Progress!

The FIRST quilting was done in our shop yesterday!  ( There's a big difference in a "store" vs. "shop", don't you know.)   This "loiterer" has caught the quilting bug already!  First one to quilt in the shop! And he's a HE! Proves it's not safe to loiter at our shop!  He actually enjoyed it! Said so himself. Said he didn't like the quilting he did because he didn't know where he was going (as in pattern) but the NEXT one, he'll use a pantograph from the other side of the machine where he can trace the pattern with the laser light. YEAH! He said NEXT TIME!  That means he'll do it again!

This is the quilt he was 

working on. It's an old braid top that I pieced probably 10 years ago or more. It was fun to

be reminded of all the fabric scraps I had then. I remember them well- don't you remember fabrics

when you see them in somebody else's quilts?  I use to LOVE seeing scrap quilts in 

magazines when I could pick out some that I had in my stash. These days, it seems like the magazines have all NEW fabrics used, usually "compliments of XYZ company".  

This is a blurry shot of how the Gammill parts were spread all over the store. It was pretty scary having customers traipse all the way to the deli case through all my equipment.  Adults weren't so bad, but their kids were!  Had to ask 1 lady to get her kids off my stuff!  (not in those words, of course.)

John had set up sawhorses under the main table so that the sides could be re-attached. I sure am glad I didn't have to figure all this out myself!  Eventually we got it all together but I didn't try to run it until 2 days later (yesterday).  Was it fear or foreboding that stopped me? NO, I hadn't brought any batting as yet so there wasn't anything to quilt!  That's my store and I'm sticking to it!

We only had 1 mishap.  The right-hand switch at the back of the machine got messed up somehow. I'd seen the top of the button come out but couldn't at that time get it re-assemled. When I loaded it yesterday, it was obvious something was wrong because the machine would go on it's own- off, on, off, on, and I wasn't touching any buttons!  So I changed out that switch and all was FINE!   I'd bet you had NO IDEA that I'm an electronics wizard!  I did take some electronics courses before I retired- I even passed the TKT at the telephone company! That experience has helped me several times. Once I had to solder  an old switch before I got the machine upgraded. Then yesterday, the change was a simple unplug & plug in the new switch.  Love upgrades!

 We're going to do this Block of the Month at our shop. I haven't got the sample made yet, nor do I have any of the kits cut. But it's coming!  Have to- see? Already have all the fabrics!

 I've mentioned in other posts all the wonderful new "modern" quilting books we've been stocking. Come see 'em! This particular one, Shape Workshop for Quilters by Fat Quarterly magazine people, I took to our local STAPLES store and had this wire comb put in.

Now it lies flat while working with the book. GREAT ! 

Hope to see you soon!