Whoop Whoop! 3/9/12

My Avante got a workout this week!  Two quilts, plus a deep massage (not the good-feeling kind).  I was given two tops to quilt.  The lady didn't want me to do different designs in each block like I did the first one she sent me, more of an overall meander.  I don't love an overall meander for most quilts (except the camo quilts I did for MA, which was the perfect design for the pattern in some of the fabrics).  So I meandered in the blocks and sashing, using different threads.  Then I did the different quilting in the borders, which spiffed it up a bit.

The second quilt was also a sampler from donated blocks.  So while I did an allover curlique (smaller in the blocks and larger on the borders), I simply had to do the center block different, to make it stand out.  Of course, as the quilt elf is wont to do when you're on deadline and for someone else's quilt, she jumped into the cogs of the machine and wreaked havoc.  I was within a foot of finishing!!

Mr. Happiness got on the phone with a tech, and after several hours, was able to get the initial problem fixed.  But then I was left with a horrible tension issue, and not just with the threads, but also my head!!!  My wonderful rep and her hubby walked me through lots of steps, and was on the phone with me for a couple of hours, before it got fixed up.  I was able to get the top finished in time.  BUT.  when I was looking at the back of it, there were nasty birds nests, and loopies everywhere.  So at 4 a.m., I was picking stitches out, and re-stitched about 1/4 of the quilt.  Aaaarrrrrrgggggghhhhh!!  I finished within minutes of the prearranged pick-up time, but not to my complete satisfaction.  While it's a wallhanging and people won't see the back, I'm unhappy there are still some places with some loops sticking out.  Her hubby picked up the quilts since she's out of town, but I'm going to call her tomorrow and see if she wants me to pick out the rest and re-quilt.

There's one more quilt that I have a deadline for, and the owner is being very sweet and patient, but I'm almost afraid to being quilting on it!  So I'm going to put a small practice quilt on the frame and test it out.  Who knows why machines suddenly decide to go bonkers?  Would someone please tell me what I need to do -- special feeding, strokes, hugs, what? -- to appease the quilting elf so I can quilt in peace?

Sorry for the whine, I'm happy I finished these two, and hope to have something on the design wall for Monday!  Meanwhile, go see some talented women's links at Sarah's blog: http://confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com/2012/03/can-i-get-whoop-whoop-anticipation.html