My thoughts on the Quilting Process

Happy Wednesday! I got to thinking after reading a few of Monday's comments. Several people asked, "How are you going to quilt it?"
The straightforward answer is, I probably won't quilt it cause it's a huge quilt!.

For most quilts, including the Ohio sampler, I don't give the quilting much of a thought when I'm piecing it. I like a challenge and I love making the tops. That's my favorite part.

I got in on the ground floor with the Jane Stickle quilt and only had a book with line drawings. I think towards the end I purchased a triangle ruler for cutting them out accurately. I loved the challenge of trying to figure out the best approach to making those blocks. The only thought I gave to quilting it was that I wanted to hand quilt it. (14 years later I completed that!)

 Blind Man's fancy is another one I enjoyed piecing after drawing up the pattern from a photo of the old quilt from New York. The piecing and the challenge was what I enjoyed. I sent this one out to be quilted for an all over paisley quilting.

Under the big top was another one I enjoyed piecing and drawing out in EQ.  This one also got an allover paisley quilting.

So, for awhile I'll feel accomplished that I actually got this top all put together, then I'll contemplate the quilting. I'm in no hurry.

It sort of reminds me of something I've seen lately. Summer just arrived, officially a couple of days ago, and people are already talking about fall! Let me enjoy summer and all its fullness! Life is short enough, let's enjoy the moments we have and stop pushing ahead to the next this, the next that, the next.......

So that's my long answer, oh it seems it sort of went into a rant! LOL!!

Quilt Stencil Giveaway! The Stencil Company!

This giveaway is now closed!

Before the holidays I was contacted by Cindy, owner of The Stencil Company about hosting a giveaway of hand quilting stencils. She is seeing more and more machine quilting (they sell those stencils too) but she doesn't want to see hand quilting to disappear. 

Although I do both I was willing to help promote their wonderful stencils. I bet you've seen them at shows or have a few of their stencils in your sewing room. They have been in business for 30 years!

The catalog and online presence is huge and I had a hard time choosing a few stencils. 

But this is what I chose from their catalog. Read through my blog and see what you need to do to win some just like it!

 I'll start with my largest hand quilting project. Beyond the Cherry Tree quilt.

 I'm quilting like the original and adding lovely and some quirky motifs. I thought these little flowers would be a perfect addition!

 I used my frixion pen and the stencil to mark my design. (I've done tests with the frixion- search my blog if you are interested)

 I haven't hand quilted in awhile so it takes a little time for me to warm up.

 Iron to remove marks.

 Ta-Da! Motif!

 I got a little carried away with my photos.

I love this quilt!

 Baptist fan has got to be one of my favorite all-over designs. I plan on hand quilting Jill's Jewel Box quilt and think this stencil will be perfect! I love the huge 8" arcs as it will help cover a large area more quickly.

 If I did every other stencil line the arcs would be 1" apart, which personally is good.

If you want to have close lines together (1/2") you could use every line. One stencil- 2 ways!

When I use my other stencils I will also show you on my blog, but because I am the world's slowest hand quilter I will not make you wait for me to use them all!

Leave a comment and 6 lucky winners (yes SIX!) will receive the same 4 stencils I ordered! Isn't that great!? I'll draw next Tuesday, March 3. 

If you do not hear from me to say you are in the drawing that probably means you are a no-reply commenter and have not left your email address either. You will not be eligible to win. 

On my side bar is a post about how to fix it. Feel free to leave me a test message, as well.

Good luck and Happy Monday!

This giveaway is now CLOSED!

Inspired All Over Again

If you have been reading my blog long you would have met Laurie HERE. I think we were all inspired by her quilts and fun decorating sense. I got to see it all over again when I stayed with her this last week.

I got to sleep under this beauty!

The way the light was falling on this quilt in the evening the quilting showed up so well. Look at that! 

I have a pattern for this difficult block. It is so sweet. I think Laurie said her sister made that for her.

This adorable little jacket is in her sewing room.

This is just a fraction of her stash.

This is an evening photo so not very good,  but I was so inspired by this on my last visit, I changed a few things around at my house. Her little quilts are so adorable!

If you do not have a blog but would like to showcase your quilt decor or antiques, I'd love to see them and show your photos on my blog. Let me know!

Happy Monday!

Cavalcade of Little Quilts

 I'm working on a project that will be published! (Yay! I'm so excited!) The only bad thing is I cannot show you yet. I finished machine quilting so I can start some regular sewing soon!! Whoop! Whoop!
I thought I'd show you a few of the little quilts I finished in 2013. These do not include the AAQI quilts. I had a heck of time finding these online, so hopefully they were all made in 2013.

A Country Threads design from Charm School- This one is on my coffee table right now and I love it!

Vermont Challenge- gifted this year

   Baby quit for my grand nephew. (so many of you generously donated cowboy fabric to the cause)

 

 

Abundance quiltalong

Juniper Flats

Mini version of Scandinavian Christmas

 Medallion Quiltalong

Tea Time- gifted

Faithful Quiltalong

 

Harmony Quitlalong

Braided quilt from Tara Darr

I hope you enjoyed those. I like being able to go back and see what quilting I got accomplished.
I think 2013 was a good year.

