The first row -

 

 

Of my Upstairs/Downstairs - Wild Things is quilted - 

 

 

I decided to go with the "E" pattern - 

Changing direction with each block - 

 

 

In an email to Katie - katiemaytoo quilts -  I explained my reasoning - 

The more I think about it - the less I want to stitch diagonals this first time around.  I also want to avoid the ditch and corners - too many seams coming together - and that's enough to get me nervous about hitting "points".  "Precision" can wait until I get better at this.  This quilt top is pretty busy - so most of the quilting won't be seen anyway - just the black thread on the yellow squares - LOL.    I'll live with that since the backing is black - and I really don't want to change the color of the thread.

The middle E designs wouldn't need any marking other than a visual reminder at the beginning of the next block so I don't forget to change direction.  The Es would be stitched down the middle of the patch - away from the ditches.  I'm leaning more toward them since I could do the whole row in one pass.  And since it's loaded sideways - there are only 6 rows - YAY!!

I'm also thinking that I might want to stitch it from right to left - "steer" the machine with my right hand - and smooth it out with my left - as I move across the row.   I could stitch the first row from left to right - then try stitching the second row from right to left - see which one is easier.

I also have the option of changing the buttons from right-handed to left-handed.  I tried that once and got myself so confused as to which button was go/stop and which one was needle up/down that I switched it back to right-handed.  I do a lot of stuff right-handed - because there IS no left-handed version - so it wasn't that bad.  So never mind - I'll leave the buttons right-handed - LOL - ;))

And I was right - 

The quilting hardly shows - except in the yellow squares - 

So - in another email - I continued -

I just finished the first row - left to right.  I did the Es and did it one block at a time so I wouldn't get messed up.  I even put little stickers with arrows to remind me to change directions - I figured it couldn't hurt. 

I usually have both hands on the handles - except when I get to the edges and have to get the bungee things out of the way.  Funny thing - on the old frame I could prop a yard stick on the rails under the bungees and they were out of my way.  I tried that on this one and it doesn't get them high enough to be out of the way - the ruler base still hit them on the right side.  Oh, well - I did the last column one handed and basted the edge of that side while I was at it.  I basted down the left side then the top - but left the right side unsewn so I didn't get a bubble at that edge.

Now to write up my post - and tackle the second row tomorrow - ;)) 

 

Thanks, Katie - for helping me write up my post - 

 

And all of that quilting really doesn't show - LOL -

 

It should give the quilt some nice texture, though - ;))

 

 

 

Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -