Marking A Quilt For Quilting On The Frame

 Another little cutie has been found hiding in the UFO quilt top stash.  This one is only a little over a year old.  Dresden quilts are my favorite.  I've made so many that I've lost count how many.  Hiding somewhere my stash of UFO's is three more needing to be finished into quilt tops.  Maybe I can work on those later in the year.

Measuring 37x37 and having a lot of white space for quilting makes it perfect for quilting it to death.  You all know I struggle with quilting.  But coming up with a quilting plan for this one was a bit easier than most quilts.  A feather wreath around each dresden was my first and final plan.  Now it's time to mark the quilt so the quilting will be the same in every block.

I was like Goldilocks looking for the perfect kitchen item suit my needs.  Many plates, bowls and saucers were auditioned and failed.  And then a cake pan was just the right size for making the spine of the feathers.  The patchwork was used to help center the cake pan.

To test my quilted feather wreath idea, I used a piece of plexiglass and a dry erase marker.  I can quilt better than I can draw but it gives me a good idea of how this design will look on the quilt.  I love it!

Then it was time to decide what would go in the blank border blocks.  My first thought was a simple crosshatching, but it just wasn't right for this little quilt, well in MY mind it wasn't.  After doing the quilt stare for a while it occurred to me that doing the same feathered wreath design would be best.  The cake pan was carefully placed and traced (red arrow), using the patchwork seams as my guide for placement.  Then Goldilocks headed back to the kitchen to find the perfect circle for marking the ghost dresden.  This will give me place for the feather to stop and look just like the feathers around the dresden blocks.

After marking the circle/arc, the feather wreath plexiglass was auditioned...Perfect!  I considered drawing a dresden for quilting under the feathers, but that was more work than I was willing to do.  Maybe the two little hearts in this area would be cute.  In the end one little heart was added because it was easier than the other two ideas.   Now to let Goldilocks decide whether or not to add a background fill, and if so, what background fill.  

The same design was marked at each corner of the quilt, but I can't decide if I want a heart in the corners or just a background fill.  I guess Goldilocks has some things to think about today while I'm quilting.

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Quilting ~ Cleaning And Thinking

 A recent e-mail from a new follower of my blog has triggered this post.  Triggered in a good way.  She was new to this area of Podunk and wanted fabric shopping suggestions.  We are like souls when it comes to fabric.  This topic has been discussed here many times over the years and is the reason for my quilting hero in the sidebar of this blog.  So, this is a heads up to leave now if you don't want to hear once again how I feel about quilt rules and quilt police.

There are some dirty truths in the quilting world.  The most important rule I've learn in my 38 years of quilting is most rules are merely suggestions.  Almost all the rules have been broken many times in my quilting room.  Sure, I try to follow some of the basic rules like the quarter inch seam, but it too has been broken when needed.  

There are more rules I break on a regular basis like...use only cotton for fabric, batting and thread...change your needle and rotary cutter after every project...clean and moisturize your cutting mat every 2 or 3 months...clean your sewing machine after every project.  

And then there's the rules for quilting on a frame.  Needle changes, cleaning...blah blah blah. (eye roll).  My quilter wheels haven't been cleaned in a long time and the only reason they are getting cleaned now is because I was getting some inconsistent stitches.  While cleaning I found a maintenance issues that might have caused the problem.  A loose nut on this bolt that holds my front to back stitch regulator encoder.  A quick chat with Mr. Podunk and he found a locking nut in his stash that will stop this from ever happening again.

Below is the side-to-side stitch regulator encoder.  It had no issues other than having a huge amount of lint on the outside of the wheel.  I don't think this was a problem, but I cleaned it anyway.  

Sure, my quilter and frame are both quite dirty, but I think the real problem was the loose bolt not the dirt.  Today before loading a new quilt on the frame, I'll give the machine a quick dusting to remove the lint and then a good oiling because I haven't done either in weeks.  I think I just heard the quilt police gasp...WEEKS!

 I won't be changing the needle because it's been working just fine for almost a month.  When I see skipped stitches or hear popping sounds when the needle goes through the fabric is when it will be changed.

