Machine Quilting

I started quilting the purple quilt last night.  This was the first large quilt that I done on the quilting machine.  It was a little overwhelming.  Mom and I had taken a quilting class once and I learned to quilt using my machine....but not her's.  That was something that she was going to show me how to do.  We didn't get the chance.  So I had to figure it out on my own.  I finally got all the adjustments right, so of course now I've got to stay in quilting mode because I will have to figure out the normal sittings again.   

 I set up the quilting machine on a long table.  Beside the table I set up my cutting table and in front of that, my ironing board.  That gave me plenty of room to keep the quilt fairly flat and straight while I was quilting.

 I did just loops using my free motion stitch, since the quilt was so busy anyway.

 I quilted across the short length and rolled the finished part up "in" my machine.  As I got more and more done, I could remove the cutting board table.

 Then when I got past the half way point, I moved the table to the other side of the ironing board and worked from the short side of the quilt.  It worked out pretty good and I only got one small wrinkle on the back side.  I'm pretty proud of that.

 Within the quilting I hid some special messages  This "cross L" was my mom's signature on all her art and also the brand on all the cattle on my dad's farm. Then I started using the "cross dlb" for mine, but it didn't turn out as good.  I put the dates, 2011, "mom", and "Lewis" all within the quilting....but you would have to really look hard for most of them.  I'm not even sure if I could find them again.

All it likes now is the binding.  I need it finished by next weekend.  The local Halmark gift and card shop has agreed to put the quilt on display during the month of November for pancreatic cancer awareness.