With my Babylock Eclipse I have air threading and it doesn't matter which order I re-thread the loopers. Am I right in assuming that with this old Hobby Lock overlocker I have rescued that there is a particular order to this?  And does it just pertain to the loopers and not the needle thread as that one doesn't go down into the "innards" of poor Toady?

I have had trouble in the past using 505 basting spray....it never seems to stick or hold very well and I struggle with shift during my quilting. And yes, I follow the directions, and yes, I've watched all the you tubes etc. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps 505 just doesn't work well with my type of batting...perhaps the batting absorbs it.... I just don't know but I'm done perservering with it. So, it's either back to pins or.........Elmers Washable School Glue......lots of people on other quilting forums use it with great success so I'm going to give it a bash with one of  the batik tops I've just finished.

So has anyone got any opinions or experience with it? I'm going to dive in and incorporate it with the board basting method and fervently hoping it will be the saviour of all my basting woes.  Whatcha reckon huh???

Just supposing I wanted to quilt a quilt by hand...what do I need? I know I need a hoop, and needle and thread but as to the specifics, well you see it's been almost 30 years since I did any hand quilting and I can't quite remember anything else and I'm sure more specific details of requirements are necessary. Anyone care to take me by the hand and enlighten me? 

I had this set of blocks done from a while back and over the months I had tried matching them with other coloured blocks in an effort to make a good sized lap quilt with them. Problem was that any colour put with the batiks immediately killed the different colours in the batik....all your eyes were drawn to was the other coloured blocks. I then realised I had a heap of this dark brown fabric left from a sale purchase and thought it might look good helping to make the batik shine. I have pieced the columns, now just need to put them together and find a backing. I'm loving the rich starkness of it....very happy with it but Mr,Ruby thinks I need to add a coloured border to it. Whatcha think? I guess if I put a thin coloured border on then I could use the brown patterned fabric for the binding...might look good?  What about using the cream fabric for a thin border?

..........I do the absolutely most perfect, perfect fmq curl on the very last curl that my quilt top needs?   
..........I break a needle approximately 12" from finishing sewing my binding on?
..........when I change my thread colour I then realise I haven't finished all the quilting I need to do with that colour?

Anyone else thinking "this" about something?

My experience thus far with fmq has been limited to a frantic meandering pattern very similar in appearance to the result you get when dipping a blow flys' feet into ink, then spraying him with fly spray and letting him loose to stagger around in a chaotic stupor. Got it?

Well, I put the fm foot on the Juki for the first time 2 days ago, armed myself with a gazillion practice sandwiches, steeled my resolve and set forth to see what I could manage with the new machine.
Day 1: I'm at staggering blowfly level with no improvement at the end of the day. And my garbage bin is now stuffed to the brim with my sad and sorry bounty...thank goodness it's rubbish night tomorrow night!!
Day 2: I'm scouring the internet for information, advice, and ooooo what's this...a tasty new recipe for stone ground flour....woops, focus here....back to defeating the blow fly staggers.....day 2 evening after tea (Mr.Ruby is fast asleep in the chair and the tellie is not inspiring) and my blowfly staggers are still there.
Day 3: I'm munching over breakfast thinking about the stuff I've read on the internet...okay....armed with a coffee and a brave disregard for the housework waiting to be done I head back to the Juki. I do 3 things: I crank my presser foot pressure completely off, I change my needle to a whacking big number 14, and I decide to not trace any lines to try and follow. Perhaps going "freehand" will be better...you know, not worrying about "going off the lines and trying to correct" and then, like a visitation from the gods above I got.....daisies...lots of lovely daisies...not perfect mind you, but good enough to put on a quilt and keep me smiling!

(1) hunt and catch your quilt.........."what the dickens is this under my sewing table. Oh yeah, I did that months ago and
                                                       hated it."

(2) After capture and rendering lifeless, examine the pelt........"Lordy that is some ugly quilting and basting"

(3) Spread your lifeless prey on the floor and grab a really sharp blade......"Where's that old scalpel of mine..insert
      rummaging noises at this point.....aha, triumphant and...ouch!...pass me the bandaids please "

(4) Kneel on the floor and gently prise a corner of pelt free by carefully slicing under the pelt and through threads by working from underneath the skin, seperating the 3 layers as you go/slice ......"Geez, how many blooming stitches did I put in this thing? "

(5) Continue gently separating the outer skin from inner innards making sure not to pierce the pelt....."Do I really want to do this, it's like performing a muscle dissection."

(6) Work quickly and deftly...........DON'T! "

(7) Repeat (4) and (5) for the next 4 hours swapping from floor, to table, to floor, to kitchen bench....to scotch cupboard...repeat....

( Do not be startled by anyone, remember you're holding a scalpel..... "Oh my is that the time? Surely Mr.Ruby you
                                                              don't want any dinner tonight?
                                                              Me? well yes I did think it would be nice to stay in my Pjs' all day.....are you
                                                              SURE it's tea time already...where has the day gone?????

(9) Finally, after rubbing feeling back into your hands and knees admire your skinned beast, yep, no holes in the pelt, yep innards intact and look serviceable, yep mega headache present and booming, yep scotch bottle almost empty, yep heading for the headache and muscle ache meds and the heat bags right now!

(10) Write a strong note to yourself and sticky tape it to your sewing machine....
             "DONOT ever contemplate skinning a quilt again...ever!"