Sewing Machine Woes

Sewing Machine Woes

My sewing machine broke, and it broke hard.  It has been an long and emotional 7 weeks.

I have found several things on my journey.

1.  There is an inherent conflict of interest between the shops that sell new machines and fix old ones.    

2. I am very emotionally attached to my machine. It is the tool that allows me to express myself through my art. It was quite the rollercoaster of emotions trying to get it repaired and did not always make for sound decisions on my part. 

3. When having to accept undesirable eventualities, the garden is a great place for solace and healing. If I want to feel better, all I have to do is step outside. 

The longer story:

On Aug 18, I was happily sewing along on my Juki, quilting a rather large quilt, and I pushed the thread cutting button on my machine, like I have done 1000 times before, and heard a loud clunk.  It sounded like the motor was seizing and the needle would not go up or down.  I cut my quilt loose from the machine, panicked and then took a deep breath. The quilt was 3 days from being finished and I had a show deadline approaching.  I really wanted to enter this quilt, and now I did not have a way to finish it.

The next part took 2 days. Eventually after taking the bottom off the machine, and then comparing the insides with it's cousin, the 98E, I saw the problem.  There was a chunk of plastic in the wrong place, physically preventing the wheel from turning. Carefully turning the machine to different angles and using a pair of tweezers and gravity, I was able to remove it.

During the next 2 days, I also started making calls to various shops.  One shop said it would take 8 weeks to repair. In my mind, this was not a good choice.  Aside from the fact that my deadline was too close, I just couldn't imagine life without my machine for that long.  Little did I know that my path would eventually take just around 7 weeks....

Since the wait was so long, I thought I would get the process moving.  I found a replacement part online and ordered it.  It took 8 days to arrive, which was phenomenal that the part was both available and that it shipped and arrived so quickly.  Although, in my impatience, it felt like an incredibly long time!

All the shops had really long wait times. I picked the shop with the shortest turn around time, 3 weeks, and dropped it off.  I told her what the problem was and that I had the replacement part.  Without looking at the machine, the sales person tried to blame me for the problem by telling my that I oiled my machine too much.  She also did not ask me first how frequently I oiled the machine....?? A $40 deposit was required.  After a few days they told me that the repair was too extensive, and that I would have to ship machine back to the manufacturer for the repair. I don't understand why they would let me leave the machine with them if they don't fix the problem that I brought it in for? Instead, they used 3 days of my time, charged me $40, did not make any repairs, and then used scare tactics to try to get me to buy a new machine from them (now for $40 off!). They warned me that sending my machine to Juki would cost at least $600 and it could cost even MORE!

I reached out directly to Juki, and over the course of a few emails, they gave me the name of a repair person in Georgia, Elbert Shirley, who could both do the repair and had worked for Juki manufacturing and repair for many years. I had reservations about shipping my machine all the way to Georgia. This was a mistake on my part. 

the insides of my Juki TL 2010Q,
part of the broken cam that is still inside the machine is circled in red

I started calling EVERYONE, in town and out of town. Now at least I understood that I needed to specifically ask if they could do the repair that my machine needed, a thread cutter cam assembly replacement.  The original shop (with the 8 week wait time) did NOT do that repair. The next shop had just lost it's mechanic.  Another shop did not work on my brand.  I found a mechanic in a small town willing to do the repair in 10 days to 2 weeks.  It was an hour drive there and an hour drive back.  Then I sat and waited.  

During the week wait time, I began to wonder if the machine was now a big door stop?  I could not afford a new machine.  I decided that the time was perfect for selling my Juki QVP sit down long arm machine. It is great machine but I don't use it anymore because I mostly use a walking foot now, and it does not have that ability. I eventually found a buyer who offered me less than half my asking price.  I had tried unsuccessfully to sell this machine at least 3 other times, so I agreed.  It was worth a LOT more than she paid me, but it was enough to buy a replacement machine if I needed to.

Then things started breaking around my house.  My freezer. My sink disposal. And I made a big mistake on my taxes and would be paying a hefty penalty.  It ate up almost all my earnings from the sale of my machine. Despair started settling in.

