I quilted 5 quilts each of the first 3 months I owned it. They were my least favorite or smallest quilt tops, easy to practice on to learn the tension settings, how to load quilts etc. the first month. I didn't work my way up to a queen size quilt until July this year.
Here you see the last one I did on it, that I showed just a few days ago. It is the third queen size one I did on it. I am no longer physically able to push a queen size quilt through a regular sewing machine and I still have 3 more queen sized ones to quilt. My 2 choices were have them quilted by someone else or buy a machine that I could quilt them on. I have had a few quilted by someone else and even though they were done beautifully, I knew I had to finish my own quilts or they just weren't mine.
Below is the first twin size one I did on the machine in Dec. 2008
Then I decided to try basting on the frame to prepare for quilting on my Pfaff. I found that it was a little puffier, not as flat as when I hand baste on tables. I'm sure I will learn more about basting as I work on other quilts.
I like simple quilting and you have seen all of the pictures below before if you have been reading my blog for awhile. All of the pictures will enlarge if you click on them. On this first one I did meandering with a heart every once in awhile. 
These are all free motion, no pantographs. Below is loop de loop. 
Next is wavy grid with a little loop now and then. 
Plain wavy grid, which I also used on the last flannel quilt that I completed in early Dec. 2009. 
Wavy parallel lines with a few sunflowers. I also do just meandering on a lot of them.
I do not do quilting for any one else and after showing you all of the quilt tops waiting for finishing last week, I think you can see why. I just want to finish my quilts in my life time.I only do the all over pattern quilting on the bed quilts, lap quilts and baby quilts. I like ditch quilting to show off the piecing and the fabrics in some of my wallhangings so they will still be done on the Pfaff or Babylock Prof. Quilter. That Babylock has a walking foot with the narrow channel between the toes for ditch quilting so it is similar to the Pfaff quarter inch foot.
I quilted 10 quilts on the Jewel in 2008 and 16 in 2009. I also quilted 8 quilts on my other 2 machines in 2009. So that's my recap for 2009.
37 comments:
Oh I want one of those too. LOL You are sure an inspiration. I love your quilting. I have a Bline frame and my Janome 1600P on it and I really want a machine with a larger harp. Will get one one of these days. hmmmm do you think I can win the lottery. LOL.
Hugs and keep up your work I love it all.
Love all the quilts that you quilted. I guess I was unaware that you had the Jewel. It really does make quilting those larger quilts easier, doesn't it? You did a great job with them. Your reasoning for wanting to quilt your quilts was one of the same reasons I had when I purchased my first longarm in 2000.
I feel the same way about wanting to quilt my own quilts. I don't have room for a midarm and a frame so I just do mine as "quilt as you go" or wrestle them thru the machine. However, I don't have the courage to wrestle a queen-sized quilt thru it. So I have one queen sized top that is "waiting" for me to figure it out.
Thank you Wanda for showing us all the different ways to quilt and look gorgeous. I love to just meander as well but I am still very much a beginner
Since I don't have room to own a long-arm or mid-arm, I have had to accept the fact that someone else has to quilt my large pieces....and that they are still mine even though I was unable to quilt them....LOL Your work is wonderful!!! I can't wait to see the recent watercolor quilt all finished. That is one of my favorites out of all them I've seen on your blog!
This looks like a nice machine. I thought anything 18" or bigger was considered a long arm....really doesn't matter I guess as long as it does what you want. You do beautiful work on all of them!
Loved hearing this story! For some reason, a lot of us didn't realize you did machine quilting! Your work always seems so original, now I know why! You put a special Wanda spin on everything you do that truly makes it your own.
Thanks for all of your sharing!! You make the rest of us so inspired!! If Wanda can do all of that surely I can complete this little pile!? Your quilts are wonderful and I am still looking for the BOOK! Gail
I didn't realize you had a big machine too! wow you must have a large sewing room to accommodate 3 sewing machines especially that big one. I know what you mean about wanting to do all of your quilts yourself. (One day in order to get all of mine caught up I might have to learn how to machine quilt - but for now I will stick with hand quilting)
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
I think that having a midarm or longarm is a dream a lot of us have who machine quilt.
I make a quilt, then quilt it. I haven't made one bigger than 68" wide and even though the 6600P Janome is a workhorse, it was a lot of moving fabric around. I find that stippling or free motion certainly helps when doing a larger quilt.
Here in Canada, it's very expensive to have long arm quilting done. I was quoted $300.00 for a queen, so I thought I'd probably have to do one in pieces or something...
A great blog. I think you like making tops...as I see from the tops hanging on the rack...let me see now, send me the third from the left, I'll quilt that one!
Yes, the lifeline does keep getting shorter doesn't it.
Thanks for sharing. I think sometimes quilts can be over quilted, I love the way you do yours. I also love the red and white floor under your machine. Hannah
That's a nice looking machine. I quilt on a Pfaff Hobby Grand Quilter on the original Inspira frame. It doesn't have nearly as much space as yours but I manage somehow. I'd like the new bigger one, I think it's 18 inches but don't have a spare ten thousand to pay for it.
