More STUFF to share

So here is what I've been up to.....

QUILTS-

I tried my hand at scalloped edges.  It looked so easy, using this template from Eleanor Burns.  The follow-along tutorials help but it was still a big challenge for me.  I was relieved when this quilt was done!  I used the fabric line In My Room plus some other fabric from my stash for this.

Then I made this quilt in a Broken Dishes pattern, using Millie's Closet fabric line:

And the cute Dress Up Days fabric for this quilt:

Back to Quilting

I have been gone awhile and have 2 new grandsons to show for it :o)  But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy sewing and quilting!  I have most definitely been doing that when I can.  I have too.  Because, whenever I go to another city (my kids live in other states) then I MUST frequent quilt and fabric shops while there!  And that means I am acquiring lots and lots of fabric, ergo: I must quilt!

Besides acquiring more fabric, when I last posted here I had also acquired something else: a new machine!  I have had my Babylock Ellegante for about 8 yrs now (whenever it was they came out; this one is the first model) and love love love it, but I haven't used it for embroidery in quite some time.  It serves me well for regular sewing and in my beginning-to-quilt stage.  But, free-motion-quilting can be rather hard on a machine, I'm told.  Plus my wonderful husband likes to spoil me.  And so I traded in a rarely-used Embellishing (Felting) machine towards a brand new Babylock Symphony!   

At first glance, it looks very similar to my Ellie, but in addition to not doing embroidery, it has many fantastic features for quilting, some that I never dreamed of, such as a special bobbin for doing Bobbin Work quilting and a circular sewing attachment.  I can't wait to learn how to use those, but in the meantime, it sews like a dream and FMQ just got even more fun for me.

I will post pictures of some of my recent quilts next.

FMQ- Next Level

I believe I have mastered the "meandering" method of Free Motion Quilting - 6 quilts later.  I really enjoy quilting that way as well as the puckered look it leaves.  It is what I set out to learn and, truthfully, I'm not at all sure I have the talent or patience to learn any of the fancy feathery stuff that many do.  It is beautiful but looks so hard to me.  I'm not very good at drawing anyway, so it just figures I wouldn't be any better at trying to do it with a machine and needle.

I was however not afraid to try a simple variation on a recent hourglass quilt I made.  Triangles seemed easy enough to do and with enough patience and pacing, I did it.  Not the best job in the world, but it did what it's supposed to do and that is to make the non-solid fabrics POP.  

I like the backing on this quilt as much as I do the front.

Easy Quilting

I'm all about doing things easily, if possible, and thanks to Missouri Star Quilting its now easier than ever!  In addition to having the best selection (and prices) of precut fabric (charm packs, jelly rolls, layer cakes, etc) owner Jenny Doan offers fantastic tutorials on just how to make fabulous quilts EASILY.  I find myself eagerly checking their Daily Deal every morning first thing (I keep saying I'm going to stop but I CAN'T).  One of Jenny's daughters has created templates that fit either charms or layer cakes and it's just crazy fun to make these.

So in my quest to master Free Motion Quilting, I need to practice it a lot. I started pulling out some quilts I'd made before and stippling them, which was fun.  And then I cleaned out my stash of fabric and discovered some great fabric in there, just waiting to be made into a quilt.  (I like to say "I went shopping in my stash today and found some great deals").  Here are two of them, one finished and one on my basting board, ready to be quilted.

This one uses the fabric I rediscovered in my stash- so bright and cheery!  I love the backing as much as the top.  The style of this is called a Flower Box  (click on link for tutorial)

This is my current project.  I used a layer cake called the Lemon Tree by Benartex.  It turned out a LOT bigger than I expected, so I'm going to be working on it for awhile, but I did assemble the quilt top in one evening using the Double Slice Cake method (click on link for tutorial)

Wall Decals

Did you know that Spoonflower carries is PVC-free vinyl wall decals?  These come in various sizes along with many use ideas.  I created my first one for a grandson's nursery.  My son-in-law  and daughter are huge fans of the group Coldplay and when I saw a similar design on Etsy, I had a hunch they would like this and I was right ;-)  I made this one as an 11x14, printed on 15x15 layout.  It looks really nice in the nursery.  

These are nice because they can be repositioned and leave no marks on walls.  I recently made this one for my own personal use:

There are tons of designs over there to choose from along with inspirational ideas.  Have a look HERE.

For The Quilters- My Basting Board

This post isn't about fabric design; it's about another passion of mine: quilting.  I wanted to learn how to do Free Motion Quilting and began my quest last week.  After clearing and cleaning out my sewing studio I was ready to go.  I began watching Patsy Thompson's video tutorials on this subject over on YouTube.  In the first one, she tells about her "basting wall" that she created to baste quilts on.  It is ingenious, using gravity and basting spray- no pins!  It's pretty simple- attaching ceiling squares (inexpensive, available at Home Depot, Lowe's, etc) to a wall.  I think every quilter that sees it wants one, but many- if not most- of us do not have an extra wall to spare.  I was bummed about not being able to have one......until I noticed the large 6x6 ft board we have, leaning against the garage wall.  *LIGHTBULB*  (I do realize that not everyone has one of those hanging around either) I got SO excited about what I was about to make.  I bought the tiles and some Gorilla Glue and got busy.  This particular glue dries quickly and uses water to help it bond.  I cleaned off the board and got a water bottle to wet it as I went, tile by tile.  I used various items in the garage to place on each tile and help it set.  Took about 45 minutes per tile.  I wish I had taken a picture or two of the project.  I used it the next day and it works GREAT.  My first FMQ was a success from basting to binding.

On my next quilt to practice the FMQ technique I did take photos of the basting process.  Please remember this is out in my garage and the lighting's not so great.

So, here is my basting board, those are the push-pins up in the corner I use to hold the quilt back on.

But first, I lay an old sheet over the tiles to catch any extra basting spray.  Then the quilt back goes on with the right side facing away:

Then I spray the basting spray on and just press the batting onto it, smoothing and positioning it:

And I spray the batting with basting spray and place the quilt top on and smooth all wrinkles out:  

And that's it!  The basting spray is great because you can move things around until you get it just right.  I toss the sheet into the wash and have a perfectly sandwiched quilt to work with.

Pillows

I am very happy with how they turned out!  These will be for sale soon at my Etsy shop.