The first project on my Featherweight is this table runner, the class project for Amy Gibson's Learn to Quilt Craftsy series. I had a lot of fun chain piecing the HSTs and joining the rows to make the runner. I also pieced the backing using strips of co-ordinating fabric.
Once I had a chance to get in my workshop and start quilting, it went very fast. I tried using the 221 for the quilting portion of the project but didn't have much luck. With my first attempt I ended up with micro stitches as the walking foot got bogged down in the layers. I had a piece of insulbrite in between my quilt sandwich so I figured that was the problem. I painstakingly picked out the tiny stitches and then removed the heat-resistant layer. Next try, still no luck! I'm not sure if I got a defective walking foot, the machine is not powerful enough, or it didn't like my poly batting. The batting is the good stuff from the Warm Company and isn't much thicker than cotton but I switched it out for my regular Warm & White and switched to my Sweet 16.
I love using the Sweet 16, it is so comfortable and fun! It took no time at all to finish the quilting although I did choose a basic meander to get it done. This is a table runner and is going to be washed and used a lot so I didn't want to get too fussy with the quilting or spend a lot of time on it.
I had the binding ready to go and finished up the runner by machine. I stitched it first on the back and then topstitched the binding down on the front with pretty good results. I have a bit of wave in the edge so I'm not sure if that is just the way I pieced it or the fact that the 221 machine has no 'needle down' or 1/4" foot with guide (either way, I guess it's operator error!).
Currently I'm working on a tote for my machine and have cut and quilted all the pieces of the pattern. I still have to assemble everything but my workshop gets ripped out a week from Monday and things are crazy around here. There is so much to do for the move so I doubt I will get it completed before then. It is going to take me a few trips to get my machines all settled at the new place and then they can come out to play next month! I am really having a lot of fun with these new old machines!
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