Avril and I Aren't Speaking

So, please, any help or advice to help mend our rift is much appreciated.  Here's how it ended:

The cause: Sulky; the possible solution: Isacord and Coats and Clark

I have quilted on my Bernina, and before her, on my Elna, for 20 years.  For most of those years I have used a variety of cool threads, and as you know, I love love Sulky threads, Holoshimmer and Blendables in particular.

Apparently Avril does not.

This is Wings, supposed to be on and off the longarm in a day, easy.  Use the KISS rule, Sandra, (Keep It Simple Sandra).  Uh huh.

Until I thought, well, okay, simple, fairly open FMQ... a meander... but those wings wanted a little definition, so I thought, "I'll FMQ with Sulky Blendables on the wings in different colours!"

Then I thought, "Those wings do need a "leedle" definition."  So I got out the vinyl, whacked off a hunk, traced one set of wings, thought hmm, how about a diagonal line from the edge of each 'log' to emphasize the diagonal flow?  Started to draw that with water-soluble marker (which does not adhere well to the vinyl btw).  I was holding the marker as you do when you are practising the flow of the FMQ, at the end of it, perpendicular to the vinyl, with thumb and two fingers.  Well, my straight line from one log to the other wobbled a bit...and lightbulb! Cue the choir!  SCALLOPS!

Thus was born this idea.  I know, really simple and open, right?

I laid the vinyl over the block to see the effect:

Yes, oh yes I'm liking it!  Might omit the feathers...

Pulled out my Sulky threads, got even more excited as I saw how many of them will work on the 12 wings blocks I have...

Here's the thing about the issues that arose:

It might have to do with having Shannon Fabrics' Cuddle (a Minkee type gorgeous fabric, cannot wait to show you what this looks like) on the back.  I have The Bottom Line in the bobbin.

I started with my own wound bobbin.  Then I switched it to a pre-wound one, thinking maybe the tension was off on my own.  No difference.

I have used King Tut variegated thread on Avril, 30 weight, and she loved it.  100% cotton quilt. The Bottom Line in the bobbin.  Granted there was a lot of fuzz to constantly clean out.  Still.

The meander you see on the neutral sections was done with So Fine on top, The Bottom Line on the bottom, and quilted out beautifully, both front and back.  Size 18 aka 110 needle, up a size from the usual.

The screwdriver is in the first photo to show you how often I was adjusting the bobbin tension.  More than I ever have.  Don't worry, tiny increments.  I was adjusting the top as well.

On my Bernina and Elna, I had to lower the top tension a LOT, like from the normal 4 down to 1 or 1.25.  So I have kept the top tension quite loose.  Still tons of top thread breakage, and being yanked down to the back of the quilt.  When I finally had some success with the top thread holding up, and this was now quilting with the 12 weight on the red wings, the back tension was horrific and will have to be ripped out.

I thought of these solutions after I walked away from her, giving her the "talk to the hand" treatment.

1.  Up the size of the needle again to 125/20 that you see in the first photo.  On the DSM, in the threads class I took that spurred me on to using these beautiful threads, we were told to use a Topstitch 90/14 needle and they work beautifully.

2.  Quilt my scallops with an Isacord or So Fine in the top, and then go over them on the Bernina when the quilt is all done.

3.  Use Isacord, period, where I have the colours to match, Coats and Clark variegated where I have those colours.  However, I think it's either outline all the wings with variegated, or not.

Other than those ideas "I got nuttin'".  So any advice or help is much appreciated from those who use a thicker-weight threads such as these on a longarm.  I don't have any issues on the DSM.

So yesterday afternoon, my beloved Bernina and I (12 years now, and our love affair has never wavered) whipped up this charity quilt, for a senior in a wheelchair, in less than 2 hours from fabric pull to cutting to flimsy finish:

Chinese Coins.  Rather manly, yes?

This is #3 of my wheelchair quilts and will be used at the September meeting when I do my demo.  I added in 3 fabrics of my own to those that are in the guild's charity stash. That gorgeous yellow is some my Auntie Phyl, recipient of Blue Ribbon Stars, sent to me.  It gives it a nice pop.

I'll have a tutorial for this easy peasy little quilt up shortly.  And one for Blue Ribbon Stars too, I promise.

It's the fourth day of the New Block Blog Hop sponsored by Fabri-Quilt, so head on over to Terri's blog, Childlike Fascination, where you will find about 15 brand new blocks, many with full-quilt design ideas!  And don't forget the giveway!

In case you missed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday blocks and giveaway chances, pop in to these three hosts,
Yvonne at Quilting JETgirl
Stephanie at Late Night Quilter
Cheryl at Meadow Mist Designs
where you will see the links to all the other blocks.  Over 60!  I know I now have, ahem, a few more on my to-do list!

I'm linking this post up with Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation.