Toddler's first quilt

I finished this quilt last week. It was made by a boy's grandmother for his first bed. She and her daughter picked it up a couple days ago, very pleased with the quilting. I always like days like that.The boats are fused-appliqued onto the blocks, and stitched with a wide zigzag. I outline stitched every one of them to assist the quilt in surviving the rigors of a child. The quilting in the blank areas was near perfect for depicting both water and wind. And an added plus, that it is immensely simple to quilt.
I am gearing up to quilt a large-ish custom quilt, maybe as early as next week. I have held off putting tops on the longarm because builders and a plumber have been in and out of the basement (where my studio is) all week. I'll think all is well, then I'll find a pile of saw dust where there wasn't one the day before. The rough electrical and plumbing will be finished in a couple days and then I should be safe to resume life as usual, at least as far as quilting is concerned. I am going into serious withdrawals. I did a little piecing today, but really want to quilt one of my own pieces...not at the risk however that it may get drips of water on it though (it is completely marked with blue water soluable pen!).

Give it a Twist

Life is giving me twists right now. Why should your quilting be any different?? Rather than doing a conventional curved cross-hatching on the sweet, old-fashioned quilt such as this, why not consider a Terry Twist. This type of free-handed pattern is aptly named by quilter Sally Terry, and is a fun and soft alternative to standard CC.
Now, back to painting (UGH)...

New Ribbons

This post was written a couple days ago and Booger (aka Blogger) lost it somehow. I've been unable to login for almost 2 days. On the weekend, my MQX judges comments and teacher's ribbon arrived home. The quilt went out to MQS in Kansas for a few more days. It should be back here in a week or so. When I opened the package, I was delighted to find that there were actually 2 ribbons inside! Apparently I also received the Photographer's Choice at MQX. I only wish I had been there to see it hanging on the quilt.
As some of you know, MQS (Machine Quilters Showcase) is currently going on in Kansas. It is another big, international machine quilter's show that attracts as many good machine quilted quilts as does MQX. I sent my quilt out there as a longshot more or less to gain exposure, and to get more feedback from judges regarding what I need to work on and what I do well. Yesterday I learned through the MQResource grapevine (people that are there), that my quilt did in fact earn a ribbon - 2nd place to be exact! I'm over the moon about this - the news couldn't be more fantastic. Here's a picture, albeit very blurry, but one nonetheless, compliments of someone that is there at the show. It is definitely a very interesting ribbon!

Good News through the Grapevine

Last weekend, a package arrived from the MQX folks. I had been expecting it for a week or so - my Teacher's ribbon and judges comments. The actual quilt has gone on to MQS in Kansas until Saturday, when the show ends. Much to my surprise, when I opened the package, there were 2 ribbons! I had also received the Photographer's Choice award (and a lovely large purple ribbon that my daughter just "had" to have hung in her room!).

I knew that the MQS award ceremony was last night, and that the show opened yesterday. So I have been anxiously awaiting any news from out there. This morning, I saw a posting on MQResource by someone that is there for the show. The posting listed some of the names of winners, and my name was on her list! I'm ever so curious to hear what ribbon the quilt earned!

edited...One of the MQR quilters that is at the show right now has posted that my quilt earned a 2nd place ribbon in the wall quilt category. I'm over the moon right now!!!!

Machine Applique

Generally speaking, when I applique, I stitch it by hand. Recently I have done both needle-turned applique as well as a method I learned in Karen Kay Buckley's class that uses starch and heat-resistent plastic templates. Both of these work well. But I have a project that has over a hundred appliques, of all different (rather randomly cut) sizes. I didn't really want to embark on stitching them either method. And my satin-stitch applique is rather rough looking. I spent some time researching machine applique, and found something interesting. I modified the technique slightly. Here it is.


You have to have this product called RinsAway. It is a water soluable stabilizer. But it's not like most of the others out there. This appears like a paper when dry, with some degree of integrity, and when soaked, it completely disappears. I ordered mine from Joann's. The local store did not have it in stock.

