Longarm Quilting

For the longest time, I have been dying to try my hand at quilting on a longarm!!  There is a local shop that has a Gammill, you take the class to learn how to use it and then you can rent time.  It is SOO different from what I have done in the past, lemme tell ya!!  I was so used to the control I had when I was the one making the designs happen with the fabric, but the longarm is so sensitive, moves so quickly that it's harder to control what you're doing at first. At first I wasn't liking it at all, but after about an hour, it was awesome.  I would still totally buy one with my lottery winnings or inheritance from a long-lost uncle who owns a gold mine!  And I would buy a standard, no frills model, just one that can get the job done and I can learn to be a quilting rockstar.

Not a lot to ask for!

It took me about an hour to load this baby, the guy who was supposed to be helping me kept leaving me for bits of time, a little annoying to say the least.

Here is my progress on the hub's quilt...I finished the top a year-ish ago and just never quilted it because to baste it meant taking it to the hub's work and using the bigger floor...just didn't really want to do that! I'm quilting a different design in each color, just for some variety. This a great quilt to learn how to use this machine since I am doing so many different designs.

Took me 2 1/2 hours of quilting to get it almost done, I have a row and a half left!  I had to wait to book another hour to finish on Dec 7th.  I will be so glad to have this finished and put it wrapped under the Christmas tree this year!!  Even though he already knows about it, picked out the colors and pattern, has seen it partially quilted, and knows everything about it...he has to wait until Christmas morning!!

Machine Quilting - Stippling

When I first started quilting, I never even knew there was such a thing as long-arm quilters.  I started out machine piecing and hand quilting.  Once I bought a machine that was able to handle the strain of machine quilting, I've been machine quilting ever since!  I'm self-taught and thought I would share what I've learned with you here!

Stippling seems to be the go-to quilting pattern for a lot of quilters....it's easy, fast, and works well on almost every quilt! It's also a great "beginning" quilting pattern. Drop those feed dogs, use a free motion foot, and go to town.  I always try to make my stippling very rounded at the turns.  I try to think of the curves as the letter C and it's easier to me.

Questions??  Shoot me or email or leave me a comment!

Machine Quilting ~ Clamshell Filler

::UPDATED::  Just wanted to update this post with another video better showing the stitching with contrasting fabric/thread.

I thought I would share a short video of an easy filler design that I have been using on all the white fabric on my Swoon quilt.  It really is easy once you get the hang of it!  Usually, I like to sketch designs on paper first, but I am TERRIBLE at drawing.  Quilting is so much easier for me....but it took me a while to get my groove.  I think the key word for me is fearless....which may be why I quilt so close to my fingers {which also explains why I have sewn thru my finger on occassion!}

Hard to see white on white, but I hope you get the idea! If you get stuck in a corner, simply "retrace" over another line of stitching to work your way out. Questions?? Shoot me an email or leave a comment!

Bubble Quilting the Single Girl

Our church has a quilting group that meets about every 2 weeks.  I've been out of the swing of things for a while, but am just getting back...and it was so much fun!!  Some of the ladies are older and VERY set in their ways, which is kinda funny to watch when they interact with each other, lol!!  Then there are some younger ladies, my age, that I really love hanging out with.  It was just a wonderful Friday night with them all.  I got my Single Girl all assembled and basted, and started quilting it when I got home Friday night.  I am trying out a new pattern, bubble quilting, and it is pretty fun!!  Definitely out of my comfort zone, trying to keep all those little circles actually ROUND and not lopsided.  I have to think when I quilt this one, which is something I tend not to do.  Usually when I quilt, my brain runs amok all over the place...it's nice to just zone out and enjoy the mental health break!  This pattern also takes a TON of thread, too, but I think I am going to LOVE it in the end!

Hoping to finish quilting this week!

In other news....my kitty went to the vet this morning to have her lady parts and front claws removed....I left 2 very sad children at school since Roxy has to stay overnight at the vet.  We may be going to see her after school, just for their peace of mind!

Wave Quilting Pattern and a Finish!

This is definitely my go-to machine quilting pattern.  It goes quickly, covering a lot of the quilt in a short amount of time, it's easy, and it looks pretty :o)  This is what it looks like on paper...it's a pretty fun quilting pattern.  I practiced a lot on paper before attempting the pattern on my quilts!  But I have to say...I am kind of in a machine quilting rut.  I need to branch out into other quilting techniques...but it's so easy to do what you already know!  What is your go-to quilting pattern?

This quilt top was made by a sweet student of mine a few years ago when I used to teach high school.  She was in 9th grade at the time, and was dying to make a quilt...perhaps I had something to do with that :o)  Anyway, we would take time each week in study hall to work on the quilt top.  That was almost 5 years ago now...and she never finished it.  Well, she finished the quilt top.  So her mom asked for me to finish it for her to give her as a Christmas present this year.  I am so excited to finish this for her!

close up of the back...I love the backs!