A very mellow day…

Posted on March 17, 2014 by quiltify

Today was a lovely mellow day consisting of varied quilting activities.  I cut and sewed the binding, finally, onto the Swedish Quilt. Not terribly exciting, but reaching the end for this quilt, which will now  go into my recently vacated guest room. IMG_3306 IMG_3261I will soon start working on a customer’s memory quilt.  Today I pre-washed the accent fabrics so they will wash uniformly with the many times washed shirts. IMG_3308For some reason the accent fabric photographed as if black and white…although they are, there are some beautiful grays.  I won’t show the shirts because the customer is having the quilt made as a surprise.

Here’s an initial glance at my autumn jelly roll quilting.  I must be insane the way I pick a light back with dark thread, but I like to see my stitches…on my quilts.  How else does one improve?IMG_3309 IMG_3311 IMG_3314 I know I shouldn’t upload imperfect pictures of my quilts, but I can’t help myself.  I still have many threads to bury and, of course, this seriously needs delinting.  Besides, I am always dissatisfied with something about my work, and that is unlikely to change, because that is just how I think about things.  I can always improve upon whatever I do.   I figure as long as I’m having fun, what does it matter?

Perfection can wait.  Happy Quilting.

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Learning as I go…

Posted on March 12, 2014 by quiltify

Here is our flyer for the Quilter’s Connection’s 2014 Quilt Show.  Please SHARE!  Contact me if you would like to purchase tickets in advance for the price of $5.00.  (Obviously, for those in the Boston, MA, USA area)

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I was trying to upload this yesterday, and didn’t realize I had to change the PDF to a TIF, but I figured it out and I’m feeling quite happy about that.  Happy Quilting (and computing)!

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At a loss…

Posted on March 11, 2014 by quiltify

Yesterday was my blogging day, but I had nothing!  Yesterday I also got caught up in ancestry.com so that was rather unproductive quilt-wise, but I had fun tracing some family lineage.  I did attend my quilt guild meeting in the evening where we had the pleasure of learning from Valerie Goodwin about her wonderful architecturally related quilts.

I have been revamping a press release and publicity letter for my guild’s quilt show in May, but I mainly did that Sunday…so again, nothing.  If you are in the Boston area at the end of May, please check out our quilt show, Quilter’s Connection Quilt Show.

Today, I did finish up custom quilting my autumn jellyroll quilt.  I’ll show the finished product when I’ve added the binding.

And just because, here’s some previous play:IMG_2848

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First T Shirt quilt decision

Posted on March 3, 2014 by quiltify

I have been, slowly apparently, custom quilting the autumn jelly roll quilt so I don’t have much to show this week.  However, I did finally lay out T shirts for LJM’s quilt top.  ImageImage

I removed all but one off-white T shirt as they do nothing for the quilt top.  I’m going to make a traditional T shirt quilt, so now it needs study as to what color to use as the binding color, each t shirt’s frame.  This decision won’t be mine, but this environment is good for putting it together.   Dark blue is typical and works nicely…but not necessarily interesting…these are t shirts after all.  Purple, orange, red?  Print?

What about the Oscars?  I think Lady Gaga’s dress would make a lovely longarm quilting design…with silver threads? See this.  And Portia de Rossi? See here.  Would her dress be a better pieced design or longarm design?  Happy quilting.

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Colorful!

Posted on February 24, 2014 by quiltify

Last week I hand appliqued some triangles on to my autumn colored jelly roll quilt, which was shown in my prior blog post.  Consequently, it was a relaxing time, but not a terribly exciting time, except for the British murder mysteries that entertained me!

I also had the pleasure of quilting Susan’s beautiful and colorful quilt.  Aren’t the colors and variation of colors wonderful? I don’t think there was a single repeat of fabric!Image

I used an Omni medium gray thread.  Susan picked Keryn Emmerson’s Leaf and Scroll pattern for the quilting design.  I think the thread and design worked wonderfully together as the quilting is subtle and does not distract from the color and design of the quilt top.  As it is not a dense pattern, it also will be a soft and cozy quilt.  Here are some additional views:IMG_3291 IMG_3289The back was essentially plain orange, which can be problematic as I like to match the top and bottom threads…perhaps I need to get over that.  However, the medium gray thread worked well on the orange so that while it shows up, it is not in your face as a purple or a blue might have.IMG_3296I’ve also just perfected a card system for my customers, or should I say B. perfected the idea as he’s my photography expert.   A card like this will now go to each customer so she/he will have a record of the quilt and the pattern of the quilting.  Although you can’t see it on the following card, under the photograph the name of the quilting pattern and designer is listed.  As we often give our quilts as gifts, I think it is nice to have a picture that we can retain.  Quilting pattern: Keryn Emmerson's Leaf & Scroll

This was a fun and happy quilt to work on.   Happy quilting.

