Then the machine started mucking up and showing distress about the bobbin thread when really there wasn't anything happening. However, after a while it did not let itself be overruled by simply pressing the 'close'-x when the sign appeared on the display and stopped working altogether. I took it to my dealer and they think they figured out it had something to do with the bobbin, I should take another one. Not that I could see anything wrong with the bobbing I was using, no scratches on the silver marks on its outside - but the machine was working fine with a bobbin from the dealer in their shop. Now I have to try that out tomorrow. Is it the bobbin, or the aura?
But the stitching of the text is done, right now I have to clip many threads and then finish the facings.
While stitching this quilt I was also trying to turn around in my mind my idea for the next quilt I have been hoping to get finished before I leave for New Zealand in just about five weeks. But attempts at pre-viewing what I have been thinking I would do by putting it all together on the computer have yet to convince me, and this afternoon I almost thought I would give up on that idea. I get the impression that the 'text message'-series is getting overloaded with too many ideas, too much message. Any viewer must feel overwhelmed with what I am trying to say. Or it's not at all discernible, too complicated. In any case - right now I think I might not have to put a whole lot of pressure on myself to get something done before I leave in order to catch the deadline for the 'My place' exhibit. But perhaps I will have another idea, or convince myself, tonight when I sleep!
My son has been skidding through is second week of secondary school and everything is far from routine yet. And it's turned unpleasantly cold. Not that I wanted the summer heat waves to continue, but I am definitely not ready for any kind of German winter yet. Good that I am going to NZ ...
What has really strucutred my activities, though, was the dyeing of the September collection of the fabric club. Two colours at a time, four buckets each. At one point some dirt had accumulated in the faucet and it took more than double the time it usually did to fill up all those buckets, but the dirt has been removed and today's filling went quickly again. Last batch will be ironed tomorrow, and then I can start cutting the pieces.
I once had a real problem with my sewing machine, a particular bobbin. It was plastic and it turned out that somehow the friction of it winding had caused a heat build up and slightly altered the flat sides... the distance apart they were. It just mucked it up and with a new bobbin all was fine. I now always wind bobbins slowly to medium speed.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting comment, Irene. Because that particular bobbin that was causing the trouble really did not have any visible damage to it. I will take your advice and check on the winding speed in future! Thank you.
DeleteI can understand you had problems with your quilt being lost. It is very nice he is back.
ReplyDeleteAnd I really love your dyeing !!
Thank you, Mieke. It is going to be a very nice color selection this time, I think. But I think that every time, I really haven't made a collection which I didn't like!
DeleteThis is my first comment to you, I know there's another Claire who comments. I wanted to tell you how much I've enjoyed reading your blog from the beginning, the past month or so. My reaction to artwork with text is, this is art, not a piece of writing. How will it look from across the room? Are the visual forms of the letters integral to the overall design or has the meaning of the words overwhelmed the visual concept? Personally I feel a lot of quilts with text look more like really attractive banners. On the other hand pieces like your o(rounD)moon are beautiful and use text very effectively. So squint your eyes and look at your designs with text, try to ignore the fact that those squiggles have any other meaning and see if you like the overall effect. Keep up the good work, you are inspiring to me!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Claire - this is food for thought and I will be remembering what you said with possible further designs!
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