Quilting the swirly skies and other things...

After a couple of questions in the comments of my last post, I thought I would show my unsophisticated method of hand quilting the swirling sky of my "All Around the Town" quilt.  Some of the pictures may seem a little dark, but I have a hard time getting close-ups of hand quilting to show if I use too much flash. 

The picture above shows a blank space before I marked "a piece of spaghetti."  The picture below shows the same area with a VERY LIGHTLY penciled curly strand.

I mark it with a mechanical pencil VERY FAINTLY because I don't want to have to remove the pencil when I am through.  Here's the same curly strand after hand quilting.

Then I go back and fill in the space with some echo quilting, which I don't mark.

Similarly, here is the space right below that one.

I guess I have an overall idea in my head of how I want things to look, but I only pencil one little strand at a time.  Because I draw the doodle so faintly, if I draw too many noodles, the friction of manipulating the hoop around as I quilt can make the faint lines disappear.  After all, a pencil is just like a really compact chalk...little pieces of deposited graphite (pencil lead) can be easily rubbed away by accident (unless you bear down too hard, and then NOTHING seems to remove the pencil lines - LOL!).

Here's the area, now mostly filled in.

(I'm still in love with my new thimble...)

I quilted my daughter Riley's name on the little blue flag...I wonder if she will find it...

These little spaghetti strands are like little tubes.  It's not really what I originally had in mind.  I doodled a little on a piece of paper before I started, but then I had to consider what would work around all the  applique.    

This is not really what I ended up with this time.  I like a lot of hand quilting, but get bored with stippling and cross-hatching as the only tools in my hand quilting toolbox.  Fortunately, with hand quilting, a doodled strand can just stop - I can get into the middle of a little design and not have to worry about how I'm going to get out.  I can just "knot off" or "travel" to start in another area.  In other words, I can paint myself into a corner with no big deal.  I love it...

(To "travel" is to move around between the backing and the top, down in the batting area - kind of like a submarine, moving around below the water's surface, and then popping up somewhere else.)

I quilted some defining details on the angel.  Here's a closer look.

I think this angel is related to Lady Liberty - they both shop at the same hat shop.  I should have fussy cut the face fabric...she looks like she has a big zit (acne) on her forehead.

I like this particular Sue Garmon tree...it was fun to fill it with hearts (I love trees!).

This is one of my favorite chalk marking tools.  I think it is made by Dritz.  It comes with white and colored skinny chalk sticks and a sharpener, which, as you see, I was too lazy to use last night (I was in "the zone" and didn't want to get up...).

Here's an "aerial" view of what I got done last night.  Some of you have commented that I work fast, and I guess I do.  Sometimes when I look at these close-up pictures, I wish I had slowed down a little when I see my stitches look a little funky, but then I just rationalize it all by telling myself that I AM making small stitches and a WHOLE LOT of them.  I don't let it get me down!

You'll think I'm crazy when I say this, but I'm not completely happy with the background quilting.  I have the same self-critical problem that some of you have when I am hand quilting...we all get so stuck when we are focusing on one little six inch area of our quilts. We forget the big picture and how all the elements will play together - the fabric choices, the applique and/or piecing, the quilting, the overall pattern - it all makes a delicious soup in the end, and hopefully I won't notice that the carrot chunks aren't the right size.

Happy Quilting Day!!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

 

Nothing but blue skies do I see...

I've gotten some more quilting done on "All Around the Town" (Sue Garmon).  I was trying to think of some quilting motif to fill the whale weather vane with, then it hit me...FISH!  There are probably some fish in a whale, even if only by accident (I didn't know how to quilt krill).

After quilting the sun's center and the sun rays, I started filling the sky with swirls and movement.

Here's my flag...I only quilted one star on the field of blue (we were one state, even if only for a minute, before we were 50 states, right?!?).

This twirly stuff in the sky is pretty fun, especially now that I've started to relax a bit.  It does not do for me to free-form quilt when I am uptight.

I'm listening to the fabric of the cat to tell me how to quilt it.  Oops...I now see two circles I missed...

I received more of my 30's UFO blocks back from some Bee Balm quilters Vivian and Sue (thanks for the pattern, Sue - I love Country Threads projects, especially using log cabin blocks!).

Thank you for the bonus blocks - your fabrics blend PERFECTLY with mine!

Thank you to everyone who jumped in on the post-before-last with an opinion on commercial block-of-the-month (BOM) programs.  I've been administering one (with Ola and Mary J.) at my LQS for the past 12 months.  I've tried to be organized and have worked very hard to provide the original fabrics with no substitutions, which customers were pleased with.  I've been at odds with the shop owner, though, in general, concerning BOMs - LOL.

