Any Quilters on GC?

AZTheta · #1 03-16-2013, 10:56 PM

Here's something I'm interested in (besides badges): I've finally returned to quilting, after many years of not touching my Singer 221 (1957) Featherweight (it was my grandmother's, left to me when she passed). Have been astounded at the changes in the quilting world... the fabrics are incredible. I splurged on a Bernina (without the embroidery module, although I'm saving for that), and take my Featherweight to classes.

Love batiks; working on a sampler quilt right now with reds, purples and (gasp) yellows. Also working on an Amish-style quilt (all solids), Nancy Rink design - Amish with a Twist. Finishing up a bargello for a friend's birthday. Next up: a shabby chic cuddle-style raggy quilt for a certain GCer (if I can find the *right* fabrics).

Not brave enough to tackle any Judy Niemeyer designs yet but hope that next year I'll have enough confidence to tackle paper piecing.

Anyone else quilting around these parts?

DubaiSis · #2 03-16-2013, 11:03 PM

I quilt. I love working with the batiks too, but I have been working exclusively with scraps for a few years now because my collection of fabric verges on the absurd. But I'm always scared to buy less than a pattern asks for! The worst quilt I ever made was a water color quilt. It was an interesting project, REALLY difficult and completely controlled my life for a couple months. The result was pretty but I don't know if it was worth the effort and the huge expense in having to go shopping over and over again so I could find a 2X2 inch square of fabric that was the correct shade of yellow on 1 side and black on the other. Eventually I was stuck buying block pieces of 12 inches or larger just to take out 1 single 2 inch square. And thus the ridiculous stash. I occasionally think about doing one again but it actually brings on anxiety. I think I'll stick with squares and triangles.

JayhawkAOII · #3 03-16-2013, 11:28 PM

I quilt as well. I hand quilt, but I have a machine quilter I have collaborated with on projects. I had to put a moratorium on fabric buying - I'm running out of storage, so I have to get some projects done. I am working on a quilt right now with fabric based on the Mexican Day of the Dead. It is very cool.

DubaiSis · #4 03-16-2013, 11:33 PM

We should ship a fat quarter (or equivalent) to each other! Pick a color, I bet I can find it for you. Except black or grey, which is a problem. It turns out even when you don't work with those colors, you still need it to make borders pop (my current problem).

And I only hand quilt. Machine piece (I'm not crazy!) but hand quilt.

AZTheta · #5 03-17-2013, 12:15 AM

DS, I have wanted to make a watercolor quilt since first seeing one a long time ago. After reading your account, I've changed my mind. JayhawkAOII, would love to see your Dia de los Muertos quilt! It happens to be my birthday, so I love DOD themes.

So far have been able to resist much "stashing" - practicing extreme restraint.

DubaiSis · #6 03-17-2013, 03:14 AM

Here's one that I think I could conquer:

The one I did was along this line:

except way more complicated. The heart went from a deep fuschia to almost white pink and the background went from yellow to white to black. I don't think either of these examples would be nearly as taxing and you could use way more of a given print than I was able to.

Something like this is my dream/nightmare:

AZTheta · #7 03-17-2013, 04:24 AM

Holy COW.

Now I really want to make one! That's beautiful. Here's the Amish Quilt I'm working on:

[IMG]

MFNRAMISHQK by SilverTerv, on Flickr[/IMG]

AGDee · #8 03-17-2013, 04:53 AM

When I finish grad school and the kids are both in college, this is the hobby I intend to pick up. I've done a lot of sewing but I really want to quilt. My biggest concern is that I'm kind of OCD and want everything to always be symmetrical and balanced and I have a hard time with certain colors together. The heart watercolor quilt would work but the one above it makes me feel anxious because the colors aren't balanced and it isn't symmetrical enough. I think this is going to hold me back creatively...lol. I had a co-worker who did beautiful stained glass quilts though and those were fine with me because they were pictures, not random shapes. Hers were kind of like these:

alum · #9 03-17-2013, 05:07 AM

I quilt a bit. I learned how to do it all by hand back in the day before rotary cutters when we used to mark our pieces with the 1/4" stick. I didn't buy a machine for about 7 years but even when I had one, it was mostly for home dec designs. Suffered with the Singer for way too long until taking the Bernina plunge. I have the QE edition which suits my needs (although it would be nice to have a monogramming/embroidery feature).

