Falling Through the Hourglass

I started this quilt in 2004 as a class sample for one my buddy and I were teaching to several beginner quilters. The class used baby colors but I wanted to be different. The top has been sitting on my shelf forever, and seemed like a good one to be my first attempt at quilting a "real quilt" on the new HQ-16. I wanted to do a familiar pattern rather than struggle with pantographs or any free-motion designs that I'd never done before, so picked leaves.

I'd called this quilt Sands of Time but that title didn't work after putting leaves on it. With all the talk about 'where did 2008 go?' and feeling a bit like my life is so quickly dropping through an hourglass, Falling through the Hourglass seemed like a better name. However, the bright colors are a far more appropriate symbol of my usual mood than that title!

Now I have a real baby quilt laying across my machine, in real baby colors, ready to be pinned to the leaders so I can quilt it. Yeah!

Nostalgia & Falling Through the Hourglass

Here are some closeups of my first attempts at quilting on this new HQ-16. The video that came with it is basic, but helpful. I used a size 16 needle (recommended by my salesperson), but think it is too big. The batting for the first one is Hobbs Heirloom (80/20) and the second one is just Warm 'n White.

This rather homely little one is about 30" square, from scraps made into a split nine patch and great for the first practice quilt. My tension was bad (shows on the back). I tried several patterns, all free motion, and am binding it just to have another UFO finished. The quilt is NOT curved, just hanging on the back of my sofa. LOL.

This one is a top that I make many moons ago and seemed like a good one to try next. I can do leaves, so just covered this simple hourglass with them to get the feel of the machine. I adjusted tension as I went and finally got it right. As you can see, I'm a doodle quilter. I can do regular patterns from templates, but have a plaque in my studio that say, "It is more fun to color outside the lines."


The thread is variegated 50 wt. with a pre-wound bobbin in Superior's Easybobs. It took less than 1/4 of the bobbin, which surprised me. I thought I'd be changing bobbins all the time.