Meanwhile, at 10 days of dropping off my machine, I called, and was informed that there were only 4 machines ahead of mine. They were also angry that I called, they wanted me to wait to be called.  At 2 weeks, I called again, and was informed that there were now 12 machines ahead of mine, and that the first estimate was wrong. Again, they were very hostile on the phone. I remained calm, friendly, respectful, and asked for a new estimated date of completion.  At 3 weeks, I called again, and they hadn't started the repair yet and put me on the phone with the actual repair technician. That did not go well, so I decided to go pick up the machine. They gave me a receipt which had an anticipated 5 week return time date. Another 2 hour total drive time.  This was a complete bust.  A waste of my time, and gasoline. And a significant loss of trust.

I was frustrated, overwhelmed, angry and disappointed and almost out of money.  I decided to ship my machine to Elbert in Georgia, which I should have done from the start. 

my Juki at FedEx, there is a reason why it feels so heavy....

It arrived in 5 days, and he immediately made the repairs because I had sent the parts with the machine.  In 2 days it was ready to ship back to me!!!  I had it back fully functioning and purring like a kitten in a total of 8 days. Total cost of repair including shipping, parts, and labor was about $320. Expensive, but doable, and much less than a new machine. Perfect!

The frustrating part is that it seems like everyone knew about Elbert and how great he was but they were not going to tell me about him.  One shop eventually let on they that knew about him, but when I was seeking a repair, they were very quiet. I expect the people I do business with to be professional and honest. In this chase for the all mighty dollar, perhaps my expectations are unreasonable? I also bought fabric from two of the shops that I sought help from. And, now I am left wondering if I even want to continue supporting them on that level? Am I being too cynical? What do you think? 

In the interim, I joined a new Juki facebook group and garnered significant new information that will help with my older Juki, the 98E. That information, (and new part for $50) has now made it possible for my old 98E to quilt perfectly again, and will now be my backup machine. It had been skipping stitches and was repaired at 2 different shops, but was not actually repaired.....which was why I bought the TL 2010Q.  (....and the reason why I question the ethics of businesses that both repair old machines and sell new ones.  This is not just a theoretical conspiracy theory, it has been my repeated experience).  On the timeline of this experience, the 98E was up and running the day before I got my 2010Q back from Elbert.

On the up side, I have freed up some extra space by selling the big quilting machine (space that I love and is now usable space!!!) I made 2 new quilt tops (on my Pfaff), and have started a 3rd. I now have 2 Juki's that are sewing wonderfully! I lost my momentum for finishing up the quilting on the large quilt when this all started.  I have decided NOT to worry, I will get back to it. I have given up on several exhibit deadlines and I am okay with that. 

Charmed: part 3

Charmed: part 3
80" x 80" quilt top

Charmed, after the swap out

I finished the quilt top!! Yeah! And then I changed my mind....

So I took out the very lovely block (below) that I am so very fond of, and made a new block.  The improvement is vast, and I am happy that I listened to my heart.  This "out-take" will most likely find a new home in a pillow.

I was also hoping that by the time I posted this, I would have a back for the quilt ready to go, but alas, I do not.  I also do not have a sewing machine that I can quilt this on, yet.  My Juki has been broken now for 7 weeks.  But that is a long story, and one that I will save for another day.  

Meanwhile, a great time to talk about photographing bright colors.  It is a lot more difficult than it should be.  Digital cameras "think" the perfect photo is one with people in it, so it adjusts what it sees to try to find some "skin" tones....or so I have been told.  I do find it hard to get the colors right with digital photography.  I used to shoot in the RAW mode, but because of computer "issues" I now do not have a way to open RAW files....sigh... Another good option is to take a photo outside with diffuse natural lighting, but that can be hard because of the time of day and needing a set-up large enough to accommodate large quilts, which I can make, but it is cumbersome and weather dependent.  Today, I am sharing a photo of the quilt top taken on my laundry line, (which is not tall enough).  I took it at twilight, and I am pleased with the colors here.

Overall, the colors look softer and not as harsh and brassy as the photo taken with studio lights. Even minor adjustments of lighting and color can make the overall effect not seem true. I also took a photo of this quilt at noon.  The harsh light and stark shadows are not a good option.  Here is a side by side comparison. 

