What I've learned so far with my Challenge

Some of you know that I made myself a challenge - Could I quilt 90 quilts in 31 days (August) - all charity 60”x80” quilts?

I’m halfway through the month now and thought I’d share what little things have I learned.

Lesson 1 - I’ve learned that I need to pace myself.

This month long ‘thing’ is not a sprint - it’s a marathon - well, maybe a half marathon, or a 5K run. :) Anyway, I decided to take Sundays off or I would just dread it all the time. It’s a big task I’m trying to do and if I were to just stay in the room for 10 hours, for example, I just wouldn’t want to get up in the morning.

I also decided to try to quilt 3.5 every day - but the day that I only put on three, I am trying to do a bit more on the last one so that the next day when I have to set up one extra one, that I don’t have to actually quilt that much on the first one before I’m done.

I am also leaving the door of the long arm room CLOSED. The first day the cat was asleep in it - keeping me company. He found a comfy ? place to sleep on a package of batting. So when I finished my 3, I left the door open as he seemed sooo sleepy.

Later my husband went into the room and he was lying on the quilt on the frame. Grrr.

I had seen evidence that he preferred that bed, as well - last year. There was a definitely “down spot” that looked like the shape of a cat making himself comfortable. Since that time, I had left the door closed. Except for that one day when I thought he looked sleepy on my bag of batting.

Mike picked him up and took him outside the room and shut the door. I don’t want him on the quilts as he is creating issues for me. It can’t be good to sort of stretch the leaders. He was sitting on the quilt which was already set up to quilt the next day on the machine.

So…

Lesson 2. Keep the door closed when I’m not in the room.

Lesson 3. Turn on the fan as I work.

I found that even though it’s the basement, I found it too hot in the room - maybe it’s just me feeling stress as I work - but I found that a fan blowing on my legs feels great as I go back and forth. It’s not a gale force wind but rather a gentle breeze. It helps me feel less stressed. The fan is oscillating and is a simple room fan. Oh, and I know this one is missing the front part - but it doesn’t hurt if you hit it even without the guard on. (At least it isn’t a blood producing pain.)

Lesson 4. Putting the needle in correctly is paramount!

It had been a while since I changed the needle. In fact, I had some issues with skipping on some microfiber, so I changed it.

I checked the book that I had printed out and thought I did it correctly. But then nothing worked. In fact, it kept sewing worse and worse. I had to stop. I thought I had ruined it. I decided to just stop - I had finished 3 and the fourth one, which I had hoped to finish, I ended up bringing upstairs and straight lined quilted it. I then took care of a few things that were causing me stress (shopping for my husband’s birthday), and then came back to the computer and reviewed some videos about threading and changing the needle.

Sure enough, I didn’t have it in correctly. I ended up going back to the room later in the day and working with it and then finally getting the needle in correctly. These needles are round and a bit more fiddly than a domestic sewing machine with a flat back. So, I spent a while on that. As a result of all that, I do have a quilt that is quilted but I need to take out the long arm quilting (loops) and then I can count it. Right now it’s not counted as finished quilting because it is both straight line quilted and has some loops that need to be removed.

I had joined a Facebook ground for Juki owners that had mentioned that on some machines, it helps if the needle is just slightly to the right and not straight on - so that is what I ended up needing to do.

 

Lesson 5 - It’s actually a simple machine.

I am trying to remember that and tell myself that.

I’m still intimidated by this big thing and so afraid I’m going to do something that will ruin it. I have not gotten the program up to date yet, so I’m just working it manually. However, after I finish the charity quilts for his year, I’m going to embark on the process of getting this thing set up for digital. I’m reasonably sure it will be much slower to use the digital part, but on the other hand, I will not have to do it and maybe I can actually work on other things while the machine is running - I already have a different machine in the room. I’ve got enough experience with the embroidery machine to realize that I need to be in the room as it is working, however.

But back to the intimidation part - I’m still scared of this machine - while at the same time trying to overcome that.

Lesson 6 - Help is good.

I’m grateful to all of my helpers who have given me tops to finish up for Polish or Ukrainian people. That’s you!

 
 

I am so thankful to each of you. As I’ve worked on so many of these donated tops, I am reminded once again of all the help I’ve gotten. If I didn’t have that, making the tops for 120 charity quilts would pretty much take all my time. However, because so many people have donated tops I am able to prep them in a short amount of time and have a quilt top ready to go! So thank you! And if your help is simply encouragement - that’s huge as well! I appreciate you!

And there you go.

These are the simple lessons. I’ve been learning and relearning this month so far.

I know that some of you have been wondering how it is going. I am basically spending each morning - right about 8 am until about noon-ish in the room, working. I may have to take a break or two for a variety of reasons - restroom, drinks, etc. But otherwise, I’m focusing hard and trying to get things done. The quilts are not large, and I’m definitely putting them on the lengthwise down the length of the machine, so it’s not that many passes until I am finished.

Thank you again for coming along with me on this journey!

Have a great day wherever you are reading!

44 quilts remaining in my

“Can I quilt 90 quilts in 31 days?”

challenge.




Becky Petersen8 Comments