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#1
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First steps in machine quilting. and quilting motif ?
Yesterday I attempted to solve a thread breakage problem with my new
sewing machine so I could use it again. I had been using my machine's problem to put off my first try at machine quilting, but I decided it was time to get over my worries. I did several things to the machine and nothing seemed to help. Frustrated that it was still not working right I called Mom, the machine guru, to come over, and as soon as DH let her in the door the machine made a final soft clunk and suddenly began working correctly. Every stitch test run I made went smooth as glass. Mom claimed it was the old "call the mechanic and the machine will fix itself" magic. I'm just happy it's fixed. While she was there I got out the walking foot, put it on, and tested it with a folded piece of muslin. The test strip went through it like a hot knife through butter and all the stitches were perfect! Yay! Now most folks might practice a bit before starting on an actual quilt, but I'm not most folks and my Pebbles and Bam Bam lap quilt is mostly an experiment anyway, so I just jumped right in with both feet. Many of you have said a quilt top will tell you what kind of designs it wants to have quilted on it. Well either I'm quilt deaf or this top isn't speaking. I simply did a SITD on both sides of the pink frames of the blocks. Two hours later I had all the lines in one direction done and had a good start on the other direction too. I took a break and clipped threads while watching "Dirty Jobs" on TV. I finished quilting all the lines, clipped the rest of the threads, and removed the basting tacks by midnight. I will admit I did a little dancing at that point. Now I have to trim and bind the edges. I don't think that will be a problem at all. But I do have one little problem. Although I don't have to put any quilting in the center of the blocks because the centers are about 8 inches and the batting only requires quilting every ten inches, the unquilted space seems to be asking for something more. But remember, I am quilt deaf. I don't know what to put there, but I have a few ideas and would like some input. I could continue with machine quilting and simply run diagonal lines both ways across the Pebbles and Bam Bam cloth, or I could draw a square within each block echoing the square framing. I'd rather hand quilt something a little more interesting, but what? I'd love some ideas if anyone has one. The Pebbles and Bam Bam top is in my webshots album if you would like to see it. Thanks for reading. Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
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#2
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Debra,
Since I'm pretty much quilt deaf also, the only thing I could suggest is to, perhaps, hand quilt around the little characters in the blocks. That would make them "pop out" a little. Just a quick, random thought that just might not work for you. (Hands up in the air, not really knowing how to listen to a quilt either!) Marlys in Indiana "Debra" wrote in message ... Yesterday I attempted to solve a thread breakage problem with my new sewing machine so I could use it again. I had been using my machine's problem to put off my first try at machine quilting, but I decided it was time to get over my worries. I did several things to the machine and nothing seemed to help. Frustrated that it was still not working right I called Mom, the machine guru, to come over, and as soon as DH let her in the door the machine made a final soft clunk and suddenly began working correctly. Every stitch test run I made went smooth as glass. Mom claimed it was the old "call the mechanic and the machine will fix itself" magic. I'm just happy it's fixed. While she was there I got out the walking foot, put it on, and tested it with a folded piece of muslin. The test strip went through it like a hot knife through butter and all the stitches were perfect! Yay! Now most folks might practice a bit before starting on an actual quilt, but I'm not most folks and my Pebbles and Bam Bam lap quilt is mostly an experiment anyway, so I just jumped right in with both feet. Many of you have said a quilt top will tell you what kind of designs it wants to have quilted on it. Well either I'm quilt deaf or this top isn't speaking. I simply did a SITD on both sides of the pink frames of the blocks. Two hours later I had all the lines in one direction done and had a good start on the other direction too. I took a break and clipped threads while watching "Dirty Jobs" on TV. I finished quilting all the lines, clipped the rest of the threads, and removed the basting tacks by midnight. I will admit I did a little dancing at that point. Now I have to trim and bind the edges. I don't think that will be a problem at all. But I do have one little problem. Although I don't have to put any quilting in the center of the blocks because the centers are about 8 inches and the batting only requires quilting every ten inches, the unquilted space seems to be asking for something more. But remember, I am quilt deaf. I don't know what to put there, but I have a few ideas and would like some input. I could continue with machine quilting and simply run diagonal lines both ways across the Pebbles and Bam Bam cloth, or I could draw a square within each block echoing the square framing. I'd rather hand quilt something a little more interesting, but what? I'd love some ideas if anyone has one. The Pebbles and Bam Bam top is in my webshots album if you would like to see it. Thanks for reading. Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
#3
