Developing Personality

Now that I'm starting to add the quilting stitches, my project is developing it's personality. It is coming to life. I love to see the spirit of the quilt start to emerge as I work.

I've chosen to ignore the blocks entirely and quilt curving lines trailing across the entire top. I could have made many different thread choices for the quilting but found a perfect thread in my thread collection. How often does that happen?

This variegated thread picks up the colors of the fabrics, two of my favorite colors, chartreuse green and bright orange. (Probably why I couldn't resist purchasing the thread in the first place.) 

There are quilts where I have blended the thread so only the relief of the quilting shows. Today, both the thread color and the hills and valleys of the quilted areas will shine.

I hope you will come back again and see the progress as I continue my quilt journey.

More Thread Storage Ideas

 After I blogged about thread, Sonia sent me her storage solutions. She has certainly conquered the problem in her studio and I wanted to share her ideas with you.

"My favorite way to store and select thread is to lay them (color in view) in a shallow drawer or covered plastic tray.  However, I now, too, have a variety of types of thread although I do not have an embroidery module for any of my machines.  (I make up for that with decoratiave stitching.)  I have two "racks" that I lightly varnished before I sorted my thread spools (by color) on them, one rack for cotton specialties (varigated, quilting), and the other for what used to be "cotton covered polyester" or ordinary sewing thread.  Then I have trays or shallow drawers for other varieties of thread for variety of uses, each type with its own tray or drawer.  I keep my serging thread in a small plastic dresser with shallow drawers with the serger tools in their own drawer. 

What trips my crazies, is when there are loose threads dangling and getting tangled, especially from bobbins.  Then its nuts to try to find the bobbin that "matches" a specific spool. To solve these problems, I ordered white plastic bobbin holders that would fit on a spool of like color, and wrap the bobbin with either a mini pony-tail thing-a-ma-bob (beauty department) or a half round pink plastic bobbin "wrap" that keeps the thread from wandering."

Sonia K.

Threading You Along

I have not pre-marked my quilt top with quilting designs prior to basting. Actually, this would not have worked well since most marking tools tend to heat set and I would have done just that when I fused my sandwich together.

I now need to make my final decisions on choice to thread and quilting design. First, let's look at thread choices. I went through my thread and found these two options.

The multicolor cotton thread certainly picks up all the colors that are in the quilt top. Because the color changes as I stitch, I've noticed that can be a good thing if my line is a bit shakey or otherwise less than perfect.  The multicolored thread also adds more variety to my quilt.

On the other hand, the solid yellow rayon thread will show more with a crisp, sharp line.  It will lend continuity to the quilting.  It is also the thread that I used for the previous projects with these fabrics. But, I have changed the background color in this project, should I also change the thread color?

What do you see? Should I go with the excitement and movement of the multicolored thread or the crispness of the solid? There are those larger areas of solid blue to fill in. Does the quilt need more action with the quilting or is there already enough going on?

Questions, questions, questions! Enough thoughts and decision-making for one day, tomorrow we'll move on to the quilting design.

Dragons Aplenty and Not a Damsel in Flight

Dragons Aplenty

18" x 18"

Sharon V. Rotz

Choosing three fine fabrics is only the start of the background. Each would get a special treatment to make that fabric shine. The subject matter draws your interest but the details hook you and stop you for a second look.

The dragonflies are definitely eye catching, more so in person, when you can see how they pop off the surface of the quilts. But, they are not the only show in town. Each fabric has developed its own personality to keep your attention.

The lovely lighter blue fabric has branches and shadows and delightful small white berries. This is my "new" fabric and while it truly is a favorite by itself, could it not be improved with a touch of small pearls added to it? I chose not to hand stitch a pearl to each berry but to keep them in a cluster in the lower center.

The deep blue is enhanced by hand stitching using pearl cotton thread. This thread is a little heavier and adds dimension and relief to the center strip of the quilt. In the right section, rows of tiny seed beads climb up echoing the flight of the dragonflies.

The combination of machine work and hand work is a plan that keeps me interested in the project. There is speed and there are moments of contemplation, both serve to keep me balanced.

Today we have flight

Yesterday, my dragonflies were grounded by faulty techniques. Today, after reviewing and making a new plan, I now have dragonflies to spread their wings across my quilt.

I layered the water soluble stabilizer over two layers of sheer blue polyester fabric. I took it to my machine which was set up with silver metallic thread and started to free motion stitch the dragonflies. I went over all the lines at least twice and added more stitching to give detail to the wings. After completing the stitching, I trimmed away the excess fabric and soaked off the stabilizer.

The dragonflies have just enough body and the wings tend to curl up slightly gives them a dose of character. Perfect for what I have in mind. Actually, I found they are so much fun to make that one more, and one more, lands on my table.

Now to press on and give them a quilt to permanently land on.

Going from sketchbook to quilt involves trying techniques which may be new. It seems like I never get over the learning curve. I'm always attempting something a little different than I've done before.

I had a sketch of a dragonfly that I wanted to create in fabric and thread. I chose a wonderful silver metallic thread that would add sparkle to the dragonfly. I traced the dragonfly unto the water-soluble stabilizer with a Sharpie permanent marker. I tried thread painting (or free motion stitching) on the stabilizer but obviously this was the wrong plan. It just shriveled up and chewed up the stabilizer.

Second plan: I found a sheer blue left from my daughter's wedding (the bridesmaids looked lovely in blue). I re-sandwiched with the blue sheer over the stabilizer and am trying again.

Let's see if this works.

Any suggestions?

Merging Serging with Quilting

In addition to my Friday class at FVTC Sewing and Quilting Expo, I will be presenting a Saturday lecture on merging serging with quilting.

You will enjoy the fun ways of using your serger as a quilting tool. Check out the how-to. We will look at the common serger stitches and see how they can be employed to add creativity to your quilting projects.

Adding the sparkle of decorative threads to your projects will be easier with your serger. Pieces can be joined with maximum speed. Stretching and raveling threads can be controlled.

See you in Oshkosh on March 19-20.

Cleaning up my Life?

In a effort to use some of that stash, I have been busy sewing. Since the thread didn't show, I went through my thread collection.

Is it a collection? Have I been busy "collecting" thread? Apparently, because I found many spools of thread that were almost thread bare (great pun!!) I hear you laughing at me....

I picked through the green and blues and pulled out and finished 13 spools of thread in one afternoon. No picture because I threw them away so fast... before I could think of any reason to save empty spools. You know, for some crazy crafty project.

Today, I'll move on. There are spools of red, yellow, and orange to look through. Not to mention all the neutrals.

And, I don't want to know the clever uses you have found for empty spools. They are gone!