Happy Days Quilting

A blog about Applique and Quilting

Monday 27 August 2012

Pickle dish

Been busy, I tried another filler in the oval, it's sits on top of two seam lines and the swirls don't hide them, so I have done a grid pattern to see if it works better, it definitely hides the seams but it's not as pretty, so I decided to leave both in and sew ovals to match them at either side.
I also started to sew in the straight line fillers, it was my first attempt and I will definitely be doing more of them in the future.
I hope you got some sewing time in today too.
Happy sewing!

Sunday 26 August 2012

Festival of Quilts in Birmingham

I spent two days at the quilt festival this year and had a blast, I took loads of photos of some really awesome quilts and have now uploaded them to my Flikr account.

So grab yourself a coffee, click on the link and enjoy!



www.flickr.com


Pickle dish

I have decided to postpone the unpicking of this motif


I'm still not 100% happy with it, but it doesn't look as bad as I originally judged, its a connecting design so I'm going to stitch the next one in and either I will like it or be un picking two motifs instead of one.

This is how the design was marked out


The oval motif is designed on freezer paper and then ironed in place, I can then mark around it with a soluble pen, I won't mark the swirls in the centre.


This blue line is just to tell me to stop sewing.


Using a curved ruler, I marked the feathers spine, I keep the ruler in the same curve for both sides and use the measure markings for length placement in this case from 7 to 2 cm and then on the opposite side, flip the ruler over and measure from 2 to 7cm.


There is actually a blue line marked for both spines, but it so faint it not showing up in the pic.
Anyways that it, minimal marking means more time sewing.
Happy sewing!

Friday 24 August 2012

Wall quilts

I always make wall quilts, there have only been a few exceptions over the years, I think it's mostly a size thing, wall quilts are smaller, bed quilts are harder to freemotion due to their size and I love the quilting part of making a quilt the best, and there are only three beds in my house so in theory my hobby would be finished already if I made bed quilts even taking into account a summer and winter weight one, I know I could gift some quilts and I have but they take so long to make, only close members of my family have got lucky :)
There are loads of walls in my house thou and I could be seasonal too when I eventually fill them all, but the best thing about putting a quilt on the wall is the sheer enjoyment I get everyday from looking at them!
The following pics are from my lounge.
On the flying geese quilt the quilting only really shows up when I put the lights on in the evening, it's my favourite moment of the day!
Two posts in one day, I think I've got verbal diarrhoea!
Happy sewing! again

It also might be that wall quilts don't get touched or washed often, but that makes me sound OCD so Im sticking with the size thing theory!

Blogger app and instagram

I thought I might try using a blogger app with the instagram app as a quicker way of blogging, so here goes!

These are some photos of my folk art vase quilt, I have sewn down most of the flowers and have been enjoying the pleasures of hand sewing while listening to an audio book.
what bliss!

Happy sewing to you to!

Pickle dish quilt

Its not a keeper!
I thought this design would look better, but I'm not happy with it at all, its the feathers fault, they have no graceful plumes just stubby thumbs!
Will be spending time with my unpicker today.

Thursday 23 August 2012

Freemotioning in the ditch

While happily sewing in the ditch this morning on my pickles, I was thinking about what it would be like to sew with a longarm, I always turn my quilts frequently so that they are facing the best way to sew out the designs, but on a longarm the quilt is loaded and its only moved forwards.

So I challenged myself not to turn my quilt as much, I was only freemotioning in the ditch (would definitely not feel comfortable trying this with feathers) and I was happy with how I managed, yes there were some wobbly moments but mostly I got the hang of it quite well.


The above photo is quite dark, but I hope you see what I'm getting at, usually I would turn the quilt so that it was facing me straight on, in the photo its at an angle, ok I know its baby steps but its still its a new skill learnt!

Happy sewing!

Wednesday 22 August 2012

Design Tablet learning curve

Idiot at work
Ive had a couple of mostly frustrating attempts on my design tablet so far, it takes me ages to find a brush setting that works (as I have no clue what are the best settings to use), like an idiot when I find a brush setting I like I dont right it down, so end up repeating the whole exercise of trial and error the next time I use it.
I just realised that I have again not written down any settings, Im such a doofus!


Anyways

This is the quilting motif that I plan to freemotion around the middle section, it is designed to be repeated and connect.

As I have left the design of this very late and have no way of using a light box to trace the design onto the quilt, I am going to make a freezer paper template for the oval and feather stem, iron the template onto the front of the quilt and then quilt around them and then freemotion the feathers, I could just iron on the template and then use a blue washable marker to transfer the design so will probably try out both methods to see which I like best.

Plea for help
If you are reading this post and use a design tablet yourself, this complete doofus would be ever so grateful for any hints and tips!
Happy sewing!

Tuesday 14 August 2012

Pickle Dish

This is the finished top before quilting


Once I had come up with a design for the centre I drew out onto freezer paper, and then ironed it onto the back of the quilt


There were no worries that the design would move while I marked it onto the front.


Next quilting out the design


I have been playing with my design tablet to work out a design to compliment the quilting already done and will post pics soon.

This post is linked to Freemotion by the river.

Happy sewing!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Pickle Dish quilt

Modern v traditional
I finished the top weeks ago, but have been too busy to post pics


Its a modern looking quilt and I have left loads of room for quilting

But I couldn't bring myself to quilt any modern quilting designs on it, when I say modern I mean straight lines minimalist types of quilting, don't get me wrong I do enjoy looking at it on other peoples quilts and do think it looks great and compliments the quilts very well.

But its not what calls to me when I think about quilting designs for my own quilts, I am always drawn and seek out traditional designs such as feathers and swirls etc.

I'm not sure how well the quilting will match the quilt when its finished, I have already quilted the centre design but have had to wait a few weeks to find a design that will compliment and carry the design out to the corners.

At the moment I'm pleased with how its coming along and will post pics of the progress soon.

Happy sewing!