Ongoing Quilt Projects, Continued from the "No Appreciation...." Thread

[jeria]

My sleepy brain 5am is going thru lots of custom quilting ideas that would make different areas 'POP" . What color thread are you thinking of quilting it with?

 

[DuckLady]

I have a pretty variegated black/gray I think I'll be using. My first thought was to add batting to the center square to bring it forward and minimally quilt there, maybe stitch in the ditch there and on the red centers. Then a little denser on the center rows and more on the outer. I have a Buggy Barn "Barn Chicks" to do as well. Those are fun. I've made and sold several of those. I am waiting to get my table upgrade before tackling all the tops I have ready.

 

[jeria]

Sounds like a good plan a variegated won't pop much and the background texture will show off the design. On that quilt you wouldn't want the quilting to stand out but it should complement and highlight the design. I love the idea of making the center squares a focus. I might do some freehand circles in the strips that have circles and some straight or curvy lines in the ones that have a different patterned fabric. Just a thought.

 

[DuckLady]

Thanks, I have been practicing like mad. I was having trouble with control, so I remembered when I first started working in a bakery. The cake decorator had to teach us to write on cake and not mess it up. She had us write our names over and over and over and just do loops and make them as even as possible. This is what I have been doing.

Next pass I am going to do more of the same, just smaller and probably the alphabet, too and work on consistency of size.

 

[jeria]

Thanks, I have been practicing like mad. I was having trouble with control, so I remembered when I first started working in a bakery. The cake decorator had to teach us to write on cake and not mess it up. She had us write our names over and over and over and just do loops and make them as even as possible. This is what I have been doing.

You are doing well. Practice, practice, practice and it will come. Control and smooth are the hardest. Try drawing on the practice fabric and go over and over it until your muscle memory kicks in. I do that sometimes when I'm playing with a new freehand design. Also drawing on a white board or paper with a smooth pen or pencil over and over can help. For some things I like using those kindergarten pads of paper for kids learning to write. especially if I'm working on something that I want to stay within a border. Doodling designs is good. You mind starts thinking and controlling your muscles in a smooth motion which can carry over to dancing with your machine. I've had my machine since 2001 if you have questions let me know.

 

[speckledhen]

Sorry, been busy and missed a few posts! I have been working on some of these 9" blocks to go across the top and bottom only of the first Carpenter's Wheel/Square I made. I could not find one single green fabric that was close to the shade of the one in the center, the dark olive green with little orangey-gold leaves. This print I'm using in the small blocks has a brighter green but the golds match nicely. I want this to be a twin quilt and if I did the blocks all around, it would just become a larger and larger square.

 

[speckledhen]

oh, good grief, I just saw the illusion quilt, Terrie! It's wonderful! I'm glad you were able to make something better than I did. I may still pull mine out when I get done with a few more projects and unsew some blocks and see if I can salvage it. Angela Walters, the YouTube quilt teacher of The Midnight Quilt Show, said that her husband's grandfather always said that a finished quilt was better than a perfect quilt top. So, one way or another, it will eventually be done!

 

[DuckLady]

Thanks, Cyn! Your latest looks great!

I am really glad I saw your You Tube on the illusion quilt. Thank you!

A Tennessee Waltz quilt is calling my name and I just got the fabric cut for it. The last 2 days, I pieced 2 Jelly Roll Race tops and 2 toddler bed tops. A friend and I are doing a craft fair in December, so I want to have several lap robes ready for Christmas gifts as well as aprons and tree skirts. Also thinking of making quilted sewing machine covers.

 

[speckledhen]

Thanks, Cyn! Your latest looks great!

I am really glad I saw your You Tube on the illusion quilt. Thank you!

A Tennessee Waltz quilt is calling my name and I just got the fabric cut for it. The last 2 days, I pieced 2 Jelly Roll Race tops and 2 toddler bed tops. A friend and I are doing a craft fair in December, so I want to have several lap robes ready for Christmas gifts as well as aprons and tree skirts. Also thinking of making quilted sewing machine covers.

Oh, you're doing a TN Waltz! I love that pattern, with the snowball block or the churn dash. I may do another one some day in deeper colors.

 

[speckledhen]

In spite of my little down spell yesterday, I have the twelve 9" blocks sewn together and ready to attach to the first Carpenter's Wheel/Star on top and bottom to elongate the quilt. What I'll do next, I don't know yet.

Attached and shown on my queen bed (it's sheet-washing day). It's about 54x72 now.