Blogathon Canada 2013 is Coming!!

I've got some fun news to share with you today! 

I was recently contacted to participated in a super fun event!

Starting on November 18th, Sew Sisters Quilt Shop is hosting a very fun blog hop.

  It is a week long celebration of Canadian Quilting Bloggers.  In its second year, Blogathon Canada celebrates the tremendous craft, talent, and passion of the online quilting community of Canada. 
With this fun event, you discover some fantastic Canadian talent, new blogs to read (like we need more?) and maybe even some more local quilting connections.
Guess what else?  PRIZES!!!  EACH DAY!! 
And I get to giveaway something to you!

If you are from Alberta and would like your blog to be listed on my my blog day (November 20)  for others to discover, please leave a comment or send me a quick email!   

Each day host bloggers will introduce themselves and their work on their blogs. They will include links to more blogs from their province so you can visit those blogs as well. The host bloggers will also host a giveaway of some of their favourite goodies from Sew Sisters so you have a chance to win every day of the week! This year Sew Sisters has teamed up with Aurifil, Northcott and Robert Kaufman to bring you even more fantastic giveaways! Check out their blog for more and see how you can join the party! Go to Sew Sisters Quilt Shop 

Here is a list of the scheduled blog hop hosts: 

Monday, November 18	BC	Holly	Holly's Red Bike
Monday, November 18	BC	Heather	Winding Bobbins
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Adrienne	Chezzetcook Modern Quilts
Tuesday, November 19	Maritimes	Marjorie	Marjorie's Busy Corner
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Katherine	Sew Me Something Good
Wednesday, November 20	AB	Andrea	Urban Quilt Works
Thursday, November 21	SK	Flo	Butterfly Quilting
Thursday, November 21	MB	Kathy	Tamarack Shack
Friday, November 22	QC	Izzy	Dizzy Quilts
Friday, November 22	Territories	Danielle	A Geeky Crafty Life
Saturday, November 23	ON	Jackie	Jackie's Art Quilts
Saturday, November 23	ON	Krista	Krista Quilts

If you are from Alberta and would like your blog to be listed on my my blog day (November 20)  for others to discover, please leave a comment or send me a quick email!   

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2013

Welcome to my submission to this year's Bloggers Quilt Festival   I haven't participated in quite some time, so I'm jumping in this year.  My current project isn't quite finished as I ran into some snags with my machine, so I'm sharing with you today my Marmalade Grey Quilt in a panicked attempt to share something with you...and possibly win some of the great prizes!

                               

This was a fairly simple quilt I designed in a vertical brick style with narrow pale yellow sashing.

I quilted it with my longarm quilting machine.  I really wanted to practice some of my modern stitching designs to showcase on a sample quilt.    Voila, Marmalade Grey came alive with texture.

 The more I learn to quilt on my longarm quilting machine, the more addicted to dense quilting texture I become.

Fabrics by Anthology Fabrics - High Society

Thread - Superior Magnifico 

Batting - Quilters Dream 100% cotton

Backing - Ikea bedsheet!  

Measures: 45" x 45"

Professional Machine Quilting Category

Linking up Amy's Creative Side

Thank you so much to Amy for coordinating this massive project, and to all of the sponsors that donate prizes to make it just that much more fun to participate!  

Aesthetics vs skills

Okay, let me preface this that I have no issue with anyone, anything... the following is just an observation that I've really been noticing lately, and since my husband doesn't know the difference between a needle and a pin...well,  go figure, I need to write about it instead.  I would love to hear your thoughts on it too.

I love blog world.   I love modern quilting.  I love modern style fabrics.  I love traditional quilting.   I like traditional fabrics.   My preference is modern fabrics and clean simple, uncomplicated, minimalistic style.

Lately I've really noticed the oohs and ahhs, fawning over of a super simple quilt made with just the right 'on trend' fabric.    If the quilt is made with a certain trend of the moment designer and white/charcoal, watch out.   It's a standing ovation.  

And then,  a time consuming, technique-based (applique,  hand sewing, variety of difficult piecing) quilt that may not have the on trend fabric of the moment....perhaps a previous year trend -  does not get as much attention or celebration,  oohs and ahhs.    Several times this has happened in the past few months, and each time it is like this loud siren going off in my head.  