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On Wed, 12 Oct 2005 17:12:11 GMT, "Marlys in Indiana"
wrote: Debra, Since I'm pretty much quilt deaf also, the only thing I could suggest is to, perhaps, hand quilt around the little characters in the blocks. That would make them "pop out" a little. Just a quick, random thought that just might not work for you. (Hands up in the air, not really knowing how to listen to a quilt either!) Marlys in Indiana Well I never expected help from another quilt deaf person. Just goes to show you never know where help is going to come from, I guess. You know, that is the same way I did the fish in my wall hanging. I had fun doing that too, so it's a possibility. I was not bored quilting around the fish because they were all different shapes, and it went fairly quickly. The batting is Warm and White so they aren't going to pop as much as with a fluffier batting, but that's not a big deal. I thought about dinosaurs because of Dino and the other dinosaur that Bam Bam rides. I'd have to do them by hand since they would be fairly intricate and I can't free motion quilt yet, so they would be very slow going. I also thought about a simple leaf shape of the pointed oval type because the pink fabric has tiny vines with leaves that shape. I'm just not sure it would look right on the cartoon fabric. But I might be able to do that by machine, one big leaf per block, so I could be done and on to the next quilt faster. I'd have to see if I could use the walking foot to do a slow curve or not before I try it on the quilt though. My Mom, who isn't quilt deaf, suggested bones because they appear in every block; holding up Pebbles hair, as a handlebar on some of the trikes, and as a pin on Bam Bam's diaper. I fear that would make it look like a dog quilt from the back view so I hesitate to use them as the only fancy motif. The other two things in every block are rocks and wheels. A rock outline doesn't appeal to me at all, but now that I've listed them I wonder about the wheels. One big chipped stone type wheel on each block might be good. Maybe I'm not totally quilt deaf after all. What do you think? I've also been wondering if I should pick two motifs and alternate their placement in each row, checkerboard fashion, so that I don't get bored with any one motif while hand quilting. I'm really racking my brain here. At first I didn't see any possibilities and now I see many. What if I choose the wrong one and my cute lap quilt turns out not cute at all? Is it even possible to ruin a quilt by quilting it? Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
#4
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I, too, am totally quilt deaf, Debra.
I've tried to absorb and print out all the sage advice I've seen on here about choosing quilting designs! If I make a couple of responses to your thoughts, it might help you find what *you* like! I like the idea of a vine winding through the quilt - but only on the sashing. Any motif you decide upon has to be visible and recognisable, otherwise it's a waste of your time. I had a gardening motif quilt and quilted a watering can in all of the blocks. It was a complete waste of time, as I used dark green, and the colour was swallowed up wherever a dark colour appeared on the feature blocks! Of all the things you suggested, I like the wheels idea best. One reason for that is that they occur so often in the print that they would be instantly recognisable. They would also not be too difficult to do. Do make sure any wobbly outline looks intentional - not just your hand quilting going astray g Also, a great thing about them is that they could be all different sizes, and they could be separate or intersecting. They offer a lot of design scope. .. In message , Debra writes Well I never expected help from another quilt deaf person. Just goes to show you never know where help is going to come from, I guess. You know, that is the same way I did the fish in my wall hanging. I had fun doing that too, so it's a possibility. I was not bored quilting around the fish because they were all different shapes, and it went fairly quickly. The batting is Warm and White so they aren't going to pop as much as with a fluffier batting, but that's not a big deal. I thought about dinosaurs because of Dino and the other dinosaur that Bam Bam rides. I'd have to do them by hand since they would be fairly intricate and I can't free motion quilt yet, so they would be very slow going. I also thought about a simple leaf shape of the pointed oval type because the pink fabric has tiny vines with leaves that shape. I'm just not sure it would look right on the cartoon fabric. But I might be able to do that by machine, one big leaf per block, so I could be done and on to the next quilt faster. I'd have to see if I could use the walking foot to do a slow curve or not before I try it on the quilt though. My Mom, who isn't quilt deaf, suggested bones because they appear in every block; holding up Pebbles hair, as a handlebar on some of the trikes, and as a pin on Bam Bam's diaper. I fear that would make it look like a dog quilt from the back view so I hesitate to use them as the only fancy motif. The other two things in every block are rocks and wheels. A rock outline doesn't appeal to me at all, but now that I've listed them I wonder about the wheels. One big chipped stone type wheel on each block might be good. Maybe I'm not totally quilt deaf after all. What do you think? I've also been wondering if I should pick two motifs and alternate their placement in each row, checkerboard fashion, so that I don't get bored with any one motif while hand quilting. I'm really racking my brain here. At first I didn't see any possibilities and now I see many. What if I choose the wrong one and my cute lap quilt turns out not cute at all? Is it even possible to ruin a quilt by quilting it? Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere -- Best Regards pat on the hill |
