The two most difficult placemats ever

Believe it or not, this took HOURS. But I have forgiven them for the annoyance. When I made all these placemat tops, this was my least favorite design. Now, I think they might become my favorites.
It sure was difficult to get here though. It all started because I chose a shiny thread.

I started with the straight line stitching on this machine. I know this machine hates free motion with “fancy” threads but it’s usually really good with all other stitching. Not this time. I had so much thread breakage and I even tried switching to an embroidery needle.
No luck.

Then I switched to the machine that I use the most. I usually never have any problems with this machine but the tension has been acting up and it’s going in for service next week to have the tensioner rebuilt. It hadn’t acted up in weeks so I thought I might be able to get the placemats done. I did get it through the straight line stitching but the tension started acting up near the end.

Then I tried the free motion stitching and it was a disaster. In this space the thread must have broken 6 times. I even tried a different lime green thread because I had 3 to choose from. So it was time to get out another machine. That didn’t work either.

Then I remembered this machine. I never use it but it’s a great little machine and I had to use it once on some postcards when neither of the other 2 machines would tolerate the thread I wanted to use. I did use the heavier of the lime green threads on this one and that meant that I had to pick out all the free-motion stitching I had already done. But it worked! The heavier thread also looked a lot better too.

This machine doesn’t even have a free-motion food and I stitched it all without any foot at all. I just had to keep the fabric taught and my hands close in. It worked just fine but I’m going to buy a free motion foot for it.

Of course, if I had cut one big back and loaded these on the longarm, it would have taken no more than 30 minutes and my stitch pattern would look 100 times better. I’m really rusty at free motion on the sit-down machines. I have 2 more placemats to quilt and I think I will try to do them on the longarm because they will benefit from free-motion. It will be so much easier and faster.

Today I’m working the early voting center. I expect to get in a lot of reading and crochet. This is a democratic primary for lieutenant governor only so the turnout will be very low.