Tutorials

HOW TO CLEAN YOUR JANOME 1600P
This is a tutorial on how to clean and maintain and clean your Janome 1600P and your Start Right frame. I try to clean out the lint and such about every bobbin change, but I take everything apart, clean, oil and wipe everything when I finish a quilt, especially if it's a large quilt. 
This is my machine quilting "kit".  It's a tupperware container that was in with my sewing cabinet when I got it.  I keep everything in it, from marking tools, all my screws, needles, oil, etc.  

 These are the tools I use for cleaning.  A paintbrush (with kids, I have tons of these), tweezers for pulling any loose threads out, a screwdriver, and machine oil. 

I removed the hook plate cover and opened the cover.  Yuck, look at all that lint!

Remove the feed dog cover, and Yikes!  Even more yucky! 

So, I pull out my handy-dandy hand vac:

And vacuum out all of the yuckiness, the lint, etc. 
Then, I get to work oiling all the necessary spots. 

 There are 3 key spots to oil that I have pointed to in each picture.  Just a couple of  drops, and you are good to go . 
Now to cleaning the frame.  It's pretty basic, I check the wheels and make sure they are wiped down, no lint, etc.

I wiped down the wheels, and then wipe down the rails on my carriage and the frame.  

 I just make sure my frame and machine are clean when I go to start a new quilt, it just seems to keep problems from cropping up.  To me, a clean frame is a happy frame. 
Happy quilting,
Marianne


FUSIBLE APPLIQUE

I love to applique and for baby quilts or quilts that will get a lot of use, I use a heavy duty fusible webbing.  You can buy it by the yard, or in packages.  I usually get it when it's 50% off at JoAnn's or Hancock's here locally.
What you do is trace your pattern piece onto the paper side of the webbing (the other side is slightly sticky and very bumpy, that's the glue side),

When you trace onto paper, make sure your template is wrong side up, or your piece will be backwards (ask me how I know).  These are for Sue's arm.









On pieces big enough, I like to cut out some of the inside of the webbing.  It makes it not quite as stiff, more flexible.

These are the feet of the different Sues.  They all have black boots, so I did them all at once.  The pinks are her hands.















I then traced different fabrics for her dresses, hats and her arms.  Her Bonnets and dresses are the same fabric, but each arm is a contrasting color.  I cut out the different fused pieces, then fused them in  place.

This is the fused block, the background is 12 1/2 inches (unfinished size).









I then machine appliqued it in place with black thread, using the buttonhole stitch on my Brother machine.  Last, but not least I also embroidered on her bonnet. I used a piece of paper behind the fabric to stabilize it when appliqueing, and remove it when finished.

I did sashings by cutting 2 1/2 inch strips by 12 1/2 inches long, and corner blocks of white fabric 2 1/2 inches square.

Here is the finished quilt top,  I think it's so cute.  Now, I just have to figure out how to quilt it.  I am thinking swirls in the sashings, and maybe pebbling in the background.  Hmmm.  Quite a dilemma,  I'll just have to figure it out. 

                              Later, Marianne