Updated Web Site

After finishing the quilt on Marty and working on mine on DW, I finally sat down and (re)worked my web site. Its original intention has changed now that I'm beginning to wind down so I needed to modify it so not to encourage new business.

While at retreat last week I did a few short demonstrations/clinics about long arm quilting, when to get custom, and how to work borders. The Tulip quilt was using the techniques I subscribe to and look at how flat the border lays as well as how straight it is...

ALL borders should be like this and if you think you're going to kid your long armer about not measuring or using mitered piecing in your borders, they WILL know. It introduces all sorts of issues in the long run.

Jim and I are off to Midland to attend the quilt show and get a few groceries he missed when shopping local earlier this week. I'll work on DW later this afternoon/evening and get Diane's quilt on Bernie marked out for an E2E design I'm putting in on Monday.

Merry Christmas

Well, I spent way too long on the Alaska quilt yesterday. It was supposed to be done (in my head) by mid-afternoon, but nope. Not until mid-evening. But, here it is!

It's a finish

Had to do a lot of math to get this pieced border to fit, but it fit perfectly and I'm happy with the finish.

We don't have a lot planned today other than going to moms and making pizzas. Just visiting with her will be a low-keyed day to relax and enjoy each others company. 

No Small Project Again

Because of my hand cast, there will be no small project made this week again. We are heading over to my moms instead to visit.

I was working on DW yesterday morning until my new customer arrived. Talk about 'right to the edge'... 

Too, too close

This is one of those, don't-do-as-I-do situations. I didn't give myself nearly enough backing and am having to be really careful when quilting this last border. As you can see, I didn't get it done because Carrie arrived and needed to shut down the machine.

During lunch the kids called from Germany with some news and then we headed over to Colonville hardware to grab some things. Happy Sunday.

Why Some...

long armers don't long arm anymore. 

Notice anything out of sorts?

And the backing is too short

I called Sue to ask her if I could trim off the sides to obtain extra backing to add to the bottom. She couldn't believe she shorted me like that, but hey, I even do it to myself.

An hour later, and with Jims help, we removed the quilt, trimmed, sewed and sewed again, and then one more time to attach the extra needed at the bottom, and then reloaded. The reloading; that's where it's much easier with two people to assist with the weight of the whole quilt. 

There are many long armers out there who have given up the "sport" for reasons such as the two listed above. They were tired of wrangling these issues. I'm not so sick of it. Yet.

Because I had this little hiccup to deal with, and my eldest called to chat for a while, I did not get this quilt done. Today should be the day and I'll get right to it after my early nail appointment. Not expecting any customers and I have only one delivery coming in, so minimal reasons not to finish this one.

Date Day

Jim and I go out on a "date" every week. We might just grocery shop, but it's time spent together without any outside distractions at home to pull us apart. It means a lot to me to talk to my best friend for an hour of uninterrupted noise. Some might say, "But it's just getting groceries" To us, we make it a game or have fun with it any way we can. It works for us and we are nearly 40 years in the making.

Anns quilt was completed yesterday morning and I started right in on Joyces quilt on DW even before lunch. Here's what I'll be working on through the next couple of days...

Penny Quilt (as they are calling it)

But it's actually a Trip Around the World pattern. The fabrics in here are circa 1940's so I'm using a much smaller needle and thread to quilt this out. And I'm not putting a butt load of thread down since they wouldn't have back then either.

Right out of the gate I knew there were going to be issues. Here's the top borders...

Say 'hello' with the wave

Yep, I have a feeling the iron and some steam are gonna be our friends on this one. 

I'll be working this most of today. I still need to get Anns quilt off the frame (was waiting for the marks to disappear) and trimmed up, and then I have to get the next back started on Bernie in between quilting breaks on Joyces. Happy Friday. 

Challenges

When I'm given a challenge, I love to use problem solving methods to make the situation right. Yesterday, the borders were the challenge. I starched. I steam pressed, and even that wasn't enough to ease in the large amount of fullness in this border...

This is kind of excessive

I ended up taking a tuck because there was still over an inch remaining after all my other options were exhausted.

Here's what's going into each of the blocks in this piece...

A Sawtooth Star

I realize now why I'm not traditionally an edge-to-edger. Yawn. These motifs take a little under a minute to stitch out. Not enough time to work on Bernie, or do much of anything else. Then the motif has to be tied off, moved, realigned with the next block, bobbin thread pulled up and then stitch again. That's not problem solving nor is it a challenge. 

After working on this piece over six hours yesterday, I moved onto Foster to work the Dream Big Minky piece...

Eight petals completed

This machine has excellent lighting. But when I switch over to it during the evening hours, the window behind it faces west. With the sunlight coming through and the lighting on the machine, I was having a really hard time seeing the petals in here. I dialed the lighting down on the machine and that helped.