I love designing quilts, and really -my sketchbook continues to dictate my simple piecing, graphic designs, etc.  I will never have the patience for the intricate piecing that I so admire, so I'm confused at this thinking I have.   It's this internal conflict -   if a quilt is made with popular fabric, despite the design, it is a more popular quilt?

Am I evolving into another stage of my quilting appreciation?  Have I outgrown something?

Does this happen to be part of my internal struggle trying to identify modern vs traditional?

Does any of this make sense?

What is my problem?  

My first ever Halloween project

aside from a few Halloween costumes, I've actually never made a Halloween quilt...so I opted for a wee project on Saturday night.  

I chose non traditional Halloween fabrics, except for the Halloween batik

and used the disappearing 9 patch pattern

                                 

Practiced making some fun spider webs

                                 

pumpkins, loopies

                                

and to keep it real

 -   not everything always works out in my brain.  This block was unplanned...and usually unplanned things turn out crappy - and I also was doing this at 11pm trying to finish up

 I'll be picking this one out, and quilting something different here.

Play Quilt

 This has been an unquilted top for many years until today.      A mix of vintage bed linens and a few modern ones dotted in between.

 The backing was an embroidered twill I bought years ago with these adorable lady bugs.

I played free hand style on the quilt...and a wee one will have fun playtime sure I'm too.  

If I give it up.  

Machine Quilting 101- making meanders marvellous

**These ideas are for beginners who really need some ideas beyond the basic meander.  You do NOT need a longarm machine to do any of these designs!  In no way am I an expert, but I do have some ideas to share with you.  Take from it what you want, need. If you have ideas to share,  please do!

After you have become bored of your basic meander (and you probably already are!)  you can practice some variations of it such as the watery meander.   It can look very modern and sleek on graphic quilts and you can scale it up and down depending on your quilt.   It can also be a great pattern to use for theme quilts: -  literally as 'water' background around a sea themed quilt, or around an element such as a fish or duck. I have also seen it used in spooky Halloween themed quilts - as a foggy background.  

The watery meander can also be squared up and boxy - such as on the right side of this sample.  Also, don't limit yourself to one direction, try stitching it in a vertical direction as well!

You can also take the watery meander and make it jagged such as in lightning or flames (above right)   

Another simple meander to practice is the loopy meander.   This one is so great because you can literally add any element to it to create a theme.  

First, you need to master traveling around an area without getting bunched up -  lots of even spacing, and working on your shapes.  Your loop can be oval or round -  and you can practice adding double loops too.   

 I like to practice making my loops very round -  but ovals are good too because they be appear more delicate with leaves and flowers.

 When you travel making the meander,  your  first loop goes in one direction (counter clockwise) and then your next alternates direction (clockwise).  This helps to give some waves and motion to your meander.

When you make a double and triple loop - make your larger loop first, and then the smaller ones inside. I'm sure you could do it the other way, but I find it easier to connect the loops without gaps and crossover. 

 Again, changing up the sizes (but being consistent throughout) and shapes in your loopy meander add interest to the overall quilting pattern.

Another springboard from the loopy meander is the boxy geometric meander (above photo, left)

Instead of curves and loops, you use straight lines and boxes.

Once you've mastered loops and ovals with your loopy meander, you can substitute for actual shapes -  typical shapes include hearts, leaves, flowers, stars.   For Halloween coming up, I thought it would be neat to try pumpkins, crescent moons, bats, ghosts and even cobwebs! 

Meander just the same as the loopy meander but instead of a loop, you stitch into and out of your shape.

 The key to these shapes is finding a continuous line - no stops and starts.   I found plenty of images on google to mimic in my drawings (google images =halloween shapes, halloween stencils)

And hey!  Doesn't the double/triple loop almost look like eyeballs?  

 pumpkins are great because you can vary the shapes and sizes

 Bats were pretty easy too -  remember to try and make your bats 'fly' in different directions, not just horizontally!

You can see here I found a way to make some cool spiderweb shapes too -  all one continuous line.  

Remember to PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PPP on paper or whiteboard first.  Practice until you are comfortable with it and then go to your machine.  Get the motion/flow of that shape into your memory first so that you aren't concentrating on the mechanics of making the shape, but making it a beautiful shape. 

