One quilted, three to go
One quilt, of the 4 in my February quota is quilted. I went with my wavy cross hatching again. I know I won't get any bindings done this month. Full view of this quilt top is here.
Anonymous said...
did i miss this earlier?... how do you prevent stretching the bias diagonal as you sew?
This comment (above) was left yesterday. I never have trouble with the bias on trianges. This picture shows the incorrect way to sew triangles.
This picture shows the correct way, with the triangle supported on a flat surface all the way through the machine. I sewed for many years with my machine on the kitchen table. I have not always had the set up I have now. I have the clear acrylic table around the arm of my machine in this picture. Full view of it was on yesterday's post. I also have a cabinet with a machine down in it so I have a level surface. My work improved dramatically with the flat surface, vs. the work draped over the machine. My suggestion is that if you are serious about the accuracy of your piecing, invest in an acrylic extension table or one of the tables or cabinets that your machine fits into, flush with the surface. Another option is to pile hard cover books in front and behind your machine to create a flat surface.
One quilt, of the 4 in my February quota is quilted. I went with my wavy cross hatching again. I know I won't get any bindings done this month. Full view of this quilt top is here.
26 comments:
Having a level surface is SO important for good piecing. Your suggestion of the books is a great one for those who don't have the luxury of the acrylic tables. I really like the dark in the middle. I hadn't given it any thought till you changed it, but it does look better!
The quilting on your quilt is just perfect for it. You are on your way to meeting your quota for sure. The dark center is definitely preferable. I like it. I agree with you that photos don't do quilts justice. Going to quilt shows and guilds is a great way to put it in focus, so to speak.
I too prefer the dark center. I wouldn't be without my acrylic extension. It came with the machine as a sale perk.
Thanks for the info about having a level surface. I never realized how important this is to keep things from stretching.
I agree, dark center is much more breath-taking!
I rather prefer the light center, but I think it's good either way. I love scrappy quilts that rely heavily on value for their impact.
My machine came with an extension table. I guess I need to pull it out and start using it.
I like both ways that you have the lay out. I think this will be a beautiful quilt - it already is and it isn't even finished yet!! I too have an acrylic piece around my sewing machine and I love the flat surface it gives to work on.
Karen
http://karensquilting.com/blog/
Wanda, is the triangle quilt a charm quilt? It is beautiful! Eleanor Burns has a great video tutorial on her QIAD site on how to cut out a tabletop to set machine down into.
I agree with your comment about seeing quilts in shows. I went to the Mid-Atlantic show yesterday and saw lots of quilts that I have seen in magazines or on blogs. They are always better "in person"!
Love the quilting on that quilt. I am lucky enough to have always been able to sew with my machine in a cabinet.I also have an acrylic table if I want to stand and sew too.:) Love the way your design wall quilt is looking just amazing.
Yes....I love the quilting on this one...good...good!! Your design wall quilt is shaping up too...I guess I go for the dark center!
Oh my gosh, Wanda, what a great tip! Just sewing the triangles from the opposite direction reduces the chances of stretching the bias, even if you don't have an extension for your sewing machine.
Hi Wanda,
I really, really like the wavy cross-hatch quilting pattern. I can think of a couple of my projects I could use it for right away. It looks like you do it with the feed dogs up -- is that right?
I never realized that the support around the sewing machine arm would make such a difference. It might explain some unintended wonkiness I run into with triangles.
Vicky F
Ilike the dark and the light. Decisions, decisions!
I have been catching up this morning, on your last 3 posts including today. I did go back to see full view of your chocolate/caramel quilt. I love it as much as I did when you first posted it. Plus a bonus of your grand summer garden of peonies. What a treat to see.
I agree with you, I prefer the dark center on your triangle piece. It seems to have greater impact on me than the light center square. It has been fun watching it grow to this point.
I agree the acrylic table surround for machines are the best for all sewing.
J~MT
A-ha! Fearless + a flat surface. I think I've just been scared off by people who insist that the only way to do it is their way - thangles, drawn lines in squares, grids, etc. I like your way of cutting the triangles - fearlessly! - and then being able to play with them before committing to a square/partner. Of course, my next roadblock is my obsession of making the points in the corners line up perfectly... Thanks, from Anonmymous
I've been LOVING watching your quilt grow and found myself thinking, "gee that looks so familiar," though I know I have never made a barn raising HST quilt. What I actually made was a split 9 patch in the same setting. Fewer go-'rounds, but the same effect. (It's here if you care to see it and its brother quilt.) I was working with someone else's scraps, so there's no theme like with yours, but the effect is similar. FWIW, I went with the dark center too.
Wanda,
I love this quilt - I also like the second possible setting where you get a rectangular design going - very cool. I have an extended table on my quilting machine- I will have to try the book idea until I can afford to get an extended table for the machine that I piece on.
Happy quilting.
Regards,
Anna
These are so beautiful. I'm not a quilter, but I know what I think is pretty! I love your quilt squares turned both ways, but I really like the dark center best.
You are so talented and have such a good eye for combining colors.
I love that quilting -- it almost looks like apple cores quilted on to the surface. It's fabulous. I'm tempted to try doing that!
If we lived closer, I'd offer to do the bindings for you -- I love stitching down binding.
I prefer the dark centre -- I think. Whichever way you decide to go, it's going to be a fabulous quilt!
What a neat pattern on the quilt you are machine quilting. I love the quilting stitch too but the pattern... hmmm a good one for jelly rolls huh.
I love your triangular quilt. It's wonderful being able to see it grow. So clever
I like the half-square triangle trick, match the right sides of two squares together, draw a diagonal line down the middle, then chain piece 1/4 away from the line on each side & snip 'em.
Of course that doesn't work for every project... but I like it.
The layout works either way round I think.It looks really great.
I love the idea of the wavy crosshatch, Wanda. It looks great. Do you have any tips? Did you mark it, do it freemotion, do any measuring?
You do like this pattern, Wanda! I made a quilt with this pattern last year after I saw one of yours on your blog. I love it. You can see it here: I just did plain diagonal crosshatching.
The wavy cross hatch is great. I really like this quilt. I like it this way with so many colours - I have seen it with just 2 different colours in the smaller squares. It looks like an African safari quilt to me. . .Thanks for the tip about triangles and a flat quilting surface. My machine sits on top of my husband's granny's quilting table. It still has a big old blue machine tucked inside. I think I might get to at least opening the top and setting mine flush. It would be worth it to improve triangle sewing! It would also mean moving some furniture to make room for my extended table.
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