After working on that for a bit, I moved to Mike to stitch the first six blocks together in my sit-down 365 project...

That didn't take too long

Once that was finished I rolled it up and put it away until the next six blocks are done. I moved over to Ellie to construct the next set of blocks (33 of them) in the scrappy green clean-out-the-dresser project I'll be chipping away at for a while. I have 80 more blocks to go of the 168 I'm going to need.

Jim was busy cutting trim pieces for the studio and he got the transitional stair piece installed too.

No customers scheduled today. I'm going to make a thread basket for Foster to start and then I'll see if Jim needs my help outside (he's working on the porch). 

Long Projects

The new studio is definitely a very long project. We're at 10 months already and still things to be done. He said, when he started the project, to give him a year. Looks like it'll be close to that. 

And then I have my long project. While the Mary, Mary quilt wasn't huge by any means, the amount of thread going in and the time- consuming motifs I selected to insert into the quilt took a long while to complete.  

Mary, Mary

See what I mean about a lot of thread?!

While DW was stitching on Martha's quilt I worked on this one. Then, I loaded Martha's quilt incorrectly and found myself having to unload it, cut a section of backing for the bottom, sewing that on, reloading, and then starting again. 

Marthas quilt is done. Because I had to frame iron for the next one on DW, I continued with Dianes quilt and that's how I got it finished. I'm just waiting for the marks to fade before calling her.

Meanwhile, this is on DW today...

Pat's embroidered braid

The white sections are all embroidered and the braids are done in batiks. However, look at the top border. I haven't basted in yet, but I can see already there's going to be an issue. Again with the borders waving at me. I love a good people wave; I do not love a good quilt top wave. Wish me luck. 

Nesting Geese

It appears we have three of four sets of geese trying to make nests down by the lake. I checked to see how we would deter this behavior (because they often repeat year after year) and without purchasing a liquid repellent, it almost seems impossible since I can't be down there 24/7 to curb their behavior. I guess we'll have some little goslings in a few weeks.  

Meanwhile, still working on Donna's Dahlia quilt; not even half way yet. Had a few customers yesterday doing both pick up and drop offs. 

Here's the filler I'm putting in all the negative space...

Feather and Swirl filler

This is my sole focus today and we are expecting uninterrupted sunshine which will be nice to work by with the white on white. A little jazz playing in the background will round out this perfect day. 

Studio update: We laid more floor last night and we are a little over a third done. 

Love the sunshine!

Through those big windows we put in, the sun shining in is lovely. We would have continued on but 1) We were running out of daylight and doing flooring by candlelight is not advised and 2) We ran out of our first bucket of 700 screws. It's always one thing or another isn't it? 

Chicago Prices and Turn Around

I was recently told by a shop owner about a customer who lives in Chicago. The Chicago lady is a professional long armer, just like me. The Chicago long armer is eight to nine months out, is booked solid, and gets $0.08 per square inch on an edge-to-edge and beginning at $0.095 and upwards for custom quilting. 

Be thankful you don't live in Chicago. I'd have had the studio complete already with those prices. 

It was a busy phone/visitor day yesterday. First, mom stopped by. I was on the phone with Virginia about the shorted backing on her quilt when she showed up. After mom left, I was able to get a little long arming in and then the rush customer called and asked if he could stop by and pick up his quilt. While he was on his way over I received a call from a new lady asking about my services and expectations for dropping off a quilt top. Right after I hung up with her, Reta called and asked if she could come and get her quilts tomorrow (today) morning. I'm expecting her around 10:00.

The north neighbors came up for the night and we spent the late afternoon/evening with them to check out their house renovations and catch up on the last two months worth of noteworthy news.

I didn't get much long arming done on DW, but I did get Virginia's quilt off, added the extra backing, and put back onto Bernie while talking to customers on the phone. It's hard to long arm when I'm talking to customers. Balancing the phone and the noise is pretty phone prohibitive.

I have people coming shortly to check out the new studio, Reta is coming to get her quilts and I have appointments all afternoon; eye, screen printer, accountant. Blech.

And, yesterday would have went better if I didn't have to deal with these...

Gotta love unmeasured borders

Each roll after the first two are now requiring starch to bring in these seriously pleated borders. There's going to be some changes when the new studio is in place when I'm informed the person is a fairly new quilter. We'll have more room to spread the tops out, measure them, and identify whether there's going to be border issues. 

It's harder to explain why there are pleats after the quilt is finished rather than warning them beforehand there may (probably) will be issues during quilting due to the irregular measurements. I'm not a magician after all. 

