Lauren's Graduation Quilt

This Quilt was inspired by a photo online of hexagons made from triangles but the fabrics were solids.   My friend Ang wanted to use FUN bright prints for the triangles for her quilt.   Also we personalized the quilt with the recipients NAME and graduation date ;c)

 A couple in-progress photos -   closeup of the fabrics that make up the hexagons, and the quilting as it was just in the beginning stages.

 Ang chose to use the PINK fabric for the text , and since it didn't show up as much as I expected, I outlined with a darker thread color = purple.     Now it really pops!

I did the quilting with my regular piecing foot on my Juki DDL 8700 - We decided to do a simple straight-line quilting design in parallel lines all-over.     This design is still quite time-consuming. . but simple none the less.   

 my sweet little "helper" 

 the back 

my new label 

Finally got my new sewing machine working!

Here she is in action!

Thank you DAD for assembling my new sewing machine!

Here she is! All assembled. My new Quilting machine.

It's a Juki DDL 8700 - industrial strength lockstitch machine.

You may be wondering why I chose this machine of all the machines out there in the world? Well, for starters, it's an AMAZING price! You can't get the speed, accuracy, reliability, and throat plate space for less than 1,000 on a DSM.

I can proudly say I would never have been able to assemble this on my own. Thankfully, my Father is a contractor. He is amazing when it comes to these things and he was able to get it done in a little over 4 hours total. That's impressive folks!

This is my Dad, Keith Hager. When he first arrived at my flat, he said to me "just as long as I don't lose any hair I'll be okay"

He's always the jokester! lol

My Dad's Wife, Donna Hager, is assisting him across the table. She has more patience than I can comprehend. She kindly sits and helps as Dad constructs my sewing machine, table and motor. She would hand him various tools that I don't even recognize by the name.

Dad gets the table and frame together at last!. He has attached the motor to the underside of the table, the bobbin winder, and the foot pedal at this point.

He has the instructions (with photos) on the table.

I will say that the photos don't do much good at all though. They are written in Japanese and then translated.. . . badly. Here are some of the examples of the instructions:

"Tight the pulley" and

"Put the Belt"

We HAD to get a photo of Dad scratching his head. Please let there be a few hairs left!!

Here he is tightening the belt. Isn't that attached lamp awesome?!


By George I think we've got it!

A photo of all the boxes the whole package came in...

This photo is of all the "extra" parts! hahahaha

I know . . SCARY right?!

I took this shot sideways to show you the WHOLE machine.

My new Jukibaby. She runs like a dream! She is kind of hard to thread, but once you get her threaded she goes and goes. This machine has a "servo" motor, as opposed to a "clutch" motor. It's supposed to be more quiet than regular industrial motors. I was skeptical. BUT, once I got her humming along. . she IS INDEED quiet!! As a matter of fact, quieter than my little Janome home sewing machine that I USED to do all my FMQ on!!!

I still have to get a high-shank darning foot for this machine. I'll let you know how my free-motion quilting goes once I do. I'm SOOOOO excited!

It's NO longarm. . but I think this badboy machine will last me for QUITE a few years until I can afford one.

Thank you SOOOOO much to my mom, Terrie Bowen for my Christmas present.

This was NOT a cheap machine to purchase as a gift and I am so appreciative.

Thank you to my Dad for buying the table and installing it for me for my birthday. I am so VERY blessed and grateful to you both!

Merry Christmas!! -JUKI DDL 8700

I think I got everything I asked for, for Christmas and more. I am truly blessed. . TRULY blessed!!! Christmas morning I woke up with that song in my head by the Gaithers "Greatly Blessed, Highly Favored, Imperfect but Forgiven Child of God!"

It's been such an amazing year for me. So SO many quilts finished. . and what more could a quilter ask for?!

For Christmas this year. . I got . . . THIS:

It's a Juki DDL 8700 - Not sure how to assemble it. . and I can't even LIFT the thing by myself. It weighs 80lbs!!!! I know these machines go really good on a table/frame but I'm just using it as a sit-down machine. . I'm trying to find the perfect sturdy table to put it on right now. Because once it gets situated I canNOT move it!

Can't wait for DH to get home and help me with it!!! He also had to help me with my new iphone. . still not quite sure how to use that either. something tells me that I'll have more luck with the sewing machine than the phone though. . LOL

Here's some other QUILTY things I got for Christmas:

3 large spools of cotton quilting thread from C&C

One package of Neutral thread from Connecting Threads

Fiskers rotary cutter and blades (I'll probably stick to my original olfa cutter though LOL)

Colored and white chalk pencils

A blue quilt marker

A SQUARE quilt ruler. . YAY!!!

and some bobbins for my new Juki!!!

Some white and darkbrown/burgundy fabric yardage!

And look at what my sister did for me!!!!

She has ALL these old magazines . . I kept hinting to her that I really could use the subscription cards out of the magazines for my English Paper Piecing projects. . .

Well I never expected this. . . I get the box and she says to me. . "this gift took the most time for me" LOL. . . . I open it up and she has pulled out ALLL of the index cards out of her magazines for me!!1 Is that not the most thoughtful, sweet, awesome gift ever?! My sister is awesome!

So yes, it's been an amazing Christmas for me. .

Has anyone used this machine before? I can't wait to get'r going!

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December was a super busy month for me. . I finished more projects this month than ever before.

Here are all of my finishes for December, 2011 -

4 memory quilts - these were made with their father's clothes and photos - I embroidered sayings in the borders. This was such a special project to be a part of, and when they sent me this photo of them with their quilts, I cried!!

A memory quilts for my moms secret sister at Church Joyce Jimison.

A memory quilts for a lady in NY's daughter. We used her daughters photos and really BRIGHT colors. . this was a super fun quilt to make!!

A tote with contrasting pockets made with Kate Spain fabric for my friend Megan Howard's sister.

I didn't get a pic of the finished and bound quilt. . but here is one with the quilting finished. This is a lonestar I made for my friend Jaime's mom for Christmas.

I also made a round table cloth for my mom.

So all of these were finished in the month of December. Can you believe it??

Needless to say I am now finally catching up on my sleep. But there is NOTHING in the world I would rather have done with my time. What a great month and a great feeling!

I hope everyone had a successfull and Merry Christmas!!!

Looking forward to another great year full of sewing and Quilting!!