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The design wall and the full studio…

Posted on February 17, 2014 by quiltify

I had been using a floor for a design wall, but this proved to be insufficient as the angle for viewing was just not right.  However, my studio really does not have a wall large enough or accessible enough to serve as the design wall.  I am going to expose you to my full, functional, and presently messy studio.  ImageImageImageImage

As you can see my studio is on the second floor of a Cape Cod style house.  This room does not provide a spot for a design wall due to the slanting ceiling and various nooks.  My studio is very full, but extremely functional.  In these photographs, the cutting table is open as is the sewing machine cabinet.  Nonetheless, even when each area has a project in process, I can still walk on all sides of the cutting table and work at the longarm.  Looking at these pictures, I realize I need to hang some quilts on the walls.  In the fourth picture, the two frames on the opposite wall frame pieces of a quilt I believe was made by my great-grandmother Beda.

To begin to explain my design wall solution, here is a picture of the front of my home.  Image

I live in New England so the winters can be cold.  Yet, I can’t bring myself to put a storm door on the front of the house.  I think it would ruin the facade.  This dilemma is what brought me to quilting.

I made a quilt to hang on the inside of the front door, as was done in colonial times, to block any draft.  This was my first quilt, which I made about ten years ago.

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Knowing no better, I cut each piece with scissors and used a ruler for sizing.  It is lined with an old woolen blanket and extended on the bottom to accommodate the extra length needed.  It’s not too bad considering I had no clue what I was doing.  I had always been a garment sewer.  I have now discovered another use for this quilt…my design wall, if a bit of a busy one!  You do have to overlook the natural wave in the way it hangs.

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This is the best solution to date.  I can pin most quilt tops to this old ‘storm door’ quilt so I can more easily play with my design.  I find I start with a traditional design, which I ultimately find boring, so I adjust it a bit.

So here’s my design wall solution for a full studio.  It just happened…or did it?  Happy quilting!

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We’re cool!

Posted on February 11, 2014 by quiltify

Look what the US snowboarding team is wearing this year:  Ralph Lauren designed uniforms with the appearance of patchwork quilted jackets.Burton-1Here’s snowboarding team member Shaun White in action(AFP, Franck Fife):

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So I’m thinking we quilters are in the know because the curve is just catching up to us.  We all know snowboarders are cool!  Be safe ALL snowboarders!  Quilt on.

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Swedish quilt…

Posted on February 5, 2014 by quiltify

So I’ve been very busy in my world, having lots of fun, but I don’t have anything really new to show for it as my quilting room has not always been involved in this fun.  However, I did finish custom quilting my Swedish quilt.  I’ll show you even though I’m sure you are sick of seeing this quilt.  The purpose of this quilt was to just play with different free hand designs to see which ones were fun and which ones looked good.  I hoped they were inclusive, but not necessarily so.  There was no overall planning as this quilt is headed for my guest room and with my own quilts I can be rather experimental…or lazy.

IMG_3266 IMG_3264In the top photograph I used the pieced seams as the feather guide.  On the bottom one the spine of the feathers are free flowing.  I’m surprised I like the one using the seams as spines as much as I do, as I thought it would be too structured and less tempestuous.  Which one do you like?

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IMG_3261So here’s the quilt top.  Obviously, it is without binding.  Note all my scribble fabrics on the edge.  I’m winding my own bobbins so they don’t last as long as the pre-wound and I used two colors; consequently, the test pieces were well used.  This required frequent thread changes.  Can you see my hydrangea in the bottom corner?  I’m not happy with its surround, but I like the flower.

