pieceful kwilter: quilting

Showing posts with label quilting. Show all posts

peek a boo

Hey yall!! happy spring, although the temperatures don't exactly reflect that....

So i have GREAT news!! i have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild!

I'M QUILTING AGAIN and i'm quickly getting caught up, and need more tops! (feed me, Seymour!)

I'll be at Tiny Stitches this Saturday (march 22nd) around 1:30, so if you have some flimsies laying around- bring them!! just call or email letting me know you plan on coming so i'll know!

i'm so glad to be over and past this!! Onward to 'normal'

getting back in the saddle

had a bone doctor appointment couple weeks ago and he told me that i could return to 'normal' activities. "If it hurts, stop doing it" (well *duh*)

you don't have to tell me twice!!

armed with a new bolt of batting i quilted five of my own quilts and i feel that getting back to client quilts is coming very soon!!

*muhaha*

this is my pansy quilt made from blocks won way back in August 2011 from the block lotto..... crap, that long ago *slacker*

well this top is probably older than that... it's made from a LQS's BOM's blocks in my fabrics from when we first moved to cobb county...2007/2008 *wow*

i wanted to see what a monochromatic quilt would look like and i wanted to challenge myself- so i choose brown. *shrug* not all ideas are legendary

i call it chocolate covered strawberries. Why? cause i backed it with this cute strawberry fabric.

i like that polka dot fabric in the 9patch...it reminds me of the dress Julia Roberts wore in 'Pretty Woman' at the polo match.

then there's this little guy...it's probably older than both the previous tops. it's another one of those i-wonder-what-if quilts. didn't exactly come out like i thought, so i tried a new idea for quilting that i have seen- dense straight lines.

now this one came out fine! it's a flimsy inspired by a book that i helped quilt some samples for, but wasn't needed in the book itself.

mmmm, pebbles...

the other one is a gift that can't be shared just yet... *shhhh*

so 5 tops made the permanent move from flimsy on a hanger to a quilt folded on the shelf!!

now you'll have to excuse me, i have a crapload of binding to do.

the Mother Hubbard Sale!

i have a problem, not a personal problem, but a problem...see my client quilt cabinet is almost empty. (especially since i finished three that were hanging there)

i got to thinking and i realized that this Novemeber will be my TENTH year long arming professionally!

TEN!!

*holy crap * that's double digits!!! has it been that long?

so, i was thinking that is a milestone worth celebrating! and what better way than to have some fun sales!! A Mother Hubbard Sale (cause my cabinet is getting bare *hehe*)

so here's the details:

Starting September 1st, the first 20 quilts that i get in my hands that will have an E2E design will get 20% off (minimum quilting charge $60 after discount)

Also, i am going to re-host my quilting raffle!! Starting November 1st, 2013 every quilt you bring me will earn you one ticket into the raffle. If you refer someone to me (your name on the back of my business card presented AT the time They drop off their quilt) your name goes in as well as your friend's! On the last day of every month i will draw one name from that month to receive a $25 credit towards their quilting (one winner each month) At the end of the year, Novemeber 1st, 2014, i will draw THREE winners- one person will win a $200 gift certificate and two will win $100 each...

with that being said- time to finish up some UFOs, piece some backers, and buy batting!!

this just got real :)

the last stitch

i have had this vintage quilt for years!! i bought it a llllloooonnnggg time ago from Ebay back before vintage tops could be sold for millions of dollars :) i think i paid around $40 for it.

out of all my vintage tops, this would be a top contender of a favorite. it sat in my cabinet patiently waiting for me to build my LAing skills to quilt it. then, i was stumped. what to do? it's not traditional and i couldn't make feathers look good....

so a couple days before my bday, at three in the morning (isn't that the prime time for all great creative sparks?) i knew how i was going to quilt it!!

i loaded it and treated my self a day 'off' from client quilting to quilt my little favorite green vintage find....

it will get to decorate a prominent wall in the house.

i like to think the piecer is up in her heavenly studio and is nodding her approval at her quilt finally being finished.

never say never

i've never really had a need to quilt a feathered wreath on a quilt cause, well, it's the whole round-peg-square-hole thing. so i haven't....i take that back- i did once on a quilt of mine and instantly hated it.

well, i found a quilt that a feathered wreath fits just fine.

so, ladies and germs- write this day down :) it took 6 years but

i quilted a feathered wreath

well, actually two. everyone deserves a friend.

and FYI- Joann's has packaged batting 50% off online. i don't know if it's a store sale as well or how long the sale lasts, but i know there's a coupon code for free shipping for orders over $50...

descisions, descisions

i am quilting my little arms off- i have quilted three quilts in the last two days and loaded the forth.

i am working on this huge irish chain top and started to get that burn between my shoulder blades and decided that i would finish the pass i was on and call it a day. then, i ran out of bobbin about 3/4 of the way across....*sigh*

so, do i change bobbins and finish the pass -OR- call it devine intervention??