The quilts and quilted totebags that I make on commission are all machine-pieced/quilted. Ditto with projects that are for gifts as nonquilters just don't realize how many hours are put into these items. Non-utilitarian designs that I will be keeping are all done by hand.

When my children were home, I was a prolific hand-needleworker as I was always sitting somewhere at Scout meetings, sports practices, religious education.

Currently I am working on a totebag for an AF wife, a DG/UVa pillow, and a large quilt for my house.

My Kappa Needleworker group just finished our triennial quilt that we make to raise money for RIF. We unveiled it at our Province Meeting in the beginning of March and will sell chances on it through next year and will draw a name at our alum ass'n Spring Luncheon 2014. This quilt was primarily pieced by hand (a bit was machine pieced) and was all hand-quilted.

AZTheta · #10 03-17-2013, 09:46 AM

would love to see a photo of the Kappa triennial quilt...

Bought the Bernina 750QE. I felt like I went from riding a tricycle to flying a Lear jet.

AGDee · #11 03-17-2013, 10:53 AM

AGDAlum should be checking in on this thread. She pieced the Alpha Gamma Delta Centennial Quilt.

alum · #12 03-17-2013, 11:36 AM

This is the quilt that we worked on from 2011-2013, the raffle is ongoing until next spring. Not the greatest lighting at our Blue Owl Boutique room...so hopefully we will be retaking the pictures.

This one was made from 2008-2010, raffled from 10-11. Hand-appliqued/machine-pieced/hand-quilted

From 2004-2007 we made a gorgeous batik applique, raffled from 07-08. Hand-everything!

In 2001-04 we made a blue and blue Virginia Reel, raffled from 04-05. I'm going to have to search around for photos, not to bore you all but for my own records.

This one was the first one with which I was involved. We were starting on Year 3 of this when I moved to the area so it was from 1998-2001, raffled 01-02

alum · #13 03-17-2013, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGDee

When I finish grad school and the kids are both in college, this is the hobby I intend to pick up. I've done a lot of sewing but I really want to quilt. My biggest concern is that I'm kind of OCD and want everything to always be symmetrical and balanced and I have a hard time with certain colors together. The heart watercolor quilt would work but the one above it makes me feel anxious because the colors aren't balanced and it isn't symmetrical enough. I think this is going to hold me back creatively...lol. I had a co-worker who did beautiful stained glass quilts though and those were fine with me because they were pictures, not random shapes. Hers were kind of like these:

Upper left hangs in my house

sigmagirl2000 · #14 03-17-2013, 11:46 AM

I taught myself to quilt by hand with a headlamp in the dark while working at a summer camp... Thus my quilts are not nearly as extravagant as yours. I tend to gravitate towards the batiks as well.

Sorry for giant photos. I kept resizing them smaller, then when I preview or post, they're giant sized again!

DubaiSis · #15 03-17-2013, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AzTheta

[IMG]

MFNRAMISHQK by SilverTerv, on Flickr[/IMG]

I really like this! But I don't do applique, so I'd have to find a different motif for the corners. I absolutely HATE doing applique (way too OCD for the folding and making do) and I don't do curves either.

The one I'm working on right now is quite simple, but the instructions are ridiculous. It's like the designer so desperately wanted to make multiple squares at once that the cuts, folds, lines drawn, etc. are ridiculously contrived. I did one as a gift and I'm working on one (ok, not really working... it's out in the middle of the room making me look like the next episode of horders), trying to simplify the instructions as I go.

This one is a baby quilt that I think will be used as a play mat. The baby, being about 1 week old now, hasn't had a whole lot of play time yet!