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24: Linda's First Stitch Story + The Machine Habit We All Skip · The First Stitch: Every Quilter Has a Story

• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, and welcome to the First Stitch Podcast, where we tell the stories of how everyday quilters just like you got started quilting.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, talk about some other fun quilty things along the way.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: This is your host, Lisa Donnelly from Wild Plum Lane.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_00: Let's get started.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_00: Today's quilter picked up a needle before most of us could even reach the petals, and she's still at it decades later, closing in on her 75th birthday.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Her story also comes with a plot twist, involving a machine that just stopped.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: Let's jump into Linda's story.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: She writes, Like you, I learned to sew at a very young age.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_00: In fourth grade, I made a skirt by hand.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: It had a drawstring waist and I wore it proudly.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: My dad bragged about it for a long time.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: I spent a lot of time on the other side of the sewing machine watching my mom sew dresses.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: I've always liked sewing, crafty things mostly.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Then one day I went to use my sewing machine, the one my mother handed down to me, and it wouldn't move.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: Needless to say, I had no idea that you had to oil it of all things.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: So to make a long story shorter, my husband bought me a Bernina six thirty and cabinet to go with it.
• 1:06
  SPEAKER_00: I had it a few months, and a friend of mine asked if I wanted to take quilting lessons with her.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I did, and believe it or not, I knew more than I thought I did.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: I even knew more than the teacher at times.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: I'm going to be seventy three next month.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: So far I've made one oversized king quilt for my husband.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: I made him pick out the fabric and he did it gladly.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: Two queen size quilts, and maybe seven or eight lap quilts, one baby quilt and a lot of tabletoppers.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: Aren't you glad you asked me how I got started?
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I have to stop right there for a second because Linda's machine moment, the one where it just wouldn't budge and she had no idea it needed oil, is a more common story than you might think.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: Machine troubles can be a serious source of frustration.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: I often hear that a machine starts skipping stitches or jamming or just feels off, and instead of it being a five-minute fix, it turns into a project that gets shoved into a closet for a year because something's wrong with my machine.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: So here's today's whip finishing tip.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: Give your machine a little love before it forces you to.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: Here's three simple things to check on a regular basis.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_00: First, oil it.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: If your manual calls for oil, not every machine does, so check first.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: A drop in the right spots keeps things moving smoothly.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Second, clean out the lint.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: Pop your bobbin case out and clear the fuzz after every few bobbins.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: That little bit of buildup can mean some serious jams if it's not cleaned out.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: Third, get a professional tune-up once a year, especially if your machine is a hammy-down like Linda's.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: A quilt shop or a machine dealer can catch the stuff you can't see and keep you running smoothly.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Pick one of those three to do this week.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: Not all three, just one.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: And I promise you'll feel the difference the next time you sit down to sew.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, as I record this, my machine is in for its yearly quote unquote spa treatment, as I'd like to call it, and I'm taking care of some hand binding while it's away.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's a bonus tip for you too.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: Have a hand sewing project ready for yourself as something to look forward to while your machine is away.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: And it becomes something you look forward to rather than an inconvenience.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_00: And while we're on the topic of machine care, let's talk about the part people always forget to think about and change.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_00: Your needle.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_00: Here's the thing about needles.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: They're fairly cheap, they're small, and they're easy to forget about.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: But a dull or bent needle is behind so many of the problems we blame on our machines.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Skipped stitches, popping sounds, snagg threads, even little poles in your fabric.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: A good rule of thumb is to swap your needle at the start of every new project, or after about eight to ten hours of sewing, whichever comes first.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you're anything like me, you're working on more than one project at a time, so it's hard to have an actual I'm finished with this project, it's time to change the needle kind of moment.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: So be sure to change your needle every month or two, depending on how much you're sewing.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: I even keep a stash of needles on hand, so I'm never tempted to just finish this one more seam on a needle that's clearly done.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: So grab a few needles at your local quilt shop or online at Amazon or Frat Quarter Shop.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Having them on hand makes it easy to stay sharp.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's one little small habit with a big payoff in keeping your machine running smoothly, and keeping you sewing.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: So there you have it.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Linda's decades of quilting, so many finished quilt projects, a machine that taught her a lesson the hard way, and a few habits that can save you from a stalled project due to a stalled machine.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Give your sewing machine some love, keep your needles fresh, and let's keep on stitching.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, we'll wrap up this episode of the First Stitch Podcast.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: If you enjoyed listening, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd hit the subscribe button in your favorite podcast player, write a review on Apple Podcasts, or tell your best quiltie friends so they can listen too.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: By the way, do you have a story to share?
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Every quilter has a beginning to their story, and we'd love to hear yours.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: Plus, over the years you might have picked up tips or tricks you could share with others.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: It might inspire another quilter, so we want to hear about it.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: Share your personal quilting journey, your best project finishing tip, or your first stitch moment.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Your story might be read on an upcoming episode of the First Stitch.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: You can submit your story today by sending an email to First Stitch Podcast, all one word, that's first stitch podcast at wildplumlane.com, or use our quick submission form down in the show notes.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_00: I can't wait to talk with you again soon!