Quilting Vintage Valentine Forever Hand Applique Project

May 18, 2020

Have you ever tried to get good at something and then given up because you start comparing your work, life or whatever it is you are trying to achieve to someone else?

Well, that is totally happening to me for the past two weeks. I finally had a lull in between client quilts (more are on the way) so I decided to put the endless Vintage Valentine hand applique quilt on the frame.

Now, do I just throw the quilt on the frame, quilt it with all-over design and call it done? No, I decide to practise and do something different, something I wouldn’t do on a client quilt (it would take far too long).

Of course, the design is something I don’t do on a consistent basis, not to mention something I have actually never done before, so I immediately went into comparison mode and ended up walking away from the project completely depressed because my quilting didn’t look perfect like all of the quilters in the magazines and online that win awards.

It’s also the first time I have ever used a blue washout marking pen on an actual quilt, not just a practice piece, and I was so nervous, especially as I have spent years on this baby!

Sigh, of course, it wouldn’t look like that, it is something I have never done before. To get as good as the award winners would mean that I would have to put hours of practice in, something I obviously haven’t done. Quilting pantographs or even light custom quilting isn’t the same as starting on “micro quilting”.

There is a quote from Marie Forleo that I came across the other day “Success doesn’t come from what you do occasionally, it comes from what you do consistently”.

This quote is so true and something I obviously forget when I start thinking I am going to be perfect at something on my very first try.

Now, truthfully the quilting isn’t bad, I am obviously not a total novice, but when it comes to some of these designs, I do need more practice.

But, hey, I am branching out, and getting it done! When the quilt is off the frame it will look amazing (as long as you don’t look too closely). With all of the work I have done with this quilt I am not giving it away so putting the extra time and effort into it is worth it for me.

I am actually really proud of myself for just getting in and trying something different instead of taking the easy way out.

Way to go me!

How about you, do you expect perfection on the first try?

Sweet Diversions

May 5, 2020

Who knew that going through the McDonald’s drive-through would be the highlight of the day! Seriously, and this from someone who hates drive-throughs.

However, that is exactly what happened the other day. It was a beautiful day and so Kevin and I decided to go for a quick drive and we ended up going through the Golden Arches aka McDonald’s drive-through and then found a scenic spot (of the ones that weren’t blocked off) to sit and have a picnic in the car.

Now, I guess we could have packed a lunch ourselves but sometimes you just don’t want the bother.

It’s funny when you have choices galore you forget to appreciate the abundance of nature that is all around you. I know that only going out when necessary has made me truly cherish those outings. Ok, maybe not the grocery store!

Who else finds the grocery store incredibly stressful these days? It can’t be just me!

Info Update

Since we are all into the social distancing thing these days and I can’t explain the different thread choices to my clients in person I have made a short video explaining the different thread types. I have added it to the Quilt Top Preparation page. Choosing the Right Thread for your quilt top. 

Vintage Valentine Quilting Dilemma

I have finished my last client quilt for the moment and my frame was empty, so I finally loaded my endless Vintage Valentine project on the frame. This was my hand applique project I started way back when.

You know, I find it so much easier to pick quilting designs for client quilts. My own, not so much. I guess because on my own I want to try something new, however then I get all worried that it won’t be the right design or I won’t like it, or it will be horrible because it’s new and …… well, you can see my dilemma. I can talk myself out of almost anything and the ideas go around and round.

I need to just stop, try something new and enjoy the process.

Oh well, at least I can start with stitch in the ditch and then figure things out as I go. Maybe I will actually have this thing finished before next Valentine day.

What was I thinking when I started this project? I don’t like hand applique and I don’t particularly like hearts. Nevertheless, I am forging ahead.

New Projects

Last post I mentioned starting one of my last three kits that I had purchased however that project got a little sidetracked.

The other day I was looking for something stashed under my long cutting counter when I came across three bins of fabric that I had stored there.

What’s this! More fabric! Ok to be fair one bin had all the unused leftover fabric from the Vintage Valentine project. I had it stored in a separate container so that I wouldn’t inadvertently use the fabric for another project.

The other two bins were from a neighbour (and former client) who had recently passed away. Her husband had asked if I wanted to come over and see if there was anything I could use from her stash before he got rid of everything.

Didn’t have to ask me twice. Not that I need more projects or fabric mind you.

I have lots of .5 metre or metre pieces but not a lot of larger pieces so when it comes to backings I am having to go and purchase them. My neighbour happened to have lots of pieces that were over 2 metres so I gathered up those pieces.

Along with all of that she had two bins with projects that were started but not completed and, on a whim, I had taken those too.

So, ok now I am completely diverted and opened up this one bin with half done projects and there was one with two blocks completed and two more cut out, no pattern to be found, 1 orphan block from another project but using some of the same fabrics and the leftover fabric pieces.