From the RinsAway, I cut two pieces that were roughly the same size. Take a water soluable (cheap) glue stick, the kind the kids use is just fine, and glue the two sheets together. The methods for this applique I found on the internet only used one thickness of RinsAway, but when I tried to work with it, using 2 layers is MUCH easier. When it is dry, cut the shape that you want your applique to be. My shapes are all random, and are intended to look like pieces of sea glass.


Next, with the glue stick, glue the RinsAway template to the backside of the fabric. Cut out the fabric around the shape, leaving no more than 1/4". Next, rub the glue stick on the edges of the shape and smooth the fabric around to the backside, as shown next.

Next, I glued the pieces where I wanted them on my quilt. Now you are ready to stitch. Not having pins all over the quilt is handy.

I used a narrow and relatively short zig-zag stitch. I also have a Madiera Monolon (clear) thread on the top and a neutral colored bobbin. The Madiera thread has come highly recommended as a low-sheen clear thread. I had always been a fan of Superior's Monopoly thread, but it's not being stocked routinely by them. I haven't been able to get a spool of it in nearly 6 months. Clear thread is a bit of a pain to work with, but in the end, it's worth it because the stitching does not show.

OK, it does show if you are 2 inches from the stitching, but seriously, once this is quilted and you are a few feet further away, it will be completely blind. There are show quilts that I know are machine appliqued that are nearly impossible to see the stitching on.

The next step is to soak the quilt in cold water for 20 minutes or so. If you are using colors that may bleed, you may want to prewash everything first, or even do what I did here (attach color catchers to the reds before soaking). After soaking, allow the quilt to dry flat. I wanted to remove the RinsAway before I quilted the piece, but it is completely plausible to quilt the top first, and then soak it to remove the RinsAway. In the end, the appliques are as soft as if they were needle turned!
Now I am off to finish the design for the quilting. I'd love to get it onto the frame later this week and hopefully quilt it before Sophie is out of preschool at the end of the month (and before I have disruptions in my basement from plumbers or electricians needing to work!).

Mother's Day

Finally, a nice weekend in the Northeast. Not cold, not wet - nice, typically spring weather. After last week's rains, the gardens are coming in nicely. I spent (no Mother's Day does not afford me the luxury of a "free" gardener - some things my husband just doesn't do) over 6 hours this weekend trimming bushes, clearing leaves from my flower gardens, and pulling weeds. My hands are still too sore to quilt anything technical! The garden below is not in my yard (I wish!), but visiting this tulip garden has become an annual event for us. We've done it every year except one since my oldest was 1. Some years they are relatively cooperative about getting the obligatory pictures taken. Others...well, just look.
My typically cooperative daughter was little Miss Silly Pants yesterday. She wouldn't stop giggling. My 9-year old kept picking and trying to eat the grass. I know...small things. In retrospect, it's better than the years when each kid tried to eat the tulips. But, still getting a good picture of all 3 when there is not a means to strap them to a seat is like herding wild kittens.

I have another dozen shots kind of like these. A bum in someone's face. A tongue out. Funny teeth. Micky-Mouse ears. Nanny-nanny-boo-boo looks. I'll have a ton of good ammo to show at their weddings someday.

This is about as good as they got. Not bad either.

My house is a flurry of activity and noise this morning, Finally. The framers are busy at work on the addition. Despite a frustrating setback a week or so ago with a previous builder, we are not behind schedule whatsoever. The foundation/excavator finished up Friday, and the building is starting today. Not much I like better to see at 7:30 on Monday morning than a lumber delivery...except for maybe the school bus :-) Have a good week. I'll be getting some quiltier things to show soon.

Penny Longarm Quilting Sale

Penny per square inch Stipple-Only Sale!

I am offering a happy May Sale on those quilts you'd like done with a stippled pattern (sorry...I will quilt all other patterns, but the sale is only on E2E stippling).