Thank you so much for sharing your quilting setup. I find the information useful as I am now shopping in the midarm and frame arena for myself.
I love what you do ;-)
You have earned owning three machines and put them to good use! Love the pictures. Do you have more details of the prep you do before quilting? Every little bit helps me get better.
I'd like to give one of the longarm machines a try. I love watching them work, but heard they are a little tough to get the feel of after using the home machines.
I thot when I moved from the 5" space to the 7" space a year or so ago when I bought a 2nd Janome was the bee's knees. *L*
Even those 2" made a difference tho. The largest quilt I've done at home is an 84" one on my queen sized bed now.....but I'm just starting work on another of those. I just work slowly and take a lot of breaks.
When I discovered how to use painter's tape as a gauge for lines and curves, I was able to add a few more simple designs to my quilts.
You are amazingly prolific! I enjoy your blog very much.
Kathy B
Yolo, CA
This was a wonderful post Wanda. I also do not feel like a quilt is "mine" unless I quilt it, but I have so much to learn. Your quilting is beautiful as is your quilt making.
Lovely quilting, and a nice variety of patterns, too. I would love to quilt all of my quilts, but have decided it's ok to send them away if they are laps size or bigger. Sometimes it is too difficult and stressful without a proper quilt frame/ midarm...
Thank you for sharing!
wow, nice quilts and I love the machine you have. What a dream.
Kerstin
Thanks for sharing about your quilting machine. I've wanted an HQ16 for a long time, but no room to set one up. It looks like the Jewel frame is about the same size. I really agree with you about the quilting. I've never had anyone else quilt my quilts, because I felt that it would not really be "my" quilt unless I do the quilting for myself.
WOW
You get so much done!! I love the quilting you have done on those quilts. It's nice and soft.
This is actually a comment on the Celebration quilt- a perfect name for New Year's quilt. Most everyone I talk with is very happy that 2009 is over. It's interesting how just changing the calendar changes people's attitudes.
The New Year's quilt store sales are over. I used it as an opportunity to fill in the lighter fabrics in my Kaffe Fassett collection. I know the umbrella fabric you used is one of the older ones- but it is a wondeful design that they seem to keep printing. sally in st. paul- where we are coming to believe that the thermometer reaching o degrees is cause for celebration.
Hi Wanda,
Wow, thanks for "Wanda's Trunk Show" of your quilts and quilting.
I never picked up on the fact that you quilt with 3 different machines. Cool.
Vicky F
That addition of the little loops on the wavy grid is fantastic! I can see so many options to this. Thanks again for the inspiration.
I LOVE the floor in the room with your longarm machine! Thanks for sharing all your different machines and techniques, it's fun to see how others approach their quilting. I always learn something new!
Thanks Wanda ~ Another great post today! We all want to be like you and have the machines too.
J~MT
thank you for posting about your quilting methods. I wish that I had more interest in learning the machine quilting methods, but I'm spoiled because my friend and machine artist Linda Hibbert does so much of my work for me - I'm forever indebted to her!
Did you ever hand quilt? I miss that - I miss everything about it EXCEPT the amazingly low percentage of finished tops!!!
Another inspiring post - thank you so much!
Thank you for such a informative and inspirational post! I wish I had room for a long arm, but for now I just make do with what I have. Your quilts are amazing!
I just love having a peek inside
your quilty world Wanda....peeking
into your quilt closet...having a
peek at your different 'machines'!
It's ALL good!!! Thanks for sharing!
I am so jealous of your Jewel. I would love to have a machine like that, but just don't have anywhere to put it right now. Maybe in our next house...
What a nice setup that you have Wanda- I have wanted to make the Sandy Gervais heart pattern (I think its hers or its Buggy Barn- I have actually 2 copies of it LOL ) I seem to collect patterns these days too.
I do not have space for the mid arm machine in my house unfortunately, but my Babylock machine works pretty well and I have quilted a king size quilt on it. Like someone else said - it is quite expensive to have a large quilt quilted in Canada - anywhere from 200 to 300 dollars and more on top of what it has already cost to make the quilt. Like others, I would rather quilt it myself anyway, as it would not feel like mine if someone else has quilted.
Thanks for the tour and for showing your gorgeous quilts- You do beautiful work that always brightens my day.
Regards,
Anna
What a wonderful recap. Wanda, you are an amazing woman. 2009 was a year of many ups and downs for you....I hope that 2010 is full of wonder, color and happiness.
There's some wonderful quilts there.
I agree with you, I like to finish my own quilts, so they are truly mine. In Florida it is expensive to have someone else do the quilting on a Long Arm ($200-$300). I was shocked at how reasonable it is in some other areas of the country. But like you, I like to stitch in the ditch and less fancy machine quilting. I have heard that some people have trouble with the Jewel. Glad to hear that you like yours.
It was fun reading this older post. Your quilts are so vibrant, the quilting almost takes a background role. I'm sure you've improved, but these look pretty good for your first time out.
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