Learning to use the Grace Frame

First Quilt on the Grace Frame

Second Quilt on the Grace Frame

I made a small whole fabric quilt to get the feel of my Brother 1500S on the Grace Frame.  Just used a straight line zig zag pattern.  I was able to adjust the speed & tension to a good number.  Now I am doing a meander swirl pattern on my disappearing nine patch quilt.  So far, so good.  I really enjoy the time I am saving on my machine quilting.  Practice - practice - practice.  I have the laser hooked up now so that I can follow a pre-design pantograph.  I hope you are all using your talents to benefit those around you.

First time on the Grace Frame

I made a small one piece quilt and machine quilted it as a practice piece on my Grace Frame (GF).  I think I have the tension and speed control where it needs to be.  Piecing another quilt now to give the GF another practice session.  I will try swirls or stippling.  It's great when it's raining outside.....the yard work gets set aside for quilting.  Hope everyone is enjoying the summer.

Rock Around the Stock

Finished sewing the binding on my fair quilt last night.  It always feels so good when I finish a project.  Probably because there is always another project waiting in the wings.  I really enjoyed working on this quilt.  From the fabric, to the colors, to the machine quilting which seemed to find it's own way across the quilt.  This was a very satisfying project.  I will enter this quilt into the Sevier County Fair in a couple of weeks.  The theme of the fair of course is "Rock Around the Stock".  If anyone is in our area you should come on by and enjoy all the great things that are scheduled at our fair.  Enjoy your summer!

My Sewing "Studio"

OK.  For those of you who have asked......No I do not have a large sewing area.  I took over one of the bedrooms after the kids moved out.  The closet is stuffed with fabric, yarn, etc.  I have books, magazines, scrapbooking stuff, and a computer compacted into the space.  I do most of my sewing on one of my machines right there in that little room.  Tom, my great hubby, made a thread holder for my larger spools and supports me in my "hobby".  I must admit that I did take over one more bedroom for my new Grace Frame and hubby was OK with that too.  I truly am a blessed woman!  Over the years I have had my machine tucked into a smaller than closet area, set up in dining rooms, kitchens and bedroom nooks.  I have dragged the machine to the kitchen table, set it up on folded tables, and even taken it outside when the weather permitted.  Where there is a will, there is a way.  Don't let what you believe to be a lack of space keep you from enjoying your creative life!  By the way, yes, the room is usually in disarray as I seem to always have a project in progress.

Using Accucut die cutter for current project!  Good thing that chair is there to help out!

Grace Quilt Frame Day 3

Almost there!  All I have left to do is connect the power, put my free motion quilt foot on the machine and get a quilt ready to go.  The assembly process was smooth and the how-to-videos on You Tube were very helpful.  I was able to view videos from Grace Frame Co. & from a dealer in Logan, Utah named kathyquilts.com.  If you decid to take the plunge and buy an economical machine quilting frame I would highly recommend Grace Frame Co. in Salt Lake City, Utah.  I will keep you posted as I learn how to use the frame for my quilting projects.  With a short time until our County Fair, I will attempt to make a couple of quilts for their donation program.  Have a great day!

Grace Quilt Frame Day 2

I spent an hour after work last night continuing to put my new frame together.  So far the directions have been very clear and the quality of the components are very good.  My husband, Tom, did help me flip the frame over as he inspected the various aspects of the package.  I am quite pleased with myself so far.  Today I will place the machine guide on the unit and maybe even take the extra time to complete the fabrication process.  I am reigning myself in at the moment, for you see, I just want to get in there and get quilting.  Patience is a virtue that I am working on when it comes to quilt projects.  I hope you all take a moment and look around to see if there is someone you can cheer up or help today.  Enjoy the journey!

Grace Quilt Frame

Yesterday on my lunch hour I took the plunge and called the Grace Frame Company in Salt Lake City Utah to order my new Start Right quilt frame.  I thought I would have a few days before it's arrival to find a spot to set it up for a while.  Guess what!!!!!!!!! It arrived this morning.  I cannot believe their customer service.  So far I would highly recommend their company.  It took me an hour to move things around, vacuum, unbox and bring all of the components into the house.  I will start to put it together tomorrow night.  Thank you Grace Frame Company................YOU ROCK!!! I will keep my blog updated as I get the system set up.  I was fortunate enough to already own a Brother 1500S sewing machine.  The frame and extras that I purchased came to just under $1,000.  I have search high and low for an affordable quilting system and voila, I found one.  Stay tuned........

Quilting for the Fair

Finally finished piecing together my "fair quilt" for 2011.  The fair theme this year is "Rock Around the Stock".  I kind of went with that and created an applique panel from the picture being used for the fair book.  Also used a tip from Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Co. in making the blocks that surround the center panel.  I finished pinning the quilt together last night and will set up my trusty Brother 1500 to start machine quilting.  For some strange reason I ended up making a queen size quilt.  I don't usually make such a large one for the fair, but somehow I just kept going.  The chicken print fabric that is used in the quilt is actually the same fabric that I used for my kitchen curtains.  As I was sewing the quilt together Trace Adkin's song "Brown Chicken, Brown Cow" kept going through my mind.  I utilize my living room for my machine quilting space.  This really makes me focus on getting the quilting done as soon as possible.  Hope you all have a great 4th of July weekend.