#5
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On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:41:22 +0100, Patti
wrote: I, too, am totally quilt deaf, Debra. I've tried to absorb and print out all the sage advice I've seen on here about choosing quilting designs! Well, I don't feel so alone now. Both you and Marlys were on this news group long before I, so I know it's possible to be a quilter in spite of the quilt deafness. If I make a couple of responses to your thoughts, it might help you find what *you* like! I like the idea of a vine winding through the quilt - but only on the sashing. Yes, that's how I felt too. Any motif you decide upon has to be visible and recognisable, otherwise it's a waste of your time. I had a gardening motif quilt and quilted a watering can in all of the blocks. It was a complete waste of time, as I used dark green, and the colour was swallowed up wherever a dark colour appeared on the feature blocks! No problem there. I'm using off white thread for quilting so it's visible no matter where I quilt. I like the look of white or off white quilting lines. The only quilt I'm planning to match thread and fabric color is one that will have a star field on the backing and I plan to use black for the bobbin thread and something else for the top thread so the star field isn't spoiled by quilting lines. Of all the things you suggested, I like the wheels idea best. One reason for that is that they occur so often in the print that they would be instantly recognisable. They would also not be too difficult to do. Do make sure any wobbly outline looks intentional - not just your hand quilting going astray g Also, a great thing about them is that they could be all different sizes, and they could be separate or intersecting. They offer a lot of design scope. After sleeping on it, I like the wheels best too. They should be easy and fast to quilt. I'm thinking of the same type of wheel as the one so often seen in the B. C. comic strip, or scanning and enlarging one of the wheels on the print. I think they would have an outline obviously wobbly enough to look intentional. I hadn't thought of using varying sizes or multiple wheels per block. I'll have to ponder about those options for awhile. The funny thing is that I would have never thought about the wheels if I hadn't been writing a reply to Marlys. Whenever I looked at the print I saw the trikes and wagons, but not really noticing the wheels themselves. I wasn't looking at the print while writing, so I thought "wheeled riding toys" and Bingo, the lightbulb moment. Perhaps we are not quilt deaf. We simply need some sort of sounding board, and to see our thoughts in print rather than just floating around in our heads. At any rate, we three supposedly quilt deaf people have a brilliant quilting motif idea as a result. Thank you Marlys for helping me get the idea . I wouldn't have it without you. And thank you too, Patti, for liking the idea and also helping to make it more concrete. I hope I can help you two when you need a hand. Thanks again! I've got to get to work drafting some three quarter views of stone wheels now! Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
#6
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Glad you're feeling on the way now, Debra.
I think 'stone wheel' (in any orientation) might be something even Google Images couldn't help with g In message , Debra writes On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:41:22 +0100, Patti wrote: Well, I don't feel so alone now. Both you and Marlys were on this news group long before I, so I know it's possible to be a quilter in spite of the quilt deafness. Yes, that's how I felt too. No problem there. I'm using off white thread for quilting so it's visible no matter where I quilt. I like the look of white or off white quilting lines. The only quilt I'm planning to match thread and fabric color is one that will have a star field on the backing and I plan to use black for the bobbin thread and something else for the top thread so the star field isn't spoiled by quilting lines. After sleeping on it, I like the wheels best too. They should be easy and fast to quilt. I'm thinking of the same type of wheel as the one so often seen in the B. C. comic strip, or scanning and enlarging one of the wheels on the print. I think they would have an outline obviously wobbly enough to look intentional. I hadn't thought of using varying sizes or multiple wheels per block. I'll have to ponder about those options for awhile. The funny thing is that I would have never thought about the wheels if I hadn't been writing a reply to Marlys. Whenever I looked at the print I saw the trikes and wagons, but not really noticing the wheels themselves. I wasn't looking at the print while writing, so I thought "wheeled riding toys" and Bingo, the lightbulb moment. Perhaps we are not quilt deaf. We simply need some sort of sounding board, and to see our thoughts in print rather than just floating around in our heads. At any rate, we three supposedly quilt deaf people have a brilliant quilting motif idea as a result. Thank you Marlys for helping me get the idea . I wouldn't have it without you. And thank you too, Patti, for liking the idea and also helping to make it more concrete. I hope I can help you two when you need a hand. Thanks again! I've got to get to work drafting some three quarter views of stone wheels now! Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere -- Best Regards pat on the hill |
#7
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Flintstones car might work, tho!
