Local quilt show: observations

Lots of pro machine quilters use SID done with Monfilament thread to
stabilize before they start in on the fancy work. So yes, it really is
utility.
Done well you can't see it. The done well part is
the trick!
For interesting critique at a quilt show take a non-quilter with you. It is
amazing the different things
they see. I had to elbow my sis and give her a
shush when she started providing some commentary.
That was the same day another gal shook her head and said "some people have
no life" while she looked at some really really excessive machine quilting.
Takes all kinds. : )
Taria



"Ragmop Sandy" wrote in message
...
Howdy!

Stitch in the ditch: why bother? Esp. w/ handquilting.
All those layers of fabric in the seams to sew into,
hiding the very stitches that make handquilting such a
joy - why? Stitch in the ditch- utility,
just a way to tack the back to the front. YMMV

btw, it's been a long time since I heard someone proclaim
that machine quilting isn't "real" quilting, or that machiners
aren't real quilters. Also been a long time since I heard
people in the LQS go into shock because men came into the
store for supplies for their own quilts. It's a big ol' wide-open
world for quilting.

R/Sandy - I like it when people critique or otherwise give their
opinions on the quilts ;-D

On Aug 17, 12:06 pm, John wrote:
On Aug 17, 10:28 am, Sandy wrote:



In article
,

John wrote:
If you look at hand quilting as an
example, you never see, or should I say I have never seen, overall
design of random squiggles, done by hand, on top of a pieced pattern
where you would run across the stitching seams of the pieced square,
with that rosette, or fan, or whatever. .

And that would probably be due to the fact that it's more difficult to
hand quilt across seam lines -- a limitation that doesn't exist
(usually) in machine quilting.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the
obvious)http://www.sandymike.net

Sandy, I accept that hand quilting across seams is probably more
difficult than across plain cloth and batting. But I am sure that
those people I have seen, that have hand quilted all the seams with
SITD quilting, I will say, that at least for some of those people, it
is not to difficult. But, you are probably right, that is the reason
that most people don't do that who hand quilt today. But along with
that reason for those that hand quilt via the SITD method, and do not
do random stitch pattern, across seam lines, I think that esthetics
play an might play important part in their decision making. My whole
take on this is just because the modern machine allows someone to do
this, with ease, Is not in and of itself, something that should
motivate somebody who is appalled by the finished product, to "Give
her a try". It all boils down to esthetics. Like I said at the first
post, if you like doing it, "git her done" that way. I just won't be
spending any time oohing, and awing over the finished result. Just as
some who do that type of quilting, may quickly pass by my traditional
style. Choices, Ain't they grand?

John

In article
,
John wrote:

Choices, Ain't they grand?


Choices -- and the sheer numbers of them! -- are possibly the reason why
quilting appeals to so many different tastes among quilters. When I
first began quilting about 25 years ago gasp!, I was a very
traditional quilter, machine piecing and hand quilting traditional
patterns (and bless Georgia Bonesteel for getting me started!). As time
went on, I began experimenting with different techniques and love the
way that experimenting can broaden the scope of what I do. I know
that's not for everyone; I'm very lucky that I can take classes (and
that I *want* to do so) to find out whether I like this or that
technique. I've discovered that, while I love hand quilting for its
relaxing, contemplative "feel", I also love machine quilting for its
sheer fun, different "look" and the ability to get baby quilts done for
my grandchildren before they head off to college. G

I no longer machine piece and hand quilt everything. Now I machine
piece, hand piece, machine appliqué -- and am beginning to enjoy hand
appliqué after several attempts to do so! I love that variety. I love
that we have choices.
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

Some times it looks to me like they've been quilted from the back!