This is a great deal! Get those quilt tops finished and out of the boxes! Stippling is a fantastic pattern for the busier and scrappier quilts and for your utility or child quilts that are subject to repeated use and washings.

If you are interested, email me at msolomo1@maine.rr.com or post a comment with a way for me to get in touch with you. I have batting to supply so that does not need to be sent. My website is here.

I will post if I close this sale, but at this point I expect it to be open through the month of May.

Please feel free to post about this on your blog :-)

As always, the quilt tops should be as square and flat as you can piece, with a backing that is a minimum of 3" larger than the top on all 4 sides.

Catching Up

I have discovered a few E2E quilts I have not posted on the blog yet.

This is a nifty pattern, and the fabrics are delightful. It has an Eiffel Tower print too, but I don't think I got a picture of it. The owner wanted a fleur-des-lis pattern for the quilting. I was fortunate enough to locate the Heraldry pattern, which she loves. The piecing was textbook - nearly every row of the pantograph landed at the same location across the stripes - I never would have predicted that! I have no idea where this pattern comes from, but just yesterday, I came across this very pattern made by another quilter...look here...scroll down to the 2nd quilt.
Here's a sneak at one of the fabrics used on the back. Is that not just adorable??! Perfect for a toddler girl.

I finished this quilt just after I got back from MQX last month. It is for the owner's son, as he graduates from college. It is pieced from both cottons and Homespuns, and is quilted with a King Tut thread that she sent me. I have to caution you all about mixing these 2 types of fabrics. Though I managed to quilt it with good tension throughout, I can see that the cottons and the Homespuns are woven differently, and as a result, they tension differently. In my opinion, I would not mix them for a quilt being machine quilted. This pattern is the Popcorn pattern.

And lastly, another quilt for a man. These have to be the hardest for me to quilt. It's a fine line in quilting it pretty and not allowing it to be too feminine. Are feathers permissible? I used one of my newer pantographs called Plush. It's swirly and whimsical - to go with the dogs in the quilt.

Rainbow Stars

This quilt came off the frame a day or two ago. It was pieced by a friend. She used each fabric only once, except for just 2 -- That's 500 small scraps of different fabrics! Until I offloaded much of my scrap bins last month, I could have done this easily, but the thought of individually cutting each one is daunting! The end result with the white fabric is bold and beautiful. I just love it, and know that she will too.
She gave me freedom to quilt it "however". So here's what I did. A few parallel stripes, some pebbles, some swirly fill, and a fun heart & feather variation at the center to give it a medallion focal point.

It took longer than expected, but the end result is well worth the time.

Hope you are off enjoying the great May weather (unlike me, experiencing it through a very small basement window, from my work studio).

My Heart Breaks

I have been distracted all week. Many, too many things going on. But more than anything, my heart has been breaking over what has happened in our deep South this week. We hear of tornadoes hitting Nebraska and Kansas and the nation's midsection every year. We have all kinds of destruction from earth quakes to tidal waves to hurricanes, and they seem to occur more and more often. But this disaster hit home for me. I have not been Home since I left the state in 1993, but for nearly a quarter of my life I lived in Alabama, Sweet Home Alabama, and I loved it. I still have a yearning for the South. I am a graduate of this university. It is just about one of the most gorgeous campuses I have ever visited, and I had the pleasure of living there for 4 years. That was Tuscaloosa. But after this week's massive tornado, estimated between 0.5 and a mile in width, that city won't be the same for a very long time. It is heart-wrenching to see the photos of the area, knowing that this is the place I lived, the place I learned, fell in love for the first time, and called home. Please, take a moment, and think about how fortunate you all are, wherever you may be. Many people have it way worse.

Blog readers

This blog is closing to the public shortly. If you are interested in having access to view posts, please drop an email msolomo1@maine.rr.com and I will add you to the list of invited readers.

Quilt

I finished up a customer quilt a day ago. It is for the client's grandson's wedding in 3 weeks. She said that he selected the pattern and fabrics. It definitely appeared masculine to me. Hopefully the feathers and hearts help to soften that.

