Any Quilters on GC? - Page 3

DubaiSis · #31 03-30-2013, 09:49 PM

As promised, here's the first completed block of the same quilt but in pinks and lighter yellow and green. It's interesting that in its constituent parts it didn't look nearly as pale as this. In real life it's not quite this pale, but it's pretty light!

AZTheta · #32 03-30-2013, 09:57 PM

Your points are awesome! And I really like your fabric choices.

Put together the first 15 blocks of the sampler quilt; as soon as I get the other ten on, I'll post a photo. I decided to do some ripping and restitching b/c I want my blocks to line up as neatly as yours do, DS.

DubaiSis · #33 03-30-2013, 10:13 PM

There is more than one reason I work with squares and half squares only. Plus, I have learned to trim after each round so they end up the same size virtually every time. I hate the trimming part but it's critical to a good point.

But this pattern is easy enough and sized right to use scraps so I may keep at this one for a few more go-rounds. The one problem is my muslin is done so I'll have to use a color for the background on the next one.

alum · #34 03-31-2013, 12:31 AM

Here's a quilt made for a KD from Washington and Lee.

thetygerlily · #35 04-02-2013, 12:51 AM

I LOVE those stained glass quilts. Gorgeous!!

As a non-sewer, how difficult is quilting? One of my friends made a quilt for my newborn son and it is so cool looking it got me wondering if it'd be a good side hobby in the future. Something kind of challenging but also offering some time to escape the stressors of real life. I have the same challenge as AGDee, though- I feel like I would agonize over every single little scrap to make sure it was really perfect. That may result in never getting off the ground or never finishing! I feel like I need a class in "how to give up artistic control and just go with it".

AZTheta · #36 04-02-2013, 01:31 AM

I'm a perfectionist, and quilting is *perfect* because it's taught me a lot about myself, the idiocy of perfectionism, and how to let go of what's not important.

Quilting consists of three steps: measure and cut; sew press. Repeat.

It is a great activity because it can be done in small time increments. The results are immediate.

It appeals to my creativity and artistic sense. There's tremendous variety in quilt patterns, fabrics, threads, and so on. And it's the best way I can manage my ADHD. I have to focus on what's right in front of me. I never get bored. I love seeing a quilt take form.

DaffyKD · #37 04-02-2013, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thetygerlily

As a non-sewer, how difficult is quilting? One of my friends made a quilt for my newborn son and it is so cool looking it got me wondering if it'd be a good side hobby in the future. Something kind of challenging but also offering some time to escape the stressors of real life. I have the same challenge as AGDee, though- I feel like I would agonize over every single little scrap to make sure it was really perfect. That may result in never getting off the ground or never finishing! I feel like I need a class in "how to give up artistic control and just go with it".

thetygerlily, my 7th grade home ec teacher guaranteed that I would hate sewing for the rest of my life. I wouldn't touch a machine or sew ANYTHING until the mid 90's. My best friend (a pledge sister) had her mother make quilts for both of my kids when they were born. I loved them. A friend took a quilting class and got me to join her. I have been hooked since. When sewing clothes, you had to be spot on or else you may be walking down the street with 1 sleeve a mile longer than the other. With quilting, if you make a mistake, you either take out the stitches if it is a big error or add an applique to cover the boo boo if possible. I still won't do curves. I do straight stitch seams, but thanks to optical illusions, often it looks like I have done curves.

Try a basic quilt class and see how you like it!

DaffyKD

DubaiSis · #38 04-02-2013, 01:18 PM

I think it's a great hobby IF you have room to put your sewing stuff in and close the door. In my current living situation it's out in the middle of everything and putting everything away every day isn't realistic.

Here's a suggestion for anyone interested in taking up quilting but is intimidated. Look for a "mystery quilt." It gives you step by step instructions but you don't see what the quilt looks like. The first one I did said to buy X number of blue fabrics of similar tone and X number of a light color (I chose yellow). The quilt turned out really pretty although loaded with errors. The mystery quilt had me doing way more complicated procedures than I ever would have otherwise, but it taught me a lot about the process.
If you google Mystery Quilt, you should find some information to get you started. But seriously, don't cheat.

There are a lot of materials required to get started as a quilter. Before you make a huge investment I might see if you could borrow or inherit a quilter's older stuff (except for your scissors and rotary cutter which should be new and high quality). The cutting mats and clear plastic rulers are expensive so those I'd see if you can borrow for a while. Plus, you'll develop your own preferences and I can tell you having a $50 cutting mat sitting around doing nothing because you don't like the size or shape is pretty annoying.

alum · #39 04-03-2013, 01:38 AM

If you start out hand-piecing and hand-quilting only, you won't need a machine. I was originally taught by a neighbor who was heavily influenced by Amish and Shaker design. The emphasis she instilled regarding simple lines and precision resonates with me today. My sewing machine was for sewing window treatments (we PCSed a lot with the Army). I didn't piece a block by machine until about 12 years after I originally was taught the hand techniques. Even then, I still did very little machinework until I bought my Bernina about 7 years after that. I would love to get a midarm machine for my next expenditure, specifically the HQ16

AOII Angel · #40 04-03-2013, 09:52 AM

My mom took up quilting when I was little and never completed the piece. I found the material in the attic when I was fifteen and finished all the squares. My mom had done three including a fancy center square that had peacock type feathers. When I went to put it together, that dang fancy square was 2/3 the size of all the other squares, and I couldn't figure out how to put the thing together. I packed all the squares back up and have no idea what became of it. :/ My 15 year old brain did not take well to that level of annoyance and didn't have the resources of the Internet, classes or additional material to fix the issue. I did enjoy making the squares while it lasted.