-- Wendy http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm De-STUFF email address to reply "Patti" wrote in message ... Glad you're feeling on the way now, Debra. I think 'stone wheel' (in any orientation) might be something even Google Images couldn't help with g In message , Debra writes On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 08:41:22 +0100, Patti wrote: Well, I don't feel so alone now. Both you and Marlys were on this news group long before I, so I know it's possible to be a quilter in spite of the quilt deafness. Yes, that's how I felt too. No problem there. I'm using off white thread for quilting so it's visible no matter where I quilt. I like the look of white or off white quilting lines. The only quilt I'm planning to match thread and fabric color is one that will have a star field on the backing and I plan to use black for the bobbin thread and something else for the top thread so the star field isn't spoiled by quilting lines. After sleeping on it, I like the wheels best too. They should be easy and fast to quilt. I'm thinking of the same type of wheel as the one so often seen in the B. C. comic strip, or scanning and enlarging one of the wheels on the print. I think they would have an outline obviously wobbly enough to look intentional. I hadn't thought of using varying sizes or multiple wheels per block. I'll have to ponder about those options for awhile. The funny thing is that I would have never thought about the wheels if I hadn't been writing a reply to Marlys. Whenever I looked at the print I saw the trikes and wagons, but not really noticing the wheels themselves. I wasn't looking at the print while writing, so I thought "wheeled riding toys" and Bingo, the lightbulb moment. Perhaps we are not quilt deaf. We simply need some sort of sounding board, and to see our thoughts in print rather than just floating around in our heads. At any rate, we three supposedly quilt deaf people have a brilliant quilting motif idea as a result. Thank you Marlys for helping me get the idea . I wouldn't have it without you. And thank you too, Patti, for liking the idea and also helping to make it more concrete. I hope I can help you two when you need a hand. Thanks again! I've got to get to work drafting some three quarter views of stone wheels now! Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere -- Best Regards pat on the hill |
#8
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Suggestion for border or sashing quilting motif:
"Yabba Dabba Doo!" Grins, PAT in VA/USa Debra wrote: ....cut... Many of you have said a quilt top will tell you what kind of designs it wants to have quilted on it. Well either I'm quilt deaf or this top isn't speaking. I simply did a SITD on both sides of the pink frames of the blocks. Two hours later I had all the lines in one direction done and had a good start on the other direction too. .... Now I have to trim and bind the edges. I don't think that will be a problem at all. But I do have one little problem. Although I don't have to put any quilting in the center of the blocks because the centers are about 8 inches and the batting only requires quilting every ten inches, the unquilted space seems to be asking for something more. But remember, I am quilt deaf. I don't know what to put there, but I have a few ideas and would like some input. I could continue with machine quilting and simply run diagonal lines both ways across the Pebbles and Bam Bam cloth, or I could draw a square within each block echoing the square framing. I'd rather hand quilt something a little more interesting, but what? I'd love some ideas if anyone has one. The Pebbles and Bam Bam top is in my webshots album if you would like to see it. |
#9
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So it might! Great idea, Wendy g
.. In message , Frood writes Flintstones car might work, tho! -- Best Regards pat on the hill |
#10
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On Thu, 13 Oct 2005 14:59:51 -0400, Pat in Virginia
wrote: Suggestion for border or sashing quilting motif: "Yabba Dabba Doo!" Grins, PAT in VA/USa Alas, all the sashing is 1 1/2 inches and probably too narrow to quilt words upon. I did think about using it in the blocks at one time. Debra in VA See my quilts at http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere |
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