The Learning Curve and Then Some

A round of applause, please. I have completely finished one quilt. It only needs a label and the I will ship it off to my oldest son and his wife. It is my first quilt done on the long arm. I hope they don't mind all the errors but I am just learning and well it is made with love. It is not a true bed size quilt but I figure it is a good size for the grand kids to cuddle under on the couch when they are sick. In the picture you can see my son Killian's feet and the top of his head. He is about 5'10" so it is a good size.


Here is a closer look at the pattern. The random fabric in the rails works because the rails didn't have to match up to make the pattern. I used fat quarters for this so I needed to be able to not match up rails.  I am really pleased with how it came out.

If you remember, I said in a previous post that this was not a quilt I particularly wanted to do. It was a project planned for the young women at my church. But it was canceled and I had already cut the fabric. If I didn't make it those strips would have sat in a bin for all eternity. I just don't need another millennial project. I guess I should explain "millennial project" My friend Kerri Lynn refers to projects that sit on shelves half finished as millennial projects. It implies that the projects will get done some time during the millennial (a religious term referring to Christ's reign of a thousand years before the judgment day) I think of it as taking a thousand years to finish it. I already have enough of those. Ask my daughter Arianna about the quilt I started her at the end of her senior year of high school.


This quilt was a learning quilt. I learned  how to design a pattern for the quilt. I am still learning about placement of  the design and how to get it meshed right. I learned how to optimized the pattern, and when and where I want pattern breaks. This pictures show where I took out a pattern break that I should have left in. Every so often there is a line of stitching connecting the rows of stitching. I also learned that while I have no problem threading a hand needle for sewing, a needle threader is really the best way to get the ends of both threads through the eye of the needle so I can bury them. It was really hard to get both threads through the eye, even with a large eye. I bought several needle threaders this last week.


I also learned about the importance of pulling the bobbin thread. This is what happens when you forget to pull the bobbin thread. I have little birds nests in a few spots on the quilt. And I just couldn't get them out with out tearing out the quilting. These are mistakes that I can't make when I am quilting for others.So I need to learn from them.



I did like the stitch pattern though. Flowing vines and leaves. It seemed to go with the fabric and I quilted it in a brown despite having a light back ground. It is little difficult to see in the picture, but they are really pretty.


I also said in a previous post, I had enough blocks left to make a small quilt. I am pleased to say that quilt is also almost done. It is quilted and the binding is on it, turned and ready to be stitched down on the back. You can see the Wonder Clips holding the binding in place. These last two quilts are the first time I have used the Wonder Clips. I hate getting stuck with the pins while I sew down the binding. In the store Wonder Clips cost about $7.00 for ten. I may be cheap but I thought that was insane and I would just use pins and get stuck. I was online one day and saw a set of fifty for around $8.00. So I thought why not and ordered 2 sets of 50. You need enough to go around the quilt right? I loved them. I actually went back to the site, Quilting Treasures, and ordered 2 more sets of fifty. They weren't on sale anymore but fifty for $22.00 still beats ten for $7.00.

I would have stitched the binding down this weekend but Tatianna asked me to leave for her to take to work with her.  Tatianna works with an elderly couple for half a day, everyday. She usually ends there all day because we are down to three vheicles. Killian has to drop her off on his way to work, and pickes her up on his way home. She wants to use that extra time to stitch the binding on. She is feeling the need to do more sewing. It is a stress relief for her as well.

Any way this little quilt will make a nice lap quilt for someone. It was also stitched in brown but it has a brown back. The quilting pattern I used on this quilt was called diamonds and truthfully I like it even better that the vines and leaves. The stitching is much denser. It gives the quilt a much more substantial feel to it.

I have learned a great deal doing these two quilts but I have so much more to learn. My third quilt is on the long arm and I am really struggling with this one. Part of the problem is the quilt itself but a good deal of it is I got cocky. I had thought I got this and well I didn't.  I am really needing to learn more about the program that drives the machine. It is called Quiltpath.  I have decided that when Patty Butcher of Katydids Quilting Studio offers the Quiltpath quilt camp I am going. I am setting aside the money out of my bonus and taking the time off from work and going. I need more training on the Quiltpath so I can be a better quilter. And of course my husband is all about me getting the training. I am greatful he is so supportive of this enterpise. Even though he can't stand to listen to the machine run. (he feels the same about my sewing machine).

In the meantime, I am finishing up quilts and practicing and learning as I go. I have a quilt top that Miss Betty's mother made that I am going to quilt. I have another that I need to put a couple of borders on. Then I got 2 tops on ebay really cheap (less than ten dollars) that will work for practice peices even if they turn out to be poor quality. I don't think I will mind making mistakes on those as much as I do on the ones I peice.

So the coming weeks will be more practice and more learning. Now if I can just get over the fact I have to go to work and not stay home and quilt. I really would rather stay home.

What are you learning this week?