I swagged the outer border and did a striped border beneath that. It was 9-10" of wide and dark green, and I did not want to feather the busy print.

There are leaves in the pieced green blocks at the client's request. And a simple yet effective Terry Twist in the alternating blocks. I like continuous curve, but at this size (3") I would have used a template, and I just did not want to take that kind of time.

Unfortunately the back of this quilt does is not a pretty as the top. It is a white-on-white fabric, with fairly heavy paint and does not really coordinate with the top very well. The client is aware of this, but she had it on hand and wanted to use it up. In reality, quilt backings for bed quilts don't show that much anyhow. It is just frustrating as a quilter since a white backing shows every slight bobble, and I used deep green and cranberry threads....You do the math! I do love it when quilts have a backing that is in the same tone-family as the top. Imagine how great this would be with a medium-toned sage green or even a green and cranberry floral??!

Time to go check on the blocking of my grapes quilt.

MQX - Installment #5

Class: Fanciful Feathers & Fillers, by Gina Perkes.

Sadly, a week before the start of MQX, I received an email saying that Gina had to cancel her classes at MQX. The 4-hour hands-on class was rescheduled to a 2hr-45min hands on with Judy Woodworth, immediately followed by her 2-hr lecture class entitled Feathers & Ferns. I was a little disappointed initially, because the 4-hr classes are more expensive than than the lectures, and I really wanted to have a class from Gina. I've seen her quilting and it's fabulous. After sitting through Wednesday night's awards show, I quicky learned, however that we got the long end of the stick. Judy's quilt Avatar Revisited received a 1st place, and after seeing her work on the show floor that night, I knew that her class would be equally as good. She did not disappoint! The hand's on class was smaller because some people dropped. I did not have to share a frame with anyone, which is nice since it's not common for 2 people to quilt at the same pace. Judy's hand's on portion of the class focused mostly on different fillers that can be quilted free-hand on a quilt. She had us start out by quilting our name, then a feather, and then to try one particular type fill. She, of course, stitches these amoeba-like feathered masses in ultra-tiny dimension. Mine are quite good sized.
In the class, we roughed out the boundaries of a mini-quilt to be freehand quilted. She told us to do a feather in the middle (I chose to do a feathered heart - which I attempted to stitch the interior of similar to some that she'd done). Then around this "feather" we were to do a multitude of different fillers, some ribbon-candy, some micro-filling, etc. Mine is only about half done because of the time constraint, but you get the idea.

This was stitched with a gold Glide thread which I absolutely LOVE. I'll never use metallic again when there is this thread. Judy is such a dear that she told me to just take the rest of the cone since I helped her with the class setup. Seems she did not have a teacher's angel for the class.

Here's a couple close-ups of my fillers. Above, she calls the one that resembles intestines "Bananas". And below is one of her signature fillers. You'll see it again later in the post when I show her Avatar quilt.She sometimes has her husband hand paint the designs after they are quilted. These are done with Stuart-Gill paints.

In the lecture, she has a full size Gammill, with videographer (displayed on a screen, which was kind of hard to see at times) assist - taping what she's quilting over her shoulder. She stitched out many different variations of feathers and ferns. Mostly I sketched these; no pictures of that except for her class samples.

I have pictures of her 2 show quilts. The first one I have seen before in magazines. It's whimsical and colorful. I believe that the horses are machine embroidered.

The quilting is so much more intricate and impressive in person.

Avatar Revisited is her latest show quilt. I think she was truly surprised to win the large whole-cloth class, but this quilt is modern and amazing. The background is all black, which is hard enough to sew on.

I have 2 close-ups of the detail work...It has plenty of colors that I might not use together, but they work in this design. Many different fillers are used, creating fantastic texture. See her swirly-feathery-amoebas in teal thread...they are probably the size of a silver dollar.

It is really a cool quilt. Kudos to Judy for winning!

