DonnaPea, Your daughter is just glowing. What a fun wedding that must have been.

Cathy....adorable and a beautiful costume, though I'm hesitant to call it that. It's gorgeous as is your little princess..

I'm almost to the halfway point quilting on the SBS. I'm using a thread I've never used before, and for the first time experienced backlashing. I had a little bit, so I messed with the spring in the bobbin case and pulled a rather large mass of lint out from behind it. That made things much worse as it loosened the pressure it was putting on the bobbin. So I had to lift it and give it a bit more bend (it's spring steel) and then I had to readjust the tension . . . I think I have it worked out now, but I've also gotten to the part I'm FMQ and I was having the problems more with the robotics.

The trip to the quilt show was fun. DH and I stopped at the "mother store" to our local one that is going out of business. That one was twice as big and I found a lot of fabric that our store had already sold out of. And at half price, I walked out with a couple of large bags of fabric. The bad part, after getting fabric for under $5 a yard, it was very hard to feel like paying the quilt show sale prices of $10 a yard!

I only bought a few yards at the show, but there was almost no specialty fabric sellers. It was mostly the LQS stores so mostly what I see routinely. I did get a couple of Creative Grids rulers at 20% off, that is my favorite brand.

DH tried a few of the other LA's. He was not impressed with any of them, but he was super impressed with the industrial straight stitch Juki. I've not sewn on one with a servo motor (use to the older style) and was impressed with how well it did at very slow speed.

I also got rather depressed looking at the quilts. Made me feel like I should go home and toss mine into the burning barrel lol!! Didn't help that I ended up looking at the "best of show" quilts first without realizing that was were I was. After I got around to the unjudged section, then I felt better about my own ability. I think I'm not too bad with peicing, but my quilting is very much in the amature arena. And to be truthful, I'm not sure I want to slow down and take the time to do better. The quilts that won best of show were all very intensly quilted and I don't like doing that on quilts meant to be used. Maybe I'll do one quilt a year to try for show quality, and just enjoy making the rest.

I didn't take pictures of the quilts. I saw many wonderful quilts, but very few that were something that I felt I'd want to replicate and figured I'd only take pictures if I wanted it for inspireation. I really don't need to collect more ideas! And right now I"m attracted to sampler style quilts anyway. Don't recall seeing any SBS quilts.

Glad you're not so depressed anymore :) I know the feeling, when I see wonderful FMQing and realize I will never be that good. On the other hand, like you said, I don't like heavy quilting on quilts which need to keep me (or others) warm. So.....I don't think about it anymore.

I was at the LQS this afternoon, was looking for a FQ, white with black/dark grey writing on it. Found one, would have to pay over $5 for it so it's still in the shop!!

Sounds like you had a great time and made quite a haul, Cathy. Good for you! Shows are great places to test machines...I do that too. And, I always leave feeling inspired to improve in skill level though I really don't have any desire to show my work and compete. That may change... FMQ'ing is an area I hope to build on when I get my LA. You do beautiful work, Cathy, in piecing and quilting. Send me any of your quilts you destined for the burn pile. :D It's on my bucket list to do a whole quilt or a doodle quilt. Right now, I'd just like to learn and build more skills on filler stitches around applique. I'm not a dense quilting stitch lover either...I like my quilts mushy and cuddly...

Anael....$5+ for a FQ? Good grief...it's getting ridiculous, isn't it? Talk about depressing.

It is ridiculous, that shop was quite expensive but $5+ for one FQ?

Noooooooooooo, no burn pile!!!!!!!!!! That can't be!!!!! :D :D

I'm getting so frustrated with this thread and trying to get my SBS quilted - I'm ready to take it off the frame and put it in the back of the closet. I know it's not the quilt's fault but I am getting so sick of thread breaks and backlash, and I've got a lot of places on the back side where the upper thread pulled a loop and didn't break. I don't think I'll ever buy this type of thread again.

I am seriously thinking of switching bobbin thread even though that will show on the back. Problems like this is why I don't have the courage to quilt for someone else!

What an ensemble, DonnaPea! Nicely done.
Macybaby you are one talented seamstress! Now what thread are you using that's frustrating you at the LA? Yes problems at the machine sure turn you off on a quilt.
I have sewn a couple of prom type dresses for my daughter 25 years ago, but was tickled pink when she did not ask me to sew her wedding dress!
Love seeing everyone's blocks...can't wait to get to the machine and sew. Had my 12 yo GD here for 2 nights while she sewed outdoor cushions for a 4-H project...did a great job until she got in a hurry...then frog stitching, not too much. It was all straight line stitching plus an overcast on the seam edges. Looks very nice.

Back to work for me...

So sorry Mace! I so understand your frustration!
When do you see the back of the quilt? Only when you want to. So if the bobbin thread is giving you a head ache change it and move on.

Oh no, Cathy.... Ugh!! Anyway you can match thread color to a different thread maker? You can always pull it off and set it aside but I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to re-rack it. Hang in there...