quilt

We had the pleasure of seeing some antique quilts at a small show last weekend. I find the textures of these much-used pieces inspiring.

(From a Double Wedding Ring quilt made in 1929.)

And Spring is still playing hide-and-seek. There is a lot of hiding, so far.

I read about quilting with a long arm machine in The Modern Quilt Workshop and was intrigued. So far, I have quilted three quilts using the long arm. I would definitely recommend trying it.

I thought that learning (in a class) and then using the long arm machine was/is fairly easy. The machine is easy to maneuver despite its size.

saves time

I used to spend about six hours pinning a quilt, and then quilt it on my home sewing machine over the course of a few days. I finished my latest quilt (using a long arm) in about two hours. I had my quilting lines pre-marked (and used a continuous pattern).

It takes me probably 15-20 minutes to attach my quilt to the machine (pinning to the canvas, etc.).

Because piecing (the patchwork bit) is the fun part for me, it makes sense in most cases for me to quilt as quickly as possible. The owner of the shop where I rent looks at it the other way around: You have to piece so you have something to quilt! Either way, neat things are possible using a long arm machine.

(My apologies: This camera doesn’t do orange very well, and messing with the white balance hasn’t helped…which is about the extent of my knowledge.)

tension can be good

Because of the way the machine is set up, I felt like I had a better chance of doing alright, right away. There is some tension on your layers, so (theoretically) fewer foldovers.

At the business where I rent, I was shown how to attach only the backing to the rollers. The batting and the quilt top are pinned along the top and sides, and “float.” I know that it is possible to attach and tighten all three (backing, batting, quilt top) because I have seen it done on other people’s quilts. So far, it hasn’t been a problem, but if it was, I would definitely ask to be shown the other technique.

Also, I sometimes couldn’t get the thread tension exactly right on my home machine. This means that there were often little tiny holes where the bobbin thread meets the top thread. This hasn’t happened using the long arm machine.

stitch sameness

There is a stitch regulator on the machine I use, so no matter how fast/slow I go, in theory the stitches are all the same length.

things that help: pre-marking

Having the lines pre-marked on the quilt top has been the biggest lesson so far. It’s a huge time saver and allows you to just follow along, rather than making decisions at every moment.

Here is the oh-so-fancy template I made and used.

things that help: continuous quilting

Because I’ve found that continuous quilting works better than boxes using the machine (see below), I needed some tips. I looked through this book, and then made my own design.

things that help: long arm book

I browsed through the book ABCs of Long Arm Quilting. This is a helpful overview, and a nice restatement of the information I learned in class.

things that help: accessible staff

The business where I rent has three long-arm machines. The owner is typically there, and at least one and sometimes two other workers. These ladies are always ready to help when you need to change thread, wind a bobbin, or get the needle unstuck (this can happen where seams meet because of the multiple layers). This makes the whole process a lot less intimidating.

frustration: straight-lines/boxes

I’m a big fan of echo quilting around squares used by Denyse Schmidt (most of her quilts are hand-quilted). Rectangles take a long time on a long arm machine (I haven’t finished a quilt in less than four hours when I’ve quilted boxes, and that’s standing up for the duration, which can be tough on the soles of your feet). I did the sides and bottom of each box in one continuous line: down, across, up, stopped the machine, then finished off the top of the rectangle with a straight line.

And, on the machine I rent, you can only go up or down, or right to left (but not left to right) when doing straight lines (apparently it puts stress on the thread?). I found the quilting process to be a lot less tedious/frustrating when I work within the bounds of how it’s meant to be used: Free-motion, curves, etc. That being said, I have since seen some clever ways of doing continuous lines.

frustration: thread pull-outs

If you aren’t doing a continuous quilting pattern from one side of the quilt to the other edge, you will have to cut your bobbin thread by reaching (sometimes a long way) under the machine. If you haven’t made sure to backstitch a few times, the pressure of moving the still-attached bobbin thread can pull out a few stitches.

frustration: aesthetics

The long arm stitches are deeper/tighter than my home machine stitches. This is good (in terms of washability and wear), but there are also more shadows (there is a deeper “valley” surrounding each quilting line).

frustration: saves time

Yes, I realize I said this was a positive thing.