So, there you have it -  the loopy meander.   Tons of options here and ways to take your machine quilting just a little more interesting than the basic meander.     Think about the themed quilts you have for Christmas - stars, bells, candy canes, garland, trees, cross -  shapes to change up that loopy meander and customize your quilt!

**tip - don't go too slowly - think of the speed as a smooth flowing dance.  Look ahead to where you are going, not where you currently are.  

Next up  -  what next?   simple textures, hooks, spirals and swirls -even feathers!

If you have any requests, leave a comment and I will be sure include your request in future posts.

Machine Quilting 101 - an intro for beginners

I've been asked by a few people how to get started or improve their machine quilting skills, whether it be by longarm or just your standard domestic machine.

All I can say is practice, practice practice.  PPP.

 It really is like handwriting -  remember in grade 3 when your teacher taught you handwriting?   Did he/she give you the entire alphabet all at once?   No!  You practiced a couple of letters each day - with similar shapes at a time.  That is exactly how I work on my machine quilting skills.

lower case e's and l's are really good practice for loops in machine quilting!

Another thing to note -  you will never have the exact same swirls as Angela Walters or feathers as Claudia Pfeil.   They all have their distinct 'flavour' in their stitching, just as we all have our own distinct handwriting.   The goal is to get those shapes consistently looking nice and gaining confidence to try new ones!   

There are some basic shapes in machine quilting -   curves/arcs,  S shapes, hooks, straight lines, and loops.   From these basic shapes you can spring into more complicated ones.

I practice mostly using a whiteboard on my lap - while I'm watching TV, but I do use a notebook/sketchbook to practice as well.   Once I have the shape reasonably comfortable in my practice, then I move to the machine and practice there.

When I practice,  I focus on one particular shape or design that I am trying to master, until I get it into memory - or muscle memory as they call it.   Think of when you JUST learned how to form that letter 'a' in handwriting,  you really had to think of the steps of how to make that 'a'....and now years later (many many many many for me ) you don't even think of how to form it now.   That is muscle memory.   Luckily, your teacher had you mastering that 'a' within a few days or weeks, right?   It will happen in quilting for you, too.

So, I have listed a few easy machine patterns that I do to practice some of the easier shapes.  The easier the shape, the more I focus on things like changing size; travelling across the quilt without getting stuck in a corner; and filling the spaces evenly.   Believe it or not, I STILL go back and practice a plain ole meander once in awhile!

Curves and Arcs

The very first thing to do would be some simple S curves and arcs -  that would be the basic meander!
all of the names I call these practices are made up by me - there could be an actual name for them, but this is what I call them.

The Meander
Poor ole meander, it does not get enough credit.  This is the foundation of quilting - this is how we start out!   Practice making your curves nicely rounded (left of photo), and fill up your space evenly, without getting 'trapped' in a corner.  You can also try some variations such as one I call the finger like meander - the curves are longer and less round, the fingering meander has more stretched out peninsula like shapes

I'll continue with a few more in my next post...

On Quilting Tension - a tip!

I'm quite fascinated at how a wee change can affect tension on my APQS quilting machine.  

Here is some experience I have gained with quilting tension.  Little tiny adjustments make HUGE differences.   On this quilt, I had two moments of 'railroad' tracks on my backing.  See how the thread kind of sits on top of the fabric, a bit of  looping, and the thread isn't sinking in?  

Here is one slight tweak that completely fixed the problem:   

See the 3 hole thread guide just above the tension dial?   

The position above is in the 7o'clock and 1 o'clock angle...this is how it should NOT look.

Here I tightened it back to 8 o'clock and 2 o'clock angle and the tension fixed itself.  Just that slight tweak gives a little more tension on the thread.  

check your machine manual for proper positioning -  this positioning is for APQS machines

Another issue I came across which makes me laugh at how trivial it seems, but makes a world of difference.   

When I use slippery thread (Glide, Magnifico, MasterQuilter, Aurifil Poly) it tends to spew off the cone faster than a cotton or a matte poly.  (Do you like my term spew?) 

 You can even see in the photo above, the thread just hanging there very loosely.   

If you stick a tiny wad of bating in the thread guide (loosely, just so that the thread doesn't escape) so that it has a bit of friction when going through,  the tension corrects itself.   