(i changed bobbins and finished the pass)

evolution of a design

i have a long arm and i'm not afraid to use it. sometimes, i get a quilt that makes me step back and go, hmmmm?

kathy brought me her quilt to quilt and it has this log cabin type flower block. not exactly screaming at me at how to quilt it. i'm going to share a short peek inside my head while i design the quilting motif for this block and the why.

first i grab my mylar plastic that i use to 'sketch' my ideas onto with a dry erase marker. the marker wipes off easily with a piece of scrap batting. this is also handy because i can draw the design the exact size i'll be stitching, so i can get the muscle memory practice.

i know i'll need 'travel' points (where i transition from one section to another) my style is to use intersecting piecing points. so i chalk the straight line through the points of the log cabin pieces (you can see the faint line. i don't need to be able to see it from across the room- just enuf to see it as i quilt. plus by making it faint makes it easy to remove when i'm done. i use Miracle Chalk. it removes by steam, water, and dusting with a lint brush)

it is a flower block, so i start playing with ideas that would look like a flower. i doodled the petal shapes and i like them and decide that this will be part of the design.

the only problem is that it doesn't bring me back to my chalked travel points.....okay now what???

i could just use a ruler and SID back, but i'm not a SID fan...plus i'm using a purple thread and it could show and be unattractive. plus ruler work would push the cost of the quilting up, and it's not included in the proposed estimated budget.

i am putting feathers on another part of the quilt, so what if i echo the petal shapes back to my travel point???

perfect, and a simple CC type line will get me to my next area! throw in a little 'toot' at the top and i have my design.

that's exactly what i did and here's the finished quilted block. i quilted up the left side, and came down the right side- starting and stopping at the same spot.

so there you have it, a peek inside my head as i doodle on a quilt.

quilt smarter, not harder :)

now what...?

i am very proud of myself! i have fiished a couple of UFOs and will reward myself by starting something new!

so i want to ask your opinion:

i have these fat quarters and the 'black' batik that have been sitting on a shelf and i have decided that it's their turn to be a quilt.

so do i make a quilt like this using the humble HST (image source here)

Or do i go a little more 'fancy' and make a jacob's ladder a la bonnie hunter, but use the black where the yellow is? (image source here)

either way, what i like is that with the hand dye 'solid' look of the fabrics, that the quilt will have an Amish feel to it- a contemporary Amish quilt.

so which would you vote for?

star blocks

i can't assume that you read every quilt blog out there, so you might not have read about john'alee's quilt building effort or her call for help.

you can read about the story here and here (you might want to have some tissues close), and the block info is here and here's a picture of what she's gotten so far. there's more posts, once at her blog you can look around and read all the posts.....

i made four 8inch blocks and sent them last month...i forgot to take a picture, so i borrowed the one from her blog.

she has received enuf blocks for two quilts and she's making five (?)

she has extended the deadline to the end of November so, i made six 12inch blocks...

perhaps you could spare some time for a block or two???

you say 'obsessed' like it's a bad thing

that's funny it's spelt just like sewer (sue-er)

i pulled a dory....i saw sewer (soe-er)
*sew - a needle pulling thread, la - a note to follow sew*

i'm inked!

i have a tattoo, i am not ashamed.i love it! i came up with the design when i was in 7th grade and it was tat love at first sight *swoon*

fast forward to my early twenties, i still had the little sketch with me (after numerous moves) and i made my mind up to make it permanent, i still loved it years later- why not?

i thought my granny would hate it, but she loved it and said it was very feminine.

fast forward again to my early 30s when i got that featherweight i'd always wanted....that scroll work faceplate design looked so familiar....wait a minute!!! that's exactly like my tattoo!!! how's that for coincidence??

my tat is an arm band and well, it's got a gap in the back (i did consider wrapping the design all the way around, but i wanted the pretty scroll work to show) so i've been itching to commit my love of quilting permanently on my body....last night i was exploring Flickr and i happened on a picture of Dainty Squid's chest tat that got me thinking about a quilting tattoo again (there's also a group for sewing tats- people sure do love their scissors and sewing machines) i'm not as cute as her and i'm pretty sure that i couldn't pull off a chest tat (i have done the blue hair before)....*sigh* i'd love a full quilting sleeve

any whoo- as i was coveting some of the ink on Flickr i had a huge light bulb moment!!! the one thing that has held me back from getting a quilting theme tat is: WHERE TO PUT IT...it took years to decide where to put my celtic knot....LIGHTBULB!!! i can put a little vignette of quilting stuff in the gap of my celtic knot omg- perfect.