Call me crazy, but when I get lured into buying something, I want the thing in the form that lured me in the first place.  I also want to have enough material to make the object of my desire.  I was saddened by all the comments talking about being displeased/dropping out or buying/never making...or worse...comments and emails talking about never going back to a certain store due to the hard feelings.  Wow.  It's hard to build up a loyal following at a quilt store with that going on.

The BOM I was just involved with was one by Marti Michell, called American Beauty.  It looked like this (sample made by Mary Jones of Manchester, MI and machine quilted by Rhonda Loy of Dexter, MI - no blogs).

We offered it with either a black or white setting (the blocks and fabrics were the same for either).  Participants had the option of using Marti's template set, which made the blocks go together beautifully or making their own templates from the patterns each month.  Blocks were ordered from easiest to hardest so that even someone with not very much experience could achieve success.  Mary Jones, who made the samples, taught the block and basic quilting techniques each month.  This program was written for a specific fabric line (Wild roses by Maywood).  I think people expected to get what they saw, and rightly so. 

I'm not likely to do a block of the month myself...I tend to want to change things too much.  Besides, I have a stash and should be putting quilts together from that.  I've been known to buy old BOMs (patterns only) in a grouping.  I also wash my fabric before I cut it (due to sensitive skin), and there is usually not enough fabric to do that in BOM kits.  I think they are a great idea for someone who doesn't have much of a stash or when both pattern and fabric are simply irresistible.  Also, since we taught the block each month it was an excellent way to learn new skills.

Wow...there's enough on this subject to debate forever...

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Stumbling through the town and the batting debate...

I have finally moved past just outline quilting the applique shapes of my "All Around the Town" quilt (Sue Garmon).  The outlining is pleasant because it requires no marking and very little thought.  That kind of mindless quilting was perfect while I was sick recently.

This weekend I started adding texture and personality to the actual applique shapes.  The outline quilting makes the shapes a little puffy (which I'm not crazy about), even though I use a minimal loft cotton batt.  I add quilting to tame that effect (and it also further anchors the applique pieces).  I like to hide little quilting motifs that reflect my personality (see the peace sign on the brick building?  it's a subtle message...).

I love trees and nature, so I decided to reflect that by filling the trees with hearts.

It's also fun to let the fabric tell me how to quilt something.

When I use architectural fabrics on buildings, I challenge myself to quilt them with little filler motifs that "match," like these roofing fabrics.

 I am also adding fill to the large grassy lawns of each house.

Some of the little features get a few quilting details.

I decided to quilt the borders before quilting the sky.  I guess I'm saving the sky for last because I think that will really make things "pop" (kind of like saving the outlining for last when doing counted cross-stitch).  It doesn't snow up very well on the border fabric I used, and I'm a poor photographer (which doesn't help).

I'm a little disappointed in my batting choice.  I like to make as small of stitches as possible when I quilt, especially when I am trying to add tiny detail to tiny pieces.  But it is a trade off.  The greater the batting loft, the better the stitches are displayed, but with greater loft it is harder and slower to make tiny stitches.

I found this to be a problem with my Civil War Bride as well.  On that quilt, I chose a light brown quilting thread which compounded the problem.  With minimal loft and matching quilting thread, it is hard to see the stitches.  My "ta-da!" moment was lessened because I spent all that time doing a lot of pretty good quilting, and it wasn't even visible.  Major bummer!  The border has double piano key quilting behind all the applique and it doesn't even show up!

There's a better picture of one of the quilted corners here on the Civil War Bride Blog where the quilting shows up pretty well.  Susi of Susi's Quilts used a loftier batting on her finished Bride quilt, and her beautiful quilting is shown at a good advantage, as seen here, also on the Civil War Bride Blog.

The low loft of the cotton batting doesn't quilt with enough dimensional contrast...there's no shadow, not enough cool 3-D effect.  When I look at the pictures, I even doubt that it is hand quilted, and I quilted it!  All that work and effort on hand applique and hand quilting, and I blew it on my batting choice!  When it was hanging in a show last year, I overheard someone comment, "it's not even quilted..."  I died right then and there...

That is one reason I decided to use natural colored quilting thread on this quilt which has so many dark fabrics.  I used a low loft batt again, but wanted to stitches to be seen.  I'm still not happy.  When I made "Home Sweet Home," I used an heirloom wool batt.

It was a little harder to make tiny stitches, but I managed to do it.  It had enough loft for my quilting to really stand out.  It also has a beautiful drape.

The wool was a little more expensive, but I think I've finally learned my lesson.

If you are a hand quilter, is there a particular batt you like to use?!?

Thank you for all your input on Block of the Month programs (see my last post if you would like to wade in and post an opinion).  As this post is SO-O-O long, I will talk about that next time.