The next quilt top to be loaded onto the frame was pieced with serger thread, my preferred thread for piecing.  YES, serger thread.  They say you shouldn't use serger thread, but have for many years.  I know many quilters who use it for both piecing and quilting on a longarm.  The quilt top was made with quilt shop quality fabric but the backing will be Walmart Waverly cotton.  I love and support my local quilt shop when I can and when they have what I want or need but sometimes I like the looks of a cheap print better.  It isn't always about price.  

 The batting for this quilt, not cotton...100% polyester.  It's easy on my allergies and makes the quilting pop.  And my go-to quilting thread is 100% polyester, good quality, Superior Threads Micro Quilter 100wt, 7002.  I pay a little extra for this because I like the way it looks on the quilt.  

My point to this post was not to say "they" are wrong about quilting suggestions/rules but...

Before I knew these rules, things were working okay and my quilts were loved even when made with cheap fabric and a sewing machine jammed full of lint.  The internet came along and put way too many rules on quilting.

It's okay to quilt how you want to quilt and ignore the quilt police.

All quilts are made with love and that's all that matters.

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Strawberry Dresden Pillow Finish

 I'm berry excited about this week's sweet UFO finish!  This yummy little dish was started back in March of 2022.

 It was the test block for a YouTube video tutorial. As you all know I gave up my business to keep my sanity.  The original quilt block recipe was whipped up in 2013 and was called Cherry Blossom Marmalade, the block below.

As with any recipe, changes can be made to make the dish even sweeter. 

 So, I traded out the turned edge applique for raw edge, the cherries for strawberries, added ricrac to sweeten it up, then did some over the top quilting to make this dish a little more appetizing to the eye...YUM!

And what makes a recipe even better....a secret ingredient!  A little quilty love was sprinkled to the back of the pillowtop before quilting.   Do you add labels to your pillows?

Normally I don't line my envelope closure pillow backs because more fabric equals more money.   But let's be honest.  Most of have more fabric than we could possibly use in a lifetime.  Might as well use it so it doesn't end up in thrift shop when I'm gone. 

And for the big finish, a red striped binding.  Oh, how I love a stripe or gingham for binding! 

This block was a test block and never meant to be shared with anyone.  So, there's two uglies in this project.  The first is the dark red wedge at the bottom of the block. It's not as dark as in this picture but it's still sticks out like a sore thumb just the same.  The second ugly...I cut the ricrac too short.  The ends should overlap.  I could cover it with more applique or a bow but...eh...I'm okay with imperfection.

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Wordless Wednesday ~ Working On Another UFO

 

Me not say a word...HAHA!  Can't wait to finish this little yummy!

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Quilt Finish ~ Moda Love ~ Quilt Mojo Talk

 Another quicky finish...and let me tell you, these last few UFO quicky quilts have turned on the quilty mojo! I'M BACK!  It's been a long time since I was this excited about quilting.  Sure, the love of quilting has always been in my heart, but it was lacking the excitement over these last few years.  This burst of excitement has me questioning my next step.  Do I continue on with finishing the UFO's or let my creativity run wild?

  Being fickle and jumping from project to project is what created the many UFO's.  If I stop finishing UFO's will the excitement fade or grow?   I fear making the wrong decision and losing this feeling of excitement.  

I need to just take a deep breath and talk about the Moda Love quilt.  

Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out..NOPE...I need to share some crazy thoughts I have on My Quilty Mojo.  

Maybe the Moda Love pattern is the reason for my newfound excitement/love?  Has it cast a love spell on me?  You know, big companies pay big money to scientist who know how control our purchases.  All I need to say...tobacco and food companies.  Seriously, how many times have we plowed throw a whole row/bag of Oreo cookies?  That is how they were designed.  Scientist know the perfect combination to make us want more.  How many times have you ate a dozen eggs and felt like you wanted more?  For me the answer is never.  But Oreos, I could eat the whole bag, feel like crap and still want more, they are addictive! 

So, Is there something about this pattern that makes me want to make more?  It has gone viral a couple of times over the years.  HAHA!  Oh, I don't really believe in casting spells, but I do believe in good marketing and the power of suggestion.

Now here's something to think about.  Tell me what you think in the comments.  A quilty friend of mine once told me.... she believed fabric manufacturers put pheromones in fabric because every time she walked in a quilt shop she felt the same feeling she had when she was young and in love.  

