Tag: Quilting

Technology can be helpful when quilting…

July 22, 2024

1) This morning, I spied a quilt on a YouTube stream that I liked. I used it as inspiration for my own quilt, which I designed in EQ8:

Image of quilt designed using EQ8 software.
Aflutter quilt designed in EQ8

It finishes at 50″x60″ – which is my preferred size for a throw quilt. I’ll make one to use during our R.E.A.D. sessions with Sadie, plus one from scraps to donate to my guild’s community service. If you don’t have EQ8, then you can always draw by hand or research any number of quilt design apps (free & paid) available online.

2) You can also use the Google Lens feature with the Chrome browser. Simply download the app/extension and add it to Chrome. It helps when trying to identify the pattern you saw in a FB post. Non-quilting related – it helped me identify the silverplate patterns on some serving utensils my mother sent home with me recently. They were my great-grandmother’s dating back to around 1910. Mom said they hadn’t been polished in at least 50 years. I believe her. It took almost an hour to get them back to the original silver.

3) Special interest groups on FB are full of helpful information. Machine specific groups help one another troublehsoot sewing machine issues, designer enthusiast groups often sponsor QALs using previous books/patterns and still others offer a way to destash items directly to a target audience. I rarely post on FB anymore. Instead, I use it to follow therapy dog, quilting and vintage sewing machine groups. I learned this morning of an upcoming Lori Holt QAL sponsored by an enthusiast group I follow. I know I have the book and I think I have the templates. If not, I know someone who does!

4) Apps like Libby allow you read quilting books and magazines for FREE on your device with only a public library card. Quilting apps like the QuiltingCalc app from Robert Kauffman Fabrics helps you figure out how much fabric you need for a project. Chances are, your favorite online quilt shops also have an app available for download. If not, you can bet they are over on Instagram. Pinterest is also a great app for keeping track of projects and tutorials that inspire you.

Lately, I’ve been limiting my use of social media on purpose. It’s just easier this way. I’m still in the loop as to what’s going on in the world, yet I am more productive and sleep better.

Why you need a quilting plan for finishing your quilts

July 21, 2024

Basically, a “quilting plan” helps you convert more flimsies into finished quilts. It can be as general or detailed as you wish.

Your quilting plan might be to send the top to a longarm quilter. If so, there’s some prep work you’ll still need to do before delivering the top and backing fabric to the longarm quilter. Consult your longarmer for any special instructions.

If you decide to quilt the top yourself, will you do straight-line/walking foot quilting or free motion quilting? Either method requires different planning and prep.

Personally, my quilting plans for FMQ are more detailed than straight line designs using my walking foot. I write my quilting plans down in a 5″x8″ journal. I’ll sketch the top, add in any inspiration photos or quilting details, make notes on the quilting design, spacing, thread, needle, bobbin, etc., along with my plan to divide and conquer maneuvering the quilt sandwich through my machine (I have 11″ to the right of the needle). Right now, my FMQ is to use the same design all over my quilt. As my skills grow, I’ll add semi-custom details in the sashing and borders. Those will be indicated on my quilting plan. It’ll definitely be a while before I reach the stage where each individual block is custom quilted, with each unit having a separate quilting design – like the photo below I took of a quilt at the Omaha Quilt Show .

Photo of a quilt showing quilting detail.

Close-up of quilt showing detailed custom quilting.

Next up on my quilting agenda is my husband’s retirement quilt. Yes, it’s two years after the fact, but I couldn’t decide on the quilting design. I really wanted to do this one all by myself rather than sending it out. I finally saw a quilting design I liked in a collection of straight line quilting designs, but couldn’t figure out how to stitch it. My gut told me this was the design, so I waited. Recently, some YouTube video I streamed had a segment of someone demonstrating how to quilt that exact design. Well, duh! Things finally clicked. Sadie & I will be basting that quilt this afternoon.

Rainy Friday Night Fun

July 20, 2024
Cutting apart four patch blocks made from half-square triangles and rearranging to make a star pattern block.

This is one of the projects I set aside to work on at Friday Sew Days. Today, I finally finished sewing all of the HSTs into 4 patch blocks. For me, pressing and detailed cutting are best done at home away from all the chatter that results when we get together.

I spent this stormy Friday night doing exactly that. All of the blocks will be cut and flipped according to the pattern instructions. Here, I’m stacking them up on a design board. Everything will be ready to transport to the next Friday Sew Day.

Our guild meeting is next Friday, so it’ll be a couple of weeks before I attend Friday Sew Day again. Honestly, I’m likely to continue sewing in the interim so I can get the blocks done. It’s been fun to see the few blocks I’ve sewn together take shape. The completed top is going to be so pretty. The FMQ double loopy meander I plan to quilt will also complement the design. This particular quilt will actually be donated to a specific charity through my quilt guild.