I'm So Excited

I finally got a new sewing machine!!  Yay, me!  I got a Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.2 & I love it!

I have obsessively been sewing since it crossed the treshold of my home!

My second project was to free motion my Vintage Christmas Quilt.  If you don't want to see tons of pictures, I advise that you leave now.  I'm like a proud new momma.

First, all the inner borders.  I did a ribbon candy stitch.  Loved it, super easy.  You make U's and then go around a second time with off-set U's and it looks like a 3D ribbon.  I went around all of the applique with monofilament.

For the house block, I did a meander with roof shingles.  I LOVE the shingles!

 The outer borders, I did these cute bows.  Super easy!  Just small figure 8, large figure 8 but square it up.  Then, move to the next bow.  Love it!

The bell flower got big loops all around.   Not the most original but I was running out of ideas at this point.  I followed the plaid fabric on the bells with straightish lines.  Should have used the walking foot.

The bird got some feathers.  The background on that block got meandering holly leaves.  I liked this one, too.

The church got snow flurries.  It's a line from top to bottom with a spiral every few inches.  Then, the next row over, I alternated spaces.  I like this one, too.  Very simple.  Then, I beaded the tree.  That took several hours of my recent Mascoutah retreat.

Mr. Sheepy got loops in the background and swirls on his wool.  Not original but the Mr. Sheepy is the cutest.  The grass just got some up and down tight squiggles.

Large interlocking loops for the strips above another Christmas tree.  The background is as tiny as I could make, loops.  I kind of feel like the frame needs something more but I can't figure out what.  I beaded pearls to decorate this tree.  And, decorated the floor of the Mascoutah Community Center.  Oopsies.

Buttons for the strips in a couple differnt places.  I'm considering more buttons in other places but I wanted to 'live' with it first.  I followed the snowflakes for the partidge.  Don't love this.  It's messy.  I thinkI need to go back in and give the leaves some veins, maybe a few feathers on the bird.

Giant U's for the prestent.  Again, ran out of ideas.

The small ornament was the first one I did.  I used the walking foot to follow the plaid fabric.  It was much more successful than the free motion plaid.  The candy canes were my first free motion block.  I had to rip it out and do over.  I started off with a simple meander.

The strips above the snowman got teardrops inside teardrops.  I like it.  I'm considering some buttons in the middle row.  The snowman got meandering hearts.  Ahhh.  See how he's reaching out to give you a hug?

The ice skate background got swirls.  This was my second free motion block and I had trouble remembering what shape I was supposed to be doing.  So, the consistancy is pretty bad.  But, not bad enough to rip out.

For the applique border on top, I just went around the applique and did a spiral in each star.  I was afraid of overpowering it with too much background work.

A picture of the whole thing, pre-quilted.  In case you forgot what it looked like...

So, now that I've got my first quilting project done on the machine, I can return to normal life.  I know, that made me laugh before the sentence was even typed...

Happy Sewing!