delurk and some questions!

Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o. DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already - any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma

Welcome, Emma! I'm only going to approach the dull rotary blade question.
It could be that it's simply worn out. But, maybe, it's just fastened in too
tightly. If it is, loosen it just a tiny bit so that it will roll freely. It
is possible to sharpen rotary blades but I haven't tried that. And, please,
never ever have it open except when actually cutting. If you've read the
klutz glove posts, you'll see why. Glad to have you here. Polly

"lloer" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and
a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o.
DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing
but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but
I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and
I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left
overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be
buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already -
any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left
over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a
quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma

Welcome to your new addiction (RCTQ)! Send finished quilts to me for
quality assurance (snail available upon request)

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left
over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a
quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

And YUM! Have you ever thought to try a crazy quilt? Those fabrics are
perfect for one. I'm making crazy quilted xmas stockings in those colors
(the burgundy and wine colors also). They look great in crazy patches.


--
LN in NH
a crazy quilter * hand quilter * & hand appliquér
all in all --- a very slow quilter.... So send quilts!
http://photos.yahoo.com/lns_obsessed

Hullo Emma and welcome
I have a Lily, too; lovely machine. You will get on fine with that.
Since you are just starting into P & Q, a few notes:
we've just had a short thread on needles. You probably bought some fine
needles for your wedding dress, if it was silk. You will find that fine
and sharp needles make P &Q much easier too - you accumulate lots more
fabric layers than in dressmaking, and need something fine, sharp and
strong to go through them.
Cutter: some blades just are not perfect! Surprise!
My first instinct is that you might have been pressing too hard. If you
haven't used one before, the tendency is to press really hard. This
then goes quite far into the mat and so it will blunt more quickly. Do
loosen it a tad, as suggested. There are sharpeners, and I have used
them, but they will only lengthen the life of your blade a little, they
won't make it like new again. They are useful, particularly if you are
not near a quilting supplies shop, as they will keep you going until you
can get a new blade. I live out in the country and try to keep a spare
blade at all times.
If you pick up a P & Q magazine, you will probably find a blade
sharpening service; and bulk buying offers.
..
In article , lloer
writes
Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o. DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already - any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma



--
Best Regards
pat on the hill

You've got a great machine! I almost bought the Lily, but got the Rose
instead, thinking I would embroider a bunch of kids' clothes. I'm too busy
taking care of the kids to embroider anything! ;-)

Based on your quilt style preference, you might be happy with FQs or
half-yards for stash building. That would give you a wide variety of fabrics
to play with.

Welcome to the group!

--
Wendy
http://griffinsflight.com/Quilting/quilt1.htm
De-Fang email address to reply
"lloer" wrote in message
...
Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and
a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o.
DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing
but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but
I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and
I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left
overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be
buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already -
any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left
over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a
quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma

Welcome Emma! Glad you could join us. Asking quilters how much fabric to
buy is kind of a religious question. I.e. it has an infinite number of
answers, all of them true. I try to buy about twice as much as I think I
need. But I seldom shop for a particular project. There's a fair bit of
stash in my sewing room, so I start piecing with fabric on hand.
Eventually, there's something I don't have: the right sashing, backing,
whatever. Then it's time to go to the store again. This is not organized,
but I enjoy watching a quilt grow and being surprised with how it turns
out.

It's probably a good thing I live in Europe. If I lived over there where
all fabric is permanently "half price", there would be no room for
anything else in my house!
Roberta in D

"lloer" wrote in
:

Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used
Husqvarna Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I
needed a new machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice
between the new 535 and a used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't
use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9
y.o. DD. I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to
alt.sewing but read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience
is dressmaking but I'm still a relative novice at that too - I had
lots of help from my Mum and grandmother with the wedding dress and it
was only princess line which is just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel
and I will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have
the patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't
).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's
interested in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left
overs which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be
buying? I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already
- any ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left
over from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to
make a quilt but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury
fabric in aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma

Welcome aboard! You sound as thought you are definitely on the right
track. Since I am a fabricholic I am not a good person to ask about
stash building . I use more yardage than I do fq's. FQ' are really
nice accent pieces to use in a larger quilt though.
Looking forward to sharing with you
juliasb

lloer wrote:

Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o. DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already - any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma



--
come and journey with me...
from darkness into New Life
http:\\www.nwlife.com

Welcome, welcome! You sure did come to the right place for answers,
opinions, fun, fun, and fun.

Karen, Queen of Squishies
--
My reply address is scrambled. Please change my
address to hicall80 at earthlink dot net

Hi Emma
Nice to have another Brit on board-we are a small -but select-band; we
go for quality rather than quantity!
I tend to be fairly traditional so haven't played around witht things
like silk so can't help you there.

I agree with Patti about possibly pressing too hard on the board- also
is your board always totally flat when using it as this can make a
difference.

Do you have a tendency to cut in the same spaces on the board-if so
you might be wearing out both the board and blade at the same time.

Also - I find fat quarters or bigger the best size-sometimes packs
made up in co-ordinating fat eighths are just too good to resist at
the shows. Would only go for charm squares if you have a particular
idea in mind eg minature etc.

Where abouts are you? If you are anywhere near Cambridgeshire the
quilt show at Chilford 7th-9th November would be worth a visit -the
silk route often have a stand there selling small pieces of silk and
the like.

Email me privately for more details if this is of interest to you.

Annie, England


lloer wrote:

Hello,

I've recently gained an interest in quilting. I bought my used Husqvarna
Lily 545 (which is the 'quilting' Lily) in the summer as I needed a new
machine to make my wedding dress - it was a choice between the new 535 and a
used 545. At the time, I thought I wouldn't use the quilting extras

Just some general info about me: I'm in the UK, I'm 32 and have a 9 y.o. DD.
I also work fulltime as a programmer. I post occasionally to alt.sewing but
read regularly. Most of my previous sewing experience is dressmaking but I'm
still a relative novice at that too - I had lots of help from my Mum and
grandmother with the wedding dress and it was only princess line which is
just several long seams!

I'm interested in making quilts with a very contemporary look and feel and I
will be doing as much as possible on the machine as I don't have the
patience for hand-sewing (even if I had the time - which I don't ).

I'm the sort of person who buys lots of books on anything she's interested
in, so I already have several books on quilting

I've also started building a stash. I do have lots of dressmaking left overs
which helps - including some nice batiks.

So, some questions:

When buying fabric for a stash - how much of each fabric should I be buying?
I've been buying fat quarters or charm packs so far.

I bought a rotary cutter (Fiskars) and a large mat. I've only used the
cutter a small number of times but it seems to be going blunt already - any
ideas on what am I doing wrong?

Finally, I have lots of dark green and gold scraps of silk dupion left over
from my wedding dress - I'm thinking that I should use them to make a quilt
but I would be will to swap some for any other luxury fabric in
aubergine/wine/plum/burgundy colours. Anyone interested?

Emma


OOH! I remember that wedding dress! Welcome to the slightly madder
world of quilting!

There are some places that sell FQ's of silk... I'll see what I can
find!