 I figured this out when I ran out of bobbin thread, the top thread often breaks.   Then, the wad of batting somehow pops out of the guide.   Not paying attention to this minor detail, I continued quilting and got poor tension (railroad stitches on the backing)  I realized the little wad was missing - popped it back in, and the tension was beautiful again.   

Silly details, right?

 Here are some things I've noted so far that affect tension:

-batik fabric

-quilt top or back too tight

-poor quality backing fabric 

-slippery thread

-poorly wound bobbins

-needle that needs to be changed

-needle that is not quite in the right position

When I get the time, I'll blog more about some tension tips and tricks for the newbie machine quilter.  Have a great day!

A first quilt..

Carol completed her first quilt, a rail fence, with these beautiful neutral colours.    I used the pantograph called Love Doodle, and it turned out beautifully.     I think we have another quilter blooming in our community!  She did a fabulous job, and I hope she is motivated to continue with more projects.

The original Love Doodle Pantograph that I had was a little small and too dense for this quilt.  I went to my local Staples and enlarged the pantograph sample to adjust the size.  The enlarged pantograph worked much better with the blocks, and was a softer effect.  
edited to add:   I contacted Urban Elementz regarding resizing the FREE pantographs that I had downloaded and there is no issue to size the free pantos on that site.     

Next up, is this quilt that has been waiting for about 3 years for some quilting:

Marmalade Grey Quilt

I am addicted to texture.

...and still trying to find the right way to photograph a quilt with texture.

This was an older quilt top I finished awhile back and never had the courage nor the skills to quilt it as I would like.    It's just a small one,  a pattern I made up on my own. 

I call her marmalade grey...because marmalade has all of those chunky bits in it to give it texture...

 

 There really wasn't much of a plan,  I just wanted to do something that had symmetry and a lot of texture in it.   I especially wanted those little yellow sashings to sing. 

A note:  I used a 100% cotton sheet from Ikea for the backing.  Like I had read and had been warned about...tension on the back is sometimes an issue with sheets because of the tight weave.  I did experience this, but wouldn't completely stay away from doing it again either. 

Modern line designs...

practicing on a quilt top...

It's been awhile.  sigh.  

I have been enjoying summer with my family.   That's all.     

And quilting like a madwoman for the charity Quilting for Calgary - flood quilts.  So far, the count of approximately 1300 completed quilts are sitting in the warehouse awaiting distribution this weekend.  How totally incredible!!

Now that we're back to September and routine...I am too.  

adding geckos to a gorgeous Southwest inspired quilt by Sheila.

Flood Quilt donations...

 Longarm quilting donation quilts for the Calgary Flood  - Quilting for Calgary. 

In between summer holidays, entertaining children without electronic devices the whole day long,  and the regular daily grind,  I'm hoping to keep one every 2 days kind of goal.   I seem to have figured out a system to get about 3-4 hours in a day now. :-)

 My overall spiral freehand - using small medium and large spirals

More spirals..

 Loop de loop and double loop de loops...

 Pantograph work...

 front of pantograph quilting...

 practicing my smaller swirls which turn out into small spirals.  Will continue to work at this.

child keeping me company, and cozy.  ;-)

I bought another bunch of thread, and I think I have finally nailed down my favourites to buy future bulk.   I decided to buy more of the So Fine by Superior line. 

Kathy at Tamarack Shack referred me to a company in Canada called  Erie Quilt Art , a supplier to longarm quilting businesses.  

Of course, the choices are overwhelming, and I had no clue what colours to start out with.    So I called Gail at Erie Quilt Art and told her my predicament.   I said I needed to stock up on So Fine threads - send me xxx amount of the more popular colours.  I also mentioned that  I was working on charity quilts for the Calgary Flood.   After giving her a budget of what I wanted to spend,  she also convinced me to try some Magnifico by Superior as well.   On top o her great help, she offered to send me extra thread as a donation for the Calgary Flood longarm quilting.    I was thrilled by her generosity, as well as her knowledge.  Will be ordering from her again for sure! 

I'm extra happy to have yet another Canadian supplier to work with.

 As well,  I think I am a convert to Magnifico thread -  it is very similar to Glide Thread, but slightly less sheen and a smoother thread.  Gorgeous stuff.