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Yes, it’s true. The quilt name will not get any longer as I have stopped procrastinating, and actually begun working on it! I used essex natural linen for the background, and a shot cotton for the body. I’ll incorporate prints into the non-dragon parts of the quilt.
Of course, after getting this much done (you can see the pencilled areas that I have a bit more to do), my machine started making a squeaky noise. 🙁 I think my machine just really hates free-motion of any kind. The squeaking went away when I’d pause for a bit, then would start up again after a while.
I also managed to royally mess up the measurements and this is half the size it’s supposed to be. But I suppose my design sketch was more of what you’d call “guidelines” than actual rules. I can’t imagine working on something twice as big (although the details would be WAY easier) so I’ll just go with it and figure out the rest after the dragon blocks are done.
Assuming my machine stops acting up. 🙁
32 thoughts on “Dragon Quilt of Doomity-Doom-Doom Progress”
Three cheers for progress! I like the dragon already.
Thanks so much! I made more progress on it today, and I’m really pleased with how it’s coming along. 🙂 There might be hope for this quilt yet!
Looking super cool. This is going to be so unique!
Hahahahaha “that’s…unique…” I know that’s not how you meant it, but I had to laugh anyway. 🙂 I am mostly done with the first block (I’ve decided to add just a bit of shading otherwise it’d be done) and I’m getting more excited about the direction of this quilt. 🙂
Maybe your machine is afraid of Doomity-Doom-Doom! 🙂
I don’t blame it!! I did some more work with it since I posted, and it actually hasn’t started squeaking again. So fingers crossed! I’m hopeful it’s just the foot like people were saying. I can’t really figure it out unless it does it again, though. And for now I’m fine with it not doing it. 😉
What a great start. It’s going to be an amazing quilt.
Thanks so much, Paula! I’ve [mostly] finished the first block now, and I’m starting to be much more enthusiastic about it. 😀
I thought something was terribly wrong with my machine when it started squeaking but it was just my FMQ foot, which gets annoying squeaky periodically. A drop of oil or WD-40 on the spring shuts it right up.
You give me so much hope!! It actually hasn’t made the sound again, so I can’t troubleshoot it more. I’ll definitely take a look at the foot some and see if there’s an obvious place to oil it. (There’s no exposed spring on it.)
Also, because I am totally not smooth at all, I just had a little “OMG Nina Paley visited my blog!” moment. 🙂
Anne–is it your machine making noise or your free-motion foot? I took a class with Jill Schumacher and was mortally embarrassed because of the loud squeaking my machine was making–only it was the spring on my free-motion foot. A little WD-40 on the presser foot bar cured it.
I am totally going to check this out! It’s quit making the noise, but it’s never done it with regular piecing. The foot I have doesn’t have an obvious spring (it’s technically a darning foot) so I’ll have to check out the moving parts and see what might need oiling. I would LOVE it if that was the problem! I hate taking my machine to get fixed.
Thanks for the tip!
that looks awesome!! I hope your squeaking is just the foot, like these guys are saying. It just so happens that mine is squeaking, I don’t have the FMQ foot on, and curiously enough, it started the afternoon I brought it home from annual maintenance. I took it right back the next morning, told him it just started, I have never heard this noise before, and he says (I kid you not), “Well, this machine is 16 years old, so you have to expect some of that.” I am not happy.
Holy crap. I would have been FUMING. Machines aren’t supposed to be squeaky, regardless of age, right?? Please tell me you are looking for a new maintenance guy?
I am full of self-righteous indignation on your behalf!
This is so fantastic Anne! Personally, when something doesn’t quite work out like I expected in a quilt I’m designing myself, I try to see it as a design choice rather than a mistake 😉 Hope your machine sorts itself out – the advice above sounds good and I would maybe try oiling the machine itself, re-threading and changing the needle (this is my equivalent of re-starting a computer that is not working!) if you find it isn’t the FMQ foot that’s squeaking.
Adrianne, you are SO much more zen than I am. Honestly, I think if I’d tried making it the “right” size, I would have been hating myself as it would be huge (it’s 22″ and it was supposed to be 44″. I don’t even.)
Hahahaha I love the reboot comment, I think the same thing! Something mysterious happening? Take everything out, replace, and redo. 🙂 I’ve worked on this more since I posted and no squeaking, so fingers crossed it was just the foot getting cranky and it needed a rest. 🙂
Ditto everyone above–I got a new FMQ foot and no more squeaking. (Now, skipped stitches and thread breakage yaaaaay!) I bet it is your foot. Your sketch stitching looks amazing! This is such difficult work to do and you’re doing it so well.
I need a new FMQ foot. The one I have is kinda hard to see around, and is technically a darning foot anyway. I get thread breakage, too. I have always just assumed it was user error, because I’m SUCH a n00b at this stuff. I have big ol’ nests at the bottom in some areas from not pulling the bobbin thread to the top when starting, or my favorite, not putting the presser foot down. (The latter I pulled out because they’re super loose.)
Thank you so much for encouragement!! I’m really enjoying this strange mixture of drawing and quilting. 🙂 Way more than actual FMQing. lol
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it’s a shame you didn’t procrastinate just a little bit longer, because doomity-doom-doom-doom has a much better ring about it.
I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything, because this would have caused a spit-take. It has a good rhythm, you’re right. I’m sure I can find a way to work in some more procrastination. 😉
Loving where you’re heading with this. Can’t wait to see more 🙂
Thanks Amanda! 😀 Now that I’ve started making progress on it, I’m getting pretty excited about where it’s headed. 🙂 I still don’t know what I’m going to do with the quilt that goes AROUND the dragon blocks, but I’m sure I’ll figure it out at some point…right? 😉
Oh this is going to be awesome!
Thank you!! I’ve [mostly] finished the first block, and I can’t wait to share it. I’m much more excited about how this project is going now. 😀
I love your thread sketching. The stitches look just like a pen sketch! Are you using really thin thread or a tiny stitch length? Can’t wait to see how this turns out!
Thanks Mary! I’m using Aurifil 50 wt in black, but also the stitches are tiny. 🙂 It’s basically free-motion quilting but on a small scale, so you move the piece slower and the stitches end up being tiny. Maybe when I get better the stitches will get bigger? 🙂
You slayed that dragon, Anne! Glad to see in your response to an earlier comment that the squeaking has subsided and given in to the doomity, doom, doom! It is sew exciting to see your sketch coming to life!
Thanks Lorna! I’m relieved the squeaking has stopped! I found a small hole where I can see the spring inside my foot, so I put a little drop of oil in there, just in case. 🙂 I’m definitely learning some differences between sketching with thread and sketching with a pencil, and trying to refine my technique of the former. It’s a fun exercise. 🙂 Hopefully my niece doesn’t mind me using her quilt to learn on. 😉
Oh wow!! This is so detailed and fantastic! AMAZING!!!! I mean, I knew it would be, but seriously, wowsers! And the shot cotton will give him a little magical glimmer. (I don’t know why but I feel like all dragons are boys. This is clearly wrong. Otherwise there would be no dragons, or dragon eggs, or dragonball z…)
Annnny way…. Your block looks wonderful and your quilt will be fantabulous. Doomity doom doom and fantabulous all rolled into one, how can you go wrong!
E xx
Thanks Erin!! <3 I really wish I had Oakshotts in the right colors, since those have such a beautiful sheen to them. But I don't, so there we go. 😀
My dragons all have kind of boy-ish faces, and I'm not entirely sure what it is that makes them come out that way. If I had more drawing background I could probably change some part of the facial structure to make it look more feminine. Maybe I'll look into that for the next thread sketch quilt. 😉