Sunday, January 15, 2012

Roadblock on the Frame

I’m so easily derailed.  I have the lovely Tam’s Patch block quilt top on the frame with all of its great novelty prints and I’m having trouble with the thread breaking.  Since it had so many colors in it, with a black background on the top, but a medium colored backing, I decided that I would try a variegated thread.  Good plan, right?!
I usually use Gutterman thread on the frame (that I buy on sale) and that has always worked well for me – a little linty, but I clean the bobbin case often.  So this time I put another brand on of variegated thread and made almost one whole pass across the quilt top.  I was thinking it was great and sewed so nicely that I just might recommend it to others.  I guess that woke the thread demons up!  The thread started breaking about every nine  inches.  I am so ticked.  Now I wouldn’t go so far as to name the exact cause yet, because there could be lots of reasons.
·         It could be old - I know I’ve had the thread for more than a year and never used it – although it has been stored out of the sun that is so fierce in FL
·         It could be the machine – I’ve rethreaded it twice
·         It could be the needle – I’ve change it
·         It could be the machine tension – never had to change it before (but who knows?)
·         It could be the surface tension of the fabric (why did the first pass go so smoothly?)
·         It could be my frustration level – Aha!  That’s why I’m letting it set for a few days to think about its sins – sort of a “thread timeout”.  Maybe that’ll help!

So meanwhile, I finished up putting the borders onto the Lil’ Twister top.  This just grew out of my trial run at using this dandy tool.  I wish I had found the cute outside border fabric before I made the twisters and I would have incorporated some there, but now I know.  It sort of looks like a medallion center.

The light blue surrounding the twisters has multi-colored numbers in it.  I really think I like making the twisters.  I might try the heart or wreath next – or maybe get the giant-size tool – I see Twisters in my future!

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