When I finish the quilting, I will take the time and effort to set up outside because the light is so much better.  It won't be a quick photo shoot, and I will need to take my design walls outside, but it will be worth it! :)

Charmed, part 2

Charmed, part 2

project 80" x 80"

Here are 4 blocks! The whole quilt top will have 16 blocks. And, I am currently in the process of replacing one of the blocks that I did not think played well with the others.  A photo of the entire quilt top will be coming soon!  Meanwhile, I like the way the alternating values of the quilt add movement and kind of make it sparkle.  The bright colors make me think of the fruit flavored chewy candy known as Starbursts. 

From the perspective of the whole quilt on a computer screen, you can not see all the lovely details of the fabrics this quilt is celebrating.  So I will include some closeups of the individual blocks, and the some of the fabrics. A few more:

And some closeups of the cute fabrics!

Love these cute tulips and the hedgehogs!

The lovely pink llama fabric!

Great little owl!

Capybaras!!

I love this bold graphic!

And, there is always room for some Yaks!!

Pop up polar bear! He looks so friendly, as if he is saying "hello there!"

Climbing trees!

Modern Meets Modern

Modern Meets Modern
at the International Quilt Museum

Sept 16, 2021 to March 19, 2022

I am feeling fortunate, grateful, validated, valued, honored, proud, happy, and overwhelmed! My quilt, Hidden Messages (center bottom row), is now in the permanent collection at the International Quilt Museum and has been chosen for an exhibit called Modern Meets Modern.  

I haven't seen the exhibit in person, but their website has an amazing presence of the exhibit.  There are gallery photos (where I got these images), individual spotlights on each quilt, and a virtual 3D gallery where you can "walk" around and look at each quilt and explore at your own pace.  Videos of the artists talking about their quilts will be included soon. 

I am having trouble even finding the words to express how wonderful this exhibit looks to me.  Something along the lines of a "real" museum, and it is a tremendous honor!  The lighting is exceptional! It is perfect for lighting the quilts, but also not overexposing the fabrics to harsh light that would make the fabrics fade; something that is not typically considered in quilt shows or many other exhibit venues. 

There is text on the walls! I love how this spells out the concept of the exhibit!

And they built these incredible little beautiful sculptural box thingies with concepts on them that pique your interest and are so visually appealing!

And as a special note, my quilt was meant to be backlit, so that you can see the letters hidden under the appliqued colorful circles.  However, putting that much light on the quilt is bad for the fabric.  So they built another one of those lovely instructional pretty boxes specifically for my quilt to show what my quilt would look like if it had been backlit.  It is perfect!!

Many thanks to IQM and all the people who were involved in putting this exhibit together! Hope you will get a chance to see it in person, and if not check it out on their website!

Charmed - project

Charmed

project 80" x 80"

This one started as a challenge to myself.  It is named after a charm pack swap I purchased from Bunny's Designs, and I was wondering what to do with the unusual assortment of little 5" squares of very interesting fabrics!

I decided to try some monochromatic blocks and I was drawn to my comfort zone, the log cabin block.  I decided to alternate rows of solid colors with rows of prints to build my blocks.  Each block would be BIG, 20" square.  To select the solid colors, I opted for a gradient.  Here are a few combinations that are auditioning for a spot.

After cutting the strips the right sizes, which I am embarrassed to tell you that I did wrong on a number of occasions, I started selecting which prints to use.

I have been collecting fabric for many years and I have a lot to choose from.  Ultimately, the ones that worked were the ones that had a bit of value difference compared to the solids that surrounded them. 

Here is a close up of the pink block:

I selected squares for the center from larger scale prints.  I LOVE these polar bears!!

It was also fun to include some of my own batiked fabrics in the mix.  These lovely oranges (and one red), helped extend the possibilities for the orange block.  I tried not to use any fabric twice, but in the end, I did, at least a few times. 

It was really fun to revisit my old fabrics and mix them with the new ones.  It brought up so many memories, it was like looking at a scrapbook.  Next week, I will show you more of the fabrics I used and some of the completed blocks!  And, I will likely want to put something interesting on the other side!  At least this kind of sewing has been a really fun way to stay busy while I wait for my sewing machine (that I use for quilting) to be repaired.  