The pieced top is my own design and I would never use the geometric fabric as a border again, unless I was in a really anal mood as it is a hard design to keep straight.  B. doesn’t like how my pieced rows were not sewn in the same pattern.  I like the off-balanced nature of the quilt.  What do you think?

IMG_3271Here’s the back.  I did learn another thing with this quilt.  I quilted from the bottom to the top for the first time.  I made the mistake, I think, of basting the top before I started at the bottom.  Consequently, I ended up with a ridge, which you can see in this bottom picture.  Lesson learned, I hope.  Do you have any recommendations for custom quilting from the bottom rather than the top?  How to avoid any ridges on the backside?

I’ll now cut the edges and bind, but I promise I won’t write another blog on this quilt!

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Goals are meant to be missed…

Posted on January 25, 2014 by quiltify

…because otherwise, are you really stretching?  Or at least I’d like to believe this…  My recent intent was to post on my blog at least once per week.  I’ve already let the goal go.  This last week or so was filled with exciting possibilities, essays, applications and even a video!  I won’t say much now other than one application relates to my love of art.  The other application, if I were chosen, would result in an experience so exciting and so fulfilling that I won’t or can’t even talk about it now…although I guess I just did!  It would mean six  weeks away from my quilting, but it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity.  And if nothing else, I learned something about making a video.

I do have a sewing project happening in my quilting room.  I received a few Bali Pops for Christmas.  I had read that these are poorly cut, but for my purposes they seem fine.  Also, I haven’t sewn batiks very often, and never as a quilt, so I am looking forward to these projects.

bali popsI’m saving the brown/cream colored packet for last because it is my favorite.  As you can see I have already cut one package into pieces and sewed groups of four.

IMG_3252I sewed two strips together and then cut them on an angle, and then sewed two different strip pieces together to create the diamond.

IMG_3247I hope this photograph is clear enough for you.  You should be able to see piles of the four pieced diamonds.

IMG_3250I plan to do something like the above, placing the diamonds together in a strip with the illusion of a black background, but perhaps not, as the diamond shape is lost.  I won’t know until it happens.  I apologize for the photograph.  I have washed the black material as it is not a batik.  An amazing amount of lint appears in the photograph on the black, but not live.  I will delint.  Once I sew all the batik strips together, I will wash them as well.  I am hopeful the quilt, once pieced together, will then combine fabrics well.  Happy quilting!

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Quilting the quilt…

Posted on January 13, 2014 by quiltify

I have finally started quilting this quilt top, which I made months ago.  It is mine so I am playing, going with the flow and really not over thinking it, which perhaps I should do.  I have made it through two levels so far.  I’m figuring out what designs I like best and how I can use them.  I am caught somewhere between modern quilts and traditional quilts in my designs.

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Regarding the piecing of the border, I know that linear fabric is difficult.  I couldn’t resist this fabric because it reminded my of my grandmother.  Every time yellow and blue appeared together, she’d start talking about the Swedish flag.  So you see, I had to purchase it.  This print works much  better in the stars than the border, in my opinion, mainly due to my imprecise cutting.  What I do like is how the quilting totally disappears in this busy fabric.  I used a slightly gray thread, which is apparently still my ‘go to’ thread.

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I used free hand swirls, which is a design I find easy and fun to do.

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You can see the linear design I used in the stars more.

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This quilting reflects my favoring feathers, swirls and ribbon candy.

Please note that I have not trimmed and buried my threads yet, so these pictures are a bit messy.  The third to the last picture shows that I marked the quilt in the stem of the feather.  I don’t usually do that, but I thought I would experiment.  I usually use pins for limited marking.  I tested this air erase pen.  Within 20 minutes, the test markings erased.  But, as things go, on the quilt the ink did not erase.  It’s no issue on this one as I am going to wash the quilt anyway and it will wash away.  In the future, I might get some chalk, which I can brush away.  I wouldn’t want this to happen with another quilt, a customer quilt particularly.  Any recommendations on a good erasable marking system?

Regarding custom quilting, do any of you reach the point where you are happy with every piece of it?  I am no where near that point and wonder if I ever will be.  Pantographs seem to be the best method for customer quilts.  I’ll keep the custom quilting to my own quilts.  Happy quilting!

Posted in Longarm quilting, quilting designs | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments