Monday, December 17, 2018

~ Oh How Do I Quilt Thee ~

Over the years I've been asked several times if I send my  quilts out to be quilted.  No.  
The next question is always do you have a longarm?  No.  


So today I'm going to share my secret tool.  I quilt my quilts on a Bailey Home Quilter 15 Pro, on a Hinterburg Stretch frame.  
My frame right now is covered in fabric, well really the entire studio is a disaster zone.  So here's a pretty frame picture borrowed from the internet. However that is not a Bailey Machine.  This frame has been discontinued but is still available.  I don't recommend it, with all the great frames available right now.  If I were buying one now I would purchase a Grace Continuum Frame.

Here's my monster, she's not pretty but she gets the job done.  I've made several "adjustments" to her over the years.  Would I recommend this machine?   Sure if its all you can afford.  This machine and frame can often be found used for around $2000.   I love this machine because she allows me to do what I love a little quicker and easier.  Would I love to have a big fancy machine, you betcha! But I can't justify the purchase.  $20,000 to quilt my own quilts just doesn't make good money sense.  The Bailey is a good machine, a workhorse and I can service her myself.  She's been a member of my studio for 8 years, give or take a year or so.  Not one trip to be repaired.  Most of my machines I maintain myself.  As you can see in the picture below I've "adjusted" a few things to make her work well for me. 


Here's what a Bailey looks like brand new.  Now you know why I call mine a monster.


Most who see my quilts think they have been done by a bigger and better machine. 


 I can't stress enough you don't need a $20,000 machine to make pretty quilting.  You don't even need a frame quilter.  Quilts win shows everyday that have been quilted on a domestic machine.  What it does take is patience and a lot of practice.    


I get a good chuckle when a longarmer asks me what brand of longarm I own.  The look on their face is usually priceless.


The reason I purchased this monster is because I love the look of quilts that are quilted to death. 


But in the last couple of years I've been quilting them a little less.  I've no clue how to quilt a panto design.  I've never even tried.  The waves on the quilt below was done by drawing the first wavy line and then I moved down 2 inches and my best to mimick the stitched line above.  Sometime this year I would like to tie one of my quilts.  I tied one for a friend a couple of years ago and I tell you what...I LOVED IT!  It was so soft and cuddly.  So I'm curious, what's your favorite quilting style?  Hand quilted?  Quilted to death? Or Tied?




#baileyhomequilter #framequilter # midarmquilter #podunkpretties #quiltittodeath

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20 comments:

  1. I have always admired your quilting. I’m a beginner quilter and I just quilted a quilt. It was all straight lines on my HQ and it was the second quilt I’ve done. What do you mean by tied? I haven’t heard that name being used. TY

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    1. Thank you. Here's a video about tying a quilt. It's easier to show you than to explain it. It's an old fashion method that is rarely used these days. No machine required. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdQZ8c6PX9g

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  2. Quilted to death ?? NO way for me. I love my quilts to be quilted enough to hold together through many machine washing/drying. If I wanted a quilt to stand up in a corner by it's self, I would get a piece of cardboard and draw a quilting design on it. :-) You do beautiful quilting--award quilting--just not my style or wants. I should also tell you that I "quilt by check", and that I make sure that my longarmer knows exactly what I want in the finished product

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    1. You are so right! they get very stiff and not something that can be cuddled. The lighter quilting is ideal for snuggling.

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  3. I love the 'show' quilting and can admire the time and talent that goes into it, but I am one who likes the lesser quilting for the comfy/cuddly use of a quilt. I have a long arm - still in the box - and a gifted very old Gracie frame that we found is missing many parts. I haven't even bothered with them as I love to quilt on my home machine.

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    1. I still like to quilt on my domestic machine sometimes. Especially with smaller quilts.

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  4. Your quilting is incredibly beautiful! I bow to the queen! I wouldn't even know where to start on something like that....but I sure love looking at yours! I'm more a mini-quilt girl, something I can do on my regular machine. I so admire your talent! Thanks for sharing your pictures, I am learning so much from your posts!

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  5. I really like my Hinterburg frame, I have the smaller one, because I can sit down to quilt. It works with my midarm and my very simple quilting. Your quilting is amazing! Only wish I had the time to practice more.

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  6. Thank you. I worked so hard to learn to quilt like that, and now I would rather have them lightly quilted. Crazy!

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  7. Bailey machines were really popular a few years back and then I didn't hear much about them in recent years. I had no idea you had one! I agree you don't need a big expensive machine to do wonderful work. Mine is the Nolting Funquilter 17", the perfect size for me. Sure once in a while I wish my machine had just a bit more space but not going to trade. I love quilting to death but also enjoy freehand spacing out a bit too. Panto's not so much, don't like being on that side of the machine:)

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  8. your quilts look pretty but too much quilting for me. I hand quilt and have always done so. Occasionally I will machine quilt using my domestic machine but I just do straight lines and keep the quilts soft and cuddly - I have never tied a quilt but have seen them of course - I don't really care for it but it would be soft I'm sure. I too can not see spending $20,000 on a long arm just to do my own quilts I often wonder why people spend that much!

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  9. Lea Anne I agree with you whole heartedly. Your quilts are amazing. Thank you sew much for sharing.
    Hugs
    donna

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  10. Wouldn't that machine be considered a mid arm? I wouldn't mind quilting something to death if I had a machine such as that one. Working with my domestic machine with large throat space, I quilt as minimally as possible.

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  11. These are all very lovely! I quilt all of my own quilts on my domestic machine, using my walking foot. It works for me and I am now trying other designs. I really do not want a longarm taking up space in my house and I want to say that I have made the quilt from start to finish.

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  12. Sometime you have to post a video showing how you actually quilt with this machine. I can't quite work out how you do it, if this isn't a long arm. You can't be manipulating the frame can you? It looks way to big and stationary.

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  13. I hand quilt small things, but have one queen size one in progress... put aside when cats attacked the batting and now living in a 5th wheel travel trailer have not gotten it back out. (no cats at the moment) When we were working I could afford to have the big ones machine quilted by check. Now tops are piling up, slowly, remember where I live now? Before I really knew what I was doing quilt wise, I tied comforters. Now that is only for gifts to people who do not realize the time, money and effort that went into a real quilt!

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  14. I greatly admire the workmanship on quilts that are “quilted to death”, but it’s not what I want for my quilts that are mostly for my family. I really prefer the fabrics and pattern to shine, so as good as I can quilt on my domestic machine, is good enough for me. I’ve done lots of meandering and stippling (it’s still a favorite), loop-de-loop, straight-line, wavy-line, spiral (whew, that one tried my patience), geometric stipple, flowers, hearts ... all freehand, except for baptist fan which I marked first. Thanks for sharing your process. Candy

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    1. I love "quilted to death" for the beauty of the workmanship, but I prefer a softer quilt with a little less dense quilting! You do beautiful work, Lea Anne! It does take practice, practice, practice!!

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