Category: machine quilting

applique · daily life · family · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

Making up for lost blogging time…lol

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

I’ve been going around today taking some pictures to post in the next few days.  Today, I will start with some pics I took yesterday.  I took my cousin’s quilt to my parents house, to lay out on their bed for better photos.  I still don’t have it trimmed, and now that my shoulder is feeling better, I hope to be able to get the binding attached to the front today.  Then I can start the handstitching.  I think it will be plenty big, even after shrinking when I wash it.  I’m sure y’all are getting tired of this one, and will be ready for me to move on to another project…lol.  Right now, this one has to be top priority. I think they will love it, especially when they notice the little details, like the horses and horse shoes in the borders, and the stetsons and boots. That is not threadiness in the feather spine, but marking chalk, which will wash out.

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Speaking of yesterday, we went to my parents house, which is an hour from where we live.  My brother and his family came, too.  We had a really nice day.  I ate wayyyyy to much and loved every bite! Mom sent us home with a nice bit of leftovers and I am looking forward to heating them up in a bit. 

It is freezing cold outside and we are getting our first snowfall of the season. What a great day to get to be home! Ilove, love, love four day weekends! 🙂

Coming up soon, I will have pics of some small projects I managed to work on, even while my shoulder was bothering me so, and I will discuss my stash and the need to be using it up and not adding to it, and catching up with the “what’s on your bed” question that has been going around.  Stay tuned! 🙂

community · daily life · fabric baskets · longarm quilting · machine quilting · pretty fabric · quilts · sewing

Time’s Up! And the winner is…..

Wild Rose Quilter6 Comments

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Congratulations Deb Levy! Email me your snail mail, and I will be sending you your fabric prize.  I chose five of my favorite “blender” fabrics from my stash and cut one yard pieces from each.

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Thank you to all of the 22 entries in my blog contest! I wish I could send you all a prize.  I will have to think of more reasons for future contests!

Notice that I used my newly made basket to hold your names!

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I think it’s not too bad for a first try, though I’m not convinced I’m finished with it just yet.  I think it needs some kind of handles added.  I hope to get a few smaller ones made up for some handmade Christmas gifts this year.

I haven’t signed up to be an official PIF participant, (the Pay It Forward movement that is going around on many of the blogs) simply because I have so many obligations to meet in my life already, that I didn’t want to sign up, fail, and feel badly.  However, I intend to unofficially participate, and look for ways to bless others with my handiwork.  I just don’t want it to feel like another thing I “have” to get done.  I hope that doesn’t sound terrible, I’m just being honest.  Most days I’m already stretched about as thin as I can go, as I know most of you are, too.  I really admire those of you that find ways to handle it all, and still find time and energy to give so much of yourselves. 

I am also happy to report that my stepdaughter is going home from the hospital as I type! She had her surgery Thursday and all went well.  The doctor didn’t see anything that looks suspicious, but we won’t have the official report til next week.  That is such a huge relief! I just wish she didn’t have to go through the discomfort that follows.  She is such a special young woman and I love her very much! Thank you for your prayers for her.

Have a wonderful Saturday!

fabric baskets · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

WIP Wednesday

Wild Rose Quilter5 Comments

I have managed to work on my projects some this week, in the evenings after work.  Tonight, before DH got home and dinner was ready, I managed to get started on the final big feather in my cousin’s quilt.

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And, I’ve been wrapping clothesline while watching TV at night, and on my lunch breaks I’ve been able to stitch for a few minutes on my first basket attempt.  This is kind of fun! It’s really starting to look like something!

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There is one small spot right before I stopped stitching where my fabric shifted and the clothesline is showing.  I will fix that.  And that’s all I have for my midweek project report!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

Sneak Peeks at Quilting the “Cowboy Way”

Wild Rose Quilter12 Comments

I am almost finished quilting my cousin’s quilt.  One large feather to go, and it will be on to the binding. Since my blog has been seriously lacking in quilt related photos lately, I’m going to make up for it with some preview photos.  I wanted to give them “durability” in the quilting, as this will be used, but also wanted special elements in the quilting to reflect their lifestyle, and give it a personal touch for them.  Thankfully, Dave Hudson has several designs that filled the bill perfectly.  This top started out at right at 118″ square.  a quick measurement a moment ago, tells me the quilting process has already shrunk it to about 115″.  I know it will shrink a bit more when I wash it, but surely it will still be large enough.  I always worry about that!  Anyway, here are the pics…they aren’t the best quality, but never fear, there will be more when it is finished. 🙂

Lots of stippling, and a bit of feathering…carrie7.jpg

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I put Dave Hudson’s stallions in the inner top and bottom borders.

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I put Dave’s horseshoes in the side inner borders.

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I used another of Dave’s pantos for the large outside borders.  It has Stetsons & cowboy boots with meandering around them. It is perfect for this quilt.

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And finally, Quilt EZ feathered wreaths in the corners.

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And that concludes the preview show.  I think it is coming together quite nicely.  I also think I am FINALLY “getting it” when it comes to doing a custom quilt job.  I have struggled with “putting it all together” and getting the quilt stabilized w/o problems, etc.  I don’t know why this was so hard for me to figure out, but I think the light bulbs are finally all coming on! 

daily life · machine quilting

Is it not Friday yet…???

