Squares and Triangles Scrap Quilt

Hanging in the garden

All of these fabrics are from mom's stash and most of them had been used in previous quilts. I was hoping to use up some fabrics that had been stored for years.

This was the original size, but I didn't want light colors in the corners

Decided to add one more row of squares as a border

There were actually some fabrics that got completely used up on this project. They didn't leave smaller scraps to be used in another project. It didn't make a noticeable dent in the stash, but a few pieces out means there's room to take in a few new fabrics.

December 2019, piecing finished

Over winter break, the quilt got basted and then it sat in my to-be-finished pile for a few months.

January 2020, backing added

In June, I had been doing mostly garment sewing and was looking for a quick non-clothing project. My Bernina 717 was ready to go from an earlier project and after deciding on the quilting style, I was off to the races.

This was about the biggest quilt that would fit in the harp space of the 717

The walking foot and seam guide made spacing out the rows of quilting very easy

Stewie checks the quilting from the back side before binding is finished

For the binding, I pieces a few of the scraps I had and this finished off a few more fabrics from the pile. It was sewn on using the Bernina 717 and then finished by hand.

Binding done, ready for the wash

Finished pictures were taken in the garden.

Washed and drying in the sunshine

Backing was pieced 

Finished size is 60" X 60"

Bernina 717

This post was written months ago, but apparently, I forgot to publish it. I went back to look for it after writing about my most recent project on it. It's a bit late now, but Bernina 717 deserves to share her story.

She was listed on Craigslist in a different state.  A Bernina 717 in a cabinet and reasonably priced, so I had to see if I could get her back to Chicago. The machine was up near Mankato, MN which is between the Twin Cities where my sisters live and Chicago. Ok, not really on the way, but for a Bernina a bit of a side trip could be made.
Originally, I was planning to be in the Twin Cities before Valentine's Day to meet my new niece.  She turned out to not be in a rush and missed her due date by at least a week. So, I did not end up going to MN until about a month later. Mom went up after my niece was born to help out though and when she came home she was willing to make a detour through Rochester, MN on her way back to Illinois. The lady who was selling the machine had infinite patience and I really do appreciate her giving me time to sort out how to get the machine home. She even helped me look into the cost of shipping the machine when travel plans were up in the air.
The machine had a cabinet, foot control, and power cord, but there were no accessories or manual.  I put the machine in the front room with a view out the window for awhile until I could clean her up and try her out.

In front of the sunny window

Here is a close up of the machine before I cleaned her inside and out. The hand wheel shows wear, but most of the other scuffs and discoloring should clean up.

The first step was taking her out of the cabinet and then I took a look inside. While the machine did sew, clearly it was not running as smoothly as it could.  There was quite a build-up of gunk on some of the gears. Q-tips and alcohol got it cleaned up, but it was a red substance caked on there that I hadn't seen before. Usually things turn brown, but this was a decidedly red jelly substance. Is there a grease or oil out there that is red colored?

Distinct red coloring isn't noticeable in this picture

 The zig-zag lever was frozen and I used heat and Tri-Flow to get is loosened up.  The needle position piston was also stuck so I couldn't move the needle right-left-center, but that loosened up as well with heat.

The back side needed cleaning and the pressure foot lifter and spool pins had a bit of rust

Here she is all cleaned up and back in the cabinet.

Almost looks brand new

Has anyone reading this used a Bernina 717 before?  Any comments, suggestions, warnings as I look for a project to try out on this machine?