Saturday's Quilting Job

Today I've been quilting Jess' baby quilt. I'm using my Mega Quilter and I just love it!! Baby quilts are fun to quilt because they are a manageable size. I can do up to a twin, but a twin can be trickier. This one just flows right through. I think the hardest part about free motion quilting is keeping your stitches the same size. I think if you go with a speed you are comfortable and take your time, most of the time that is possible. However, the beauty of handmade are the quirks that come from a human making your item. It's a pleasure that I'm grateful I can do! :) Do you notice the Trader Joe's peach boxes stacked? They make great project holders! What are you working on today??

Quilt Along Finished!!

Oh, the beautiful brights! Vintage florals! Ticking stripes! Graphics! Dots! Love all the patterns combined & all from Jennifer Paganelli. I outline quilted in the turquoise thread which is a great accent shows off the pretty fabrics. Click on the picture for a closer look. For the binding I cut 2.5" strips of some of the fabrics and sewed them together for a matched scrappy look. I love Heather Bailey's tutorial on quilt binding found on her blog. The only thing I do differently than most tutorials I've seen is I like to start sewing the binding on the backside and than flip to the front. I feel like I have more control of the finished look on the front. I attach both sides of the binding by machine. I know many people who like to hand stitch it. I don't have much patience for hand sewing. I try to do it now and again, but not on a binding. Let's hope Cortney loves it. I also posted on my flickr the matching valance & toy bag I made to coordinate. I just need to finish the crib skirt and her set will be ready to mail!

Quilt Along Step 3

Okay, up next~ spray basting! Still my favorite way to baste. It makes the layers stick together so nicely so you can focus on quilting, not the safety pins. I posted before on spray basting, but since I am not computer saavy, I'm not sure how to provide a link to that exact post. Once you have sprayed each layer~ one half at a time~ like the photo above, you are ready to quilt. The top pic shows the thread I will be using. Its a Sulky thread with a sheen. I like that thread because it allows a sparkle. I have a hard time quilting all over these beautiful fabrics, so I am outlining the patches. I know I've written before about how I feel like I am scribbling all over these amazing fabrics, so I prefer the fabric to shine vs the quilting. I tend to pick a thread color that is the same as the backing. I am using Mary Trellis in aqua for the back, so the thread is the same shade. Off to quilt this!

Great Book!

I know I am soooo late in discovering this author, but needed a good book to read for all those times I have to wait here or there for someone. I checked it out from the library and really love it! Its great because it really inspires me to want to hand quilt. I don't belong to a quilt guild, but this book makes you want to! I enjoy the sweet stories & descriptions of the whole quilting process that the character learns. So enjoyable to read! Have you read any of her books & if so, which one is your favorite?

Quilt vs Blanket

I often get questions about my listings of quilts & blankets~ what's the difference? I thought I'd take the time to explain it then refer people to this post!

BLANKETS (or patchwork & minky blankets) first picture. These are patchwork or single fabric on one side, minky on the other. The 2 sides are attached all the way around the outside 2 times for durability. There is nothing in between, there is no attachment in the middle. The top & bottom pieces move independently. I have had many orders for this type of blanket up to twin size. I think it is a 'look'. I started making these because with less labor involved, I can charge less. I think everyone should be able to have their own blanket or throw!

QUILTS These have patchwork or single fabric on one side, fabric on the other. There is cotton or cotton/polyester batting in between. The layers are quilted together throughout & a binding is applied around the edge. I machine sew both quilts & blankets. Quilts have more 'ingredients' & more work, so the price reflects that. Originally I didn't think I would make and sell quilts because they are so time consuming. I found that more and more people were asking for them. What I decided to do is just keep the pattern simple~ basic squares or what I like to call 'random patchwork' and outline quilt to keep the time down to keep the cost down.

I will say that both are beautiful and I LOVE make both of them. Its kind of like your kids~ they are different, but you love them equally. Hopefully that explains the difference! :)

Free Motion Quilting

This quilt has been so fun to stitch together! I tried the spray baste so that the annoying safety pins wouldn't be in the way, and it has worked like a charm. This mom wanted her daughters name in the quilt, so I am going to try to embed it in different places- kind of like a treasure hunt! It feels so good to be back quilting. I love how things just POP out and the quilt looks cozier with each stitch. Hope to finish this today, but I'm not rushing through it! Click on the picture to see the stitching closer.

Beautiful Purples!

I am in love with these blanket tops! I couldn't wait to get a picture & send them to the future owners. My husband put up a new clothesline for me this weekend as the pergola doesn't get much sun in the winter. I just wish we had grass instead of cement. We have a smallish back yard and it is mostly pool. I was being careful not to fall in while taking the pictures!

Darla Chronicles

Here is my Darla quilt ready to quilt. I say "my" quilt, but it is actually for a customer and I know I will be so sad to see it get mailed out. I feel like each project is a part of me and it is hard to part with it. The good news is that I know it is going to a good home of a fellow Darla lover. My daughter has already had me start to plan one for her room, but she wants it as a summer blanket with minky on the back. I would like to try it to see if I can make one that big without "tying" it together. Work study is what I will tell my husband! He always says, "Do we really need another blanket?" Of course we do! :)

I have been really pleased with the way it has turned out so far. I keep thinking of the verse God gave me, "The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands" Deuteronomy 2:7, and can't help but feel that way with this quilt. Sometimes I look at it and say "Wow, it all lines up!" or "It's the exact measured size I need!". I keep surprising myself with each step. Good thing, though, because how could I send this to someone feeling frustrated with it. I know there will be flaws, but I'm human! My sewing mentor, Pam, once said, "If you don't notice the mistake if you were on a galloping horse, don't worry about it." Okay, I can handle that, then!! I can't wait to start today!

Flower Power Weekend

I spent the weekend making many things from Jennifer Paganelli's Flower Power fabrics. Those colors are so amazing to work with. Even my husband liked the colors! I made a random patchwork purse, baby blanket, doll blanket and onesie. I am going to make one for myself with all the scraps. The random patchwork is my favorite to sew. I decide on the overall dimensions and then just start piecing to create the width and length I need. It is a great way to use scraps. Usually I have a focus fabric that has all the colors I want to use and then build from there. No 2 purses come out the same. I really enjoy quilting it. It is a manageable size, unlike my queen duvet I recently finished. I have posted pictures on my flickr site. A link to it is on the sidebar. I listed a red & pink random patchwork in my store on friday because I sold the pink and brown one earlier this week.