
I finished this modern version of a double wedding ring quilt just in time for my parents’ 50th anniversary. As much as I love making gifts for my family and friends, I always find it a little worrying. With the exception of baby knits, which can’t fail to charm if you are a halfway decent knitter, I worry that the gift will be a burden or somehow attention hogging–look what I made! Despite my worries, my parents seemed genuinely to like the quilt, and I was really pleased with how it turned out.
The quilt is a throw-size (60×60), which was about the maximum size my little Janome Gem can handle with ease. Then, like “The Gift of the Magi” but much happier, my parents gave me a wonderful new (full-size, super fantastic) sewing machine for Christmas, one week after their anniversary. Truly, the most amazing gift! Especially, since I never would have bought a new machine myself.
I am a classic late-adopter and tend to be resistant to products intended to make life easier. (Yes, I ran a marathon in an old cotton t-shirt despite a preponderance of evidence that microfibers are much better for this sort of activity. I finally broke down and bought some “real” running gear during a New York City heatwave, and had to admit that, hey, product designers might know a thing or two. So nice not to run in a giant, sodden garment!)
All this to say, when my sewing friends gently suggested that trying to run a quilting business using what is essentially a pocket-sized machine was perhaps a little foolish, I protested that my little Janome was just perfect. While I adore my trusty old machine, this new machine (a Juki TL2010Q) is a revelation. I can’t believe how precisely and quickly it sews. How was I to know that a machine could make such a difference? (Hmm, perhaps by listening to people?) I think the heaviness of all the parts and the machine itself must keep everything steady. I feel so professional, and I have already completed three quilts–a new one for my shop and two custom quilts. But, I have to say, my little machine did a pretty good job on my parents’ quilt–some of the curves don’t quite meet up but the overall effect is pretty pleasing.

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