Favors

It seems like the favors are flying all over the place in our lives right now. Too many to list here but isn't always nice to do somebody a favor? I love to help people!

The Paula quilt is nearly done. As predicted, that last border had to be severely starched and as much as I doused it, it still wasn't dry when I came out of the studio at nearly 8:00. I did get everything else done except that last border so yay there.

After some of the shrinking occurred

I'll move over to DW later this morning and start on Martha's quilt now that the black batting is here once I get Paula's quilt finished. 

Another gloomy day but the temps are relatively warm (near 70 expected) for this time of year. Jim thinks his table saw has departed us for it won't even turn on. Favor number #100...can we borrow your table saw Mr. Neighbor? so not much was completed in the [new] studio last night.

Whoa, Where's the Week Going?

A lot of phone calls the past two days, but I've been productive nonetheless. Sherry's quilt is done, but still hanging out on the frame. I had to starch three of the four borders (mmmm hmmm), and when I shut the machine off (a little after 8:00 last night), they were still pretty wet. 

Here's why I had to starch...

Wavy borders

Meanwhile, while I was working away, Jim did this last night...

Main floor support in. Joists now going in.

He doesn't know if he'll be working on this tonight. His knee is a tad sore and we have a lawn that needs dealing with. We have company coming tomorrow night, and the neighbors are going to be here all weekend, so we won't have time to tackle it any other day. 

I'll be working away on Bernie this morning; the Witches for Nancy while I'm frame ironing the backing for the next Flea Market that's next up on DW. 

Taking Too Long

When I set a quilt up for edge to edge quilting, I figure it won't take longer than a day. Even the bigger ones are generally finished in one day since I prep everything the previous night and start the machine even as I'm blogging (like now). 

But when I have to starch between every roll because borders are waving at me...well, it takes two days to get a quilt done. I have to wait for the starch to dry (shrinking the offending border) before restarting the machine. 

A side view

From the top

Yes, I have to find some way to get these under control. I'm not a magician. I can work wonders, but some waving just isn't solvable with starch. This particular one required a tuck.

At any case, here's what's going into Sandy's quilt...

Love the texture on this sweet colored quilt!

Joanns quilt is still on Bernie, but quilted. I'll get it billed and trimmed this morning while DW is working away. 

Jim did some more work on the [new] studio last night; getting the drainage trunk put in around the footers/foundation. Now to get something over the top of it. And he realized late last night that he ordered the wrong width sill plate boards, so we need to exchange those tonight...or something to make it right. 

Drainage trunk is in. 

Two new quilts will be loaded later today baring any issues with Sandy's last two stitch out rows. I already know I have a bottom border to starch because it's waving like crazy after the roll last night. UGH!

Got Borders?

I had to run out to vote this morning so am getting a little later start. Here's what's on DW this morning...

This is a BIG Carpenters Star!

This is Margery's quilt and look at all that real estate to quilt! This is the before...

Just getting the first border in.

This is the after...

Look at all that texture!

A lot of long armers cringe when they see this many borders, especially with solids that show EVERY little bobble and mistake. I relish them!

I'll be working on this most of the morning and early afternoon. After that, I have two customers coming to drop off and pick up mid-afternoon/evening. 

I'm at the half-way point on Linda H.'s quilt on Bernie. I'll be working on that some more this evening. That is, if our north neighbors don't show up, which they are supposed to do sometime this week. It's rainy, cold, and windy out there so a great day to stay in and jam to some tunes and work.

Thinking, thinking, thinking

Jim and I had to run out to do some errands this morning so I'm blogging late. 

The DW Linda H. quilt is done. It was early evening before I finished it (Jim got called out on a service call) but still on the frame. It was interesting to try to get the ProStitcher to deal with this not-a-straight-line situation. I had to manually stitch each motif out and make adjustments along the way to make it look not too weird. I'm removing marks and letting it just hang there until tomorrow night when I set up for Monday.

. 

Aaahhhh...aren't borders supposed to be straight?

This afternoon I'm going to work on the McKenna Ryan piece and enjoy a dismal weather day playing by myself

Always a Challenge

I have only ever seen this one other time in my long arm career. Most quilts are shorter on the inside measurements; the middle of quilt measurements. This one actually measures longer in the center, which causes this issue...

See the buckling at the orange border?

Once I take those last two rolls, this will have to be tackled. And it won't be easy.

I'm headed over to Pieces here shortly. I have to pick up some more Misty Fuse and get a hunk of batik for the background on the McKenna Ryan piece I'm working on. And, I haven't seen the girls over there in a few weeks so there's that. 

I'm hoping to finish the Linda H. quilt on DW today. That's my goal anyway. If there's still time, I'll work on the Linda H. quilt on Bernie. 

