and also 2" strips.  I will give you a peek soon.

OK, do you prewash your fabric.   Yes.  I wrote a post earlier why I do, mainly cause of bleeding, I had it happen once and will never let it happen again.  This is why I offer precut strips that have been prewashed and cut on a die cutter or coputer aided cutter with straight edges.  I do not like pinked edges, especially when you are trying to get good seam allowances.

I also love plaids.  Homespuns.  I love variety, scrappy. Love scrappy.

So will give you some insight tomorrow.

Sock pattern for you all ladies New Year 2015

• You will find this great sock pattern here on craftsy and it is Free. 
•  If you don't have an account get one and enjoy!

I am knitting them on size 2 needles, double points, the pattern says  use circular needles,,,I love double points. You and I need these socks for the MidWest winters

A blog I love, truly Amazing

Free motion quilting on a regular sewing machine. Truly love this blog.

Snowy Day, Time to Create

The days are wizzing by so fast.  It is January 7th.  I busy cleaning, organizing and finding out I have more things than any person can use or need.  OK, I have been sewing since my feet could touch the treadle, knitting since age 10 while my sister hogged the only sewing machine we had in the house (she could sew better than me).  I look back, January 6, 1976, yes many years ago.  That day, at 3am in the morning we had a house fire, we lost so much in clothes and material things.  I look back, how blessed we were to have saved many old photos, yes old photos.  Photos are treasures to me.  I still have pictures in my brain of all the stuff thrown out the back door of the house in a pile,  a mountain of clothes, furniture, flooring,  My collection of knitting and sewing supplies.  The yarn, needles, books, sewing stuff, I was 18 and senior year in high school.  My twin sister and I lost all our clothes, I had to borrow clothes to have Senior pictures taken.  It is funny what you remember.  OK, 1976, now light years later 2015.  I have made up for the loss, I have to much of every thing, yes to much. 

So where is all the fun stuff, the knitting projects, the quilting projects.  Yes, you need to see what I have been doing.

OK, besides cleaning, organizing and shoveling snow in between.  I did find time to do research on half square triangles.  I can not believe how many ways you can do half square triangles.  Yes, many make a square, put a line from corner to corner and sew, hack off half and  be happy.  I am different.   My favorite way is to make strips.  Sew 1/14" seam on each side, to make like a tube and than take a ruler and rotary cutter to cut the triangles to size needed.  It works, it truly works.  You don't need a special ruler or anything...so cool.  OK, I will most more with photos, keep you on edge of seat.  Go get something warm to drink, sit on the couch, thank God for all his blessings and be happy!  Photos and more details to follow....

Happy New Year 2015

OK, it is the 2nd of January.  January 1, it took all day to sink in.  I organized, I went through things that should have been dealt with long ago.  Now, I am cleaning and no time to enjoy Quilting, Knitting, Machine Embroidery or anything.  That is OK.

I am now in the 2015 mode, I like the look of 2015 when you write it, goofy, crazy, but that is me.

Pray this finds you in a good spot for 2015.  I have had to many changes in the last couple of years, things will never be the same.  I can say, I will enjoy the needlearts again and share the journey in this blog.  Need to take time to enjoy creating, giving to others, enjoy life.

I have say, I am still working on the Mystery Quilt from Bonnie Hunter....Yes, It is amazing.  If you follow the link on the right you can make it also and enjoy the beauty of creating something special

I am keeping it short, getting late at night.  I want you to know 2015 is moving quickly, Day 2 was a good day.