And if you didn't get the impression that I loved her class, I will say it emphatically. She was great - very enthusiastic, humble, helpful, outgoing, etc. She's got great stories to tell of her road to where she is today. In fact, I just ordered her book "Freemotion Quilting". I think her class was one of my favorites from the show.

MQX - Installment #4

In this post, I will show some of the work done in two more of my MQX classes - Throw them a Curve, or Play it Straight by Renae Haddadin, and Background Gridwork Fillers by Dawn Cavanaugh. These are 4 hour classes, with some instruction time and some on-machine quilting time.

1. Throw them a Curve, or Play it Straight by Renae Haddadin

Now, bear in mind that I signed up for my classes last November, nearly 6 months ago. Coupled with the fact that class descriptions can be a little bit vague as to their complete content, I managed to sign up for a class in an area that I am really pretty comfortable. If the description had read "curved cross-hatching, grids" etc, I probably would have passed on it. I had seen several of Renae's competition quilts last year, as well as one of her teckie-talks for YLI threads, and I was easily enticed by her class. She's outgoing, enthusiastic, and energetic. She's much like that part of me that needs to be very exacting, so I see the angles where she's coming from easily. She's a great template quilter, using them to their complete potential.

For some reason, I don't have much quilted on my class sample. I think I must have spent more time gawking at her work. Anywow, we talked about ways to place grids in borders, blocks & sashings so that they are either centered, or on a square grid. I've never used adding-machine tape, and this is a great and cheap tool. Must go and buy some! We also played with simple curved crosshatching.
I did take several pictures of Renae's class samples. In fact, this first one is one I saw last year at MQX in her Thread Talk. The style of quilting is so great. You'll have to go to the 2nd picture to get any details...

Eight different thread colors are used, but these only show in the white areas or on the back (which I did not photograph). I actually think that the colored areas of the quilt are feathered, but you wouldn't know that from the front! The colored cross-hatching is tiny, about 1/8". She cross-hatches using the ruler, which is marked at 1/4" and then eye-balls between 2 lines. From there, the ruler can be used to cross-hatch the rest of the 1/8" divisions. I'd have a mess on my hands doing this for sure!

The outer circle is quilted with spiral rays, which have every-other diamond filled. Each color uses a different filler pattern too. Pretty fun!...

This is a Christmas tree skirt that Renae made. The curved cross-hatching is done in a metallic thread, again at minute 1/8" spacings. I love the rest of the fills, but I suspect that they don't show in the pictures. The feathers around the border have the tiniest pebbling around each feather - she is a definite massochist!

closer in...

Here is Renae's competition quilt - It won 1st I think in the miniature quilts division, measuring barely 16" square. The center is a lace panel, but the white around the border is all done with thread to look lacey.
Pretty amazingly small!

2. Gridwork Fillers by Dawn Cavanaugh

I had heard of how much people liked Dawn's classes, and figured that to learn more fillers would be a good thing. We spent the first couple hours of the class drawing the sample fillers using dry-erase pens on a clear sleeve with a marked grid beneath. Some were a little trickier to commit to memory, but most created a really neat effect. This is part of my class sample, which was done somewhat in haste since there really was not appropriate portioning of drawing and quilting time in this class. I got all but a couple of the fillers stitched out on my sampler. She had the 1/2" grids all premarked for us.

The patterns done on the 30-60 diamond grid were trickier. On some of Dawn's samples, she actually stitched out the grid too. This creates a denser filler, and would allow whatever is around the filler to really pop, like an applique element.

The next pictures are of Dawn's sampler.

These have all been soaked in water to remove the blue lines, so the batting and fabrics have pulled up a little.

And lastly, the teachers racked up the ribbons at the show. Dawn's quilt received a 2nd place ribbon. It just goes to show that you can have a relatively simple design (15 stars), with knock-out quilting to win!

Here's a closeup - her feathers are lovely and whimsically stitched. I really like the effect of the pebbling.

click here for other MQX posts

MQX Installment #1

MQX Installment #2

MQX Installment #3