What I discovered was that there wasn’t enough background fabric to complete an overall quilt of any size, so I made two larger table runners.

These are totally not me. I don’t use fabric from all one line in a project, I find there is just not enough colour contrast or variety for me. Oh, I think they look nice enough, but it is not something I would use or keep.

So, I will quilt these up and then offer them up to the church to go on the Holiday Craft Table and someone else can love them.

I had fun using up the orphan block and all the bits and pieces of fabric I had to create the backs. Once these were completed, I didn’t have very much fabric left at all. Just a few scraps to be used in a scrap quilt somewhere down the line.

How are you managing to keep yourself diverted? Any drive-through experiences these days?

Keeping Busy in the New Normal

Apr 25, 2020

Interestingly, and I think I have mentioned this before, my world doesn’t look that much different these days than it did before. I mean I have been working from home now for a couple of years and I don’t tend to go out much anyway.

I do miss going to church on Sundays and going out for dinner or lunch but besides that, my life revolves around my bedroom office, the occasional foray into the kitchen and down into my quilting studio.

Thank goodness I was able to get my studio back together before this pandemic! Oh, my it was bad enough without it for 3 months, but not having it and being stuck inside would have been really pushing the limits.

Cocoa Update

Cocoa is doing great after his dental surgery. Having 16 teeth out seems like a lot but he still seems to be able to eat without any issues. His teeth must have been bothering him though without us really even noticing (don’t you wish animals could talk to us) as he is a lot more playful and even gets the zoomies again. He tries so hard to get the cat to play with him. She just sits and looks at him with that superior expression that only cats can have.

I take him back to the vet tomorrow for a checkup to make sure everything is going ok however I am sure it is.

Client Quilting

Since everyone is stuck inside what do quilters do? Well, quilt of course, and thankfully for me, that means I am able to keep busy. I am really glad that I have been able to figure out a way to exchange quilts while still keeping everyone safe.

Thank goodness for mobile phone cameras and email! It’s not quite as nice as being able to chat with my clients and getting to know them but hey, whatever works.

It does seem weird to hand off a quilt and get paid for work that the client hasn’t even seen yet. So far so good and it does seem to be working out well.

I recently had a new client call me, someone who isn’t actually a quilter but who wanted a custom “bed spread” done. She had gone to a designer place as she wanted something to match the décor in her bedroom so she carefully chose her fabric and quilting design and was told they would send her the quote. 

The quote came back at over $4500.00. Well, to make a long story short she decided to see if she could replicate the look herself. She found some upholstery fabric she loved on sale and put the “top” together however she needed to get it quilted. A friend of hers recommended me and so between the two of us, we figured out how to get this done.

I was a little nervous as I had never quilted on upholstery fabric before however I needn’t have worried. The results were stunning! It looks so nice I may have to try one for myself. She just emailed me to say she loves it and I am glad because it was king-sized and heavy and upholstery fabric frays a lot more than quilting cotton so like I said I was a little worried.

The fabric was beautiful by itself however once it was quilted with a simple design the fabric just seemed to shimmer and shine in certain lights.

So, she was able to get a custom king-sized bed covering for a fraction of the cost of $4500.00.

Hmm, maybe I should start doing custom quilts like that?! Then again maybe not.

Getting some Therapy Time In

Of course, with everything else going on, one has to get some quilting therapy in too. I completed the Flower Basket quilt top (some people call it a flimsy). I am so glad I decided to just forego the hand applique in the flower baskets! Yes, it would have looked lovely, but the quilt would still be unmade and unloved too. So, for me, the decision to forge ahead without the applique was the best and right decision. I did have to change the borders up because the border print I was using was not the same widths as what was used in the pattern. Thank goodness for innovation!

Square in a Square

The other “project” I have been working on is making square in a square samples. Years ago I bought a book and ruler at a quilt show in Portland Oregon called Square in a Square. I purchased this because I really didn’t like making that block and every time I did it always turned out wonky. Consequently, I simply avoided any quilt designs that used that block.

So, there the book and ruler sat for literally years. With everyone at home, a lot of people are taking the time to shift gears and put on online courses or webinars where before they would do this at quilt shows. Quilt shows, of course, aren’t happening right now, so the “smart” innovative (there’s that word again) people are quickly shifting gears and diving into the online realm. Well, so is the author of the square in a square system. I have been watching her free webinars and finally pulled out the book and ruler and have been doing up some practise blocks. They are PERFECT! Every time I might add without a wonky bit to be seen! Should have tried this years ago!

Next Project

In keeping with the theme of finishing off my quilting kits that I once purchased I have pulled out a relatively easy next project. It is a quilting kit I purchased 5 years ago in Hawaii using bark cloth and quilting cotton. I am looking forward to working on this one.

