Wanna Do Some Lines?

Um, yah man, of course I do!

I see straight line quilting everywhere these days and I love it. Problem is that I hate to pin or baste, like I really hate it, so accomplishing lines with my sewing machine posed a challenge.

When I bought my little quilting machine and put it on the frame it was simply a means to an end. It was a way to complete a top so I could begin another, which ultimately is quilty speak for 'so I can buy more fabric'. I have stippled the hell out of everything. I have done some free motion stuff with it but I get frustrated by the short reach of the machine and usually go back to my meandering ways.

Until this weekend.
My sister, who does not quilt but is intrigued by what she calls the "giant wiggler", asked if we could do some lines. Together we figured out a simple method of stopping the machine carriage from moving forward and back so that it would only move sideways, in a nice straight line. We found a couple big plastic wood clamps and wedged them behind the wheels on the carriage track.

Simple engineering, no whiskey required.
A test piece revealed, in all of it's porky deliciousness, that we had nailed it.

Yesterday I decided to dig out an older flimsy, loaded it up on the frame and got started with some more lines. I decided on 3/4" spacing for this go round. I made Live Out Loud as an improv exercise to use only the scraps and more importantly, all of the scraps, from a single previous project. I almost did it, there is only a handful of these fabrics left down there in the basket. I guess I wanted to prove that scraps are as valuable as precious yardage, and shouldn't ever be thought of something lesser...come together you lowly scraps and unite!

I love the lines; so simple, clean and quick. I hope to get this one off the frame sometime in the next day or so. When I gave up last night to head to my nest, with 2 crossed and super-sleepy eyeballs, there was only another 20 inches or so to go. Looking ahead, I think Kaleido is gonna be needing some lines.