I've been asked a couple of times about a winter quiltalong. There is always so much going on at the beginning of the year, but I do enjoy them, so even if one person (Lizzy!) sews along I can have a good time. Be patient a little while longer.

Have a wonderful weekend! We are supposed to have high winds- ugh! Football and sewing are on my agenda!

Quilting of Aurora Colony Quilts

There was something fun about seeing the Aurora Colony collection together. You start seeing many similarities, which makes sense because they were a tight knit community and I imagine, like now, we see a quilt/quilting pattern we like than we duplicate it, or parts of it; I'm sure they did the same thing.

Look at the humble quilting in this alternate block.  Pretty simple, really.

Hmmmm, here it is again.

You can't see it as well in this green, but it is the same quilting.

This whole quilt is rather fun and funky and that same circular quilting is there as well.

This rather simple pieced pattern takes on a lot of movement with this quilting. I can't wait to try it!!

I noticed different colored thread used in the quilting of this one.  A light and dark thread with seemingly no consistently as to when it was used.

My favorite! An interesting cable with an improvised way to widen the cable! Don't you love it?!

Quilt as Desired- Faithful Quilalong

Those three little words that come at the end of making a simple or difficult quilt top. You've appliqued, you've pieced and now you are told to "quilt as desired!" I admit to dislike that a lot!  That was one thing I appreciated about American Patchwork & Quilting magazine is that they gave you ideas for quilting.

I for one, never want to leave you hanging with .......quilt as desired! ugh! I'm not an expert and I've seen so many of you come up with much better quilting ideas than mine on these little quilalongs, but I at least want to show you what I've done so you can use it or not.

I did hanging diamonds again! This is the first little quiltalong I've machine quilted, but I am working on 2 hand quilted projects and didn't have time for even this little one. Also, there are quite a few seams in here and my hand quilting would have not looked good at all.

I used my hera marker to mark diagonal lines 1  1/2" apart (I could have made them closer, but this is supposed to be a humble doll quilt) then I marked vertical lines 1 1/2" apart.

 You can see the marks here. A hera tool makes an indent and good lighting while quilting is important.

I used clear thread in the top (I've tried the poly from superior and I get nothing but breakage from it!) and a 50 weight applique thread in the bobbin in a matching color.

You can see the quilting on the back better than the front. I'll be back next Monday with a linky party so we can see all the different versions. A drawing, with a giveaway,  will be held!! At least get the top done. It doesn't have to be quilted.

I was outside yesterday and Porter needed a tiny bit of quilt...

Utility Quilting - It Could Be Yours!

I feel so fortunate to be able to review three books this week!! The finale is Utility Quilting; Simple Solutions for Quick Hand Quilting by Carolyn Forster. 
My day was the 23rd and it is that day in the UK, so I'm posting now!! 

I reviewed a novel, a quilt book with many small quilts and a cute theme, and this book, which  is definitely a technique book. Is it possible Carolyn saw my post when I admitted it had taken me 13 years to hand quilt my Jane Stickle quilt? hahaha

The first thing I noticed when I received the book is the clear, large photos with step by step instructions. I am a visual learner so this was extremely helpful to me.

The other thing I picked up right away, is Carolyn is not a hand quilting snob. She does not dismiss the use of machine quilting as undesirable or less of an art. (many do!) Utility quilting by hand or machine gets the job done!

System 2 for basting

How many ways are there in quilting to get to the end result? Many! She shows us step by step 3 ways to hand baste a quilt.She also covers, spray basting, the use of safety pins for basting and a basting gun.

One whole page and a beautiful photo of possible thread choices. (She isn't a thread snob either!) There is plenty of photos and lists for supplies. I liked that she gives lots of choices. It isn't a matter of one specific thread that you have to order cross country to use! (The bottom quilt I show I used 3 different threads! I think Carolyn would approve)

 

I love that Carolyn uses real quilts as examples!! She does that throughout the book. She also shows us how to make our own templates for popular quilt designs.

 

There's more then one way to tie a quilt!! Love the close ups!!

She gives page after page of examples of big stitch, fine hand quilting and machine quilting.

I've never done a big stitch before  reviewing Utility Quilting. Here's my little quilt I made for AAQI recently. I found thread that I thought would work and did a simple grid marked with my Hera marker.

Not perfect by any means, but a good first project and fun!

Here's the back. Looks like I missed a few places going all the way through. I thought big stitching fit the style of this quilt really well.

Here is the back of another small quilt I used the big stitch on recently. This time I used a fan pattern with no marking.

 Lest you think it is all technique, you'd be wrong. Carolyn is from the UK and has included beautiful floral soft shabby chic style quilt  patterns and quilting suggestions. Seriously beautiful quilts!! If you want to see more you can also have a preview here.

What do you have to do to win a book? This time you must hop right over to Carolyn's blog before March 2 and leave her a comment. (and look at other posts while you are at it- very inspiring!) She has added a few things to go with the book including thread, needles and fabulous fabric!! (hmmm, wonder if I can enter?)  Tell her Lori sent you!! 

And if you are not a lucky winner, then I'd suggest looking for it at your local quilt store. It is worth every penny!!