i'm thinking a pair of scissors or a rotary cutter, a spool of thread with a needle, and a thimble. if i can fit it and it's doesn't look dorky i'll stick in a sawtooth star block. i'll also get the artist to freshen up my celtic knot.....sweet!

yes, i'm dead serious....

help...

i've had these FQs for a while and i found the perfect quilt pattern for them. i'm thinking they would look good in Lily's QAL...

my only hiccup is what background color? i'm wanting to use a kona cotton so i can showcase the quilting there...no white cause i use my quilts (and so do the dogs :) ) i was leaning towards ash...

suggestions?

to prewash or not to prewash....

...that is the question.

i'm not a prewasher. that's right- i said it! i do, however, throw a quilt into the washer the minute i cut the thread from finishing the binding.

do i worry about bleeding... nope.

do i worry about shrinkage...*shrug* i little...but i prefer the crinkly washed goodness of a quilt. makes it more...quilty. (i'm going to post about shrinkage later)

the bleeding thing can ruin a day. your quilt goes in the washer a red and white quilt, but comes out a pink and red quilt...i can offer help.

i use a detergent called Synthrapol (i get mine from Dharma Trading). dyers use it to prepare fabric for dying and after to help pull out excess dye. (i have my suspicions that it is the same active chemical as in shout's color catchers..just saying)

the coolest thing for quilters about synthrapol is that it neutralizes the chemical bond a dye particle floating in the water has that would otherwise stain the lighter colored fabrics. (it can be used in prewashing fabric that will be used in fusible applique too.)

i love this stuff! i use 1/4 cup per queen quilt and wash as normal. i do add a little regular detergent to the water to make the quilt smell good. if you don't it'll smell like ironed batiks. the trick is to let your washer fill completely with water and agitate a couple times, then add your quilt. that way the synthrapol is fully mixed in the water. (for you front load owners- there is a low foam version available)

there is another soap called Retayne. I'm not a fan of it cause it has 'fussy' instructions. you have to add so much per yard..blah blah blah....wash the first time in hot water then after that in cold...blah blah blah. synthrapol- just add it to the water, wash, and not have to worry about it again.

want proof? i had a customer bring me a very vintage applique quilt that her mother had done backing in the 30s. it was a bouquet tied with a deep purple ribbon on an off white background. you guessed it- the purple had bleed very badly onto the background. i offered to wash the quilt with synthrapol, what could it hurt? not only did it remove the bleed, we discovered that background was white fabric, not off white.

i am not a paid endorser (i wish) for either synthrapol or Dharma Trading. i offer only my honest opinion based on personal previous experience (at least 10 years worth of washing quilts) do with it what you want :)

'the' 1600 quilt

so have you seen this quilt idea with the video?

lisa called wednesday wanting to know if i wanted to go to her house and try it. *shrug* sure!

here's my jelly roll sewn continiously before the first 'lap'. isn't piled up fabric prettier on hard wood floors? :)

now in the video a lady completes her whole quilt top in 35 minutes. we are absoulety in awe! it took us 35 minutes just to sew the first lap.

so here's the quilts. we opted to add borders...we used the floor of the living room as a design wall and ran up the stairs to the landing to audition border fabrics and colors...

lisa's

she cut all her strips in half (22inches long, trimmed 8" from the beginning) then sewed straight across the ends.

kathy's

she grouped similar fabrics together and mitered her strips as per the instructions. you can barely see some of her joining seams.

phylis's

she joined her strips straight.

and mine

i did the same as phylis. i sewed my strips together straight across the ends (after i removed the selvage of course).

and mine with borders. it finished at 86" x 88"...i decided to cut the outer border really wide (10" finished) to take full advantage of it's print.

it was a fun filled day!! we laughed, ate, sewed, and ate some more :) it's always nice to meet new people and try something different...we've already decided to have a UFO sew day...

and i am totally in love with chocolate teddy grahams

breathe deep

i love the smell of

batiks in the morning!

playing with UFOs

LAing isn't holding my attention today, so i decided to do some piecing...i grabbed a bag outta the UFO pile that has these drunkard's path blocks in it. i have the majority pieced, so i'm playing with a layout.

help me decide. i kindda know which one i'm leaning towards...