New toy!

 

  Don't you hate it when bloggers start off saying they've been "too busy to blog"
...as if, other people aren't busy, too? 

HOWEVER, I have a very good excuse this time!!!!



That truck brought my "NEW TOY" to the house on May 3rd & it has been crazy-busy-fun times ever since.
I bought a 26" Innova Long Arm quilting machine on a 12' frame.
It has Auto Pilot robotics & Lightening Stitch, 
which is their super-D-duper stitch regulator that can do consistently even stitches, up to 3000/min.
  I could never quilt that fast!

 
Prior to arrival, I spent days cleaning/clearing spaces, & rearranging furniture to make room for it.

This is only 1/3 of my sewing room...the other areas have my sewing machine, serger & long cutting table.  There is just as much room on the other side, where DH has his work bench & I have my fabric stash...AKA "the dry goods store".  *wink*

I feel so blessed to be able to play & create in such a lovely area. It is what sold us on buying this house in the first place & I will never take it for granted.
I used to sew in a VERY small corner of our master bedroom in FL.  This is SEW much better!!




It took their technician, Rick, two full, very long days to assemble it.
It has taken me much longer to get the hang of using it! 




There is a learning curve to it, no doubt about it, but thankfully, the software is very similar
to my Embird program, that I've used for 15 years,
doing machine embroidery.







Auto Pilot comes already loaded with 532 different, very beautiful designs.
Some are specific for inserting into blocks & some look best when repeated, as in an edge to edge design or in long spaces, like sashing.

I've also found some freebies, online, 
for using on Quilts of Valor.  
(I am working on two of those right now...pictures soon)

 

She is sleek & clean-modern looking & glides like a dream...
not heavy or jerky at all.

You'll have to help me think of a name for her.
All suggestions are welcome!

Don't you ♥♥♥ the pretty Turquoise COLOR I picked for my saddle chair?



We drove 5 hours, to Accomplish Quilting in Stevensville, MI for me to attend classes on its operation.  
They are very knowledgeable people with wonderfully helpful attitudes!
I highly recommend them.
 



My first project (after a few practice sandwiched swatches)
was this little baby quilt for my great niece, who is due in July.
 
I used an overall pattern, aka *edge to edge* quilting, called "Celtic Braid" that is built into the Auto Pilot program.
I thought that was appropriate for a baby who is the great-great granddaughter of my very Irish Mom, Peggy O'Neil.



Then, I made TWO quilts, exactly the same, to go over the foot of the cream bedspreads I have on the twin beds in my guest room.

It will be nice for the grandkidlets to curl up & snuggle under THESE quilts, when they visit, rather than climb under the bedspreads, just to read a book or watch TV. 
I won't have to remake the beds either!  LOL 



The edge to edge quilting pattern is called "Green Tea Leaves", by One Song Needle Arts.

To make the quilts, I followed this free pattern, called "Jelly Roll Jam" on the Fat Quarter Shop website.  Easy~Peasy!


There is even a wonderful video to show you how it is done. 
It looks much more complicated than it really is.

These took 2 jelly rolls apiece to make.  The video shows a baby sized quilt, made with only one jelly roll, so keep that in mind.



In hindsight, I wish I would have done a solid color binding on them.  I think it would have set it off nicer & looked much better.  It was a learning process & I'll do better next time.  I can't wait to make another one!

I used the narrow, 3" wide strips that were leftover from the construction of these, to make a baby quilt with wide, white strips in between.  Very modern looking! It is not yet quilted, so you'll have to come back to see it.
I'm calling it "Leftover Jelly Rolls".  ~big grin~
I crack myself up, sometimes!  LOL


Anyway, that explains my absence from blogging.  I thank you so much for visiting The Gazebo House today.
 
I hope that you'll come back to see more quilty goodness in the future.  I'm having SEW MUCH FUN!!!

By the way, the KISS quilt auction brought in $1400!!!
My two little projects:

sold for $40 & $50 respectfully.
I was astounded & honored that someone would pay that much for something I'd created.

I'm linking up with Marty's "Inspire Me Tuesday" at her blog, A Stroll Thru Life.  Thanks Marty for hosting the party!