Final Concert! & The Beast

My daughter came home last night to go to her brother's last band concert.  So of course we had to get a photo of her playing with the Beast as well.  I think she was more than a little surprised at how complex it is and how "BIG it is.  The machine I have is the Innova, I have linked to their site if anyone is interested in the Beast.  I haven't had it long enough to give any type of critique and I don't really have a frame of reference but I like it so far.  I don't have the computer system and at this point I don't know if I would ever want it but it's nice to have options.

Last summer I made a t-shirt quilt for my daughter with all of her softball shirts.  She played from Kindergarten thru high school with her dad coaching most of the way.  Now she plays on a team for her job.  I added parts of some of her caps and photos of her playing to some of the shirts.  I think I should stitch over the writing on the one shirt from her senior year in case the writing washes out.  I just need to get it quilted for her but didn't want to attempt it on my domestic machine. Here are a couple close ups of a few of the squares.  I was also playing with the long-arm trying to make a design for quilting.  Here is the softball I made (circles are harder than they look).

Here are a couple of photos from my son's final concert.  (Insert tears here)  No, I didn't cry but I've been going to concerts for about 20 years now so I'm not sure what I will do with all of my free time! (Just kidding) He of course was in the middle so it wasn't easy during the concert.  They do clean up pretty well!

Have a creative day everyone! Janet

Long-arm adventure begun!

Yesterday was a wonderful Mother's Day for me.  My son and I are greeter's at our church about every other week.  Yesterday was one of our days.  I saw a friend I haven't seen in quite awhile.  Even though we live in the same town and go to the same church we seldom see each other any more.  Our daughter's are the same age and were often involved in the same activities throughout their school years so we saw each other frequently through our children.  Now that our girls are grown women and out in the work force our lives have changed directions and don't cross often any more.  It was nice to touch base again.

After church my husband and son took me to IHOP for a brunch.  It was the plan for many families but the wait wasn't too long and the omelet was delicious!  The restaurant even gave roses to every mom.  Isn't it pretty!

Saturday my husband and son helped me finish getting my new long arm ready to launch into service.  We put the leaders on.  Since we go to the 11:00 a.m. service on Sunday morning, I had plenty of time to load some fabric before we went to church.  (I'm usually up by 6:00) I couldn't wait and started playing with it right away.  I used up an entire bobbin before church (I have to admit we were a few minutes later than we normally are because I was having too much fun and didn't pay attention to the time!)  I've learned a lot already.  I know I will find a different way to attach the first quilt I do.  Right now I am playing with some inexpensive muslin just to get the hang of how things work.  

After IHOP we came home for a short time and I managed to get both my son and husband to try The Beast too.  I bought a couple of pantographs about a year ago because some one told me they are able to use those to sew designs on their quilts with their domestic sewing machine.  I of course never managed to figure that one out.  I pulled out the pantographs and was trying one.  My son thought that looked like fun so here is a photo of him giving it a try.  And a photo of him instructing his dad how to do it since he was an expert by this point.  

We all need a little more practice, especially with the points on the pattern but we were all intrigued by the possibilities.  Now I want to buy a few rolls of paper and design my own pantographs to fit what I need to quilt.  Always something more to try!  I can make flowers and stars on my own without a pantograph but need practice with feathers and would love to be able to "McTavish" on my quilts some day.

 Next we went to the new Star Trek movie.  It was really good.  I watched Star Trek on tv but don't consider myself a trekkie.  I couldn't answer any of the trivia but I know the main characters and this was about their origins on the show.  

Tonight is my sons last band concert.  Possibly forever, as he doesn't plan to do band next year.  He wants to take other electives his senior year.  It will be very strange for all of us.  He has played in band since 5th grade and had private lessons since 7th grade.  He is very good, so it's a shame he can't take band along with the other classes he needs and wants.  This photo is from their winter concert in December.  I'll have to get some more photos tonight.

The rest of the week I will be finishing my quilt with a sense of humor for our guild challenge, going to my fitness program, planting flowers, Art-a-Whirl in Minneapolis on Friday and than to my mom's for the weekend as she has a birthday soon.  Here is a photo from Thanksgiving two years ago at my brothers in Davenport, Iowa.  I think there were 50 people at his house that day.  This is my mom and two of my sisters.  Have a creative day. Janet