That will just leave me two quilt kits left! Both of those ones will be a lot more challenging, one of which is another paper piecing project. We’ll see how that all goes together.

So, how have you been spending your time indoors? What kinds of projects have you been tackling?  Quilting, Gardening, or some other DIY project?

Let me know in the comments I would love to hear from you.

Getting back to Normal, Whatever that is!

Feb 7, 2020

The house is slowly getting back to normal. The last three months of living out of my master bedroom were really interesting, to say the least. I felt so cooped up. The one bright spot is that I realized I could live in a much smaller space if I really ever needed to. The two that actually seemed to enjoy it were the cat and dog. Both hung out with me as I either worked on my hand sewing project or on the computer. 

The one bright spot in all of this is that the house is looking better than ever. I guess that is the message in life too. Whenever something bad happens, something better almost always comes out of it. 

 

When I picked the flooring 5 years ago, I had just purchased the house and hadn’t actually lived in it. I loved the flooring I picked but after living here I realized that the flooring needed to be lighter to brighten the whole place up so when I was told I had to replace the flooring I took the opportunity to get a lighter floor than what I had originally picked. I was a little worried about my choice as I made my decision on the flooring in under 30 minutes. I know that would seem a ridiculously short amount of time for some people, as I know some people hum and haw for days.

Nope, not me. Still, I did wonder if I made the right decision. I need not have worried though as it turned out great. I guess all my quilter colour training has paid off in some ways! Ha!

Finally quilting again

I am loving having my studio back in order and finished two quilt tops. I have one on the frame now and am so enjoying quilting again! I don’t think I realized how much I missed using my long arm. I just have to quilt the border of the quilt but haven’t decided what design I want to use. I have two completely different themes running around in my head. I need to sketch them out a little more.

Once the quilt on the frame is finished then it’s onto the Vintage Hearts quilt. Now that I have finished appliqueing the quilt top the last thing I want to do is have the top sitting around forever so the sooner I get that thing completely finished the better! I can’t wait!

Last Word

Age is only a state of mind, you are as young as you think. Laliah Gifty Akita

This quote has been brought home to me a lot lately. I have recently taken a temporary job at a contact centre where I am taking calls helping people. It is amazing to me how many people say to me on the call, “oh I am too old to use a computer” and then when it comes to their birthdate they are 10 years younger than me! What!! Seriously, well, I guess you’re old if you think you are! I’m so glad I believe in continuous learning I would hate to talk myself out of learning new things.

Keep learning and growing!

A New Journey

Jan 20, 2017

It’s Friday! For some that is a day to celebrate the end of a long and busy week. However I am finding that when one works for oneself there really aren’t any defined days off. Even when I don’t have client quilts waiting in the wings I am still working at something for the business whether it’s designing quilts, or learning some new quilting designs.

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This week was even busier than normal although I am excited at the new possibilities this will bring. I started working part time at a local quilt shop, The Cloth Castle . I only had a few short shifts this week however I loved it. I love helping people pick out fabrics and working with colour and seeing what they will create with their purchases.

The Cloth Castle is where I purchased my Handi Quilter Avante and the store usually has both an Avante and a HQ Simply Sixteen on the floor. These models are available to rent and you can either purchase the floor model or of course order a brand new one.

Yesterday I got to play with the Simply Sixteen and it’s a really nice little machine, I really liked it and it would be perfect for people who don’t have the space for a larger machine.

This morning I taught my first class on how to load and use the HQ Avante to some woman who were interested in maybe renting the machine.

Now some would think, but hey Janice, don’t you have your own longarm business, aren’t you taking business away from yourself? The opposite of that is won’t the store think you will steal all of their customers for yourself? Well, here is the thing. Angela Walters has her own store, does amazing longarm quilting for people and yet she also teaches, writes books and helps people quilt their own quilts.

There will always be people, like me, that love to quilt. We love the whole process from designing our quilts, piecing them and designing the quilting itself and then actually quilting the quilt. We don’t want to give up control of the design process to someone else.

There are still others who love to piece the quilts, they love working with the fabric, playing with colour but when it comes to basting the quilt and quilting it themselves, they just don’t want it, it simply doesn’t interest them. Those types would rather hand the quilt off to someone like me! Someone who can do that part of the process for them.

Next you have people who love the whole process but simply don’t have the space or money for a longarm and maybe just don’t have the time to complete everything themselves. For these people renting a longarm for an afternoon is an excellent alternative or maybe taking some machine quilting classes so they can quilt on their domestic machines. People in this category quite often utilize the services of a longarm quilter for their larger quilt tops or quilt tops that may require quilting that is beyond their capabilities or time allowances.

So, you see there is something here for everyone. I am excited to see where this leads and am looking forward to the journey.

 

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