Just checking in

Oh my gosh! My last post was just after the River City Quilt Guild show in November!!!! Whatever happened to my goal of trying to post no less than weekly? Hmm. Plans often go astray.

In all honesty, I worked really hard to get everything I was submitting to the guild to be ready that by the time the show came and went I was tired of material, sewing, quilting and everything that goes with it. Though I did take time to quilt some quilts on the long arm for customers. But that is different. It wasn't a choice.

Here it is at the end of January and I am just getting back into sewing every day. I try to quilt on the long arm at least three days out of the week. I have only done two this week and I don't see me doing any more this week. Which means next week I have to do four. It is not like I don't have them to do for sure!

I took a class at Meissner's in December on using templates with the long arm. I was intrigued and bought three templates. Then I had to get the table extender for the machine. I was going to purchase one when I found out we had one. It just had to be located, which took a while since we were busy with Christmas, life, school and everything else that hits in December. Finally I got it the week after Christmas and it sat for three weeks while I just looked at it - afraid to try something new. At the beginning of this week, I put a Community Service quilt on the machine and decided this would be the day to try out the new templates. The first one was using the circles I purchased. I love this template because it has like 10 different sized circles to use. I used the biggest one and then went in three and used the next one and then went in three more and used the next one. So it looked like a circle within a circle within another circle. I could have gone one more, but didn't because that looked too small to get around. I will try it some day. Anyway it turned out pretty cool looking.

The quilt had some applique to it. One of the template I bought is one that fits over the hopping foot of the long arm. It is made to hold on to the hopping foot and guide it more smoothly around appliques and such. Oh how I love that template. I do a lot of applique and can never quilt nicely around the designs and am always disappointed with how the quilting looks. I like this though I wish I would have had this when I did my sister, Anne's quilt. It would have looked a lot better than it did.

I like to read Bonnie Hunters blog. She writes every day - unlike me. She had the following on her blog. I liked it and decided to show it here:

Good sentiment.

Keep on Quilting

or dreaming while looking at the stars!

Quilting a BIG quilt

Oh my goodness this is a big quilt. It is the largest one I have quilted. I have made a couple this big, but Elisa always quilted them. This may take me a while to finish. It measures 94" x 98". I am using a popcorn stitch to quilt it with. It is a new-to-me pantograph with lots of back and forth motions. I think it will go fast once I get the hang of the pattern.

More later.

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Long Arm Quilting - I am doing it!

I have mentioned before that I have a long arm machine sitting in my dining room. It belongs to Elisa, my daughter. She works full time and goes to college, so it doesn't get used much. I have done some work on it - mostly freehand. Elisa does such good work using pantographs that I have always let her do them. I have several tops done and finally figured if I want them quilted, I best learn how to do it myself. I mentioned before that I had a scrappy quilt that I call Green. I finished the top last year and it has just been sitting waiting for a quilter to come along and quilt it. I even had the backing prepared. So last week I quilted it. I am currently working on the binding as I watch TV in the evening.

Above was taken on the day I was actually quilting it. I think you can see why I named it Green.

Today I worked on a quilt that our church is donating to a local charity. They were going to tie quilt it Tuesday. I said let me take it and quilt it on the long arm. It is prettier, lasts longer and gives me practice on the long arm. Here is it upclose. I used used a pantograph called Sunny Day. It has a shining sun, a butterfly and a leaf running through it.

It is a cheerful Little Mermaid quilt with a sunny, cheerful quilt design on it.

I am now a long arm quilter! In fact I am offering out my services to anyone willing to take a chance on my new found abilities and I will do it at a reduced rate from more established long arm quilters.

Check out the tab above for details.

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Pantographs, Long Arm Quilting, and Me

In my dining area sits a very big long arm machine that belongs to my daughter. Since she works outside the home, it is not used very often. She gives me full use of it, but I like her doing my quilts more. I can free motion on the long arm, but I like the looks of a pantograph quilted quilt more. Today I got out Green. Green is a quilt I made using scraps from my green stash. That's its name. Green.

Green has been pieced for close to a year now. I thought since it is a scrap quilt, it can have scrap quilting. So I pinned it to the leaders this morning and figured I would work on it here and again. Well I have it almost done and it is not too bad. I did goof up the first half of the first row because I had it on a basting stitch. The top looks good, but the underneath is a mess. I will have to go back and redo that  part.

I used a pantograph of a ginko leaf. I really like it and it is a little more forgiving than some of Elisa's pantographs.

Maybe I finally have the drift of doing this. I have tried numerous times. I have watched Elisa when she is doing it. She has given me instruction on it more than once. I guess I just needed to keep trying. The first row took me forever. I went soooo slow. Now I am going a little faster. I should easily have this done before dinner if I keep working on it. [And someone else fixes dinner.]

Who said old dogs can't learn new tricks?

Oh no Row by Row row today. Been working on this instead. Maybe tomorrow.

Keep on Quilting

Going to a long arm quilter? Here is a checklist before you go

Checklist for taking your quilt to a long arm quilter:

• Top and backing is pressed and clean
• Drape over padded hangers to prevent wrinkles
• Top and backing are accurately squared
• Backing and batting are at least 6" larger than the top and sides
• Top edges of quilt top and backing are marked
• Call ahead to schedule the quilting service
• Consider designs and patterns for the quilting for your quilt. The more planning you do, the happier you will be with the finished project.
• Decide on threads and batting. Discuss these with the quilter.
• Clearly communicate any ideas or thoughts you have with the quilter.
• Get a business card/phone number from the quilter.
• Get an estimated time the quilt will be ready for pick up. Know you are not their only customer, so do not expect it to be done within a few days.

Keep on Quilting