Here is one of my new favorite designs, stitched out on Sally’s fun quilt. I do not know the fabric line, fun modern fabrics that screamed for some type of geometric quilting. This design is called Bubbles b2b (border to border) by An…
More computerized edge to edge quilting by Pamela and Pat. This first one is a really big 120″ scrappy quilt by Pamela that I did not even try to get all in the photos! Thimbleberries patterns come to mind but I don’t know if this was a specific pattern or blocks she put together herself. I used” bd 2010 pano 001″ by Sweet Dreams Quilt Studio.
Before quilting, on the frame
Back view. I love this design but it is a monster to stitch out at this large size of quilt. The pattern was sized at 18″ and stitched up and down until it completed one row. Because of this stitch pattern and large quilt, I could not complete one pass on one bobbin of thread. It took TWO bobbins per pass to complete. I don’t think I have ever run a panto that used 14 bobbins of thread before. I’ll maybe try this on a smaller quilt with pre-wound 60 wt bobbins, otherwise I’ll have to move this one to a more expensive rate edge to edge design. I really love it though! So much variety in the design.
The next one is Pat’s beautiful sunshine and shadow style Log Cabin and Stars. What a great design and fantastic bed quilt. Another large one, busy fabrics. I chose a design called Espresso by Patricia Ritter, expanded to a more open design for this bed quilt with wool batting. Designs can be run generally from about 5″ to 20″ and are sized to fit the scale of your quilt.
Again, early after the studio flip, still trying to find the best place for lighting and pictures. Not such great quality photos but they really are beautiful quilts!
A couple more recent finishes for Sally. Hand guided and computer designs. The hex quilt is from a jelly roll pattern and is so cute. I custom quilted with a variety of fills in the strips. …
I am so behind in posting photos. Here are a few that were quilted in computerized edge to edge patterns. They are all so pretty! in process Dian’s jelly roll and Lynda’s Rosebud quilts were quilted on our n…
One of my oldest and dearest friends is expecting twin Grandbaby boys in what is now just a few weeks away. She was here recently and I explained that I did not have time for piecing, but maybe we could find a cute panel that I could simply…
Another beauty from Carol! This is a Judy Niemeyer /Quiltworx pattern Fire Island Hosta in the queen version. She has been busy making gorgeous new quilts for all her bedrooms. I’ve been getting a run on aqua qu…
I recently had the privilege to quilt several quilts for Lindsay, The Cottage Mama for Houston’s International Quilt Market this year! I really enjoyed quilting these darling quilts with a soft swirly wh…
It’s been a long hard week! For every success it seems we then have an extra difficult next day. Repeating the very same steps because all we are working on mastering is edge to edge at this time. So frustrating, but they say give it a few weeks. The positive side, my 26″ (aka The Kraken) stitches beautifully.
The above is my Summer in the Park. It has been on my custom list since 6/2013. I decided to do a simple, fast edge to edge on this and give to one of my granddaughters. I used Pink Lemonade Glide thread on top and bottom. Colors are a little washed out, its brighter in person. The last 2 on the frame shots show the correct colors. I need to perfect my camera phone skills for the new location. Now it needs to have binding made!
2 more little ones, again one open fun design on the bright colored squares. The muslin was my first “quilt” even though just a piece of muslin, it was our first attempt to create an entire quilt from start to finish, not just plopping in designs here, trying another there… It’s going to be a dog pad for one of our grandbaby dogs!
One from GNQG, donation quilts. Those nice browns and blues seemed like a good mans quilt so we chose a geometric design.
I really like this quilt, it’s from TCQG donation quilts. Funny license plate fabrics, several blocks with a Texas theme. Chose a patriotic design but it goes with Texas – The Lone Star State and the banner reminds me a little of traveling the highways.
This one struck me as being vintage blocks, has a very old fashioned feel. Again from GNQG. I don’t know the story but I do recognize some guild members names in the signature blocks. I kept that vintage feel going using white cotton thread top and bottom and choosing a feather spray design set as an edge to edge that also has a really well designed butterfly. It turned out really nice and does have that vintage look and feel. We may need to think about putting this one in the stack for the quilt auction next September, especially since it has guild member names on it.
As I said, it has been a difficult week. The steps seem so simple but you know nothing ever really is! I can’t imagine how new to quilting people feel buying a longarm AND computer system at the same time. This is the very same machine I’ve been using, I’ve been professionally quilting for 5 years and frame quilting much longer than that. The only new part IS the computer. I have a quick start guide and TWO manuals written differently. Yet they can’t cover all the bases. For example, no where does it tell you how to shut down and start back up on the same project the next day. The only time I have done so… is because of computer crash and of course it doesn’t remember where I was working. I’m not willing to take that chance yet to stop mid project and see if it saves and remembers where I was. So many little things to plod through and try to make sense of on your own. I’m a self starter, always have been. But there are so many areas the books don’t cover the what if’s…. I’m so thankful I only have the computer system to learn! I also have my husband every step of the way, 2 of us to muddle through it all. Everyone says in a few weeks all the kinks will be behind us and smooth sailing. I’m really looking forward to a stress free day of quilting with no tech calls being made. I think I have experienced every computer error possible, thread breaks, bobbin thread running out, crashes, belts, how I need to load the top to start off well and how to load when there is only 2″, the works! On to quilting up YOUR beautiful quilts!
But today, you will find me handing out thread following the Aurifil schoolhouse @ Market!
Exciting news last week! A client, Greg Murphy entered his Paradise in Blooms at MQX and placed 2nd in his category. This show places emphasis on workmanship and the quilting portion has a possibility of more points than the piecing. Competition is fierce, I am still not believing we ribboned! Greg flew in to accept his ribbon and see everything first hand. Photos shared with me at the show:
It’s been a whirlwind of activity the past week getting ready for the changes going on in my quilting studio. I have re-located from the upstairs loft area to taking over what was the entry living/dining area of our home. Here are few pictures of what was going on!
My 26″ now with Mach 3 Auto Pilot computer system. End of Day 2 of Installation
Gizzy supervising the set up (actually he was a little afraid and hung by my feet for most of the install). Day 1!
My 26″ was moved from upstairs plus set up of the new 22″ which is going in front of my Gravity quilt.
Test Drive time for the new 22″ on my older frame – Day 1. Hand guilded custom work with this longarm.
Day 2 both installed and ready!
A friend was concerned that it was too crowded. While not a lot of excess space… there is plenty of space to move freely and not feel confined or squeezed into each area. I can pass by on 3 sides of both machines.
Behind computer guided machine. Each tile is approximately 13″ and about the same or more on the 22″ machine. Plenty to move about and not be cramped.
Some test photos of computerized quilting:
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Now comes the fun part of setting up threads, tools and supplies that I need on a daily basis, tyring to set up zones that work well for running 2 machines. Some areas will remain upstairs. I get the entire loft area for my sewing studio now (Yippee – room for a cutting table – I had been using the bed of the frame). My client quilt closet will still be upstairs, batting will remain upstairs and I think I’ll have my desk and files upstairs too. Not enough space for it all to be in one area in any section of our house! 1 longarm requires a lot of space, 2 machines? Lots of space needed. Looking forward to Phase III of doing business with freehand and computerized quilting to meet your needs!