There was something nice about the amount of time it used to take me to quilt (using my home machine). I liked looking over my work (mistakes included), and the close-ness which is required (your eyes are literally less than 18 inches from your quilt top). With the long arm, sometimes I feel like I’m not done “getting to know” my quilt before it’s done. However, I don’t miss having the weight of a rolled-up quilt on my shoulder for 12-plus hours.

summary: give it a go

Using a long arm is definitely worth a try. You might not end up using it for every project, but it is a good resource.

I learn something new with every quilt I make. I’d love to hear your experiences with long arm quilting!

The idea for this quilt comes from Denyse Schmidt’s book. There are a lot of really nice examples of this particular pattern (What a Bunch of Squares) made in all kinds of ways.
Here are just a few:
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
Six.
Seven.

I didn’t use the patterns given in the book, but I did take some general measurements and worked from them.

I marked the quilting lines with a disappearing ink pen (I made a cardboard template and traced the shape).

A note about the disappearing ink: The packaging says that the ink disappears in 48-72 hours, depending on humidity. I tested the ink first and was happy to see that it did indeed disappear with water. The drawback was that it disappears rather quickly. I marked the quilt and less than 24 hours later the ink was already fading. Luckily, I find imperfection interesting.

Quilted using a rented long-arm machine.

Finished dimensions: Approximately 72 inches wide by about 90 inches long

the quilt

the inspiration (storm over the Palouse)

the project from this book

the significance

We were considering moving across the country. We were both excited about this possibility…for awhile. As we weighed our options, I worked on this quilt. Only when it was almost done did I realize: It is an ode to the landscape I’ve looked at (and loved) for 20 years.

For the minute, we’re staying put.

the nuts and bolts

Dimensions: about 68 inches by about 64 inches (the one in the book is smaller)

Range of solids bought here

the process

choose some fabrics

cut strips

put strips in bag

choose two without looking

sew them together

repeat

cut up the pieces you have, put them back in the bag, choose two (see where this is going?)

assemble the middle

add a border

add backing/batting
quilt layers
add binding

attach label

I followed the advice given by Suzan and things worked out better. Next up: Practice. A lot.

This apple struck me as sort of beautiful. The world is generous, I find.

I am ready to quilt my latest project (coming soon…I hope), and I was planning on free-motion quilting. It’s not going splendidly.

Daria has long been my free-motion inspiration and hero. After trying it, I now wonder if she is not a wizard of some sort, to get such lovely and amazing results.

Here’s what I think:
1) It probably just takes practice.

2) I shouldn’t try to do an entire (even if smallish) quilt after just learning something.

3) Before whining about my troubles here, in the hopes that someone will save me from myself (i.e. “Just do ___ and everything will come out right!”), I should actually do some research. Bust out the books, do some Internet searches…

My stitch length is probably off, maybe I’ve put the foot on wrong, maybe I’m using the wrong thread altogether (which is why it keeps breaking), maybe I just need to practice, etc.

However, all suggestions are most welcome (including, “if you think that’s hard, try hand-quilting”).

I finished a quilt top and I just can’t love it.

It is made of three different solid red fabrics (look closely, you’ll see them), muslin, and five prints (the central one, plus dots, stars, snowmen, and Christmas).

The dimensions are 58 inches by 86 inches, roughly. There is chalk along the bottom six squares (I was preparing to quilt it). The chalk will likely come off, but I can’t make any guarantees.

I will ship this quilt top anywhere in the world.

Send me an e-mail in the next week if you want it…and I’ll update this post if anyone takes it (TAKEN). If no one wants it, I’ll take it to a community service organization here (they finish quilts and distribute them). It’ll find a home somewhere. Not to worry!

Happy holidays.

Christmas text (on top)

dots (left side)

snowmen (right side)

stars (bottom)

(note chalk marks)

1) I finished a new quilt and put it up yesterday (click on the photo to see it bigger).

I wanted it to look like a (big) antique label. I like the way it looks slightly like rick-rack. I really love rick-rack.