Both Sides Now - Moo Postcards

Both Sides Now

International Quilt Festival solo exhibit

I am starting to think that this really might happen!  All my quilts are now in Houston.  And, I have designed a postcard to promote and celebrate the event.  And, the cards have arrived!  They are so beautiful!  I am very happy with the quality of my cards from Moo.

My optimism and hope are fighting with my realism and weekly covid projections.  I am astutely aware of the Covid crisis in Houston.  Their hospitals are full.  The Delta variant is rampant.  I had a solo exhibit in Houston once before, in 2016.  It was fantastic! I stood in front of my exhibit almost every hour that it was open.  I talked to so many wonderful and supportive people.  But things are different now.  If I decide to go, I will only be there for one day.  I am worried that very few people will come to the show.  And, my brain knows that fewer people will be safer. I am also worried that having so few people at the show will be another difficult economic hit for the Houston show to remain operational. I am worried that the people who will come are the ones who won't be vaccinated and think wearing a mask means hanging it so low that their noses stick out (which personally freaks me out). Many of my friends are not going.  It is the most special time every year because this is when we connect in person.  It feels like my presence there will be a constant reminder of everyone I love who is not there.  I expect to feel some grief with my bliss of my show, which complicates things. In a word, bittersweet. How appropriate that the event will iterate the theme of the exhibit, two sides: FEAR and JOY.

If you end up going to the show, I hope you will stop by and see my exhibit! And, drop me a line! 

As for these postcards, I have some special envelopes coming that fit these postcards perfectly! That way, I will not have to put an address label and cover some of the images.  The first 5 are already spoken for, but the other 20 are for you, first come first serve.  Comment on my blog that you want one, (when I get 20 comments, that means they are all spoken for) and send me an email (kakiyork at gmail.com) with your mailing address. I will send you one! 

 

Pelican

Pelican

10" x 7"

(The black part is the background, and not a part of the quilt.)

I really love this little pelican.  It is a reminder from my childhood on the beach when they were so extremely precious.  There were so few of them.  DDT pesticide had made their egg shells so fragile, that they would break before hatching, thus the numbers were declining.  Fortunately, some protections were put in place, and instead of another extinction story, we have a come back story! Now, when I go to the beach, I see multiple flocks of pelicans, flying over the dunes, and then over the waves, diving in for a little lunch.  It warms my heart to see them doing so well!  

I made this little quilt for SAQA's Trunk Show.  The Trunk Show is made up of these little quilts that are divided into a number of different traveling exhibits.  The goal is to show a lot of different styles of art quilts made by the members.  They keep the quilts for 3 years, and at the end, the quilts go on sale.  Sweeeet!

I have been experimenting with screen printing for another quilt I am working on.

After pouring on the black fabric paint, and pulling it through the screen, it looks like this:

I would say that it was an easy way to put my drawing on fabric, but it turned out to be much more complicated than I anticipated.  Next time I will have more realistic expectations.  Suffice to say, I eventually got there, and was quite happy with the results.  

After printing, I was curious about adding color.  So I got out some markers and colored it in.  It reminded me of my early days of coloring in coloring books.  I am still excessively fond of flat 2D images, with the drawn line look. I also like the way the markers kind of bled together to create a watercolor effect!  Very cool! Then I heat set the piece with my iron.

All that was left was to add the quilting.  I used matchstick quilting with 10 different thread colors. For such a small piece, it went relatively quickly.  Then I faced it and added a label to the back.  I have already shipped it off to SAQA.  It was fun to finish a little project so quickly!   

Prayer Flag for Pokey

Pokey got Married!!

All my best to Pokey and Patrick on their recent wedding last weekend!  Pokey Bolton has been a long time champion of my work.  She is a delight in person and has an incredible talent for art and business.  I remember when she first bought her property in Napa Valley with an amazing idea to build an art barn and host events for fun and learning about art quilting.  I knew that if she dreamed it, she would find a way to do it! And she did!  Craft Napa, an annual art quilt retreat, has been successfully going for years now!  And, she has found the perfect partner to share her life with! I am so happy for you Pokey!!

Meanwhile, without her knowledge, a call went out to make prayer flags to string together for her wedding.  I was happy to make this one for her!

That little hummer represents joy.  That is my wish for you Pokey, that you have many happy years filled with Love and Joy!