Cindy


"John" wrote in message
...
Let me start off with a disclaimer. If any of you are offended by my
observations, then I am sorry. If you derive pleasure from the things
I am commenting on, then go ahead and continue to enjoy them. My
opinions are my own, and "might" coincide with others, or maybe not.
That stated, herein follows a brief recounting of todays visit to the
local yearly quilt show.
Lois and I showed up at the local show and started viewing the
offerings from large bed sized quilts to small wall hangings and items
of apparel. The one thing that struck me, and Lois, was the fact that
the degree of overall quilting by machine was of a singular nature.
This observation applied to about 75% of the quilts. The other 25%
were hand quilted, and this observation does not apply to them. They
were very nicely done.
As to the 75%; I have never seen as large a group of quilts, in my
life, that were done in such a random manner that defied the sewn
seams of the pattern, of the quilt. It is as if the person doing the
quilting, and some of them were "professionally" machine quilted, and
they used that word "professionally", loosely, in my opinion, was
insensitive to the fact that they were crossing over the seams of the
pattern of the quilt on autopilot in an effort to confuse attempted
artistic random loops and squiggles, in the guise of art, and not
respecting the pattern seams as defining elements of the quilt. Now if
this is the new norm and I am completely out of step with State of the
Art Free motion quilting, then so be it, I am out of step. If you look
at the other 25% of the quilts that were hand stitched. they used
overall quilting in the appropriate seam bordered elements of the
pattern and stayed within the confines of the seams and produced a
quilt that respected the pattern design and complimented that with
area quilting which enhanced the overall appearance. Out of probably
35 Machine quilts, I think there were probably 2 or 3 that met the the
above criteria of respecting the seams, and not going over them
randomey, in an attempt to achieve, I don't know what. It is almost as
if people take a class on free motion quilting and then throw away all
the time honored traditions of using quilting and stippling within
area elements that respect the seam lines of the sewn pattern, and
throw themselves into the process of random placement of the needle on
autopilot. Thank you very much,but I think I will get on the other
bus, on this show.
So there you have it. My personal take on the recent, and not so happy
viewing of the state of the art of Machine quilting, as it pertains to
Knox County, Ohio. And once again, I hope that I have not stepped on
any toes here. Or otherwise raised any hackles.

John

"John" wrote in message
...
I can understand the limitations of money into the overall equation.
But, I do all of the quilting on all of my quilts myself; with a
machine, and proudly so.
1. If I didn't do it, all myself, I wouldn't call it, "My Quilt".
2. If I paid to have it quilted, I wouldn't enter it into a show.

******************
Using that rational, where do you stop? Do you weave your own cloth? Dye
it? Screen print it? Come up wit your own design not based on a basic
block? My friend sometimes free motion quilts my tops. That's not a skill
I possess and I'm fine with that. But I don't pay her, so can I enter it
in a show?

You _don't_ do it all "yourself". None of us do. No man is an island,
remember?

Cindy

"Mary" wrote in message
...

Stupid question, though -- if Person A makes a quilt top and then has
it machine quilted by Person B, how can Person A put that quilt into a
show or a competition? Does the quilt go in as by Person A and Person
B? And is there a difference if the machine quilting is done by a
professional or some sort of commercial enterprise?

We're getting ready for our annual quilt show. We've had discussions about
"professional vs non-professional" quilting. No one can agree on what
constitutes "professional". I have a friend who, on occasion, has quilted a
top for people and been paid a nominal fee. Her name belongs with "quilted
by" on the form, but it doesn't make her a professional quilter.

Frankly, I would rather see a distinction between long arm and other forms
of machine quilting. I don't think they're comparable. You can't stipple
well on a long arm but to me, nothing beats a long arm for intricate
feathers. They both are equally valuable and pleasing.

I have seen some quilts that I just thought were breathtaking and would be
in the process of hunting down the pattern and the fabrics to make one like
it and suddenly realized that it was the _quilting_ that made it fabulous.
I can't duplicate that.

We hire a qualified judge for our show. We don't allow people to enter
quilts that they don't want judged. Which I think is a real shame. I have
quilts that I would enter, but I don't care to have them judged. I just
don't think that competition brings out the best in people. And it's not
that I don't think my quilts are "good" enough. I've entered quilts 3 times
and I've always won ribbons. I just don't like competition. It's
subjective and all the judges I've worked with have always had biases, for
or against a particular form of quilting or another. I know that I certainly
would. I would always have a soft spot for particular kinds of quilts.

I love quilts shows. Every one I've ever been to, I've learned something.

Cindy

i live on an island but i dont grown cotton, dont think anyone does, the
climate isnt right for that.
how far north/south of the equator does cotton grow best i wonder.
i like those fluffy little white cotton bolls, so cute arent they.
i'm sure they grow industrial hemp somewhere on this island.
i read that makes nice fabric.
j.