Also, I quilted it using a long-arm quilting machine (I rented time on the machine at this business, after I took a class). For my first attempt at long-arm quilting, I’m happy with the results.

2) B sent me this link about a clever way to make plush toys. Really amazing technology.

3) B is in *huge* trouble in this household for mentioning that he couldn’t get this song out of his head. Well, guess who can’t get it out of her head now? Oh yes. Big trouble.

(This photo is one block of the Christmas quilt in progress.)

I’ve been trying to put off the holiday spirit, but it’s creeping in.

I really love the Christmas season: carols, egg nog, cards, wreaths, Christmas lights, snow globes, etc.

This might be odd for a household like this (for a start, we aren’t religious and we don’t exchange gifts). But I really do try to put it off, it tends to take over a bit once I get going. Everything looks normal and three hours later it looks as though a festive tornado has hit.

We used to exchange gifts, but then we found this plan. It’s not for everyone, to be sure, but I’m a, um, convert.

I have been inspired by the Buy Handmade Pledge. I also wish I had known about Etsy back when I exchanged gifts. So many lovely things, made with care. I feel merry just thinking about it.

Have you seen this? Lots of good ideas and links to more good blogs.

Is it too early to break out the Christmas songs?

(This is a quilt I made for the holiday season a few years ago. It is called Red Rosa, in honor of Rosa Parks. On the day she died, I started this quilt. It was a way of grieving and commemorating an amazing life all at once. Thank goodness for crafting.)

Playing in the workshop, these fabrics asked to be friends. The block/mini-quilt/placemat is about 14 by 19 inches, I think.

I have gone to quilt shows since about the age of 12, when my mom started making quilts. I wasn’t sure how to feel about putting a quilt in a show (blowing my own horn or sharing ideas?). In the end, I decided, for me, for now, that it was more like sharing. I’m so glad I did. This year’s show was just amazing, and I was glad to be a (small) part of it.

It was very inspiring, and a little intimidating: There was some serious talent on display.

Just a few favorites (I had a lot, this year!)

A gentleman (ok, that’s B) looking at my quilt

It has been quite a fun summer of blogging, but now fall is here and it’s time for other things. I wanted to dip my toe into the ocean of blogging and see if I wanted to take the plunge. I think, for me, for now, I’m a reader rather than a writer (and there are a lot of writers out there!). I have had fun trying to think of creative things with which to entertain (not just readers, but me, too). Thank you for all of your comments. I have appreciated every single one.

I’ll be reading your blogs now and then and leaving snappy, brilliant witticisms when I can think of them.

So, time to move inward.

As a farewell, I thought I’d post a photo of my latest project. I could be downstairs pinning it, getting it one step closer to being finished, but instead I’m up here typing.

Here’s the top, anyway, because by the time I get it quilted the blog might be a thing of the past. I *hate* posting photos of quilt tops instead of finished quilts…I wouldn’t show you a half-baked cake…but time is of the essence!

You’ll likely notice that I took inspiration from Denyse Schmidt’s quilt Drunk Love 2-Tone. I even copied her colors (except that my binding is going to be brown…espresso, to be exact).

In her book there is a pattern for this quilt, which I have enthusiastically ignored. Each block is different; I can’t help thinking like students in a classroom.

Happy crafting, all.

About 20 miles from Spokane, out in the wheat fields, there is a farm. And on this farm is a quilt show. (There is also a quilt shop that holds classes.) Every August, they hold a (free!) outdoor show. Wandering around, looking at quilts, is a wonderful way to spend a morning.

…including teetering on a ladder to hang up a quilt.

I am really enjoying seeing everyone’s work on Flickr. I particularly love the Quilt pools, where people make things out of one book.

I have a theory that you can tell a lot about a person (crafter) by what mistakes they are ok leaving. I know for myself which things get ripped out and done again and which things give my projects personality.

I just finished a quilt (conceived March 21, born May 31). It was a lot of work, but somehow it didn’t feel like it. The whole thing seemed to sort of take over. I was just a sewing vehicle (smile).