Ta Dah....

Finally, finally, finally!!  The yurt is finished (except for a few decorator touches here and there).  We've been working like crazy to get this done, get moved in, get the house in order and our lives back to some semblance of normalcy.  Well, normal for me, anyway!! Below is the picture my step-daughter painted of a Featherhorse specifically for our studio.  Isn't it great??

We have combined both of our working areas quite nicely into our round space. Because the building is round, "Lilly" (my Millennium named after my mom, Leonalda Lillian) took precedence. I had planned to put her where I could see out the window and into the pasture.  Unfortunately, the angle isn't quite right, but I can see down to the meadow, so that works.  She's farther out from the wall to allow space to get behind her which means that more things could easily be placed behind me. We have a fold down "craft" table from Joann's that is 39x59 when opened, but only 13" wide when closed that stays behind me when not in use.

 My Janome (Sylvia) is back on her antique table in a position that makes it easy to piece. The bobbin winder for Lilly is easily accessible; the serger will even be a snap to use. 

Dennis has his two embroidery machines, the Roland cutter (for vinyl decals and such), his heat press and several other printers all set up.  He's also storing his extra stuff and stuff he needs to go through on top of the bathroom ceiling, so that's freed up enough room that we were able to put our antique rolltop desk in the yurt for him to work at.  Also in the yurt:  his keyboard (stored under the heat press) and his two guitars and amp. (I guess he had to put them somewhere *shrug*)

We have a large tv on the wall that is mounted on a swing-arm for easy viewing.  I love watching my training DVDs on a television that you don't have to squint at to see!  Behind the TV and around the corner is where my rolls of batting and the ironing board usually live.  (not sure why I didn't put it away before taking photos!)

This was going to be Dennis' corner (if you look real close, or just click on the picture to blow it up, you can see him working at his computer), but he really did need more room.  Now its his corner and our little "kitchenette" area.  We have a microwave and a refer, running water and soon a couple of shelves for a few dishes. 

Lilly is the 2009 Millennium and comes with many features my 2007 didn't have.  It has an on/off switch that can be reached from either side of the machine, special LED lights (a terrific upgrade!), and a new feature called "Quilt Glide."  Quilt Glide allows you to switch between stitch-regulated and manual without any noticeable change.  As you slow your stitching with the normal stitch-regulator engaged, the machine would get a bit fiddly to move; with the QG engaged, the needle continues to move up and down at the speed you set.  No more herky-jerky movements.  I also chose to install Edgerider Wheels on this machine.  I've heard so much about them that I really wanted that upgrade.  It was scary at first--I just couldn't get them adjusted correctly.  But after much adjusting of the tension on the wheels, I'm thrilled.  I'm working on my guild's Opportunity Quilt using a new swag template from Constantine Quilts.  The ER's making traveling around the template so easy...the difference was worth the hassle! 

If you're thinking of adding a longarm to your quilting repertoire, give me a call.  APQS has many specials this month that I'd love to share. Or if you have tops stacking up that are waited to be quilted, e-mail me and we can see if my services may be just what you're looking for.