It's the same for me!  How about you, do you get that giddy young girl feeling in a quilt shop?  Uncontrollable urges to buy fabric you don't need.  Maybe you don't want to leave the shop and can't wait until your next visit?  SEE!  Pheromones! HAHA!  

So, my point is maybe, and that's a big maybe, my excitement and mojo is in overdrive because I've been spending more time in my studio around pheromone filled fabrics.  It could also be it's spring and sunny outside or maybe the moon is in the right phase. HAHA!

Really, I don't know and I don't care why the excitement is back.  But it's fun to think about it being something other than me being bat crap crazy. 

  

Oh by the way...this quilt was 100% ruler work, binding was machine stitched to the front and handstitched to the back.  The home printed label is off center because I add my labels before quilted so they can never be removed.  If you want to know more about the fabrics and pattern click here.

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Let's Quilt Another UFO

 This week's two small finishes lit a quilt finishing fire in the Podunk Sewing Room.  Might as well feed the flames by pulling a small quilt top from the stash. 

The quilt top is the small version of the Moda Love quilt pattern.  My original plan was to use the blue floral print for the binding and the two orange/peach fabrics for the backing.  

But in the spirit of quick and easy I'd rather not stitch together the two orange fabrics.  So, it was time to dig through the fabric stash for piece of fabric large enough for the backing.  As quickly as the stash cabinet door opened, I saw the perfect print for the backing.

The overage of this fabric from quilting on the frame can also be used for the binding.

Another quick dig, this time in the batting scraps, produced a piece of 80/20 batting perfect for this project.  Then in no time I had the label printed and ready to go.  My goodness, I'm impressed with how fast all this came together.  Not one hiccup in the plan!  Oh, what a beautiful day!  

See you soon with another finish!

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Two UFO Quilt Projects Finished

Why do I feel like I've accomplished some great feat when finishing an old project?  Those of you who know me, you know. I'm about as fickle and squirrelly as they come.  So, finishing these two small projects is huge accomplishment.

  Over 10 yrs ago I made this bunny block.  It was one block of a block of the month.  It was the only block I finished.   So, in order to finish this project, the block patterns were kept, and the fabrics were added to my scrap stash.  The fabrics could have been used to make this block bigger but my goal was for a quick and easy finish.  For the quilting an easy crosshatching was marked on the background fabric.

A quick label was designed, printed and sewn to the back of the block before quilting.

Background fabrics from the other blocks in the BOM were used to make an envelope style closure for the pillow.  Sadly, I made the mistake of sewing the binding to the front of the pillow instead of the back.  No worries.  I glue basted the binding to the back making sure to cover the binding stitching.

By glueing the binding to the back, I could stitch from the front and also catch the binding on the back.  

It turned out great! And here's where I add one of my favorite quilting quotes.

"The true measure of a quilter is not how perfect the quilt but how well they hide their mistakes."

Over the years I've had some comments about how binding doesn't belong on pillows.  My sewing room, my rules...I deleted those rude comments. HAHA!  I like binding on pillows.  It adds color and allows them to be used for wall hangings, table toppers or like this one, a candle mat. 

My next finish is The End Of Chaos quilt.  If you're interested in its history, you can find it here.  

This one was quilted on the frame with simple straight lines and free motion continuous curves in the nine patch blocks.  I've fallen in love with this little quilt even though it is way out of my typical color pallet and quilting style.  

There's a lot of memories in each square of fabric. She may not be the prettiest quilt I've ever made but she has a story to tell

.  To keep things easy, I considered throwing the remaining scraps in the scrap bins.  But I knew the only way to give the story an ending was to use them on the back of the quilt.

Another quilt label was printed on my inkjet printer and added to the back before quilting.  

Four quilts made from the same batch of "ugly" scraps.  The first three quilts were gifted and loved.  This one will stay with me, at least for now.  Maybe it too will find a new home...someday.

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New Project Inspired By A Rabbit

Springtime is a busy time.  Pulling weeds, planting flowers and vegetables is in full swing.  Spring is my favorite time of year.  The dull brown winter landscape fades away with the glorious colored spring flowers.  With the fresh foliage comes critters of all kinds to feast at the buffet.  While drinking my morning cup coffee and enjoying the morning sun coming through window, I spied this cute little guy making his way towards my flowerbed off my front porch.

