The new motor for the longarm arrived and My Sweet Babboo installed it, along with a new belt just for good measure. I was nervous to use it, as we had no guarantee that this would solve the problem of blowing fuses. It was the most likely culprit as we had eliminated just about everything else. To have the machine just shut off and stop while moving it risks a tear in the quilt. So, I needed to assure myself that it was probably fixed. I removed the bobbin case and the needle, set the machine for stitch length and cruise speed, and then “quilted” the pantograph line as usual without actually stitching. I went as fast as I usually go, intending to make it blow the fuse if it was going to. Happily, it didn’t. It sewed along as usual without a hitch. Next, I put the needle back in, threaded the machine, replaced the bobbin, and did some test stitches on the edge of the backing. That went fine too.

OK. I took a deep breath and began quilting again, moving fairly slowly. Stitches were checked and all was well. One more pass done.

I’m using Glide thread in white on the top, with Bottom Line in the bobbin. The pantograph is called Halcyon by Urban Elementz. The next two rows went well, so I sped up to my normal stitching speed.

The quilting looked good and the machine continued to stitch well.

Another pass and I was getting close to the bottom. I think the new motor was the fix needed.

Quilting was done all the way to the end, and not a single problem. Hallelujah!

Removed from the frame, the quilt is trimmed and ready to bind.

I had already made the binding, so I immediately pinned it to the quilt top, adjusting the placement so no seams land in corners.

It is now in the den so I can do the hand work while watching sports on TV. It will be given to the local Quilts of Valor chapter when it is done.

Next, I need to finish the collage quilt base, and get that quilted. I tried making a little mini quilt last week, but the result was so bad that I took it apart and threw most of it away. Quilting on a domestic machine isn’t as much fun, especially when you forget to put on the walking foot and the fabric bunches up along the edges. I also got back to a lounge wear top that I’ve had on a back burner, but the pattern wouldn’t fit the fabric pieces I had left over after making the pants. More on that later.

What are you working on this week?

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