Quilt 110: Moda "Frolic" - and using the Q-Matic - DONE!

Because it's a small project (and less of a financial investment than most of my projects), I decided the "Frolic" quilt should be the first one I quilt using the new Bernina "Q-Matic" computerized quilting accessory.

So here's the quilt mounted on the fram and ready to go.

I selected this pattern to quilt inside each of the square blocks on the quilt:

There are actually quite a few steps required for the Q-Matic.  First I have to tell the computer the overall dimensions of the project on the frame, then mark a "safe area" (a concept I'll cover in a later post).  Then I select the pattern I want and tell the Q-Matic where to stitch it.  There are actually a couple of different ways of doing that.  The method I chose is to "mark" the corners of the block by moving the sewing head to the corner and entering the command to mark that point.

In the photo below, I've positioned the sewing head and am using the needle laser (which tells me exactly where the needle will go if I start stitching) - so I know precisely where I'm marking.

Then I mark the next corner the same way....

And so on all the way around the block I'm stitching.

Once the corners are "marked", the computer can calculate the size of the design, and handle any adjustments to the design if the space I'm quilting doesn't have the same proportions as the design I selected.  Finally I press the start and the sewing head glides to the design's designated starting position.  The head pauses so I can pull up the bobbin thread, and once I've done that, it stitches away!  Here's a photo of the head doing the stitching:

And here's the final design.  Just PERFECT!  One block down, 41 to go!

Here's the finished quilt!

It turned out really well - although I did have just a little trouble with the Q-Matic when, about 2/3 of the way through the bobbin thread ran out.  I had to stop, change the bobbin, and then get the Q-Matic to pick up right where it left off.  Well... I had trouble with that and ended up finishing the stitching in that block using free-motion instead of the Q-Matic.  Thankfully, this design is so simple that it wasn't hard to finish.  But I'll have to play with the machine and practice starting/stopping properly.

That's OK.  I knew when I started there'd be a learning curve.

(36" x 42" - quilted on the Q-Matic - cotton batting)
doubleclick the photo above to see a larger image

Here's the back - taken with a bit of side-lighting so you can see the quilt design.

Here's another photo of the quilt back, taken so you can see the print.  It has dolls and teddies and text saying "cute babe cute babe" and "sweet baby girl".

I thoroughly enjoyed making this quilt - and "multitasking" - because as Q-Matic was chugging along, I was at my sewing machine putting together another quilt top.