 This must be the little fella who found my pink tulips to be so yummy he ate them all before they could bloom.  It was disappointing but he has to eat.  So, next year the pink tulips will be off the menu and protected by a fence.  This mischievous little fella made me smile with his little nose twitching.  I'm pretty sure he was sniffing out more of my delicious flowers for his all you can eat buffet.  Eat all you want Mr. Rabbit because I'm in no mood to close down the buffet.  This week's yardwork used muscles I forgot I had, and I need a little sit-down time, but your presence has inspired me to work on a UFO.  

All that is needed to finish the block is a few inches of hand stitched applique.  

Within minutes he was finished and ready to become a pillow.  A quick dig though the batting scraps and I found a piece of 100%  cotton batting that fit perfectly. 

In the UFO box was enough fabric to make the envelope closure pillow back.  

However, there isn't enough of any one darker fabric to use as the binding/faux piping, there's enough for the cream background fabric but I would prefer color.  This was good time to switch projects so I can think over my options.

So, it was back the quilting my Chaos quilt that is on the frame.  It's been neglected this week due to the yardwork.  I'm hoping for a next Friday finish.  If it would rain, I would be forced to finish it sooner...come on rain! HAHA!

Just a little heads up....the rest of this post is non quilting things.  

First topic is the circle cropped picture above. 

 Vicki in MN left a comment wanting to know what program I use for circle cropping.  I've used PhotoscapeX pro for about 10yrs.   It has a lot of great features, and it was reasonable priced at the time.  I think it now might be a free download.   It was fairly easy to learn how to use all the features by watching YouTube videos. 

Second topic is my girl Khaleesi.  

We are still battling the Perianal Fistulas.  It's an autoimmune disease that some dog owners have put in remission.  Right now, her treatment plan is topical antibiotics, and a very expense immunosuppressant medication called cyclosporine.  Cyclosporine without GoodRX it's almost $700 a month.  With the GoodRX coupon it's still $198 a month.  The topical antibiotic is $59 with GoodRX coupon and so far we are still using the first tube.  We also give her over the counter pro and prebiotics, $75 a month.  A supplement, $40 a month, to keep her urinary track in good health since she also suffered from chronic urinary tract infections.

Two weeks ago we started a laser light therapy once a week.  It too is costly. $75 every week without a discount, $55 a week with a discount that we get from our membership with Thrive Pet Healthcare.  The Healthcare plan is only $15 a month but it saves us much more than it costs.  No office visit charges, reduced yearly exams, vaccines and with most procedures.

Our thought is to throw every treatment we can at this horribly painful disease and put her into remission.  So far it's looking very promising.

She's doing well and doesn't struggle to poo anymore.  Every time she poo's we clean her bum.  In the beginning of this horrible diagnosis cleaning her bum was painful for her.  Now that it's healing, she doesn't try to bite me when cleaning her bum.

My girl went through hell before coming to live with us.  If your new to my blog, she's a rescue dog and was alone in a cage for 23 hours a day for the first year of her life.  She had almost no human contact.  And when she did it was not good.  Her owner sent her to an abusive K9 training program where she was beat and shocked.

 When she came to live with us, we were given the cage she lived in because it was her safe place.  The cage was left open, she was free to leave anytime night or day but didn't.  She would only come out to go the door to let me know she needed to potty.

She would come out, go to the door, we would let her out and she would come back in and go back to the cage on her own.   On day 10 she finally came out with her tail tucked and head down she made it across the room to the nice comfy dog bed I had waiting for her since day one.  She sat there for about 15 seconds and ran back into the cage, terrified of what was to come.  I'm sure she was confused when I praised and loved on her for being so brave.

She made great progress after learning we were not going to hurt her, only love her.  After a few months of her rarely using the cage for comfort and safety we removed the horrible prison cage from our home.  We also hired a professional dog trainer to help us and her deal with her anxiety issues without medication.

It's been baby steps for 6 yrs.  It took about 2 months for us to gain her trust and for her to untuck the tail.   Her tail hasn't stopped wagging since.  She still has some odd behaviors and is easily startled but she for the most part she's just a happy dog.

Thanks to all of you for your love, support and prayers for my girl over the years. 

 

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