"teleflora" wrote...
Using that rational, where do you stop? Do you weave your own cloth? Dye
it? Screen print it? Come up wit your own design not based on a basic
block? My friend sometimes free motion quilts my tops. That's not a skill
I possess and I'm fine with that. But I don't pay her, so can I enter it
in a show?

You _don't_ do it all "yourself". None of us do. No man is an island,
remember?
Cindy



"John" wrote...
I can understand the limitations of money into the overall equation.
But, I do all of the quilting on all of my quilts myself; with a
machine, and proudly so.
1. If I didn't do it, all myself, I wouldn't call it, "My Quilt".
2. If I paid to have it quilted, I wouldn't enter it into a show.

******************

On Aug 17, 6:12*pm, "teleflora" wrote:
"John" wrote in message

...
I can understand the limitations of money into the overall equation.
But, I do all of the quilting on all of my quilts myself; with a
machine, and proudly so.
1. If I didn't do it, all myself, I wouldn't call it, "My Quilt".
2. If I paid to have it quilted, I wouldn't enter it into a show.

******************
Using that rational, where do you stop? *Do you weave your own cloth? *Dye
it? *Screen print it? *Come up wit your own design not based on a basic
block? *My friend sometimes free motion quilts my tops. *That's not a skill
I possess and I'm fine with that. * But I don't pay her, so can I enter it
in a show?

You _don't_ do it all "yourself". *None of us do. *No man is an island,
remember?

Cindy

Actually I am building myself a loom as I have found a source for wool
locally. I already have a spinning wheel so I may be able to get into
it sooner than I thought. You plug into whatever level you choose.
Whatever satisfies your sense of control and what you want to get out
of it. There is a guy who weaves rugs out of cast off levis' here in
town and he doesn't pay for any of it. He collects them from a vast
network of people he knows locally and they give him all their old
clothes, that he turns into rag stock strips and then weaves that into
rag rugs. Pretty resourceful, and way more in control of the product
line than I am.

John

Interestingly, Cindy, that IS a time worn style I remember reading about in
a quilting magazine back in the day. The quilter would use a large chintz
(or other) pattern as backing and quilt around the flowers and such.I cannot
recall exactly when and where this was popular, but it seems to me that it
was an English trend in the late 19th - early 20th Century. If anyone has
info on this, I'd love to read it again.

PAT

"teleflora" wrote in message
...
Some times it looks to me like they've been quilted from the back!

Cindy

I've done that when I had a decorative thread that didn't work well in
the sewing machine needle, so I put it on the bobbin and worked from the
back. I had done SITD on the front, so I knew the areas where I wanted
to do the free-motion. I also did a quilt once where I wanted to mark a
design on some of the blocks, but it was dark fabric and difficult to
see the marks. Again I did SITD from the top so I knew the areas where I
wanted the design, marked the design and stitched from the back.

Julia in MN

Pat in Virginia wrote:
Interestingly, Cindy, that IS a time worn style I remember reading about in
a quilting magazine back in the day. The quilter would use a large chintz
(or other) pattern as backing and quilt around the flowers and such.I cannot
recall exactly when and where this was popular, but it seems to me that it
was an English trend in the late 19th - early 20th Century. If anyone has
info on this, I'd love to read it again.

PAT

"teleflora" wrote in message
...
Some times it looks to me like they've been quilted from the back!

Cindy




--
-----------
This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus
http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/default
-----------

Sandy:
There is a quilting pattern that has been popular many years that takes the
design right across the quilt, regardless of the seams and blocks. IT is
often called Baptist Fan or just plain Fan and was used widely in the South
in the 1930s.

I am lucky to have a hand made quilt with the Baptist Fan in Oklahoma, about
1930. One rarely sees that pattern in machine quilting, but I do have a
large WH that was domestic machine quilted with Baptist Fan by another
Virginia quiltmaker. Both quilts are pretty and I'd be proud to have made
either one, but I didn't.

Pat in VA/USA

"Sandy" wrote in message
...
In article
,
John wrote:

If you look at hand quilting as an
example, you never see, or should I say I have never seen, overall
design of random squiggles, done by hand, on top of a pieced pattern
where you would run across the stitching seams of the pieced square,
with that rosette, or fan, or whatever. .


And that would probably be due to the fact that it's more difficult to
hand quilt across seam lines -- a limitation that doesn't exist
(usually) in machine quilting.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sw.foster1 (at) gmail (dot) com (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net