Square in a Square Quilt in Blue

The Square in a Square Quilt in Blue--accented with colorful cornerstone sashing. 

 I made more queen size quilts last winter, piecing them with some lovely machines:

 1951 Singer 201-2 (Christmas present from Jon)

1954 Singer 301 outfitted with a modern 1/4" scant foot.

I can build the backing with art panels in one day.  The following day is a two hour set up--loading  the three layers: backing, batting, top. 

A most important concern is adjusting the frame, keeping it square and level.  The distance from belly bar (front) to the take up bar (back) is something I have to tweak for each quilt project. 

First, I pin the backing fabric squarely to the belly bar and turning the cranking mechanism rolling the fabric around the bar until the backing is pinned to the take up bar.  I can tell at the end of this process if the frame requires adjustment because I am noticing the backing fabric on the left side of the frame is slightly looser than the right side.  

I think the Grace Majestic queen size frame gets out of adjustment because of the design of the frame.  The cranking mechanism is located on the right of the frame, so it is possible there is a little more pull (more tension) on the right each time I advance the quilt--turning the cranking mechanism rolling it forward during the quilting process. 

Blues, Greens, Grays, Turquoise

Here's the finished Square in a Square Quilt.  It sold June 16, 2018 at the Reedsburg WI Butterfest.  I'm in the studio this weekend building another one.  This is an ideal quilt project to use up smaller chunks of leftover fabrics.  I bought a bolt of the sashing/border steel blue fabric, more than enough to make two quilts.  

Made in Italy--this is my new favorite, a Necchi BU, the first zig-zag Necchi built (1948-1952). It really rocks the chrome.  Budda bing, budda boom!  Came with a lovely cabinet, and it is a knee lever speed control.  

Hah!  I'm too short to operate the knee lever speed control, so Jon built me a platform, a four-stack of 3/4" plywood nailed together and sanded.  Looks like a large loaf of bread resting on the floor.  I put a rubberized drawer liner under it to prevent any shift, and the loaf is resting snug between the right wall of the cabinet and a support cleat in back.   Now I have no trouble reaching the knee lever speed control.  

I removed great chunks of lint from the feed dogs and underneath the hook assembly.  After deep cleaning, oiling, and two coats of  Zymol wax on the surface,  it is now my beautiful go-to machine for multiple seam layers of upholstery, cotton linings, and batting to construct padded purses, cell phone carriers, and fabric journal covers.  Its a quiet machine--runs smooth.  I love it.