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

Survey on a controversial subject...

Thanks to everyone for all the "well" wishes!  After 10 days of a nasty virus, I can honestly say that I feel a bit better today!  Woo Hoo!!  I started on antibiotics yesterday for a suspected secondary infection.  I felt good enough to put a few hand quilting stitches in as I processed through the huge mountain of laundry that accumulated in my decline.

Weasely was sad to see the fabric jungle gym go away, but we were just about down to our "barrel apparel," if you know what I mean.

I would love to pose a question and get your opinions about "Block-of-the-Month" programs offered by local quilt shops and mail order quilt connections.  There seems to be a rumble of controversy on the subject here locally, some people being attracted by the pattern, others attracted to certain fabrics.  Here's the official question:

"When you sign up to participate in a Block-of-the-Month program, do you mind if the stores substitute fabrics and deviate from the sample, or do you hope, expect to get what you see??"

Feel free to let it all hang out, baby!

In stitches (and on the mend!),
Teresa  :o)

cough-cough-cough...sigh

Just look at this FABULOUS quilt made by my friend, Mary J. (no blog).  The inside twelve blocks are made using Nancy Halvorsen's lastest book shown below, "Count On It."  It is machine appliqued, machine quilted and measures about 56 x 70.

Mary, Ola R. and I designed the outside border using the alphabet letters featured in the book, a lyric line from a Christmas song (sung and provided by Mary), and various motifs from Nancy's previous books (we each have a large collection of THOSE).  We tried to use all Nancy Halvorsen fabrics (by Benartex) from various lines...Tried and True, Garden Song, some of her Christmas lines...they all blend beautifully together.  It was fabulously machine quilted by Rhonda Loy of Dexter, Michigan.

I love being surrounded by talented people!

I am home from my trip to the sunny south (back in the frozen north...ugh).  I came home sick...again.  Thank you for all the well wishes for my Mom.  She seems to be recovering from her fall, broken hip and subsequent surgery.  She remains heavily medicated and comfortable.  She was not really ambulatory before, so that is really no different.  Between the dementia and the meds, I'm not completely sure she knew we were there.  She didn't seem really "there" herself.  But she is being taken care of very well by her nursing care facility.  Additional visits with my Dad and Stepmother, Aunt, 5 of 6 siblings, niece and nephews were fun but all together too brief.

We went from daffodils to standing snow in one day as we drove north to Michigan.

I am happily hand quilting on my "All Around the Town" quilt.  I will show some of that progress on the next post.

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)

What does THAT have to do with quilting?!

Have you noticed how narrow the rolls of toilet paper are getting?  I was putting in a new roll before leaving for Alabama and was struck by all the extra room on the spindle right now.  (nice quilted pattern, though...)

There is room for one of Weasley's favorite cat toys (he always thinks he has to be in there with me anyway)...

There is even room for something else on the spindle...like this extra wide roll of masking tape.  I'm just saying...

Maybe it's going to keep getting narrower and narrower until it is no wider than this roll of tape.  Then it really could be called 'fanny ribbon.'

So what does this have to do with quilting?  I've been contemplating the plight of recent cotton crops and the reality that the price of 100% cotton quilting fabric is going up, as well as 100% cotton clothing.  New stuff in the shop where I work part time is being priced at over $10.00 a yard now.  (I realize that our quilting friends down under are already paying much more for a meter of fabric than we pay.)

I've already noticed that some fabrics are getting narrower on the bolt.  This was made painfully clear to me a couple of years ago when I was purchasing some fabric for a quilt backing.  I usually don't check the width and figure that I will get at least 42 inches of usable fabric from selvage edge to selvage edge once I wash and remove the selvages.  I figured if I made a vertical seam I could get by with two widths of fabric. 

I washed, removed the selvages, pressed and dropped off my quilt, batting and backing with my friend Marilyn for her beautiful custom machine quilting.  How embarrassing when I got the call that my backing wasn't wide enough.  I felt so bad that she had gone to the trouble of trying to layer my stuff and there wasn't enough there!

I went back to the store to purchase more fabric and measure the bolt.  It was little more than 40 inches wide!  Wow!  As someone who works to kit BOMs at the shop, we always estimate yardage needed based on 42 inches of usable width of the fabric per yard.

Are the fabric mills going to start making fabric narrower?  It is worth paying attention to, I think.  When I first started sewing as a teen, fabric really was 45 inches wide on the bolt.  I still have an old piece.  I think I will keep it intact for historical reference!

I look forward to getting home at the end of the weekend and catching up with all your blogs!  I managed to sneak on my Dad's computer long enough to post this draft.  Now it's back to work!

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)