Here is a close up of the back, with a little hand stitching:

SAQA, opportunities for exhibiting my work

Studio Art Quilt Associates

I have entered multiple SAQA exhibits only to have my work rejected multiple times and by multiple people (the jurors). For this reason, I am super delighted to have a piece finally juried into the new collection additions on their website. This quilt is also two-sided and will be in my solo exhibit of two-sided quilts, Both Sides Now, in Houston at the International Quilt Festival this fall!

One Earth  47" x 47"

Having an opportunity to exhibit my work is the main reason I joined SAQA and still remains the most motivating factor in my decision to remain a member. The numerous rejections do not stop me from trying.  You can't win if you don't enter! 

I consider my frequent entry fees a "donation" to the operating costs of the organization.  These costs are fairly hefty and SAQA depends on a number of income streams to pay for all their programs and infrastructure.  One of the most popular sources is the annual auction of  12" x 12" art pieces made by their members.  It is a great way to give back.  It is a small enough piece that it doesn't require too much.  And, your work gets seen by not only SAQA members, but also, other fiber art collectors.  I didn't donate this year, but have done it several times in the past. You can see many of the wonderful quilts, and the details of the auction HERE. The quilts I have included above are just of few of my many favorites!

Helping out a friend

Helping out a friend.

I was ready to return to my work when I saw a request for help from a friend on Facebook.  I do not have any tight deadlines right now so I decided to volunteer my help.  She is having health problems and was unable to finish this quilt.  And, it had already been sold in a fundraiser many months ago.  I can't help Mary Ann's health, but I can quilt. 

Here is the completed quilt by Mary Ann Vaca-Lambert called Roadside Bluebonnets.  It is about 70" by 47".

I love the blue, it is intense! And the little pops of yellow are wonderful!  I also like that it is a log cabin.  My very first quilt was a log cabin, and I just finished piecing the top of another log cabin.  I think it's my favorite block!

When I received the project, it still needed quite a few things done for completion. The quilting motif was a meandering stippling pattern inside the blue and straight lines on the pale background.  I found this difficult because I don't ever do stippling patterns.  They require a kind of improvisational and yet a bit of planning with your brain that I find really difficult.  I wanted my quilting to look like Mary Ann's, but I am not inside her brain.  I decided to study the pattern and try drawing it on paper a few times to see if I could understand how the pattern flowed.  I did manage to get there eventually.  My pattern is much more symmetrical than Mary Ann's but it kind of looks like hers.  She has a much more intuitive approach.  Here is a photo of that quilting from the back of the quilt.  I definitely had a learning curve!

When the quilting was finished, all the threads needed to be buried inside the quilt.  This took a while, but I find it a relaxing chore.  The next step involves blocking the quilt because it did not lie flat (it rarely does).

This is the part where I move the furniture to make space on the floor.  Then I pull out these big foam floor tiles that piece together like puzzle pieces.  It is perfect for blocking.  I flattened the quilt on the floor, then sprayed some water on it to get it slightly wet.  Very gently, I try to further flatten any parts of the quilt that are being troublesome and quickly pin it to the yellow floor tiles.  Then I turn on the fan, and let it dry completely, usually overnight. 

The next day after unpinning, I trimmed the quilt to remove excess batting and backing.  Then it was ready to bind.  I cut the binding strips, sewing them together, and then sewed them to the front side of the quilt.  The next step is to fold the binding and wrap it around the cut edges of the quilt, and then secure it to the back with hand stitching.  

Most quilters either love or hate putting the binding on.  For me, I find it kind of exciting to get so close to the finish line! And, I would say that I was nearly finished but there is more to do!

The label needs to be made, this one is according to Mary Ann's wishes.  And then sewn to the back of the quilt.  I think it is really important to put labels on quilts, so I include them on all my quilts. 

More still!  One of the last steps is to photograph the quilt.  And, since this quilt fit perfectly on my design wall, I was able to get that done fairly quickly. 

Next is to tape roll all the extra threads off both sides and then it is ready for shipping.  I folded it to fit inside the shipping box with tissue paper in all the folds. And, I always wrap it in plastic to make sure it won't get damaged in water in some unlikely delivery mishap.  Address the label, buy the postage, and drop it off.  I am hoping the new owner will be happy with her quilt.  It was a label of love by both of us.  Here's to you Mary Ann!!