FEATURE: Oh, Fransson! Quilting by Machine

I pretty much taught myself how to machine quilt using the free-motion technique. I did make one trip to the sewing machine store where I got some great tips, but everything else I learned by googling and youtubing.

Today I stumbled on a new blog post on Oh, Fransson's for a Quilt-a-Long with detailed step-by-step sections for each stage of making an adorable mod sampler! Please go check it out.

What I really liked was the section where Elizabeth describes machine quilting, everything I learned by trial and error is right there! Fantastic. If you are just learning or even if you know how, you have to read this. And the last step is making and sewing on seam binding, again all simply explained! And you get to see all sorts of her gorgeous quilt projects used in the examples. I am SO impressed.

Also be sure to check out the Mod Sampler Flickr page for posting pics of quilts you make using the tutorial.

Isn't the internet great?


(BTW, this is my first ever attempt at machine quilting, before I got my new sewing machine, eeek)

What Happened to Sewing by Hand?

I was looking at some hand stitching photos recently on Flickr and was reminded of the days when I used to actually have the time and patience to needlepoint, hand quilt and cross stitch. I made this mini cloth made from linen when I was in Cameroun, Africa in 1986, trying to become a missionary. I have kept it all this time because I made it. I don't know if I used a pattern or not but it's completely symmetrical and all counted.

I still have a book with gorgeous counted cross stitch patterns and this is one that I started but never finished. I still think it's beautiful.

I'm not sure how I lost the sense of being able to sit down for hours and stitch by hand but maybe it's something I can aspire to again some day.

Fabric, Fabric, and more Fabric!

There have been some incredible sales recently and some incredible new fabrics coming out and DARN IT ALL, I just have to have some! If anyone can figure out how to a) increase the number or hours in a day and/or b) allow me to now need sleep, I may be able to make a dent in all this. Of course I have many many plans for it all but very little time.

Fabric.com was having a 50% off sale and I picked some incredible bargains including some Joel Dewberry manzanita in sky and espresso, LOVE THIS so much:


And some orange and green Joel Dewberry Aviary fabric:


And some Heather Ross double gauze:


Sooo, if I can change the time/space continuum, I'll show you what I'm making soon!

Finished!

The stacked coin quilt is finished! This is a birthday gift for my niece who will be 10 in July. Can't believe I have something done in advance, hm.

Work has been crazy busy this week and stressing me out so all I've managed to do is stare at my stacks of fabric waiting to be sewn, sigh. Next project is a gnome quilt. I'm having dreams about gnomes, imagining putting them in my garden and making little stuffed gnomes, not sure why!?!?



AND, I had a nice surprise this week when Kris at Resweater asked if she could feature my Pendleton wool skirts-turned-pillows on her blog! Thank you Kris!

Stacked Coin Quilt in Progress

I am working on a stacked coin quilt, using the Snippets charm pack, actually I used two full charm packs for this. I used Kona cotton in white (I think it's called snow) on the front and Kona premium muslin for the back. The premium muslin is to die for. It's so soft and silky and was $9.00/yd (but was 108" wide as well). I am going to look for this more often. It comes in white or natural.

I'm using variegated thread which is really fun, it's called "pastel" but the colors look a little brighter on the white fabric.

The thread was giving me tension issues on the bottom for awhile and I did everything I could think of; adjusted the tension up, down. Put in a new needle. Re-threaded the machine. Finally I re-threaded the bobbin. I guess that was it, no tension problem!

I hope to post the finished quilt soon but it's been a long week at work so I've been too tired at night to sew.

You can get an idea of the thread in this last photo.