Wild Rose Quilter4 Comments

This has been such a hectic week for me at work.  Today will be the same.  I’m sure ready for Friday.  Tomorrow I get off early, but I’m getting my hair cut & new color, so that will take pretty much the whole afternoon.  I need to be working on my quilting projects.  I am making progress on my cousin’s quilt, and I think that may have something to do with my anxious-ness.  I’ve frogged two feathers, already…hopefully there will be no more frogging.  I think that I’m trying “too hard” because I want it to be so special, that I get myself all frazzled out in my head.  And I become extremely critical of my work.  I think it’s just too many things going on at once in different areas of my life. 

My oldest stepdaughter will be having a hysterectomy on the 8th, and I am ready for that to be behind her, also.  She’s only 31.  If you are so inclined, please say a prayer for her that all will go smoothly and there will be no bad test results from the lab work.

Carla, I finally took a pic of the inversion table for you.  It’s at a bit of a weird angle, but I was trying to get the whole apparatus in the pic. It’s a Teeter Hang Ups.

inversion.jpgI went for my chiropractic treatment yesterday, and my chiropractor said he thinks it’s great that I  got one and am using it.

Gotta run for now!

longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilting · quilts

A cute quilt and a great panto!

Wild Rose Quilter7 Comments

I finished quilting this little gem of a quilt last night after work.  It is a customer top, made by my good friend, Betty.  She did a great job on this one, and chose the Star Swirl panto, from Terri Watson & Michelle Wyman. I love this panto, it quilts up quick & easy, & looks great.  This top and backing were made from unwashed batiks, so I was a little apprehensive, but Corky handled it great.  I had one spot I had to pick out and restitch, because it skipped some stitches.  I’m not sure what caused it, but I thought about all the tips I have read and decided to loosen the quilt sandwich a bit more, and I didn’t have any more problems.  It was one little spot, about 1/2 inch long where there was one long stitch.  The backing is a gorgeous red batik, and I had trouble getting a good photo of it, but the pattern and variegated thread look fabulous on it. I think Betty will really like it.

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The next quilt to go on the machine is my cousin’s log cabin, with the cattle brand in the center.  I’m anxious to get started on it.  I hope this weekend will be good for quilting! Hopefully my body will be on the same page as my mind, and be cooperative!

longarm quilting · machine quilting

Sometimes things just work out like they were supposed to all along

Wild Rose Quilter2 Comments

While picking out the Signature variegated thread, I really began to question my choice of it on this little top in the first place.  So, when I got it all set up to quilt again, I decided to switch to the Rainbows Autumn.  I did some stitching on my practice sandwich, tension was perfect, and did a row on the top.  It looks so much prettier than the Signature did! I really think the Signature was too heavy and stood out too much, where the Rainbows complements it without stealing the show.  I only did one row, as I was already tired, but now I look forward to finishing it.  Perfect tension on this row, too.  Oh well, live and learn. 

longarm quilting · machine quilting · NASCAR · quilt top · quilting · quilts

Waaaa!! It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to!

Wild Rose Quilter5 Comments

Ok, yesterday it was Kay, today it’s me 😦 .  I’m doing the dreaded “f” word.  Yep, frogging.  It was supposed to be a quickie, easy peasy little money maker.  42″ wallhanging with Leaf Pile panto.  How hard can that be?  Well, apparently pretty difficult.  My customer requested a variegated with colors in the fabrics.  I have a cone of Signature Autumn, and the colors in it are PERFECT.  But, it’s a Tex 50.  I’m not experienced with this thread, so I filled  a bobbin with Tex 40 Signature in Camel.  I thought I had the tension set pretty good…did some practice stitches first and tweaked it, took off stitching.  First problem was a thread break.  Fixed that, then noticed that the pokies on top are pretty bad.  Looks great on the back.  I’m frogging the whole first row.  Thank goodness it’s only 42″ and not 102″.  So, I’m sure it’s a tension balance thing, and I went back to my practice sandwich, and have it looking good on top there, but then I look at the bottom, and the pokies have moved down there.  GRRRR…maybe I just need to give up and use a pretty Rainbow I have that will work with this top, also.  I also tried filling a bobbin with the variegated, and try to match the bobbin color with what was coming off the top at the same time, but that didn’t work and I had worse pokies.  Is it possible to run variegated in top and bottom without ANY pokies?  I hate pokies.  

Right now, I’m leaving it alone for awhile, to watch the NASCAR race and work on piecing my borders for Carrie & John’s quilt.  I got the entire center pieced together yesterday and am quite happy with it.  Wonder if I will see Diane on TV today? 

This is the center of the quilt, before I got the last row added.

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And, on another bright note, I now have the starry log cabin block countdown under twenty!

butterflies · caterpillars · longarm quilting · machine quilting · quilt top · quilting · quilts · sewing

Making Progress!

Wild Rose Quilter2 Comments

My starry log cabin countdown is now under 30!  Woohoo! I have all the blocks for my cousin’s quilt completed.  Now to sew the middle section together and figure out the applique. I’m worried about that part and will be glad to get it done (successfully) and behind me.  Then to put it all together and quilt! Oh!  I also got my UFO finished for the MQR challenge.  I’ve already picked out the one for October. 

In caterpillar news, my parsley finally started growing really well and I now have some big fat cats on it!  They are so cute. I hope they live to find their wings and become beautiful butterflies!