WOW, WMUTeach… knowing that you did ALL OF YOUR OWN QUILTING ON YOUR DSM IS EVEN MORE FANTASTIC TIMES A HUNDRED!!! 🤩
Like you, i do all my own quilting - at first it was because of the expense of having someone else do it. But as i took time to ponder the bigger picture i realized how important it really was to me that i finished my own stuff from beginning to end. Its an investment in hours of time and something else that i cant adequately describe in words. Something that happens when all that work finally becomes a quilt top. I thought about the passage of time and all of the things in life (good and bad) that somehow got worked through while i was otherwise occupied with the fabric, thread, and the hum of the machine with the solitude i needed to listen for that still small voice which reminded me that everything would be ok. So, for me it came down to the idea that i just BIRTHED THIS BABY and found myself unwilling or unable to entrust its care to someone else - i guess thats the Readers Digest Condensed version of why i choose to do what i do - lol!
These thoughts are NOT AT ALL TO MINIMIZE the efforts of the longarm community or anyone fortunate enough to see their quilt creations come to beautiful fruition in the hands of such gifted artists! I have admired so many beautiful quilts at shows and here on the Quilting Board and am TRULY AMAZED AND INSPIRED BY EACH OF THEM. Meanwhile, i have no illusions… the work of my hands cannot even come close to holding a candle to such beauties! But im not a competitive person and i take joy in everyones efforts and have learned to even appreciate my own even in its imperfection 💜
For the longest time i quilted on my DSM and still do. Before i retired i gifted myself with a sitdown longarm. Its mechanical only with no bells or whistles. I can maintain it myself and it cost only a fraction of what a regular computerized setup would cost. The machine i bought was in my budget - and because i enjoy FMQ its perfect for me. It is set into a huge table and the head of the machine is oriented toward me at the front. As i get braver i practice ruler work, but i need more work in that!
You mentioned TAILORS CHALK… something i SHOULD HAVE USED 😵💫 - on another thread here i asked for some advice for making a cover for a Composition Book - you all came to the rescue and THANK YOU! I was going to wait until next week to try out the pattern, but couldnt wait! So, i am almost ready for the binding - except for the fact that i foolishly used YELLOW CHALK LINER to mark a few lines on the back cover. Now i cant get them off! The back was the only place where i marked anything. I was at my machine and couldnt locate my white chalk or an erasable white marker - the yellow was there and without thinking of the consequences i used it 🫣 on a medium gray print fabric. I tried a magic eraser but i can still see the yellow on my gray thread. I am so disappointed cuz this will be a birthday present. Any advice?