I smoked and inhaled a long-arm machine and now I'm hooked!

Autumn for me is marked by time with Penny Sisto...a retreat, a revitalization, a re-centering in the art making as healing, yes.  The day was shared with Barbara, a watercolorist and dollmaker, and Gloria, a hand quilter and appliquer.  

Me on the long-arm and Penny looking intently

This time it was all about the long arm.  My first real chunk of time using one other than a five minute demo years ago at a quilt show.  Penny was aware of the Crowbonics series, thus she had us select from a variety of Crows she loosely had sketched in order for us to use to construct our birds in cloth.  I selected these Crows because they appeared to be praying to me and my next Crowbonics quilt is called The Hymnal.  

Deborah, my sister, not knowing about the next quilt, said the Praying Crows reminded her of Matthew 18: 19-20.

The Crows are fabric snippets which have been placed on wonder under, cut out, then sewed on a background using the long arm.  I don't know if a long arm is in my future but I'm now more motivated to use one to complete at least one quilt.  

We were all witnesses to the corruption of Gloria...who prior to this day, was a NO-RAW edges appliquer and hand quilter.

And here is Barbara, the dollmaker, at the long arm.

Penny currently has a joint show with Ann Lawson Adamek at the Huff Gallery at Spalding University. Penny described her work in this show as the most biographical series she has ever completed. The quilts center on the the myths and legends that abounded on the Orkney Islands where she was born.  

Comments

[Emmy]

looks good looks also difficult to work on have great day

[Karoda]

Emmy, it is not difficult to run...smooth as warm butter. I found it easier to move the machine than moving a quilt underneath a machine. I think the challenge comes with getting the quilt attached to the rails when actually quilting 3 layers, but I could be wrong on that.

[jenclair]

I'm afraid to try one of the darn things because I know I'd want one. I'd feel like I was creating art and driving a space ship! Love the crows, K!

[Gerrie]

I don't think I want something so expensive in my studio - giving me guilt trips every time I tripped over it!!

[Carol]

Hey Karen, I tried one years ago, and decided after the next week of arthritis pain in my back that it was not for me. The repitition of the movements are so seemingly suttle, but the body knows when you use joints, and muscles that you haven't used in years and they let you know that you have rust everywhere. I'd love to but I hate pain. Hope this can work for you. You look like a pro sitting there. Oh,yeah I'm loving the crows.

[Karoda]

Carol when I reached over to pin my top to the leader I felt it immediately in my back and that was difficult to get the small piece I had pinned while reaching over. But once I got it on, the standing while quilting went very smoothly...I think I'm more physically stressed when trying to wrestle a quilt under and through my sewing machine.

[Karoda]

And I would have guilt too lol...but for the size that I do, it is a mid-arm that I'd really use. But the reality is that I'll get to use Penny's when it is available or if a push and shove should meet there is a place here that rents out time. For the size work I do, logically a long-arm would be wasted on me and unwise for as slow as I work, not to mention there is a heck of a lot of other things I could do if I had that kind of money lol

[Karoda]

The attraction is in how smooth and fast it goes, just as you'd want in a space ship...but they are awfully pricey and expensive!

[Lauren]

What a cool experience - I'm jealous
Looks like crows are getting ready to give each other five

[Beth Schnellenberger]

I love the crows and their background fabric...beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I'd love to have a long arm too, but I don't have the room or the money!

[Karoda]

LOL, Beth, room or the money, hehehe, wishing is STILL FREE!!!!!!!!!!

[Debbieg]

Make it pay for it's self by quilting for others. Hey! you've almost got me wanting to piece a quilt! I do love those crows! They are beautiful.

[Karoda]

No way jose...quilting for others doesn't sound like fun but a pain in the patootie to me!