Five weeks ago I took a class to learn longarm machine quilting. I'd had a couple of disappointments with other people's work in the past so I figured I'd just learn how to do it myself. Right? Uh...hellLOOO learning curve! It was not something I was good at right away. But rather than give up right away (like I did golf ) I've vowed to go back every week and keep working at it. Angie is the extremely talented quilter who opens her studio up to this opportunity. She has two machines and after I use the one she rents out it is a pleasure to just peek over her shoulder as she works (all free motion...no pantographs) and dream that maybe someday I could get remotely that good at it (?) The first top I took was for the Community Quilts bank our Guild maintains. Otherwise known as charity quilts. I'd had the top in my posession for nearly a year so by this time I couldn't in good conscious turn it back in til it was not only pieced but also quilted and bound! Leave it to me; first time out the gate I used bright orange thread and attempted two border designs in addition to the allover stitching in the body.
ahem. Moving on... Happily, Angie informed me that she doesn't charge (an hourly rate) for charity quilts, so I decided I'd bring charity quilts for a while! No sense paying to learn if I don't have to, right? So the next week I took a crib top I'd made a couple years ago. Wasn't thrilled with it so had just tossed it in the closet.
This small size could just as easily have been done on a regular sewing machine but it was the quickest available top I had that I didn't mind giving away.
Last year during my first visit to an IKEA I went kinda crazy with their fabrics (imagine that) and bought some duvet covers just because it was groovy and inexpensive yardage. Figured I'd use it for backings. For my third quilting attempt I cut a duvet cover into a front and back and turned it into a whole cloth quilt.
My unbound quilts were starting to pile up when I came across this post from the very talented Nanette, which in my mind gave me full *permission* to machine quilt those darned bindings. OH my...that alone has changed my life! It takes me upwards of six hours to handstitch the bindings down on a quilt...I just DON'T wanna be doing that if I don't have to! This IKEA quilt, as you can see, took maybe 45 minutes to quilt. Just big loopy stitches to git'rdone. I was starting to feel guilty about using the machine every week and not having to pay for it.
OH! I'll show you here, this bag I found for $9.99 yesterday. Not only do I love the fabric, but all three quilts fit in there to go to next week's Guild meeting. Looks like it'd hold even a couple more in a pinch.
Found at a Ross store, with the summer towels and bags and flipflops.
So this week I wanted to pay Angie for something and I took one that I plan to gift for Christmas this year. This thing was hanging on my design wall when I still had my job, which I lost 11 years ago! It hung there for probably another two years before I finally put it in a brown paper bag and forgot about it. I came across it when I was sorting through the piles recently, and was very close to throwing it out. It was unfinished---it was the full width across, but I'd been working my way down so as it stood it was just a big ol' square. I just couldn't bring myself to work with all those now-blah-to-me fabrics and finish it. I was explaining this to my friend Karen, who got up, went to her closet, and pulled out her favorite snuggly (somewhat ratty) blanket to show me that it was a square! So, guess who's getting a new square comforter this year? ;-)
On this I tried using a pantograph pattern, in which you guide a red laser light along a patterned paper to stitch the design. Let me tell you--free hand is a lot easier!
I don't know what I'll take next week but I know I'll be plugging away at this for a while. :-)
Here's a quilt top that went together super fast this week. A couple years ago I bought my first jelly roll, and finally used it last year to make three quilts. I really loved that Celebrate Spring line by Sandy Gervais. When recently going through the piles, I came across the sweet panel that went with that line. Then I made the Happy Birthday banner with her new Objects of Desire line, and noticed how well the colors worked with the old panel..even tho they were a couple years apart in runs. I decided I wanted to make a quilt for Madison's future big girl bed using a combination of the two lines, and a fairly brief internet search led me to a mom and pop craft shop that still had yardage AND a charm pack from Celebrate Spring. YAY!
Sorry about the quickie snap. I'll take a better one when I get it all put together and finished. I just wanted to show how nicely some lines can combine with each other. Also, a tip; if you measure wrong like I did with the center borders, you can always add another border. The second outermost pink strip wasn't in the original plan but it sure evened things out for me when the panel came up short.
I brought in a tall set of plastic bin drawers and divied out various projects into each drawer. I'm hoping that organization will drive me to finish many UFO's this year. I was pleased to find I had a LOT of American Jane fabrics purchased during the past couple three years.
Panels, jelly rolls, charm packs, yardage. I really must like that fabric! I think several of the ABC sets I have in the shop (which for some reason aren't selling) go really well with these so I'm making some toddler size ABC quilts.
For now. :-)
Lord knows what direction I may take tomorrow....but I've a hunch it'll be quilty!
Look at you girl! Jen you are a whirlwind. I love cleaning up old projects and finishing things that have been nagging me. It makes me feel good. ALmost a high. I'm glad the binding worked out. I have to go back and fix a bit here and there, especially corners, when I machine stitch binding. The trick is in the pressing. Anyway it is a time saver. I have yet to try out a quilting machine. I do my machine quilting on my regular one (just small ones though). But there are several places around here that let you rent machines like your place. I think the whole cloth thing is a great idea to start - and that fabric was cute and sorta patchwork looking. Well all the projects are wonderful. It is freeing to finish things.
Posted by: Nanette | May 05, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Wow! You've been one busy bee! Congrats on learning to long arm. That's on my TO DO list for this year. ;o) ooxx`jodi
Posted by: Jodi | May 04, 2009 at 11:29 AM
IKEA has fabric too? Man, I need to get myself there someday. Your quilts are absolutely lovely and sweet!
Posted by: Carolyn | May 04, 2009 at 10:46 AM
I have often wondered if I could learn to quilt on one of those fancy machines. I really don't like doing the quilting at all, and I have someone local who does a great job for me--but sometimes I would just like to do it myself, especially on small quilts or ones that don't need a fancy design.
Posted by: Kathi D | May 03, 2009 at 01:24 PM
I would really like to try long-arm quilting as well...there are a few shops within an hour that offer classes and rentals...but I'm so busy making quilt tops right now!
Posted by: sherri | May 02, 2009 at 11:20 PM
I know what you mean about the learning curve...I did not enjoy the quilting like I thought I would, so I have left it to the quilters.....I will design and sew...but GOOD FOR YOU for sticking to it! I still believe the old saying..."practice makes perfect."
Posted by: sheri howard | May 02, 2009 at 07:15 AM
WOW!!! I was just learning about long arm last evening from my quilting friend. Love it! Your quilts are totally amazing and I love seeing all the photos and hearing the stories. Thanks so much for sharing!
Posted by: Barbara | May 01, 2009 at 12:19 PM