Stipple versus All Over

I detest stippling. It's actually one of the hardest edge-to-edge designs to do, which I CAN do but I'm puzzled why beginners are told to start there. And...I don't think it does much for the quilt. To me, it makes it look old. Did you know I charge the same for All Over designs that would be much more esthetically pleasing? Swirls, loops with flowers (or stars, or clovers), wandering flowers, wandering feathers, waves, waves with fillers, etc. They are all the same price. PLEASE do not make me do a stipple. 

Mary and Terry's quilts are done. I was in the studio until almost 9:00 finishing Terry's so I did not get to updating the long arm log like I'd hoped. Mary's quilt is off the frame and ready to pack up and send out to its new home. Terry's is still on the frame. That's first up on the list today. 

What happens when a border does this?

This is a problem

You gently guide it back into place as much as you possibly can. But there's only so much I can do; I still haven't received my magic wand in the mail. 

Fighting with me to straighten out

Loading two new tops today (Terry's second and Jills 'rush' top). Pics tomorrow since the one machine is still occupied. 

Last Kayak Trip

I took my last kayak trip last night. It was so peaceful. The colors are changing in the trees lining the lake, the wind was virtually nil, and wildlife scooting from place to place as they make their trek south were constant companions during the ride. I didn't dare venture too far as the shot(s) I received for my temporary crown were starting to wear off. 

I did manage to get a few tops loaded onto DW/Bernie. Here's what DW is wearing today...

A Harry Potter quilt for Debbie M.'s Granddaughter

I have to locate a Harry Potter themed E2E for the center. I've started the piano keys in the border and did so while frame ironing the backing for what Bernie is wearing today...

The bikini girls

This is one of my tops and while the C's and us were down with Covid in 2020, Lia, my DIL, sketched some tattoos onto some of the girls. I'll incorporate those with thread once I get there. I have a feeling this one will be on the machine for a while. 

Bug guy coming sometime today. I have to open the neighbors' house up for him once he decides to show as both houses get the same day treatment. 

Maybe Make a Reference Sheet

Okay, so new quilters aren't getting the whole "measure your border" thing. And by the time the top gets to me, the border is already attached. And, aside from me removing it and reattaching it, I'm stuck. 

The starch yesterday helped with the first rumpled border situation...

Before starch

After starch

But there's only so much starch can do. The second border situation, even after starching, had a more than 1" ripple in it and so I needed to take a tuck. And, because I had to fuss with borders (waiting for the starch to dry between sprays), it took longer to quilt. Needless to say, I'm working on this quilt again all day today because it, obviously, didn't get finished yesterday. 

I have a new customer coming this morning too. They always have a lot of questions and it takes some time to get to know one another so I'm jumping on the machine even before 10:00 to try to get this quilt done today. That way, I can be "present" for the customer and not focusing on what I have sitting behind me that needs attention.  

Two Off and Running Days

Yesterday morning I had a Zoom call first thing with my web designer. From there, the girls and I ran to get them some chow since they were out. Once I got back I tore right into the next top loaded on the frame...

Pat R's Log Cabin

I love the colors in this top! This top will be worked today as well since it's a big one but here's some of the quilting going into it...

It's amazing how the quilting changes things

But I had a border issue I'm hoping starch will fix.

Uh oh!

Once my back said I was done for the day (and we were experiencing gusting winds which was making me a little nervous), I moved on to the small project I started last weekend while the starch was drying on that border. And it's a finish!

Cute everything bag

And all the blocks are done for the striped top I was working on. Just need to get them together and decide whether I want to get a border on this or just leave it as a couch-size quilt. 

Does it drive your vision nuts?

This morning started out with a customer dropping off two tops and getting sheets hung out on the line. Now I can finally work and get Pat's quilt finished today (hopefully). Happy Thursday!

Cranking Thursday

Despite having two sets of customers come for pick-ups yesterday, I was able to get Marcia's first quilt done. And her second one. And then a third loaded and started.

Beth G.'s Giant Linear Circle...the third project

Marcia's second quilt top

A little quilting detail

And more detail

And what is this?

This is me having to pin an extra leader on to the bottom because there wasn't enough backing fabric provided to finish the top. This takes extra time, pin sticks, and a whole lot of frustration. But, it was handled and I was off and running after a half hour or so. 

Although, if I could ask one thing of my customers; make sure there is plenty of backing fabric all around. So much extra time is taken to have to pin leaders to the sides/bottom when enough backing isn't provided. Especially if the piece requires ruler work. My ruler base takes an extra six inches on the sides without having to bang into my side clamps. 

Oh, and another wish. Measure. Those. Borders! Just slapping them on is going to cause ruffles/ripples when it's long armed and trying to get away with doing it will catch up to you.