Posted on Wednesday, January 7, 2009 | By Cheryl Malkowski | 1 Comment

New Bundle of Joy

No, it’s not what you might think–it’s the new APQS Millennium quilting machine that now lives in my studio. After spending most of last week nesting and getting ready for its arrival, Tom and I put it together over the weekend. It’s beautiful! 

As of yet, I don’t have a clear idea of how to load a quilt, since I learned to quilt on a Gammill long arm machine, and the roller bars are quite different. This evening I will settle in with a warm beverage and watch the DVD that came with the machine.  I am looking forward to having this in place before the first of the year when all the projects I’ve promised folks for the spring begin to come due.  

Does anyone have any ideas for a name for this lovely creature?  I’ve heard them called many of the obvious names that are derived from Millennium, but since I don’t know this one’s personality, I haven’t been able to come up with anything.

The best part of all this is that by spending last week getting ready for its arrival, my studio is now more organized than it has been since I can remember. I found a home for 3 huge boxes of fabric–2 of which will have its contents cut up and made into quilts for returning soldiers in 2010 by the Umpqua Valley Quilters’ Guild. They are a lovely group of women who often help me make samples for the gallery sections of my books. It makes me feel better about sending this fabric out into the wide world. 

Here’s photographic evidence that I actually organized things— neatly folded, color-coordinated fabric in little cloth and reed baskets in my bookcase. Granted, this is only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, but it’s a very good feeling to look ahead to the projects of the coming year with everything in its place. Let’s see just how long it lasts…just bringing back in all my stuff has created a bit of happy chaos. Let the creating begin!